Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 71: Chapter 67: Fu Ang: Do You Dare Face Me Again?

Martial Arts Garden!

When Lin Chen arrived at the Martial Arts Garden, he unexpectedly found Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying on-site, without wearing masks.

Wearing a mask, Lin Chen pondered whether to greet them, but before he could approach, he saw Cheng Ying pointing at him and saying something to Zhao Jingchuan, after which the two began to walk toward him.

”Senior Brother Lin?” Zhao Jingchuan asked in a low voice.

”Junior Brother Zhao recognized me?”

Lin Chen was somewhat surprised. Was he that easy to recognize?

Zhao Jingchuan smiled and explained, ”It was not me who recognized Senior Brother Lin; it was Junior Brother Cheng.”

Lin Chen looked at Cheng Ying, and before Lin Chen could ask, Cheng Ying proactively said, ”Senior Brother Lin, you’re wearing clothes from my home, and I always recognize them.”

Uh...

What a good point, Lin Chen had forgotten that the clothes he was wearing were indeed a gift from Junior Brother Cheng.

”No wonder Junior Brother Cheng could recognize me. Are the two of you here at the Martial Arts Garden for...?”

Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying weren’t wearing masks, and Lin Chen didn’t think they were here to challenge anyone in the arena. Were they here to watch the excitement?

”Senior Brother Lu has reached Four Acupoints and is currently sparring in the arena. We came with Senior Brother Lu, and we didn’t call you because we thought you’re probably training hard this last month and didn’t want to disturb you.”

After hearing Zhao Jingchuan’s explanation, Lin Chen followed Zhao Jingchuan’s gaze to the second arena, where two masked martial artists were currently fighting.

With just one look, Lin Chen recognized Lu Yongfeng.

If not for Zhao Jingchuan’s reminder, he might not have recognized him. But once he confirmed that one of them was Junior Brother Lu, he could recognize him immediately by his body shape.

”Junior Brother Lu is going to win.”

After just a few moments, Lin Chen had already made his judgment. Junior Brother Lu’s opponent was from the Mantis Martial Arts Hall, but the opponent’s Mantis Fist clearly lacked proficiency, lacking the essential ruthlessness in his execution.

Just three seconds after Lin Chen had spoken, Lu Yongfeng landed a heavy punch to his opponent’s chest, sending the opponent straight off the arena.

The disciple from the Mantis Martial Arts Hall fell off the arena, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, and a few masked individuals immediately went to support him.

”Why use such heavy-handed moves in a friendly sparring session?”

Even though the students from the Mantis Martial Arts Hall wore masks, the anger in their eyes was evident.

Lu Yongfeng remained silent. He had just reached Four Acupoints not long ago, and without giving it his all, it would’ve been difficult to defeat his opponent. How could he easily hold back by a slight margin?

He was not Senior Brother Lin, who had already mastered the Clear Wind Palm early on.

”If you’re afraid of getting hurt, you shouldn’t step onto the arena. Go back to your Mantis Martial Arts Hall. It’s better if your sparring within your hall is as weak as the women from Jingshui Martial Arts Hall.”

Before Lin Chen and the others could speak up in defense, a deep voice rang out at the venue.

Lin Chen looked towards the voice, and upon seeing the individual’s body shape and mask, his expression turned peculiar. It turned out to be an acquaintance he had fought before.

Fu Ang looked at the furious disciples from the Mantis Martial Arts Hall and disdainfully said, ”If you’re unhappy, if you’re unhappy, then come up to the arena and compete. But I wonder if you’re qualified to step onto the third arena.”

This guy reached Five Acupoints?

No, he should be at Four Acupoints. A disciple from Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall, having mastered the Iron Bone Skill, even at Five Acupoints, had the qualifications to set foot on the third arena.

Though to reach from Four Acupoints to Five Acupoints in such a short time is quite commendable, breaking through realms at Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall is harder than in other halls, and the cost is significant.

Yet another young man who is wealthy and diligent.

Lin Chen felt somewhat emotional, as since he came to this world, he hadn’t met any spoiled brats; the ones he encountered, each with a good family background, were more determined than the other, pushing each other forward.

”Let me deal with you!”

In the square, a young man without a mask spoke up, ”I’ve opened Six Acupoints and have mastered Mantis Claw. If you think I’m bullying you, you can choose not to accept the challenge.”

”So what if you’ve opened Six Acupoints? I accept this challenge.”

Fu Ang walked arrogantly toward the arena. As long as it wasn’t like last time, facing someone who achieved small success in a cultivation technique, even if the opponent was one Acupoint higher, he wouldn’t be afraid.

The new batch of students from the Mantis Martial Arts Hall, seeing a senior standing up for them, were all extremely touched.

”May I ask how to address you, Senior?”

”I’m not stepping in to help you; it’s because he said those things about the Mantis Martial Arts Hall and the women of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall being as weak as kittens. But he wasn’t wrong about one thing, once you’re on the arena, don’t be afraid of getting hurt.”

The three new students looked embarrassed, but didn’t dare to retort.

Steward Tian snorted coldly, but inwardly felt elated. Back when he was at the martial arts hall, he was always at the bottom. It took him five years to reach Six Acupoints, and back then, among his peers who managed to open three or four Acupoints in a few months or within a year, none took him seriously.

But now, those few new recruits, valued by the hall, could only accept his criticism in silence.

”Stop babbling and get up here to fight if you’re going to. I don’t have time to listen to you lecturing those couple of losers.”

