Xiao Yufan’s temper flared up, and it was hard for him to hold back. Whether these two were testing him or genuinely planning to attack, he had already decided—he wouldn’t hold back in the slightest.
Of course, holding back meant risking defeat. Facing two experts at the凝气 stage, Xiao Yufan wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could ignore them completely.
He slightly squatted, his palms slowly tracing an arc—a classic opening move of Tai Chi…
Previously, Xiao Yufan had only regarded Tai Chi as a method of physical cultivation. However, after reaching the Qi凝聚 stage, he realized that Tai Chi could truly be considered a national treasure. Compared to many traditional martial arts, Tai Chi was far more intricate and refined.
Seeing Xiao Yufan’s posture, the two hesitated slightly—not out of fear, but because they wondered whether this man had become overly confident.
However, this hesitation only lasted a moment before vanishing completely. They were extremely confident in their own abilities.
They exchanged glances, then charged again—one from the left, the other from the right—almost surrounding Xiao Yufan. Having fought together for a long time, their coordination was extremely smooth.
A flash of cold light—Xiao Yufan had already made his move. He had memorized every Tai Chi technique thoroughly; this time, however, he was using them against enemies, and his heart was filled with excitement…
It was clear that their attacks, although fierce, weren’t meant to kill. They must have been wary of Huangpu Xian’er. Still, Xiao Yufan couldn’t figure out why these two had targeted him.
One of them suddenly leaped into the air, resembling a giant frog springing upward. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed four or five meters and unleashed a fierce, one-handed whip strike toward Xiao Yufan. At the Qi凝聚 stage, his power was indeed terrifying!
Bang!
Xiao Yufan raised his right arm to block the attack. The opponent’s whip-like strike slammed against his arms, creating explosive sounds like a tire suddenly bursting on the road.
The sheer force of the strike made Xiao Yufan take it seriously. Although their attacks weren’t deadly, they were fierce and domineering.
Tai Chi usually appeared soft and effortless, but when used against true experts, it was anything but gentle—it became extremely forceful.
As the saying goes, when something reaches an extreme, it transforms into its opposite. Xiao Yufan’s understanding of Tai Chi was profound. The softer and more yielding the movements became, the more powerful the resulting force was. Thus, this collision left his arms slightly numb.
In the blink of an eye, the three exchanged hundreds of blows. Xiao Yufan wasn’t rushing to attack, merely using Tai Chi’s softness to neutralize their strikes. However, during this process, he had sustained considerable injuries.
Softness overcoming hardness, redirecting force—easier said than done. Facing two experts at the Qi凝聚 stage, even a Tai Chi master would struggle to remain completely composed.
The two were somewhat amazed by Xiao Yufan’s strength. Together, they could normally match even peak凝气-stage experts. Yet now, they were clearly at a disadvantage against Xiao Yufan.
Seeing that they couldn’t break through Xiao Yufan’s defense, the two didn’t panic. Their wrists twisted rapidly, and their palms launched a flurry of attacks.
Following the momentum of their strikes, the two created a terrifying aura…
Facing their combined palm strike, Xiao Yufan showed no intention of dodging. He stomped hard on the floor, instantly cracking the blue stone tiles beneath his feet. An internal cultivator’s external force was naturally not weak.
Suddenly, Xiao Yufan clenched his palm into a fist, surged forward, and launched a punch straight at one opponent’s face.
This move was known as “Skyward Hammer” in Tai Chi, one of the few offensive techniques. It carried immense power, with all his internal energy concentrated into the fist.
Boom!
Xiao Yufan’s fist collided with the opponent’s palm. The two powerful forces met, creating an even louder explosion, as if the entire space was shaken by this surge of energy.
Damn, he’s really strong—that was the only thought going through the two men’s minds. They suddenly realized that they shouldn’t have acted so recklessly. If they were defeated by this man, they would surely be ridiculed by many in Huangpu’s younger generation.
Although this wasn’t a fight to the death, all three were unleashing their maximum strength. Within just a few minutes of battle, Xiao Yufan hadn’t gained the upper hand, nor had the two opponents gained any advantage.
The three separated momentarily, then dashed forward again, their feet moving rapidly as they clashed once more.
Their attacks grew even fiercer, while Xiao Yufan gradually reached the peak of his Tai Chi mastery…
“You’re really strong!”
Five minutes later, one of the two, covering his chest, smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth, not hesitating to express his admiration. They weren’t conceited individuals; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been chosen to protect Huangpu Xian’er.
“Hearing your praise, should I feel happy or not?” Xiao Yufan replied casually.
At this moment, although Xiao Yufan had sustained serious injuries, he maintained a calm and composed expression, not wanting these two to detect any weakness.
“I think your strength could place you among the top twenty of Huangpu’s younger generation.”
“Top twenty!” Xiao Yufan’s mouth twitched slightly. He had believed he was already far stronger than ordinary people. Yet, he hadn’t expected that among the hidden younger generation of Huangpu, he could barely make it into the top twenty.
“I know why you’re here. I’m not particularly interested in the princess of Huangpu. So, you Huangpu people, please stop clinging to me!”
No matter how formidable Huangpu was, it had nothing to do with Xiao Yufan. If even two random strangers could nearly injure him, he certainly didn’t want to be used by that woman.
Before the two could respond, Xiao Yufan had already turned and walked away. However, his steps were somewhat unstable. If the fight continued, he could still win by a narrow margin, but the cost would be enormous.
“Old Seven, what should we do? Should we report this to the clan leader? This man is not only extremely powerful, but even dealing with Miss Huangpu would be difficult for us!”
Frowning slightly and watching Xiao Yufan’s retreating figure, both men fell into deep thought. They were indeed the Old Seven and Old Nine who had witnessed Xiao Yufan carrying Huangpu Xian’er out that day.
“Didn’t Elder Shadow specifically instruct us not to tell the clan leader about this? If we secretly reported it, Elder Shadow would definitely punish us severely!”
The other said anxiously. Still, they were caught between a rock and a hard place. Huangpu’s affairs had troubled them to the point of headaches. Today, they had originally planned to force Xiao Yufan back, but they hadn’t expected to lose to him instead…
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