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The battle reignited, Lufan assumed a stance, feet apart, shoulders relaxed, and hips settled, creating a stable base. Facing Li Zheng's overwhelming dual hammers, he did not advance but instead retreated, stepping lightly to the side to evade the hammers. His hands moved gently, as if cradling a handful of feathers, reaching toward Li Zheng's arm.
Tai Chi Chuan, Lan Que Wei!
This move appeared ordinary but concealed lethal intent. If Li Zheng's arm were truly caught, he would undoubtedly break his own arms with his own strength, showcasing the technique of using force against force taken to another level.
However, Li Zheng would not be so easily defeated. Missing his strike, he lowered his elbows to avoid Lufan's Lan Que Wei. He then bent his elbows into a point and struck fiercely at Lufan's face with the tips of his elbows while simultaneously swinging the hammers in a circular motion.
Lufan executed a back bridge to dodge Li Zheng's elbow strike. Then, with a light extension of his palm, he connected with the descending Octagonal Heavy Hammer. His hand seemed to stick to the hammer's surface; as he extended and bent his arm, he channeled power through it. By using force against force, he added his own strength to the hammer's momentum, pushing Li Zheng's dual hammers outward toward the approaching Fourth Prince and his companions.
This push combined their forces, causing the Octagonal Heavy Hammer to swing violently. Even Li Zheng was thrown off balance, nearly losing grip on the heavy hammer, which startled the Fourth Prince and his companions.
However, being martial arts experts, they reacted quickly, dispersing and then charging toward Lufan.
The close-quarters exchanges between Lufan and Li Zheng occurred in a flash. Most Martial Cultivators could barely comprehend what had transpired; they only saw Li Zheng inexplicably turn against his allies. Only a few keen-eyed Martial Cultivators discerned the underlying intricacies.
Soon enough, they would understand why as they witnessed an unprecedented style of combat.
At that moment, Li Zheng and his three companions surrounded Lufan from four directions, launching a torrential assault that seemed capable of shattering even an iron mountain.
Yet Lufan countered each attack in an astonishing manner.
Lufan's arms moved like an elephant's trunk—extremely flexible—alternating between forward and backward motions as they traced circles around him. Spiraling energy filled the three-foot radius around him; no attack could penetrate this protective circle.
Simultaneously, he drew circles with his feet in a mysterious method of channeling energy that transferred all incoming force downward into the ground, alleviating the burden on his body.
If anyone observed Lufan's footwork closely, they would notice that he never stepped outside a three-foot circle. If this circle were drawn out, it would perfectly resemble a Tai Chi diagram. Lufan’s feet continuously stepped on two yin-yang fish eyes, moving in a rotational yin-yang manner.
Regardless of how ferocious Li Zheng and his companions' attacks were, Lufan remained unfazed, slowly drawing circles while their strikes failed to breach his three-foot radius. Whenever they approached, they were swiftly deflected away.
Even Li Zheng’s heavy Octagonal Heavy Hammer could not break through Lufan’s protective circle; it was like trying to smash an incredibly hard copper pea—impossible to break or crush.
With feet grounded in yin-yang and hands alternating between forward and backward motions, Tai Chi Chuan utilized borrowed strength to deliver powerful strikes with minimal effort—a masterful display of silk reeling and pulling silk!
The contrasting dynamics of stillness and movement in this battle created a profound impact on the surrounding Martial Cultivators. Most Junior Martial Artists below Third Rank had never witnessed such a fighting style; it completely overturned their understanding of martial arts and techniques.
"This is what Martial Arts Techniques! It looks so slow, yet it can block the attacks of the four great warriors. How is that possible?"
"Don't ask me, I don't know either!"
"How can something slow defeat something fast? What kind of reasoning is this? It's simply illogical!"
"I don't know what is logical, but I do know that it's happening right in front of my eyes. Can someone explain why this is happening?"
The conventional beliefs of the Martial Cultivators were completely overturned, and they couldn't help but become agitated.
It's no wonder the Martial Cultivators were so shocked, because for the vast majority present, their understanding of combat was still limited to a simple confrontation of strength and speed. Whoever drew their weapon faster and had greater power would naturally have an easier time achieving victory.
This understanding isn't wrong; speed and strength are indeed the most common ways to engage in battle, but they are not the only methods. Right now, Lufan was demonstrating another way to fight: overcoming strength with softness.
