135: Chapter 135 Tai Chi Push Hands Sparring: Chen Wu's "Listening Force" Begins to Take Shape

Section 1: Push Hands Exchange Competition: A Gathering of Global Sects

When the traditional martial arts exchange meeting entered the "Taiji Push Hands Special Exchange" phase, the Martial Arts Arena of Taiji Villa had been rearranged—a "Taiji Push Hands Platform" with a diameter of 10 meters was built in the center. A standard Taiji diagram was drawn on the surface with light green Qi Energy, and "Qi Energy Sensing Stones" were embedded in the eyes of the Yin and Yang Fish to display the fluctuations of both parties' Soft Energy in real-time. The surrounding spectator seats were divided into areas by sect, where representatives from 100 global sects, including the Xingyi Sect, Baji Sect, Wudang, and Emei Sect, sat expectantly, most of them holding Taiji Push Hands practice equipment.

Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan stood in the center of the Push Hands platform, holding the completed "Complete Explanation of Taiji Soft Energy." His voice spread through the holographic loudspeakers across the venue: "Taiji Push Hands is not a confrontation of brute force, but a technique of exchanging Soft Energy. Its core lies in three words: 'Listen, Neutralize, and Release.' 'Listening' is perception, 'Neutralizing' is dissipating force, and 'Releasing' is counterattacking." His gaze swept over the audience. "In today's exchange competition, regardless of sect or seniority, anyone willing to spar can come up. The final winner will receive the 'Taiji Push Hands Legacy Token' and can enter Taiji Villa's 'Push Hands Secret Realm' to Cultivate at any time!"

The global live broadcast cameras focused on the Qi Energy Sensing Stones on the Push Hands platform. The "Push Hands Rules" popped up on the screen: "Both parties touch with Soft Energy; using Hard Energy to injure is prohibited. One must perceive the opponent's Qi Energy trajectory through Listening Energy, winning by dissipating force with Neutralizing Energy and guiding with Releasing Energy. A green light on the Qi Energy Sensing Stone indicates compliance, while a red light indicates a violation. It is a best-of-three-rounds match." The bullet chat instantly became lively, with viewers cheering for their supported sects: "Support Taiji Villa! The Sect Head's Push Hands must be the strongest!" "Teacher Chen just realized the Three Realms of Soft Energy; he might take first place!" "I want to see a Push Hands duel between the Xingyi Sect and Taiji!"

Lin Mo's tactical tablet quickly organized the "Participant List": besides the core descendants of Taiji Villa, there were Zhang Qingfeng, the successor of Wudang's "Flowing Cloud Hands"; Li Ruoxue, a Master of Emei Sect's "Soft Cloud Push Hands"; Wang Hu, a representative of the Xingyi Sect's "Half-Step Push Hands"; and even Ichiro Yamamoto, an overseas "Aikido Push Hands" expert. Each contestant's Soft Energy characteristics and past records were clearly marked. Among them, Zhang Qingfeng's "Flowing Cloud Listening Energy" and Li Ruoxue's "Soft Cloud Neutralizing Energy" received the most attention, predicted by the Technical Department to be Chen Wu's strongest opponents.

Chen Wu stood in the front row of the audience, rubbing the "Taiji Listening Energy Jade" gifted by Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan—this jade pendant could assist in perceiving Soft Energy fluctuations and was a specialized tool for Taiji Villa descendants. He watched the first two contestants sparring on stage: Yang Zhenyu, a young descendant of Taiji Villa, and Wang Hu of the Xingyi Sect. The former's Soft Energy was pure and stable, while the latter's carried the Hard Energy lingering charm of Xingyi Fist. When their palms touched, the Qi Energy Sensing Stone emitted a faint green light, yet they remained deadlocked. "Wang Hu's Soft Energy hides Hard Energy, and Yang Zhenyu's Listening Energy isn't sharp enough; he hasn't noticed the trajectory of the other's Hidden Energy," Chen Wu analyzed softly. The Qi Energy core in his Dantian rotated slightly, and his Xingji Soft Energy unconsciously fluctuated with the rhythm on stage.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe made a muffled thud against the side of the audience seats. The old man pulled out the "Push Hands Chapter" from the "tombskeeper team records," where a yellowed photo from 1956 of Chen Wus Great-grandfather sparring with a Taiji descendant was tucked between the pages. "When your great-grandfather practiced Push Hands back then, he was best at 'Listening Energy.' He could perceive Qi Energy changes from the opponent's breathing rhythm." He pointed his pipe bowl at the Qi Energy Sensing Stone on stage. "Today, with the help of the Listening Energy Jade and your foundation in Xingji Soft Energy, you might grasp the true essence of 'Listening Energy' even earlier than he did!" The "Taiji Guardian" bronze plaque in the camphor wood chest suddenly glowed, and pale gold Qi Energy spread along Chen Wu's wrist, resonating with the Listening Energy Jade. Subtle "Qi Energy Perception Patterns" emerged on the surface of the jade, as if preheating his Listening Energy ability.

