39: Chapter 39 Pre-match Analysis: The Fighting World Doesn't Favor "Fancy Shows"

Section 1 Ridicule in the Livestream

The training hall of the Public Welfare Foundation was filled with the fresh scent of pine strips. Chen Wu was currently correcting the arc of Li Meng's Taiji Cloud Hands. The youth's wrist would unconsciously tense up, and the gaseous Qi condensing at his fingertips flickered like a candle swaying in the wind.

"Relax, imagine you're holding a ball of cotton in your hand." Chen Wu's palm pressed against Li Meng's elbow, and healing-form Qi flowed through the Meridians, repairing the last bit of an old injury on his left shoulder. "Taiji isn't about using brute force to twist; it's about using Qi to guide."

On the large screen in the training hall, a combat world roundtable forum was reaching a fever pitch. Former UFC champion Mark held a microphone, spittle flying onto the camera lens: "Chen Wu's Moves are just flashy gimmicks! That golden Qi is nothing more than special effects. In a real no-holds-barred fight, he wouldn't last the first round!"

A boxing commentator beside him immediately chimed in, slamming his tactical board heavily onto the table: "Look at his match with Li Meng! He used nothing but pushing and shoving techniques, never daring to face a head-on confrontation! I bet he couldn't even take a professional boxer's jab!"

The number of online viewers in the livestream surpassed 70 million, and the arguments in the comments were like a boiling pot of oil:

• "Mark knows jack shit! Brother Wu's Qi can stop bullets!"

• "The man is a champion after all, he knows more about tactical analysis than you do."

• "72 million online! Waiting for Brother Wu to slap them in the face."

• "Gao Jun is stirring up trouble in the forum! I just saw him send Mark a rocket gift."

Li Meng's fists clenched until they cracked. The combat odds on his tablet showed Chen Wu's win rate at only 37%. "These people don't understand the power of Qi at all!" His left shoulder suddenly glowed red, as Qi disrupted by anger began crashing through his Meridians.

Chen Wu pressed down on his shoulder, and liquid Qi instantly smoothed out the turbulent energy flow. "Anger doesn't solve problems." He pointed to Mark's tactical analysis chart on the screen—where Baji Fist's power-generation blind spots were circled in red and labeled 'Attackable Zones.' "They are studying my weaknesses; that's a good thing."

Lin Xue rushed in holding a laptop, showing the latest post from the Grey Shadow dark web: "Bounty of 100 million USD for combat techniques that can break Qi defense." Below it, thousands of replies had piled up; some suggested high-frequency vibration punches, while others said liquid nitrogen should be used to freeze the flow of Qi.

"The Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management found that Mark's coach has financial ties to Grey Shadow." Lin Xue's fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up a bank statement. "They gave Mark thirty million to deliberately disparage you on the forum and disrupt your state of mind."

Chen Wu's gaze fell on Mark's gloves. There were abnormal protrusions at the knuckles of those black gloves, and in slow-motion footage, a faint metallic reflection could be seen. "He wants to use specially made gloves to ambush me during the match." Solid Qi suddenly condensed into a coin in Chen Wu's palm, which he crushed to dust. "Perfect, I also need a tough fight to prove that Qi isn't just a flashy gimmick."

Section 2 Blind Spots on the Tactical Board

The combat analysis meeting was held in a lecture hall at the Shanghai University of Sport. The tactical board on the podium was divided in half: the left showed Chen Wu's match highlights, and the right displayed Mark's KO data. Lin Mo stood before the projector, beads of sweat from his forehead dripping onto the keyboard.

"Mark's trump card is the 'Lightning Jab,' throwing 4.3 punches per second with a peak pressure of 500 kg/cm²." He pulled up a slow-motion video where Mark's fist would suddenly change direction the moment it hit the opponent. "This Move is called 'Viper's Tail,' specifically targeting the soft flesh below the ribs. 11 opponents have already been KO'd by this Move."

The combat coaches in the audience chuckled. A balding man in the front row raised his hand, his voice dripping with sarcasm: "Excuse me, Student Lin, can Mr. Chen's Qi block 500 kilograms of pressure? Or does he plan to use Taiji Cloud Hands to lead the fist right into his own face?"

Amidst the laughter, Li Meng stood up abruptly, the collar of his training uniform deforming under his grip: "I've sparred with Brother Wu! His solid Qi can even block iron chains!"

