◇ 【073】 One versus Five, a Proud Moment (2)
Shao Xiuming was a little annoyed, but he didn't take the competition lightly. He took a deep breath, circulated his internal energy, and accelerated his attack.
Gu Juan's expression, originally calm, was now slightly stern. Shao Xiuming, using his internal energy, had only managed to draw with Ackerman. But he was certain that Ackerman had no energy in his body; he was only using physical skills!
This shows that Ackerman's physical potential is indeed great. Shao Xiuming is dangerous.
Gu Juan turned and looked at Xi Lang in the audience.
Xi Lang nodded slightly to indicate that he had noticed it, and said in a voice transmission, "Xiaojuan, wait and see what happens."
"Why do I feel that classmate is going to lose?" Li Ruicheng whispered to him.
"How did you know that?" Han Lin asked casually.
Li Ruicheng pondered, "How should I put it? It feels like. Whether it's strength, speed, or physical reaction, Shao is inferior to Ackerman."
Xi Lang was a little surprised when he heard his words. The big screen wasn't always showing slow motion, and Li Ruicheng was able to analyze all of this. He was indeed very perceptive.
After nearly an hour, Shao Xiuming and Ackerman still hadn't decided the winner. Shao Xiuming couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He had carefully watched all of Ackerman's challenge videos and thought he had a good understanding of his abilities. Unexpectedly, he had underestimated Ackerman. He was certain that Ackerman was fighting him purely on physical strength. This man's physical skills were incredible!
Ackerman grew increasingly excited; he relished his opponent's struggle before defeat. It was time to end it! He pretended to accidentally push Shao Xiuming to the edge of the platform and delivered a powerful palm strike to his chest.
Shao Xiuming immediately fell off the platform.
"Ah!" Many female audiences couldn't help but exclaim.
This platform is at least five meters high, almost the height of two floors.
Several cameramen who followed Ackerman and his team to Country C all showed a barely perceptible smile on their lips and quietly pointed the camera at Shao Xiuming.
At this moment, a colorful ribbon shot out as fast as lightning and wrapped around Shao Xiuming's waist, leaving him dangling in the air.
Everyone turned to look. Gu Juan had ripped off the decorative fabric on the platform and grabbed Shao Xiuming just in time. He remained seated in his chair, his expression unperturbed. With a slight push of his right hand, Shao Xiuming flew up. Once he was close enough to the platform, he grabbed hold of the wooden planks at the edge and nimbly climbed up.
Ackerman looked at Gu Juan gloomily.
"Thank you for your advice. Congratulations!" Shao Xiuming bowed to Ackerman generously, tore off the silk, walked over to Gu Juan, and said sincerely, "Thank you." He couldn't help but wonder if Gu Juan was also a ancient martial artist? But he couldn't be sure.
Gu Juan said calmly, "No need."
Shao Xiuming glanced at Ackerman and returned to his seat. "Gu, you can see the game more clearly from here. Do you mind?"
Gu Juan shook his head.
Wen Li was stunned. Normally, Shao Xiuming should have left the stage after losing. But she and Liang Xun pretended not to notice and said nothing.
Wen Li said, "It was a wonderful match! Although Shao lost, it allowed us to once again witness the profoundness of our Chinese martial arts and feel the indomitable spirit of our descendants!"
"Student Shao has won with honor in defeat!" Liang Xun said loudly.
Applause swept across the stage like a tide.
"Gu Juan, you have always been my opponent!" Ackerman pointed at Gu Juan while holding the microphone.
This sentence was amplified and heard even louder in the stadium.
"Ackerman wants to challenge Gu?" Liang Xun looked at Wen Li with a puzzled expression. "If I remember correctly, it seems that today's match is Gu Juan challenging the 'Five-Man Team'. In other words, Gu should be the one to set the questions and choose the opponents." He was hinting to Gu Juan that if he wasn't sure, he'd better not accept Ackerman's challenge. Although his save just now was indeed a brilliant move, if a domestic competitor lost a martial arts competition for the third time, not only would Gu Juan become a laughing stock, it's no exaggeration to say that the foreign media would also be unceremoniously attacking him.
"That's true." Wen Li had been paying attention to Gu Juan's expression. Seeing his calm expression, he understood what was going on. "But it still depends on what Mr. Gu decides."
Gu Juan picked up the microphone and said, "Mr. Ackerman, you have come from afar as a guest. I accept your challenge. However, I must make it clear that after this competition, only I can challenge the other four friends. They—have no right to challenge me."
Ackerman nodded. "As it should be."
Gu Juan walked to the center and bowed in greeting.
"Is Gu Juan confident?" Han Lin asked Xi Lang, "I've never heard that he knows martial arts before."
Xi Lang smiled faintly, his eyes fixed on the confident and calm young man on the platform, gentle and focused, "Xiao Juan won't do anything without confidence."
Ackerman intentionally tested Gu Juan and made a "please" gesture, "You make the first move."
