Chapter 904 - Difference in Experience
Fire Dance's voice was like a jade bead falling to the ground as it resounded throughout the dojo. Although her voice was not loud, her words had ingrained themselves into everyone's minds, making them impossible to forget.
The White Tiger Dojo members instantly paled at these words.
Every one of them silently turned to their companions, lacking their previous confidence.
You Ziping's overall strength could rank second among their group; only Gan Xingteng was slightly stronger. They would only suffer if they fought Fire Dance.
In contrast, the Big Dipper's disciples stared at Fire Dance with reverence.
Even You Ziping, who had beaten their instructors, had been defeated in less than a handful of moves. Fire Dance's strength was astounding.
Moreover, when they saw the visiting fighters' fear, a bliss sprouted in their hearts.
So what if the White Tiger Dojo was impressive?
In the end, its disciples had still lost against their Big Dipper Dojo.
Aside from helping them vent their stress, Fire Dance's victory reassured them of their decision to join the Big Dipper Dojo.
Before they had joined the Big Dipper Dojo, they had already heard some rumors.
They heard that, in the Greenwater Villa, there were some people who were undergoing special training. However, they had no idea about what that special training entailed. Looking at it now, however, they were absolutely sure that the villa was a training ground for martial arts masters.
If they performed well, they might even have a chance to participate in that special training.
If they could have even half of Fire Dance's abilities, they could nurture a powerful reputation for themselves within Jin Hai City. They might even make a name for themselves in the large-scale competitions in their province.
After all, even Gan Xingteng, who had defeated Hall Master Chen Wu, wore a grim expression. His fear of Fire Dance was obvious.
In the past, Chen Wu had become Jin Hai City's champion fighter, and his results in the provincial competitions had been impressive.
"Is nobody willing to face me?" Fire Dance asked once more as she swept a glance over the White Tiger Dojo members.
Before she had come to the dojo, she had heard from Liang Jing just how powerful the White Tiger Dojo's members were and had been warned to be careful against them. However, after that first match, she did not consider these people particularly strong. On the contrary, she thought they were pitifully weak.
When You Ziping had attacked, he had left several holes in his defense. There had just been too many excess movements. Even Violet Cloud could defeat You Ziping easily, not to mention someone like her, who knew how to use internal force.
What Fire Dance did not know was that, during her time in the Greenwater Villa, her strength had long since surpassed ordinary people. However, since she was usually cooped up inside the villa, she hadn't had much contact with the outside world. Hence, she had not noticed these tremendous changes.
"I'll be your opponent!" Gan Xingteng had already realized that this opponent was more than he could handle. However, to preserve the White Tiger Dojo's glory, he had to take center stage even if it meant humiliation.
Before coming to Jin Hai City, the main branch had made it clear that his group needed to wipe the floor with every dojo in Jin Hai City, paving the way for their branch dojo.
Even You Ziping could deal with these bumpkins easily, not to mention a Senior like him. Chen Wu should have been the only troublesome opponent they encountered. As for the martial arts master that governed the Big Dipper Training Center, he did not believe the rumor.
Even their White Tiger Dojo had to treat martial arts masters with respect. How could an exalted figure possibly be content in a third-tier city like Jin Hai City?
Although Gan Xingteng was unsure if Jin Hai City actually housed a martial arts master, he was certain that Fire Dance was an expert who shouldn't be taken lightly. At the very least, if they wanted a high chance of defeating her, they needed one of the White Tiger Dojo's instructors to take her on.
However, not all hope was lost yet. No matter what was said or done, he was an advanced disciple from the White Tiger Dojo. His combat experience and strength far surpassed You Ziping's. Previously, You Ziping had sparred against Fire Dance without knowing anything about her. Now that he knew that Fire Dance was extraordinarily strong, he would not make the same mistake. As long as he maintained a certain distance from Fire Dance and waited for her to reveal a flaw in her defense, he could defeat her.
Moreover, based on Fire Dance's appearance, the girl only looked to be in her early twenties. She didn't have much combat experience. No matter how much she trained, actual combat was different. She would reveal her flaws when she attacked.
As Gan Xingteng considered the upcoming fight, Shi Feng announced the start of the sparring session.
As soon as Shi Feng shouted "start," Fire Dance crossed the distance of five yards like a leopard and arrived before Gan Xingteng in the blink of an eye. She proceeded to send an open-palm strike towards Gan Xingteng's chest; the wind whistled as her palm sliced through the air.
So fast!
Surprised, Gan Xingteng abruptly retreated.
Fortunately for Gan Xingteng, he had evaded Fire Dance's fast attack in the nick of time, with the latter's palm stopping just a few centimeters from his chest. This single exchange struck fear into Gan Xingteng's heart. He hadn't expected her to have explosive speed in addition to an absurd amount of physical strength. Had that attack struck, with Fire Dance's strength, he would have had some trouble breathing in the best case scenario. In the worst case scenario, his ribs would have broken, and he would have lost consciousness on the spot.
However, Fire Dance's sudden attack had revealed a hole in her defense.
When she had thrust her palm forward, she had left her side exposed. As long as he attacked that location, Fire Dance wouldn't be able to defend against his attack.
Hmph. In the end, a youngster is still a youngster. Because you're so eager to win, you've exposed such a basic flaw. Gan Xingteng inwardly laughed. He then sent a roundhouse kick at Fire Dance.
Both this kick's speed and power were far more refined than You Ziping's.
Just as Gan Xingteng's leg was about to connect with Fire Dance's side, Fire Dance moved, her other hand snaking out to grasp the man's leg. Suddenly, she jumped and twisted in the air, and with Gan Xingteng's leg as a pivot point, she planted her feet straight onto his face.
Immediately, Gan Xingteng's face flattened, blood spurting from his nostrils and his eyes rolling as his head was thrown back.
Gan Xingteng felt the world spin. He couldn't even feel pain. After taking a few steps back, his body abruptly fell to the mat as he fainted.
"Senior Brother Gan!"
The White Tiger Dojo's members cried out; none of them could believe what had just happened.
They all felt as if they were dreaming.
Just how fast had Gan Xingteng's kick been?
They had only seen an afterimage of his leg, yet Fire Dance had managed to grab it and use it as a pivot point, utilizing the flaw she had exposed to land a finishing blow.
How much combat experience and how much reaction speed was required to carry out this feat?!
Even their instructors couldn't replicate Fire Dance's counterattack.
You Ziping, who rested below the arena, was dazed when he saw this. He finally understood that his loss had not been a simple lack of strength. Fire Dance had only chosen the simplest, most efficient method to deal with him because the gap between them was simply too massive…
However, there was one point that he could not make sense of.
How did Fire Dance gain such a frightening amount of combat experience?!
To perform that kind of counterattack, one needed extremely precise control over their bodies. Any mistakes could easily put one in peril. Only those who frequently dealt with such situations could execute such an accurate strike at such a crucial moment.
Yet, how old was Fire Dance? How could she possibly possess that much life-and-death experiences?
"Are you wondering why there is such a huge disparity between your combat experience?" Shi Feng asked as he walked up to You Ziping. As if he knew the boy's thoughts, he smiled and said, "If you wish to know, I can tell you."