Fang Xiong's 'iron arm' struck with immense force, almost sucking the air away from Xiao Wuchen. In this situation, an ordinary person would either stand their ground or try to dodge the attack.
However, Xiao Wuchen's reaction surprised everyone.
He neither retreated nor countered. When Fang Xiong's fist was less than a foot from his head, all the muscles in his body suddenly relaxed and his internal energy underwent an extremely subtle shift within his meridians. This instantly reduced his weight and power to "nothingness".
Like a wisp of smoke, Xiao Wuchen's figure traced a tiny arc to the side and rear at a seemingly "feminine" and "unpredictable" angle. This seemingly slow movement was actually incredibly fast, perfectly avoiding the edge of Fang Xiong's punch's attack range.
Boom!
Fang Xiong's punch missed, creating a shallow crater in the ground and sending debris flying. His immense momentum caused him to pause slightly.
This brief pause was the opportunity that Xiao Wuchen had been waiting for.
Xiao Wuchen made his move. His speed wasn't that of a straight run, but rather the speed of his instantaneous reactions and changes in attack.
In the half-second it took Fang Xiong to retract his strength, Xiao Wuchen closed in like a venomous snake hunting its prey. Rather than using any fancy palm or fist techniques, he concentrated the internal energy of the Purple Qi Comes from the East into the index and middle fingers of his right hand, transforming them into a sword.
He knew that Fang Xiong's hard skills were mainly concentrated in his limbs and torso, but all practitioners of internal martial arts have a fatal weakness: the major acupoints on the body.
"Go!"
The internal energy at his fingertips pierced towards Fang Xiong's lower side ribs like lightning, like a thread. This was the Zhangmen acupoint, which is connected to the spleen. If it is struck by a heavy blow, the internal energy becomes chaotic and the limbs become paralysed instantly.
Fang Xiong only felt a sudden, sharp, tingling pain in his side ribs. This wasn't caused by brute force, but rather by an extremely yin and gentle internal energy which was transmitted instantly along the meridians throughout his body.
His pupils constricted sharply. He wanted to roar and throw a punch, but his prized 'iron arm' felt as heavy as iron and was frozen in mid-air, utterly powerless.
One strike to defeat the enemy!
Fang Xiong's burly body swayed a few times before crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. His limbs twitched and his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a sound.
The surrounding civilians and Iron Arm Gang henchmen were stunned by this sudden turn of events. Could it be true? Fang Xiong, a renowned figure in the East District who was said to be invincible and impossible to pierce with blades or spears, had been defeated by a seemingly frail young man with a single finger strike?
Xiao Wuchen remained calm, withdrawing his finger as the gentle purple internal energy returned to his dantian.
Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor of a teahouse across the street, a woman dressed in light blue gauze and wearing a veiled hat gently tossed her teacup with her fingers.
She was graceful and composed, and went unnoticed. Her gaze remained fixed on Xiao Wuchen, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of admiration.
"The style of 'Purple Qi Comes from the East'... this subtle and precise application of force... it doesn't seem like that of an ordinary martial artist," she murmured to herself, her voice clear and melodious.
She was Liu Feiyan, making her first public appearance.
The moment Fang Xiong collapsed, a notification that had been absent for a long time sounded in Xiao Wuchen's mind:
[Mission Completed]: Punish the villain, Fang Xiong, and restore temporary peace to the East District market. [Merit Points Gained]: +100
[Internal Strength Breakthrough]: The 'Purple Qi' internal energy technique has reached the early stage of Qi Refining and, with the full merit points, has successfully broken through to the mid-stage!
A surge of internal energy, several times stronger than before, swept instantly through Xiao Wuchen's limbs and bones like a warm current. He could feel his bones and muscles being refined further, the purple qi internal energy in his dantian becoming more condensed and substantial. His hearing and vision were sharpened and his perception of the surrounding environment improved to a new level.
Xiao Wuchen took a deep breath; he knew he had taken an important step in his cultivation.
Seeing this, Liu Feiyan's lips curled slightly and she disappeared into the depths of the private room as if she had never been there.
At that moment, a constable from the yamen finally arrived at the other end of the market. Seeing Fang Xiong lying on the ground and Xiao Wuchen looking calm filled him with surprise and doubt.