Chapter 31: Promotion to Grade C – A Great Victory!
The competition was divided into three rounds, corresponding to Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D respectively. The competition for Class D guards started first.
"The rules for this competition are simple: whoever wins seven consecutive matches will become a Class C guard!"
Pang Long sat in a makeshift shed. It was snowing heavily, and everything was covered in white. There was a heater and some warm tea beside him, so he was quite comfortable.
After explaining the rules, he took a small sip of hot tea. This was a "gongfu tea" bestowed upon him by his wife, which was said to help regulate the body, detoxify, and nourish the body.
His wife said he had reached the "half-step essence-consuming" stage and was at a crucial moment. She took good care of him, frequently inquiring about his health and offering guidance.
In front of him was a spacious flat area with a ring.
On the right side of the arena stood more than forty people, all of whom were the lowest-ranking guards participating in the competition.
Li Xian was among them.
“I will arrange every match. Whoever calls my name must come up on stage to compete immediately.”
"Do any of you have any objections to these rules?"
Pang Long put down his teacup and glanced at everyone.
"No objection," everyone replied in unison.
"Commander Pang knows best the strength of each guard, and it is indeed most appropriate for him to arrange the opponents."
Based on Li Xian's understanding of Pang Long, there shouldn't be any shady dealings with him in charge. Besides, ultimately, one must be strong oneself; as long as one has the strength, everything else is meaningless.
"The competition begins. First group: Gao Xiong versus Zhang Wai."
As the voice faded, a shout of "Bravo!" rang out, and suddenly a person leaped from the crowd onto the stage. Their agility was astounding.
This man was Zhang Wai, who had been a guard for three years and was proficient in a leg technique called "Lianjiang Leg".
The man named "Gao Xiong" walked onto the stage. After a brief exchange of greetings, the two began their competition.
Zhang Wai kicked first, but the other party grabbed his ankle and swayed him forcefully.
It flew off the stage, then moved several meters to the side, carving a furrow in the snow, before it could rise again.
"This person is quite formidable." Li Xian frowned, becoming secretly wary.
Then I thought:
"According to the rules, you need to win seven consecutive matches. Although there are forty participants, the probability of encountering this person in the fifth, sixth, and seventh matches is extremely high!"
He kept his guard up, but remained calm.
"Gao Xiong wins!"
Pang Long looked at the list, pondered for a moment, and then called out the names of two more people.
People continued to go up on stage to compete; the winners stayed, while the losers stood outside. After several rounds, the number of participants dwindled considerably.
It wasn't until the fourth match that Li Xian's name was called, and he easily won with his Four Directions Fist Technique.
"Good lad, your strength is indeed impressive." Pang Long's eyes showed admiration.
After the initial round of competition, those qualified to compete for the Class C nursing position have almost all emerged.
There were eight people in total, including Li Xian. They were all aware of each other, sizing each other up and making their own comparisons.
"Li Xian versus Ye Qing!"
After Li Xian won four consecutive matches, Pang Long called out Li Xian's name again.
The opponent in this battle is a veteran bodyguard with seven years of experience, who has mastered seven martial arts techniques and is one of the formidable opponents Pang Long mentioned.
"offend!"
The two met on the stage, exchanged greetings, and then began to fight.
It was truly a fierce battle. Ye Qing learned several martial arts techniques, including "Opening and Closing Palms," "Flying Flower Hands," "Four Directions Fist," and "Coiled Leg." Although he only reached the level of proficiency, the internal energy accumulated from these techniques was quite remarkable.
Seeing that Li Xian also knew the Four Directions Fist, he first used the Four Directions Fist to test him, also intending to compete and use strength to suppress strength, and to determine who was superior.
"This man is impulsive and brave, but lacks finesse," Li Xian thought to himself after a few rounds of fighting.
Ye Qing used his fist techniques to fight for a few moves, but realized that he was no match for Li Xian, so he immediately changed his moves and used the Opening and Closing Palm.
This palm technique emphasizes wide, sweeping movements, combined with internal strength. If it were used from the very beginning, it would instinctively overwhelm Li Xian, making him unable to defend himself.
