Chapter 1124: About Two Hours

Master Chen’s back hit the wall, kicking up dust, before he finally stopped. After a few coughs, he flew back, his face pale from injury, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.

As the Hall Master of the Fist Arts Hall, he specialized in boxing. However, at the same level, he was easily overwhelmed, and even someone a level higher than him would not be a match. This young man, despite his age, had achieved a truly astonishing mastery of fist techniques.

"How else can I improve my boxing?" Master Chen asked, standing with clasped fists, his attitude sincere. Despite being a Hall Master of the Combat Master Hall, he believed that the skilled were true teachers. The young man, though young and with lower cultivation, had far surpassed him in boxing, making him eager to humbly seek guidance.

"Your boxing looks decent, but it lacks the indomitable spirit to push forward… If I’m not mistaken, you must have practiced many different martial arts techniques, haven't you?" the young man said.

"Yes, I’ve cultivated 42 sets of boxing techniques…" Master Chen admitted awkwardly. He used to speak with pride when mentioning how many boxing techniques he had mastered, but now, his face was flushed with shame.

"It’s not about quantity, but quality! A person’s energy is limited; learning too much disperses one’s focus. Since my teacher imparted this boxing technique, I have spent nearly a year continuously refining this single move, perfecting it to achieve such power. You, on the other hand, have learned a full 42 sets, which means your energy is dispersed… How much time could you possibly have spent on each set?" the young man countered.

"Well… I’ve probably spent over twenty years on them… I’m nine hundred years old this year…" Master Chen said, scratching his head.

"…That’s not important!" the young man said, his face reddening slightly. "Boxing isn’t just about the duration of practice, but about focus and dedication. Since you’ve joined the Xuanxuan Society, I will now teach you how to integrate your spirit, energy, and essence to create the most powerful punch!"

"Thank you…" Master Chen’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

"A teenager instructing Hall Master Chen?" "Though it’s hard to believe, that young man’s punch was truly terrifying! At the same level, even we wouldn't be able to withstand it!" The onlookers in the air watched, each filled with shock.

The young man from the Xuanxuan Society was not old, yet his boxing techniques were incredibly profound. Even for those witnessing it for the first time, there was a sense of excitement, like a hunter finding new prey.

"So, Hall Master Chen joined the Xuanxuan Society to learn this boxing technique. Then… what about Hall Master Lu?" Understanding why Hall Master Chen might have "defected," everyone couldn't help but look towards Hall Master Lu.

In front of him stood a girl, only sixteen or seventeen years old. Though not yet fully grown, her face was delicate and very beautiful. The girl was also speaking with Hall Master Lu, and as the crowd focused, her voice slowly reached their ears.

"My dear Lu, your movement technique is good, but it’s too flashy. It might work against weaker opponents, but what good is it against strong ones? Flashy movements in combat are just for deceiving the weak, making one seem powerful. To a true master, they’re utterly worthless."

With her hands behind her back, the girl spoke with a tone of exasperation, as if disappointed by his shortcomings: "The purpose of movement technique is to quickly approach and surprise an enemy, striking when they are unprepared, achieving a decisive victory. If your True Qi is all used for illusions, your actual attack will be much weaker. How can you possibly fight then?"

"How about this: lower your cultivation to one level higher than mine—that is, to the peak of Saint Realm First Tier—and then use your movement technique to spar with me again!" the girl continued.

"Alright!" Hall Master Lu quickly nodded, his aura surging as he suppressed his cultivation to the peak of the Saint Realm First Tier in an instant.

"Begin!" As the girl spoke, Hall Master Lu's figure flickered, and suddenly six illusory figures appeared before everyone's eyes. It was as if five clones had emerged simultaneously, making it impossible to distinguish between the real body and the fakes.

"That’s Hall Master Lu’s signature Nine Shadows Step!" "Indeed, when pushed to its limit, the Nine Shadows Step can create nine illusions; even I struggle to tell reality from illusion. Now that he’s suppressed his cultivation, he’s only created five, but it’s still incredibly formidable!" "Once this move is unleashed, it’s practically impossible to counter…" "At the very least, at the same cultivation level, I’m no match for it…" Hall Master Xing and the others nodded solemnly.

Once cultivation was suppressed to the Saint Realm, Saint-level martial techniques could be employed. The Nine Shadows Step was particularly renowned throughout the Combat Master Hall, and at their shared cultivation level, they had no way to break through it.

"Get ready, I’m going to make my move…" Just as everyone finished their exclamations, they heard a soft cry from the girl in front. Immediately, everyone’s vision blurred as if a shadow had shot forth and, in the blink of an eye, returned to its original position.

*Thump!* They quickly looked, and Hall Master Lu’s five shadows vanished in an instant, merging back into one figure. His body was hunched over like a shrimp, and he was violently spitting out yellow fluid. It seemed the girl had kicked him in the abdomen, nearly incapacitating him.

"Did she… make a move?" Swallowing hard, everyone’s throats felt dry. With their advanced sight, they hadn't even seen the girl move. How could someone at the same level perceive it clearly? The Hall Master of the Movement Technique Hall had his ultimate technique broken by someone using movement techniques… It was simply too terrifying!

"So fast… I am no match for you. I hope you will not hesitate to impart your wisdom…" After a long pause, Hall Master Lu finally recovered and looked at the girl before him with profound admiration, sincerely clasping his fists.

