Martial Arts Master

 With flames at his back, Lou Cheng soared through the sky like a rocket. He closed in on Qian Donglou, crashing into his face with both body and fist.

He created this move by mimicking the Nile general, Sathah, and using the advanced proficiency he had in Fire Sect techniques. He named it 99.

The shadow on Qian Donglou’s face grew denser as the fist in his eyes grew bigger. Suddenly, he smiled and drew a sharp breath.

His body bulged once more, his muscles propping up tattered clothing. Through the cracks, his pulsing bronze muscles and lightning marks were visible.

Clenching his left hand into a fist, Qian Donglou emitted purple lightning from his joints. This stimulated his body, like a simplified version of the secret art of empowerment, and had a dangerous quality to it.

Bam! Shoulders swaying, he punched. Offense versus offense!

Rumble!

The severe distortions in his muscles and tiny deformations in bones were drowned out by the tumbling airwaves and deafening sound of flesh colliding. Electric serpents splattered, scampering in every direction.

Teetering, Lou Cheng took two steps back.

Thunder Sect kung fu has always been renowned for its brute force.

Even after fighting at length and being gravely wounded, Qian Donglou had overpowered Lou Cheng, if only slightly.

Thump! Lou Cheng’s retreat was immediately met with Qian Donglou’s advancement. Left leg in motion, he tensed his right leg and executed a kick below the knee.

Lou Cheng’s right fist was still paralyzed after the electrocution. His opponent’s moves connected smoothly, like passing clouds or flowing water. He had no chance but to use Force Concentration to alleviate the effects.

Lift thigh, move leg, tense knee. He could only answer the kick with a kick.

Bam!

Their feet collided. Both of their shoes were reduced to shreds, like fluttering butterflies, butterflies enveloped in purple flames and wrapped in electric snakes.

Lou Cheng swung his left leg backward, retreating with the momentum. It was a major retreat, and he put a significant distance between them.

When Qian Donglou closed in once more, Lou Cheng visualized a small ancient word, a simplified version without any seals or chants.

“Formation!” His sonorous and solemn voice reverberated. The air around them condensed and solidified, trapping Qian Donglou in invisible shackles.

A bolt of purple lightning suddenly flashed in the middle of Qian Donglou’s forehead. The terror of the incoming calamity became evident as it suppressed everything uncoordinated or unnatural.

The lightning and thunder were swept away. The mysteriousness vanished. The air prison had vanished before it had even taken shape.

Lou Cheng knew what Thunder Sect moves could do, so he never expected a simplified version of the Formation formula to do the trick. However, he had found a brief moment to withdraw his Qi and blood, removing his paralysis.

Dan force erupting, he charged forward instead of falling back. He swung out his recovered right arm to crush his opponent. A thin layer of purple flames spurted, enveloping his fist and making it appear heavy.

At the same time, he stored the strength in his left shoulder, preparing a chop combination attack. He planned to maximize his chance of winning by launching a mad flurry of attacks, taking advantage of the Warrior Sage’s one-armed state.

Facing his attacks, Qian Donglou suddenly lowered his body with the agility of an ape. Repositioned, he was now at Lou Cheng’s front right, making it awkward for Lou Cheng’s second punch to connect.

Crackle! Qian Donglou formed his palm as a knife and chopped upward at Lou Cheng’s right wrist. The purple flames flowed, electricity spiking outward.

Before Lou Cheng could turn sideways and punch with his left arm, Qian Donglou used the rebounding momentum and suddenly bent his own left arm. With a bam, his elbow aimed flawlessly for Lou Cheng’s chest.

Lou Cheng’s poised left arm swung to the side, changing fist to palm and striking horizontally, barely blocking the Warrior Sage’s elbow.

Even so, the back of his palm pushed against his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

But Lou Cheng didn’t have time to worry about that. The hair on his body bristled, and without a second thought, he channeled his Qi and blood to stimulate his body, using a simplified Fighting formula.

