40: Chapter 40 Live Training: The Power of Bajiquan's "Elbow Strike" Begins to Emerge

Section 1: The Iron Post in the Morning Light

The Public Welfare Foundation's training hall was lit earlier than usual. Just after five o'clock, Chen Wu was already standing before the newly installed force-measuring post, his fingertips brushing over the pressure sensors densely covering the post's body. This was equipment manufactured overnight by the Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management, capable of precisely recording the force, speed, and energy distribution produced by every strike, with data synchronized in real-time to the live stream's backend.

"Brother Wu, the sensors are calibrated." Lin Mo ran over holding a tablet computer, the jumping green waveforms on the screen representing the baseline values. "The experts say this post can withstand an impact of 800 kilograms; it will automatically trigger an alarm if that's exceeded."

Chen Wu didn't speak, only moving his shoulders slightly. Gaseous "Qi" formed a transparent cocoon around his body, rising and falling gently with his breath. Only three days remained until the match with Mark, and the skepticism in the combat sports world was still fermenting—the front-page headline of a certain sports magazine read starkly: "Baji Fist Elbow Strike? Just a Street Brawling Trick," accompanied by a photo of Mark shattering a wooden board with a jab.

The live stream signal opened on time, and the number of online viewers surpassed 50 million within ten minutes. Expectations and doubts intertwined in the bullet comments:

"Finally going to practice the Elbow Strike! I've been waiting for this move for half a month."

"A force-measuring post? Don't let the data look too bad and slap your own face."

"53 million online! Mark's team is watching the stream!"

"Betting five packs of spicy strips that Brother Wu can break 600 kilograms!"

Li Meng walked in carrying a five-centimeter-thick steel plate, its edges still bearing the burrs from cutting. "This is a target material simulated according to the hardness of Mark's pectoral muscles." He fixed the steel plate onto the force-measuring post, his voice tinged with excitement. "Brother Wu, show them what real Baji Fist is!"

Chen Wu's gaze fell upon the steel plate, and he suddenly recalled the records in the Baji Fist manual: "The Elbow Strike is not won by force, but urged by Qi, like a cannonball leaving the chamber, force penetrating seven layers." He slowly lowered his waist, his left palm guarding his chest and his right elbow slightly raised—the opening stance of the "Cannon Standing to the Heavens."

"Watch closely." As his voice fell, his right elbow had already struck the steel plate with the sound of breaking wind. There was no earth-shattering roar, only a muffled "thud"—the steel plate was like a biscuit hit by a heavy hammer, a perfect elbow-shaped indentation forming in the center as cracks spread like a spiderweb to the edges.

On the display of the force-measuring post, the numbers jumped frantically, finally settling at 786 kilograms.

The live stream video stuttered for a moment, and three seconds later, the bullet comments surged like a tsunami:

"Holy crap! 786 kilograms! This is even higher than Black Bear's punching power!"

"That steel plate must be made of paper! It's impossible for it to be that brittle!"

"58 million online! Slow motion! Quick, play it in slow motion!"

"I got a screenshot! A golden light flashed at the moment the tip of the elbow made contact!"

Lin Mo scrambled to pull up the slow-motion video. In the frame, a golden halo flickered on the tip of Chen Wu's elbow 0.1 seconds before contacting the steel plate; it was an energy wave produced by the resonance of solid "Qi" with the elbow bone. It was this force that caused the molecular structure inside the steel plate to instantly disintegrate.

"This is the effect of 'Qi' urging force." Chen Wu rubbed his elbow, where the skin showed a healthy flush. "Ordinary Elbow Strikes rely on muscle power; Baji Fist's Elbow Strike uses 'Qi' to push the bones, increasing the force by thirty percent."

Section 2: Deconstruction in the Live Stream Room

On the training hall's large screen, a live link from Mark's team suddenly cut in. Mark's coach held up a tactical board with Chen Wu's Elbow Strike circled in red: "This move has an obvious flaw! The center of gravity leans forward when raising the elbow; we can counter it with a low sweep kick!"

Mark demonstrated nearby, his left leg drawing a sharp arc as he kicked toward a virtual support leg: "As long as he loses his balance, this move becomes a joke."

The number of online viewers soared to 65 million, and the debate in the bullet comments reached a fever pitch once again:

"The coach is right! The center of gravity is indeed unstable!"

