Chapter 64: Seizing Every Opportunity!
Chen Jie, watching the battle from not far away, widened his eyes.
Hum!
To his utter astonishment, at this very moment, he entered the state of 'mind-contemplation'.
The fierce combat between the two unfolded like slow motion, imprinting itself from his eyes straight into his mind.
His gaze grew increasingly bright, and his ears twitched slightly.
The airflow generated by the violent winds whipped up by the combatants seemed to be entirely captured within his consciousness.
In an instant, Chen Jie's mind grew remarkably clear, engraving every single movement of the two fighters into his memory.
The realm of mind-contemplation!
In Taoist spirit-cultivation, this is also known as the way of nurturing the spirit!
Taoist scriptures state that all five viscera and six bowels possess spirits; when the spirit resides within the body, the physique remains at peace, but if the spirit loses its dwelling, destruction and death follow!
Empty the heart, fill the abdomen, attain the ultimate void, and guard the realm with steadfastness!
Thirteenth Aunt launched her attacks with the agile agility of a snake, shifting unpredictably, striking with fierce lethality, every single move aiming for a fatal blow.
Everyone surrounding the scene gasped in astonishment upon seeing this!
Wan Jinping felt a chill in his heart, his fists clutched as hard as iron, meeting every move with a counter-move.
Crack, snap, pop—!
Harsh, cracking sounds erupted from the joints and bones of his right fist, resembling popping beans.
The trembling of his joints channeled the condensation of power into his fist.
The Iron Arm Fist, supreme in rigidity and ferocity, unbreakable and invincible!
With his fists tightly clenched, his mortar-like heavy punches swept horizontally left and right, clashing head-on against Thirteenth Aunt's kicks like a violent tempest or a flurry of chaotic sledgehammers!
Thirteenth Aunt's legs lashed out, nimble as a venomous snake—snapping kicks, side kicks, chopping strikes—!
Her waist swayed left and right, one step for every kick, one kick for every step, blending hardness and softness seamlessly!
The movements of both fighters were exceptionally fast, integrating offense and defense into one.
In less than ten seconds, the two exchanged over a dozen consecutive blows.
The kinetic force transmitted down to their feet caused the granite paving stones to shatter with every single step.
Barely a minute into their fierce battle, not a single intact granite slab remained around them, which clearly demonstrated just how ferocious their power truly was.
Such an intense exchange of attacks and brutal combat style left everyone present feeling breathless.
Sharp, howling gales swept past, sending a chill through the onlookers.
A life-and-death combat is entirely different from a friendly martial arts spar; this was no mere drill!
From the very instant the two launched into their mutual assault, their focus was heightened to the utmost, not daring to harbor the slightest carelessness.
At this moment,
neither side held anything back, unleashing their martial arts to the absolute limit.
Whether it was Wan Jinping or Thirteenth Aunt, their martial arts had already attained the master realm of Copper-Skin and Manifested Force.
At the same time, the state of mind for both of them was the realm of 'guarding the unity', with every single stance and posture containing the potent intent of the Six Harmonies.
The ultimate strength of both combatants was as heavy as a thousand jun, and under the crucible of life-and-death combat, it further displayed the imposing demeanor of masters at the pinnacle of Manifested Force.
It must be said that,
this kind of life-and-death combat is the most effective at triggering beyond-normal bursts of potential, allowing one to break through to higher martial realms.
Thirteenth Aunt initially used the mandarin duck consecutive kicking techniques of Poking Leg to fiercely contend against Wan Jinping's Iron Arm Fist.
However,
the inherent disparity in raw physical strength meant that Thirteenth Aunt's heavy consecutive kicks gained not the slightest advantage.
Wan Jinping's right fist was tightly clenched, carrying immense weight and momentum. After the muscles in his arm engorged and expanded, they became even harder than iron, utterly indestructible.
The Iron Arm Fist, also known as the Divine Iron Arm Fist, featured shoulders slightly arched like a drawn saber freshly unsheathed, borrowing force to redirect force with an unstoppable momentum.
Every burst of his heavy punches displayed extreme explosive power to the absolute fullest.
Although Thirteenth Aunt's kicking speed was blistering, the limitations of her physical frame made it difficult for her to tear through her opponent's defense.
The Iron Arm Fist evolved from Shaolin kung fu, characterized by expansive, open movements and unyielding, invincible fierceness.
When clashing head-on with an adversary, its force generation is short and its speed is blistering!
