novelraw Chapter 452 - 270: Sparring on the Ring
Chapter 452 - 270: Sparring on the Ring
"Here we go again~"
Sun Zhidong wore a bitter expression but could not refute, so he turned to Li Xiang and said, "You practice with him. I’ll step down and take a break."
"Captain Li, I heard from Xiao Dong that your combat techniques are also impressive. Mind coming up for a sparring match?"
During this time, He Wenqiu’s body had not been active, and he had been itching to move. Although he trained with Sun Zhidong for a while, Sun’s level was too basic, just enough for a warm-up. Sun spoke highly of Li Xiang’s combat abilities, mentioning that he used to run a martial arts school and had a passion for fighting. Naturally, He wanted to spar with Li Xiang.
"Alright, it’s been a long time since I last moved around. Let’s practice."
While Li Xiang was changing clothes, Sun Zhidong posted about Li Xiang and He Wenqiu’s sparring in the group chat, which immediately drew in a large crowd to watch.
The instruction group arrived first and, upon seeing He Wenqiu standing alone on the stage, curiously asked, "Why are you the only one here? Where’s Li? Wasn’t he supposed to spar with you?"
"Li went to change clothes, he’ll be here shortly."
"Li is so slender; you should go easy on him!"
The other members of the instruction group, not knowing Li Xiang’s true capabilities, were worried that He Wenqiu might injure their captain, which wouldn’t reflect well if word got out.
"Don’t worry, I know my limits."
At this moment, Li Xiang finished changing: "How come so many people gathered all of a sudden?"
Li Xiang didn’t expect that just by changing clothes, everyone from the instruction group would show up.
"Captain Li, we came over to cheer for you."
"Alright, cheer for Wenqiu too."
More people kept arriving from behind.
Clearly, the word had spread about the sparring, and everyone’s curiosity drove them over to watch.
"Captain Li, when you’re ready, feel free to attack."
"You should attack first. Taekwondo is more offensive; counter-attacking would be unfair to you."
Li Xiang set his stance, standing with his feet naturally apart, and his aura changed instantly.
He Wenqiu observed Li Xiang, yet couldn’t find a single flaw, leaving him momentarily at a loss for where to attack.
With just this initial stance, he knew their Captain Li was a hidden martial arts expert.
Upon realizing this, his expression became serious.
He took three steps to the left, then three steps to the right.
Adjusting his position, he sought out Li Xiang’s weaknesses.
Unfortunately, no matter how he shifted, Li Xiang’s defense remained impeccable.
"Why hasn’t he started fighting yet?"
The onlookers below, not understanding why He Wenqiu acted this way, just urged him to start fighting. Only then would it be entertaining to watch.
Feeling the impatience from the crowd, He Wenqiu decided he couldn’t wait any longer.
So he began with a high-level leg technique, an Aerial Side Kick from Taekwondo.
He aimed to use this side kick to force Li Xiang to reveal a flaw.
Indeed, seeing He Wenqiu open with a big move, the atmosphere immediately became lively.
Only the members of the instruction group worried for Li Xiang, hoping he wouldn’t get KO’d by a single move from He Wenqiu.
Luckily, they saw that He Wenqiu was holding back. Originally, this Aerial Side Kick aimed for the head, but He Wenqiu instead aimed at Li Xiang’s left shoulder.
They wouldn’t believe that a Black Belt Ninth Rank in Taekwondo like He Wenqiu couldn’t hit the head.
Li Xiang also noticed that He Wenqiu was holding back, but even if he wasn’t aiming for the head, the kick still came with thunderous power, leading Li Xiang to choose to block, not dodge, and directly used his arm to withstand the kick.
He wanted to assess He Wenqiu’s true strength.
With a "bang," Li Xiang blocked the kick without using any skill, but his body still shifted a step to the right.
This forceful kick allowed Li Xiang to gauge He Wenqiu’s strength to some extent.