"The people above don't know squat! Brother Wu left that flaw on purpose!"

"67 million online! Why not try it on the spot?"

Chen Wu suddenly said to the camera, "Lin Mo, come and cooperate with me."

The youth was stunned for a moment, then immediately struck the sweep kick pose demonstrated by Mark's coach. Just as his left foot was about to hit Chen Wu's support leg, Chen Wu's "Qi" suddenly switched to a resonance state—his support leg seemed to take root, nailed to the spot. Simultaneously, the Elbow Strike motion remained unchanged; instead, he used the force of the sweep kick to surge forward, his elbow tip grazing past Lin Mo's ribs, the resulting wind making the youth's T-shirt cling tightly to his body.

"This is a variation of 'using force against force'." Chen Wu retracted his elbow, tracing a path on the screen with his fingertip. "When the opponent kicks, use the momentum to strike forward; their force will become your aid."

Li Meng suddenly shouted, "Brother Wu, Mark has posted a challenge video!"

On the screen, Mark was practicing Elbow Strikes against a steel plate of the same thickness. His movements were more than fierce enough but lacked the flow of "Qi." Although the steel plate was broken, the cross-section was jagged and uneven. "My Elbow Strike can reach 600 kilograms." Mark sneered at the camera. "During the match, I'll let Chen Wu know who the real king of heavy strikes is."

"His elbow joint is overcompensating for the force." Chen Wu's "Listening Energy" captured Mark's imperceptible frown in the video. "Training like this long-term will lead to a tendon rupture within half a year."

Lin Xue walked in holding a report, her expression grave. "The Bureau of Abnormal Incident Management found that Mark is secretly injecting muscle enhancers. This will temporarily boost his explosive power, but his reaction speed will drop by 15%."

Chen Wu's gaze became sharp. "Send the test report to the tournament committee." He turned to the camera and suddenly raised his voice, "Mark, if you need drugs to win, it's not too late to admit defeat now."

In the live stream, Mark's face instantly turned a deep purple. He violently smashed the training equipment in front of him and roared as he rushed off-camera: "Tomorrow, I'll make sure you leave the octagon on a stretcher!"

Section 3: An Unexpected Challenger

During the noon break, the door to the training hall was pushed open. A middle-aged man in a suit walked in, carrying a metal case with a logo indicating he was from the International Wushu Federation.

"Mr. Chen, I am a technical consultant for the Federation." The man opened the case, which contained a set of sophisticated motion-capture equipment. "A member has raised questions about your Elbow Strike and hopes to verify it on-site."

The live stream camera followed the man's movements, the online audience steady at 62 million. When the man strapped the equipment onto Chen Wu, someone in the bullet comments recognized him:

"Isn't this Consultant Wang, who said Tai Chi was just radio gymnastics last time?"

"He's definitely here to pick faults! He has no good intentions!"

"63 million online! Let's see how Brother Wu slaps his face!"

Consultant Wang pulled up a 3D model, showing a comparison of the force between an ordinary Elbow Strike and Chen Wu's: "Scientific data shows that the maximum weight the human elbow can withstand is 500 kilograms. Your 786 kilograms just now clearly exceeds common sense; we have reason to suspect the data was faked."

Chen Wu didn't speak; he simply walked to the force-measuring post. This time he did not use "Qi," relying purely on muscle power to deliver an Elbow Strike. The number on the display stopped at 498 kilograms, exactly at the edge of the threshold mentioned by Consultant Wang.

"Do you believe it now?" Chen Wu moved his elbow. "Ordinary force indeed cannot reach it, but 'Qi' can reinforce bone density, increasing endurance by 60%."

Consultant Wang's expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly took a special alloy plate from his briefcase. "This is aerospace-grade titanium alloy, three times harder than the steel plate from before. Can you use 'Qi' to strike through it?"

Li Meng glared at the man. "You're deliberately making things difficult!"

But Chen Wu stopped him, tapping his fingertips on the alloy plate. Liquid "Qi" seeped into the material along the gaps between his fingers, searching for the spaces between molecules like water. "Baji Fist emphasizes 'striking hard and advancing hard,' but it's not reckless." His voice held a hint of a smile. "Watch closely; this move is called the 'Inch Elbow'."

