Chapter 48: Strength Overcoming the Triple-Layer Technique

On the open ground outside the martial arts hall's main gate, the first bout began.

According to the parlance of the martial arts circle, those who come to challenge a hall are unwelcome guests, uninvited guests; because they were not invited, they do not enter the door.

"Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall, Zhou You."

"Dazhuang Fist, Zhang Shiyu."

Both sides announced their affiliations, officially entering the combat phase.

Zhang Shiyu's starting stance was very strange, as if walking on muddy ground; it looked sluggish, but in reality, it was unimaginably fast.

This was the basic leg technique of the Dazhuang Fist... Mud-Wading Step.

He flashed into Zhou You's blind spot and struck with a vicious Drill Fist, aiming straight for the vulnerable area under the armpit.

The area under the armpit is near the chest; once struck, the resulting chest congestion and blacking out of vision would mean certain defeat.

"Farmhand tricks."

Wang Jianxiong let out a cold snort, without a hint of anger.

The origin of the Dazhuang Fist was indeed inspired by farming, but having developed to this day, it had absorbed the essence of many martial arts and evolved into a mature system of fist techniques, with formidable power.

Zhou You was slightly surprised; thinking that the opponent had also once been an Apprentice at a martial arts hall and had endured training no less intense than his own, it was not strange for him to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

He immediately threw a punch in retaliation, meeting the opponent's Drill Fist head-on.

Two distinct forces collided, and the air emitted a loud bang.

Zhang Shiyu felt as if his hand had been scalded and quickly retracted his arm; he could never have imagined that the opponent's force would be so robust.

This was not the kind of power an Apprentice who had just entered the realm of force should possess.

He set aside his contempt, stepped with his Mud-Wading Step, and in a few moves, flashed behind Zhou You.

Unexpectedly, the next moment, Zhou You used his waist as an axis and twisted his upper body one hundred and eighty degrees, looking at him face-to-face.

"Wolf-gazing and tiger-staring, a sign of great misfortune."

These eight characters surfaced in Zhang Shiyu's mind, and a fishy wind rushed toward his face.

The two traded four or five blows; Zhou You's bones were hard, his strength great, and his moves heavy, each collision crashing down like a surging sea.

He subconsciously thought he had been set up; this Zhou You was not the weakest, but rather one of the best among the Apprentices of Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall.

That man surnamed Wang was too insidious, using such a conspiracy while occupying the home-field advantage.

Zhou You's wild, fierce fists came head-on, containing force and landing on him with an unstoppable momentum.

"Grass-Parting Snake Search."

Zhang Shiyu was both shocked and angry; he parted his hands, tearing through the incoming wind of force.

Zhou You lunged with his whole body, crashing over with thick, savage power, his shadow instantly shrouding the ground.

"Earth-Breaking."

Zhang Shiyu's foot moved like an iron shovel, easily inserting into the ground and scooping up a large chunk of soil.

Each clod of earth was infused with force, falling like raindrops and instantly covering Zhou You's face.

Zhou You raised his hands to block the rain of soil, and Zhang Shiyu's voice reached his ears, "Great Chaos Planting."

Swish, swish, swish—Zhang Shiyu's figure flashed back and forth in the dust, his speed so fast that Zhou You could only catch glimpses of afterimages.

He accelerated in one breath, moving rapidly around Zhou You's front, back, left, and right.

With the Mud-Wading Step at full speed, Zhang Shiyu's figure was everywhere, leaving the enemy unable to predict his direction or movement.

Various attacks landed on Zhou You like a gale and rainstorm.

Forehead, chest, abdomen, shoulders, back—it was impossible to predict the opponent's target.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, the afterimages around him swept away like clouds, and a murderous intent burst forth from Out of Nothing.

"Sickle Cut, cutting heads like cutting grass."

Among those watching the battle, Lu Qiang reacted the fastest, "Not good, it's a Triple-Layer Technique."

Earth-Breaking was meant to disturb the line of sight, Great Chaos Planting was to shake Zhou You's footing, and this final move was the true killing blow.

One, two, three—a total of three linked moves.

This was a set of martial arts, a chain of moves, also known as a Triple-Layer Technique.

Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall also had Triple-Layer Techniques, but they were only for senior Apprentices with ten years of foundation to practice.

For example, Xu Ying had mastered a set of Triple-Layer Techniques; when unleashed, it would send sand and stones flying and darken the sky.

Who could have imagined that Zhang Shiyu, young as he was, had also learned a Triple-Layer Technique.

And Zhou You had only just been promoted, still in the stage of polishing his force, and did not know this ultimate move.

This bout had not been a fair contest from the start.

"Master, I'm afraid Zhou You is in trouble."

Lu Qiang couldn't help but plead, "Even if he loses, it is not due to a lack of fighting spirit."

"Don't jump to conclusions yet, watch!"

Hall Master Wang Jianxiong said concisely.

If Zhou You lost a fight in front of his own door, he, Wang Laohu, could not afford to lose such face.

Lu Qiang couldn't help but shake his head, mourning for Zhou You's fate; even if he struggled, he would still lose.

In the arena, Zhang Shiyu's three-move chain reached its peak state; he raised his arms high like a sickle, crossing them to cut down at Zhou You's neck.

Infused with force, even a body of flesh and blood could exert the power of refined steel.

The air being sliced flowed through his fingers in wisps; "cutting heads like cutting grass" was by no means an exaggeration.

A tiger's roar sounded on the flat ground; Zhou You counterattacked in the desperate situation.

"Tiger Offering Cup."

He raised his hands as if holding up a bronze wine cup, his stance steady and secure, blocking Zhang Shiyu's left and right arms.

The lethality accumulated by the Triple-Stack Technique was truly formidable, instantly releasing a sharp force that sliced through the skin and flesh on Zhou You's arms, causing blood to gush out wildly.

Zhang Shiyu was overjoyed; he only needed to circulate his force, and even an iron ingot could be twisted into smithereens.

Suddenly, his brows furrowed; his hands were stuck by the bones of Zhou You's arms.

The 25 points of defense attribute granted Zhou You a formidable physique, with not a single flaw from his skin and flesh down to his bones.

"Tiger Tail Kick."

A gust of wind breaking through the air struck his face.

It turned out that Zhou You had exerted force from his lumbar spine, the large tendons in his leg driving his right foot to whip up, circling past the back of his head to kick out one step ahead of his two fists.

Risking the danger of having his arms snapped, he stubbornly covered this stone-splitting, wood-piercing flying kick.

Zhang Shiyu was kicked in the forehead, stars bursting before his eyes, yet he cruelly crossed his arms, intent on snapping his opponent's arms.

Zhou You did not dodge or evade; he shrank his body in place and actively lunged into his opponent's embrace.

Now Zhang Shiyu was forced into a passive position; his arm-based killing move had missed, and it was already too late to retract them toward his chest.

"Tiger Falling to the Flat Plains."

Zhou You grabbed Zhang Shiyu by the waist and lunged forward, his feet pushing off the ground as he charged ahead with force.

Amidst the swirling dust, the two flew out like cannonballs for over ten meters, crashing directly into the martial arts hall's wall.

The several-meter-high stone wall collapsed on the spot, broken bricks and tiles pouring onto the ground like a stream.

Dust rose from the flat ground, acting like a screen that blocked everyone's line of sight, making it impossible to see who was still alive.

"Enough, enough."

Seeing this, Zhuang Tie stepped forward, wanting to intervene in the match and rescue his junior martial brother.

*Swish! * A figure blocked his path; it was Lu Qiang who had arrived in time, quickly cutting off Zhuang Tie's way.

Zhuang Tie knew his master doted on Zhang Shiyu and feared he would be injured, so he had intervened in his anxiety, but Lu Qiang's movements were not slow either.

"The outcome is not yet decided, what are you doing?"

Lu Qiang glared at him, guarding against him, "Go back."

The ruins heaved a few times, and a figure struggled to stand up.

It was Zhou You!

Zhou You kicked away a few bricks blocking his path, leaped up from the ruins, and landed on the flat ground.

Looking behind him, Zhang Shiyu rolled onto the ground like a torn sack, struggled twice, and could no longer move.

This match was won!

"Hall Master, I have not failed your expectations."

Zhou You cupped his hands in salute toward Wang Jianxiong and took a few heavy breaths.