Chapter 27: On the Brink of Conflict, Three Moves to Decide the Outcome

"Qi Tian, you've just become the new king of the recruits, and you're already looking to beat up your brothers?"

Jiang Chong sat behind Qi Tian, teasing him with a wide grin before his tone shifted. "The China Tour—I think it's a go! But you'd better be prepared. Among the students at Donghai Sports Institute, Zhang Meng has few rivals. Only the old monsters in the academy can defeat him. If you challenge him, you have to be ready to pay the price!"

"Just consider it entertainment for everyone. How about it? Do me a favor?"

"Fine, then let's fight!" Zhang Meng slowly stood up, his eyes filled with the spirit of battle.

When they had dealt with the first two veterans, he had observed that Qi Tian’s combat skills were absolutely top-notch. His reflexes and the way he deliberately pinned the veterans while rolling were textbook operations. As the leader of the younger generation in the Ancient Martial Arts program at Donghai Institute, Zhang Meng was a natural-born brawler. Ever since that moment, he had made up his mind to spar with Qi Tian whenever he had the chance. He hadn't expected Qi Tian to extend the invitation tonight. Since that was the case, he wouldn't hold back.

The two men strode to the center of the training ground, touched fists in silent agreement, and took their stances.

"Zhang Meng, go for it! Show us the strength that makes you the top close-combat specialist at the Sports Institute! Let the king of recruits see what you’ve got!" With the battle imminent, Jiang Chong was highly spirited, cheering Zhang Meng on.

In the first platoon, Song Wei was not to be outdone. He shouted at the top of his lungs, calling out to Qi Tian: "Brother Tian, a king of recruits is still a king of soldiers! The brothers believe in you—take Zhang Meng down!"

The shouts of the two acted like a spark that ignited the atmosphere among all the recruits. Though it was early morning and the dew was heavy, none of the recruits felt the cold. Instead, they were burning with excitement, their emotions reaching a fever pitch. As for the title Song Wei had blurted out, even he didn't notice it, let alone the other recruits, whose attention was entirely fixed on the two combatants. The support for Zhang Meng and Qi Tian was split roughly down the middle, and their names echoed once again throughout the Iron Fist New Recruit Training Base.

Amidst the cheers of over a hundred people, Zhang Meng made the first move. He unleashed a Tongbei palm strike, channeling the full force of his right arm, aiming straight for Qi Tian’s face.

"Qi Tian, watch out!"

Facing Zhang Meng's well-intentioned warning, Qi Tian gave a slight nod. At the same time, he pivoted sharply to the left, launching a sweeping leg kick toward Zhang Meng's base. Tongbei boxing was famous for its expansive, thunderous style of attack.

Qi Tian was fully prepared to dodge and weave; the sweep was merely his opening response. However, to his surprise, while he easily evaded Zhang Meng’s first strike, his sweeping kick landed on Zhang Meng’s legs, but the man didn't budge an inch. His right leg, which he had kicked out with significant force, was now stuck firmly against the outside of Zhang Meng's ankle, unable to move forward at all. Zhang Meng was like a small mountain; Qi Tian’s counter-maneuver had no effect.

"Beautiful! In addition to his training at the Sports Institute, Zhang Meng has spent three years practicing horse stance. With such a solid base, how could a simple sweep move him?" After the first tentative exchange, Jiang Chong cheered aloud. To him, it already seemed like Zhang Meng had completely suppressed Qi Tian. In his view, while Zhang Meng might not be Qi Tian’s match in terms of intelligence, stamina, or military discipline, when it came to fighting—especially the hard-hitting, hard-taking aspect of combat—Qi Tian was out of his league.

"Qi Tian, the testing is over. I'm going for real now!" As he spoke, Zhang Meng stepped back with his right side, leading with his left shoulder. He took a deep breath and lunged violently toward Qi Tian, who had retreated two meters away.

"Baji Quan: Mountain-Clinging Strike!"

Zhang Meng’s charge was fast and fierce. Having just steadied his footing, Qi Tian had no chance to dodge. Faced with Zhang Meng, who was charging like a wild bull, Qi Tian drew a sharp breath. As he fell backward, he seized the moment, striking with lightning speed to grab the shoulder of the oncoming Zhang Meng. Using the momentum, he exerted force to the side, executing a counter-throw that slammed Zhang Meng firmly into the ground.

Both men moved with incredible speed. Without even pausing to think, Zhang Meng relied on muscle memory to change tactics, unleashing the most powerful move from Xingyi Quan: The Dragon Probes the Sea! His left hand pressed down, locking onto Qi Tian’s shoulder, while his right fist hammered toward Qi Tian’s midsection. This punch carried thousands of pounds of force; a direct hit would have incapacitated Qi Tian on the spot. Most crucially, Zhang Meng’s left hand acted like an iron clamp, pinning Qi Tian’s shoulder and rendering him immobile. The strength of the top student of the Donghai Sports Institute’s Ancient Martial Arts program was on full display.

Hearing the rush of wind from the punch, Qi Tian’s expression changed. He crossed his arms to block his chest, having nowhere else to go but to take the hit head-on.

"Bang!"

The next second, Zhang Meng’s fist, the size of a sandbag, slammed into Qi Tian’s arms. Although it didn't land on his midsection, it still turned Qi Tian’s face pale, his arms instantly going numb.

"Again!" Zhang Meng roared. Still gripping Qi Tian’s shoulder, he performed a kip-up in front of everyone, then hoisted Qi Tian onto his shoulder. The "Tyrant Lifts the Cauldron" stance was set!

Seeing this, the recruits erupted again. It had been less than three moves since the fight began. To be on the verge of pinning the king of recruits within three moves—Zhang Meng was truly as fierce as his name suggested.

However, just as Zhang Meng exerted force with his right arm, intending to slam Qi Tian to the ground and end the fight, Qi Tian’s left leg suddenly extended. Using the curve behind his knee, he hooked and clamped onto Zhang Meng’s throat. At the same time, Qi Tian straightened his right leg completely, using his left foot to lock the hold. Relying on the strength of both legs, he completely constricted Zhang Meng’s throat.

A suffocating sensation instantly overwhelmed Zhang Meng’s brain. The "Tyrant Lifts the Cauldron" move he had prepared could no longer be executed as his throat was constricted and his breathing severely hindered. Not only that, but as time passed, the suffocation grew worse. A dozen seconds later, Zhang Meng couldn't even maintain his grip on Qi Tian’s shoulder. Qi Tian broke free, remaining locked onto Zhang Meng’s shoulders, pressing him down until his face turned bright red and he couldn't move.

At this moment, Qi Tian’s arms were free, and the numbness from the earlier punch had mostly faded—he was ready to counterattack at any second. In other words, if this weren't a friendly match, but a real hand-to-hand fight or a life-or-death struggle, Qi Tian’s hands could have ended Zhang Meng’s life at any moment.

As the situation reached this point, the victor was clear.