Chapter 539: Hard and Soft
Chapter 539: Hard and Soft
Chang Kuanghai stood there, the wound on his collarbone gradually closing and healing. The skin was seamless, with no blood seeping out, as the altered tissue within had retracted.
In the blink of an eye, the wound disappeared without a trace.
He glanced at the axe still embedded in the ground, wanting to retrieve it as fighting unarmed was at a disadvantage. Although his skin could quickly regenerate, it still required some time, and multiple wounds would affect his combat performance.
He noticed that Chen Chuan had retreated but was clearly waiting for him to retrieve the axe. If he hesitated for a moment, Chen Chuan would have the opportunity to suppress him again.
After some thought, Chang Kuanghai decided to abandon the idea and look for another chance during the upcoming battle.
Chen Chuan adjusted his stance and slightly brandished the Snow Lady Saber, then stepped forward. His first two steps were slow, but on the third step, his body suddenly accelerated, heading straight towards Chang Kuanghai.
With a weapon in hand, Chen Chuan could attack without hesitation.
Chang Kuanghai spread his legs and slightly crouched, his arms swinging horizontally in front of him. Through the gap between his arms, he stared intently at Chen Chuan, ready to counter the incoming attack.
As the tip of the blade approached his face, Chang Kuanghai narrowed his eyes, arched his back, and stepped forward to meet the attack. Simultaneously, he flipped his arms outward, fingers splayed, intending to use his body as a chopping board to block the long blade, and then grasp and lock the weapon away.
Before this move could land, Chen Chuan swiftly swept his long sword horizontally, grazing Chang Kuanghai's thick arm and leaving a thin trail of blood. However, Chang Kuanghai remained unfazed, and the wound instantly healed as the blade moved away.
At this moment, Chen Chuan stepped to his side and, with a reverse grip, slashed at Chang Kuanghai's knee. Chang Kuanghai's knee met the blade, blocking the strike, but as he leaned forward, Chen Chuan suddenly retreated a step, sinking his waist and back. With a downward motion, he slashed at Chang Kuanghai's ankle with his long sword, emitting a cold glint.
Chang Kuanghai's expression hardened, and he channeled his energy downwards, planting his legs firmly to withstand the blow. His body was like solid rock, and the strike wouldn't sever his leg, but the force on the blade was enough to throw him off balance.
Just as the blade was about to land, a flash of light appeared, and the blade was lifted, slashing diagonally towards his lower abdomen. Chang Kuanghai quickly pressed his hand downward, blocking the sword's momentum. But in that instant, Chen Chuan stepped forward, reaching Chang Kuanghai's side. The blade followed the motion, slashing across the knee of Chang Kuanghai's other leg, leaving a bloody gash.
In these few moves, Chen Chuan fully utilized the advantage of the long sword and his speed. He repeatedly landed hits, and with the long sword in hand, his opponent's punches and kicks couldn't reach him, nor could they effectively counter-attack. This created a situation where only Chen Chuan was on the offensive, while Chang Kuanghai could only passively endure.
At this moment, Chang Kuanghai displayed exceptional composure. Such minor injuries were insignificant to him, especially since practitioners of Horizontal Power were known for their tenacious fighting spirit. Even if the battle lasted for days and nights, he could maintain his composure and endure.
However, the problem was that he had come here to seek a breakthrough in spiritual power, to perfect himself and ascend to a higher level.
The Heavenly Forgive Fist, the martial art he practiced, emphasized aggression. It required stimulating spiritual elevation through combat, and the firmer the fighting will, the more intense the battle, the higher the spirit would soar.
Merely standing in place and enduring attacks wouldn't align with the principles of the martial art, preventing him from gaining any benefits from the opened Heavenly Gateway.
Therefore, he had to change the situation.
After consecutively receiving several strikes from Chen Chuan, Chang Kuanghai's chest suddenly heaved, and a loud, rapid thumping sound, like a drumbeat, seemed to emanate from his heart.
He appeared slightly thinner, and as the sword light approached, he raised an elbow to block, emitting a loud 'dang' sound as the blade was deflected. He then positioned his elbow like a bull's horn, keeping his upper body still while his palm exerted an extremely subtle force, and with a 'hong' sound, he burst forward.
This short, explosive technique was a signature move of the Heavenly Forgive Fist, known as Ox Horn Thrust. If one were trapped in a formation of spears and shields, with no space to maneuver, this technique would instantly shatter the formation, breaking through the encirclement.
In that instant, his speed and power would multiply!
Seeing Chang Kuanghai almost reaching him in an instant, Chen Chuan had no choice but to retreat. He stepped back, leaning his body forward, extending one hand to slap Chang Kuanghai's elbow as he charged, creating a circle of dust and air waves around them. Although he blocked the attack, he was still forced backward.
This time, he retreated a good seven or eight meters, the bricks and stones beneath his feet shattering as a deep gully formed.