"That's because you're too weak." The balding man pulled out a test report and slammed it on the table. "This is a Qi defense model we simulated using 3D printing. Under high-frequency vibration, a 0.3-second vulnerability appears, which is enough for Mark to land three punches."

The livestream camera was pointed directly at the podium, and this conversation was broadcast in real-time. The number of online viewers soared to 75 million, and the voices of doubt in the comments drowned out the support:

• "0.3 seconds! Mark can definitely seize that opportunity!"

• "Scientific testing is always more reliable than metaphysics, right?"

• "76 million online! Suddenly I'm a bit worried for Brother Wu."

Chen Wu suddenly walked onto the podium and tapped the Qi defense model on the tactical board. Liquid Qi flowed along the lines, drawing a spiral at the vulnerability: "High-frequency vibration can indeed interfere with the flow of Qi, but it also causes the punching force to disperse." He pulled up a video of himself testing with a high-frequency vibrator—under the vibration, the solid Qi did not break but instead became denser. "It's like squeezing sand; the harder you squeeze, the easier it is for it to slip through your fingers."

The lecture hall suddenly fell silent. The balding man's face turned the color of pig liver, and the test report in his hand was crumpled. Lin Mo took the opportunity to pull up a video of Mark's training: "We found that every time Mark uses 'Viper's Tail,' his left foot exerts force 0.5 seconds in advance. This is his flaw!"

A red arrow appeared on the projector, precisely marking Mark's left foot movement. Li Meng added: "Using the Baji Fist's Stamping and Grinding Step can lock down his center of gravity, and then using Taiji's 'Deflect, Block, and Punch' can redirect the force back to him!"

The combat coaches below began to whisper. Some took out their phones to calculate, while others drew force analysis diagrams in their notebooks. When Chen Wu used liquid Qi to demonstrate the force transmission route on the tactical board, several coaches in the front row couldn't help but nod: "This Move is indeed feasible."

[System Notification: Tactical analysis has received professional recognition. Resonance Form of Qi unlocked.]

Chen Wu looked at the audience whose attitudes were gradually shifting and suddenly smiled: "For next week's match, I will livestream the force analysis of Qi throughout the entire fight." He tapped a line of words onto the tactical board: "Let everyone see if a flashy gimmick can defeat true kung fu."

Section 3 Counterattack on the Training Ground

Five days before the match, Mark's training hall was suddenly opened to the media. In the livestream, he was punching a specialized sandbag frantically. The pressure sensors on the sandbag's surface showed a peak punching force of 620 kilograms.

"This is a surprise prepared for Chen Wu." Mark showed his new gloves to the camera, the metallic protrusions at the knuckles glinting coldly. "They have micro-vibrators inside that vibrate 300 times per second, specifically designed to crack his Qi defense."

The global combat forums exploded instantly. Some betting companies lowered Chen Wu's win rate to 29%, and someone started a poll for "Chen Wu's Knockdown Time," with the top option being "1 minute 30 seconds into the first round."

In the training hall of the Public Welfare Foundation, Chen Wu was making final preparations. Lin Mo used a 3D printer to replicate Mark's vibration gloves, while Li Meng wore special protective gear to play the role of a "human sandbag."

"Ready to take the Move?" Chen Wu's gaseous Qi formed a transparent cocoon around him, rising and falling gently with his breath.

Li Meng put on the gear and took a deep breath: "Bring it on! Let me taste how powerful the punch that KO'd 11 people really is!"

Chen Wu's Qi suddenly switched to Resonance Form, synchronizing with the vibration frequency of the gloves. When the simulated gloves hit his chest, the golden Qi membrane did not break; instead, it absorbed the vibration energy like a sponge, creating ripples on the surface.

"This... this is impossible!" Li Meng's gear showed that the impact force had been weakened by 80%. "How did the vibration gloves fail?"

"Resonance isn't about confrontation; it's about adaptation." Chen Wu tapped the Qi membrane, and the energy ripples suddenly propagated in reverse, making the simulated gloves in Li Meng's hands hum loudly. "It's like two people on a swing; you have to push in rhythm with them to make them fly higher."

The livestream camera captured this stunning scene. The number of online viewers surpassed 80 million, and the exclamations in the comments poured in like a tide:

• "Holy crap! What's the principle behind this? Physics teachers, come out and explain!"

• "Resonance Form! The System's newly unlocked ability is too broken."

• "82 million online! Mark's face is going to be swollen from the slapping."

