"Yesterday, he talked about swordsmanship, and my ’Tanhua Sword’ has improved again!"
"What he said was amazing!"
"I feel it’s even better than what Master Li taught. Every word didn’t mention ’Shenxiu Fist’, yet every sentence could point to ’Shenxiu Fist’."
Although Han Yerou disliked Yan Chuan for talking too much—she didn’t like men who talked excessively—she had already been impressed by Yan Chuan’s martial arts mastery. She was thoroughly convinced, both inwardly and outwardly, entirely shaped by Yan Chuan, with admiration and respect, completely in awe.
In these three days, there were quite a few like Han Yerou.
Those with strong comprehension listened and learned a lot.
Those with weak comprehension listened more and learned less.
Everyone made progress.
Even Shen Mei had her gains. She stared at Yan Chuan on stage, her heart itching uncontrollably, not out of missing an old acquaintance, nor out of flooding affection, but purely an itch for the skills: "Only he speaks, only I listen, I can’t see the actual depth. After all these years, to what level have you practiced? It must take a direct match to know!"
Shen Mei was eager to give it a try and wanted to practice with Yan Chuan.
These three days, many who considered themselves experts challenged Yan Chuan, but all were easily defeated after being ’pointed out’ and ’guided’ by Yan Chuan, unable to force out all of Yan Chuan’s strength.
An actual expert arrived!
"Master Yan, well said!"
A voice called from outside the arena, and a figure shot up from the ground, with rapid hand and foot movements, arms slicing through the air, generating gusts that scattered layers of dust. Stepping on people’s heads, he swiftly rushed straight toward the arena platform—
"Who is it? Also stepping on my head? Get down here!"
Today is different from before.
On the first day of the Martial Arts Competition, Wang Kuan and other senior masters leaped high and traveled far, stepping on countless audience heads to ascend the high stage. At that time, Wang Kuan and others were powerful, held high status, and had wide fame, while more of the audience were just there for the fun.
On the fourth day of the Martial Arts Competition, the number of spectators just there for fun had significantly decreased, and many of those watching were practitioners. Especially those encircling near the arena, inside and out in several circles, among them stood hidden experts and masters.
To step on heads again!
It depends on whether you have the skill!
If not, just obediently get down, squeeze through the crowd to the foot of the platform, and climb up step by step.
But the person arriving obviously had the skill to leap and fly—
He stepped on heads in succession, having to deal with frequent resistance from below, with many experts being quick-eyed and quick-handed, refusing to be stepped on, and even trying to intercept him.
The newcomer’s feet and legs moved nimbly, sometimes lightly stepping on people’s heads, sometimes heavily breaking through blockades.
The way was unhindered.
Leaping onto the arena.
Then clasping fists and bowing to the contestants who were just sent down, he declared: "Guangling Academy, Floral Fist, Li Jianhua!"
"’Guangling Seven Wonders’! ’Floral Boxing and Embroidered Legs’! So it’s him."
"Well now! Guangling Academy has consecutively had dozens defeated by Yan Chuan and his disciples, and finally, a real expert has arrived!"
"The ’Floral Fist Club’ Society Leader, Li Jianhua, it’s said he once met Songhe Sect’s ’Eternal Green Pine’ Kang Sheng in August without a victor, his strength indeed is not weak!"
"This is going to be something to watch."
With Li Jianhua announcing his name, many people off-stage immediately recognized his background.
"With flowers insufficient, search within the ring, cleverly striking in chains within invisibility."
"Master Yan is widely learned. I’ve heard you’ve dabbled in ’Floral Fist.’ But my ’Floral Fist’ has One Hundred and Twenty Styles of Freehand, Seventy-two Grappling Techniques, Thirty-six Legs, and Twenty-four Forms, I wonder, how much Master Yan can understand?"
Li Jianhua turned his left fist outward, right palm against the back of the left fist, forming a circle with both arms, sweeping a half-arc from right to left before his chest—this is ’Floral Fist·Greeting.’"
This was a challenge.
"Floral Fist, I know a little."
Yan Chuan kicked his leg, tucking his long robe into his waist, laughing: "Floral Fist, to change—neither truly floral nor not floral."
"You’ll know after the fight!"
Li Jianhua laughed heartily, lunging forward to attack.
"Floral Fist’s joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—joy in illusion, anger in force, sorrow when passing, happiness when pressing!"