Fu Ang was on the arena and looked annoyed at the opponent still dawdling below.

”Since you’re eager to lose, I’ll oblige.”

Hearing Fu Ang’s words, Steward Tian’s face turned cold. The Iron Bone Skill was indeed strong, but in these years, he didn’t just train in Mantis Claw.

With a light tap on the ground, Steward Tian soared two meters high, like a mantis, flying straight toward the arena.

”Senior Brother Lin, who do you think will win this match?” Zhao Jingchuan asked curiously.

”It’s hard to say. The strength of Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall’s Iron Bone Skill is evident, while the person from Mantis Martial Arts Hall has trained for many years and likely knows more than just Mantis Fist. This match should be...”

Before Lin Chen could finish speaking, a gasp erupted from the crowd.

In the ring, Steward Tian was just about to showcase his Lightweight Skill. He leaped to the top of the stage, but before he could land, Fu Ang charged towards him.

And then...

And then nothing more followed.

The elegance with which Steward Tian soared onto the stage was matched only by the miserableness of his being knocked to the ground.

”Fool, displaying your Lightweight Skill in front of a Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall disciple is a death wish!”

If in a vast space, Lightweight Skill might have its use, but the stage was merely fifty feet in circumference. When in the air, if one cannot maneuver or change positions, it becomes a massive flaw for the opponent to exploit.

Clearly, Steward Tian’s Lightweight Skill wasn’t sufficient for aerial maneuvers, or perhaps he hadn’t expected Fu Ang to strike before he landed.

”Despicable!”

”Attacking before my senior brother is even on the stage, is this the kind of shamelessness Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall’s people exhibit?” A few disciples from Mantis Martial Arts Hall immediately shouted angrily.

”The rules of the ring state that once a person appears on the stage, the match begins; this is not a violation.”

The judge nearby spoke, and his words instantly silenced the Mantis Martial Arts Hall disciples.

”Senior Brother Lin, what were you just about to say?”

Zhao Jingchuan, with a smiling face, looked at Lin Chen, who felt speechless at the Mantis Martial Arts Hall martial artist’s show-off. Engaging in a duel is one thing, but why flaunt elegance?

Even if you want to flaunt elegance, don’t do it in front of a Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall disciple.

Even if you must show off in front of them, you better have a Lightweight Skill perfected to change positions in mid-air to avoid becoming a target.

”Senior Brother Lin, if you were to face this man from Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall, would you have confidence?” Cheng Ying spoke up, providing Lin Chen with an excuse.

”His strength is not below mine; it’s hard to say.”

Lin Chen glanced at Fu Ang, who, after a few days unseen, seemed to have increased his strength significantly.

”Senior Brother Lin, this person is called Fu Ang, currently ranked second among this generation in Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Hall.”

Cheng Ying whispered an introduction, and Lin Chen blinked, understanding why Junior Brother Cheng was asking him this question.

If he wanted to fight for the top ten, Fu Ang was indeed one of his strong competitors.

In the ring, after defeating his opponent, Fu Ang glanced around the venue, and when his gaze landed on Lin Chen, it noticeably paused.

He recognized Lin Chen.

This mask and figure were the same as the one who defeated him last time.

Fu Ang raised an eyebrow, suddenly pointing at Lin Chen and said, ”Last time, in my recklessness, I lost to you in the ring. I’ve been looking for you in the Martial Arts Garden these days to challenge you again, but didn’t find you. Do you dare to fight me now?”

A challenge!

With Fu Ang’s words, the martial artists onlookers became excited.

A ring challenge was a rare sight, and such battles were usually captivating.

On the stage, Fu Ang celebrated his cleverness.

Last time he lost, causing quite a stir, spreading among their new group of disciples.

He wanted to regain his honor.

But remembering the searing pain from the opponent’s palm the last time, he felt apprehensive.

He hadn’t been to the Martial Arts Garden at all these days, but stayed in the hall for training. Only after breaking through to the Five Acupoints today did he enter the garden.

He had analyzed that this person was an older generation disciple, in the hall for over a year, only at Four Acupoints, and it would be impossible to reach Five Acupoints in such a short time.

This battle, therefore, seemed impossible to happen.

This way, he regained his honor without actually having to fight, achieving both ends.

”Senior Brother Lin?”

Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying looked at Lin Chen in shock—had Senior Brother Lin truly defeated Fu Ang?

Fu Ang was already a defeated opponent of Senior Brother Lin, yet Senior Brother Lin claimed the rival’s strength was comparable to his own. Such humility seemed excessive.

”Back then, both of us were at Four Acupoints; now, the opponent has Five Acupoints with increased strength, so I have no certainty.”

Seeing the meaning in Zhao Jingchuan and Cheng Ying’s eyes, Lin Chen gave a simple explanation and then looked toward the ring: ”Last time was a fortunate victory. Since you wish to challenge again, I can only oblige.”

As a disciple of Jingshui Martial Arts Hall, when Fu Ang called the people of Jingshui Hall soft, wasn’t he insulting him, too?

Moreover, the senior and junior sisters from his hall were all excellent; how could they be called soft?

Lin Chen stepped toward the ring, the surrounding martial artists eagerly anticipating an exciting duel.

In the ring, Fu Ang’s face, hidden behind a mask, fell instantly upon hearing Lin Chen accept the challenge.

”Have you opened five acupoints?”

Looking at Lin Chen stepping onto the stage, Fu Ang blurted out.

”Thank you for asking, I broke through recently and opened Five Acupoints.” Lin Chen cupped his hand and replied.