He Lingling chuckled after a brief blank.
"I thought girls loved by many always with the wind at their backs were prone to arrogance and complacency."
"Who is loved by many? Who has the wind at her back?" Yan Zheke found those compliments hard to take in without feeling uncomfortable. Reared in a fine family, she was better than quarreling with the enemy. She kept her eyes shut and had her mood adjusted, getting her best self for the coming battle.
In a semi meditation state, she gradually drew herself away from He Lingling's noises and cleared up her heart. Things had happened in the past few days came to her mind.
Her mom had accepted Cheng so she no longer needed to worry or feel guilty about dating him.
She had taken that opportunity to break the news about her preparing for studying abroad to Cheng and earned his support so she no longer needed to be swayed by considerations of loss and gain or be caught in difficult circumstances.
Locked in a room with Cheng alone, nothing more than soft touch of skin happened to her. Cheng would rather struggle than offense her, which proved his pure affection for her.
Everything seemed pleasant and pleasing, peeling off her burden layer by layer. She felt at ease and satisfied... Yan Zheke opened her eyes, refreshed and bright, more agile and energetic than ever. All distracting thoughts were screened out but this match.
The last one!
As she started to grow impatient, the referee raised his right hand and swung it down.
"Fight!"
He Lingling had waited long. Her body leaned forward and her spine curved, charging like a dragon rising out of the river. She quickly approached Yan Zheke.
Dragon style - Sleepy Dragon Ascending to Heaven!
She had well mastered this move that she could draw her weight by force through her spine like Lou Cheng and Yan Zheke. However, her lack of subtle control of her muscles left her vulnerable to injury so she wouldn't use it in usual situations.
If she could push this move to the body refining state summit, most of her body muscles would pull strength upon her spine's move, shaking air around in concert with her breath to create a low moan as if a dragon cry, producing an effect similar to the Lion Roar.
Watching He Lingling throwing herself to her face, Yan Zheke, with no time to perform mercurial balance, kept cool and visualized a sheer whiteness bounding down. She shook her right arm and struck.
He Lingling raised her right fist to make a flank attack.
Bang!
As their hands met, He Lingling straightened her fingers with a series of crispy sounds to form a hook, attempting to grab Yan Zheke's fist.
Dragon style - Dragon Claw Tearing!
This was nothing new to Yan Zheke. She stuck to the plan resulted from her discussion with Lou Cheng, touching and withdrawing. Making use of the bounce from their collision, she quickly took her right fist back and safely avoided the dragon claw. In the meantime, her waist twisted and thigh tightened to launch a left whip kick at He Lingling's knee.
I doubt your legs can become dragon claws!
He Lingling suddenly curved her spine and bent her body, shortening herself by half. Fingers of her right hand reached out to Yan Zheke's ankle, ripping air apart.
The key to dragon style was the spine, the dragon of the body!
Yan Zheke's heart missed a beat, knowing her Listening Skill couldn't save her once the dragon claw caught her. Her left leg would be injured for weeks if not months.
- moves like that were causes of most of the severe injuries taking place during a match as it would be difficult for the referee to interfere in time. A catching move and a tearing move were almost impossible to be distinguished from each other. Moreover, the referee had no way to be sure whether the fighter to be caught would be able to handle the catch. One split second of hesit
ation would be enough for the attacker to exert strength and the result would be irreversible.
Yan Zheke had thrown her left leg at the enemy, hard to change a move in the air to avoid the grab. All of a sudden, she was hanging by a thread, anchoring her hope on a very intense burst at the instance.
Her body shivered oddly and her left leg halted, twisting her waist and back to lift her entire body into the air, launching a right kick at He Lingling's chin.
Interlocking Kicks, a technique of Yin-yang Twist.
This beautiful response took He Lingling by sheer surprise. She had to bend her waist backward into the difficult Iron Bridge Move as the enemy's toes reaching her face.
Her chin felt a burning ache, probably grazed by the kick.
Unable to keep balance like Lou Cheng in this situation due to her limited control of weight, she threw herself down on all fours like a lazy donkey rolling on the ground.
After the interlocking kicks, Yan Zheke was also unable to balance herself. She staggered sideways before coming to a stop.
One made the Carp Jumping Move and the other turned with the bounce. The pair resumed the confrontation they had had before the match.
Lou Cheng felt much relieved from his intense concern about Yan Zheke losing the match, heaving a long sigh.
If he was in that fight, he could handle He Lingling's dragon claw in a dozen different ways.
Yan Zheke adjusted her breath before launching another attack. She adopted a striking style very similar to the Eight Diagrams Palm, sliding to the enemy's side to launch a blow with a whipping sound.
It was too late for He Lingling to make dragon claws. She raised her right arm to block the punch. Yan Zheke immediately absorbed some strength and swayed her body to throw a fierce right kick aiming at just under the enemy's knee.
