Chapter 1194: Together

"How many Combat Master Halls are there? And do they... have a lot of high-grade spirit stones of vital essence?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked over.

He was practically insane from lack of money. If the Combat Master Halls from the Conferred Empires coming for the exchange were wealthy, he could definitely think of something.

"There are three in total. They're pretty much on par with our Combat Master Hall. Considering their expenses, they probably don't have many high-grade spirit stones of vital essence left!"

Seeing that the person before him immediately asked about spirit stones, Hall Master Xing shook his head with a wry smile.

"On par?"

"That's right. There are eight Conferred Empires under the Imperial Alliance. Four of them are superior to us in terms of national strength and Master Teacher Pavilion level, belonging to a higher tier. The remaining four, including our Qingyuan Empire, are in another tier. The ones coming for this exchange are from the latter group. They intend to select talents to cultivate in the Qianchong Conferred Empire, with a total of twenty spots available!"

Hall Master Xing explained, "In the past, our Qingyuan Combat Master Hall only secured two spots, and our performance was always at the bottom. This time, with the exchange with the Xuanxuan Club, everyone has benefited greatly, and we hope to secure more spots!"

"Cultivate in the Qianchong Empire? Is there some cultivation holy land there?" Zhang Xuan asked, curious.

When he went to the Mirage Feather Empire, it was because their Soul Cleansing Pond was beneficial for soul cultivation. Could it be that this Qianchong Empire also had a similar holy land?

"Speaking of holy lands, there is one indeed! The Qianchong Empire has a Sword Pool, which contains countless sword intents and sword techniques. If one can enter and study there, it would greatly aid their combat prowess! Therefore, these spots are extremely important to our Qingyuan Combat Master Hall. The more we get, the more rewards the Alliance Combat Master Hall Headquarters will give us!" Hall Master Xing said.

"Rewards?" Zhang Xuan's eyes immediately brightened.

"Yes, during the last exchange, the Chongyuan Conferred Empire, which took first place, received rewards from the headquarters worth hundreds of high-grade spirit stones of vital essence!" Hall Master Xing continued.

"Hundreds of high-grade spirit stones of vital essence?" Zhang Xuan was filled with excitement.

With so many high-grade spirit stones of vital essence, he could easily break through to the peak of the Fetal Infant Realm, and might even be able to attempt breaking through to the peak of the Nascent Spirit Realm.

"Yes!" Hall Master Xing nodded. "In essence, this kind of exchange is somewhat similar to military exercises. The strongest 'kings of soldiers' from each tier are selected for contests. The more victories we secure, the more generous the headquarters will naturally be. It's also a form of motivation for the subordinate Combat Master Halls and combat masters!"

Zhang Xuan understood.

If combat masters were likened to the army of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it made sense for the various military regions to compete. Without comparison, there's no pressure, and both the army and its discipline would become lax.

"If Master Zhang can provide guidance, and we truly win rewards, I can convert them into high-grade spirit stones of vital essence and give half to you! You know, my authority only allows me to use half; I can't exceed that..." Hall Master Xing said.

The person before him was not only incredibly powerful in combat, unrivaled among peers, but more importantly, his understanding of combat and martial arts had reached an astonishing level. Although his guidance was sparse, every single word was enlightening, causing sudden realizations. If he truly guided them, the Qingyuan City Combat Master Hall might genuinely surpass its previous achievements and reach a new height. It was precisely because of this that Hall Master Xing couldn't help but speak up when he saw Zhang Xuan arrive.

"Deal!"

Before Hall Master Xing could finish his sentence, the young man opposite him agreed.

No kidding. What he lacked most right now were spirit stones. Forget half the reward, even a third would be worth the effort.

"Then it's settled. Barring any surprises, the people from the other three Combat Master Halls will arrive within three days... How does Master Zhang wish to conduct the training? I can have the combat masters cooperate unconditionally!"

Seeing him agree, Hall Master Xing breathed a sigh of relief and asked.

"What cultivation levels are required for this exchange you mentioned? Have the participants for the competition been selected?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This exchange requires twenty cultivators, ranging from the Silkworm Sealing Realm to the peak of the Divine Sense Realm, which are exactly twenty minor levels... We've already selected the individuals..." Hall Master Xing nodded.

Starting from the Silkworm Sealing Realm, there were five major realms: Half-Saint, Consecrated Saint, Sky-Tracking Realm, and Divine Sense Realm. Each major realm had four minor levels: early, middle, late, and peak, totaling exactly twenty levels. The strongest individual from each level was chosen.

"Where are they? Take me to see them!"

Since the individuals had been selected, the rest was simple. He just needed to see what each person excelled at, then provide guidance and utilize their strengths to achieve the best results.

"In the training hall..."

Smiling, Hall Master Xing quickly led the way.

The training hall was near the Martial Arts Hall. It was a spacious hall where combat masters could relax and spar. Four dueling platforms stood in the center, and around them were spectator stands and quiet rooms for combat masters to watch and rest.

Before even entering, they heard the whistling of wind, as if someone was sparring, followed by various shouts and exclamations. Upon entering the main door, they indeed saw two combat masters sparring on one of the dueling platforms. Powerful forces surged around, and dazzling techniques followed one another, leaving spectators dazzled. The remaining dozen or so combat masters were gathered around, excitedly shouting whenever a powerful move was unleashed.

