Chapter 00153: Tai Chi Heats Up 2 (Bonus Chapter for the Wizard Alliance Leader)
# Tai Chi" Heats Up 2 (Bonus Chapter for the Wizard Alliance Leader)
Chapter 153
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 153: "Tai Chi" Heats Up 2 (Bonus Chapter for the Wizard Alliance Leader)
"A rosy, beautiful face, faint willow-like brows tinged with sorrow, flying needles and threads embroidering a pouch, longing hidden in the heart..."
Yang Yuqian had saved Chen Shaomei, and Chen Zhengying had exceptionally agreed to take him as a disciple.
The two had also confirmed their relationship.
They wandered and enjoyed the scenery at the outdoor location in Yesanpo, Hebei, in a three-minute scenic display.
Hong Kong still had many first-generation "immigrants" from the mainland, those who had not changed their hometown accents.
Their next generation was also doing well, and then there were the local Hong Kong people.
Regardless of the group, they were all fascinated by the beautiful landscapes of the mainland and loved seeing these scenes.
The Great Wall Company had once produced a documentary introducing the scenery of the mainland, which was shown in Hong Kong and achieved good box office results.
"..."
Including Shu Qi, the entire audience was quietly appreciating the scenes.
Whether it was the Qing Dynasty residences in Xiaodianhe Village or the beautiful mountains and streams of Yesanpo, these were sights unseen in Hong Kong films.
Then came the classic water vat stirring and ball kicking!
There were low exclamations from below.
It was said that Hong Kong films always had something fresh and surprising, but what this film showcased was something that current Hong Kong films truly lacked.
Even the well-traveled Hong Kong audience couldn't help but be captivated.
Yang Yuqian stayed in Chenjiagou to learn martial arts, gradually maturing.
The Ghost Face led a sneak attack, using poisoned hidden weapons to injure Chen Zhengying.
Yang Yuqian, Chen Shaomei, and Chen Shaojie went to the capital to seek medicine, which also brought out a past grudge: Prince Duan had allowed his subordinates to commit evil deeds, and one day Chen Zhengying had witnessed it.
Prince Duan, unable to defeat him, harbored a grudge for revenge.
His martial ethics were poor, yet he still considered himself a martial artist.
Knowing that the three had entered the capital, he went to kill them, openly mocking and sending people to capture them.
Fortunately, Prince Rong arrived in time.
Prince Rong was also obsessed with martial arts, but his character was much stronger.
He had a past connection with Chen Zhengying, took in the three, and under his mediation, Prince Duan agreed to let Yang Yuqian challenge the Seven Heroes Tower.
"Prince Duan had gathered six top masters from the world and built a Seven Heroes Tower. The tower had seven floors, each guarded by a master, with Prince Duan himself guarding the seventh floor. Over the years, countless heroes had tried to challenge the tower, but none had passed the fifth floor. Jin Fengjin! Hao Erdu! Meng Meng! Jiu Na Mo! Feng Hualian! The Wine Monk!"
Wow, when these six appeared on screen, the entire theater erupted.
The tower challenge mode was a classic that never faded, one of the most thrilling methods to stir up excitement.
Bruce Lee's unfinished "Game of Death" had left all of Hong Kong regretful, but who would have thought they would see it again in "Tai Chi"!
"Creak!"
The tower door opened, and Yang Yuqian entered alone, righteous and fearless.
The first floor had windows on all sides, with a central arena.
Light filtered in from outside, half-bright and half-dark, with many shaman masks hanging on the walls, each ugly and bizarre.
The music, composed by Hu Weili, was just right, creating a tense and exciting atmosphere.
Yang Yuqian clasped his hands politely, "May I ask..."
Before he could finish, Xiong Xinxin, playing Jin Fengjin, glared, stepped on the table, and leaped forward, delivering a flying kick mid-air.
As he landed, he followed up with a spinning kick, another spinning kick, a sweeping leg, and then a whirlwind kick...
Five kicks in a row, clean and sharp, fierce and powerful.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
Xiong Xinxin showcased his leg techniques, attacking like a storm.
The audience was stunned, mouths agape, eyes unblinking.
The two young men in front of Shu Qi even stretched their necks, forcing him to sit up straighter, while the audience beside him also had their mouths wide open.
Yang Yuqian, using stillness to counter movement and softness to overcome hardness, withstood the barrage of attacks and quickly threw him out.
Xiong Xinxin flew backward, rising two to three meters high, crashing into the wall, and rolling to the ground...
"Whoosh!"
Only then did the entire theater seem to exhale, it was so fast! So fast!
These past two years had seen many excellent kung fu films, like "Drunken Master," "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin," and "Encounter of the Spooky Kind," all characterized by increasing speed.
Completely different from the previous hard and rigid styles, like broadcast exercises.
But this segment of "Tai Chi" outshone all current Hong Kong films, almost reaching the fastest speed possible under existing conditions!
"Groundbreaking! This is a groundbreaking film!"
Shu Qi was so excited he couldn't control himself, inspiration pouring out like a burst dam.
His eyes were fixed on the screen, occasionally glancing down, his hand scribbling notes.
"Thank you for your mercy!"
Yang Yuqian defeated Jin Fengjin and moved to the second floor, where he defeated Hao Erdu.
The entire tower challenge sequence was arranged by Chen Qi to last 20 minutes, with the first two floors to be cleared quickly to avoid dragging the pace.
The third floor was a fight with Meng Meng, who used a staff, with intricate back-and-forth exchanges.
The fourth floor was a test of hard qigong, again cleared quickly.
Chen Qi, with a mischievous twist, had Jiu Na Mo warn, "Be careful of that Japanese woman, she'll drain you dry!"
On the fifth floor, the Japanese ninja Feng Hualian!