To be honest, when they first learned that Combat Master Hall members preferred to join the Xuanxuan Society rather than return, they were furious.

Upon their arrival, they aggressively sought trouble. After several ordinary students were consecutively defeated, Liu Yang, who instructed Hall Master Chen, and the young woman, Miss Wang, stepped forward.

At the same level, the two of them couldn’t even withstand a single move… It was then that they truly understood the might of the Xuanxuan Society and couldn’t help but want to learn from them.

"Movement techniques demand speed—fast, faster, fastest! As long as you are fast enough, nothing is a problem…" The girl nodded and explained to him.

After listening for a while, Hall Master Lu was filled with sincere admiration. Her explanation progressed from simple concepts to profound insights, directly pinpointing the essence of movement techniques, instantly enlightening him. As the Hall Master of the Movement Technique Hall, he had dedicated hundreds of years to studying movement, yet he found that his understanding was not as deep as that of this young girl. The thought filled him with shame.

He was deep in thought, about to say something more, when he heard Hall Master Chen’s shout from nearby. "Hall Master, you're here too! Come down quickly! Let’s all join the Xuanxuan Society together…"

Looking up, he realized that Hall Master Xing and the others had arrived sometime ago without him noticing. They had been quite far away and had deliberately used their spiritual essence to conceal their auras, making them undetectable even to him.

"Yes, come down quickly! The Xuanxuan Society’s understanding of combat is truly astonishing, far superior to ours! Hurry over, let’s all join and learn even more powerful techniques!" Hall Master Lu also called out.

"This…" Hall Master Xing and the others’ mouths twitched. They had been hidden in the air, unseen and without worry, but now these two individuals were not only defecting but also shouting their intentions aloud. There was no way to remain concealed, so they all flew down.

"I am the Hall Master of the Weapon Hall of the Combat Master Hall. I wonder which of you excels in weapons? I can suppress my cultivation and spar with you!" Now that they were discovered, the Hall Master of the Weapon Hall no longer hesitated. He stepped forward, a long spear appearing in his palm with a flick of his wrist. He gave it a gentle twirl, and it emitted a sound like a tiger roaring and a dragon singing. If they didn't intervene now, he figured everyone from the Combat Master Hall would join the Xuanxuan Society. Given the situation, there was nothing left to say but to directly compete!

"I’ll do it…" The young man who had instructed Hall Master Chen stepped forward. It was Liu Yang! He was primarily skilled in boxing, though he had also practiced spear techniques with Zheng Yang for some time. As for the other members of the Xuanxuan Society, while they could handle ordinary combat masters, they simply couldn't withstand attacks from Hall Master level opponents. Earlier, when Hall Master Chen and Hall Master Lu had made their moves, the other members found it difficult to resist. That’s why they had no choice but to invite these two direct disciples of the Dean.

"Alright!" Recognizing his cultivation as merely Half-Saint peak, the Hall Master of the Weapon Hall immediately suppressed his own cultivation to the same level.

*Whoosh!* The long spear twitched and thrust straight out. True to his reputation as a super combat master skilled in weaponry, before the spear even reached its target, the spear's aura, like a swimming dragon, whistled forward, exerting immense pressure. Although he wielded only Half-Saint power, his full-strength attack might even challenge a Saint Realm First Tier expert.

"Incredible…" "Hall Master Zhou’s 'Dragon Roar of a Thousand Layers' truly lives up to its reputation as the most powerful offensive ultimate technique in the entire Combat Master Hall. At the same cultivation level, I doubt anyone could directly withstand its sharpness!" "If I were to fight him, I’d have to rely on the power of my soul to dizzy him, then seize the opportunity to escape. A head-on confrontation… that’s definitely out of the question!" "I’m in a similar position. I’d have to dodge first, then figure out a way to counter…" Hall Master Xing and the others all nodded in agreement.

Given the honor of their Master Teacher Hall, Hall Master Zhou of the Weapon Hall showed no mercy. With his first move, even they felt immense pressure, realizing they could not contend with him at the same cultivation level.

As these silent communications occurred, the young man opposite made his move. A long spear materialized in his palm, and he thrust it into the air. It wasn't an overtly subtle or elaborate move, yet it instantly pierced the air with such speed that the entire length of the spear seemed to stretch. In the blink of an eye, it was already before the Hall Master.

*Swish!* Hall Master Zhou’s “Dragon Roar of Nine Layers” technique vanished. Liu Yang’s spear tip was already poised at his throat, ready to pierce it at any moment. In a single move, Hall Master Zhou was defeated!

"Your spear technique is far faster than mine; I’ve lost…" Hall Master Zhou’s face was pale, and his body was rigid. Although he was the Hall Master of the Weapon Hall, he realized that at the same cultivation level, he simply had no way to counter that move. The only way to break it would be to increase his own strength.

"Actually, your spear technique isn't bad. I merely identified its flaws and exploited them…" Liu Yang smiled.

"I’ve practiced spear techniques for a full 842 years, believing I had grasped their true essence and that no one at my level could surpass me. I never expected there would be someone even more skilled…" Hall Master Zhou shook his head, then looked at Liu Yang. "May I ask… how long have you been practicing spear techniques?"

"Roughly…" Liu Yang thought carefully for a moment, then replied with a serious expression, "About two hours!"

"..." Hall Master Zhou was speechless.