Chapter 172 - 171: Sparring
Chen Shouye walked out of the study. "I had a lucky breakthrough. Please go easy on me, Brother."
"Of course! We’re brothers. We’ll know when to stop!"
Chen Shouheng boomed with laughter, his eyes filled with fighting spirit. "Come on! It’s the perfect chance for me to see how solid your foundation is, now that you’re in the Spirit Realm!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, his figure floated up like a light feather as he led the way, darting toward the small training yard in the back.
Chen Shouye didn’t hesitate. With a light push of his foot, his body became a blur as he followed close behind.
The two brothers stood several yards apart, steadying themselves in the center of the spacious, bluestone-paved courtyard.
A gentle breeze swept through, causing the leaves of the old locust tree in the corner to rustle.
Other than that, there was only the silent pressure of their formidable presences, rising and locking onto one another.
Without another word, the spar began.
Chen Shouheng attacked first. With a low shout, he lunged forward and executed the most ferocious and direct move in the Tiger Subduing Fist: Black Tiger Heart Stealing. His right fist shot straight for the center of Shouye’s chest.
The fist shot out like a cannonball, whistling sharply through the air. He was clearly not holding much back.
Yet, Chen Shouye neither dodged nor evaded.
He took a deep breath, instantly channeling his Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique to its absolute limit. A faint golden luster appeared just beneath his skin.
What was even more astonishing was that the air a foot around him seemed to suddenly thicken.
Out of thin air, nine thick walls of Qi materialized. They were nearly transparent, yet shimmered with a faint, brilliant light, forming a formidable barrier.
This was the Immovable Vajra Bright King Gang Qi.
"BANG!"
Chen Shouheng’s powerful fist smashed viciously into the layered walls of Gang Qi.
The force of the punch exploded, sending shockwaves of energy rippling outward.
The first layer, the second, the third...
The layers of Gang Qi shattered on impact, like glass struck by a heavy hammer.
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh...
The fist’s momentum was still ferocious, breaking through the Gang Qi defenses one after another.
The eighth layer of Gang Qi trembled violently before shattering.
However, when the force of the punch reached the final, ninth layer of Gang Qi, it was like a spent arrow. Its power vanished, stirring only a faint ripple before dissipating completely, failing to affect the barrier in the slightest.
Chen Shouheng pulled back his fist and took a step back, utterly astonished. "Damn! The defense from the Gang Qi of your Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique is insane. Ninefold Gang Qi, layer after layer... and my full-power punch could only break through eight?"
Chen Shouye dispersed his Gang Qi, a trace of surprise in his own eyes. He admitted frankly, "Your punch is incredibly powerful, Brother. Far more than I expected. I thought... you’d break seven layers at most."
Chen Shouheng’s eyebrow twitched at his words. Far from being discouraged, his fighting spirit flared even brighter. "Interesting! Again!"
This time, he didn’t try to break the defense in a single blow. Instead, he moved like a Spiritual Ape circling a tree, beginning to skirmish with Chen Shouye while rapidly moving around him.
His fists flew like rain, effortlessly unleashing the exquisite techniques of the Tiger Subduing Fist—smashing, chopping, crushing, drilling...
Each strike contained the immense Qi Strength of a Spirit Realm expert, yet he still wasn’t using his full power.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The air crackled with a continuous series of explosions.
Chen Shouye held his ground, his Ninefold Bright King Gang Qi constantly materializing, shattering, and reforming around him.
Most of Chen Shouheng’s attacks could shatter his Sixth or Seventh Layer of Gang Qi.
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with crisscrossing Qi Strength and flashes of golden light. The two brothers were surprisingly evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.
However, Shouheng had entered the Spirit Realm a full year earlier.
Especially since he had reaped a great fortune in silver taels from raiding the Jiang Family’s Guests last year, he had been continuously taking the Eight Treasures Spirit Nourishing Soup.
By now, he had already opened more than a hundred Profound Acupoints throughout his body.
The abundance of his Inner Qi, the speed of its recovery, and the precision of his control over Spirit Realm power all far surpassed those of Chen Shouye, who had just broken through.
