"Palace Master Yan’s fists and feet are unmatched. Today, it’s my honor to learn from you with my boxing skills." Liu Qifeng placed his treasured sword aside, cupped his fists with both hands: "Since childhood, I have been away from home and was taught a set of ’Five Elements Capturing and Striking Twenty-Three Forms’ by a remarkable person. This boxing style was created by an elder who observed the playful battle between a white snake and a magpie, mimicking the playful nature of a dragon and phoenix. This boxing style is based on the principle of the Five Elements generating and overcoming each other, promoting Qi cultivation and health, defending against enemies, emphasizing intention over force, advocating Transformation Energy rather than hard resistance, defining positions with precision, capturing and sealing the enemy fluidly, with motion and stillness in harmony, and the flow as unpredictable as water and clouds."
As Liu Qifeng’s voice faded, he launched an attack on Yan Chuan.
Yan Chuan advanced and engaged, entangled with Liu Qifeng, fists and feet flying, personally testing, quickly gaining a clear understanding of Liu Qifeng’s boxing techniques.
"The boxing style is gentle and soft, with many entwining movements."
"The stance is stable and concise, waist turning with the hips, arms embracing, feet walking in arcs, movements like a snake, operation like silkworms spinning, the posture compact, maneuvering within a small space."
"Grasping the tendons and veins."
The ’Five Elements Capturing and Striking Twenty-Three Forms,’ rather than being a fighting boxing technique, resembles a health care boxing, quite similar to Yan Chuan’s earlier creation ’Five Animals Qigong,’ and the later ’Tai Chi Boxing.’
"External Three Harmonies, seamlessly connected; regardless of yin and yang, movement techniques are upright."
"Intent leads to Qi, Qi follows the movement; inner and outer unity, spirit and form are complete."
"Eight Extraordinary Meridians flow throughout the body; Five Elements Capturing focuses on health care."
As Liu Qifeng executed, the boxing technique fused with Qi, guiding Qi with intent, inner Qi flowing throughout the body according to the changes in the boxing stance, with endless transformations, benefiting both body and mind.
Observe the person through boxing!
Observe boxing through the person!
Just from this boxing style, one can discern that Liu Qifeng is meticulous in thought.
"Yin and Yang, softness hides within, softness appears on the outside, soft within hard, hard within soft, using flexible energy to integrate with the whole."
"The execution is incorrect!"
"Motion and stillness!"
"During the operation of inner Qi, there is movement in stillness, stillness in movement, controlling movement with stillness, combining motion and stillness, heart and intent in harmony, integrating health care and boxing into one whole."
"Inner Five Elements must align, Outer Five Elements must flow."
"Heart and breath in harmony, let it be natural."
"Brother Liu, you still haven’t grasped it."
"Rotating and circling, taking in all directions, differentiating yin and yang, determining the Five Elements, stepping on Eight Diagram, traversing Nine Palaces, where Qi Power reaches, the posture follows; where the posture reaches, Qi Power is focused there."
Offstage, the crowd noticed Yan Chuan’s old habit flaring up again. In such a crucial semifinal moment, instead of thinking about defeating the opponent, he started instructing him in boxing techniques.
But it must be said, in the art of boxing, Yan Chuan is indeed too strong.
The foundation is too deep.
Liu Qifeng is not weak, having made it through the Jian Province Competition without revealing his true strength, until now, under Yan Chuan’s pressure, the ’Five Elements Capturing and Striking Twenty-Three Forms’ was fully exhibited.
But compared to his opponent Yan Chuan, Liu Qifeng’s brilliance is entirely eclipsed.
Yu Jinpeng watched intently, seeing Liu Qifeng’s boxing techniques and his master’s guidance and evolution. Yan Chuan’s punches were imbued with yin and yang, endlessly varied in the Eight Trigrams Array, transforming in the Tai Chi Circle and four directions, forming the pattern of Nine Palace movement.
The hands were in an embracing form, feet moved in arc motions, waist turning with the hips, shoulders opposing the hips, twisting and maneuvering in a space the size of a square meter, like flowing clouds and water, with endless power, continuously flowing.
Joy spread across Yu Jinpeng’s face, and he instinctively began performing Tai Chi Boxing, constantly drawing circles, Primordial Qi circulating throughout the body in accordance with the Five Elements, with inner Qi flowing and gathering.
In the arena, Yan Chuan battled fiercely with Liu Qifeng.
Aside, Jin Yutang heard a strange ’gurgling’ sound near his ears. He turned his head and saw his elder brother’s whole body vibrating, his abdomen swelling and contracting like thunder. Jin Yutang closed his eyes to listen, as if a giant frog the size of a cow appeared before him, breathing in and out to the sky.
This sound of vibration resembled the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound!
"Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound?"
"This is ’Tai Chi Hooking Toad Power’!"
Jin Yutang’s eyes widened in great delight.
Since following the master to practice ’Tai Chi Boxing,’ the elder brother had experienced multiple breakthroughs, with his Qi-Blood surging each time, almost achieving a Sudden Enlightenment Breakthrough, only to be disrupted and forced back by Yan Chuan.
All for allowing Yu Jinpeng to comprehend the ’Hooking Toad Power’ independently, by the ’Secret Method Breaking Limit.’
As the Jian Province Competition was about to conclude, Yu Jinpeng had yet to comprehend it, including Jin Yutang himself, who had yet to realize the ’Eight Extremes Break’ in Baji Fist, making both slightly anxious.
While spectating today, Yu Jinpeng surprisingly comprehended the ’Hooking Toad Power,’ with the breakthrough just within reach.
Yu Jinpeng is breaking through!
Jin Yutang is overjoyed!
The brothers shared a deep bond. Jin Yutang rejoiced for Yu Jinpeng, and Yu Jinpeng also cared for Jin Yutang. As the ’gurgling’ sound continued, Yu Jinpeng shook his whole body, and with a ’pop,’ shattered his clothing, leaving only a pair of shorts to cover his modesty.
This made it clearer for Jin Yutang, who noticed that the elder brother’s vibration not only encompassed the muscles and bones but also affected the Five Internal Organs and Six Hollow Organs. The biggest ’gurgling’ sound was evidently from the violent pulsation, jumping, and natural sound of the intestines.
"Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound!"
"Hooking Toad Power!"
Jin Yutang’s eyes widened, observing the elder brother practicing ’Hooking Toad Power’ up close, then turning to see master practicing ’Baji Fist’—
Nudge, assist, press, rely, burst, shake!