Chapter 7: Trust Me, This Round Is a Sure Win!
Chapter 7: Trust Me, This Round Is in the Bag!
The fight began, and the fight ended. The entire process was unremarkable, essentially a carbon copy of the previous match.
After the start, Zhang Fang initially played it safe, maneuvering and defending. Once he had probed and grasped his opponent's attack patterns and techniques, he seized an opening, using a parry to deflect the man's long blade. While his opponent was distracted by the sight of his sword edge becoming notched, Zhang Fang spotted the opening and struck with a palm...
"Dragon Subduing Palm: The Repentant Dragon!"
It was the same recipe, the same familiar flavor.
Zhang Fang’s second opponent was blasted out of the circle, man and blade alike. This opponent was even unluckier than Wang Liu, for when he tried to block Zhang Fang’s "Repentant Dragon," he had used his palm instead of his blade.
The strike not only sent him flying, but the sheer, overwhelming force of the palm shattered his left arm, dislocating it instantly.
[In the hidden quest "Securing a Spot," you have defeated your second opponent. Reward: 200 points.]
Ding! The Reward Critical Strike system has taken effect. The quest rewards granted to the host will receive a 100% critical bonus!
Reward received: 400 points!
Seeing Zhang Fang defeat his second opponent with the same method, the You Brothers were stunned. Because they had learned from the first match, this second opponent had been significantly more cautious, fighting carefully throughout the entire bout and making no amateur mistakes.
Conversely, for the first half of the exchange, Zhang Fang had relied solely on the You family’s ancestral "Thirty-Six Heavenly Guardian Shield Techniques." It wasn't as if his shield work had improved; in the eyes of the You Brothers, the technique remained as stiff and clumsy as ever in his hands.
Logic dictated that such mediocre shield work should never have been able to withstand the opponent’s storm of rapid strikes.
Yet, he had blocked them!
It defied logic!
After a dozen exchanges, the opponent grew visibly anxious, which was exactly when Zhang Fang seized the opportunity to parry and strike him out of the ring with a single palm.
This kid’s performance today was truly unexpected.
***
Thinking of this, the two brothers looked at Zhang Fang’s third opponent, gesturing for him to play it steady, to remain calm, and to be careful not to capsize in the gutter.
The latter nodded earnestly to show he understood, then stepped into the combat circle.
By now, Physician Xue had finished resetting the dislocated arm of the second opponent and returned to the side of the You Brothers to watch Zhang Fang’s third match.
Having paved the way with the first two bouts, Zhang Fang was now full of confidence. Although this third opponent did not act magnanimously like the second, asking if Zhang Fang needed a rest or wasting time with idle chatter—which would have allowed Zhang Fang to recover his internal energy—it did not change the inevitable fate of his defeat.
Through the first two fights, Zhang Fang had finally gained a new understanding of his own strength, especially the tremendous changes brought about by his "Eternal Holy Qi."
Although the skill description for "Eternal Holy Qi" only mentioned a 100% increase in the healing effect of internal energy and a 100% boost to internal energy recovery speed, it was, as an innate internal energy, inherently superior to acquired internal energy in many ways. These advantages were common to all innate internal energies and were not unique to the "Eternal Holy Qi," which was why they weren't explicitly listed in the skill description.
Much like how the wealthy never need to worry about the security of their neighborhoods, the "Eternal Holy Qi’s" ability to perceive the surrounding world was an innate attribute that required no special mention.
Relying on this trait, Zhang Fang’s insight into the changes in his surroundings and his reaction speed were absolutely on par with other martial artists of equivalent strength.
The opponent’s seemingly ferocious and swift attacks appeared to him as if in slow motion, posing no pressure at all. Under such circumstances, dealing with his opponent’s attacks was naturally much simpler.
He looked clumsy and awkward, but in reality, he was rock solid!
Even though his third opponent had learned from the lessons of the previous two and fought with sufficient caution, it only bought him a little more time in the circle. After failing to land a hit through over thirty moves, he was, unsurprisingly, caught by Zhang Fang, who parried and followed up with a "Repentant Dragon" to send him flying out of the ring.
[In the hidden quest...]
Ding! ...
Reward received: 400 points!
Watching Zhang Fang defeat three opponents in a row using the exact same method, the You Brothers and Physician Xue exchanged silent glances.
What could they do?
They were helpless, too!
When selecting opponents earlier, they had wanted to save face for the gathered heroes and thus hadn't chosen those with high reputations or elite martial arts to test Zhang Fang. In fact, the first three opponents were among the weakest in terms of both skill and fame. They were evenly matched, the kind where a fight could go either way.
The reason Wang Liu was sent first wasn't because he was the weakest, but because he was the most tactful, knowing how to lose to "You Tanzhi" while still preserving the You Brothers' reputation.
However, this arrangement resulted in Zhang Fang facing opponents of the same level three times in a row. Though it looked thrilling, there was no real pressure involved. This left the three organizers feeling rather embarrassed.
After staring at each other for a few seconds, Physician Xue took the initiative, whispering to the You Brothers: "Do not be anxious. Tanzhi’s performance is excellent, which is a good thing; it shows the boy’s potential is indeed unexpectedly strong. It is only because the first three opponents were of the same level that he could win consecutively."
"These next two opponents are far stronger than the first three. If this kid thinks he can win as easily as before, he is in for a rude awakening."
He paused, looking at the martial artist stepping into the ring. A look of absolute certainty appeared on Physician Xue’s face: "Take this fourth opponent, Tian Meng, for instance. His 'Through-the-Arm Fist' is quite famous in the martial arts world, far surpassing the previous three. Trust me, this round is in the bag!"
Hearing this, the You Brothers felt slightly relieved and fixed their gaze on the arena.
In the center of the ring, seeing that his fourth opponent was Tian Meng, Zhang Fang’s expression turned serious. Unlike the previous two strangers, Zhang Fang, drawing on the lingering memories of You Tanzhi, knew that Tian Meng’s strength was far beyond Wang Liu’s, and indeed, significantly stronger.
Facing such a formidable opponent, what could Zhang Fang do?
He silently pulled up his skill list and used the points accumulated from the previous three victories to upgrade "Dragon Subduing Palm: The Repentant Dragon" to Level 2.
Dragon Subduing Palm: The Repentant Dragon (Lv2)
Proficiency: 0/2000
...
Strength +6, Constitution +4, Agility +2, Spirit +2
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(I have some urgent matters today; the next chapter may be delayed until tonight.)