Chapter 911: Saint Seal Unlocked

"Change clothes?" Mu Shi puppet was baffled.

If you can win, you win; if you can't, you can't. What does changing clothes have to do with it?

"This outfit was specially prepared for me by the academy, extremely precious. Wearing it makes me feel constrained. Only by putting back on my own master teacher robes can I unleash my strongest combat strength!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Aren't these clothes very precious?" Mu Shi puppet couldn't help asking.

Zhang Xuan was currently wearing the dean's robes custom-made by the Artifact Refinement Academy and the Heavenly Crafts Academy for his succession ceremony. Not only were they well-fitted, but they also possessed formidable defensive capabilities. They were top-grade spiritual artifacts, completed at great expense by the entire academy.

Mu Shi's eyes were sharp; he could tell at a glance that the robes were extraordinary. Wearing such clothes, even a pig would see a significant boost in combat power. Yet you say they're unsuitable? What kind of clothes do you want?

Half-saint artifacts? Saint artifacts?

If that's the case, how can we still fight?

"They are indeed precious, but the most important thing is that the clothes fit well. Preciousness doesn't necessarily mean greater power!" Zhang Xuan smiled and, without further explanation, waved his hand. "I might trouble Mu Shi to turn around. I don't like being watched while changing clothes..."

"Very well!"

Seeing that this fellow wanted to change clothes before sparring, Mu Shi shook his head and turned around.

In fact, he had heard of changing clothes for battle before. It was usually done by those of the Spectacular Master profession, who would don extremely ornate attire and then perform graceful dances to enchant and captivate others.

Could it be that this fellow is a Spectacular Master?

But... even if he were, it would be useless!

He was a puppet; auxiliary professions that attacked the soul were completely ineffective.

Besides... Spectacular Masters were usually beautiful women. A man posturing and preening... that would likely be nauseating rather than aesthetically pleasing!

Just thinking about it made his hair stand on end.

"All set!"

While inwardly grumbling, wondering what trick this fellow was up to, he heard a cold, proud voice. Turning to look, he saw that the young man had indeed finished changing clothes.

These clothes were not as luxurious as before and looked quite ordinary.

"These are just... ordinary master teacher robes?" Mu Shi puppet was stunned.

If the other party had changed into ornate clothes or half-saint artifacts, he could accept it—after all, clothes affecting strength was plausible. But changing into ordinary master teacher robes with no special properties...

That was like swapping a saint artifact for a spiritual artifact—not an increase in strength, but a decrease!

Are you sure that changing into such ordinary clothes will allow you to defeat me?

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded, hands clasped behind his back, a look of pride in his eyes. "Ordinary clothes are enough to defeat you!"

"Since you're so confident, let's begin!"

Seeing this fellow, after changing clothes, become unbearably arrogant, completely losing his previous humility, Mu Shi puppet's face darkened, and he clenched his fists.

Whoosh!

This time, he attacked first.

Overwhelming force defeats a hundred techniques. His fist carried immense pressure, shattering the surrounding air.

To make the other party back down and stop pestering him, he unleashed all his power from the start, even stronger and more threatening than in the previous exchange.

"Well struck!"

Having changed clothes, Zhang Xuan had lost his previous reverence. Instead of dodging, he met the attack with a punch of his own.

"Hmm?"

Seeing his attack, Mu Shi puppet frowned.

He knew the other party's strength well from the two moves they had exchanged earlier. It was insufficient to withstand his full-force attack. Yet now he was meeting it head-on with a punch...

He had thought that changing clothes would make him stronger. But it seemed the change wasn't in clothes but in his brain!

Meeting his full-force punch like this would surely result in being blown apart on the spot.

Hesitating, he was about to retract some of the power from his fist when he saw the other party's fist already upon him.

Whoosh!

The two fists collided, and Mu Shi puppet's pupils constricted.

He had expected the other party's strength to be the same as before, that even with half his power withdrawn, it would be difficult to withstand... But the moment their fists met, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

The other party's previously somewhat weak strength now surged into him endlessly, like mountains crumbling and rivers bursting, causing his entire body to involuntarily convulse!

Bang!

In the clash of strength, not only could he not withdraw his power, but even at full strength, he might not be a match!

"Fall back!"

He let out a loud shout, veins bulging on his forehead, pushing his strength to the limit.

"Hmph!"

The young man opposite raised his chin, a look of contempt in his eyes, and with a light snort, the power in his fist also surged.

Bang!

Before Mu Shi puppet could react, he was sent flying backward, hurtling dozens of meters before his back slammed heavily into the wall. He gasped for breath, his heart nearly exploding.

"This..."

His pupils contracted, and he stared at the young man in the center of the hall in utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

In the fight just now, although his eyesight was good, his attack power was far too weak—he couldn't even injure me... How could changing clothes make him seem like a different person, sending me flying with a single punch?

And it seemed he had held back.

The difference was too great!