He Wenqiu had a particularly strong physique, and the power in his legs wasn’t lacking; otherwise, it wouldn’t have made Li shift a step.
Surprised that Li Xiang only took one step after taking his kick directly, He Wenqiu was amazed once again.
Li Xiang’s strength far exceeded his expectations.
He realized that he couldn’t hold back any longer; otherwise, he would be defeated in less than ten rounds.
With that in mind, He Wenqiu immediately changed his tactic, not waiting to land before unleashing a Tornado Kick.
This time he didn’t hold back and gave it his all, already considering Li Xiang a master matching or surpassing his own strength.
Exerting full effort is a sign of respect for one’s opponent.
Li Xiang also noticed He Wenqiu’s change in tactics; after the change, He Wenqiu’s leg techniques became even more fierce, his moves targeting directly at the vital spots.
Sparking amazement among the spectators below.
"He Wenqiu is being quite reckless, using two high-level Taekwondo kicks in a row; he seems set on KO’ing Captain Li."
"Let’s watch first. Captain Li isn’t as fragile as you think; look, he dodged that move."
One move after another, He Wenqiu’s attacks aimed at Li Xiang’s vital areas. For someone else, this might have been disorienting, but for Li Xiang, each attack had a pattern. At every critical moment, Li Xiang could narrowly evade or block the moves.
Within three to five moves, Li Xiang had already assessed He Wenqiu’s capability: his combat level was at the master level, still a long way from becoming a Grandmaster.
At this point, Li Xiang had the ability to defeat him with one move, but it wasn’t necessary. He Wenqiu wasn’t the enemy; they were sparring, warming up with a fight.
Previously, when Li Xiang felt like sparring, he’d go to a virtual battle in the system, but since the system eliminated this feature, he had nowhere to find opponents.
It was rare to have someone like He Wenqiu to practice with, so he didn’t want to end it quickly.
In the ring, He Wenqiu attacked boldly and aggressively, while Li Xiang responded with both deflections and blocks, creating an entertaining spectacle.
The crowd was amazed to see that Li Xiang could hold his ground against the fierce storm of attacks from He Wenqiu.
"Turns out our Captain Li is also this skilled?"
"Indeed, he usually seems so lean, yet he can hold his own against He Wenqiu."
Yang Ming and Sun Zhidong, hearing the discussions, joined in: "You may not know, but although Captain Li’s physique isn’t robust, he’s reliable in a fight."
Sometime later, Wang Ruigang also arrived at the scene. Watching the two exchange blows on the stage, the battle had entered a fever pitch. Especially He Wenqiu, whose every move carried immense power, making Wang Ruigang secretly worry for Li Xiang.
"Your He Wenqiu is formidable, casually switching between leg techniques with ease—he’s truly a skilled fighter. But what surprises me more is your Captain Li Xiang, managing to keep up despite such intense attacks."
It’s not surprising Wang Ruigang had this thought; everyone present shared a similar view.
He Wenqiu, in the role of the aggressor, appeared to have fierce techniques, while Li Xiang, in the role of the defender, seemed to be in constant danger. This gave the untrained eye the misconception that He Wenqiu was more dominant.
Only He Wenqiu, in the heat of battle, knew the struggle.
Li Xiang was like a tumbler doll, no matter what moves or force He used; Li Xiang managed to deflect or neutralize his attacks.
He couldn’t determine Li Xiang’s limits.
Such a scenario would mean only one thing: Li Xiang’s strength far surpassed his own.
Offense requires significant energy expenditure, and after ten minutes of fighting, He Wenqiu’s speed noticeably slowed down, and his breathing became slightly labored.
In contrast, Li Xiang still wore an expression of calm composure, making He Wenqiu feel a deep sense of powerlessness.
This Captain Li is truly a monster—skilled in various fields.
Before, he portrayed the image of a researcher, skilled in cranial reconstruction technology and computer techniques, leading He Wenqiu to think he was merely a scholar. Little did he expect that in a fight, Li was as much a martial artist as himself.