The fists are conditioned to be as hard as iron hammers, capable of instantly shattering an opponent's bones with a single strike—vicious and ruthless.
Thirteenth Aunt's Poking Leg was like a venomous snake emerging from its cave, emphasizing agility and blinding speed.
Her attacks struck like a viper in continuous assaults, kick following kick in an unbroken chain, striving for a fluid execution achieved in a single breath.
Bang, bang, bang—!
Following a continuous clash, both fighters retreated a dozen steps, opening up some distance between them.
Swish!
The next moment, the two halted their onslaught, taking deep, steady breaths to readjust their states.
The intense collision between kicking techniques and fist arts forced both to endure an unimaginable recoil force.
Although they were both masters of the 'Copper-Skin and Manifested Force master realm', their tendons, bones, and muscles were far tougher and more resilient than those of ordinary people.
Even so,
they were flesh and blood, not forged steel and iron.
Having undergone such violent, hard-fought exchanges, both had sustained injuries.
After over a minute of fierce combat, the granite ground was reduced to rubble.
Hoo-dah—hoo-dah—!
Both consumed a vast amount of physical stamina. Now that the distance had widened, they both began to pace the rhythm of their offense and defense.
As they separated, the shattered stones beneath their feet cracked further, sending debris scattering in all directions.
In a short span, the ground was pockmarked with numerous depressions.
Their gazes grew increasingly solemn; once a foot stepped into a depression during intense close-quarters combat, it would be terribly easy to lose one's center of gravity.
The slightest miscalculation during offense or defense would instantly decide the outcome.
The shattering of the granite, the scattering of gravel, and the formation of the craters—
the surrounding environment shifted alongside their ferocious duel, making the final result of this life-and-death confrontation even more unpredictable.
A duel between evenly matched masters depends not only on raw skill, but even more on sheer fate!
After the two distanced themselves, Wan Jinping's expression twisted into a ferocious scowl, his eyes burning red.
Prominent veins bulged fiercely on his right arm like gnarled ancient vines, and his skin turned a bruised, bluish-purple.
His chest heaved up and down as the center of gravity at his feet sank low. Then, with a sudden, explosive push off the ground, launching like an arrow released from a bowstring, he lunged toward Thirteenth Aunt once more.
This charging heavy-punch killing blow from Wan Jinping reached the absolute limit of speed, the air itself seemingly blasted apart by his fist.
Thirteenth Aunt felt a blur before her eyes as a fist shadow materialized instantly in front of her, hurtling viciously toward her vital chest area.
Such terrifying speed!
At this moment,
Thirteenth Aunt had no time for second thoughts; her waist twisted violently, her body tilting sideways as she delivered a slanted, upward hooking kick.
This was a lethal technique within the Poking Leg system—the slanted hook—somewhat resembling the spinning back kick in sanda and combat sports.
Piercing through the smallest gap!
The exact moment her opponent's attack transitioned and renewed its power, her leg lashed out like a blade, hooking diagonally upward to instantly shatter the enemy's defense.
"Oh no!"
Wan Jinping was jolted with shock. At this juncture, his momentum was spent, leaving him utterly defenseless.
Hearing the whistling roar of the air being cleaved, he twisted his waist, attempting to use a sweeping heavy punch to block Thirteenth Aunt's slanted hook.
However,
Thirteenth Aunt's kicking momentum was already fully unleashed; a move either remains uninitiated or strikes with the fury of a tempest and the swiftness of lightning, granting him not a single moment to catch his breath.
Her legs kicked out in rapid succession at a blistering rhythm, descending like an overwhelming rainstorm.
Bang, bang, bang—!
Wan Jinping, lacking the time to defend, flailed in panic and could only stubbornly endure the onslaught of her kicks.
Finally, he could no longer sustain it; his balance wavered, and he staggered, nearly crashing to the ground.
Seizing the opening, Thirteenth Aunt stepped forward, lashing out with an upward diagonal kick aimed straight at his ribs.
Crack!
Ribs fractured, and the explosive force carried by her kick instantly sent shockwaves reverberating through his internal organs.
Puff—!
Wan Jinping could hold on no longer, collapsing heavily to the earth with a resounding thud as a massive torrent of blood surged from his mouth.
Swish!
Having successfully landed her strike, Thirteenth Aunt tapped her foot and instantly retreated to put distance between them.
She knew Wan Jinping had lost all combat capability, his internal organs heavily traumatized.
At this moment,
her gaze was ice-cold. Refusing to pursue further, her entire body radiated a terrifying, bone-chilling intent to kill.