mijobooks Chapter 102 Testing the Waters, Cat Playing with Mouse?
Chapter 102 Testing the Waters, Cat Playing with Mouse?
Ma Cong's step was silent yet as fast as lightning.
One second he was still outside the Titan's attack range; the next second, he was like a wisp of smoke, disappearing into the embrace of the Titan's massive body.
This distance is the most dangerous in all modern combat theories. Because at this distance, the swing space of the fist is compressed to the extreme, making it difficult to deliver a heavy blow; and for a tall Titan, it is even more awkward.
He felt like an elephant with a monkey crawling under its belly, unable to exert any strength.
"roar!"
Titan roared and gave up throwing punches. Instead, he instinctively stretched out his arms, trying to grab Ma Cong and use his weight and strength advantage to drag him to the ground.
Once on the ground, he was absolutely confident that he could use Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to twist this skinny kid into a pretzel.
However, as soon as he closed his arms, he found nothing.
Ma Cong's body was like a slippery eel; the instant his arms closed, he had already slipped under his armpits and appeared behind him.
The whole process was so smooth and fast that it was impossible to see the movements clearly.
"What?!"
Titan was shocked; he had no idea how the other person had gotten there.
Before he could turn around, a tremendous force suddenly came from his lower back!
"Bang!"
A muffled thud.
Ma Cong delivered a powerful elbow strike, landing squarely on Titan's lower back.
"Hmm!"
Titan let out a muffled groan, staggered, and almost fell to his knees.
The lower back is one of the most vital points in the human body, densely packed with nerves. A sudden, heavy blow to the lower back can instantly send a tingling, numb, and weak sensation throughout the body.
The entire audience was stunned.
Less than ten seconds into the game, Titan, who was favored by everyone, suffered a huge loss!
"good!"
"Well played!"
After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted in the stadium!
In the commentary booth, Wang Meng was so excited that he stood up and slammed his hand on the table: "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! That dodge! That positioning! Textbook-level! He completely predicted Titan's attack and seized the moment when Titan lost its balance to launch the most effective counterattack!"
His partner chimed in, "That's right! Ma Cong has displayed a composure and combat wisdom far beyond his years! He didn't confront Titan head-on, but instead used his agility to dance on the edge of a knife!"
In the live stream, those netizens who supported Ma Cong instantly felt triumphant.
"See that?! Who says traditional martial arts can't be used in combat!"
"That movement, that footwork, it's absolutely amazing!"
"Where are those trolls who were making sarcastic remarks? Why aren't they yelling anymore?"
Meanwhile, Titan's supporters looked on in disbelief.
"Impossible! It must be luck!"
"Titan was just careless; he wasn't serious yet!"
"Just wait and see, once Titan catches him, this kid's dead meat!"
Inside the octagon, Titan steadied himself and slowly turned around.
The previous contempt and arrogance were gone from his face; in their place was a ferocious, beast-like rage.
Although that elbow strike didn't cause him any real harm, the feeling of being toyed with made him feel incredibly humiliated.
He stared intently at Ma Cong, his chest heaving violently like an enraged bull.
"You...you're asking for it!"
He squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.
Ma Cong maintained his calm expression and beckoned to Titan with his finger.
This action completely ignited Titan's rage.
"what!"
The Titan roared and charged again.
This time, he didn't just throw a simple straight punch; he used both his hands and feet, unleashing a barrage of punches, kicks, and knees at Ma Cong like a storm!
He brought out the best in modern combat sports' combination attacks.
Each strike carries the power to shatter stone and split rocks.
However, what happened next left everyone bewildered.
Faced with the Titan's ferocious attack, Ma Cong was like a small boat in a raging storm.
He neither retreated nor blocked; he simply kept dodging and weaving within that extremely small area.
His body twisted, folded, and swayed in a way that defied the laws of physics.
Titan's fist grazed his cheek, Titan's whip kick swept past his waist, and Titan's knee strike went up a centimeter into his chest.
The storm of attacks lasted for a full thirty seconds. Titan launched at least fifty attacks, but none of them actually touched Ma Cong's body!
The audience was silent.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable scene unfolding inside the cage.
Is this...is this dancing?
This isn't fighting, this is art!
The more Titan fought, the more frightened and frustrated he became.
He felt like he was hitting a shadow, a ghost.
The opponent's body was as slippery as if it were coated with oil, and he could always dodge his attacks with minimal effort and with the least amount of force, just before they were about to hit.
This feeling was driving him crazy!
Thirty seconds later, Titan's stamina began to decline significantly, and the frequency and power of his attacks began to weaken.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and his breathing became heavy.
In contrast, Ma Cong didn't even catch his breath the entire time.
His expression remained calm, and there was even a hint of...disappointment in his eyes?
Yes, it's disappointment.
Ma Cong was indeed somewhat disappointed.
Is this what's called the pinnacle of modern combat sports?
In his view, the Titan's attack was full of flaws.
It has great strength and speed, but it's all just for show.
Every exertion of his strength, every turn he made, the shift in his center of gravity, the movement of his muscles—all of this was clearly visible to Ma Cong's eyes, honed through countless trials.
These attacks posed absolutely no threat to him.
He doesn't even need to use his hands to block; he can easily neutralize the attack simply by using his footwork and the rotation of his waist and hips.
This is the "listening to the energy" that is most emphasized in Chinese martial arts.
However, Ma Cong's "listening ability" is no longer just about perceiving through physical contact.
He can predict the other person's next move by observing their eyes, the slightest tremor in their muscles, and even the frequency of their breathing.
Before Titan even threw the punch, Ma Cong already knew where it would land and how powerful it would be.
How can we fight like this?
This is no longer a battle on a single dimension.
"Is that all you've got?"
Ma Cong finally spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it struck Titan's heart like a heavy hammer.
"If that's all there is to it, then you might as well die."
The moment he finished speaking, Ma Cong's demeanor changed.
If he was a bottomless ancient pool just now, calm and undisturbed, then now, this ancient pool has instantly transformed into a volcano about to erupt!
An extremely sharp killing intent erupted from his body!
Titan's heart skipped a beat!
He instinctively sensed an unprecedented and deadly danger!