Chapter 15: with translation of chapter title

Hong Qigong saw the blue-robed youth approaching with fierce momentum, but seeing he was only sixteen or seventeen, how profound could his skill be? Thus, although he intended to use the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms to give him a proper lesson, he initially used a palm he excelled at defense.

He saw his left palm emitting circular force, his right palm direct force, and executed the move "Dragon Seen in the Field".

In an instant, a faint dragon's roar and whistle sounded, and a half-visible dragon-shaped aura appeared before him.

The frigid fist force collided with the dragon-shaped aura, and Hong Qigong's expression changed slightly; he immediately felt an internal strength far too robust for a youth of that age, plus a vast surge.

Due to his own momentary carelessness, he was forcibly driven back; taking advantage of the momentum, he flipped upward, leapt into midair, and from that high position struck down, unleashing the tremendous power of "Dragon Soaring in the Heavens".

Good, you came!

Zhuang Buran changed his fist to a palm, yet his internal energy gathered at the palm center, forming a peerless, piercing Void-Splitting Palm force.

The two exchanged a palm strike in midair, and were evenly matched, indistinguishable; the resulting invisible force compelled Guo and Huang to retreat repeatedly.

"I have long heard that the Beggar Sect's Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms are the pinnacle of external martial arts; seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary."

Zhuang Buran's eyes grew ever more excited; only the sound of wind swirling around him could be heard, and his invisible Void-Splitting Palm force erupted repeatedly, striking directly at Hong Qigong's head, chest, abdomen, and limbs.

Meanwhile, Hong Qigong crossed his palms to guard his groin, then raised them following the momentum, like drawing a bow to store power; suddenly his palms burst forth like thunder, a ferocious force that shakes a hundred miles—indeed he unleashed the even more swift and violent "Shocking a Hundred Miles".

At the instant the whistling wind met the dragon's roar, it sounded like thunder exploding, a boulder falling to the ground, and both of their feet sank straight into the earth three cun.

"Good lad, you must have started training from the womb to have such profound internal strength; you indeed have the capital for reckless arrogance."

"Cut the nonsense; Zhuang's Void-Splitting Palm is different from others'."

While Zhuang Buran spoke, he unleashed two more peerless, piercing Void-Splitting Palm forces; Hong Qigong raised one palm above and one below, his palms tracing circles without cease, intending to counter with "Clouds Without Rain".

Unexpectedly, he suddenly heard a wind behind him and felt a slight stir on his clothing; in that instant, he instinctively backhanded a horizontal chop, unleashing the move "Divine Dragon Swishes Its Tail".

Zhuang Buran seized the opportunity to strike again; his invisible Void-Splitting Palm force, effective beyond ten feet, once again bent and stretched at will, making it impossible to guard against.

Hong Qigong, undoubtedly one of the renowned Five Greats of the jianghu, initially unaware, would naturally fall to the disadvantage, but thereafter, relying on his seasoned combat experience and the utmost yang strength of the Dragon-Subduing Palm, he gradually gained the upper hand.

The Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms require true strength in every move, victory relying solely on powerful force; thus, faced with the crafty, piercing Void-Splitting Palm force, he directly overwhelmed ten with one force, and after successive palm strikes, he secured the upper hand.

Huang Rong, watching from not far away, shouted angrily:

"Great, the Void-Splitting Palm force can even turn; it turns out my hateful father even kept a trick of the Void-Splitting Palm."

"Ronger, perhaps it's because your internal strength is not deep, that's why." Guo Jing comforted gently.

"Brother Jing, if you can't speak, then say less." Huang Rong felt as if a dagger had been plunged into her heart.

On the field, the two exchanged seventy or eighty moves, then temporarily separated and lowered their hands.

"Kid, this old beggar underestimated you; though your internal energy is robust, you also possess a hard skill as solid as bronze walls and iron walls, so even though my skill is the pinnacle of external martial arts, my palms still ache from the shock."

"Warm-up over; Zhuang will now get serious."

Zhuang Buran moved like a drawn bow, released like thunder; he stomped deep into a pit, shot forward, appearing almost instantaneously before Hong Qigong, and unleashed a thunderous punch.

Faintly, it sounded like river tides and ocean waves surging.

Hong Qigong's expression hardened; the dragon's roar rose loudly, and he raised his hand to unleash the most yang, unyielding form of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms: "Proud Dragon Has Regret".

