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Chapter 26: Exploiting the Gap
Chapter 26: Exploiting the Gap
Yan Shixiong, after facing Chen Chuan once more, didn't hold back due to a previous mistake. Instead, he pressed forward again.
After a few tentative moves, he suddenly shifted to the side and kicked, aiming directly at Chen Chuan's liver area. Chen Chuan blocked it just in time, but Yan Shixiong quickly followed up with a back sweep, aiming for his opponent's head and neck.
These two attacks seemed similar to the previous ones, but this time, the first was a feint, and the second was a real attack. Both moves were executed with lightning-fast transitions, leaving almost no openings.
Chen Chuan initially countered with his forearm, while his other hand rose to deflect the attacks. With his breath guiding him, his upper body barely swayed. This time, he didn't use his second self; he relied solely on his own strength.
Someone in the audience whispered, "Breath technique!"
For a martial artist to practice breath techniques without a solid foundation is to deplete their life force and potential. Most people can't endure this, and only those with a foundation start practicing when they're a bit older.
Generally, in most martial arts gyms, it's around the age of twenty when practitioners can truly master and apply these techniques.
In their eyes, although Chen Chuan was tall, he looked to be only sixteen or seventeen. For someone so young to have mastered breath techniques, they wondered if he was a carefully cultivated disciple of a martial arts club.
After Yan Shixiong's two attacks, he had a basic understanding of the situation. Chen Chuan was quick to react and seize opportunities, and he also knew breath techniques. This made Yan Shixiong feel uncomfortable, but sometimes, the outcome of a fight wasn't solely determined by the strength of the combatants.
Yan Shixiong glanced at Chen Chuan's feet again. During his previous attacks, he had noticed something. Chen Chuan hadn't dodged at all; he had countered once and chosen to take the hit the other time, and he hadn't pursued any counterattacks afterward.
This confirmed that Chen Chuan was indeed not yet adapted to the ring. The lack of flexibility in his feet was affecting his offensive capabilities.
Despite this subtle difference, in actual combat, even slight deviations in strength could impact overall performance. Exploiting this weakness could keep Chen Chuan on the defensive and control the rhythm of the fight.
If an opponent was constantly on the defensive and unable to attack, they would undoubtedly become agitated. Striking at that moment would undoubtedly increase the chances of victory.
For the next half minute, Yan Shixiong kept attacking, and Chen Chuan only defended without retaliating, seemingly trapped.
In reality, Chen Chuan's goal at this moment wasn't to knock out his opponent. Instead, he was observing and searching for his opponent's breathing rhythm. He remembered Yu Gang's words—disrupting an opponent's breathing rhythm would hinder their ability to use breath techniques or martial power effectively.
Although Chen Chuan didn't know if Yan Shixiong possessed martial power, it didn't stop him from treating him as a sparring partner to explore and familiarize himself with combat.
As Chen Chuan and Yan Shixiong faced off on the platform, Coach Gu and two young men entered from outside.
If Chen Chuan glanced over, he would recognize the two young men as Sheng Hai and Liang Tong, whom he had met at the graduation gathering.
Coach Gu said as he walked, "Feel free to look around and explore. There are many young people here, just like at your place."
Sheng Hai quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Coach Gu."
Coach Gu smiled, "It's nothing. Although we belong to different branches, we're all part of the Show General Martial Arts Club. In the old days, we would have been considered fellow disciples. The club's future relies on young people like you." He paused, "It's lively today. I haven't seen the young man sparring with Xiao Yan before."
At that moment, Liang Tong exclaimed in surprise.
Coach Gu looked at him, following his gaze to the platform. "What? Do you know this young man?"
Liang Tong replied, "He's probably a classmate from our First High School. I even gave him our club's promotional flyer."
"Is that so? No wonder he sought out our club."
Liang Tong suddenly felt embarrassed and said hastily, "No, Coach Gu, I..."
Coach Gu waved his hand with a smile, "No need to explain. We welcome all guests as long as they're not here to cause trouble."
Xiao Liang also spotted Coach Gu and immediately approached him, relieved. "Coach Gu, you're finally here."
"What's the matter?" Coach Gu asked.
Xiao Liang pointed at the platform, "That young man, he's the one you asked me to tell you about last time."
"Last time?"
Coach Gu paused, then recalled the previous incident with the torn sandbag. His expression turned more serious as he looked at the platform.
"Probably, there's no one else it could be." Xiao Liang was also a little uncertain.
Coach Gu left a few people behind and strode forward, all the way to the ring. The crowd greeted him, making space for him.
Coach Gu responded to each person, then stood still and observed for a while.
He noticed that Chen Chuan had been on the defensive, sometimes missing opportunities to counterattack. At first glance, it seemed like a skill issue, but he quickly realized it wasn't the case.
Just from his defense, Chen Chuan was impeccable, barely moving his feet, appearing completely in control. In fact, defense is much more challenging than offense.
So, why was he fighting so passively?
Was he showing respect? Waiting for his opponent to concede? The martial arts gym wasn't a place for excessive courtesy; respect was earned by defeating your opponent.
After observing for a while, he caught a glimpse of Chen Chuan's subtle movements and gaze, forming a vague guess in his mind, "Is that so...?"
At this moment, Chen Chuan had gradually grasped the rhythm of Yan Shixiong's attacks, which was closely linked to his breathing technique. When Yan Shixiong kicked again, Chen Chuan didn't remain stationary. Instead, he suddenly took a step to the right, simultaneously sweeping his left hand across Yan Shixiong's side, grazing his ribs.
Yan Shixiong was somewhat prepared, but his habitual reaction time wasn't enough, and he couldn't block the attack.
Chen Chuan's strike was relatively fast, but his strength didn't fully explode. In reality, it was just a graze, but this seemingly effortless blow caused Yan Shixiong's once-cohesive power to appear disrupted, his breathing rhythm suddenly chaotic, affecting his subsequent movements. His technique became disjointed, and his body momentarily stalled.
Chen Chuan didn't stop. Seizing the opportunity, he spun and delivered an elbow strike to Yan Shixiong's side neck. The latter didn't make a sound, his body falling forward and slamming onto the ring with a thud.
"Old Yan is down, quickly help him up."
"Water, water... Is it necessary? Last time, he splashed me too!"
(End of Chapter)
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