Section 2: Stepping onto the Push Hands Platform: The First Experience of Soft Energy Exchange

"Mr. Chen, do you dare to come up and spar?" Zhang Qingfeng, the Wudang descendant, suddenly stood up. His figure drifted to the edge of the Push Hands platform like a flowing cloud. The Taiji Horsetail Whisk in his hand swayed gently, and Soft Energy spread along the whisk's silk, drawing faint trajectories in the air. "I have practiced 'Flowing Cloud Listening Energy' for thirty years and believe I can perceive any Soft Energy fluctuation. I want to test if your Xingji Soft Energy is truly as agile as the rumors say."

The global live broadcast's bullet chat instantly boiled over. Viewers hadn't expected the first focal duel to come so soon: "Flowing Cloud Listening Energy vs. Xingji Soft Energy! So looking forward to it!" "Taoist Zhang's Listening Energy is very powerful; Teacher Chen must be careful!" The Technical Department's "Soft Energy Comparative Analysis" popped up on the screen: Zhang Qingfeng's Listening Energy accuracy was 85%, specializing in perceiving Qi Energy from airflow changes; Chen Wu's Soft Energy control accuracy was 98%, but he lacked practical experience in Listening Energy. The win-loss probability was about 4:6, with Zhang Qingfeng holding a slight advantage.

Chen Wu walked onto the Push Hands platform holding the Listening Energy Jade, his steps light yet steady. His Xingji Soft Energy expanded around him, perfectly merging with the platform's Leyline Qi Energy. He stood opposite Zhang Qingfeng, and their palms touched gently. Zhang Qingfeng's Soft Energy spread along Chen Wu's arm like flowing clouds, carrying tentative fluctuations as he tried to perceive Chen Wu's Qi Energy core. Chen Wu, following the records in the "Complete Explanation of Taiji Soft Energy," retracted his Soft Energy to his palms, focusing on "listening" to the opponent's Qi Energy trajectory.

"Your Soft Energy is very stable, but not 'agile' enough." Zhang Qingfeng's voice carried a hint of a smile. His Soft Energy suddenly increased in fluctuation frequency, changing unpredictably like suddenly rising clouds. The Qi Energy Sensing Stone instantly lit up with a pale green light, showing that his Soft Energy trajectory had exceeded conventional predictions. Chen Wu instinctively wanted to mobilize Neutralizing Energy to dissipate the force, but he found the opponent's Qi Energy was like rootless duckweed, impossible to grasp. The green light on the Qi Energy Sensing Stone began to flicker, with a faint tendency to turn red, indicating that his Soft Energy had become disordered.

"Don't try to catch the trajectory on purpose; use 'Skin Listening Energy'!" Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan's voice suddenly came from below the stage. He had flipped the "Complete Explanation of Taiji Soft Energy" to the "Listening Energy Chapter," and the words on the page were glowing: "Listening Energy does not rely solely on the palms; the skin of the entire body can perceive it. Qi Energy flows like wind blowing through grass; the skin can detect its direction and discern its strength. There is no need to search deliberately; just let nature take its course."

