I Can Replicate Martial Arts-Chapter 85 - 56: Myriad Transformations Take Form, The Tides of Fortune Turn
At this stage of the competition, the outcome between the two universities was already clear.
Dean Zhang turned to Wang Zhanshan beside him and asked, "How many team members do we have left? How strong are they?"
Wang Zhanshan hesitated for a moment. "Just one freshman left. As for his strength..."
He paused, his expression turning a little grim. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. After all, Zhao Rui had no real combat experience.
But based on his Level and talent tests, he just didn’t seem like a promising prospect.
Seeing his expression, Dean Zhang’s expectations instantly vanished. He gave a listless smile and said, "Then let him compete."
’We have nothing left to lose anyway. We can just let the freshman get some combat experience.’
"Next up: Zhao Rui of Dongqi University versus Fu Shaohu of the Eastern Martial Body."
Hearing the referee’s announcement, everyone from Dongqi looked over at Zhao Rui, who was sitting in the front row waiting for his turn.
"Think he can do it?"
"Whether he can or not, we’re still going to lose."
"True. Sigh... If I’d known it would end like this, we should’ve recruited those other freshman freaks when this kid joined the team."
"Alright, don’t overthink it. A loss is a loss. We’ll win it back in the future."
"He probably hasn’t even learned the Prajna Palm yet, has he? It’s only been a few days. Sending him up there is just going to be embarrassing."
"He’s so bad, he might as well be a sophomore. Sounds about right, ha."
The juniors and seniors in the audience were whispering among themselves. It wasn’t that they were looking down on Zhao Rui; they just didn’t take this final match seriously at all.
’How could a freshman, a total rookie who just joined the team, possibly beat a sophomore from the opposing side?’
’I have no idea what the leadership was thinking.’
While some were pessimistic, others were naturally cheering him on. Qin Rui was already shouting at the top of her lungs, all pretense of composure gone, as she yelled her encouragement.
"Zhao Rui, you can do it!"
She often sparred with Zhao Rui. Although she didn’t know his true skill level, his mastery of the Prajna Palm was definitely higher than her own.
’If he can take advantage of his opponent underestimating him, it’s not like there’s no chance for a comeback.’
"Go for it. Be careful, he might be hiding his true strength," Cao Guannan, who had lost his own match, managed to rally his spirits and offer a word of advice.
Zhao Rui grunted in acknowledgment, smiled at the crowd, and then leaped onto the fighting stage.
"Please!"
He cupped one fist in the other palm in a salute, his demeanor gentle, carrying the air of a classic knight-errant.
The man opposite him had a look that was quite at odds with his name. He completely lacked a fierce demeanor. With handsome features and a tall, slender build, he looked more like a refined gentleman.
"Please!"
The two locked eyes, each assuming an opening stance. They began to circle, using their footwork to search for an opening in the other’s defense.
A glint flashed in Zhao Rui’s eyes. His palms crossed, a confusing blur like overlapping mountain peaks. Before his opponent could react, he instantly stomped into the Seven Stars Rooting Step, his palm shaping into a claw as he grabbed for the other’s Jianjing Acupoint.
It was the Taihang Thirteen Palms, which he had learned from his high school classmate, Cui Jian.
"Ten Thousand Valleys Listening to Pine?"
A faint smile touched the corner of Fu Shaohu of Dongyi’s mouth. Unhurried, he blocked with an angled palm. At the same time, his palm strike snaked forward like a dragon returning to a deep pool, cutting back diagonally toward Zhao Rui’s chest.
"Huilong Zhejian?"
Zhao Rui was taken aback. He hadn’t expected his opponent to also know the Taihang Thirteen Palms.
But after a moment’s thought, he understood. After all, the Taihang Thirteen Palms was not some profound form of Martial Arts. There were plenty of people who practiced this Cultivation Technique.
"The cliff hangs ninety feet high, the chi sinks on its own; the palm holds mist and rosy clouds, capable of binding a dragon! I wonder what Realm you’ve reached?"
Fu Shaohu smiled faintly. His Techniques were as imposing as a mountain peak, yet as ethereal as mist and clouds, as he engaged Zhao Rui in battle.
Zhao Rui just smiled serenely and didn’t reply. The Techniques in his hands shifted, and he began to cycle through the moves of the Taihang Thirteen Palms one after another.
The two of them, using the same Techniques with the same calm demeanor, looked just like martial brothers sparring for practice.
No, it would be more accurate to say it *was* a practice session between martial brothers.
Every one of Fu Shaohu’s moves was met by Zhao Rui, who would then smoothly transition into the next Technique in the sequence. It even led Fu Shaohu himself to feel that fighting this way was incredibly comfortable.
"Shaohu, what do you think you’re doing?"
Seeing the two of them acting like they were playing house, with no intention of actually fighting, the Dongyi coach below the stage grew anxious and immediately yelled out a reprimand.
Fu Shaohu was jolted back to his senses and hastily changed the Technique in his hands.
He stopped using the Taihang Thirteen Palms to match Zhao Rui.
Seeing his opponent switch Cultivation Techniques, Zhao Rui used the Wandering Dragon Step to evade the attack, then turned and unleashed the Prajna Palm, suppressing his opponent’s surging aura.
’The so-called brightening the mind to see one’s nature, emptying the self and the world, observing all Dharma Aspects, and perceiving the true self.’
Seventy percent of the Power in Zhao Rui’s Prajna Palm was defensive. It guarded the body as well as the mind, seeking not to achieve merit, but only to make no mistakes.
The whole Palm Technique was slippery and lazy, but incredibly stable.
"Zhao Rui’s Prajna Palm... it seems he’s already reached a proficient level!"
Wang Zhanshan, watching from below the stage, was slightly stunned. He looked at Zhao Rui fighting on the stage with a hint of disbelief.
He got up, left the spectator seats, and walked over to his team’s section. Leaning close to Zeng Hongyi, he asked, "Old Zeng, this kid’s Prajna Palm...?"
"It’s not bad. His innate talent is average, but his comprehension is quite good. He’s very sensitive to Techniques. I’ve been meaning to tell you about this!"
"Oh!"
Wang Zhanshan finally understood, but then he shook his head and said, "If his talent is lacking, his Power will never keep up. The further he goes, the wider the gap will become. How can mere Technique make up for that?"
"What a pity!"
Just as they were speaking, the situation on the stage shifted again.
Fu Shaohu had actually abandoned his Palm Technique and was now using an exquisite and unparalleled kicking style.
"Not good!"
Wang Zhanshan’s expression changed in alarm. His eyes narrowed involuntarily as he muttered, "Dongyi sent out their most versatile fighter."
"Most versatile fighter?"
"They don’t know Zhao Rui’s background, so they took the safest approach and chose a guy who excels at both fists and feet. These guys... they really aren’t planning to leave us any face at all!"
