Humiliation set Zhou Bai's blood boiling.
Yet, strangely, it sharpened his focus.
Xianyang's martial world was small, and Zhou Bai knew it. Despite being hailed as a prodigy by his elders, he'd always dreamed of breaking out, making his mark beyond the city's walls.
Then came Li Yan, crashing into his path.
A country kid, two years younger!
If Zhou Bai was a genius, what did that make this guy?
Humiliation bred resentment, bitter and sharp.
He hated to admit it, but jealousy was creeping in.
His earlier bravado—forgotten. Now, Zhou Bai unleashed his true strength, the Monkey Fist, driven by one desire: to crush this upstart and purge his rage.
He sprang like an ape, claws slashing at Li Yan's head midair.
Li Yan, clinging to the splintered board, answered with a skyward kick.
But Zhou Bai read him like a book. Midair, he flipped, looming above, his right leg swinging down like a sledgehammer.
Bang!
Their legs met with a dull thud.
Zhou Bai's agility gave him the edge on the sheer wooden wall. Using the impact, he spun, claws sinking deep into the boards.
Li Yan, suspended, had only his broken plank for support.
The blow tested his grip, but the board gave way with a crack, dropping him two meters before he punched into another panel, halting his fall.
"Get down!"
Zhou Bai was already on him, diving from above.
No kicks this time—his right fist, loosely clenched, roared with force.
Hidden force!
Li Yan's heart skipped. He shifted tactics fast.
A direct hit wouldn't just knock him off the arena—it could rupture organs, leaving only the Great Law Body to patch him up.
With Zhou Bai above, Li Yan had to dodge.
He twisted, kicking off the wall, fists pounding a trail of craters as he flipped to another section, aiming to scramble back to the arena.
But Zhou Bai was a step ahead.
Seeing Li Yan slip away, he pulled back, legs churning, claws gripping like an ape scaling a cliff, reaching the other wall first.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
He lunged, only to freeze as Li Yan's leg smashed through the wall, exposing the arena's framework. Li Yan darted inside.
"Where you hiding?!" Zhou Bai sneered, moving to follow.
But instinct screamed, and he leapt back.
Crack!
The wall where he'd stood exploded.
Li Yan, inside the framework, had vaulted up, unleashing a hidden-force Mountain-Splitting Ox Strike through the wood.
The blow was staggering.
Powered by yang energy, the wall shattered like a bomb had gone off, boards raining down.
Hidden force amplified a strike's power and opened endless variations: yang for raw explosion, yin to pierce organs, spiral or twisting silk for layered finesse.
But both fighters were novices in this realm, their stamina shallow. A few uses, and they'd be drained, saving it for critical moments.
Master hidden force fully, and every move—attack or defense—could carry it effortlessly, no limits.
Li Yan's sneak attack nearly landed.
Zhou Bai dodged just in time but lost his perch. With a tug, he flipped backward, landing on the arena.
On the other side, Li Yan smashed through his wall, vaulting back to the platform.
Beneath, thick logs formed the arena's base—breakable with hidden force, but not worth the cost.
Once more, they faced off on the stage.
The exchange had been a whirlwind, thrilling and razor-close.
Even seasoned martial artists in the crowd held their breath, eyes glued, too tense to blink.
Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan were pale, sweating bullets, only exhaling when Li Yan escaped the trap.
"Brilliant!"
The crowd's roar shook the air.
Not much time had passed since the fight began, but the moves, counters, and split-second decisions left everyone dazzled.
Young fighters in the audience frowned, their pride stung. They'd trained hard, thought their lack of fame was just bad luck or no one hyping them up. Now, facing either man on that stage, they knew they'd be down already.
On the arena, the air grew heavier.
After that clash, Zhou Bai shed all arrogance. Half-crouched, chest tucked, back hunched, he struck the Backhand Moon-Gazing pose, scratching his neck, claws shifting, eyes locked on Li Yan.
