Chapter 910: Zhang Xuan Defeated!

"Excellent swordsmanship!"

His eyes brightening, Mu Shi's puppet couldn't help nodding, and his body flickered as he met the attack.

In an instant, the man and the puppet were locked in combat.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Zhang Xuan exerted his full strength, his sword technique surging like waves, continuous and unbroken, like the mighty currents of a river, layer upon layer, growing ever stronger.

Although he had never practiced any formidable sword techniques, the Heavenly Way sword technique formed from various sword moves, when fully unleashed, carried a flavor of reducing complexity to simplicity. Even a Saint-domain power would be caught off guard if suddenly encountering it.

"Impressive swordsmanship, but for me, it's still too weak..."

With a light laugh, Mu Shi's puppet pointed forward.

Whoosh!

The air at the tip of Zhang Xuan's sword immediately seemed to collapse, the sharp sword light swirling into a vortex, losing all its power.

Realizing he had met his match, Zhang Xuan raised his brows and abruptly unleashed all his strength.

Rumble!

The collapsing air, like a shattered balloon, burst apart. The sword light surged again, colliding with Mu Shi's fingertip.

Crack!

Like glass shattering and ripples spreading on water.

Feeling as if his sword tip had struck a massive wall, Zhang Xuan's tiger's mouth ached with pain, blood tearing out. His chest tightened, and he was sent flying backward.

Midair, he activated the Red Dust Heaven-Stepping Steps, sinking his body and leaving a row of footprints on the floor.

With another roar, he thrust forward again.

Whoosh!

The air was like a curtain cut by scissors, the sword light stabbing toward the flaws in Mu Shi's technique.

"Good eye!"

Seeing him find the flaw in his move with a single strike, Mu Shi was startled, then laughed again. His body spun like a top.

The flaw that had appeared vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

The Heavenly Way has flaws; even Heaven is incomplete. It's normal for any technique to have flaws, but the opponent was too strong. In terms of reaction, awareness, and speed, he was faster. Even if Zhang Xuan discovered the loophole, it was useless.

Because before he could attack, the opponent evaded, making the so-called flaw a joke.

"No wonder he's the founder of the Master Teacher Academy..."

Zhang Xuan's face turned ashen.

If it were an ordinary Saint-domain initial stage, once he found a flaw, even if not hit, they would be flustered. But this one was different; he had preemptively predicted the battle situation several moves ahead, knowing where Zhang Xuan's sword would target, and thus concealed the flaw in advance!

Frightening!

The opponent was not only powerful in strength but also had astonishing insight. Even if it couldn't match his own Eye of Insight, his combat experience and understanding were far beyond Zhang Xuan's.

"As long as you use techniques, there will be flaws. I don't believe you can dodge forever..."

Zhang Xuan remained unflustered.

Although he usually let Purple Sun Beast and Gold Origin Cauldron fight, having read so many books and summarized countless Heavenly Way techniques, his understanding of combat was no less than that of a battle-hardened general.

In fact, he understood it even more deeply.

Techniques don't depend on profundity or secrecy; as long as there is a move, there is a loophole, a flaw. If you prescribe the right remedy, even a divine martial skill can be defeated on the spot by a butcher's move.

Of course, the prerequisite is knowing the opponent's technique in advance, understanding its flaws, and having sufficient strength.

"Break!"

In his eyes, books seemed to appear. The long sword, like a spiritual snake, slithered forward and in the blink of an eye reached a flaw in Mu Shi's puppet.

If he drove straight in, even a Saint-domain would be injured.

"Good eyesight!"

The puppet seemed to have guessed he would strike there, laughed softly, and shook his arms.

Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming force rushing toward him. His breath sank, and the sharp sword tip could no longer thrust forward.

Bang!

A tremendous force struck, sending Zhang Xuan tumbling twice in the air, flying backward. His back hit the wall, his face flushed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had attacked twice in a row, both times finding the flaw, but unfortunately... the opponent's strength was too great; he couldn't win.

"Still too weak..."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly and shook his head.

He was only at the initial stage of the Silkworm Seal realm, fighting against a Saint-domain first stage. The gap spanned three major levels: Half-Saint, Sub-Saint, and Saint. It was not something that physical strength or soul power could compensate for.

Even with over eighty million cauldrons of strength, he was still vulnerable before the opponent!

A Saint-domain power, with the Void Opening opened, could not only fly but also had strength exceeding a hundred million cauldrons. Even with the aid of the Library of Heaven's Path, he could find loopholes, but if his sword energy couldn't even break through the opponent's protective true qi, how could he fight?

It was like an ant wielding a long sword to attack an elephant; they were not on the same level. No matter how intricate the techniques, they were useless!

That was his situation now. The opponent was a puppet with invincible defense. Even if the sword struck, it couldn't break through. Coupled with rich combat experience, defense as tight as a drum, and the ability to counterattack...

It made one involuntarily feel a deep sense of frustration.

There was simply no way to fight!

