The arena was filled with an invisible tension. Neither of the two combatants rushed to attack, instead standing in silent contemplation for five or six seconds.
"You don't even have the strength of a black belt, yet you've managed to get this far. I must admit, I have a tiny bit of admiration for you," Zhou Jun said, gesturing with his pinky finger. "See, just this much. Don't get ahead of yourself."
Gao Chenfei found himself in a rather amusing predicament, especially listening to Zhou Jun's childish voice, which was completely incongruous with his burly, robust physique. The occasional flourish of his fingers, like a graceful orchid, was almost comical, a magical kind of damage.
"Stop talking. If you continue, I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy my seafood feast tonight. Make your move!" Da Feng Novel Network.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Jun wasted no time. He extended his right hand, pushed off with his left leg, and swept towards Gao Chenfei with a speed that seemed to carry wind and thunder. Gao Chenfei reached out to block, his body sinking. Just as he was about to attack Zhou Jun's lower body, Zhou Jun's body, with incredibly strange footwork, slid backward. His body leaned forward, resembling an eagle's pounce with its talons extended.
This move was incredibly perilous. If Gao Chenfei had possessed enough reaction speed to sidestep, he would have surely face-planted. The true terror lay in the fact that before Zhou Jun even made his move, he had fully anticipated that his opponent would not have such agility. It was like a game of chess, where one player could see ten moves ahead, while the other could only see three.
Combat, like any game, favored those who could see further, granting them greater initiative.
Gao Chenfei inwardly sensed trouble. The best way to break through an opponent's calculated foresight was to abandon all patterns and moves, letting the heart lead, the intention precede, and the body and techniques follow. It was like the Nine Solitary Swords from novels – every move an attack, yet no move at all, always taking the initiative.
However, Gao Chenfei was not Peng Lin. Even if he could conceive of a solution, he lacked the ability to execute it. Fortunately, he had taken the pill, and his body was far from the constraint it had felt in the previous two rounds.
He raised his hands to parry the incoming fist force, which was like two dragons emerging from the sea. The power instantly transmitted down his spine, bending his entire body into a gasp-inducing angle, like a willow swaying in the wind.
Zhou Jun, however, did not give him a chance or time to react. The pressure from his downward-pressing hands suddenly withdrew, and he unleashed a sweeping leg strike at Gao Chenfei's lower body!
This attack, coming from above and below, was completely unconventional and left Gao Chenfei bewildered. Zhou Jun's leg swept through the air like a sharp blade. As Gao Chenfei prepared to use his hands to step back and slide away, Zhou Jun suddenly said, "Heh heh, if you slide back any further, you'll be at the edge of the ring!"
The edge of the ring?
Gao Chenfei trembled, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. He inwardly felt a chill, realizing that this scoundrel had meticulously planned to force him into a corner, thereby gaining complete control of the offensive initiative!
Despite this realization, his moves were already committed, and his position perfectly calculated by his opponent. There was no other course of action but to retreat rapidly.
"Damn it, I need to solve the immediate problem."
Gao Chenfei acted purely on reflex, sliding into the corner. Zhou Jun's eyes glinted like lightning. Knowing his opportunity had arrived, he stepped forward swiftly. Before Gao Chenfei could even steady himself, Zhou Jun's side kicks, carrying fierce winds, swept towards him!
"So fast, and their moves are like precise data calculations, perfectly executed, almost like a human machine!"
"Isn't that the truth? If this match were between Peng Lin, he would surely win."
"Indeed. The only one who can disrupt such a meticulously calculated opponent is the agile, free-spirited Peng Lin."
As the saying goes, onlookers see the game clearly. The audience had immediately grasped Gao Chenfei's predicament. And Gao Chenfei himself understood it too, but he was already in a perilous situation, with seemingly no other way to dodge. He could only ponder in his mind: if it were Peng Lin, how would he defend against this side kick?
As the one who had sparred with Peng Lin the most, he was at least familiar with his fighting style. At such a moment, how would he defend?
Defend? No, he wouldn't defend; he would counter-attack, using his opponent's force to his own advantage, turning a dangerous situation into a deadly one for his opponent!
Gao Chenfei's thoughts raced, and his body reacted swiftly!
Instead of blocking in front of his chest, his raised hands became like two cannons. In a flash, he pressed his body down, launching an uppercut-like strike at the calf of his opponent's leg!
Thump!
Zhou Jun fell to the mat, his face pale. The referee immediately announced the scoring!
"Zhou Jun is down. The score is 3:3!"
The audience hadn't even fully registered what had happened. After a moment of stunned silence, a cascade of applause erupted, shaking the entire martial arts hall.
"What... what kind of style is that?"
"Nonsense! That's not a style at all; he didn't play by the rules!"
"Incredible! The score is tied, and there's less than a minute left in the third round. Who do you think will win?"
The audience's hearts were in their throats. Even the applause gradually subsided, and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere filled the martial arts hall. Even the two chief referees couldn't help but wipe the sweat from their faces.
They had no clear idea of the outcome of this match.
"Very well, you've finally given me a moment of enjoyment. But now, it's all over."
Zhou Jun clenched his fists, veins bulging. The blood vessels on his temples stretched like gnarled roots towards his ears. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, his pupils turning red as if weeping blood, seemingly completely enraged by Gao Chenfei's unexpected strike!
"This is what a man's fight should be like!"
Gao Chenfei also gathered his last reserves of strength, his body taut like a drawn bow!
The countdown timer hung at the top of the ring, highlighted in red. Wind continuously surged in from the exits, compressing the air concentration rapidly, making everyone's breathing increasingly labored, and the atmosphere ever more somber.
The two figures on the stage were like the eye of a hurricane. As they moved, the airflow in the entire martial arts hall seemed to twist like a vortex!
The moment they made contact, the sounds of bones and muscles colliding filled the air. Their movements were as fast as lightning, like two wild horses fighting ferociously, or two crocodiles battling in a deep pool. Each move and countermove carried an almost breathless force.
The countdown began to flash wildly, like the last breaths of a dying person. The score remained 3:3, and it was impossible to discern who would emerge victorious from their equally fierce onslaught.
The audience's hearts were in their mouths, their breathing seemingly synchronized with the flashing red countdown lights. Their heartbeats pounded like heavy hammers. Most people could no longer sit still, rising to their feet one by one.
And then, Gao Chenfei's chest took a solid heavy blow. Instead of staggering backward, he propelled himself forward with sheer brute force, amplified by the numbing effect of the medication. He lunged forward, throwing a punch towards his opponent's face. Zhou Jun, though greatly alarmed, did not panic. With a sudden turn of his foot, he executed a highly difficult spinning back kick!