Chapter 1033: Fake Fall
From arm's length away, Zhang Shan stepped forward and closed the distance.
He fixed his gaze on Qiao Jiading's forearm, which was bobbing up and down, and waited for his chance. As soon as it came, he shot his hand out to seize it.
But Qiao Jiading seemed to read his mind. He raised both hands, dodged the grab, and then reversed the motion to snatch at Zhang Shan's arm.
Zhang Shan wanted to grab hold of Qiao Jiading's arm, but didn't Qiao Jiading also want to drag him to the ground?
To defeat an opponent of this caliber while outmatched in level, a "locking technique" offered a higher chance of success. If you could clamp down on an opponent's limb, you could restrict their movements.
Qiao Jiading's fingers closed around Zhang Shan's wrist. Before he could bring his other hand in to reinforce the hold, Zhang Shan twisted his arm and broke free from Qiao Jiading's grip.
Seizing the moment when Qiao Jiading's hands were spread wide, Zhang Shan's arms shot forward like pincers aimed at the other man's throat. In the blink of an eye, his fingers locked around Qiao Jiading's neck, steel-hard digits digging into flesh.
But before Zhang Shan could exert force, Qiao Jiading slammed both hands down from above onto his opponent's wrists. Zhang Shan's grip momentarily faltered, and his second attempt at a hold failed as well.
Taking advantage of the opening, Qiao Jiading launched a kick that struck Zhang Shan square in the chest, sending him stumbling backward.
The two men separated by a few steps. They both seemed to understand the other's intent. Now it was just a matter of who could grab who first.
Zhang Shan could use brute force to snap an arm. Qiao Jiading would rely on a locking technique to twist and break a limb.
Normally, whether it was an ordinary joint lock, a grappling hold, or a judo throw, once many of these techniques were fully executed, there was no way to break free. In most cases, such finishing moves were used to force an opponent to surrender.
But in this deathmatch, neither one looked like they would ever give in.
The two cautiously lowered their stances, dropping their centers of gravity at the same time, like a pair of wrestlers.
Zhang Shan used his size advantage to charge first, barreling forward like a wild bull. His two broad arms shot out like scissors, closing in from left and right on Qiao Jiading's waist.
Qiao Jiading hopped half a step to the side, dodging the tackle attempt, and in the same motion, wrapped both arms around one of Zhang Shan's right arms.
One hand gripped the forearm, the other seized the upper arm. His foot slid forward, planting itself between Zhang Shan's legs.
Zhang Shan tried to pull his arm back, but Qiao Jiading twisted sideways, using his shoulder to brace against the other man's chest.
With three points of force engaged—the shoulder as the apex, both hands locked tight on his arm—Zhang Shan found himself unable to break free for the time being.
Since he couldn't escape, he had to immediately figure out what technique was coming. If he couldn't think of a counter, he would only be waiting to be subdued.
Zhang Shan quickly analyzed the situation. Both hands holding the arm over the shoulder... a "shoulder throw"?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when his other hand shot out and pressed against Qiao Jiading's waist. He shifted all his weight backward. Even if it was a shoulder throw, as long as his opponent couldn't lift him, he couldn't be hurt.
Qiao Jiading yanked down on the arm, but it felt like he was trying to pull over a mountain. The other man's entire body leaned back, and with his monstrous strength to brace against the force, the shoulder throw was impossible to complete.
But Zhang Shan should have realized—if an ordinary kick could be set up with a feint, then why not a "throw"?
Qiao Jiading tested the waters only briefly before abandoning the shoulder throw. Since Zhang Shan's entire weight was committed to the rear, Qiao Jiading pushed off his left foot, hooked his right foot behind Zhang Shan's heel, and tripped him.
Then, borrowing the momentum, he carried Zhang Shan's body half a step backward and slammed him heavily to the ground.
This technique was a Chinese wrestling move called the "lying knife throw," executed under the cover of a feinted shoulder throw.
Qiao Jiading's body twisted sideways, coming down like a long blade striking Zhang Shan's chest. Zhang Shan hit the ground flat on his back with a muffled grunt and a loud thud.
An ordinary throw wouldn't have fazed Zhang Shan, but by using the opponent's own direction of force and applying leverage, even a mountain could be toppled.
But the next second, Qiao Jiading knew he couldn't let his guard down. With how thick-skinned and tough this man was, a single throw wouldn't inflict real damage. But if Zhang Shan managed to lock him up on the ground—given the enormous disparity in strength—he'd never escape. So Qiao Jiading quickly rolled back to his feet.
Zhang Shan also realized this was the perfect opportunity for a counterattack. Before Qiao Jiading could let go of his arm, Zhang Shan grabbed hold of his wrist. Qiao Jiading took a quick step back, and Zhang Shan used the leverage to pull himself upright.
Just as he thought he had caught Qiao Jiading, the man continued moving. As soon as he was up, Qiao Jiading again seized his arm with both hands.
Half a second later, Zhang Shan realized something was terribly wrong. But Qiao Jiading was no ordinary opponent. Before Zhang Shan could react, the man launched himself into the air, latching both legs around Zhang Shan's neck.
Qiao Jiading tried to straighten the arm for an armbar, but he felt his own strength was lacking. Pulling on the arm with brute force alone wouldn't succeed, and he couldn't even drag Zhang Shan to the ground. So instead, he clamped his legs around the man's head, jerked the arm free, and let himself fall backward to the floor.
Dragged by Qiao Jiading's hundred-plus-jin weight, Zhang Shan had no choice but to drop to his knees with a thud.
Qiao Jiading held onto one of Zhang Shan's massive arms, while his own legs simultaneously locked around the man's armpit and head. As he pulled the arm upward, his legs kept applying downward pressure.
This was the ground submission technique: the triangle choke.
Once this hold was fully applied, it was extremely difficult for an ordinary person to escape. The opponent's arm was trapped, his neck was under pressure, his entire body struggled to exert force, and there was even a risk of suffocation.
However, the weight disparity in this fight was simply too vast. Zhang Shan stood 1.9 meters tall and weighed nearly 100 kilograms, with a muscle density far beyond an average person's.
He let out a muffled roar and began to push hard with his legs. Incredibly, he started dragging Qiao Jiading across the floor, crawling rapidly.
Qiao Jiading had already taken off his shirt, and the floor was scraping his bare skin raw. But if he let go now, it would be even more dangerous. He had no choice but to keep pulling upward on the arm, while pressing down with all his might using both legs. The pressure forced pained cries from Zhang Shan.
After crawling more than ten steps, Qiao Jiading suddenly felt a massive blow to the top of his head. A loud crash echoed in his ears.
He had been driven to the wall. His head had slammed into the concrete.
The impact made everything go black before Qiao Jiading's eyes. He could only hold on by instinct, continuing to pull and twist.
In his previous fight at "Heaven's Gate," he had used this very move to break the arm of one of "Cat" Squad's members. But Zhang Shan's thick, powerful arm felt like it was reinforced with steel rods. Even trapped in the lock, he was still resisting fiercely. If Qiao Jiading couldn't exhaust his opponent's strength, breaking his arm was nothing but a pipe dream.
Zhang Shan realized that even after taking that heavy hit, Qiao Jiading still hadn't let go. Gritting his teeth, he let out a furious roar and actually tried to stand up.
Qiao Jiading could scarcely believe what was happening. With over a hundred jin of body weight pulling down on his neck, what kind of core strength could this man have to even attempt standing up?