Yan Chuan’s proficiency in ’Floral Fist’ was not low; seeing Li Jianhua’s opening stance and hearing his laughter, he knew this man’s advance was a feigned posture, actually hiding a change of moves, trying to make him relax and draw him in deeply.
Li Jianhua’s fists and palms transformed, with changes in his moves when nearing, resulting in—
"Hidden Flower in Leaf!"
"This is ’Floral Fist·Opening Hand,’ with an open long reach as its main technique, moves are lively when rising and falling, bending and turning, flexible and changeable, hooking, hanging, intercepting, blocking, chopping, pointing, lifting, poking, with varied strength routes, expansive yet not rigid, fast yet not chaotic."
"Defending within attack, attacking within defense, combining long and short, unpredictable changes."
"Leader Li, what excellent skills!"
Yan Chuan engaged while explaining, calm and collected, responding with his boxing technique—blocking and striking, accumulating and releasing, with both illusion and reality, with both slow and fast, easily defending against Li Jianhua’s offensive.
Li Jianhua attacked with the opening hands for some time, unable to break Yan Chuan’s defense, yet still hearing his commentary nearby, he remained sober inside, knowing this person was indeed as reputed, difficult to deal with.
He stayed steady in his mental state, not caring and continued to attack.
"Floral Fist does not dance a yin and yang, interspersed with fast and slow hidden illusion and reality, striking above and defending below, forward and backward protecting the center."
"’Floral Fist’ is skilled inside and extraordinary outside, with techniques applied in attack-defense utilization, linking, rolling, spinning, sealing and striking interchangeably, skillfully chaining, hard strikes and hard defense as rigid as soft, beginning and end mutually commencing, meeting without gaps, with fire, water, and air permeating everywhere, opening and closing appropriately with alternation of movement and stillness, energy lively and tightly coherent throughout transitions, each stance flowing into the next with flexibility and change."
"Look, this is ’Floral Fist·Freehand’!"
"Opening hand like flowers suddenly blooming, confusing to the eye."
Yan Chuan not only fought while explaining, he even demonstrated several ’Floral Fist·Freehand’ moves in direct confrontation with Li Jianhua’s ’One Hundred and Twenty Styles of Freehand.’
You could see, in the arena, the two of them with four hands battling, you come and I go, only flowers blooming were seen without fists and palms, fists and palms like flowers blooming, dazzling to the eye, fully revealing the essence of ’Freehand.’
However, speaking of Floral Fist, speaking of Freehand, after all, Yan Chuan was new to the art, far incomparable to Li Jianhua, who had immersed himself in the ’Floral Fist Club Leader’ for many years.
A brief exchange of moves, barely managed.
But difficult to last long.
Yan Chuan only maintained for a moment, after receiving feedback on ’Freehand’ reflections from Li Jianhua and the onlookers outside the arena, advanced his Freehand slightly, then voluntarily changed moves, switching back to ’Cheng Family Boxing.’
Li Jianhua also had to change.
"Seventy-two Grappling Techniques!"
"Chao Shou, leg grab, elbow strike, shoulder lean, thrusting!"
"The waist as the foundation of the body, spiraling and turning, like a tiger, steps moving like flying, with eyes reaching hands, steps reaching body!"
"Take note, Leader Li’s qi, qi must be channeled into the Dantian, internally strengthening resistance and explosive power."
"’Floral Fist’ is fast, not purely speedy in action, more because of internal refining a breath, this ’qi’ sinking to the Dantian, enhancing explosive power."
"Is strength! And speed!"
"Suddenly bursting forth, suddenly accelerating, often catching others unawares!"
Yan Chuan continuously unraveled, breaking Li Jianhua and ’Floral Fist’ down to small pieces to articulate. Although his attainment in ’Floral Fist’ wasn’t enough to contend with Li Jianhua, aided by keen eye power, just to observe, to narrate, was more than sufficient.
Continuous explanation.
All aspects of correct feedback came in, concerning ’Floral Fist’ and other related boxing reflections returned, and Yan Chuan absorbed, implementing them while fighting and explaining, gradually his boxing mastery was making progress.
Floral Fist sees Floral Fist again!
Yan Chuan occasionally used ’Cheng Family Boxing,’ stabilized first, then switched back to ’Floral Fist.’
There was progress, there was a qualitative change.