Boom!

The ancient trees around them were snapped by the aftershock, seven or eight of them broken.

Immediately, Zhuang Buran stepped on the Eight Trigrams, his fist striking the Five Phases; the force he emitted combined hardness and softness, first reaching utmost yang, then instantly attaining the essence of yin, like water in the world.

Yet at times it was like a vast, boundless sea with no waves for a thousand miles, then gradually swelling into surging billows, white waves linking mountains; suddenly it seemed an iceberg drifting in, then the sea boiled hot—truly exhausting all possibilities of transformation.

Then it became like a calm mirror, yet beneath the surface revealed turbulent undercurrents, hidden danger lurking silently, concealing killing intent.

Hong Qigong's conduct has always sought only satisfaction; that is, to eat heartily, drink heartily, scold heartily, and fight heartily.

Therefore, faced with the present situation, he could not help but shout his approval:

Excellent fist technique!

The Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms emphasize that the stronger the foe, the stronger I become; moreover, the moves appear unchanging, plain and unremarkable, yet they are a profound secret art whose techniques are simple but whose force is deeply refined.

Thus, Hong Qigong, regardless of how varied and myriad Zhuang Buran's fist force was, simply repeated the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms over and over in continuous succession.

After roughly two or three hundred exchanges, the two simultaneously withdrew their moves and stood apart on opposite sides.

At this moment, their breathing was ragged, a sheen of sweat on their foreheads and temples, clearly exhausted, yet their faces showed a refreshed, exhilarated expression.

"Zhuang's fist art, though based on the Five Phases and Eight Trigrams, takes an unorthodox path, focusing on water; it is the superior internal energy he comprehended amidst river and sea waves, the two complementing each other, and once unleashed, its power doubles."

"And yet I cannot do anything to you, this old fellow with half his bones buried in the earth—what a pity!"

"You wicked, foul-mouthed brat, just you—go back and train a few more years."

Hong Qigong grinned:

"Perhaps when this old beggar is finally laid in the earth, you will be able to surpass me."

"Zhuang, in the martial way, is a heaven‑endowed divine warrior, an unparalleled genius unseen in ancient or modern times; before long, you will be left far behind by me."

Upon hearing this, although those present scorned his boastful arrogance, deep down they could not help but admit that there was some truth to it.

"At such a young age to possess such martial skill indeed shows his extraordinary talent; yet Hong Qigong, for some unknown reason, felt inexplicably displeased, and thus said:"

"Kid, have you never heard that heaven envies talent?"

Zhuang Buran had his hands behind his back, his face bearing a hint of nonchalance:

"Senior Hong, do you realize that although I admit I cannot defeat you head‑on, I possess a hundred unspeakable means that could reduce the Five Greats by one, and even leave the world's greatest sect without its chief?"

Hong Qigong remained silent for a moment, somewhat at a loss for words:

"This old beggar doesn't even know whether you are the heir of the West Poison or the East Heresy."

"My surname is Zhuang, given name Bu Ran; I am self‑taught, taking the rivers and seas as my teacher, and thus attained my present martial prowess." Zhuang Buran spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong couldn't help but glance at Huang Rong, then turn his gaze to Zhuang Buran:

"Judging by your two faces, I, this old beggar, don't know whether to believe what you just said or not."

"Furthermore, more than twenty years ago, the Five Greats—East Heresy, West Poison, South Emperor, North Beggar, and Central Divine Competent—met at the summit of Hua Mountain to compare martial arts and swords, fighting for seven days and seven nights; I still recall that East Heresy once created a set called the Five Phases Fist, and he was also especially skilled in the Five Phases and Eight Trigrams."

Zhuang Buran burst into a helpless laugh:

"Believe it or not, we have only exchanged blows once this time; frankly, it was not very satisfying. In the days to come, I wonder if the renowned Northern Beggar dares to spar with Zhuang a round or two."

Hong Qigong heard it, and his heart secretly thought:

"This kid is just a lawless, rebellious nature; once he goes down the wrong path, the consequences will be hard to predict."

Upon thinking this, he immediately said:

"I would be delighted; afterwards, the old beggar will make you understand what it means that there are people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens."

A glint of light flashed in Zhuang Buran's eyes and vanished instantly, as if some scheme had succeeded again.

(End of chapter)