Ren Chunyu was a renowned master of traditional Martial Arts in Shandong, a leading authority in Xingyi.
Mr.
Ren was already sixty-five years old, yet he brimmed with vigor and vitality.
His eyes were sharp like an eagle’s.
Though he wasn’t tall, his steps were steady and light, without the slightest sway.
Upon seeing Mr.
Ren, Lin Jian stood up, hurried to the front, and bowed.
“Greetings, Elder Ren.”
Even though Lin Jian was known as a Demon King of Chaos at school, he held profound respect for such martial arts masters.
Traditional Martial Arts might have its flaws, but what had been passed down through five thousand years of Huaxia history wasn’t just technique—sometimes, it was a spirit!
It was the spirit of Chinese martial arts, the martial soul of the Chinese people.
Therefore, traditional martial arts masters like Ren Chunyu deserved Lin Jian’s highest courtesy.
Ren Chunyu wasn’t one of those fake kung fu charlatans on the internet; he possessed a genuine, concrete lineage.
Ren Chunyu looked quite surprised by Lin Jian’s gesture.
There were over twenty people present.
Everyone else stood at a distance without moving, so why did this young man alone come over to greet him?
“And you are?” Ren Chunyu asked, cupping his hands in return.
“I am just a sports school student practicing traditional Martial Arts,” Lin Jian quickly replied.
“Heh, you’re not even a student anymore, are you?
Just a street punk now,” Xu Dongping said coldly from a short distance away.
Lin Jian wasn’t annoyed; he simply shrugged and smiled.
At this moment, Xu Hang and two other men finally stepped forward and shook hands with Elder Ren.
“Elder Ren, allow me to introduce you,” Xu Hang said.
“This is Tian Mo, and this is Li Tianxing.”
Tian Mo was the Sanda expert who was going to fight Elder Ren in the ring today; he had once placed third in a provincial tournament.
The other man, Li Tianxing, was even more remarkable.
Lin Jian had heard of him: he was last year’s Sanda champion in Jiangzhe Province, the Sanda King.
However, rumor had it that he had retired and was now working as a private bodyguard, though it was unclear if that was true.
Elder Ren nodded and kept a straight face as he said, “Let’s begin.
We have an afternoon flight to catch.”
His presence at this arranged fight was solely because Tian Mo had goaded him into it.
Tian Mo was a foul-mouthed individual who constantly hurled insults at Martial Arts practitioners on short-video platforms.
He had fought a few of them and, admittedly, had won.
Somehow, Tian Mo had seen an old video of Elder Ren practicing his forms from years ago.
He had publicly attacked him online, eventually calling him a coward who hid in his shell.
True martial artists were people of integrity and temper.
When Elder Ren found out, he was so furious that he immediately accepted the challenge.
Later, through Xu Hang’s mediation, the time and location were set for today.
Seeing Tian Mo today naturally fueled Elder Ren’s anger, so there was no way he would give him a friendly look.
“Elder Ren, you’ve read through the contract, right?
Ren Chunyu was straightforward, signing his name with a few quick strokes.
“Elder Ren, I still need to explain the rules in the ring for both sides.” As the referee, Xu Hang began explaining to the two fighters which areas were permissible to strike and which were off-limits.
“Hmph, ancient martial arts were all Killing Techniques.
If this isn’t allowed and that isn’t allowed, then what’s the point of fighting?” Ren Chunyu snorted in displeasure.
In ancient times, martial arts were for self-defense and killing.
Self-defense was secondary; the primary purpose was killing.
It wasn’t about physical fitness or health.
Who in ancient times had the leisure to practice just for health?
They were all Killing Techniques.
Although Huaxia had five thousand years of history, the truly peaceful eras during that time amounted to less than three hundred years!
Excluding those three hundred years, the rest of Huaxia’s five millennia had been spent in constant turmoil and war.
Thus, authentic martial arts were Killing Techniques forged on the battlefield.
Martial arts were employed in the most ruthless and insidious ways possible, rather than relying on flashy, impractical stances.
Flashy stances were just acrobatics.
“Elder Ren, the back of the head and the groin are off-limits; that’s the rule.
Except for these two areas, you can strike anywhere, and you don’t have to wear gloves.” Xu Hang stood firm on his principles; hitting certain spots would instantly cause lethal accidents.
