42: Chapter 42 First Real-World Battle (Part 2)

He sighed inwardly, thinking the kid simply didn't know the gravity of the situation; he felt that a one-punch KO might actually happen.

Ding, ding, ding!

The moment the bell rang, Zhang Youdao's words transformed into Li Changsheng's actions.

"Kid, remember this: in a sudden situation without actual combat experience, don't hesitate—you must strike first!

Remember, the movie trope of waiting for the enemy to show an opening is stupid for a beginner. Once the opponent rushes you, no matter how well you've trained, without actual combat experience, you'll likely just throw wild, flailing punches.

You must attack immediately! Be ruthless! Be fierce! Be fast!

Just unleash everything you've practiced in your mind—it's always worth a shot, regardless of the outcome!"

Right! It's always worth a shot!

Strike first and ask questions later!

The moment the bell rang, Tom shed his lazy demeanor, his body coiled and ready to strike, intending to decisively KO this newcomer.

However, before he could even move, he saw Li Changsheng instantly ignite his power, like a male lion shaking its mane, or a venomous snake striking.

With a fierce stomp of his heel, a surge of power rushed from the ground into his body. His muscles and bones resonated in unison, his spine cracking and popping segment by segment like firecrackers, the sound traveling from his cervical vertebrae all the way down to his coccyx.

His entire body crackled, and his Qi and blood surged throughout his system.

His pores closed in that instant, his Abdominal Breathing Method was already in motion, and waves of heat flowed within him.

Huh?!

Seeing this, Master Luo, who was below the ring, froze in surprise; he felt that the situation was deviating from his expectations.

At this moment, many fighters below the ring also sensed something was off.

The noise gradually died down, and they simply watched the duel in silence.

With a fierce kick, a formless gust of power erupted beneath his feet, like a spring thunderclap on flat ground, whipping up a small vortex.

Li Changsheng did not stop. After raising his breath to its Peak, the next moment, carrying an invincible Aura, he stepped forward and leaped, crossing five feet in the blink of an eye to reach Tom.

His steps gathered power, aiming for the center line, aiming to seize the advantage by an inch. A punch can reach far, but the real victory lies within an inch!

His eyes were bloodshot at this moment, his liver fire ignited, surging through his body like heavenly thunder and earthly fire. It was as if a furnace of alchemical fire was breathing within him, brewing vigorous power with every breath.

When the liver fire stirs, even a bird cannot escape; when the fist wind stirs, all men perish!

At this moment, Li Changsheng didn't care about anything else. The blood of a Martial Artist is rigid; ancient warriors would draw their blades at the slightest disagreement, all for the sake of a clear mind!

In an instant, he unleashed a Crushing Fist, the sound like a warhorse, the roar like a thunderclap.

If Li Changsheng's buildup before was like gathering storm clouds, then this moment was a thunderclap exploding within those clouds. The sudden air explosion made Tom's eardrums buzz as he prepared to counterattack, as if the surrounding air had been compressed and exploded by this punch.

"Visible Power?!"

Hearing the sudden explosion, Master Luo couldn't help but exclaim.

His mind was momentarily blank. Is this the newcomer Manager Nie spoke of? A newcomer who has trained Visible Power? He has already mastered Visible Power, yet he hasn't experienced actual combat?

Bang!

Just as Master Luo was dazed, a dull thud seemed to reach his ears.

Silence fell over the venue, followed immediately by thunderous cheers and chaotic noise.

"Oh no, Mr. Tom has fainted! Quick, call an ambulance!"

"Holy crap! This is a newcomer?!"

"One punch?"

"Damn, is this Traditional Martial Arts?"

"Didn't they say Traditional Martial Arts can't fight?"

"Exactly, everyone says there's no need to practice Traditional Martial Arts now; Chinese Kickboxing is enough!"

"You don't understand. While that may be true, the lethal moves of Traditional Martial Arts have never been integrated into Chinese Kickboxing, and Traditional Martial Arts emphasizes complementary Integrated Force and Stance Training. This guy must be practicing Internal Martial Arts; this is definitely Internal Martial Arts!"

"Amazing! This is my first time seeing real Traditional Martial Arts!"

What? Tom fainted?

Hearing this, Master Luo suddenly snapped back to reality. He looked up and was immediately shocked by the scene before him.

Tom, big and brawny with dark, knotted muscles, was lying on the ground like a dead dog, sprawled out.

Because Tom was always confident, he had never worn protective gear here, which made the blood on his face clearly visible. His nose was bleeding profusely, and several of his teeth had been knocked out.

On the other side, Li Changsheng was calming his breathing, wisps of heat rising from his body.

Seeing this, Master Luo was shocked again.

"Could this Internal Martial Arts have been practiced right into the marrow?"

As the saying goes, if you practice boxing without training your internal energy, you'll end up with nothing in your old age.

Tom was quickly carried away by his manager and team. Fortunately, they had accompanying medical staff who provided timely treatment.

After cleaning his mouth and applying ice water to his face, he finally woke up after a full ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Li Changsheng walked off the ring, somewhat dazed, and was immediately cheered and surrounded by the people in the gym.

Seeing that Li Changsheng seemed a bit distracted, everyone didn't want to disturb him, only crowding around and eagerly discussing how exciting the fight had been.

In fact, the reason Li Changsheng was distracted was that his Half-Step Crushing Fist seemed to have had a Breakthrough.

Unlike the Eight Brocades or Stance Training, the Breakthrough of the Half-Step Crushing Fist seemed to be the Integrated Force!

With that punch just now, under the stimulation of various external environmental factors, Li Changsheng's state of mind had changed.

Stepping onto the ring, the pressure of the surrounding environment, and the pressure brought by facing Tom, who was far more robust than him, acted invisibly like shackles. Just like the shackles on Master Guo Yunshen's legs back in the day.

And the moment he struck first while enduring all that pressure meant that Li Changsheng had broken these shackles, just like Master Guo Yunshen back then—a fierce tiger released from its cage, the momentum of his Half-Step Crushing Fist conquering the world was nearly identical.

"No wonder the old man told me to imagine Master Guo Yunshen's state of mind at that time; it turns out there was such a benefit."

Feeling the Integrated Force that he could now unleash anytime, anywhere, Li Changsheng understood that he had truly stepped into the level of Visible Power.

The Dao of utmost sincerity allows one to know things beforehand!

After Tom woke up, he wanted to cause trouble for Li Changsheng, but fortunately, Master Luo stepped forward and retorted with the contract.

According to the contract, if someone is injured during training, the gym is not responsible.

Helpless, as this was in the Xia Kingdom, Tom had to swallow his pride and leave with his team. As for whether he would come back to train here later, that was unknown.

After seeing off the plague god that was Tom, Master Luo let out a long sigh.

"Brother Li, you don't know, this Tom just paid a lot of money and set traps in the contract; otherwise, we really wouldn't want to host such a customer. But because of this, I now know that Brother Li is a hidden master!"

Facing Master Luo's flattery and praise, Li Changsheng felt a bit awkward.

He really wanted to say it was just a coincidence, but would anyone believe him?

In fact, Li Changsheng knew very well that the environment allowing him to perfectly match his state of mind was one aspect of his victory, but more importantly, this Tom simply didn't expect him to be so decisive.

After all, striking first, combined with the Half-Step Crushing Fist—once you get close, you could punch a hole through a steel plate.

Tom was so arrogant that he didn't even wear protective gear, so this outcome was only natural.