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Chapter 344 - 314 Challenge, Grand Martial Arts Tournament

Chapter 344: Chapter 314 Challenge, Grand Martial Arts Tournament

Japan, Tokyo.

Inside a Gangrou Style Dojo, two figures were engaging in a bout.

Both were dressed in karate uniforms, with black belts tied around their waists—clearly both were karate black belt experts.

One of them was comparatively young, he was Xiaoze Wutian, and his sparring partner was a middle-aged man with scar claw marks on his face and a buzz-cut.

Swoosh!

Xiaoze Wutian’s right leg slid forward, emitting a grating sound on the wooden floor, like a sharp blade scraping across it.

He was barefoot, and as his foot slid forward, his body leaned in, throwing punches left and right, fast as arrows, at the man before him.

The air boomed as the middle-aged man raised his arms to block the two punches thrown by Xiaoze Wutian.

As he raised his arms, Xiaoze Wutian’s bent right leg suddenly kicked upward, the big toe angled up, while the other four fingers gripped the floor, his instep tightened, and the edge of his foot, sharp like a knife, cut toward the inside of the man’s thigh.

Foot blade!

The man did not look down, as if he had a premonition, his right leg’s knee bent inward, colliding with Xiaoze Wutian’s incoming kick.

Bang!

At the moment of collision, the breathing rhythm of both changed simultaneously, their tense muscles softened, their bodies turned, neutralizing the other’s force.

Xiaoze Wutian retracted his right leg, reaching out with both hands towards his opponent, who also reached out simultaneously towards him.

The two engaged in close-quarters grappling, each trying to overpower and throw the other down.

After wrestling for a few moments, they both stepped back and threw punches again.

Ha!

Suddenly, Xiaoze Wutian shouted loudly, his voice ringing like a crane, his back muscles bulging as he generated power from muscles and bones, stepping forward and punching toward the man’s chest.

At that moment, he was like a blade suddenly released from its sheath, unstoppable, aimed at cutting through all obstacles in his path!

The middle-aged man he was sparring with remained calm, his eyes tranquil like an ancient well. His breathing softened suddenly, his right hand extended, touching Xiaoze Wutian’s wrist before pulling to the left, diverting the punch.

However, Xiaoze Wutian’s onslaught was not over. Fist, elbow, leg, knee—every part of his body became a weapon as he launched rapid attacks, aiming to cut down and smash his opponent!

The man before him was like a rock standing firm by the sea, no matter how turbulent the waves, he calmly took on the assault and diffused it.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The air burst repeatedly as the two’s exchange sped up, one reaching extreme aggression, the other achieving extreme softness, each seemingly showing the duality of the Gangrou Style karate to its fullest.

After a minute, the older man’s breathing changed, failing to keep up, resulting in a disruption in the rhythm of his hands. Xiaoze Wutian seized the opportunity and landed a punch on the middle-aged man’s chest.

Bang!

"Cough cough cough cough cough!"

The middle-aged man stumbled back several steps, his face flushed red, coughing violently.

After landing the punch, Xiaoze Wutian immediately halted his offense and quickly moved forward to support the other, "Teacher?"

The middle-aged man waved Xiaoze Wutian off, "I’m alright."

He stood there, continually adjusting his breathing, and after a few seconds, his breath finally settled down.

"Teacher."

Xiaoze Wutian bowed to him, and the man also stood still and returned the bow.

"Not bad, Xiaoze-kun. You truly are the hope of the Martial Arts World in our country. In less than half a year, you managed to break through your limits. Among the younger generation, you are the first to reach the Emptiness Realm," the man said to Xiaoze Wutian, his face filled with satisfaction.

He was the Master of the Gangrou Style Dojo, as well as Xiaoze Wutian’s teacher—an elder from the Guandong Association, Koda Shinmei.

"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher," Xiaoze Wutian said humbly, a stark contrast to the ferociousness of his earlier attacks.

"Yesterday, the president gathered the senior members for a meeting and decided to issue a challenge to the Hongmen for a competitive sparring," Koda Shinmei said.

Xiaoze Wutian suddenly looked up, his eyes slightly bright, "Teacher, are we challenging Li San of the Hongmen?"

Koda Shinmei nodded, "Yes, challenge their Double Flower Red Stick, Li San."

Xiaoze Wutian opened his mouth, then hesitated.

Koda Shinmei looked at his own disciple and smiled, "The chairman originally planned to send me, but I recommended you, and the chairman agreed."

"Ah?!" Xiaoze Wutian was both surprised and somewhat excited.

Koda Shinmei sighed slightly, with some emotion, "I am ultimately getting old; the future of the Guandong Association depends on you to carry on."

During their recent sparring, from start to finish, it was Koda Shinmei who was in control of the situation, but in the end, he could not withstand the storm-like attacks from Xiaoze Wutian.

Although he had taken good care of himself, at forty-seven this year, his physical strength was no longer at its peak. It was fine against average opponents, but when fighting an opponent of equal strength, especially a young person like Xiaoze Wutian, he inevitably felt somewhat lacking.

The saying "the boxing art fears the vigor of youth" holds true.