Chen Wu suddenly understood and immediately adjusted his perception method. He no longer focused on the touch of his palms but instead dispersed his Xingji Soft Energy to the skin of his entire body, like opening countless tiny "Qi Energy Antennae." Instantly, Zhang Qingfeng's Soft Energy trajectory became clear: those seemingly chaotic flowing cloud fluctuations actually followed a "Three Fast, Two Slow" rhythm. Fast energy was feint, while slow energy was real, and the true Qi Energy core was hidden in the gaps of the slow energy. "Found it!" Chen Wu's Soft Energy suddenly flowed along the slow energy trajectory. With a gentle pull, Zhang Qingfeng's center of gravity shifted instantly. Had he not adjusted in time, he would have nearly fallen off the Push Hands platform.

"I yield!" Chen Wu immediately retracted his energy, and the Soft Energy in his palms stabilized. Zhang Qingfeng looked at him in surprise: "You... did you just use 'Whole-Body Listening Energy'? That is a secret of my Wudang Sect; how do you know it?" Chen Wu held up the Listening Energy Jade and the "Complete Explanation of Taiji Soft Energy": "I only recently grasped it through the Sect Head's guidance and the records in the ancient book. Please excuse me, Taoist." The Qi Energy Sensing Stone now lit up with a steady green light, and the screen displayed "First Round, Chen Wu Wins." In the global live broadcast's bullet chat, messages like "Listening Energy is so divine!" and "Teacher Chen's Comprehension Ability is too high!" instantly flooded the screen.

Section 3: Defeating Strong Enemies in Succession: Practical Application of Listening Energy

Chen Wu's second opponent was Li Ruoxue of the Emei Sect. This woman dressed in white possessed a Soft Energy with the characteristic "lightness" of the Emei Sect. When their palms touched, the Soft Energy drifted like willow catkins, sometimes close to the skin and sometimes far away, making the trajectory difficult to capture. She specialized in "Soft Cloud Neutralizing Energy" and could change the direction of Qi Energy in an instant. In previous matches, three contestants had already been easily pushed off the platform because they couldn't perceive her Qi Energy.

"Mr. Chen, my Soft Energy isn't that easy to 'listen' to." Li Ruoxue's Soft Energy suddenly accelerated, forming countless tiny Qi Energy Vortexes on Chen Wu's arm, attempting to interfere with his perception. The green light on the Qi Energy Sensing Stone began to flicker violently, and the Soft Energy trajectory map on the screen turned into chaotic green lines. Even the Technical Department's "Qi Energy Prediction System" showed errors, indicating a "trajectory recognition rate of only 30%."

Chen Wu remained calm, and his Whole-Body Listening Energy expanded once more. He discovered that while Li Ruoxue's Qi Energy Vortexes seemed chaotic, the rotation direction of each vortex actually synchronized with her breathing rhythm: the vortexes turned clockwise during inhalation and counter-clockwise during exhalation. The true point of force was at the center of the counter-clockwise vortexes during exhalation. "So that's how it is!" Chen Wu's Xingji Soft Energy flowed along the breathing rhythm. At the moment Li Ruoxue exhaled, he suddenly injected Soft Energy into a counter-clockwise vortex. The vortex was instantly dispersed, causing a break in Li Ruoxue's Soft Energy, and her center of gravity involuntarily leaned forward.

Chen Wu did not take the opportunity to push her; instead, he used Soft Energy to gently support her arm. "Senior Sister Li, I yield." Li Ruoxue steadied herself, her eyes full of admiration. "Your Listening Energy can not only perceive Qi Energy but also combine with breathing rhythms. You are much stronger than me!" The Qi Energy Sensing Stone lit up with a green light again, and the words "Second Round, Chen Wu Wins" flashed on the screen. The global live broadcast viewership surpassed 93 billion. Li Ruoxue's Master—the Sect Head of the Emei Sect—even expressed on the spot the desire to send Disciples to learn the "Listening Energy combined with breathing" technique from Chen Wu.

In the third duel, Chen Wu encountered his strongest opponent—the overseas Aikido descendant, Ichiro Yamamoto. This blonde-haired, blue-eyed Martial Artist combined Aikido's "Circular Soft Energy" with Taiji Push Hands. His Soft Energy carried a strong "rotational force." When their palms touched, Chen Wu could clearly feel a pulling force trying to draw his Soft Energy into a rotating trajectory. "I have practiced Aikido for twenty years and Taiji Push Hands for five years," Ichiro Yamamoto's voice was full of confidence. "No one can break my Circular Soft Energy using Listening Energy!"

