Chapter 26: Chapter 20: Thunderous Instant Kill

The scene was not only broadcasted live by the television station but also through internet live-streams by well-known anchors from both countries. Under their cameras, at least tens of millions of Chinese and South Korean people witnessed the defeat of Taekwondo, which was truly an embarrassing loss.

Han Junxi looked back at Choi Kimyin and, seeing the dissatisfaction on her face, immediately became flustered. He cleared his throat and said, “I protest. In Taekwondo, we emphasize fair play and never resort to sneak attacks. Therefore, your sneak attack is improper and should be condemned.”

Yan Fei spread his hands and said, “Your player was ready and even beckoned me to make a move, so that was not a sneak attack but a forthright offense. If you Taekwondo practitioners can’t accept defeat, you should just leave quietly to avoid further embarrassment…”

Enraged by Yan Fei, Han Junxi snapped his fingers, and the crowd behind him parted, with a middle-aged man stepping forward. This man was also dressed in Taekwondo practice attire, with a black belt wrapped around his waist and well-developed muscles on his legs, making him look extremely robust.

The middle-aged man leaped onto the stage and stood opposite Yan Fei. He shouted something in Korean at Yan Fei, and the translator immediately interpreted, “My name is Kim Wahee from South Korea’s Hong’s Taekwondo Gym, and my current rank is a Taekwondo Black Belt Fourth Dan. I now challenge you.”

Yan Fei made a fist-and-palm salute and said, “Yan Fei from China, a disciple of Master Wang Yong from the Surpass Martial Arts Gym. I’ve practiced Kung Fu for 9 days, and I accept your challenge.”

Hearing Yan Fei state his background, the group of South Koreans was taken aback. They had not expected that Yan Fei, who had just started learning martial arts, could defeat a Taekwondo master who had been training hard for years and reached the rank of Black Belt Third Dan. Could it be that Chinese Kung Fu was truly superior to Taekwondo?

With a sneer, Han Junxi said, “You Chinese people are so hypocritical, pretending to be novices when you’ve actually practiced Kung Fu for many years. It’s absolutely despicable. If you’ve truly only practiced Kung Fu for nine days, then I’ll eat the ropes on the ring.”

Yan Fei sneered coldly, choosing not to engage in a war of words. Instead, he looked at Kim Wahee, making a gesture of invitation. To avoid any accusations of sneak attacks from the South Koreans, this time he did not attack first but waited for the opponent to strike.

Kim Wahee bowed to Yan Fei and then, without warning, erupted into action with a spinning leap kick. Yan Fei steadied himself in a horse stance, raising his arms to shield his chest, and managed to block Kim Wahee’s kick just in time. A thunderous ‘bang’ resounded, and Kim Wahee’s body shuddered as he landed and nearly lost his balance. Yan Fei, on the other hand, grunted and took a step back.

In the first exchange, Yan Fei managed to fend off Kim Wahee’s attack and also gauge his strength. With strength alone, Yan Fei held an advantage and he began to feel more assured. Previously, when facing Xiao Kong and the brawny man, Yan Fei was at a complete disadvantage, which severely undermined his confidence in his own abilities. Now, after this initial test, he felt a surge of confidence realizing the opponent wasn’t as strong as he thought.

Kim Wahee was utterly shocked; his spinning kick was powerful enough to break wooden sticks, and many adversaries had fallen to this move, with some even sustaining broken ribs. He never expected his kick to feel like striking a tree when it hit Yan Fei, the enormous recoil nearly making him fall.

Yan Fei’s eyes were locked onto Kim Wahee as he quickly charged towards him. Before he even got close, Kim Wahee shouted once more, leaping high into another spinning kick.

Yan Fei sneered inwardly. Wang Yong had taught him that the biggest taboo in Chinese Kung Fu was to take to the air; once a martial artist elevated off the ground, they would lose control over their fate. Taekwondo, in pursuit of graceful postures, involved many aerial maneuvers, not realizing this was akin to courting death.

As soon as Yan Fei saw Kim Wahee take to the air again, he accelerated and closed the distance, delivering a ferocious punch to Kim Wahee’s thigh.

With Kim Wahee in mid-air unable to change his move, his spinning kick was not even fully executed before Yan Fei’s punch struck. He was then sent flying, landing hard on the ground. He struggled for a bit but failed to get up, a pained expression crossing his face.

The surrounding South Koreans were astounded, and a team of medics immediately rushed to check on Kim Wahee. They discovered that his thigh bone had been broken by Yan Fei’s punch. This meant that Kim Wahee had sustained serious injuries and lost all combat power.

The spectators were shocked; Kim Wahee had entered the ring full of bravado but in just two rounds, he was lying on the ground terribly wounded. The contrast was too great. Those South Koreans watching the live stream were as if they had swallowed flies, their prepared cheers of victory stifled back.

