Chapter 65 – The Profound Art of Taijiquan

Elder Pan leveled his arms in a horse stance, then bent his knees and pressed downward, already assuming the Taiji opening posture.

At first glance, Ye Kuang was also deceived by his opponent’s soft and seemingly powerless stance, inevitably feeling a wave of suspicion inwardly.

Although he had long heard of Taiji Fist, he found it difficult to associate it with the renowned technique of using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

Thinking this, Ye Kuang suddenly clenched a single fist and launched a forward-step cannon blast.

It could be said that his speed alone rivaled that of a cheetah; even before his cannon fist arrived, it already exuded a sense of pressure.

But then, something unexpected happened!

Elder Pan’s hands transformed into palm-leaf fans, drawing circles left and right. With a single rotation and a point, he effortlessly dissolved Ye Kuang’s attack in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, Elder Pan’s hands appeared to lack any sense of exertion, yet within them lay a profound and vast subtlety.

Before Ye Kuang could react, he was immediately pulled and pushed by Elder Pan’s hands.

And the force within this was not as simple as one plus one equals two. Not only was it reorganized from whole to zero, but it was also entirely returned to him.

Thump, thump, thump!

At that moment, even someone as steady as Ye Kuang had no choice but to retreat wildly over a dozen steps.

Only when he firmly stomped his last step on the ground did he finally halt the violent backward momentum.

By then, the look in Ye Kuang’s eyes had completely changed, now filled with astonishment!

If not for the vigorous qi surging chaotically throughout his body, he would have found it hard to believe what had just transpired.

When he looked at the elder again, his gaze flickered uncertainly!

“Taiji follows my intent—this old man knows how to borrow force to strike back!”

As soon as Elder Pan’s words fell, he stepped into a T-stance with a right embrace, turned into a bow stance with a left separation, and as his foot lifted, he pivoted left with a sweeping motion… But immediately after, his movements changed again: a T-stance with a left embrace and turn, a bow stance with a right separation, and as his foot lifted and turned right, he executed another sweeping motion.

When Elder Pan settled into his stance, he instantly formed the Taiji posture “Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane on Both Sides.”

It was only at this moment that Ye Kuang felt overwhelming shock and finally set aside his earlier underestimation.

What he had initially thought would be a farce without suspense turned out to be an encounter with a true master.

Elder Pan: “From Wuji comes Taiji; Taiji moves and gives rise to Yang. At the extreme of movement is stillness; at the extreme of stillness, movement returns. Movement and stillness alternate as each other’s root; dividing Yin and Yang establishes the two principles. Young man, defeating this old man won’t be so easy.”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang immediately assumed a posture of holding a ball, alternating his left and right hands, and surprisingly also adopted the Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane stance.

“Oh?” Elder Pan couldn’t help but show interest upon seeing this. The more he observed this young man, the more he appreciated him.

Ye Kuang: “Elderly Gentleman, in today’s Martial World Sects, may I ask which school of Taiji is the strongest? I humbly request your guidance and will listen attentively.”

However, Elder Pan did not answer. Instead, he spread his legs and moved as if treading the ground, appearing to stroll leisurely yet moving as swiftly as a fleeing hare.

That sight left someone utterly dumbfounded!

Here, it must be mentioned: In Ye Kuang’s understanding, Taiji should follow nature, using stillness to control movement and borrowing force to strike back. But who could have imagined that Taiji Fist could also have such a wild side?

No sooner said than done!

Elder Pan’s hands repeatedly stirred the void, and his seemingly soft and powerless arms suddenly brimmed with a sense of power.

The moment Ye Kuang made contact, he felt as if a massive wave was crashing toward him, inspiring awe and fear.Immediately after, his hands were involuntarily pulled into a vortex by an inexplicable force, unable to free themselves!

Then appeared the scene of Ye Kuang and Elder Pan pushing against each other’s hands, their mutual shoving showing neither willing to yield.

This instantly astonished the surrounding group of white-haired elders.

“That lad is truly remarkable—to spar with Elder Pan to such an extent is genuinely unbelievable.”

“Look closely, although this young man doesn’t understand Taiji, he still appears perfectly at ease in such a situation… Strange, utterly strange.”

“I thought it would be a one-sided affair, but who knew it would bring not just surprise but shock. And this lad is merely twenty years young—could he have started martial training from the womb?”

…

Regardless of the varied discussions around them, Ye Kuang was clearly growing increasingly fascinated by the profound and intricate art of Taijiquan.

“Elderly Gentleman, I’ve only used thirty percent of my strength. How much have you used?” Ye Kuang asked curiously.

Hearing this, Elder Pan responded with a noncommittal smile: “Young man, don’t talk nonsense. This old man observes your breath is somewhat unsteady, indicating you’ve already exerted your full power. What’s the point of boasting now? Besides, this old man isn’t made of straw—go ahead and test me!”

With these words, Elder Pan clearly believed Ye Kuang was making empty boasts.

Seeing this, Ye Kuang fell silent for a moment before warning: “Then I’ll get serious. If you can’t handle it, please call stop. Otherwise, I’m afraid I might lose control and accidentally injure you, Elderly Gentleman.”

As he spoke, the strength in his hands noticeably increased, making his pushing force grow even more powerful.

Elder Pan: “Huh… this power…”

But before Elder Pan could finish, his pupils abruptly constricted.

Because Ye Kuang’s arms seemed as if filled with molten lead, becoming extremely heavy and momentarily impossible to budge.

“Elderly Gentleman, your Taijiquan may be extraordinarily divine, but when faced with power beyond what it can withstand, it too becomes inadequate,” Ye Kuang explained confidently.

Elder Pan responded by moving his hands continuously, manipulating the forces around them, yet found himself helpless against Ye Kuang’s sudden increase in strength.

Ye Kuang then exerted a burst of force, intending to push his opponent back decisively.

Unexpectedly, Elder Pan’s combat experience was immensely rich—a forward push using the “White Crane Spreads Its Wings” technique perfectly countered Ye Kuang’s fist.

As the two separated, they gazed intently at each other, their expressions revealing mutual admiration as if they had found a kindred spirit they wished they’d met sooner.

Elder Pan: “Young man, this doesn’t seem like ordinary fist technique. What kind of boxing is this?”

At this point, Elder Pan couldn’t help but feel shocked.

Generally, no matter how domineering any fist technique might be, it couldn’t escape the process of generating power through arm movement. Yet the current situation showed Elder Pan that Ye Kuang’s arms contained True Qi within, indicating it wasn’t as simple as surface-level fist techniques.

Thinking this, Elder Pan’s expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed in astonishment: “This… could it be that you’ve comprehended the Clarity Realm?”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang muttered to himself inwardly, as this was actually the first time he had heard of such a thing as the “Clarity Realm.”

…