Chapter 95: The Spirit of Martial Arts


    Han Ming stood calmly in the center of the arena, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding snake people. “Next,” he said coolly.


    “I’ll go! I refuse to believe a human like you can outmatch us in physical combat, especially when we have the advantage of our tails!” A particularly burly snake man leaped into the arena, his landing shaking the ground with a thunderous rumble.


    “Bring it on,” Han Ming chuckled, his excitement growing. He had entered a state of mind where nothing existed but the fight, the desire to dismantle his opponent’s moves.


    The muscular snake man clenched his fists, the sound of his knuckles cracking echoing through the air. “Let’s see what tricks you have left!” he sneered, mimicking the first snake man’s opening move—a tail swipe at the same angle and speed.


    Han Ming raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Interesting…”


    It seemed this snake man also had a strong desire for combat, deliberately using the same opening move as his predecessor to provoke Han Ming.


    Predicting moves? Han Ming thought back to his training with Li Xiaotian.


    “Old man, what if my opponent can also predict my moves? What then?”


    Li Xiaotian chuckled. “There are several ways to counter that. The first is to use defense as offense. Many believe that striking first gives you the advantage, but that’s not always true. Defense can be divided into active defense and passive defense.”


    Han Ming scratched his head. “What’s the difference?”


    Li Xiaotian smiled. “Try punching me.”


    Han Ming obliged, throwing a slow punch toward Li Xiaotian’s right shoulder.


    “When you throw a punch with your right arm, your right side is committed to the attack, leaving your left side free for defense. If I dodge your punch and counterattack your right shoulder, your left hand can’t defend that side. That’s passive defense.”


    Li Xiaotian demonstrated, raising his left forearm and pivoting to Han Ming’s right. As he deflected Han Ming’s punch with his left arm, his right fist landed on Han Ming’s right shoulder.


    “What I just did is active defense. When you’re attacking, you’re also trying to defend, which puts you in a passive defensive state. When someone is in a passive defensive state, they’re at a disadvantage. That’s your opportunity to strike.”


    Han Ming frowned. “But how does this relate to my opponent predicting my moves?”


    Li Xiaotian patted Han Ming’s head affectionately. “If your opponent is predicting your moves, it means they’re confident they know what you’ll do next. In other words, when they make their first move, they’re already preparing their second move to counter yours. Essentially, they’re trying to force you into a passive defensive state. For example, if you punch me but anticipate that I’ll move to your right, what would you do?”


    Han Ming’s eyes lit up. “I’d shift my weight to my left foot, leaving my right foot free to kick. As soon as you start moving to my right, I’d sweep my right leg toward your waist!”


    Li Xiaotian nodded approvingly. “And if you were in my position, what would you do?”


    “I see now!” Han Ming exclaimed.


    The current situation with the burly snake man was a perfect recreation of that lesson. The snake man’s tail whipped toward Han Ming, who crouched to dodge it.


    The snake man’s eyes gleamed coldly as he followed up with a kick aimed at Han Ming’s face, expecting Han Ming to sidestep and attack his supporting leg. He had already prepared a counter for that.


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    But Han Ming surprised him. Instead of dodging, Han Ming clasped his hands together, catching the snake man’s foot and slamming it to the ground.


    The snake man panicked. With Han Ming crouched beneath him, he felt vulnerable. Instinctively, he bent down and threw a punch at Han Ming’s back.


    But Han Ming had anticipated this. As he pinned the snake man’s leg, he twisted his body in a fluid motion, reminiscent of a basketball player spinning past a defender. His left arm swung around, the momentum of his twist driving it into the snake man’s side.


    *Crack!*


    The snake man’s spine snapped, and his massive body collapsed to the ground.


    Han Ming looked down at him with a faint smile. “You’re not human. Did you really think I’d fall for the same trick twice? Do you think I’m as foolish as you?”


    The snake man glared at Han Ming, unable to speak, before his body went still.


    “Next,” Han Ming said, his grin widening.


    Han Ming continued to dominate, dispatching wave after wave of snake people with minimal effort. His efficiency was terrifying, and the snake people grew increasingly fearful. Some hesitated to even step forward, their confidence shattered.


