Chapter 79
The afternoon was dedicated to practical combat training. Due to the morning’s confrontation, the other students had decided to ostracize Yan Zhen, refusing to spar with him.
Yan Zhen was perfectly content with this arrangement. He was about to close his eyes and rest when Xiao Xinyan approached him, her voice uncharacteristically meek.
“Let’s spar.”
“Are you sure?” Yan Zhen eyed her skeptically. “I’m not very good at holding back.”
“Don’t underestimate me.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “I may only be a Seventh Star Mystic One, but I’m not afraid of an Eighth Star.”
Yan Zhen nodded. “Alright, I’ll try to go easy on you. Just call out if I’m hurting you.”
A flicker of delight crossed her face when he agreed. However, sensing the curious gazes of their classmates, she quickly schooled her features into a stern expression. “What are you looking at? Get back to your training!” she snapped.
Her natural beauty, coupled with her talent, her status as the Xiao family’s eldest daughter, and the backing of her brother, the top-ranked student, gave her a certain authority.
The other students quickly dispersed, their minds buzzing with speculation.
Why is Xiao Xinyan acting so familiar with Yan Zhen? Didn’t he just declare his intention to challenge Xiao Mie this morning? Is she trying to use her feminine wiles to assess his strength?
As the spar commenced, many students couldn’t help but watch, their confusion growing. Even Xiao Mie frowned.
Although they were only cousins, he and Xiao Xinyan were relatively close.
He knew his cousin well. She wasn’t a bad person at heart, but her temper was short, and her tongue was sharp. Apart from the few girls who fawned over her, she didn’t get along with anyone, even going so far as to physically punish a boy who had confessed his feelings for her.
So why was she being so… friendly with Yan Zhen, someone she clearly disliked?
As he pondered this, a thought struck him. Yan Zhen was the one who had rescued her from Xiao Shi.
And now, she was living with Instructor Yu Xuan, along with that Yan Zhen brat.
— Don’t tell me…
Xiao Mie’s frown deepened. Yan Zhen might be exceptional, but he was already entangled with Mi Xue’er and the others. He didn’t want his little cousin getting involved.
— Another reason to fight him.
…
After returning home, Yan Zhen immediately entered the Crystal Stone Space and informed his Beautiful Sect Master of the situation.
To defeat Xiao Mie in a month, he needed to temporarily set aside alchemy and talisman crafting and focus solely on cultivating his Mystic Power and Mystic Techniques.
Chen Xi, having anticipated this, readily agreed and offered her guidance.
In terms of Mystic Power, Yan Zhen had stockpiled a significant amount of Small Origin Pills, enough to help him reach the Seventh Star Mystic One rank within a month.
The key lay in his Mystic Techniques.
Xiao Mie had been suppressing his cultivation for over a year, honing his control over Mystic Power and mastering his techniques to a level far surpassing other Ninth Star Mystic Ones.
Regarding Mystic Power, Yan Zhen was confident he wouldn’t lose to any other Mystic One, thanks to the “Imperial Blaze Art” and the support of his Spiritual Power.
His weakness lay in his Mystic Techniques.
Currently, only “Tai Chi Shock” and “Eight Extremes Explosion” were truly effective in combat.
“Qigong Finger” and “Qi Vortex Technique” were only useful for dealing with weaker opponents or providing support.
The “Flame Palm” and “Great Flame Palm” techniques passed down through his family were even less useful.
Learning ordinary Mystic Techniques wouldn’t be enough to defeat Xiao Mie. His best option was to further develop his mastery of “Tai Chi Shock” and “Eight Extremes Explosion.”
According to the script, his Beautiful Sect Master would advise him to focus on strengthening his body to withstand the strain of unleashing the Triple Burst “Eight Extremes Explosion” without injury.
The fastest way to increase his physical strength in a short time was through a cycle of enduring beatings, soaking in medicinal baths, and enduring more beatings.
However, his Beautiful Sect Master had a different suggestion: mastering the second level of “Tai Chi Shock.”