Zhou Family Monkey Fist.
His gaze burned with menace, claws clenching with sharp cracks.
Li Yan's eyes narrowed, stance shifting, guard up.
Monkey Fist demanded iron claws.
Zhou Bai's fingers, honed through brutal training, were like steel.
Red Fist thrived on fluid footwork, blending lock and strike. The Zhou family's Monkey Fist, fused with White Ape Through-Back Fist, wove destruction into every hit, breaking as it struck.
Engage, and it adapted by sound alone.
Worse, Zhou Bai knew Red Fist's patterns. One mistake, and Li Yan was done.
"Scared?" Zhou Bai
Zhou Bai's taunt hung in the air, his eyes glinting with savage glee. With a monkey-like leap, he pounced, arms bent in a Ferocious Monkey Pounces stance, claws ready to tear.
But midair, he switched tactics. His body twisted, right palm bracing the ground for a sliding kick aimed at Li Yan's groin.
Ape Lies on Lotus.
Monkey Fist was sly, its moves deceptively goofy but deadly, targeting vulnerable spots—groin, eyes, throat.
Li Yan was quicker, sidestepping the low blow. His right leg snapped out like a whip, a Horse-Blocking Leg.
In striking, power flows from the ground up.
Zhou Bai's fierce attack left him sprawled, unable to push back, his face exposed.
One clean kick from Li Yan could've caved his skull.
But Zhou Bai was no slouch. Missing the kick, he twisted his legs, spinning upright, rolling to Li Yan's blind side.
Li Yan's whip leg was still out.
Zhou Bai's hand darted, a Stubborn Monkey Pulls Snake, locking Li Yan's right leg.
This grappling move could twist a joint, topple the foe, and expose the groin for a devastating kick.
But Zhou Bai didn't follow through.
His eyes blazed, hidden force surging. Steel-hard claws clamped down, aiming to cripple Li Yan's leg.
Pain seared through Li Yan's leg, igniting his own fury. He bent, hidden force flaring, and slapped a palm at Zhou Bai's forehead.
A busted leg? The Great Law Body could fix it. But if his palm landed, Zhou Bai's head would be pulp.
Madman!
Zhou Bai's heart skipped, dodging just in time.
Still, the palm clipped his shoulder, sending him flying. He twisted midair, barely landing, glaring at Li Yan.
His left arm dangled, dislocated, muscles and tendons bruised purple and swollen.
Li Yan wasn't unscathed. His stance held firm, but his right leg bled from five puncture wounds, soaking his leggings red.
The crowd's hearts pounded.
Such ferocity in mere seconds—both bloodied already.
At this pace, someone was dying soon.
"Hmph!" Zhou Bai sneered, rising slowly. His right hand yanked his left arm, snapping the joint back, then shook his shoulder. "Kid, your leg's toast. How you fighting now?"
Monkey Fist's agility was unmatched. With Li Yan hobbled, Zhou Bai owned the fight.
Before his words settled, he launched, hands and feet skittering like a monkey, darting to Li Yan's front, feinting, then spinning to his rear.
Li Yan shifted, ready to strike.
But Zhou Bai was a blur—chest tucked, back hunched, spinning like a top around Li Yan, real and fake moves blending, impossible to track.
Then Li Yan remembered Zhang Shitung's warning: break Zhou Bai's "circle," or lose.
The "circle" was Monkey Fist's soul: body a sphere, ever-turning, every move a curve. No circle, no fist.
Zhou Bai's footwork was flawless, strikes swift and vicious, true and false moves a dizzying dance.
Rip!
Li Yan missed a block. Zhou Bai's claws, without hidden force, still tore five bloody gashes across his back.
Li Yan fired back, a groin-kicking Lifting Yin Leg.
Zhou Bai rolled, dodging with ease, rising with chattering squeals, eyes wild with glee.
His gaze was alive, feral, untamed.
Every move, every leap, was pure monkey…
*(Chapter End)*