But he deliberately used the Four Directions Fist technique first to fight Li Xian. This allowed Li Xian to figure out his fighting style, and when he tried to change his moves, Li Xian was already on guard.
The natural fist posture adhered to it, preventing his "opening and closing palms" from truly unfolding.
It was extremely frustrating to fight like this; the opening and closing palm technique wasn't wide enough, and its power was reduced to less than one-tenth. Ye Qingxin was already annoyed, and seeing that the opening and closing palm technique wasn't working, he immediately switched to the "ground leg technique".
This is precisely what exposed his weakness. As he changed his move, Li Xian unleashed both fists simultaneously, creating a flurry of snowflakes. At first glance, it appeared as if his two fists had become four…
Ye Qing hurriedly parried, but couldn't figure out the truth of the situation.
"Bang!"
With a thud, he fell off the stage. Li Xian bowed and announced his victory.
"Ye Qing's internal energy is indeed powerful, but unfortunately, he couldn't bring out his strengths."
Li Xian felt even more confident. "It seems these old guards aren't very experienced in fighting enemies. Even if I lack the necessary resources, I still have plenty of room to maneuver."
After this battle, Li Xian had won five matches.
The sixth match was against "Gao Xiong." This man was a formidable opponent, far more troublesome than Ye Qing. He possessed immense strength, and although his movements appeared clumsy, they were actually very difficult to parry.
He learned three martial arts: one horizontal martial art called "Vajra Skill" and two grappling martial arts called "Dragon Capturing Hand" and "Crane Capturing Hand".
Vajra Kung Fu is a martial art that focuses on "external force," toughening the body and strengthening the flesh. "Dragon-Capturing Hand" and "Crane-Capturing Hand" are both designed for grappling.
This clearly shows that his method was to seize the enemy's limbs and then win by using his own immense strength. He did not seek to defeat his opponent through martial arts, but rather to throw his opponent off the stage.
Li Xian first used the Four Directions Fist to create an illusion, making it difficult for Gao Xiong to distinguish between the real and fake fists. Naturally, it was extremely difficult for Gao Xiong to reach out and capture him.
After several such incidents, Gao Xiong was really getting worked up.
Suddenly, he unleashed the powerful and fierce Wild Bull Fist.
He skillfully employed both boxing techniques. Finally, he landed a punch on Gao Xiong's face, securing victory once again.
"Impressive!" Pang Long nodded repeatedly.
In these matches, Li Xian had both advantages and disadvantages, but he always tried his best to avoid his disadvantages and make the most of his advantages. He won decisively and beautifully.
Don't be fooled by its simplicity.
Pang Long also practiced boxing in his youth and knew that boxing is all about power and ferocity. When you throw a punch, you rely entirely on your instinctive reaction to fight your opponent.
As people reach middle age, their skill in boxing improves further, and they learn to control and conserve power when throwing punches, making them more adept at the art.
This is how "thinking" gradually became part of boxing techniques. It involved understanding how to analyze strengths and weaknesses, and how to cleverly achieve victory in combat.
Being able to do this is enough to defeat a stronger opponent with a weaker one.
"This kid... I wasn't wrong about him, he really is very talented." Pang Long was now certain that Li Xian was one of the three chosen candidates.
Li Xian's last opponent was far inferior to Ye Qing and Gao Xiong.
Successfully achieved victory.
Pang Long announced: "In this guard competition, the first person to be promoted to Class C guard..."
"Li Xian!"
As soon as the words fell, all the guards present looked at Li Xian with immense envy.
"This Li Xian is truly amazing! He's only been here for less than a month, yet he's already become a Class C guard. This has never happened before!"
"He already had a foundation in boxing, and he was very skilled at the Four Directions Fist, so it's not surprising that he won."
"A Class C nurse... I dream of becoming one."
"At such a young age, to have become a Class C guard, he truly has a bright future ahead of him!"
...
A commotion broke out in the crowd.
"Li Xian, now that you've won, come inside and sit down. Come and warm yourself by the fire."
Pang Long greeted him.
"OK."
Li Xian quickly ran into the shed, shook off the snow from his body, and gently exhaled.
From this day forward, he has taken another step forward, crossing another rank, and is now a Class C Guardian!
(End of this chapter)
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