Chapter 7: The Seventh Cantonese Boxing Grandmaster (End)

"Demon!!!"

Although none of the pugilists present were faint of heart, the sight of such a grotesque and terrifying scene caused many to turn pale and recoil in succession.

What stood before them was an enlarged Ape Demon arm. The palm alone was the size of a water vat, with a texture like leather. The five fingers were nearly equal in width and length, each ten feet long, with black fur hanging to the ground like a curtain.

Kou Li’s eyes narrowed instantly. He saw it! At the base of the arm was the phantom of a giant ape with festering fur, staring at him with eyes the size of lanterns. Its mouth opened and closed, as if craving human brains. This appearance immediately reminded Kou Li of the missing Jiang Yazi; the two were far too similar.

In this state, Ruan Mingxi seemed unable to speak human language. With a monstrous roar, the giant ape palm swept toward him. A single finger was as thick as Kou Li’s waist.

This was not a life-or-death struggle, but a friendly spar between peers, so Kou Li had waited for his opponent to complete his transformation. Since it was a contest of strength, he would not strike at other parts of the body, even though his skill made that easy. More importantly, Kou Li had promised not to take a single step back. Empty words were for others; he always kept his promises.

He twisted his feet and braced his stance, his muscles and bones coiling together. Instead of retreating, he advanced. With one step, his body seemed to glide forward by three feet. Internal energy rose from the Du meridian and descended through the Ren meridian—one Yin, one Yang. When it was Yin, the energy was released; when it was Yang, the energy was stored.

Flipping his hand to turn Yang into Yin, his palm shot out like a striking snake. With a lift and a sink, like a blade returning to its sheath, and a heave to stir the rivers and seas, that massive, monstrous palm was sent flying upward with a thunderous "boom."

Yet, the demon’s palm seemed boneless. In mid-air, the back of the hand morphed into a palm, instantly lashing back down. It felt like a dark cloud blotting out the sky; everything went black before him.

At that moment, Kou Li pivoted his hips and steadied his stance. His body erupted with a series of nine cracks, the force traveling from his feet to his hands like water surging upward. This was the accumulation of power. He shook his palms, and the sound of bone-bells exploded.

He stepped in with a punch, the fist wrapped in explosive force. The demon’s palm instantly bulged at the fingers. With a twist of his feet and a press of his palms, he pinned the monstrous hand to the ground. Following this, he used a pulling and pressing motion, delivering a "Tiger-style" heavy strike that landed squarely on the giant ape’s wrist. Then, with a deft flick—like a Taoist dusting off a whisk—he sent the monster's hand flying upward.

This sequence of movements flowed like clouds and water; eight styles combined into one, each with its own variations, all completed in a matter of seconds.

This made Zhu Xiaojun, watching from behind, widen his eyes in awe, his whole body trembling. These were the first eight of his family’s "Twenty Hands": Shaking Bell Hands, Punching Fist, Slapping and Stomping, Double Leading Hands, Ground-Covering Hammer, Finger-Flicking Strike, Dusting Hands, and Sleeve-Sweeping.

This strike, devoid of any wasted effort, surpassed even his grandfather’s thirty years of bitter practice. It achieved a seamless flow—hands and feet in harmony, rising and falling, continuous in momentum. Even if the momentum broke, the energy would immediately reconnect. Moreover, after every move, the sound of surging water echoed, growing louder with each repetition.

Compared to the first eight, the middle eight were the most explosive and powerful: Mountain-Splitting Cannon, Snatching Hand Cannon, Ear-Piercing Hammer, Cleaving Hammer, Harrier Strike, Ghost-Peeking Head, Cleaving Hammer, and Dagger Fist. Each strike rang out like a boom, causing the vat-sized palm to cave in, while the phantom ape-demon let out a silent wail, its rotting flesh quivering.

Finally, as the Dagger Fist sliced through, green blood spurted from the palm. Wherever it landed, pillars and ground rotted away, white smoke rising instantly.

Ruan Mingxi could hold on no longer. With a miserable shriek, the fleshy arm withered at a visible rate. Covered in blood, he collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

As for Kou Li, his state had only just reached its peak. From his arms—or rather, his entire body—emanated the sound of roaring torrents, like giant waves crashing endlessly against a dam.

This collision filled Kou Li with vigorous blood and qi, causing his strength to surge—an endless, violent surge. Had Ruan Mingxi not collapsed at the critical moment, he truly believed he could have torn the Ape Demon’s hand apart.

The "Mercury Energy" Kou Li practiced was not a preemptive force. It lacked the raw, atmospheric power of the "Monster Wave" or "Dam-Opening" energies, nor was it as ruthlessly sharp as the "Skinning Technique" or "Blade Energy." In fact, this energy showed no obvious effect in the first ten, or even twenty or thirty punches. It was only when the energy circulated through his entire body, with his blood and bone marrow surging like a torrent, that each collision added a fraction of power. Like mercury sloshing back and forth, every movement stored and released energy, until finally, it poured forth like a flooding river.