As Chang Kuanghai's body halted, he channeled his energy, and the raised elbow, leading the forearm, slashed downward. His fist, which was in front, suddenly moved like a hammer, smashing forward.
This was a unique move of the Heavenly Forgive Fist, known as the Earth-Shaking Mallet. With his height advantage over Chen Chuan, the strike, delivered from above, covered almost Chen Chuan's entire body.
Chen Chuan seemed to have nowhere to escape, but his eyes remained calm. As the fist descended, his entire body seemed unaffected by the impact, shifting sideways to dodge the blow.
Chang Kuanghai didn't expect him to dodge like this, but the Heaven Forgive Fist had reached such a level that its force was under his control. Seeing this, he immediately halted his fist, preventing his body from being dragged along.
However, he paused for a moment, and in that instant, Chen Chuan released Xue Jun's sword, gripping his arm with both hands, front and back, his fingers sinking deep into the solid muscles, executing a capture force.
Chang Kuanghai felt something was wrong. Despite his robust physique, he couldn't immediately break free from the capture force. He quickly shifted his force, striking Chen Chuan with his other hand to force him to release his grip.
Chen Chuan lifted his elbow, blocking with his arm. The collision shook them both, but Chang Kuanghai couldn't break free from the capture. So, he alternated his grip, moving along Chang Kuanghai's arm, up towards his throat, while the capture force continuously erupted.
Chang Kuanghai felt half of his body going numb and losing strength. If his throat was locked, this battle would be over.
He spat out a shout, and the muscles of his captured arm bulged outward, releasing a powerful shock force.
Chen Chuan's fingers were jolted open, but he didn't let go. Taking advantage of Chang Kuanghai's force, he leaned forward, pressing against his body, and slid his hands downward, grabbing his waist and hips, attempting a throw.
From capture to throw, the force transitioned smoothly and naturally.
Chang Kuanghai's expression changed. If he was truly captured, his body's force would be rendered useless, leaving him at the mercy of his opponent.
At this critical moment, he suddenly reversed his breath.
In that instant, his body shifted from rigid to supple, as if the solid body had lost its bones, and the throw force dissipated. Then, he quickly reversed his breath again, and in a moment, his body went from soft to hard. With a pull and a push, a robust force erupted from within his body.
This was the "Heaven-Earth Pull" of the Heaven Forgive Fist, reversing the breath to counterbalance hardness and softness, adapting to various forces.
Chen Chuan felt that after these changes, continuing would be futile, so he immediately retreated, grabbing the not-yet-landed Xue Jun's sword, and stepped back to a distance where he could freely wield the sword.
Chang Kuanghai, after consecutive bursts, needed to adjust himself and didn't pursue.
Chen Chuan looked at his towering figure. If Wei Wusheng sought the harmony of hardness and softness, then Chang Kuanghai's robust physique had reached the pinnacle of both, achieving a balance of hardness and softness.
In the 1619th chapter, there is no mistake.
This person had almost no apparent weaknesses, and his spirit was solid and concentrated. Such an individual, unless their vitality and blood were exhausted, could not be defeated from the outside.
So, this was the only way...
He raised his hand, planting Xue Jun's sword into the ground.
Chang Kuanghai saw this and asked in a deep voice, "Are you giving up?" He was puzzled. Chen Chuan clearly had the advantage with the sword, yet he made this choice.
Chen Chuan said, "Because there's no need."
Just now, he had repeatedly slashed and cut his opponent with the sword, seemingly just trying to stall, but in fact, he was attempting to provoke the opponent into attacking, and then finish him with capture and throw techniques.
But since it didn't work, there was no need to continue fighting like this.
Although the opponent seemed flawless, it didn't mean there was no solution.
No matter how strong the robust physique was, it had its limits.
He took a deep breath. After the constraints of his altered body were released, the Forge Breath Method also started running at full power, and wisps of white smoke rose from his body.
Then he lifted his head, and the strong airflow from the rift blew up his hair. The next moment, his figure standing there became blurry.
Chang Kuanghai became highly alert. He lowered his center of gravity and leaned forward, ready to withstand the impact.
But before he could finish this move, he realized Chen Chuan was already in front of him, leaping into the air, and the raised fist above seemed to pause for a moment before smashing down! In that instant, the surrounding air seemed to explode!
His reaction was swift. With a breath, the force rose from his feet, and he lifted his hand to block the attack.
A loud boom sounded as their arms made contact, and a powerful force descended from above. He grunted, his nostrils flaring, his face flushing, and his entire body sank downward. The ground beneath his feet cracked and caved in, his muscles bulging, and the pants on his legs tore open.
However, before he could adjust, Chen Chuan's second punch smashed down from mid-air. Due to the incredible speed of this punch, the previous punch's aftermath was still lingering, and he had no time to dissolve the force, momentarily unable to withstand it. A loud boom, and he knelt down on one knee.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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