A large "ninja" character hung on the wall, with dozens of black cloth strips hanging from the ceiling, but no one was visible.
Suddenly, a window closed, blocking some of the light.
Yang Yuqian was startled, then two more windows closed, plunging the room into semi-darkness.
He quickly realized what was happening and decisively kicked a section of the railing, hurling it at the last window, where it stuck with a thud, leaving a sliver of light.
Among the hanging black cloth strips, a ghostly figure floated back and forth, as if flying.
The Japanese Koga ninja, skilled in flying claws, hidden weapons, and stealth techniques!
Each floor of the tower had a different fighting style, which the audience naturally understood.
Feng Hualian used the cloth strips and darkness to hide, attacking Yang Yuqian several times.
He seized an opportunity to reach the window, punched it open, and sunlight poured in, leaving her nowhere to hide.
The sixth floor was the Wine Monk, another detailed fight.
Finally, the seventh floor, the final boss, Prince Duan Yu Chenghui!
Yu Chenghui sat slanted on a wide chair, his gaze sinister, his aura menacing, rolling two iron balls in his hand.
Beside the arena was a weapon rack filled with various weapons, prominently featuring a two-handed greatsword.
"Your Highness has brought out this sword, does that mean you're determined not to let me leave alive?"
"Hmph! You understand well. Everyone says you're stronger than Chen Zhengying, today I'll hang you on this tower and let them see who's truly the best!"
Yang Yuqian shook his head and sighed, "Your Highness, with only jealousy and a competitive heart, your martial arts will never reach greatness."
"Who do you think you are, daring to lecture me? If you want to talk reason, first defeat me!"
Yang Yuqian suddenly smiled, remembering how he had once said similar words to a group of youths in his hometown, including one who practiced Bagua Palm.
He stepped back, assumed a Tai Chi stance, his eyes sharp, his spirit focused, and declared:
"After years of practicing martial arts, I've realized one thing: whoever has the stronger fist, their words are the truth. This applies to the people, and to the nation as well!"
"Come, Your Highness!"
The two first tested their fists and feet.
Prince Duan, feeling outmatched, feigned retreat but suddenly grabbed the greatsword to attack.
Yang Yuqian couldn't dodge in time, his left arm was slashed, rendering it useless, but he also drew a sword.
Tai Chi Sword vs. Two-Handed Sword!
One was elegant and graceful, moving like a swimming dragon, balancing movement and stillness, hardness and softness; the other was powerful and fierce, attacking relentlessly, with long thrusts and short strikes, like a surging river.
"Bravo!"
The Yuan brothers were also in the audience, watching the finished film for the first time, seeing the moves they had painstakingly designed, and a sense of pride welled up within them.
Especially seeing the audience's reaction, this feeling was even stronger.
"Damn! The two-handed sword!"
"Is there even such a weapon? I never knew! Look at that greatsword, so imposing, I wonder if Lau Kar-leung could even lift it!"
"He only knows Hung Gar, what does he know about two-handed swords? Speaking of which, I saw his 'The Prodigal Son' a few days ago, comparing it to 'Tai Chi,' it's just laughable!"
Amidst the low exclamations, the entire audience sat up straight, leaning forward, their full attention captivated by this completely unexpected mainland martial arts film.
Oh no, if you didn't say it was a mainland film, no one would have thought of it.
"Clang!"
Prince Duan's wrist was struck by the sword, losing strength, and the greatsword finally fell to the ground.
He staggered back, falling to the ground, Yang Yuqian's short sword pointing right at his face.
One standing, one fallen, one young, one old, one like the rising sun, one like the old dynasty about to fade...
Yang Yuqian looked at him and said, "Now the nation is poor and the people weak, with Western powers eyeing us covetously. Since coming to the capital, I've seen opium dens everywhere, the court in disarray, the people suffering. We who practice martial arts should set an example, teach techniques to strengthen the body, and seek ways to strengthen the nation! When the nation is on the brink, what do personal grudges matter?"
"Your Highness, take care, farewell!"
He threw down the sword, turned gracefully, and strode away.
At the end, he was seen in a white martial arts uniform, practicing Tai Chi on the majestic Great Wall, his movements flowing like clouds and water, accompanied by the stirring sound of the suona: "Hot blood spent, turned to dust, all for you, who is the hero if not me..."
In the final tower challenge sequence, Jet Li fully displayed his martial arts talent, his movements smooth and fluid, with a deliberately accelerated pace, delivering powerful strikes while exuding a sense of effortless grace.
China had many martial arts stars, but at the top were only Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.
Bruce Lee was the pioneer, Jackie Chan created his own style, blending humor and acrobatics, while Jet Li was the epitome of pure traditional martial arts, his fights simply beautiful! In his youth, he was still a bit rough, but by the 1990s, as he aged, his roles as Wong Fei-hung and Zhang Sanfeng added a touch of masterful dignity.
"Damn! This film is amazing!"
"I should have brought Ah Fei, but he insisted on watching 'Security Unlimited'!"
"That lead actor, the newspapers said he's a martial arts champion, his skills are really impressive, feels like he fights better than Jackie Chan!"
"Damn, who can beat Jackie Chan?"
"Could Jackie Chan pull off this kind of effect?"
"He... he hasn't tried, how do you know he can't?"
As the film ended, the credits rolled.
The lights came on, but the audience was reluctant to leave, still sitting in their seats, excitedly discussing.
Shu Qi was even more excited, scribbling in his notebook: "'Tai Chi' possesses a unique charm different from Hong Kong martial arts films, with a sense of national sentiment and the spirit of a great hero. It is destined to become a milestone work! Jet Li also possesses a unique quality different from Jackie Chan, and indeed any Hong Kong martial arts star. He is destined to become a superstar of his generation!"
(End of chapter...)