Han Junxi was deeply shaken. Glancing back to see Choi Kimyin’s dissatisfied expression, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. With a wave of his hand, the medics approached and carried Kim Wahee away for immediate treatment.

Just as Han Junxi was about to say something to save a little face, a voice suddenly rang out, speaking fluent Mandarin, “Impressive, truly impressive. I never expected Chinese Kung Fu to have such a successor…”

Yan Fei looked over and saw a withered old man emerge from the group of South Koreans. The old man’s body was gaunt and hunched, dressed in casual clothes, and appeared very ordinary. He slowly walked toward Yan Fei on the stage, and with each step, the old man’s body became more upright; with each step, his build seemed to become stronger; and with each step, his aura grew more intense.

By the end, the originally withered old man had changed into an imposing figure, bursting with a formidable aura, startling Yan Fei, who faced him directly, and unwittingly, a sense of powerlessness rose in Yan Fei’s heart.

The gaunt old man had just been standing by Choi Kimyin’s side, with drooping eyelids and a listless air about him, appearing utterly decrepit. Nobody had paid him any attention, not realizing that he was a hidden dragon. Once he displayed his true form, the situation changed dramatically.

The audience watching the spectacle and the viewers watching the live stream were stunned by the old man. If they hadn’t seen the transformation occur step by step with their own eyes, they would have almost thought that the old man was performing magic. How could a human body change so dramatically in an instant? Or was this old man not human at all?

The now imposing old man stood on the stage and said to Yan Fei, “Although you defeated those two, they barely scratched the surface of Taekwondo and can by no means represent Taekwondo, so you have not defeated Taekwondo. I trained in Taekwondo when I was young and have some insight into it. I consider myself a successor of Taekwondo, so let me test you.”

Feeling the old man’s overwhelming presence, Yan Fei knew he faced an unprecedentedly formidable enemy, but he wasn’t afraid. He fought hard against the feeling of powerlessness and ignited a blazing desire to battle within himself. He assumed a defensive stance, readying himself.

Just then, with a loud laugh, Wang Yong leaped, as if teleporting, to stand in front of Yan Fei and said to the old man, “You sneaky old ghost, my student has only practiced Kung Fu for a few days and is still a novice. Don’t scare him.”

With Wang Yong blocking in front, somehow the pressure from the old man was severed, and Yan Fei immediately felt relief wash over his body. He looked at Wang Yong, who had suddenly appeared before him, and was struck with amazement; Wang Yong truly was no ordinary person—his usual mundane appearance was just a façade.

Despite facing the Taekwondo master, Wang Yong emitted no particular aura, yet completely cut off the old man’s pressure. He turned to Yan Fei and said, “You step down first. Let me deal with this old South Korean charlatan.”

Yan Fei didn’t insist and stepped off the stage to observe Wang Yong’s battle with the Taekwondo old man.

Seeing Wang Yong suddenly appear before him, the old man’s eyelids twitched, recognizing that he was facing a true expert. Nonetheless, this was a welcome development for him. He finally had the chance to engage in a proper showdown with a Chinese Kung Fu expert and demonstrate the power of Taekwondo to the world.

Wang Yong and the old man faced off on the stage, the latter brimming with fighting spirit and his aura climbing ceaselessly, as if there were no limit. From below the stage, Yan Fei watched in astonishment, never imagining that a human could exude such aura. Meanwhile, Wang Yong appeared unfazed, unaffected by the old man’s aura.

Suddenly, the old man shouted and charged toward Wang Yong. Wang Yong stood firm, extending his arms in front of his chest, palms facing inwards.

In full sprint, the old man’s leg muscles suddenly bulged, becoming incredibly thick. He leaped and executed a roundhouse kick with more force and speed than before, generating a sonic boom in the air.

Effortlessly, Wang Yong sidestepped the kick. Then, with a swift extension of his hands, he clapped them together near the old man’s ears. The simple action of clapping his hands created a loud boom on the stage, as if a thunderbolt had struck on a clear day.

The sound was so thunderous that the onlooking crowd felt a tremor, their bones went soft, and they all collapsed to the ground, with several people even losing consciousness.

If those merely observing from the sidelines were affected so severely by the aftermath of the sound, then the old man, who received it point-blank by his ears, fared even worse. Instantly, his eardrums burst, his cerebellum vibrated, and unable to stand, he fell and sat on the stage. Blood flowed from all his orifices, dazed and unaware of his surroundings, utterly devoid of any combat power.

With a simple move, Wang Yong instantly killed the Taekwondo old man, displaying inscrutable strength. The outcome shocked not only the live-streaming audience but also Yan Fei, who sat collapsed on the ground, agape. He had no idea that such methods of attack existed in the world, nor did he imagine that Wang Yong would be so powerful—to effortlessly vanquish the seemingly formidable Taekwondo old man.