“Using gentle force to deflect attacks and retaliating with shockwaves is merely the first level of ‘Tai Chi Shock,’” she explained. “There is a second level, known as ‘Yin Yang Force.’”
Chen Xi demonstrated, her left hand glowing with white light, her right hand radiating black energy.
“Left hand Yang, right hand Yin. When these two forces strike a target simultaneously, Yin and Yang intertwine, giving birth to Tai Chi, neutralizing the opponent’s Mystic Power.”
She drew circles with her hands, one black, one white. As they merged, she pushed forward, the surrounding Mystic Power visibly dissipating.
Yan Zhen watched, mesmerized. He hadn’t known “Tai Chi Shock” possessed such a profound ability. It was a silencing technique, capable of disrupting an opponent’s Mystic Power flow, making their attacks increasingly difficult to execute and preventing them from unleashing their Mystic Techniques.
The perfect counter to someone like Xiao Mie, who excelled in Mystic Techniques.
And if he combined it with the occasional pull and control of his “Qi Vortex Technique”…
Wow, that would be truly annoying. He could already picture Xiao Mie’s frustration, his powerful techniques rendered useless.
Was he really going to walk the path of a cunning trickster?
No, he was supposed to be a righteous, powerful warrior, overwhelming his opponents with sheer force, breaking through all obstacles with his strength.
Only then would Xiao Mie truly acknowledge his superiority and become one of his trusted allies at the Sacred Land Academy.
“Master, this seems incredibly difficult. I don’t think I can learn it in such a short time. Is there another, simpler method? Like, perhaps, the second level of ‘Eight Extremes Explosion’…?” He hinted desperately.
Chen Xi chuckled softly. “The second level of ‘Eight Extremes Explosion’ involves generating a ninth extreme force within the eight existing forces. You’ll need to reach at least the Mystic Master realm to even attempt it. You’re still far from that level, Zhen’er. However, ‘Tai Chi Shock’ has no cultivation requirement. With enough comprehension, even a Mystic Disciple can master it.”
Yan Zhen was starting to get frustrated. Why wouldn’t she just tell him how to strengthen his body and stabilize his Triple Burst?
Then it hit him. Mastering “Tai Chi Shock” would also involve enduring beatings. And after those beatings, his Beautiful Sect Master would naturally have him soak in medicinal baths. Wouldn’t that achieve both goals?
This must be her intention! Yan Zhen felt a surge of enlightenment. Although the plot was deviating slightly, the overall direction remained consistent.
“I understand, Master. What do I need to do?”
“The so-called Yin and Yang Forces are simply gentle and forceful energies. There’s no great secret. The key lies in coordinating these two forces with your cultivation technique. Therefore, the first step is to learn how to split your focus. Zhen’er, try drawing a circle with your left hand and a square with your right.”
Chen Xi gestured with her hand, and a stone table rose from the ground before them.
Yan Zhen retrieved paper and a brush from his storage ring and began to draw, his mind focused.
He had expected to struggle, but to his surprise, he succeeded on his first attempt. A perfect circle on the left, a perfect square on the right.
Chen Xi nodded approvingly. “With your strong soul and nascent Spiritual Power, this isn’t a difficult task. However, this is just the beginning. In actual combat, your opponent won’t give you the luxury of focusing calmly. Therefore, the minimum requirement is to split your focus three ways, like this.”
To his astonishment, she embraced him from behind, her ample bosom pressing against his back, the soft mounds deforming under the pressure.
He froze, his ears burning. Her voice, a soft whisper against his ear, sent shivers down his spine.
“Now, Zhen’er, is it still easy to draw a square with your left hand and a circle with your right?”
“N-no, not really.”
Her warmth and fragrance overwhelmed his senses, making it impossible to concentrate on anything else.
“However, you can’t focus too intently on one thing, or you won’t achieve true multi-tasking.” She released him, her expression carefully neutral. “Finding the balance is the key to mastering the second level of ‘Tai Chi Shock.’”
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