"Teacher, rest assured, I will not let you down!" Xiaoze Wutian solemnly pledged.

Last September, he was forcefully detained by Hongmen Zhiyuan Hall and demanded to compete with Li San. Under the tremendous pressure given by Li San, Xiaoze Wutian had already found the opportunity for a breakthrough, just one step shy from achieving it. And in the more than five months since returning home, he indeed made that critical step forward, advancing further in his Martial Arts.

Japan’s traditional Karate divided spiritual cultivation into six realms: Integral, Unified, Variable, Transformatory, Void, and Spiritual.

Previously, Xiaoze Wutian’s spiritual realm was at the ’Transformatory’ level, but now he had broken through to the ’Void’ level, which meant he had realized his own Fist Intent.

Koda Shinmei, his mentor standing before him, only reached this step at the age of forty. In the entire Island Country Martial Arts World, the number of Martial Artists capable of achieving this realm could be counted on one’s fingers, and most of them were around Koda Shinmei’s age, whereas Xiaoze Wutian was not even twenty years old this year.

That’s why Koda Shinmei had said Xiaoze Wutian was the future hope of the Island Country Martial Arts World, and indeed, Xiaoze Wutian lived up to his name as a genius, growing at a pace that surprised everyone.

"Xiaoze, you briefly crossed hands with Li San back then. In your opinion, how strong is he?" Koda Shinmei inquired.

Xiaoze Wutian pondered, "Li San’s spiritual cultivation has definitely reached the Emptiness Realm. At that time, during our brief exchange of moves, he made me feel as though no matter what techniques or fight strategies I used, they were all under his control."

Koda Shinmei: "Tell me in detail about your exchange of moves back then."

Because of Li Sancai, Xiaoze Wutian had found the opportunity for a breakthrough, so that brief exchange was a treasured asset to him. In the past five months, he recalled the scene in his mind over and over again. Now, with Koda Shinmei asking him to recreate the event, he almost recounted every single detail.

Xiaoze Wutian described it once and then demonstrated it with Koda Shinmei.

After pondering for a moment, Koda Shinmei sparred again with Xiaoze Wutian, only this time he actively made changes, all based on the moves he theorized from Li San’s style.

Koda Shinmei was a representative figure in the Gangrou Style Karate and held high prestige throughout the Island Country Martial Arts World. Not only did he make a name for himself within the Island Country Martial Arts World, but he also visited many Boxers in Southeast Asia and the United States. Both his insight and experience were ranked at the forefront of the Island Country Martial Arts World.

At that moment, as Koda Shinmei dissected Li San’s Fist Techniques based on his experience, Xiaoze Wutian felt an enlightenment.

In terms of physical strength and spirit, Xiaoze Wutian had already surpassed his teacher, but when it came to actual combat experience and understanding of various Martial Arts styles, he was still far behind his teacher. This was not something that could be made up for by talent alone; it required time for gradual growth.

After more than an hour, they ceased their analysis of moves. Koda Shinmei looked at Xiaoze Wutian: "What do you think your chances would be if you were to compete against Li San again now?"

"Fifty percent!"

Xiaoze Wutian stated firmly. If it had been five months prior, he would have given himself at most a ten percent chance, but now, he was confident he could go toe to toe with the Double Flower Red Stick.

Koda Shinmei nodded. It was good for a young man to have sharpness, but of course, the higher the chances of winning, the better.

"According to our intelligence, Li San was seriously injured in that attack."

"Hm?" Xiaoze Wutian’s eyes widened.

Koda Shinmei smiled, "Hongmen is very good at keeping secrets; not many people know of Li San’s injury to this day. However, that battle had many onlookers, and eventually, some hints leaked out."

"We don’t know Li San’s current condition, but we can guess that his injuries have not yet fully healed. So if you fight him now, you’ll have a great chance of winning."

Xiaoze Wutian frowned, "Teacher, this..."

Koda Shinmei waved his hand, "I know what you’re thinking, but this competition involves not only the interests of our Guandong Association but also many other factors: the Island Country Martial Arts World, the American Chinese Martial Arts World, and many other organizations. The impact will be substantial, so you can’t just act impulsively! Besides, if you can win, it will be very beneficial for your reputation."

Xiaoze Wutian fell silent, no wonder the teacher recommended him, and the chairman agreed. Defeating Li San in such a competition would be a great boost to his prestige, and his fame in the entire Chinese Martial Arts Circle would skyrocket overnight.

"I understand. But if Li San’s injuries have not healed, Hongmen might not choose to send him to fight," Xiaoze Wutian said.

Koda Shinmei laughed, "The chairman has already considered this point. It’s true that American Hongmen has some masters, but in recent years, there hasn’t been any outstanding figure among the younger generation. Among their current Double Flower Red Sticks, Li San is the youngest, and now he’s thirty years old. The other Red Sticks are older than Li San and have a higher seniority. If you challenge Li San, given your past grudge, it’s completely justified. But if Hongmen decides to change their champion, it has to be someone young, close to your age!"

"Moreover, this competition’s stakes are significant, and American Hongmen are not monolithic. Zhiyuan Hall may not wish to let someone else fight on their behalf for them."

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