Chen Chuan noticed that Coach Gu's breathing hadn't changed at all from the moment he stepped onto the stage. This meant he could likely maintain his Breathing Technique for long periods. And as a coach, it was highly probable that he possessed Power. 'I'll have to be careful.'
Coach Gu performed a fist-and-palm salute.
Chen Chuan returned the salute.
After lowering his hands, Coach Gu offered a reminder, "Watch yourself."
As he spoke, he extended his hands forward as if parting tall grass. He ducked his head and shot forward. Although his movements were clear for all to see, he somehow appeared right in front of Chen Chuan in an instant. This technique didn't seem to be part of the Xiujiang Boxing style; it was completely unexpected.
Chen Chuan saw his hands feinting, his body swaying left and right, making it impossible to tell where he would strike. Chen Chuan could only solidify his stance, preparing to meet any attack with a stable defense.
Coach Gu's hands feinted again before he suddenly lunged, throwing a punch straight for Chen Chuan's centerline. Chen Chuan sank his center of gravity and met the attack with the Piercing Hand from the Great Scattering Hand. This move combined offense and defense, allowing him to parry and counterattack in a single fluid motion.
But unexpectedly, the moment their hands made contact, Chen Chuan felt an incredibly explosive force burst from Coach Gu's fist. In that instant, the impact was so strong it lifted his heels off the ground.
He knew this was bad. Coach Gu didn't stop; taking advantage of Chen Chuan's unstable footing, he suddenly launched a leaping spinning kick!
Chen Chuan crossed his arms and contracted his abdomen. Although he blocked the kick, the force sent him flying sideways, and he crashed into the ropes behind him.
After landing, Coach Gu held his side-kick posture for a moment before slowly lowering his leg. The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in cheers and applause.
To be honest, they hadn't seen Coach Gu fight so seriously in a long time. Usually, anyone who came to spar would be taken down in a few moves by the senior boxers, so there was rarely a need for the coach to step in.
Chen Chuan pushed off the ropes with his back, straightening his body. Although he'd been kicked back right at the start, his spirits soared. He could feel it—that was Power!
'I found the right person!'
This was exactly the kind of opponent he wanted to face.
'But…'
He glanced at the Second Self beside him. A large portion of it had turned translucent. 'I can't believe it took so much damage from just one kick.' The remaining overlap time was just over a minute. Based on past experience, after a blow like that, it would only last for forty or fifty seconds at most.
'If I take a few more hits like that, this fight will be over, and I might even get injured. It seems I need to end this as quickly as possible.'
Coach Gu watched him stand up so easily. His expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was far from calm.
Just now, he had used the Swinging Force, a Secret Transmission of Xiujiang Boxing. An unsuspecting opponent would be instantly numbed, their muscles and bones loosened. As for the kick that followed, it looked like it was just to push the person away, but it was actually meant to create a secondary strike with the Power.
He had expected Chen Chuan to lose all fighting ability after that one exchange, but now he seemed completely unharmed. It didn't look like he had used Power to resist it; rather, it seemed like he had just tanked it with his raw physique.
'This is tricky.'
He didn't particularly like fighting opponents with such outstanding physical conditioning. Power was not just a weapon but also a tool for martial cultivation. While effective, using it too much placed a burden on the body.
'What's more troublesome is that he knows about my Power now, so he'll be on guard. It won't be so easy to land a hit, and if I miss, I'll just be wasting stamina.'
He took a breath and exhaled, his body rising and falling once. He tapped the floor with the ball of his front foot and took a stance. In that instant, the ring floor actually sank slightly.
Chen Chuan didn't wait. 'If you won't come to me, I'll come to you.' He stepped forward, guided by his Breathing Technique, and quickly closed the distance.
Coach Gu watched him advance rapidly and lifted a knee as if to strike him in the face. Chen Chuan was prepared, slightly raising a hand and ready to change direction at a moment's notice. But at that moment, Coach Gu suddenly stomped his raised foot down hard. As his sole hit the ground, ripples seemed to spread across the surface of the ring.
Chen Chuan felt the ground heave beneath him, and his body swayed unsteadily.
Senior Brother Yan had been able to see the problem with his unstable center of gravity, and Coach Gu could see it too. This time, he had channeled the Power of his Swinging Force directly into the floor.
He then lunged forward, strode in, and grabbed Chen Chuan's right arm above the elbow. With a pivot of his feet, his back was almost pressed against Chen Chuan's chest. All he had to do now was bend over and flip him for a solid shoulder throw!
Chen Chuan sensed the danger and quickly used his left hand to push against the coach's waist, trying to pull his captured right arm free. But at that moment, Coach Gu suddenly shifted his center of gravity, falling backward with the force of Chen Chuan's pull.
If they were pulled to the ground, the coach could roll over him. The crushing pressure could break an ordinary person's bones and tear their tendons. Realizing this, Chen Chuan tightened the arm he hadn't pulled back, wrapping it around Coach Gu. He twisted his waist with all his might, trying to flip the coach underneath him first.
But Coach Gu reacted just as quickly. He spun in the direction Chen Chuan's arm was forcing him, simultaneously stepping back to disengage in an instant.
Coach Gu used the momentum to give him a final push, causing Chen Chuan to retreat a few steps. The two returned to their previous standoff.
That rapid exchange required both fighters to react in an instant. It was a flurry of counters and counter-reversals; the slightest mistake would have resulted in a takedown. The audience below burst into applause, cheering and shouting that it was a thrilling sight.
Coach Gu marveled internally. Chen Chuan's strength and reactions were nothing like what someone his age should be capable of. He had managed to forcibly reverse a disadvantageous situation.
