41: Chapter 41 First Real-World Battle (Part 1)

"Master Luo, you should think carefully about who you're going to find as a sparring partner for Mr. Tom, or perhaps Master Luo, you'd like to step into the ring yourself?"

The translator spoke with a cold sneer. He was a citizen of Xia Country, but he only cared about money; as long as someone paid, they were the boss.

Hearing this, Master Luo fell into silence.

It was definitely out of the question for him to go up himself, not to mention his age. Even if he were still young, seeing Tom's towering height and knotted muscles, he felt he probably wouldn't last a single round.

Furthermore, he had a problem where his feet tended to slip easily on the stage. Being a coach was fine, but he absolutely wouldn't go up there to lose face.

"Master Luo, how about I give it a try?"

At that moment, a voice interrupted Master Luo's thoughts. He glanced over and saw it was actually that young Li.

"No, Xiao Li, this isn't a joke. Tom is a middleweight boxer; your weight isn't even in the same class, and you've never experienced real combat."

Master Luo spoke tactfully. He felt that if Xiao Li went up, he would likely be carried down, and he feared the boy might even die on the way if they were late getting him to the hospital.

Upon hearing this, Li Changsheng nodded and said no more. Although he was quite looking forward to actual combat, thinking about how he had never fought before, he realized he might not be able to withstand a blow to a vital spot from that opponent's fist.

"A-Qiu, you go up and practice with Mr. Tom. Remember, you must protect yourself; the moment something feels wrong, lie down immediately!"

Master Luo gave instructions to a young boxer.

"Don't worry, Coach Luo, it'll be fine!"

The youth named A-Qiu waved his hand, put on his Boxing gloves, mouthguard, and protective gear, and vaulted into the ring.

Ding ding ding!

Seeing the sparring resume, Master Luo then looked toward Li Changsheng.

"Xiao Li, watch for an empty spot later, and I'll practice with you first."

"Mhm."

Seeing Li Changsheng just nod calmly, Master Luo thought the boy was a bit resentful and consoled him again, "Xiao Li, I was doing it for your own good just now, this matter..."

Before he could finish, the sound of the bell rang out again.

"Oh no, A-Qiu fainted!"

"This foreigner hits way too hard. He punched him right in the face; A-Qiu was KO'd instantly."

The gym became chaotic for a moment. Hearing the news, Master Luo's expression changed drastically.

"You are Mr. Tom's manager, why didn't you remind Mr. Tom to show some restraint!"

Master Luo roared at the translator-cum-manager.

"Heh!" The translator just snorted coldly. "He just fainted. With the protective gear on, Mr. Tom isn't going to kill anyone."

"You people are going too far!"

Master Luo was fuming with rage, yet he was helpless. The contract they had written back then was too shrewd, and it was also their fault that the gym's legal team wasn't professional enough.

"Master Luo, let me try."

That calm voice sounded once more.

"Xiao Li, don't add to the trouble at a time like this."

"Let me try."

It was the same words, but Master Luo felt an incomparable determination within that calmness.

Looking at the young man, he saw a pair of eyes that were calm yet seemed to harbor a surging storm.

Master Luo was considered part of the middle-to-older generation in the martial arts world. He had heard a saying: a martial artist must have three parts ferocity in addition to their righteousness.

Could this kid be that kind of person?

"Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I'm not sure, I just want to try."

Master Luo was speechless, but seeing the other's determination, he could only beckon to a nearby staff member.

"Prepare a set of protective gear for Xiao Li."

Soon, a staff member brought a set of gear and helped Li Changsheng put it on.

Protective gear was necessary; Li Changsheng was not so arrogant as to think he didn't need it.

He actually felt a faint trace of regret now, but that regret was quickly replaced by resolve.

People often said he was stubborn; not only was he persistent in his actions, but he was the same when making decisions. Once he made a choice, he would see it through regardless of whether it was right or wrong, never looking back.

Initially, he was just a bit indignant toward this Tom, but once his rationality returned, he did regret it a little. Wouldn't someone like him, who had never been in a real fight, just be looking for a beating by going up there?

"Forget it, I'll just go up and try. I have protective gear; at worst, I'll just lie down and sleep for a while."

Having donned the gear and gloves, Li Changsheng began to head toward the ring.

When he reached the ring and saw Tom up close, Li Changsheng finally felt the pressure and the nervousness of standing on the stage.

"No wonder people often say there's a difference between being on the stage and off it; the psychological aspect is the biggest hurdle."

Li Changsheng adjusted his breathing as much as possible and focused his consciousness, using the concentration techniques he used during his daily Eight Brocades cultivation to combat the nervousness.

Tom was a tall, bald Black man standing 1.9 meters tall, half a head taller than Li Changsheng. His muscles were knotted and glistening from his previous activity, with bulging veins on the surface that looked very intimidating.

He looked at Li Changsheng and grinned, revealing a row of bright white teeth.

He muttered something in English. Li Changsheng's English was decent enough to understand.

"Three punches! I'll KO you within three punches!"

Whether intentional or not, the translator below the stage translated those words directly.

Hearing this, many boxers from the Hongyi Martial Arts Gym below the stage showed expressions of indignation.

"This foreigner is too arrogant!"

"This is so damn infuriating. I checked his record: 10 wins and 9 losses out of 19 fights. He's nothing special. If he's so capable, why doesn't he go fight Monk Yihu!"

"Exactly, if he's so good, he should challenge our country's professional boxers!"

Everyone present was only at the amateur level, and their strength was indeed inferior to his. But there was nothing they could do; after all, his physique and power were right there, and it was hard to win without absolute technical suppression.

"Coach, who exactly is this brother?"

"Yeah, I've never seen him. Could he be an expert you found from somewhere, Coach?"

Soon, someone noticed that Li Changsheng was a fresh face and looked at Master Luo expectantly.

Hearing this, Master Luo's face turned pale. He sputtered for a long time before sighing, "He's no expert. He's a newcomer practicing Traditional Martial Arts who has never been in real combat. He just wanted to come and practice."

Hearing this, everyone's brows furrowed.

Being a newcomer was one thing, but what was the point of practicing Traditional Martial Arts? How did he dare to step into the ring without any combat experience?

"Great, another one to be carried away."

"Sigh, someone practicing Traditional Martial Arts going into the ring—isn't that just seeking death?"

Hearing the surrounding comments, the translator's eyes lit up, and he immediately babbled a translation to Tom.

Upon hearing it, Tom was not happy; instead, he became even more displeased. He looked at Li Changsheng and said coldly:

"A noob like you dares to come up. I admire your courage, but I take back what I just said. Furthermore, I want to say: I will KO you with one punch!"

Li Changsheng's brow furrowed slightly. Without saying much, he directly assumed the stance of the Half-Step Crushing Fist.

While staying on guard, Li Changsheng recalled the key points of real combat that the old man had occasionally mentioned.

His ears were constantly listening for the bell to start the fight.