Muscles bulging, he struck with his left palm, pushing Qian Donglou away. At the same time, Qian Donglou had smoothly retracted his elbow, changing his ram to a lean, like a small knife followed by a long saber.

Rumble!

Qian Donglou pushed back a step, leaning on nothing. He exerted his strength to cause a sound similar to a sonic boom.

Lou Cheng was secretly relieved. Had he not had his danger premonition ability, his reaction would have lagged, causing him to take a direct hit and suffer the same fate as the Dragon King.

Qian Donglou did all of this with just his left arm. With perfect timing, sound judgment, and accurate predictions, he had worked magic with the tritest of moves.

Though Lou Cheng himself was a martial artist adept at improvising, he was amateur compared to the Warrior Sage.

The Warrior Sage was how a true master should be.

Without affecting his judgment, Lou Cheng’s thoughts flowed orderly within the Ice Heart. Making use of the gale produced by Qian Donglou’s ram, he shifted his center of gravity and swiveled his waist, rapidly circling his opponent. He swung his fist consecutively, creating loud bams.

Compared to earlier, he focused more on his Mesmerizing Snow Steps and was able to veer after throwing a punch, regardless of whether it landed.

Bam, bam, bam! Generous with his usage of Fire Force, Lou Cheng’s fist was covered in purple flames that shattered outwards.

This raised the surrounding temperature once more. The air they inhaled was scorching.

This was the application of the move Mirage, Suffocating Hell!

Just as nimbus clouds gathered above him and the magnetic forces on the ground intensified, Lou Cheng threw a scorching punch at the Warrior Sage, igniting the hot air at the same time.

In an instant, he and Qian Donglou were trapped in a sea of flames. The tumbling, fiery waves reminded him of hell.

Despite the flames, not a scorch mark formed on Lou Cheng’s skin, and only his clothes began to curl at the edges. The flames swarmed around him but did no harm, as though he was Emperor Yan himself.

If it came down to controlling fire, he was certain that he could overpower the Warrior Sage!

In such battlefields, the effects of weakening the enemy and strengthing oneself were apparent.

But Qian Donglou wasn’t one to resign his fate. In the raging sea of flames, before his hair and clothes started burning, he chopped down with his left palm fiercely. A purple scripture flitted across his eyes.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The nimbus clouds in the overcast sky cast down one bolt of lightning after the other. The electricity seemed to have formed a forest that covered the sea of flames.

Expressionless, Lou Cheng formed a layer of pure ice to fend off a thunder strike. Then, he moved towards the Warrior Sage and punched straight towards his heart.

With a jolt of his left shoulder, Qian Donglou’s palm reached out, attacking Lou Cheng with a mixture of Qinna and dislocating techniques.

By then, the sea of flames was being gradually doused, and the nimbus clouds slowly dispersing.

Pomph! As Qian Donglou grabbed onto Lou Cheng’s fist, he felt a sudden bone-chilling coldness. He then saw thick, clear ice spreading across his body, starting at his fingers.

“Lament of the Ice Queen!”

Lou Cheng, after driving the Fire Force away from his body, no longer needed to use Force Concentration for this move.

He had achieved this through the experiences he gained from the Master Battle. This was the secret weapon he had prepared for this match!

Seeing that he was about to be encased in ice, Qian Donglou twisted his arm. He sprang up, spinning at high speed, using his frozen fingers as a drill.

Zzzap! Silver electric serpents gushed out and drilled through the thick wall of ice in no time.

But Lou Cheng didn’t seem to mind. His other hand had formed a fist which blasted a scarlet fireball at the airborne Qian Donglou.

This was his real intention.

Boom!

In the sparks, Lou Cheng’s silhouette swayed and staggered backward. Electric arcs sprang up and down on his charred right fist. The pain was heart-pounding, and the numbness intense.

But Lou Cheng was overjoyed rather than upset, because Qian Donglou was blasted back by the impact. His face was covered in dust. His injuries had worsened.

