144: Chapter 141 Xingyi and Taiji (Part 1)

As the head of Zhirou Martial Arts Club, Master Yang facing an outsider in a sparring match instantly sent shockwaves through the entire club.

Almost everyone in the club stopped their training instantly; it wasn't just the students who were watching, but the instructors were also interested.

The instructors here were all second-generation Disciples, considered peers to Master Yang, Yang Fan. Having been the Senior Brother for ten years, as second-generation Disciples, they naturally knew exactly what kind of skills this Senior Brother possessed.

It is no exaggeration to say that he was a genuine, seasoned expert in Yang Style Tai Chi. If not for the pressure from the Senior Master above him, he could have easily called himself a Great Master of Tai Chi.

As for the title of Great Master, some outsiders and Jianghu con artists could actually call themselves that.

However, those within the circle had quite strict requirements for it, though each School varied.

For some declining Schools, the inheritor was considered a Great Master.

But for the three major Internal Martial Arts like Tai Chi, Xingyi, and Baji Quan, because there were so many practitioners and followers, the requirements were naturally much stricter.

The minimum requirement was the Peak level of Visible Power, while some more particular ones required the level of Hidden Power. As for Transforming Power, that was already called a Grandmaster.

Therefore, Li Changsheng did not even realize that he was already considered a Great Master himself.

At this moment, everyone in the club was buzzing with discussion, mainly because they discovered that their Master's opponent was the young man who had just walked into the club earlier.

Martin, who was in the crowd, was the most bewildered.

"Martin, what is this guy's background? Could the person Senior Master Zhang asked you to pick up actually be a martial arts expert from the Xia Kingdom?" a Xia Kingdom native who was on good terms with Martin asked curiously.

This topic also attracted several people nearby to listen in, as Martin was the one who had brought him in.

"Th-this, I don't know. Senior Master Zhang just told me to pick up a Mr. Li. Maybe he is an expert?" Martin said, sounding unsure.

The main thing was that he was still quite confused, and crucially, he had been bragging about his own martial arts achievements in the car from time to time.

As a result, the guy turned around and challenged his own Master.

"An expert? That can't be right. How could there be such a young expert?"

"Yeah, he's probably a Junior of Senior Master Zhang, and Senior Master Zhang asked the Master to help train him."

"So, in that case, this is actually a training match?"

"Most likely."

The students nodded in agreement. Although the Master rarely sparred in front of the students, he would occasionally practice with the instructors, and the instructors couldn't last more than a few moves. In their minds, the Master was the most formidable expert.

Furthermore, everyone who learned Tai Chi deeply understood one truth: martial arts required time to hone. Without years of foundation, how could one become an expert?

Moreover, this young man looked to be only in his twenties. Being so young, it was impossible for him to have been learning martial arts since he was in the womb, right?

Their Master had been building his foundation since he was a child, and later received personal instruction from the old Master. Looking across all the various martial arts clubs in Chinatown, he was a top-tier expert.

Indeed, the quality of the martial arts clubs in Chinatown was truly impeccable.

In fact, every so often, peers from back home would come to Chinatown to spar and exchange pointers. Of course, it wasn't to challenge the clubs, but rather an exchange to make friends through martial arts.

Facts had proven that some good fighters from back home didn't necessarily fare well here. The main reason was that the older generation couldn't be bothered to travel, and the younger generation couldn't win.

There was a serious generational gap back home, and most of those who came over were trained in generic martial arts Schools, which had almost become a form of exam-oriented education.

It was quite normal that they couldn't win. Those with a truly complete Legacy practiced one-on-one elite education, and they didn't have the inclination to make such a trip.

However, these martial arts clubs abroad were indeed very capable. The ancestors of these people had come over from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, and they placed greater emphasis on tradition.

Valuing tradition meant prioritizing quality over quantity; they were very particular about the rules and regulations of practicing martial arts, and they were extremely strict in teaching.

In this way, those with real talent became elites, while those without were naturally made to drop out early.

As for Yang Fan, being the direct Disciple of Old Master Yang, he had truly mastered Old Master Yang's Legacy.

Although Old Master Yang's lineage was not considered a particularly complete Yang Style Tai Chi back home, their branch possessed all the necessary lethal moves and heavy strikes, and their techniques for releasing power were preserved very completely.

The instructors were very clear about this, especially since their martial arts clubs often held martial arts exchange competitions.

Although there weren't many Northern boxing styles from back home here, there were an abundance of Southern styles. The experience gained from the constant collision between Tai Chi and these Southern styles was terrifying.

Hmm... now everyone believed this was just a simple training match where a Senior would guide a Junior.

Therefore, everyone was watching in a very casual and relaxed manner; some even shouted in Cantonese: "Young man, show us what you've got!"

Upon hearing this, Li Changsheng was taken aback, and suddenly felt a bit touched. In a foreign land, he hadn't expected his compatriots to be so kind.

He nodded with a smile, feeling that these compatriots were quite optimistic about him, encouraging him, an outsider, so much.

"Alright, let me state the rules. They're very simple: except for the eyes, throat, and groin, all other areas are free game. Leg techniques are not restricted. As for weapons, we'll skip them this time."

The old man said calmly, considering that Li Changsheng seemed to have never touched weapons before. If weapons weren't restricted, perhaps this match would be more interesting.

Never mind, he would have a chance to teach this kid the Liuhe Spear later. Since he practiced Xingyi and Baji Quan, he should learn it quickly.

Just as Old Master Zhang said this, Li Changsheng's voice came calmly.

"I would like to try weapons. I wonder if Senior Yang is proficient in weapons?"

Hmm?

Zhang Youdao was stunned. He realized this was the umpteenth time he had been surprised by Li Changsheng.

"Little Yang's Tai Chi Sword and Yang Style Thirteen Sabers are absolute masterpieces. But kid, do you really know weapons? Don't show off if you don't know what you're doing; the weapons here are the real deal!"

Zhang Youdao intended to intimidate Li Changsheng a little. In fact, there were both wooden practice weapons and sharpened blades here.

"I am slightly proficient. My spear technique is decent, and my saber technique is also acceptable," Li Changsheng nodded and said.

Since the opponent was proficient in weapons, he naturally couldn't let this opportunity pass. Moreover, he vaguely felt that this Senior Yang might be an expert in Hidden Power.

If he really was an expert in Hidden Power, this battle would not only allow him to complete a Hidden Power challenge, but also test how his weapon techniques fared in front of an expert.

Although the previous battle was satisfying, it hadn't really tested his weapon proficiency, mainly because those Japanese folks' methods were a bit crude.

"Uh... Little Yang, this..."

"Old Master Zhang, I have no problem with it."

Master Yang's words choked Old Master Zhang up again. He actually wanted to say, "Could you hold back a bit later? Don't fight too hard."

He glanced at Li Changsheng again, seeing him looking so fearless, and was instantly fuming. He snorted coldly in his heart, "Since that's the case, get ready, and let's begin."

This kid, you're going to have a hard time later!