Human Martial Saint: Starting with Bajiquan

Chapter 107 Standard Expansion

At this moment, the closest to Niu Dashan.

She was a woman wearing a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her clothes faded from washing and patched. Although simple, they could not hide her curvaceous figure.

The woman was Niu Dashan's widowed sister-in-law. Her eyes were full of concern, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she were whispering some instructions.

It turns out that Niu Dashan's elder brother died in a demonic attack years ago, and his sister-in-law then single-handedly supported the family and raised her younger brother, Niu Dashan.

Beside her sister-in-law was a young girl with her hair in two buns, slightly dark skin, but bright eyes. She was tightly clutching a coarse hemp handkerchief in her hand, her cheeks flushed. She would occasionally steal glances at Niu Dashan, and then quickly lower her head.

This young girl was Niu Dashan's childhood sweetheart, from the same village.

Further out, there were dozens of equally simple villagers, men and women, young and old. At the head of the group was an elderly man with gray hair and a weathered face, leaning on a cane, but his back was ramrod straight.

This is the village chief.

The old village elder was patting Niu Dashan's shoulder hard, his cloudy eyes filled with tears.

Back then, it was this village chief who led young Niu Dashan on a hundred-mile trek to the settlement of the Mangniu demon clan, risking his reputation and savings to obtain a drop of precious Mangniu essence blood for him.

That's how Niu Dashan, the eighth-rank martial artist, came to be.

"Dashan, don't be afraid, fight well!"

The village chief's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet full of strength and encouragement:

"Back when your father was the village chief, he sacrificed himself to protect the village, dying alongside that sixth-rank bear demon. He was a hero of our Niu Family Village! Before he passed away, his greatest wish was that you would become successful and take over the village chief's duties in the future!"

"Go, Brother Dashan!"

The girl who had grown up with him finally mustered up the courage to whisper a name, and then... her face turned even redder.

"Little brother, be careful. Even if you can't win... it's okay, as long as you're safe."

My sister-in-law choked up a little as she finished speaking.

Niu Dashan nodded heavily, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his sister-in-law, his childhood sweetheart, the old village chief, and then the many simple and honest villagers.

He didn't utter any grand words, but simply clenched his fists until they cracked, turned around, and steadily walked onto the ring step by step.

"I must win!"

Niu Dashan secretly encouraged himself.

Once he obtains the title of Martial Arts Examination Graduate and has this status, he can return to Niujia Village in glory and take over the position of the old village chief with dignity, just like his father, to protect the land that gave him birth and nurtured him, and these... relatives who regard him as their hope and support.

More importantly, becoming a martial arts graduate means becoming an officer in the border army. As a military officer, the nearby demon tribes would not dare to easily invade.

So we absolutely must win!

Liu Sheng saw all of this and had to admit that he was somewhat envious of Niu Dashan, who had so many fellow villagers who had come from afar to keep him company.

Unlike me, I only have my eldest brother, second sister, and master on the opposite rooftop... oh, that seems like quite a few.

That's fine.

In short, on the stage, everyone relies on their own abilities.

A moment later, the assistant examiner stepped forward again:

"The defending champion is Niu Dashan, and his opponent is Liu Sheng. The winner will be the martial arts candidate in this year's provincial examination!"

The gong rang again.

The competition begins.

Both parties finished exchanging greetings.

Niu Dashan roared and, like a wild bull charging forward, launched the first attack!

His steps were heavy and powerful, kicking up dust on the arena. His fists were filled with force, striking straight and direct, each punch carrying the momentum to shatter stone.

This is the essence of the Wild Bull Fist—

Ultimate power.

Liu Sheng focused his mind and attacked, using the fierce power of Bajiquan to counter the opponent's moves, responding calmly to each strike.

The two exchanged blows, producing muffled thuds like the sound of drums.

To Niu Dashan's surprise, Liu Sheng, who was opposite him, looked much thinner than him, but he was able to go toe-to-toe with his absolute strength, and their explosive power was almost the same.

Even in some head-on clashes, my arms would feel slightly numb, and sometimes it seemed like I wasn't hitting my opponent at all.

But in Liu Sheng's eyes...

This is a completely different scene.

The strength of the Wild Bull Fist lies in its power, but its weaknesses are equally obvious: its moves are too straightforward, lack variation, and have no sophisticated killing moves.

Looking at myself, I have already mastered Bajiquan, with smooth transitions between moves, integrated offense and defense, and the Golden Bell Shield protecting my body, as well as skillful techniques for deflecting force.

Most of Niu Dashan's powerful attacks were blocked or neutralized by him, while a few were directly clashed with his water-based physical strength. Therefore, his opponent could hardly pose a real threat to him.

Even so, Niu Dashan, like a tireless bull, launched attack after attack.

Liu Sheng, on the other hand, always manages to either withstand or defuse the most intense attacks at the lowest possible cost.

After several dozen rounds, even someone as formidable as Niu Dashan was finally covered in sweat, and his breathing became heavy.

In contrast, Liu Sheng did not suffer much damage.

The breath remained lingering.

"Admit defeat, you are no match for me."

Liu Sheng suddenly spoke, his voice not loud.

This time it was his turn to persuade them to surrender:

"Your strength is great, but your moves are too limited and can't hurt me. If this drags on, you'll be the one to lose."

Perhaps seeing that the other person also came from a poor background, had decent character, and a good attitude, Liu Sheng was reluctant to use excessive force or embarrass him in public.

Only then did he offer his advice.

Upon hearing this, Niu Dashan paused, his chest heaving violently. As the saying goes, the layman sees the spectacle, while the expert sees the details. Needless to say, he was both an expert and had experienced it firsthand, so he understood it all too well.

His opponent's punches, movements, and defenses were far more sophisticated than his own; if he continued fighting, he was most likely to run out of energy first.

But... should I admit defeat?

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced down at the crowd below the ring.

The sister-in-law clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Her childhood sweetheart bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. The old village chief's hand, leaning on his cane, trembled slightly, showing himself, and everyone else, that he was trying to straighten his back.

And...and those dozens of villagers' faces, filled with tension and anticipation.

And trust.

No! We can't give up!

His father's blood feud, the village chief's expectations, his sister-in-law's hard work, his childhood sweetheart's silent waiting, the future of the whole village... He carried too much on his shoulders. How could he fall here? How could he let his fellow villagers down?

"Again!"

Niu Dashan roared, his eyes bloodshot, and his previously weakened aura suddenly erupted again, even stronger than before!

He desperately gathered his strength once more, veins bulging on his fists, ready to unleash his final and strongest attack!

However, just as he was gathering his strength and his center of gravity shifted slightly forward, Liu Sheng moved.

He activated his spiritual eyes, and in his vision, Niu Dashan was surrounded by a light orange glow.

On his thick legs, two dark yellow spots were flashing rapidly; these were Niu Dashan's weaknesses!