He couldn't help but look—whether in appearance or soul aura, it was undoubtedly the same person. That is to say, after changing clothes, although this guy's cultivation hadn't increased, his combat strength had multiplied several times over!

"You lost!"

While he was still in shock, the young man in the room clasped his hands behind his back again and said arrogantly.

"I..."

Mu Shi puppet smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Congratulations on passing the ninth floor, becoming the first master teacher to successfully pass since the Record Mountain was established!"

Although he didn't know what was going on with the other party—how changing clothes could greatly increase his strength—a loss was a loss. As the founding patriarch of the Master Teacher Academy, he wouldn't renege on such a small matter.

Hearing the admission of defeat, the young man showed no surprise; instead, he acted as if his victory was inevitable, looking utterly smug.

"You have passed the ninth floor, making you the greatest genius in the Master Teacher Academy in ten thousand years. This [Sealing Saint Solution], which I have treasured all my life, I leave to you!"

Mu Shi puppet didn't mind his arrogance; instead, he smiled lightly, took out a book, and handed it over.

"Sealing Saint Solution?" The young man was full of doubt.

"Indeed!" Mu Shi puppet smiled: "As a master teacher, have you heard how Master Kong broke through to the Saint Domain?"

"This... I have heard. It was Heaven-acknowledged Saint."

The young man nodded.

When Master Kong broke through, he received the recognition of Heaven and became a Heaven-acknowledged Saint. He even left behind the Sealing Saint Platform at the breakthrough site.

He had personally visited that place; it was no secret.

"Correct, it was Heaven-acknowledged Saint!"

Mu Shi puppet's eyes shone: "A saint recognized by Heaven not only has great strength but also gains tremendous benefits, laying the foundation for future advancement... Over countless years, countless master teachers have wanted to achieve this, but unfortunately... no one has succeeded!"

"This Sealing Saint Solution was obtained by me by chance many years ago. It details Master Kong's cultivation process before he became a saint... I have studied it specially and summarized it into a cultivation technique!"

"Although it cannot truly make one a Heaven-acknowledged Saint recognized by Heaven, if you practice it strictly, it can definitely increase your combat strength by more than two times before reaching the Saint Domain!"

"Increase by two times?" The young man's eyes widened.

When one's cultivation reaches Half-Saint, Sub-Saint, and Saint Domain, the amount of power at each level is basically fixed... If one could increase combat strength by two times before breaking through, how profound must the accumulation be to achieve that?

With such strength, once one breaks through, even if not recognized by Heaven and Earth, an ordinary Saint Domain would inevitably be hard to contend with, completely outmatched!

"Indeed! However, let me tell you in advance: after practicing this Sealing Saint Solution, it can indeed greatly increase combat strength, but it also has a flaw..."

Mu Shi puppet shook his head: "That is, the accumulation is too profound, making breakthrough more difficult than normal cultivation! In my time, I coveted these benefits, missed the optimal age for breakthrough, and ultimately never reached a higher realm—a lifelong regret..."

The young man was silent.

What the other said was correct: everything has its pros and cons.

Doubling combat strength before reaching the Saint Domain shows the depth of accumulation; such accumulation naturally makes breakthrough harder.

This is also the main reason why his own cultivation consumed much more than that of cultivators at the same realm.

Cultivating the Heavenly Dao technique, the foundation is extremely solid, more stable than any other technique, but consumption is greater, and progress becomes slower.

He felt that his recent cultivation had clearly slowed down compared to before.

In nearly two months, he had only increased by four major realms—the thought filled him with shame.

"The decision is entirely yours. I will give you three days to study this book. How much you comprehend is up to you!"

Not noticing his shame, Mu Shi puppet handed the book over and said.

"Yes!"

The young man nodded, took the book, hesitated, and said: "I need to change clothes to study the technique. Please turn around, Mu Shi..."

"Uh... fine!"

Not knowing why this guy had so many demands, Mu Shi shook his head but still turned around.

Seeing that he was no longer watching, the young man sighed in relief. With a thought, an identical figure appeared before him. The two looked at each other, and the latter understood what had happened.

"Avatar, you go back first!"

The identical figure waved his hand.

"Yes, original body!"

The young man vanished instantly.

The one who appeared was the real Zhang Xuan, while the one who had defeated Mu Shi puppet was the avatar.

Although only two moves had been exchanged, Zhang Xuan knew he was definitely no match. He had said he needed to change clothes, but in reality, he had summoned the avatar.

This guy was usually unreliable, but his combat strength was beyond doubt.

Every time Zhang Xuan made great progress and thought he could defeat the avatar, he ended up being beaten black and blue...

He was no match for Mu Shi puppet, but the avatar certainly was.

Sure enough, the avatar did not disappoint, successfully defeating him and passing the ninth floor.

Strictly speaking, the avatar was also part of his own strength; this trick of substituting one thing for another was not against the rules.

The reason he did it secretly was simply to avoid revealing the secret of the avatar.

The original body appeared, greeted Mu Kai Mu Shi, and Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the book, concentrated his mind, and couldn't help but look at its contents.