Ren Chunyu didn’t push the issue, knowing full well that they lived in an era of peace, not the chaotic times of the past.
After familiarizing themselves with the rules, the two men stepped into the ring.
Their respective supporters split into two factions, with one group standing on the left and the other on the right.
Lin Jian became a member of Elder Ren’s supporting camp.
Naturally, Lin Jian’s expression turned somewhat grave, as he could foresee that Elder Ren would not win this fight.
In boxing, youth was the ultimate weapon.
Elder Ren might have a solid foundation, but his stamina, Speed, and Power had likely fallen far behind.
In contrast, Tian Mo was in his prime, not even thirty years old.
Therefore, there shouldn’t be much suspense about today’s battle!
In the ring, Xu Hang suddenly waved his hand.
“Begin!”
With that command, Elder Ren and Tian Mo stepped forward for a symbolic initial engagement.
Then, as Tian Mo closed in, he suddenly erupted, throwing rapid punches right at Elder Ren’s head!
Elder Ren leaned to the side, attempting to dodge, but Tian Mo swiftly followed up with a sweeping leg hook.
Caught off guard, Elder Ren began to fall.
Fortunately, Elder Ren quickly braced his other hand against the floor and astonishingly sprang back up.
Before Tian Mo’s fist could land, he violently slammed his shoulder into Tian Mo.
BAM!
The two parted the instant they collided, and Tian Mo was actually knocked back by the shoulder strike.
Lin Jian’s eyes lit up.
Elder Ren still had some solid skills; otherwise, he wouldn’t have traveled this far for a fight.
Flashing a wicked smile, he suddenly charged at Elder Ren again!
Elder Ren threw punches and kicks, but Tian Mo didn’t evade.
He continued his forward assault, letting Elder Ren’s strikes land squarely on his body!
Lin Jian closed his eyes.
Though he wasn’t looking with his physical eyes, he saw everything clearly through his Thought.
He could see the exact trajectory of Elder Ren’s punches and the sinister smile on Tian Mo’s face with crystal clarity.
He thought, “This is bad.” At that moment, Lin Jian suddenly realized Tian Mo was about to strike.
In the ring, Elder Ren retreated continuously.
As he backed up to the edge of the ring, Tian Mo finally seized the opportunity, landing a right hook on Elder Ren’s jaw!
BAM!
It was a heavy punch.
Upon impact, Elder Ren’s entire body swayed before he crashed face-first onto the floor!
Referee Xu Hang immediately stopped Tian Mo from attacking further and began the count.
At the count of five, Elder Ren pushed himself up.
He then leaned against the ropes, breathing heavily, taking continuous deep breaths.
At this moment, Lin Jian noticed that after a few consecutive breaths, Elder Ren’s body miraculously stabilized.
He thought, “He has Inner True Qi, though not much!” Lin Jian’s eyes lit up fiercely.
He saw what seemed to be a current of Qi inside Elder Ren’s body; as the old man took deep breaths, that Qi circulated within him.
And this Qi was the legendary Inner True Qi.
He saw it with utmost clarity through his Thought.
However, the amount of that Qi was very, very small!
Once Elder Ren recovered, the referee signaled for the match to resume.
Tian Mo then repeated his previous tactic, charging straight ahead!
Elder Ren spread his legs slightly, settling into a horse stance.
Lin Jian then saw that faint stream of Qi flow into Elder Ren’s palms!
BAM!
The two clashed once again.
Elder Ren didn’t bother to defend; instead, he thrust both palms forward, striking Tian Mo squarely in the chest, while Tian Mo simultaneously landed a right hook on Elder Ren’s left cheek.
Without any surprise, Elder Ren collapsed to the floor once more, unable to rise.
Meanwhile, Tian Mo was sent flying.
With no leverage, he crashed heavily onto the floor as well!
However, the instant he hit the ground, Tian Mo rolled right back onto his feet.
Naturally, he was drenched in a cold sweat from the shock, though no one else noticed.
As for Elder Ren, he lay unconscious on the ground, unable to stand!
“Master!”
“Dad!”
Elder Ren’s family and supporters all rushed up to the ring.
After some emergency first aid from the crowd, Elder Ren regained consciousness, but his expression was completely filled with desolation and helplessness.
At this moment, Lin Jian saw through his Thought that Elder Ren’s Inner True Qi had vanished.