After a few more moments of fierce fighting, Chen Shouheng keenly sensed that the speed at which Shouye’s Gang Qi could condense and recover was beginning to fall behind the rhythm of his attacks. A subtle lag had appeared.
’Now!’
A glint flashed in Chen Shouheng’s eyes as his assault suddenly intensified.
The force of his fists instantly became furious. He held nothing back, unleashing a barrage on Chen Shouye like a tempest.
The pressure on Chen Shouye instantly skyrocketed. ’I can’t fully withstand my brother’s increasingly fierce attacks just by relying on the passive defense of the Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique,’ he thought.
He didn’t hesitate. With a flip of his palms, the new Inner Qi of the Spirit Realm churned within him as never before, following the profound path of the nine great characters in his mind.
"Wisdom!"
With a low shout, he formed a simple yet profound Hand Seal with his right hand.
Without dodging, he met Chen Shouheng’s oncoming punch and pressed forward.
The Wisdom Fist Seal of the Nine-Character Hand Seal.
When fist met seal, they produced a massive, muffled boom, far deeper than any of the previous impacts.
Chen Shouheng felt as if his unstoppable fist had crashed into an incredibly dense and indestructible Vajra Mountain Range.
A rebounding force shot up his arm, causing his qi and blood to roil slightly.
Not retreating with his advantage, Chen Shouye’s left hand immediately followed, forming another move.
"Subdue!"
His right hand again formed a seal—the Demon-Subduing Seal of the Nine-Character Hand Seal.
The glare of an angry vajra, before which all evil retreats.
He was both defending and attacking, launching a counter toward Chen Shouheng’s shoulder.
Chen Shouheng was shocked and hastily changed his technique to parry.
The two brothers clashed once more, but the tables had turned.
Chen Shouye was no longer purely on the defensive. He wielded the various seals of the Nine-Character Hand Seal, blending hard and soft, integrating offense and defense into one.
For a moment, Chen Shouheng found he could do little against his newly advanced brother, and they were once again locked in a stalemate.
After another dozen exchanges, Chen Shouheng suddenly executed a feint and leaped back, disengaging from the fight.
His expression was now one of solemn surprise. "Brother, that Nine-Character Hand Seal of yours is incredible! Tell me about it. I want to try learning it."
Chen Shouye reined in his aura. The recent exchange had consumed a great deal of his Inner Qi as well. Just as he was about to speak...
"Shouheng."
A calm voice spoke from the side. "The Nine-Character Hand Seal Shouye is learning originates from the same source as his Immovable Vajra Bright King Technique. The two complement each other, which is the source of its power."
Chen Li had been standing by and watching his sons spar the entire time, only speaking up now to remind him. "That technique requires a powerful physique and abundant Gang Qi as its foundation. It doesn’t share the same origin as the path you cultivate. It would be of no benefit to you, so don’t let it distract you."
Chen Shouheng sighed, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "Yes, Father. I understand."
Chen Li looked at his eldest son, understanding perfectly well what he was feeling.
’Although Shouheng’s Tiger Subduing Fist is a decent Fist Technique, its quality is ultimately limited. It pales in comparison to truly profound Martial Arts.’
’Of course, Chen Li wanted Shouheng to cultivate a higher-level Fist Technique as well.’
’But the key problem was a lack of compatibility between techniques!’
’Previously, Chen Li had asked Shouheng to teach the Five Directions Twenty-Four Solar Terms Wuxiang Fist to Shouyue, and Shouheng himself had practiced it diligently for a time.’
’In terms of the Fist Technique alone, Shouheng was even more proficient than Chen Li or Shouyue.’
’But the moment he tried to channel his Inner Qi through it, everything changed.’
’While the power was still impressive, it always felt like something was missing, like the two didn’t belong together.’
’The root cause was the incompatibility with his Inner Qi Cultivation Method.’
’In the end, Shouheng simply lacked a Superior offensive Skill that was truly compatible with him.’
Chen Li sighed to himself. For now, he had no better solution.
’His only hope was that when he broke through to the Second Level of the Spirit Realm, the Profound Acupoint Pass, the system would grant him another suitable reward.’