Chapter Twenty-Three: Comprehending the Wind and Thunder Palm Once Again

Clang!

A massive bronze gong was struck, officially announcing the start of the competition.

"Fifth arena, first match: Ou Daming from Winter Plum Pavilion versus Yong Shiyu from White Cloud Dojo!"

Chen Fan watched as two youths, clad in various martial uniforms, stepped onto the platform. In truth, Winter Plum Pavilion was no different from other martial halls, except its mistress, a woman of refined taste, had chosen a unique name.

The two quickly engaged in combat.

Yong Shiyu was around sixteen or seventeen years old; Chen Fan vaguely recognized him as one of the peripheral senior students.

Chen Fan widened his eyes, observing the bout with utmost seriousness. It was the very first match he had witnessed.

Their skills were evenly matched, the exchange lively and vigorous, the battle fierce!

Yet, after a short while, Chen Fan felt himself growing drowsy, bored by what he saw. To his eyes, their techniques were riddled with flaws and their standards rather mediocre.

The strength cultivation manuals were more effective in forging the body than in actual combat. Having trained extensively, Chen Fan's abilities far exceeded ordinary people; he could instantly spot the weaknesses in both sides' boxing techniques, inevitably finding the fight dull.

After quite some time, the match gradually tilted in favor of the youth named Ou Daming...

At that moment, Chen Fan heard a loud, unabashed yawn from nearby.

He turned his head involuntarily.

Beside him sat a burly youth in a black martial robe, his demeanor scornful.

"Weak, far too weak. Utterly boring. I'd thought the disciples of White Cloud Dojo would be outstanding, but today, their skills are nothing special..."

Chen Fan recognized the robe as belonging to Flying Tiger Sect. Judging by his age—no more than fourteen or fifteen—he was likely a peripheral disciple as well.

His words immediately provoked the anger of several White Cloud Dojo disciples seated nearby.

"What did you say?!"

Not only was he critiquing Yong Shiyu, his remarks extended to the whole dojo—a public taunt.

Feng Yuancheng narrowed his eyes, sizing up the youth. Seeing his youthful face, and confirming he wasn't among those worth attention, Feng Yuancheng dismissed him entirely.

Since martial practice could damage the body, most youths started serious strength training around twelve or thirteen; prior to that, it was only basic exercises.

Su Qingyang, seated beside them, squinted in irritation at the youth.

"Hmph, even if White Cloud Dojo disciples can't compare, beating Flying Tiger Sect would be easy enough. Just hope you don't face any of us later!"

The Flying Tiger Sect youth chuckled derisively, shook his head, and said nothing more.

His expression was deliberately provocative.

"You!"

The White Cloud Dojo students were enraged by the scene.

Feng Yuancheng glanced over but said nothing, clearly not taking the provocation seriously.

Elsewhere,

Chen Fan furrowed his brow, recognizing the youth's actions as intentional.

"He's purposely provoking the White Cloud Dojo disciples?"

White Cloud Dojo was the foremost martial hall in Feiling County, a branch set up by an outside organization. Mutual rivalry with local halls was common, and competition among students encouraged.

This exchange involved nearly five hundred participants, with five arenas to decide the top thirty.

This meant each arena had around eighty contestants, but only six would advance!

Chen Fan's mind raced with thoughts as the bout on stage concluded.

Yong Shiyu had lost, descending from the platform like a wilted eggplant, his face flushed as he approached Feng Yuancheng. "Senior Brother Feng, I... I lost."

Feng Yuancheng shook his head. "Victory and defeat are common in the martial world. Your skills are no less than his; you simply lacked some luck this time. Keep striving."

Though young, Feng Yuancheng possessed remarkable composure and the bearing of a mentor—truly extraordinary.

Yong Shiyu's face reddened further; he clenched his fists and nodded resolutely.

Chen Fan nodded quietly as well.

This was the very purpose of martial gatherings.

Even in defeat,

One must recognize their shortcomings, feel the sting of dissatisfaction within, and strive even harder.

...

About ten White Cloud Dojo disciples were assigned to the fifth arena!

After Yong Shiyu's defeat, two more matches passed, and it was White Cloud Dojo's turn again.

This time, it was Meng Qi.

"Go, Senior Brother Meng Qi!" Chen Fan cheered politely.

Meng Qi grinned, then turned to salute Feng Yuancheng. "Senior brother, I'm heading up!"

Meng Qi was also seventeen, joining White Cloud Dojo the same year as Feng Yuancheng, but lacking his skill, naturally addressed him as 'senior brother.'

There was no official leader for the fifth arena, but everyone, including the two formal disciples, instinctively regarded Feng Yuancheng as chief, for his strength was unmatched.

Meng Qi's opponent hailed from a rural Feiling County boxing hall called Mountain Gate. He was a martial disciple who had begun cultivating True Skill, but only at the first level—his internal energy had just transformed into true essence, yet he hadn't started tempering his body.

Meng Qi's cultivation was slightly weaker, yet he maintained the upper hand throughout.

This drew many sighs from those around the arena; the foundation of White Cloud Dojo was truly formidable!

Meng Qi practiced Thunderwind Palm, and as a three-year veteran, his proficiency was exceedingly high—he was only a step away from comprehending internal energy.

Chen Fan had just mastered the first form of Thunderwind Palm, and was still working on the second, which would take nearly a month to perfect.

