"Alright then, as long as you know what you're doing.
"I won't demonstrate the Fighting Technique for you. I'll send you the relevant tutorial videos later. With your foundation in Mixed Martial Arts, it won't be hard for you to understand."
Seeing Hu Qi's resolve, Chen Wu didn't say any more and agreed.
Chen Wu added one last thing.
"Your skills are very impressive. I have high hopes for you. Keep up this pace, and you'll have a great chance of getting into the core class."
"Thank you, Coach. I'll do my best!"
Hu Qi nodded.
Then, he suddenly asked,
"Coach, would you be willing to spar?"
Chen Wu's brow twitched, his expression full of surprise.
"You're a little overconfident, kid. I don't deny your talent is outstanding, and your progress in Mixed Martial Arts is especially astonishing. But if that's all you have, it's far from enough to spar with me."
"I just want to know what level I'm at right now."
Hu Qi said sincerely.
That was indeed one of his reasons.
Beyond that,
he also made the request
because of the core class.
It made him realize that he had to display some of his own strength.
Mindlessly hiding his abilities was not a wise move.
Only by demonstrating sufficient worth could he obtain the corresponding benefits.
That principle applied everywhere, and this place was no exception.
"Fine. I'll humor you, kid."
Chen Wu was so amused by Hu Qi's attitude that he almost laughed in exasperation.
'This kid really doesn't know his own limits.'
"Um, can we find a more private place to spar?"
Hu Qi glanced around.
"No! We'll do it right here."
Chen Wu shook his head.
'The kid has some talent,' he thought, 'but he's too flashy. He needs to be taken down a peg or two.'
…
「A few minutes later.」
In a cleared-out space,
Hu Qi and Chen Wu stood facing each other.
And to the side,
the many students who had heard the news stopped what they were doing, gathering around and talking in low voices.
"This Hu Qi is way too arrogant."
"Exactly. How dare he challenge Coach Chen? You know Coach Chen is an officially certified Silver Fist Third Rank master.
"A single punch from him has at least 210 kilograms of force, and that's a conservative estimate. If you take one of his punches, you'll probably be black and blue…"
"Black and blue? If he's not careful, you could end up with broken bones or internal injuries.
"But it's just a friendly spar. The coach probably won't use his full strength."
In their time here,
the students had come to learn a few things about Chen Wu.
Upon hearing the news,
while everyone was shocked,
most of them felt Hu Qi had overestimated himself and didn't approve of his actions.
"That guy…"
Song Jian frowned slightly.
He couldn't understand what Hu Qi was thinking.
He didn't deny that Hu Qi was strong.
But he didn't think he could be a match for Chen Wu.
"Let's begin!"
Chen Wu stood loosely, his hands hanging at his sides.
He smiled, gesturing for Hu Qi to make the first move.
"Be careful, Coach."
That was all Hu Qi said.
SWISH!
The next moment,
his figure blurred as he lunged forward, his hands shaped like claws.
One claw struck toward Chen Wu's face.
It was incredibly fast.
SCREEE!
Perhaps because of the immense speed, the air whistled clearly as it passed through the gaps between his fingers.
The sound was faintly reminiscent of a sharp falcon's cry.
"Hm? Not bad, kid!"
Feeling the ferocious aura rushing toward him, Chen Wu's expression changed drastically.
He never would have imagined that Hu Qi had already reached such a level.
To unleash this much power with Falcon Claw, a move from Mixed Martial Arts, one would need to cultivate it to at least Mastery, or even Great Success.
He didn't dare to be arrogant any longer.
He curled his own hand into a fist.
He threw a fierce straight punch, the wind from it whistling as if it could tear through the air.
Claw met fist.
With a dull THUD, both of them trembled slightly.
Afterward,
the two figures blurred together again, exchanging blows continuously.
Falcon Claw, Cannon Fist, Void Palm, Sweeping Leg…
As time went on, the two continuously executed various moves from the Mixed Martial Arts system.
The students watching from the side were dumbfounded.
Song Jian, especially, was stunned.
His own skill was higher, so he could see what was happening more clearly.
Amid his shock, he also had a sudden realization of just how much Hu Qi had held back when they had fought.
'Fuck! This kid is a monster!'
On the surface, Chen Wu remained calm, but inwardly, his initial shock was already starting to turn into numbness.
Mixed Martial Arts was known as the most suitable Fighting Technique for human cultivation.
This was because of its eighteen moves, which were created by drawing from other Fighting Techniques.
These different moves also represented a wider range of paths.
This allowed different people to find a direction that suited them.
For example, some were skilled with fists and claws, while others excelled with leg techniques.
If Hu Qi had only been an expert in Falcon Claw, that would have been one thing. But after exchanging a few blows,
Chen Wu discovered that Hu Qi's mastery of the other moves was in no way inferior to his Falcon Claw.
'He's simply… a monster!'
Just then,
Hu Qi's movements suddenly slowed by a beat.
Chen Wu's fist smashed directly into his shoulder.
Immediately,
a grunt escaped Hu Qi's lips.
A flash of pain crossed his face.
He staggered back several steps.
"Thank you for going easy on me, Coach."
Hu Qi said.
"Mm, you're not bad either…"
Chen Wu's expression stiffened slightly, but it was gone in a flash.
No one noticed.
'Clearly, that opening was intentional.'
'He did it to let me save face.'
'In terms of mastery over Mixed Martial Arts alone,
he's practically my equal.'
Remembering Hu Qi's earlier request to spar privately,
Chen Wu was at a loss for words.
He had thought the kid was afraid of being embarrassed by a loss, but it turned out he was trying to protect his coach's dignity.
Seeing this,
the students' expressions finally relaxed a little.
'So the coach was holding back.' They had almost thought Hu Qi could actually go toe-to-toe with him.
But even so,
Hu Qi's strength was beyond anything they could compare to.
For a time, an endless stream of praise could be heard.
'Such is human nature.'
Hu Qi wasn't surprised by any of this.
…
Soon, the afternoon class was over.
But Chen Wu didn't leave immediately.
He scanned the students present.
He gave a solemn warning.
"I'm sure you've all heard the news about beasts eating people in Qirong City. If you don't have anything important to do at night, try to stay indoors."
"Coach, do you know what kind of beast it is? Why haven't they caught it yet?"
Someone asked curiously.
"I'm not sure about that either. In any case, just try to stay home at night and don't wander around."
Hearing this, Chen Wu shook his head.
With that said, he paid the students no more mind.
He turned and left.
A glint flashed in Hu Qi's eyes.
He stared at Chen Wu's back.
'I have a feeling that guy knows something, but he can't say it because of some kind of restriction.'
…
「A short while later.」
Hu Qi walked out of the locker room with his backpack, ready to head home.
However, he had only taken two steps,
when he noticed something up ahead to the right of the corridor.
A crowd of people was gathered there.