The main referee ordered, then stepped aside.
Instantly, the entire stadium echoed with the loud cheers of the crowd, all yelling words of encouragement like "Go, Sun Chengkang!" and "Go, Zhao Kai!".
Since both sides had almost equal support, over two thousand students from Mist City Arts and Science University were undoubtedly cheering for their schoolmate, Sun Chengkang. Aside from these fans, another two thousand supporters of Zhao Kai were unwavering in their encouragement.
The roars from both sides echoed back and forth!
However, Zhao Kai and Sun Chengkang, the two opponents on the stage, seemed not to be affected by the crowd’s cheers. Their eyes were solely fixed on each other.
That’s because an attack was not immediately expected after the referee’s "begin" command.
Observing their opponents’ tactics, both Zhao Kai and Sun Chengkang circled the stage without haste.
Finally, Zhao Kai threw the first punch!
This punch was clearly not an aggressive attack but an exploratory one instead. He quickly launched the punch and swiftly retracted it.
Faced with Zhao Kai’s exploratory punch, Sun Chengkang skillfully countered with stillness.
Indeed, Sun Chengkang didn’t react to Zhao Kai’s probing punch. Perhaps because both understood that the punch would not reach him.
Therefore, Sun Chengkang did not react to Zhao Kai’s punch, displaying a clear state of fearless calmness.
"Why didn’t Sun Chengkang react when Zhao Kai threw the first punch?" Huang Youjie asked with confusion after observing the fight.
Ding Yue chuckled and shook his head, explaining to Huang: "It was just a probing punch from the opponent. If he panicked over that, then why even bother fighting?"
"I see! Sun Chengkang seems very calm." Huang Youjie understood everything after hearing Ding Yue’s explanation.
Seeing how composed Sun Chengkang was, Zhao Kai realized he was not an easy opponent.
Usually, his opponents would start to panic once he threw a probing punch, giving away their discomfort through slight movements or their facial expressions.
This would be a signal to Zhao Kai, who would take this excellent opportunity to launch a fierce attack. With a bit of luck, this single attack could potentially knock down his opponent.
But now it seemed, Sun Chengkang was not such an easy target.
Zhao Kai could see that Sun Chengkang was quite robust and powerful; maybe he would have been great at Thai Boxing.
What a pity that he is practising National Arts!
National Arts is nothing more than fancy moves!
Zhao Kai’s gaze turned fierce.
Sun Chengkang noted this change, maintained his calm exterior, but was prepared. All his cells were ready to respond to Zhao Kai’s potential furious assault.
"As we can see, Zhao Kai first launched an exploratory punch, but Sun Chengkang remained composed! Good, Zhao Kai throws another punch! It’s no longer exploratory this time!"
The announcer’s voice rose along with Zhao Kai’s punch, his tone brimming with fervour.
Zhao Kai kicked the ground with his right foot, twisted his body sharply to the left, and lunged his right fist forward.
The turn of his body and the forward kick gave his right punch great strength and speed. This classic move in Thai boxing was swiftly followed by a left swing punch!
However, surprisingly, both these swift, powerful punches were nimbly dodged by Sun Chengkang.
These two punches were so potent and quick that a direct hit could be disastrous. But Sun Chengkang skillfully utilized his nimbleness in Tai Chi to evade the attacks, immediately pressuring Zhao Kai’s arm.
Because this was a challenge between National Arts and Thai boxing, the general rules differed slightly. The rules for this match were more lenient, primarily relying on whether an opponent was KO’d to establish the winner. Due to Tai Chi’s unique form, the referee allowed physical contact in this challenge match.
But clearly, Zhao Kai would not let Sun Chengkang grab his arm.
One main focus of National Arts is to use the opponent’s strength against them. Once the opponent found the point to apply this force, they could have a significant advantage.
Zhao Kai quickly retracted his fists and threw a side punch, trying to fend off Sun Chengkang’s pressing attacks.
Seeing Zhao Kai’s quick response, Sun Chengkang chose not to follow through with his impending move.
The distance between the two was once again established.
"Not bad, not bad, the fight is going to and fro! Looking at it this way, there’s hope for student Sun Chengkang!" Xu Bin couldn’t contain his excitement after watching the round, becoming increasingly optimistic about the situation in the ring.
From the first round’s attack and counterattack, Ding Yue noticed Sun Chengkang’s Tai Chi movements were not just smooth but also practical. Sun Chengkang not only avoided Zhao Kai’s fierce punches but even posed a certain threat to him.
"Those Tai Chi moves seem pretty cool."
"Hahaha, it may look fancy, but I bet it’s not very resilient!"
"We can’t say that, remember the last time Wu Changying, the Xingyi Fist master, fought with our Kai for so long? We ought not to underestimate National Arts."