But Chen Chuan knew his own situation best. That was all thanks to the enhanced physique from his Second Self. Otherwise, he would have been thrown to the ground at the very beginning. Once on the mat, it would become a world of Twisting Skills. Not to mention, Coach Gu also had Power. At that point, even with the Second Self, the outcome would have been uncertain.
'If I'm competing on technique, there's no way I can match his veteran experience. So why am I even trying to trade blows? I should just be attacking relentlessly, making full use of my Second Self's advantage of being impervious to damage.'
At that moment, he seemed to have a realization. He spoke, "I see now that I've been doing this wrong."
"What?" Coach Gu was a little confused.
Chen Chuan suddenly cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts and smiled. For some reason, Coach Gu felt a sudden sense of danger.
A scraping sound came from under Chen Chuan's feet as his entire body shot forward. At the same time, his Second Self instantly merged with him. To the people below, it looked as if an afterimage had streaked across the ring.
"This…"
Coach Gu was startled. 'So fast?' He knew he couldn't retreat now. Chen Chuan would close the distance in just a step or two, and he'd be caught off-balance and put on the defensive. It was too late to kick, so he could only push out with a palm strike.
But Chen Chuan met it head-on without dodging or evading. He raised his arm to block, attempting to swat away the obstructing hand. The moment they made contact, however, he felt the exact same force as before surge toward him. The coach had clearly channeled his Power in time.
This time, however, he twisted his wrist, using a hooking and grabbing hand to seize Coach Gu's arm tightly. He allowed the force to surge into his body, not retreating a single step.
Coach Gu's pupils constricted involuntarily.
In the next moment, Chen Chuan used his superior strength to wrench Coach Gu's arm outward. He took a side step forward, and drove his elbow horizontally into the coach's chest. It was the Door-Opening Elbow from the Great Scattering Hand, fueled by the Power of Limit-Breaking!
Seeing the danger, Coach Gu let out a sharp "Hah!" at the critical moment. He didn't dodge. Instead, he pulled back the arm that was being wrenched, creating a counter-force. Using his hand as a handle and his body as a hammer, he applied Force Application and actively slammed his chest forward to meet the blow.
The next moment, a muffled THUD echoed across the stage, and both men shuddered simultaneously.
The people below watched nervously, but both fighters remained in their positions, making no further moves.
"Let's end it here," Coach Gu said, looking calmly at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan nodded.
They both withdrew their hands at the same time, stood up straight, and looked at each other.
"Bravo!"
A single cheer came from below, followed by a wave of enthusiastic applause.
Chen Chuan gave Coach Gu a fist-and-palm salute and said sincerely, "I've gained a lot today. Thank you, Coach Gu."
He felt it was a bit of a pity. Even using a Limit-Breaking Strike, he hadn't been able to defeat Coach Gu. The man was truly skilled.
But after clashing head-on with such an opponent, he now had a rough idea of the level of someone who possessed Power. He would need to go back and train even harder.
Coach Gu returned the salute with a smile. "You're too kind. The Xiujiang Boxing Hall is always open. Outstanding young men like you are always welcome."
Chen Chuan's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Okay."
Seeing how happy Chen Chuan was to agree, the corner of Coach Gu's mouth twitched slightly.
Chen Chuan stepped down from the ring and discovered that a large crowd had gathered at some point, filling most of the Boxing Club. When they saw him coming down, they automatically cleared a path for him.
Just then, someone in the crowd waved at him. "Hey! Classmate!"
Chen Chuan looked over and immediately recognized Liang Tong, the classmate from next door who had given him the flyer. He gave him a small smile and a nod, then walked straight out of the boxing hall.
After Chen Chuan left, Coach Gu said, "Alright, break it up. Everyone get back to training."
Hearing his words, the crowd dispersed in twos and threes, but their excitement hadn't faded, and they continued to discuss the fight enthusiastically.
Just as Coach Gu was about to step down from the stage, Liang Tong ran up excitedly. "Coach Gu, Coach Gu! That's my classmate! I think he got into Wuda."
Coach Gu glanced at him, grunted "Oh," and said, "You guys can look around for a bit." He then left a confused Liang Tong behind and returned to his private lounge.
After closing the door, the serious expression on his face finally vanished. He clutched his chest, wincing in pain. He took off his shirt, revealing a dark, ugly bruise on his chest.
He took a bottle of medicinal wine from a cabinet and began applying it, hissing in pain as he rubbed it in.
"'This kid's punches are seriously heavy. I've broken at least two ribs... no, three...'"
He knew very well that if he hadn't used the technique of countering with his own Power at the last second to prevent Chen Chuan from fully exerting his force, his internal organs might have been damaged.
"'But that punch... it didn't seem to be Power. It felt like pure, brute strength, combined with some special technique...'"
HISS... "'Thank god he doesn't have Power. If someone with that much strength learned to use Power, what would happen then? He might have killed me with that one punch today!'"
He muttered to himself as he thought, "'From Wuda, huh? I wonder how many years he's been training. These students from the academies are really something else... Next time? I hope to god there isn't a next time.'"
Chen Chuan was now outside the boxing hall. He saw that his Second Self was almost completely translucent. In that final clash, besides withstanding two consecutive impacts of Power, his own Limit-Breaking Attack had also caused a certain amount of damage. Now, less than ten seconds of overlap time remained.
He replayed the fight in his mind. 'Coach Gu is worthy of his title. His responses are so seasoned. I have to find another chance to spar with him again.'
It was now the end of a busy day. Cars and people filled the streets, and everything was bathed in the golden-red light of the setting sun. He exhaled, his steps light as he quickly vanished into the bustling crowd.
...
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