Chapter 23 Tiger Pounce

"I can confirm someone is on the second floor of the inn to the left of the tavern!" Old Man Liu Jianfeng said in the team voice channel. "But be careful, I haven't located Twin Blades Dong Xu yet. He could launch a surprise attack at any moment."

"That inn it is!"

Mighty God Gao Chong strode forward, each step shaking the stone slabs. If before he was just traveling, now he was charging! Blood Axe King Qiao and War Goddess Sun Yuting also charged with their shields raised, heading straight for the inn.

"Gao Chong, let me see what you're made of." A burly man named Wu Sai, also clad in heavy armor, appeared on the street, wielding two large shields.

Xu Jingming also appeared at Wu Sai's left, holding a shield in each hand. His shields were noticeably smaller than Wu Sai's, only sixty centimeters in diameter, and he wore light protective armor. His long spear was split into two sections and carried on his back.

Once Gao Chong started fighting, he became fierce and berserk! In the World Martial Arts Tournament years ago, he charged and smashed his way from the first match to the last, all the way to becoming the world champion! That was in real life. Now, in the virtual world, he unleashed himself even more.

"What trash dares to stand in my way!" Gao Chong was at the forefront, his spear directly cleaving towards Wu Sai! The strike seemed like the Milky Way turning upside down, its momentum incredibly fierce.

Wu Sai raised his two shields. Years of boxing had accustomed him to a defensive stance, and he believed his shields could withstand any opponent's attack.

"Boom!"

The spear strike, like the inverted Milky Way or the axe of Pangu splitting the heavens, landed squarely on the shields.

Wu Sai felt the impact force crushing through the shields, sending his body flying uncontrollably backward. He couldn't believe it. "What the hell?"

"His actual combat bonus for weapon-based combat is 0%, right?" Xu Jingming was dumbfounded.

This legendary boxing champion undoubtedly had high control over his body. There were commonalities between boxing and shield techniques, and his basic combat strength was at least 1200 on paper.

But his weapon combat experience was terrible.

"He actually tried to block a charging, momentum-fueled spear strike while wearing hundreds of kilograms of armor?" Panda Zhang Qian, who had been hiding in a house preparing to ambush them, had no choice but to rush out. His three-pointed, double-edged blade transformed into a swimming dragon, blocking Gao Chong's attempt to follow up with another strike.

"Clang!"

The long spear and the three-pointed, double-edged blade collided. Panda Zhang Qian bent the spear shaft and took two steps back, barely managing to withstand the blow.

"Thanks, Panda," Wu Sai said, getting up with some embarrassment. "I don't have much experience. Sorry about that."

"Hurry up and help," Panda Zhang Qian said, already feeling the pressure after only a few exchanges.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Let's take out Xu Jingming first." Blood Axe King Qiao and War Goddess Sun Yuting seized the opportunity to create a two-on-one situation.

Holding a shield in each hand, Xu Jingming retreated slightly as the two approached. With a slight tilt and sway of his shields, he made it awkward and difficult for Blood Axe King Qiao and War Goddess Sun Yuting to charge.

"His shield technique was taught by Liu Hai. It's like a piece of taffy," Sun Yuting said. Although her shield strike missed, she still thrust her sword like a venomous snake. Blood Axe King Qiao also swung his axe.

"Bang." "Clang."

Xu Jingming defended flawlessly against the two opponents.

It wouldn't be easy to defend with just a spear. But shields had a great advantage in defense. The shield technique taught by his master, Liu Hai, focused on borrowing and redirecting force, although it also had explosive moves.

Across the street, in a residential house, Sharpshooter Wang Yi watched the fight unfold.

Gao Chong charged wildly, his attacks violent, and he was holding his own against Panda Zhang Qian and Boxing King Wu Sai in a two-on-one fight.

Xu Jingming was holding off the combined attacks of Sun Yuting and Wang Qiao, defending perfectly.

"Gao Chong." Wang Yi drew her bow, an arrow on the string.

Gao Chong's wild attacks left his head less protected than War Goddess Sun Yuting and Blood Axe King Qiao.

Wang Yi's eyes flashed.

"Swish."

She released the string.

An arrow shot out of the window, tearing through the air, heading straight for Gao Chong at terrifying speed.

Gao Chong, a man who could win the world championship, wasn't really that reckless. The person he was most wary of was the sharpshooter hidden in the shadows.

"So fast!" Even though he was vigilant, the blurry arrow still shocked Gao Chong. He barely managed to raise the shaft of his spear while tilting his head.

*Pfft!*

The arrow grazed his cheek, tearing off a piece of flesh, and his right ear disappeared.

"There!" Gao Chong was delighted instead of alarmed. He looked at the residential house in front of him and charged forward madly.

"The sharpshooter is there." War Goddess Sun Yuting and Blood Axe King Qiao also locked onto the house. They stopped fighting Xu Jingming and charged towards the house as well.

"Hold them back," Wu Sai said, bracing himself with his shields.

Panda Zhang Qian also rushed forward, working together to block Gao Chong. But with a precise upward thrust from Gao Chong, Wu Sai's shields were knocked away, and Panda Zhang Qian was forced back several steps by a spear strike.

Zhang Qian gritted his teeth. "The pain is only one percent in this Life Evolution world! Otherwise, the pain alone would have exposed an opening for Gao Chong from that arrow."

Pain was reduced to one percent because life-and-death battles often resulted in severe injuries. Without reducing the pain, many people would break down.

Wu Sai and Panda Zhang Qian couldn't hold back the rampaging Gao Chong.