Using the power of gentleness to counteract brute force! Water is soft yet can withstand the weight of tons of falling stones without being harmed. This is precisely the essence of overcoming strength with softness.
However, for ordinary Martial Cultivators, especially those lacking a lineage like the Loose Cultivators, if their own strength hasn't reached a certain level, it would be extremely difficult to comprehend such martial techniques.
To use four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, one must possess a thousand pounds of strength. If one lacks that strength, even if they understand the principle, it remains merely an illusion—like a moon reflected in water—unable to truly grasp its subtleties. This is why the observing Martial Cultivators felt so astonished.
Of course, there were also a few Martial Cultivators with decent talent who vaguely sensed something from this and realized that after this battle, they might experience a breakthrough, causing them to show signs of joy.
The observing Martial Cultivators were stunned by the combat techniques displayed by Lufan, while at that moment, Lufan felt something was amiss.
He noticed that from the beginning of the battle until now, although the attacks from Li Zheng and his three companions seemed incredibly fierce, they weren't using their full strength. Each attack was at most seven-tenths of their power, leaving three-tenths in reserve as if they were preparing for something.
At first, Lufan thought they were waiting for an opportunity to strike when he exposed a flaw. However, after he deliberately created several obvious openings, the four remained unfazed and continued their original rhythm—attacking slowly and steadily. It was then that Lufan realized something was wrong.
Could it be? A thought crossed Lufan's mind as he took his first step beyond his three-foot range, attempting to break through.
Sure enough, when he moved, Li Zheng and his companions followed suit. No matter how Lufan moved, he could never break through their encirclement. The four maintained their offensive stance—not seeking achievements but avoiding mistakes—all aimed at keeping him trapped in the center.
Indeed! A heavy feeling settled in Lufan's heart as he understood the intentions of Li Zheng and the others. Their siege wasn't aimed at quickly defeating him; their true goal was to wear him down in a war of attrition—to exhaust him completely!
This was precisely the strategy set by Slim Elder, a very effective tactic known as Coconut Tree. If both sides fought with all their might, various flaws would inevitably emerge. Given Lufan's current mastery of Martial Arts Techniques, it would be easy for him to seize opportunities and defeat them one by one—too many variables involved.
Now with seven parts offense and three parts defense working together, they could effectively trap Lufan, draining his stamina. After all, facing four opponents—even using a defensive technique like Tai Chi Chuan—would still consume considerable energy with each breath taken.
Moreover, the longer he holds on, the more likely he will lose. Once Lufan exhausts too much of his stamina, his nearly perfect defensive circle will inevitably falter, and at that moment, victory will surely belong to them.
After a series of intense battles, Li Zheng and his three companions have regarded Lufan as their strongest enemy ever. Even in a four-on-one situation, they resorted to such an unsportsmanlike tactic; the so-called dignity of martial artists was completely disregarded. Right now, victory is the only thing that matters!
Seeing Lufan's expression change, Li Zheng wore a cruel smile and mocked, "Finally realized it, have you? But it's too late. Even if you notice it now, what can you do? That's right, we intend to wear you down!
Your martial arts skills are indeed impressive; we concede that. But so what? Your stamina has already been depleted by more than half, and those powerful Attack Martial Arts Techniques you used earlier are no longer available to you, right?
In the end, no matter how high your realm or how many Secret Techniques you possess, it cannot hide the fact that you only have Third-Grade Strength. With your current state, tearing through our blockade is nothing but a delusion. So, in the end, it will still be us who laugh last!"
Thinking about how he would soon crush this detestable little brat, Li Zheng couldn't help but feel excited. However, despite his excitement, he remained vigilant and restrained; everything would only erupt when that moment truly arrived.
Just as Li Zheng was fantasizing about how to crush Lufan, Lufan spoke up.
"I originally wanted to use your pressure to better understand the Way of Hard and Soft that I just comprehended so I could refine my martial arts philosophy. However, since you're so confident, then come and taste my first Secret Technique of my own martial path that I just created after gathering the essence of various schools!"
As he spoke, Lufan changed his defensive stance and suddenly launched an attack. The ground beneath him exploded as he lunged forward. His originally circular hand movement suddenly changed direction as he struck towards Li Zheng.
The palm technique: Mian Zhang!
But this time, Mian Zhang was unlike any Lufan had used before. As he executed the technique, a resonant sound erupted from his palm; it was as if wind and thunder were unleashed!
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