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Yamamoto Ichiro's Soft Energy suddenly erupted, and the rotational force increased threefold in an instant. The trajectory map on the Qi Energy Induction Stone turned into a rapidly spinning green circle, and even the surrounding air began to rotate, forming a tiny vortex of airflow.

However, Chen Wu's full-body Listening Energy captured a critical detail: at the center of the Circular Soft Energy's rotation, there was an extremely faint "Qi Energy breakpoint" that appeared once every five rotations—this was an inherent flaw of Aikido's Circular Soft Energy, where the method of exerting force caused the Qi Energy to be unable to remain consistently connected.

"Now is the time!" As the Circular Soft Energy rotated to the breakpoint for the fifth time, Chen Wu's Xingji Soft Energy suddenly surged in along the breakpoint, like a needle pricking a balloon—the rotating Soft Energy instantly dissipated.

Yamamoto Ichiro's arm lost its support, and he stumbled forward two steps, only to be steadily supported by Chen Wu using his Soft Energy.

"I have lost!" Yamamoto Ichiro said with a bitter smile, bowing to Chen Wu. "Your Listening Energy can not only perceive trajectories but also find defects in Qi Energy. I am completely convinced!"

In the global live stream's chat, viewers cheered for this spectacular duel.

"Watcher of Huangtu Slope" Old Zhao commented: "Teacher Chen even beat an overseas expert! Listening Energy is too powerful!"

Amir from Egypt sent a "Listening Energy Practice Plan": "I want to compile Teacher Chen's Listening Energy techniques into a textbook and teach them to the children at the pyramids!"

Data from the Technical Department showed that Chen Wu's Listening Energy precision had increased from 70% to 92% during the three sparring matches, approaching Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan's 95% and reaching the Realm of "Initial Success of Listening Energy."

Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan's Guidance: Listening Energy is the Soul of Soft Energy.

After the three sparring matches ended, Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan walked onto the Push Hands arena, holding the "Taiji Push Hands Legacy Token"—this token was crafted from mysterious iron mixed with Taiji Earth Vein Stone, with the characters "Listen, Neutralize, Issue" engraved on the surface, glowing with a faint green Qi Energy. It was the highest-level Push Hands Legacy token at Taiji Villa.

"Mr. Chen, congratulations on your victory," Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan said, handing the token to Chen Wu. "And even more congratulations on your 'Listening Energy' initial success—this is not just a victory for Push Hands, but a new Breakthrough for traditional martial arts Soft Energy."

Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan brought Chen Wu to the "Listening Energy Stone" beside the Push Hands arena—this was a two-meter-tall cyan exotic stone, its surface covered in tiny Qi Energy patterns; it was the specialized tool used by generations of Taiji Villa successors to Cultivate Listening Energy.

"Place your palm on the Listening Energy Stone and try to use Listening Energy to perceive the flow of Qi Energy inside," Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan's voice carried anticipation. "This stone hides 'Taiji Origin Soft Energy,' which can help you consolidate your Listening Energy Realm."

Chen Wu placed his palm on the Listening Energy Stone, and the Listening Energy Jade resonated with the stone, instantly unleashing his full-body Listening Energy—he clearly perceived that the Qi Energy inside the stone flowed like a river, divided into "Main Veins" and "Branch Veins."

The Qi Energy of the Main Veins was stable, while the Branch Veins were agile, weaving together into a complex yet orderly network.

Even more wonderfully, the rhythm of the Qi Energy flow was completely synchronized with the Qi Energy Core at his Dantian, as if the stone were "conversing" with his Qi Energy.

"The highest Realm of Listening Energy is not to 'listen' to the opponent's Qi Energy, but to 'listen' to the Qi Energy of the heavens and earth, and to 'listen' to one's own Qi Energy," Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan injected his Innate Soft Energy into the Listening Energy Stone, and the patterns on the stone's surface suddenly lit up.

"What you are perceiving now is the 'dialogue' of Taiji Origin Soft Energy. This shows that your Listening Energy has broken through the Elementary stage of 'perceiving others' and entered the Intermediate stage of 'perceiving the heavens and earth'—this is the true mark of 'Initial Success of Listening Energy.'"