"Hmph, then excuse me..."

Knowing that pure martial skill would not prevail, Zhang Xuan's gaze hardened. His spirit communicated with the library, and a book appeared.

Since it was a puppet, it must have joints, and thus various flaws. If all else failed, disregarding martial ethics, like on the seventh floor, he would dismantle this fellow first!

With a flick of his finger, the content of the book entered his mind, becoming his knowledge.

"Seven Star Chain Puppet..."

The book recorded the name of this puppet. After a glance, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

When he dismantled the puppet on the seventh floor, he had learned a bit about the levels of such items. That one was six-star, and it wasn't easy to dismantle. This one was seven-star... With his current strength, it was uncertain whether he could dismantle it!

A puppet was not an ordinary artisan item that would wait in place for him to solve its flaws one by one. Once attacked, it would immediately resist, and then it was anyone's guess who would live or die.

"I have to try!"

Committing the opponent's flaws to memory, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and looked at the puppet again.

Whoosh!

Using the Heavenly Way movement technique, his whole body became like an illusion. In the blink of an eye, he reached the puppet and lightly swept his long sword.

At the same time, his left hand formed a spear-like finger and stabbed toward a point not far away.

"Interesting!"

Seeing his attack aimed at a flaw, Mu Shi's body turned and threw a punch.

No technique, no martial skill, only pure strength and overwhelming force.

Not daring to advance further, Zhang Xuan twisted his Heavenly Way movement technique and quickly dodged to the left, evading the attack.

With that dodge, the flaw he had aimed at was naturally unreachable, and his long-prepared move struck empty air.

"What a formidable reaction..."

Zhang Xuan's face was dark, indescribably grim.

Since he started fighting, when had he ever suffered such frustration?

The opponent knew he could see flaws, so he simply abandoned techniques and used pure strength to crush him!

As long as his strength was inferior, no matter how he fought, it was useless!

He couldn't even get close, let alone injure the opponent. It was good enough if he could avoid being killed.

In other words, he had found the opponent's weakness, but the opponent had also found his... lack of strength!

As long as the opponent focused on that point, no flashy ultimate move would work.

"You are no match. Admit defeat!"

Mu Shi's puppet shook his head.

"Admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Having struggled all the way to the ninth floor, was he really going to admit defeat and go back?

"Indeed. Your strength is insufficient; you definitely cannot defeat me. However, if you cultivate slowly and reach the peak of the Silkworm Seal realm, then come again, I might not be your match!"

Mu Shi's puppet said.

Although he was not a match, he knew it was not a matter of talent but that the opponent had cultivated for too short a time and lacked cultivation base.

Not to mention having Half-Saint strength, even if he reached the peak of the Silkworm Seal realm, it would be difficult for him to win.

"Since the Record Mountain has a ninth floor, it must be intended for someone to successfully challenge it, right? Without Half-Saint strength, can anyone really defeat you?"

Zhang Xuan couldn't help asking.

If the opponent were an ordinary Saint-domain first stage, his chances of winning were high. But... as a master teacher and the super-strong founder of the Master Teacher Academy, his understanding of combat was profound... As long as his strength couldn't surpass, victory was impossible.

He had cultivated the Heavenly Way technique, comprehended the Five Radiance Golden Body, and also practiced Witch Soul... With such formidable strength, he found it hard to believe that anyone in the Master Teacher Academy could be stronger than him!

Since there was none, why set up a ninth floor that no one could pass?

"There is!"

Mu Shi nodded.

"There is?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Don't doubt it; it's true. Many Battle Masters have done it. Even Kong Shi, when he hadn't yet reached Half-Saint, killed a Saint-domain power!"

Mu Shi said.

"Killed a Saint-domain before reaching Half-Saint?"

Zhang Xuan's pupils constricted.

He knew that the killing mentioned must have relied on strength, not external objects like Purple Sun Beast or Gold Origin Cauldron.

Kong Shi was already that formidable before reaching Half-Saint?

Really?

"Yes. If one cannot do what ordinary people cannot, how can they qualify to be a Battle Master and fight against the Otherworldly Tribe?"

Mu Shi's puppet said expressionlessly.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was stunned.

From the two from Deer City he had met earlier, he thought all Battle Masters were like that. Now it seemed it wasn't so simple.

"Admit defeat. You cannot defeat me. Even if you stall for time, it's useless!"

Knowing that he was stalling to recover his true qi, Mu Shi waved his hand.

"When you reach the peak of the Silkworm Seal realm, you can come again. Perhaps then you can defeat me."

He didn't think that a Silkworm Seal initial stage could defeat him. If so, this one would be more terrifying than many true Battle Masters.

"Wait until the peak of the Silkworm Seal realm?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head: "No need to wait. I can defeat you right now!"

"Oh?" Mu Shi's puppet frowned.

"Don't believe it? Hmph!"

Seeing his expression, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly: "I can prove it to you, but... you have to wait for me a moment. I need to change my clothes... then I'll come back and fight you!"