Bam! He Lingling responded with a side kick which blocked that attack. Her body leaned forward, stretching out her dragon claws and ripping the air current in the sky.
Yan Zheke took action at once, sliding to the side and striding forth to duck the attack and locate herself on the enemy's side again!
Practicing with her every day these days, Lou Cheng was rather familiar with this move, a palm style of the Ji Family called Nine Signs Dragon Palm. It focused on strikes from sides and behind which Lin Que didn't like at all so he rarely performed. Yan Zheke used it here in a creative way, combining the Dragon Palm's footwork with the 24 Blizzard Strikes' hands and energy exerting.
Yan Zheke moved about elegantly and agilely, seeking opportunities to launch a Brutal Blizzard. But once the enemy put on dragon claws, she slid away and changed to another position. Lou Cheng nodded his approval. He Lingling fell to the downside, full of strength but unable to use it anywhere, blocking and fencing in a passive position.
"The fight has come to patience and persistence now..." murmured Lou Cheng.
He didn't consider it a matter of vigor or strength because the two had no such information about each other. Whoever lost her cool first would reveal her weaknesses and probably lose the match after which only to discover the rival had long reached her limit and she could have won the fight if her patience lasted a few bouts longer,
Lou Cheng prayed in his heart for his tremor force massage to work.
Born prematurely, Yan Zheke was weaker than average by nature. She had been working on her weakness and training her body but she was still significantly inferior to fighters of her level. She gradually grew anxious as her physical strength diminished rapidly.
Although she was tempted to take the risk to launch 24 Blizzard Strikes, her reason and logic suppressed her impulse.
She was confident that He Lingling didn't know about her congenital deficiency.
My calmness has a 70% chance of driving her out of patience and control!
Success belongs to the persevering!
After another bout of touch and go, anxiety and disquietude climbed on He Lingling's face. She suddenly pulled strength from her feet and curved her spine to push her entire body backward when Yan Zheke once again slid to her back. He Lingling smashed into Yan Zheke who was just about to hold herself firm.
Dragon style - Flying Dragon Hitting Rock!
With no room to duck, Yan Zheke quickly raised both of her arms in front of her body to receive the bump.
A flip followed the bump. He Lingling moved her spine up and down like a trembling spike, throwing her left fist out abruptly, aiming at the rival's shoulder.
Dragon style's deadly move - Flipping Spike!
The Dragon style was also known as the Spike style!
Yan Zheke drew in a deep breath and lowered her weight to squat instead of dodging hastily, visualizing a towering mountain covered by thousands of tons of snow.
A meteor flashed across the sky and hit the peak of the mountain, causing a deafening explosion. Snow collapsed horribly.
Bam!
Her toes turned inward and her waist and back twisted, throwing her right hand out upwards.
Meteor Falling, Mega Avalanche!
Bang!
Two fists clashed. He Lingling's body swayed a little while Yan Zheke was pushed over by the force, staggering backward which happened to save her from the following dragon claws.
She resumed her balance after taking two strides back but decided to withdraw two more steps to build up strength according to Lou Cheng's instruction during their pair exercise.
Yan Zheke's losing balance thrilled He Lingling who then exerted strength from her feet and threw herself out with dragon claws.
She was almost certain that she would finish the rival in no time, Yan Zheke abruptly came to a stop, pressing her feet firmly against the ground like two nails hammered in deeply. She swung her body backward and then immediately waved it forth, shooting her accumulated strength out into the Meteor Falling - Mega Avalanche to launch a crisp Heart Digging Pound!
Bang!
He Lingling's dragon claw failed to catch Yan Zheke's fist. Instead, she was punched away by the intense force. Absorbing energy from the rebound, Yan Zheke launched a left whip kick.
As the rival hurriedly raised her leg to block, she withdrew her strike and reached her both fists out, aiming at the enemy's temples.
Striking the opponent's ears with both fists!
He Lingling received the two punches with her arms, noticing the rival's physical strength had surpassed hers.
Yan Zheke refused to let loose her attacks. Her right thigh suddenly tightened and kicked at the enemy. He Lingling moved her spine to pull her leg in a rush.
Bang!
He Lingling's right leg was kicked back, leaving her lower body vulnerable to attacks and upper body swaying. Her arms struggled to resume balance.
Yan Zheke took a half step forward and threw her right fist at He Lingling's neck.
The referee raised his right hand and announced loudly,
"Yan Zheke won!"
Yan Zheke's head was blank for a second but soon the blankness was replaced by a huge joy. She threw away her usual decency and calmness, turning around to wave her fist at Lou Cheng.
I won!
I am of the Amateur Second Pin now!
She saw Lou Cheng's ecstatic face and swinging his fist with excitement and an odd line came to her mind,
The military honor is half mine and the other half yours...