Chen Wu suddenly recalled the record in the "Listening Energy Chapter" of the *Complete Exposition of Taiji Soft Energy*: "Those who practice Listening Energy use their own Soft Energy to sense the opponent's Soft Energy, and combine it with the Soft Energy of the heavens and earth. Only when the three resonate can one grasp the true essence of Neutralizing Energy and Issuing Energy."

He tried to merge his own Soft Energy with the Origin Soft Energy of the Listening Energy Stone, and the rotation speed of the Qi Energy Core at his Dantian accelerated.

The purity of his Xingji Soft Energy increased from 45% to 50%, and his Listening Energy precision stabilized at 92%, no longer fluctuating as it had before.

"Excellent!" Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan's eyes were full of excitement. "Not only has your Listening Energy achieved initial success, but it can also resonate with the Qi Energy of the heavens and earth—this is something many people who have practiced Push Hands for a lifetime cannot do!"

He also revealed that "Listening Energy Origin Liquid" was hidden within the Push Hands Secret Realm, which could further elevate the Realm of Listening Energy.

"After the exchange meeting ends, take the Legacy Token to the Secret Realm. Perhaps you can elevate your Listening Energy to the Advanced stage of 'perceiving all things.' Only then will your Xingji Fist truly perfect its Soft Energy System."

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass bloomed beside the Listening Energy Stone, its eight-colored petals opening toward the stone, with dew rolling on the leaves, reflecting the flow of Qi Energy inside the stone—the color of the petals changed with the rhythm of the Qi Energy; they glowed green when the Main Vein Qi Energy flowed through, golden when the Branch Vein Qi Energy flowed through, and emitted a dual-colored light when the two intertwined, as if cheering for Chen Wu's Listening Energy resonance.

"Elder Zhou said, 'Listening Energy is the eyes of Soft Energy, capable of seeing the essence of Qi Energy,'" the little girl said, her fingertips lightly touching the petals. "Now that Teacher Chen has these 'eyes,' no matter what kind of Soft Energy opponent he encounters in the future, he will be able to deal with them easily!"

Global Listening Energy Teaching: A New Legacy of traditional martial arts.

Chen Wu's initial success in Listening Energy ignited the learning enthusiasm of traditional martial arts practitioners worldwide.

After consulting with Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan, Su Qing decided to launch the "Global Listening Energy Public Welfare Teaching" campaign: "Now, we invite Mr. Chen to explain the basic practice methods of Listening Energy on the spot. Martial Artists worldwide can learn simultaneously. For every 10,000 people who Master 'Basic Listening Energy Perception,' we will donate one 'Listening Energy Practice Kit' (containing a replica of the Listening Energy Jade, a fragment of the Listening Energy Stone, and teaching videos) to rural traditional martial arts teaching centers," her voice spread across the world through the global live stream.

"Let Listening Energy, this core technique of Soft Energy, enter the lives of every traditional martial arts enthusiast."

Chen Wu stood before the Listening Energy Stone and began to explain the basic Listening Energy exercises: "Step one: Wrap your palms with Soft Energy and gently place them on a stable object (such as a table or wall) to perceive the object's Qi Energy fluctuations; Step two: Close your eyes and use your breathing to adjust the rhythm of your Soft Energy, synchronizing your own Soft Energy with the object's Qi Energy; Step three: Try to use your skin to perceive the changes in the surrounding airflow and convert the airflow into Qi Energy trajectories—practice for 30 minutes every day, and you will be able to Master basic Listening Energy within a week."

As he explained, he demonstrated with Xingji Soft Energy. The Listening Energy Jade glowed on his palm, clearly projecting the Qi Energy trajectories into the air, making it convenient for global viewers to observe.

The global live stream's "Public Welfare Progress Bar" grew rapidly: it broke through 50% within 10 minutes and reached 100% within 20 minutes, successfully raising practice kits for 10 teaching centers; after one hour, it broke through 500%, raising kits for 50 centers; finally, when the event ended, the progress bar stopped at 1000%, having donated a total of 100 Listening Energy Practice Kits to rural teaching centers across 20 countries, including teaching centers in Syrian refugee camps and impoverished areas in Africa.

