While everyone else was still lost in memory, they hadn't expected Yu Hui's move to be so quick.
"Uncle Quan, let's begin!"
This guy seemed afraid of losing his chance to challenge, looking impatient as soon as he stepped up. However, Uncle Quan's brows furrowed slightly.
Was this defeated opponent coming up just to rack up points?
As an old hand, how could he not tell the strength of the person stepping onto the stage? Although not completely accurate, he could guess eight or nine tenths of it. Yu Hui's strength compared to Li Zhonglou...
In his eyes, they weren't even in the same league.
Perhaps the Hong family kid would still have a chance to fight after learning the true secret of Shadow Step.
But as the host, with someone already on stage, he couldn't refuse. In the end, he simply announced the start of the match according to Yu Hui's wishes.
Only no one noticed him exchange a glance with Wu Ying, who nodded back with a serious expression.
On stage.
Li Zhonglou hadn't expected the second match to feature such an obvious "gift-giver." He wasn't sure whether to be happy or secretly pleased.
Yu Hui, on the other hand, was full of confidence. Ignoring the strange looks from the crowd, he chuckled, "Li Zhonglou, is it? I've seen through your tricks! This time, you'll be the one losing!"
The man from the Hong family in the audience frowned tightly. Yu Hui's words had implicated him as well. If Li Zhonglou were to lose to him, wouldn't that mean he himself couldn't defeat Yu Hui either?
Those familiar with them knew that the Hong family's strength far surpassed the Yu family's, even if they were both at the fourth level of cultivation.
It was just that no one had expected Yu Hui to make the first move. At this moment, they could only watch the movements of the two.
Li Zhonglou said nothing more. He stamped his foot, his internal energy erupting from within, and he vanished from his spot with a swish.
Yu Hui wasn't alarmed but delighted. He first lowered his stance into a stable horse stance, then adopted a Tai Chi starting posture.
Left and Right Embracing Moon.
Yu Hui's hands swung left and right with incredibly slow movements. Yet, despite appearing slow, they cast several afterimages. Those who didn't know better might even think he had grown multiple hands.
Wu Long's eyes narrowed in surprise, murmuring, "It's actually the lost Tai Chi Vertical Hand!"
This was a move with myriad variations. Though the movements appeared slow, they were actually the ultimate expression of speed! To master this move, one had to completely unblock the acupoints in both hands; otherwise, one could either fail to execute it or injure their hands before the enemy even arrived!
However, unlike Shadow Step, which was deliberately destroyed by those with ulterior motives due to its extreme practicality, Tai Chi Vertical Hand, apart from being difficult to master, was most infamously known for being a "chicken rib."
Yes, a chicken rib.
For normal moves, if the conditions for practicing them were so harsh, the displayed power should also be greater than ordinary moves. But Tai Chi Vertical Hand was the opposite. Besides its speed and ability to confuse the opponent,
its offense and defense were far inferior to some ordinary moves!
This was because its center of gravity was entirely on the hands. With an unstable lower body, when countering moves, one could only retreat and deflect, not engage in a head-on clash. Also, because it was based on the stable horse stance, it lost the ability for proactive offense.
It could be said that Tai Chi Vertical Hand was an ancient art that had been discarded.
Apart from his initial surprise, Wu Long also became puzzled.
Not only him, but everyone who recognized the origin of this move couldn't help but feel confused, except for Uncle Quan and Wu Ying.
On stage, Li Zhonglou hadn't seen Tai Chi Vertical Hand before, but that didn't stop him from understanding the opponent's intention. After all, he himself was a Tai Chi master, and he had a natural advantage in anything related to it.
"Can this deal with Shadow Step?"
Li Zhonglou also felt curious. If he wasn't mistaken, Yu Hui was using this move to counter his Shadow Step. This made him temporarily change his plan to quickly end the fight with the Wutong Secret Technique.
Shadow Step!
As he approached, Li Zhonglou, just as Yu Hui had envisioned, used Shadow Step.
Although his figure couldn't be caught, Yu Hui's face was filled with excitement.
"Let me show you what true Tai Chi Vertical Hand is!"
Yu Hui suddenly took a step forward with his left foot. Although his body didn't appear to rotate, the next moment, his hands suddenly projected their true trajectory, followed by Li Zhonglou being pushed back repeatedly.
"Bang!"
Everything happened in an instant! From Li Zhonglou disappearing using Shadow Step to being clearly countered by Yu Hui and sent flying, the entire process took less than a second!
The audience below fell into a stunned silence, filled with bewilderment.
Then, it erupted.
"Was it countered?"
"What happened? Damn, it was too fast! I couldn't see clearly!"
"Can someone explain it to me!"
The crowd below was filled with confusion. Even Wu Long was clueless. Even Wu Ying, who had grasped a hint of it, frowned slightly, seemingly with a guess but not daring to confirm it.
Only Uncle Quan's eyes shifted, revealing a rare look of surprise.
Equally surprised was Li Zhonglou, who had just regained his balance.
He looked up at Yu Hui, who was calmly and composedly still executing the Tai Chi Vertical Hand, a hint of pride in his eyes.
"What kind of move is this? It can actually break Shadow Step!"
As the person involved, Li Zhonglou knew very well what had just happened. Although Yu Hui seemed to have done nothing, merely taking a step forward and twisting his body, when Li Zhonglou attacked with the speed enhancement of Shadow Step,
he was actually able to reflect all his strength back!
Moreover, as a Tai Chi master, Li Zhonglou instantly saw its essence: the faster the speed, the greater the reflected force!
"Interesting!"
As a Tai Chi master, it would be too much if he didn't even know this move. After slightly adjusting his breathing, Li Zhonglou continued to advance with Shadow Step.
Yu Hui confidently said, "It's useless. Tai Chi Vertical Hand completely counters Shadow Step. No matter how many times you try, the result will be the same!"
Li Zhonglou didn't reply. He continued to use the high-speed enhancement of Shadow Step to generate power, suddenly appearing to his left and throwing a punch.
After hearing Yu Hui's words, the crowd below finally reacted, but they still wanted to confirm its truth, staring intently at his actions.
Without a doubt, the next moment, Li Zhonglou was sent flying again.
And Yu Hui, having only adopted a stable horse stance, stood there as steady as a mountain, unmoving!
Only then did the crowd begin to discuss.
"It can actually counter it! This is the first time I've heard of it in my life."
"Let alone you, my old man and a Tai Chi grandmaster from the Martial Arts Association are sworn enemies, and I've never heard of this move having such a miraculous effect! This Yu Hui, he's got something."
The man from the Hong family frowned tightly, suddenly feeling that he might have truly been outdone.