Thus, it was an energy with distinct strengths and weaknesses—powerful, yet cumbersome. Even against opponents of the same caliber, it was enough to decide a fight within twenty moves. But it was perfectly suited for Kou Li; it allowed him to integrate the unique fist techniques he would eventually derive from his bamboo-style training to the greatest extent.

"Who’s next?"

"I’ll take him!"

*Bang!!!*

The burly pugilist who had just spoken was slapped by Kou Li directly onto the wall, where he hung for three seconds before slowly sliding down.

"Again!"

"I—"

*Thud!!!*

The door frame was smashed to pieces.

"Come!!"

The pugilists from other regions, who had been counting on stepping over the locals to make a name for themselves, suddenly fell silent. The opponent was like a monster, and he was currently at the peak of his sharpness; who would dare provoke him?

In the end, Kou Li stopped speaking. Any out-of-town pugilist who blocked his path was met with a single palm, his stance broken and his body tossed to the ground. His current prowess was roughly equivalent to a four- or five-fold stack of explosive energy, without any of the side effects.

"Serves them right!" Liu Bo whispered, and the other young pugilists wore expressions of shared feeling.

These young talents of the Guangdong pugilist circles had all sought to join Princess Feng’s retinue for ulterior motives. No matter how well they practiced their fists, power and wealth still required gambling with their lives. It was far better to be favored by a noble, to lie in her bed and effortlessly become a "Golden Son-in-Law." Not only would they gain power, but if Princess Feng were to dress in female attire, she was a stunning beauty to boot.

Therefore, Kou Li, who was close to Princess Feng, became the target of their collective hatred. They had caused him trouble countless times, both openly and in the shadows—though the endings were always miserable.

Moreover, while these young pugilists’ skills might not have reached their peak, they had mostly grasped the essence of their respective schools. Thanks to them, Kou Li’s "Bamboo Joint Energy" had risen by three levels: Floating Water Energy, Millstone-Pushing Energy, and Axle-Turning Energy.

That night of walking on water, and the footwork he had just used to deflect the "Stabbing Foot," were two of those. Seeing others bullied, these pugilists felt a strange sense of satisfaction; the harder Kou Li hit, the more excited and satisfied they became.

Finally, kicking and whipping his way through, Kou Li reached the fat monk and said softly, "Are you rested now?"

The fat monk’s face was hideous. He forced a smile and said, "This poor monk—"

Before he could finish, there was an explosion. The monk braced himself with the Esoteric "Immovable King" stance, but he was forced back three yards, carving two trenches into the ground with his feet.

"If I can't defeat you in three moves, consider it my loss!"

Kou Li was in the zone. His Mercury Energy surged throughout his body, forming invisible, rotating currents of air around his arms. Dragon and tiger merged; wind and cloud struck together!

The monk’s face changed drastically. He spread his arms wide, drooping them like wings, then thrust his claws upward. Like a claw emerging from wings, the "Immovable King" transformed into a Golden-Winged Great Peng. In the Esoteric Buddhist Fist, this was called the "Peng Double Strike," capable of the flapping power of a Peng’s wings.

Kou Li frowned. Ever since the special sensory upgrade of the "Wordless Diagram," he could clearly "feel" his opponent’s intent during a fight. Two iron-feathered monster wings sprouted from the monk, the bones sharp as knives, radiating a fierce and sharp energy.

The Great Peng: it bows to no phoenix, refuses to be tamed—a bird that defies the gods!

It was as if a real Golden-Winged Great Peng was about to let out a sky-shaking cry, the air waves rolling outward as it flapped its wings.

This was the downside of enhanced intuition. The fist intent he sensed would inflate a hundredfold in his mind. If his focus wavered even slightly, the momentum would rush into his heart. He wouldn't necessarily become a fool, but he would certainly be stunned—and in a life-or-death struggle, that meant certain death.

But the advantage was that this tangible fist intent allowed Kou Li to precisely feel the opponent’s method of power generation, thereby finding their flaws. It was just like the feeling he had when he broke the "Tiger-Leopard Combo" before. This was no longer an intuition triggered by a burst of potential, but a constant, outward manifestation.

One thought leads to Buddha, one thought leads to demon, one thought to life, one thought to death.

Kou Li now had an inkling of how the "cheat" of the Wordless Diagram worked: either you had the capacity to withstand this ability, or—you died.

A "Swastika" seal flashed in Kou Li’s hand and quickly turned into the "Cleaving" force of the Five Elements Fist. He condensed and stored his energy, merging it with the Mercury Energy. It was like a giant axe ground by water, swinging down toward the bird's head.

When your head is smashed open, let’s see if you’re still so arrogant, you ugly bird!!

With the sound of an iron axe exploding, the gunpowder-like force of the Cleaving Fist detonated. The fat monk could no longer hold his stance; with a *crack* of his arms, he was sent rolling across the floor like a gourd.

The crowd fell into a deathly silence. Even Guo Jing, the grandmaster pugilist, stood up subconsciously. He wasn't certain he could have blocked that Cleaving Fist strike!

At that moment, a voice like an oriole rang out:

"Who says Guangdong has no grandmasters? Isn't the one before my eyes the future seventh Grandmaster of Guangdong Boxing!"