On the other side, Xu Jingming couldn't hold back two people alone. But as Sun Yuting and Wang Qiao charged towards the house, Xu Jingming suddenly charged forward, issuing a command in the team voice channel at the same time. "Sharpshooter, work with me!"

Boom! Boom!

Xu Jingming took only two steps, his legs exploding with power, unleashing terrifying speed.

"What?" Sun Yuting immediately sensed something was wrong. She felt that Xu Jingming, who had suddenly erupted, was radiating a terrifying, savage aura, like an ancient beast pouncing on its prey. Xu Jingming, who had been deflecting attacks all along, revealed his fangs, making Sun Yuting feel more fear than even Mighty God Gao Chong.

"Bang."

Although she had raised her left shield and prepared to deflect,

at the moment of impact, Xu Jingming slammed out with both shields, transferring the force of his charge and his entire body almost perfectly into the shields. The force passed through the collision with Sun Yuting's shield and was completely transmitted to her body.

Sun Yuting felt her shield twisting her arm, crashing into her chest. She was sent flying uncontrollably, and a sweet taste filled her mouth as she coughed up blood.

"Swish."

At that moment, she also saw an arrow, once again shot from the residential house.

However, Sun Yuting, who had been sent flying, couldn't dodge it at all. The arrow pierced her neck, and her body dissolved, disappearing from the town.

War Goddess Sun Yuting was dead! After being struck by Xu Jingming's shields and sent flying, she could only meet her end before the sharpshooter.

"What?" Blood Axe King Qiao couldn't believe it. In one exchange, his companion had been sent flying and severely injured. "This isn't Liu Hai's shield technique."

Xu Jingming held his shields.

Shield technique?

When you first learn a shield technique, you have to follow your teacher's instructions completely. But after reaching a high level, you naturally take the path that suits you. What I learned since I was a child... was Bajiquan and Chuojiao!

My father's most prized move was the Bajiquan Tiger Pounce! My father spent forty years practicing this move. As his favorite move, he taught Xu Jingming personally since he was a child.

"This shield technique is my father's signature move!" Xu Jingming said silently. "Bajiquan Tiger Pounce!"

...

In the Xia Country official livestream.

Seeing this scene, Xu Hong's eyes welled up, and he murmured, "Bajiquan Tiger Pounce!"

When he was young, he was a martial arts blogger who learned many martial arts styles. He learned a little of everything, but he wasn't proficient in anything. But he loved it! Later, when he came across the 'Bajiquan Tiger Pounce,' he loved it from the bottom of his heart.

He put in a lot of effort to become a disciple and learn the true teachings of Bajiquan. He even built a Bajiquan school in Mingyue City.

He practiced many moves every day, but he spent most of his time on one move—the Bajiquan Tiger Pounce!

"Son, the Bajiquan Tiger Pounce is all about the pounce. It's not just about the strength of the whole body, but also the momentum of the pounce," Xu Hong said to his young son, demonstrating the Bajiquan Tiger Pounce.

"No matter what moves the enemy uses, my Bajiquan Tiger Pounce grabs the center line and can push the enemy's arms away, striking them in the chest."

"Some say that the Fierce Tiger Climbing the Mountain is powerful, but the Bajiquan Tiger Pounce is purer."

"If you master one move, you can defeat any enemy with a single pounce."

Xu Hong had absolute faith in this move.

The young Xu Jingming didn't quite understand, but he knew to trust his father and practiced the moves one after another.

During his three years of retirement, Xu Jingming felt that his shield technique wasn't fierce enough and that Bajiquan could be integrated, so he slowly integrated it, forming his own shield technique. It was different from his master Liu Hai's shield technique.

In the Xia Country official livestream, countless viewers were in an uproar.

The battle was originally very close, and Mighty God Gao Chong was even very strong, gaining the upper hand in a two-on-one fight. Xu Jingming could only defend against Wang Qiao and Sun Yuting on the surface.

But the situation changed instantly! As soon as Xu Jingming showed his fangs, he instantly sent Sun Yuting flying with serious injuries.

"Look, in just two steps, Xu Jingming's body acceleration reached 30.8 meters per second." Watching the slow-motion replay, Head Coach Huang Yong was extremely excited, pointing and saying, "If he practiced the Shadow Leopard Evolution Method, I wouldn't be surprised to see this level of speed. But Xu Jingming's body type and strength are obviously not the Shadow Leopard Evolution Method, yet he instantly exploded with such power! Clearly, his control over his body has reached an astonishing level."

"Two steps to reach a terrifying speed. The shields are like the two big paws of a tiger, striking War Goddess Sun Yuting's shield. Even with a shield to block, she was still struck with enough force to cough up blood and fly away," Huang Yong said with admiration. "Too amazing."

"Xu Jingming's shield technique wasn't this ferocious in the World Martial Arts Tournament," Qin Yiwen exclaimed.

"In the past, it had the essence of Tai Chi, but now it has the flavor of Bajiquan," Huang Yong said. "What a ferocious move! Xu Jingming is even stronger than he was three years ago!"

In the livestream's comment section, countless comments surged.

"Awesome!"

"He directly sent a fellow god-level expert flying with serious injuries?"

"His shields aren't shields at all. As Head Coach Huang Yong said, those shields... are like the two big paws of a tiger."

"Not just any tiger, but a tiger demon! The two big paws of a giant tiger demon."

"Xu Jingming, don't call yourself the Gun Demon anymore, call yourself the Shield Demon!"

The viewers were excited. When the battle was at a stalemate, what was needed was a decisive move!