Zhang Xuan glanced around and was surprised to find two familiar faces: Shi Hao, whom he had met in the Internal Breath Hall, and Jiao Tan, who had demonstrated the Grand Star Luo Finger technique in the Martial Arts Hall. Both of them were peak existences in their respective halls, so their selection was understandable.

"Hall Master! Master Zhang!"

Seeing them enter, everyone stopped, cupped their fists, and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, no need to be polite. I assume you all know Master Zhang without my introduction!" Hall Master Xing said, coming closer.

Everyone nodded.

The commotion Zhang Xuan had caused in various halls over the past few days had practically turned the entire Combat Master Hall upside down. He alone had broken the records of all the passages, and each one was achieved to an unreachable degree, leaving everyone with no choice but to be convinced.

"The Combat Master Hall places great importance on this exchange, so we have specifically invited him to provide guidance to all of you. I hope everyone cooperates well!" Hall Master Xing continued.

"Yes!"

Hearing that Zhang Xuan would be guiding them, everyone's eyes lit up. They had witnessed the strength of the Xuanxuan Club. To be able to guide ordinary master teachers from a regular Master Teacher Academy to be even stronger than combat masters of the same level—that ability was simply terrifying. If they could receive his guidance, it was clear their strength would inevitably achieve a qualitative leap.

"Master Zhang, please say a few words!" Hall Master Xing smiled.

"Hmm!"

Nodding, Zhang Xuan approached the group. Without a word, he flipped his wrist, and a rope appeared in his palm. "Hall Master Xing, please bind my hands!"

"Bind?" Hall Master Xing was stunned.

"Yes!"

Although he didn't know the purpose of Zhang Xuan's request, since it was made, Hall Master Xing said no more. He immediately tied the rope, binding Zhang Xuan's hands securely behind his back.

Zhang Xuan struggled a bit, finding he couldn't break free. Only then did he turn back with a satisfied expression. With a sway of his body, he landed on a nearby dueling platform.

"Suppress your cultivation to the early stage of the Silkworm Sealing Realm, and then... come at me, all of you!"

With a snort, Zhang Xuan's body swayed. His Saint Realm 2-dan peak power rapidly dropped until it reached the early stage of the Silkworm Sealing Realm. He then quietly stood in one corner of the dueling platform.

"All of us?"

"Master Zhang means... he'll fight all of us with his hands tied?"

"Not fight, but take on all twenty of us... individually?"

"I admire Master Zhang's strength, but to want to defeat us working together while his hands are tied... isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

Seeing Zhang Xuan's actions and hearing his words, everyone's faces flushed, and their eyes narrowed. No matter what, they were all top-tier existences of their respective cultivation levels, selected by the Combat Master Hall. Even if they might be slightly weaker than Master Zhang and couldn't defeat him in a one-on-one fight, for him to challenge a group of them with his hands tied... wasn't that looking down on them too much?!

"What? Scared?"

Seeing that after he spoke, the crowd was angry but didn't move forward, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Then how about this: I'll leave two footprints here. If all of you charge at me together and can make me move from this spot... I'll consider that a loss for me too!"

As he spoke, he gently stomped his foot on the ground. Two smooth footprints appeared on the hard ground of the dueling platform, as if carved into it.

"What pure zhenqi..."

Everyone's pupils contracted.

The dueling platform was made of the most durable rock, reinforced with various seals, to withstand the aftermath of battles. A normal early-stage Silkworm Sealing Realm cultivator might not even leave a mark with a full-force attack, yet Zhang Xuan, without moving his body or shaking his shoulders, left such clear imprints just by stomping his foot... The purity and density of his zhenqi were simply astonishing.

"I admire the density of Master Zhang's zhenqi. However, to want to defeat us without using your hands or moving your feet... I'm afraid it won't be that easy!"

After the initial shock, a combat master snorted, swayed his body, and leaped onto the platform. "Alright, I'll try first. If you can defeat me like this, it won't be too late for the rest of us to join in!"

It was Shi Hao!

This person had forcibly suppressed his cultivation for twenty years without breaking through, all to break the record of the Internal Breath Passage. After being "struck" by Zhang Xuan, he had broken through in one go and was now a master at the Saint Realm 2-dan middle stage. Seeing him step onto the stage, everyone nodded. As fellow combat masters of the Combat Master Hall, they were quite convinced of Shi Hao's strength. Having him make the first move would allow them to test just how much combat power Master Zhang could unleash with his hands tied and feet restricted.

*Creak, creak!*

Arriving on the platform, Shi Hao said no more. He suppressed his aura, and in the blink of an eye, like Zhang Xuan, he was at the early stage of the Silkworm Sealing Realm.

"Master Zhang, please enlighten me!"

After suppressing his cultivation, Shi Hao narrowed his eyes, extended his arm, and his zhenqi surged, enveloping the entire dueling platform. The next moment, he charged towards Zhang Xuan.

The person had not yet arrived, but the force was already there. Earth-shattering, the ground rumbled.