Had he not made use of the residue magnetic force on the ground, he would probably have been staggering even more.

This was the first time Lou Cheng had actually damaged his opponent since the start of the fight. The triumph connected his mind, Qi, willpower, and intent.

He felt that one!

I can win this!

Spirited, Lou Cheng executed the simplified Attainment formula with unstoppable momentum. He produced a whistling sound as he closed in on Qian Donglou’s side. With another Force Concentration and a mad flurry of attacks, he grilled Qian Donglou with the Lord Emperor’s Purple Flame while raising the surrounding temperature.

Qian Donglou fended off every attack with simple, yet effective moves. However, he was only able to use one arm and still sustained grave injuries. His blood had become unstable, and he began to feel giddy.

Bam!

He suddenly flipped his hand, dealing blue palm thunder that forced Lou Cheng to dodge.

With that opportunity, Qian Donglou flew towards the remaining utility poles as though dragged by an invisible rope.

He was trying to return to his homeground territory.

Lou Cheng slowly raised his palms, forming a hand seal.

He had been waiting for this moment!

Adjusting the magnetism on his skin, Qian Donglou suddenly veered in an attempt to dodge. But there was a delay in Lou Cheng’s movements, which gave Lou Cheng the chance to realign his attack.

“Confrontation!” he boomed.

Chen Qitao nodded at the sight. A rare gesture from him.

The power of that trick was in the delay.

“Confrontation!”

The voice that seemed to have come from heaven roared in Qian Donglou’s ears. He was immediately overtaken by insuppressible exhaustion and lethargy. He wanted to lie in the shade of a tree and drift off. He wanted to leave the fighting behind and bask in serenity and comfort.

This was his favorite state, and he became drunk with it.

Lou Cheng had known that he might face the Warrior Sage today, so he had prepared a couple of strategies before heading into the fight. Their effectiveness can be evaluated at another time, but one was to draw out Qian Donglou’s innate laziness using the Confrontation Formula.

While Qian Donglou was unmotivated and relaxed, Lou Cheng used another Attainment formula to close their distance. He landed a crazed flurry of attacks, starting with a left elbow strike, then a right burst punch, then whipping his leg to trip his feet.

Relying on his instincts and muscle memory, the one-armed Qian Donglou managed to fend off the attacks. However, Lou Cheng eventually broke his stance.

Without adjusting his Qi and blood, Lou Cheng pushed his feet into the ground, turned his body sideways, and rammed at Qian Donglou.

Bam!

Qian Donglou’s arms swung back limply, his ribcage cracked, and he teetered backwards.

Lou Cheng charged forward using Force Concentration and the Fighting formula.

His frame expanded. His vigorous Qi and blood seeming capable of delivering pain. He then drew his arm back and punched at the Warrior Sage.

Light gathered in Qian Donglou’s eyes. His body turned illusory, like a bolt of lightning. The silver, deep purple, and blue bolts dashed away.

Without adjusting his Qi and blood, Lou Cheng hammered down, his eyes locked on his target.

Boom!

Qian Donglou’s legs sank into the ground up to his knees as though an explosion had occurred. There were traces of blood at the corner of his eyes and his lips, and his pupils filled with confusion.

Lou Cheng was twitching uncontrollably, sparks hopping on his skin. His muscles were completely numb.

Spirited, he completed another round of Force Concentration, alleviating much of the effects. He punched at Qian Donglou’s face fiercely.

Right as Qian Donglou used a Force Concentration and used his arm to block, Lou Cheng turned at his waist and repositioned himself, appearing behind the Warrior Sage. His hands reached out, pressing at Qian Donglou’s temples!

Qian Donglou, like an arrow at the end of its flight, couldn’t deal with the attacks coming from both sides. He had run out of answers.

Whoosh! The sound of the wind slowed as Lou Cheng’s palms stopped. The referee had raised his right arm.

“Second round, Lou Cheng wins!”