"Watcher of Huangtu Slope" Old Zhao took his fellow workers at the construction site to practice basic Listening Energy on the walls of the worker shed. Half an hour later, a worker shouted excitedly: "I can feel the Qi Energy of the wall! There really are fluctuations!"

Nurse Emily in London organized patients in the hospital to practice breathing adjustments in their wards. The patients reported, "After practicing, our breathing is smoother, and our Qi Energy is not as chaotic."

Meanwhile, Amir in Egypt took children to practice with Listening Energy Stone fragments in front of the pyramids. The children could clearly perceive the Leyline Qi Energy of the pyramids, their eyes filled with wonder—these scenes were captured by the global live stream, moving countless viewers and making "Listening Energy" a new buzzword for traditional martial arts.

Watching the scene of global synchronous learning, Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan suddenly sighed with emotion to Chen Wu: "In the past, I always felt that Listening Energy was a secret transmission of Taiji Villa and should not be easily spread. Today, I finally understand that the Legacy of traditional martial arts lies not in hiding, but in transmitting."

He held Chen Wu's hand. "You have proven with practical action that the profound techniques of traditional martial arts can benefit more people as long as one is willing to share them. This is the true meaning of traditional martial arts."

A New Journey Following Initial Success in Listening Energy.

After the "Global Listening Energy Public Welfare Teaching" ended, Chen Wu held the Taiji Push Hands Legacy Token, standing beside the Listening Energy Stone, his Dantian's Qi Energy Core continuing to resonate with the stone's Origin Soft Energy.

The purity of his Xingji Fist Soft Energy had stabilized at 50%, his Listening Energy precision was at 92%, and the Fusion degree of his Hard and Soft Energy had reached 95%, only one step away from the perfect Realm of "Hard and Soft Coexistence"—Lin Mo's tablet showed that the Legacy Points System had recorded the Breakthrough of "Initial Success of Listening Energy," awarding 20,000 base points, which doubled to 40,000.

The total points had exceeded 17.126 million, leaving only 2.874 million points to redeem the "Taiji Xingji Fusion Module." He only needed to complete the Taiji Secret Realm exploration to gather the remaining points.

Lu Feng's security team brought good news: "The Technical Department detected that the overseas imitation organizations, due to their previous failed ambush and the condemnation from traditional martial arts practitioners worldwide, have temporarily withdrawn from the vicinity of Taiji Villa. The security risk for the Secret Realm exploration has dropped to below 10%."

Lu Feng's voice carried confidence. "We have already formulated a Secret Realm security plan with the Taiji Guard Team to ensure the exploration process is foolproof!"

The final image of the global live stream lingered on a photo of Chen Wu and Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan standing before the Listening Energy Stone—Chen Wu held the Legacy Token, and Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan held the *Complete Exposition of Taiji Soft Energy*.

Behind them were representatives of global schools and the crowd practicing Listening Energy. The surrounding inheritance grass bloomed with eight-colored petals, glowing with a faint green light, reflecting and enhancing the Qi Energy of the Listening Energy Stone.

The chat finally scrolled with a neat line of text: "Sparring with Push Hands to comprehend Listening Energy, Origin resonance breaks through to a new Realm; traditional martial arts practitioners worldwide learn together, Soft Energy Legacy begins a new journey!"

This comment was lit up simultaneously by 95 billion viewers, like a pale green river of light, illuminating every corner of Taiji Villa.

Chen Wu knew that the initial success of Listening Energy was not only a personal Breakthrough but also a new starting point for the Legacy of traditional martial arts Soft Energy.

In the upcoming Taiji Secret Realm exploration, he would bring his Listening Energy ability to search for the "Taiji Xingji fusion jade," making the Fusion of Hard and Soft in his Xingji Fist more thorough.

In the long run, the global popularization of Listening Energy would allow more people to understand the traditional martial arts philosophy of "valuing Softness and prioritizing Comprehension," pushing traditional martial arts culture to new heights—this was just another beginning for the Fusion and Legacy of traditional martial arts, and even more exciting chapters were yet to come.