Lin Xue rushed in with the latest test report and said, "Grey Shadow added something to Mark's gloves! There are micro-injectors inside that will inject muscle relaxants!"

Chen Wu's Qi suddenly became sharp, like an invisible blade slicing open the simulated glove. Sure enough, hidden within the metallic protrusions on the knuckles was a needle thinner than a strand of hair.

"It seems they're getting desperate." Chen Wu's eyes turned cold, and solid Qi instantly froze the needle. "Then let's show them that a flashy gimmick can also sting to death."

[System Notification: Lethal threat detected. Sharp Edge Form of Qi unlocked.]

A golden blade of light appeared at Chen Wu's fingertips, sharper than a scalpel yet possessing a warm glow. This was the fourth form of Qi, specifically used for precision strikes; it could break defenses without causing fatal injuries.

Li Meng looked at that blade of light and suddenly thought of Mark's ribs: "Brother Wu, do you plan to..."

"If he wants to harm me, I will disable his punching hand." Chen Wu's voice was calm, yet filled with unquestionable resolve. "But I will use the rules of martial arts, not dirty tricks."

Section 4 The Smell of Gunpowder at the Weigh-in Ceremony

The weigh-in ceremony was held on the center stage of the Shanghai Gymnasium. Mark, wearing a tank top printed with "King of KOs," stood on the scale and deliberately wobbled; the tremor of his muscles made the female fans below scream.

"78 kilograms, perfect weight." He showed off his muscles to the camera, the metallic protrusions on his knuckles glinting coldly under the lights. "Chen Wu, don't piss your pants tomorrow."

Chen Wu stepped onto the scale, and the number 75 kilograms displayed steadily. His training uniform was simple, and the Taiji diagram on his chest glowed with a faint golden light. "Your gloves are 200 grams overweight." He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud but clearly heard throughout the venue. "According to the rules, the gloves should be replaced."

Mark's expression shifted. He was about to argue when he saw Lin Xue approaching with the referee. The testing equipment showed that the metallic components in the gloves were indeed over the limit, and the referee demanded an immediate change to standard gloves.

"You're clever, I'll give you that." Mark cursed under his breath but was forced to put on ordinary gloves. Without the vibration devices and injectors, his confidence was clearly lacking.

The number of online viewers for the global livestream froze at 85 million. When the two stood face-to-face in the center of the stage, Chen Wu's Qi suddenly released its Sharp Edge Form, lightly grazing Mark's wrist.

"If this hand dares to play tricks tomorrow," Chen Wu's voice was only audible to the two of them, "I will make sure it never holds a glove again."

Mark's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he subconsciously took half a step back. This tiny movement was seen by the global audience, and the tide on the combat forums began to turn—someone made a GIF of Mark's retreat with the caption "Scared witless by a flashy gimmick."

Backstage, Li Meng excitedly held up his phone: "Brother Wu, your win rate has bounced back to 68%! And many combat champions have posted videos supporting you!"

Chen Wu looked at the night view outside; the lights of the gymnasium were like a sea of stars. He knew that tomorrow's match was not just to prove himself, but to make the whole world believe that martial arts is not a flashy gimmick, but true kung fu that can withstand scientific scrutiny and combat insidious plots.

[System Notification: Global martial arts enlightenment progress at 350%. Domain Form of Qi unlocked.]

Chen Wu's Qi suddenly spread out, enveloping the entire Public Welfare Foundation. Lin Mo and Li Meng both felt a gentle force wrapping around them; their thinking became exceptionally clear, and even their breathing became much smoother.

"This is..." Li Meng looked at his palm in surprise, where the Qi halo was three times brighter than usual.

"Domain Form can enhance the flow of Qi within its range." Chen Wu's gaze turned toward the distant starry sky. "Tomorrow, let Mark see exactly how powerful a flashy gimmick can be within this Domain."

The final frame of the livestream was the comments sent by 85 million viewers simultaneously, forming a massive character for "Martial Arts" floating above the Shanghai Gymnasium:

"Manifesting form through Qi, proving the Dao through martial arts."

As the night deepened, the lights in the training hall remained on. Chen Wu's Qi flowed slowly in its Domain Form, like a golden ocean. He knew that when the sun rose tomorrow, the combat world's prejudice against 'flashy gimmicks' would be completely shattered by this golden Qi. And those who dismissed him would finally understand—true strength never needs to be proven through ferocity.