    The veiled woman finally realized things weren’t going as planned. If this continued, Han Ming would wipe out the snake people’s mid-tier fighters.


    “I never expected the most unassuming of the three to be such a formidable opponent. I underestimated him,” the veiled woman said coldly, her expression darkening as she surveyed the growing number of dead snake people.


    “I’ll handle this,” said the fourth-tier snake warrior standing beside her. With a graceful leap, he landed silently in the arena, not even stirring the dust.


    Han Ming’s expression grew serious. This opponent was different. His movements were flawless, and Han Ming couldn’t detect any obvious weaknesses. Even standing beside the veiled woman, this snake warrior exuded an impenetrable aura, as if no attack could breach his defenses.


    The snake warrior stretched lightly and grinned. “It’s been a while since I’ve faced someone like you. After watching your performance, I can’t wait to test you myself.”


    Han Ming nodded cautiously. “Then I’ll ask for your guidance.”


    The snake warrior smiled humbly and gestured for Han Ming to make the first move. He extended his left hand slowly, as if offering no threat.


    Han Ming mirrored the movement, stepping to the left and reaching out with his right hand toward the snake warrior’s neck.


    To an outsider, their actions would seem bizarre—slow and deliberate, like a slowed-down martial arts demonstration. If someone from Earth were watching, they might compare it to tai chi, but even slower.


    The snake warrior raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Haha, not bad! Not bad at all! You’ve grasped something truly profound!” he laughed, then took a large step forward with his right leg. Han Ming shifted to the right, his movements equally unhurried.


    Han Ming recalled another lesson from Li Xiaotian.


    “Old man, what if my opponent is also a master, someone who can predict my moves and counter them? What then?”


    Li Xiaotian sat down, gesturing for Han Ming to join him. “That’s the essence of martial arts. No two people are exactly alike, so no two minds think the same. If your opponent is on your level or even surpasses you, how do you win? That’s where the true spirit of martial arts comes into play.”


    Han Ming leaned in, intrigued. “So, what should I do?”


    Li Xiaotian smiled. “At your level, you’ve entered the realm of martial arts. The highest level of mastery is what I mentioned earlier—using defense as offense, forcing your opponent into a passive defensive state. If you attack first, you’re at a disadvantage. At this stage, your opponent’s opening moves aren’t meant to harm you but to draw out your counterattack. Once you counter, you reveal a weakness. There’s no such thing as a perfect attack, only a perfect defense.”


    Li Xiaotian sighed. “Once, I faced a master whose skill rivaled my own. We stood across from each other for three days, neither of us making a move. Do you know how I won?”


    Han Ming shook his head. “Why didn’t you attack?”


    “Because neither of us wanted to strike first. When I looked at his neck, he already knew how I might attack it and had countless ways to counter. When he looked at me, I did the same. We were locked in a mental battle, even though our bodies didn’t move. It was a clash of minds, not fists.”


    Han Ming’s mind reeled. The level of skill and focus required for such a duel was beyond his current understanding. To an outsider, it might look like two people staring at each other, but in reality, it was a high-stakes game of strategy and anticipation.


    Li Xiaotian continued, “At your level, your opponent will likely use stillness to counter your movements.”


    “Stillness?” Han Ming asked, puzzled.


    “Here, let me show you.” Li Xiaotian stood and extended his arm slowly toward Han Ming.


    Han Ming frowned. “What’s this? A slow attack?” He smirked and darted to the left, aiming to strike Li Xiaotian’s side.


    But as Han Ming moved, Li Xiaotian’s hand shot out, catching Han Ming by the neck. “You moved. Movement creates openings,” Li Xiaotian said with a smile.


    Han Ming slapped his forehead. “I see now! Your slow movement wasn’t an attack—it was bait to draw me out. But how did you know where I’d go?”


    Li Xiaotian chuckled. “That’s why you’re training with me. If everything could be explained in words, wouldn’t the world be full of masters? You can’t become a true expert just by listening. You have to experience it.”


    Han Ming grinned sheepishly. “Right. That’s why I’m here.”