Though Meng Qi wasn't as monstrous as Feng Yuancheng, he was a prodigy in his own right, possessing superb psychological resilience, having been nurtured from a young age. He was steady and methodical, never falling behind, and even honed his palm techniques in actual combat, displaying all five forms of Thunderwind Palm in succession.

All of this was clear to Chen Fan.

With numerous manuals at his disposal and an excellent eye, Chen Fan found neither contestant particularly formidable. He mused how he would attack and counter if he were on stage, his hands itching for a fight.

As he watched, Meng Qi executed all five moves of Thunderwind Palm, finally driving his opponent back with a punch and winning the match!

His adversary, though a first-level martial artist, lost to someone who had yet to cultivate internal energy, leaving him utterly crestfallen.

Such was the immense difference brought by a solid foundation!

Chen Fan yawned, uninterested, but suddenly his eyes lit up and he paused in astonishment.

[You have observed a higher-level Thunderwind Palm demonstration and gained insight.]

Chen Fan's eyes widened.

He rubbed them to confirm he wasn't mistaken, then broke into a jubilant grin.

So it's possible!

Merely watching others could yield enlightenment!

This improvement didn't apply to a single form—it enhanced the second, third, fourth, and fifth forms by twenty percent each.

His training efficiency had increased by roughly twenty percent!

Though not a sudden epiphany like when he witnessed the true Thunderwind manifestation, it was still a significant gain!

Moreover, unlike an epiphany, which required practicing the techniques afterward, this directly advanced his progress.

Thanks to this, Chen Fan's second form of Thunderwind Palm was now perfected!

"So, as long as I observe someone performing a higher-level martial art, I can trigger a hidden condition. Wait, when I practiced White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm, Master Feng Cong demonstrated it before—why didn't my progress improve then?"

Chen Fan pondered the differences.

When Feng Cong demonstrated, he didn't perform the whole Pine-Crane Palm at once; it was broken up for instruction. Meng Qi, on the other hand, used it in live combat.

Uncertain whether his guess was correct, he resolved to compare and experiment further.

"Indeed, my participation in this martial gathering wasn't in vain!"

This discovery was even more valuable than the prize for making the top thirty.

Meng Qi smiled as he descended from the stage and returned to Chen Fan.

"Senior brother, you're amazing!"

Chen Fan congratulated him with a cheerful thumbs-up, so much so that Meng Qi felt a bit embarrassed, thinking how polite Chen Fan was.

He had no idea of Chen Fan's true excitement.

...

Originally, Chen Fan had stayed obediently at the fifth arena, watching the matches.

After discovering that observing others' mastery of manuals could help his progress, he began to roam the arenas, seeking out battles.

He searched for anyone who might use the three techniques he was currently practicing.

But such coincidences were rare; even if someone practiced the same skills, they might not be as advanced as Chen Fan, and even if they were, they might not use them during competition.

After all, Feiling County had over ten martial halls, and together their strength manuals numbered in the dozens.

Most simple, common manuals, Chen Fan had already bought and learned from that shabby man at Flying Tiger Sect; the unique and special ones he hadn't practiced.

After several rounds, Chen Fan found nothing, and finally returned to his own arena, catching the attention of Feng Yuancheng and the two formal disciples.

Chen Fan quietly took his seat, thinking,

"Meeting the conditions again won't be easy. Next time, I could deliberately spar with senior brothers who have mastered the manuals I'm working on, and have them use the moves directly..."

At that moment, the referee's voice rang out: "Eleventh match: Yan Linchu from Flying Tiger Sect versus Su Qingyang from White Cloud Dojo!"

It was Su Qingyang's turn.

To Chen Fan's surprise, Su Qingyang's opponent happened to be the very youth from Flying Tiger Sect who had provoked them earlier.

So his name was Yan Linchu.

Su Qingyang was visibly surprised, then scoffed, "Watch me teach him a lesson!"

He ascended the stage gracefully.

Chen Fan knew that their Black Cloud Class was for elite disciples, and Su Qingyang was second only to He Hongshan in talent. Even before practicing the Pine-Crane Palm, he'd already had skill—though not yet cultivating internal energy, his strength was likely considerable.

Few peers could compare.

"I'll defeat you in three moves!"

Both were of similar age; Su Qingyang, a White Cloud Dojo prodigy, brimmed with confidence, his anger at Yan Linchu's earlier words fueling him. He raised both hands and struck out with a palm!

Smack!

Although Su Qingyang was practicing Pine-Crane Palm, this move was clearly not from that style.

Yan Linchu smiled faintly, his body agile. He sidestepped the palm effortlessly, then, in a flash, drove forward with a punch, catching Su Qingyang in the gap after his attack.

Boom.

Su Qingyang's outstretched hand went numb, a surge of force coursing through his arm!

He staggered back several steps, feeling his arm tremble from the blow.

Only then did he look at Yan Linchu in shock, "How is your strength so great?"

Yan Linchu's eyes glinted with mockery; he laughed, "It's not that my strength is great—yours is simply too weak."

With that, he stepped forward, hunched, and unleashed another punch.

His blood surged violently.

Su Qingyang tried to defend, but was unable—he was knocked from the stage in only two or three moves.

"Yan Linchu from Flying Tiger Sect wins!"

This was, by far, the quickest match in the fifth arena.

Su Qingyang's face went red, recalling his boastful words before the match, burning with shame and anger!