His elbow stopped abruptly three centimeters from the alloy plate, followed by a short, muffled explosion. There was no obvious indentation, but the back of the alloy plate bulged out in a hemispherical shape as if struck by an invisible fist.

"This is the penetration effect of 'Qi'," Chen Wu explained. "There's no need to shatter the surface; the force can act directly on the interior."

Consultant Wang's equipment showed that the impact force this time was only 512 kilograms, but the energy penetration rate reached a staggering 92%. He stood with his mouth open, unable to speak for a long time, finally muttering to the camera: "This is impossible... it completely violates the laws of physics..."

The live stream's online viewers surpassed 70 million, and the bullet comments were filled with a synchronized "Science?":

"When science can't explain it, you say it's fake?"

"I suggest Consultant Wang retake physics."

"7200 million online! This is the charm of traditional martial arts!"

Section 4: Diligence within the Domain

During the evening training, Chen Wu activated the Domain form of "Qi." A golden energy field enveloped the entire training hall. Both Lin Mo and Li Meng felt the "Qi" within their bodies become exceptionally active, even their breathing smoother than usual.

"Practicing the Elbow Strike within the Domain allows for faster mastery of the flow of 'Qi'." Chen Wu corrected their postures. "Remember, the tip of the elbow is not the point of force; it is the exit for 'Qi'."

Li Meng's Elbow Strike could already reach 350 kilograms, an increase of 80 kilograms from last week. When his elbow tip hit the sandbag, the golden energy in the Domain rippled, conducting the force evenly throughout the entire sandbag to avoid excessive localized stress.

"So that's how it is." Li Meng suddenly realized. "I used to always think about using brute force, but once the 'Qi' is smooth, the power comes naturally."

Lin Mo's Tai Chi Cloud Hands also saw a Breakthrough. He tried to integrate the neutralizing force of Tai Chi into the Elbow Strike; although the force was only 280 kilograms, it could make the sandbag rotate three times in place. This was a special effect produced by the rotational effect of "Qi."

"This move can be called the 'Silk-Reeling Elbow'." Chen Wu nodded in approval. "When facing multiple attackers, it can both defend and counterattack."

In the live stream, the training scene of the three was seen by a global audience. Martial arts enthusiasts deconstructed the Elbow Strike movements into GIFs, accompanied by detailed explanations of the "Qi" flow; physics teachers played the slow-motion videos in class, using wave-particle duality to explain the energy form of "Qi"; even game companies contacted Lin Xue, wanting to purchase the rights to the "Qi" forms for a fighting game.

[System Notification: Baji Fist Elbow Strike teaching completion 85%, Global Martial Arts Enlightenment progress 380%]

In the late-night training hall, Chen Wu stood alone before the force-measuring post. His "Qi" flowed slowly in the Domain form, the Elbow Strike movements becoming slower yet more precise. Every time the tip of his elbow rubbed against the air, it would stir up a ring of golden energy waves; these waves reflected and superimposed between the walls, forming complex interference patterns.

"Just one last bit to go." Chen Wu closed his eyes, his "Listening Energy" capturing the trajectory of the energy waves. He suddenly realized that while Mark's jabs were fast, every punch would disturb the surrounding airflow, and this airflow could serve as a warning signal for the Elbow Strike.

When he opened his eyes again, the "Listening Energy" of Tai Chi was integrated into the Elbow Strike movement. Before the elbow tip even moved, the "Qi" had already reached out, scanning the surrounding space like radar.

On the display of the force-measuring post, the number stabilized at 800 kilograms without triggering the alarm—this was the result of the precise control of "Qi," the force exactly reaching the threshold without damaging the equipment.

The final frame of the live stream was a golden bullet comment sent by 75 million viewers simultaneously, forming a giant elbow-shaped pattern floating above the training hall:

"The Elbow Strikes to settle the universe; the Qi flows to connect heaven and earth."

Chen Wu looked at the white light of dawn appearing outside the window, knowing that tomorrow's match already had an answer. Baji Fist's Elbow Strike was never a simple heavy-hitting technique; it was the perfect combination of "Qi" and force, the dialectical unity of hardness and softness. While Mark was still blindly believing in muscle and drugs, Chen Wu had already opened up a new Realm of martial arts within the Domain of "Qi."

The lights in the training hall gradually went out, leaving only the display of the force-measuring post lit, the number 786 kilograms flashing in the darkness like a star waiting for the dawn.