Gu Juan nodded, and quickly moved his feet. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of Ackerman, locking Ackerman's wrist with his right hand.
Ackerman was shocked, his mouth opened wide. Before he could react, his eyes blurred and he turned around in the air and fell heavily to the ground on his buttocks.
"Oh!" Wen Li covered her mouth in a daze, but the smile in the corner of her eyes could not be concealed.
"Oh my God, am I seeing things?" Liang Xun also shouted in surprise.
"Oh God! This is impossible!" Catherine was shocked and sat up suddenly.
Liu Hui rubbed his eyes and laughed, "This, this... Good job, Third Brother!"
"What's going on? Let's take a look at the replay, director." Liang Xun spoke very quickly, making the audience even more excited.
The scene just now was replayed simultaneously on four large screens, and the slow motion showed Gu Juan's movements in full.
All the audience cheered loudly, whistling, and it was extremely enthusiastic.
"Amazing! Liang Xun, Liang Xun, this is the hero I envision! Tell me, if I ask my husband to start martial arts now, is it too late?" Wen Li tugged at the hem of Liang Xun's shirt, a little excited. She had a baby-faced, petite figure, and this little move was her signature move. It was so adorable when she did it, always bringing a smile to the audience's face.
Liang Xun wiped his sweat, turned his back to her, and whispered, "Fortunately, I'm not her husband!"
The sound came through the microphone and the audience burst into laughter.
Ackerman finally recovered from his shock, leaped to his feet, and stared at Gu Juan with unwavering determination. "That move just now was truly amazing. I wonder if you don't mind me teaching you again?"
Gu Juan said calmly: "For the sake of the friendship between the two peoples, I don't mind."
Bane and Catherine looked at each other, their emotions gloomy.
This time, Ackerman decided to take the initiative. He stretched out his arms in the shape of an "eight" and rushed to Gu Juan. He grabbed Gu Juan's arms with both palms, and at the same time bent his right knee and hit Gu Juan's abdomen.
Gu Juan spun his body and turned his back to him in the blink of an eye, seemingly defenseless. His left hand spun as if making a Tai Chi seal, and the next second, he grabbed Ackerman's wrist again.
Ackerman suddenly felt as if his wrist was being clamped by a pair of pliers. A sharp pain shot through his body, and his body suddenly seemed to grow lighter. Then, the pain in his body brought him back to his senses.
He lay on the ground, looking at the blue sky, with the five fingers of both hands spread out, trembling violently as if in a spasm.
Suddenly, he yelled uncontrollably and jumped up.
Bain, Catherine, and David all looked nervous.
David suddenly stood up and said with a smile, "It's getting late. Maybe we should start the second competition quickly."
Ackerman turned around and looked at him coldly. He adjusted his expression, clasped his fists towards Gu Juan, and said slowly, "Congratulations."
Waves of cheers echoed in the stadium, and spotlights flashed frequently in all directions.
Gu Juan nodded, "Thank you. Our country's martial arts are extensive and profound, and I only know the basics."
Ackerman held back a bit, "I wonder what that step you just did is called?"
Gu Juan answered seriously, "It's called 'Lingbo Weibu,' and I learned it myself from a Chinese book called 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.' my country has a long history of martial arts development, and there are even more powerful moves like 'Eighteen Palms of the Dragon Subduing' and 'Six Meridians Divine Sword' introduced in 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' which I haven't mastered yet. Although these are just novels, I always believe that art comes from life, and for those of us interested in martial arts, they are worth reading."
Xi Lang laughed in the audience, shook his head slightly, his eyes full of smiles; Han Lin and Li Ruicheng laughed so hard that they slapped their thighs; Wen Li and Liang Xun both had twitching mouths as they tried hard to suppress the urge to laugh.
The audience below was already laughing so hard that they were bent over.
Bain and the others were completely baffled, completely unable to understand the source of their "humor." Although they were all considered well-read, they hadn't read every book.
"I see. I will definitely read it carefully someday." Ackerman said unwillingly.
"Did you see Ackerman's expression? Damn, it's so satisfying!" Liu Hui's face flushed with excitement, and he patted Zhang Cong's shoulder heavily.
"Dizzy!" Zhang Cong shrank back in pain, only then realizing that his palms were full of sweat.
"The third brother is hiding too deeply. I must ask him to teach me a few tricks when I have time!" Zhao Rui's voice trembled with excitement.
Wen Li said to the audience, "I think I'll be so excited I won't be able to sleep tonight! Next, it's time for the second challenge. Is Gu Juan ready?"
Gu Juan nodded and looked at Bain.
Bane walked up to him with a proper smile on his face.
"I wonder what challenge you want to take?"
[MouMou didn't use letters to represent each country because it felt awkward to have letters in a large text. But since using homophones is even more awkward, I decided to go back to letters. Sorry for the inconvenience. The words "each country" and so on in the previous article will have to be changed later.]
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