Chapter 1742: Hu Yaoyao Advances

“Zhao Ya’s whereabouts?”

The message was from none other than his father, Sword Saint Xing!

“Could it be... they’ve also arrived here?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Having traversed three worlds, he knew that messaging was impossible here. The fact that his jade token vibrated as soon as he arrived, did it indicate that he and his parents, Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng, were now in the same space?

With a tap of his finger, a series of messages were sent: “Where are you?”

The jade token flashed: “Great Accomplishment Hall, Spring Warmth Tower!”

“Spring Warmth Tower?”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

Not only was he unfamiliar with this place, he didn’t even know where the Great Accomplishment Hall was.

“Let’s go find it!”

The Confucius Temple was right before him. Since his father had messaged him with an address, he would surely be able to find it.

“Are we going?”

Seeing him about to leave, Hu Yaoyao looked over.

“Yes. There are bound to be powerful cultivators around the Confucius Temple. In a moment, if there’s any danger, just turn and run. Don’t worry about me,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Don’t treat me as a burden. Although my strength hasn’t reached the Great Sage level, my combat power is still considerable. The reason I was captured in the Ice and Snow World was because they ambushed me with soul attacks!” Knowing his concern, Hu Yaoyao rolled her eyes, slightly displeased.

Half a year ago, this guy was just her junior, someone she could casually tease. But now... he was worried she couldn’t keep up, filling her with frustration.

“As long as you’re not a burden, then it’ll be faster to escape!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“...” Hu Yaoyao was so infuriated she nearly spat blood. She had just said her combat power was decent, intending to convey that she could fight in danger and wouldn’t be a drag. Yet... he interpreted it as being able to escape faster! Could it be that in your eyes, I’m so useless?

Gritting her teeth, Hu Yaoyao’s graceful figure stepped forward: “What? Looking down on my strength? Do you dare to make a bet with me?”

“A bet?”

“That’s right! I’ll perform a dance. If your spirit is even slightly affected, making you unable to exert your full power, then you apologize to me! And no more talk about me running away if we encounter danger. But if you’re unaffected... I’ll apologize to you, and from today onward, I’ll do whatever you say and never cause you trouble!” Hu Yaoyao’s beautiful eyes fixed on him.

“Alright!” Seeing her persistence, Zhang Xuan nodded. He also wanted to see what effect a peak Dance Master would have.

“I’ll begin!” Her body swayed, and Hu Yaoyao began to dance. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a graceful celestial maiden, like a sprite soaring through the sky. Her exquisite form exuded a captivating aura that seemed to draw one in so deeply they couldn’t extricate themselves with just a single glance.

It had to be said, the girl’s figure was truly flawless; every part of her was perfectly proportioned, forming an ideal curve—not an ounce too much, not an ounce too little. Though the surroundings prevented her from changing into elegant robes, her every movement, every smile, still delivered a tremendous impact on one’s soul.

“Not bad!” He couldn’t help but nod. Her strength was only at the peak of the Saint Realm Ninth Layer, but when she performed her dance, even Great Sage Second Layer Golden Body Realm experts would find it difficult to resist.

Male cultivators, especially those in the Immortal Realm, would fall prey to it with the slightest carelessness. A hero finds it hard to resist a beautiful woman. Hu Yaoyao herself was a peerless enchantress, with an inherent ability to captivate with every move. Now, combined with her dance, even with her relatively low cultivation, she could still exude an irresistible charm.

Of course, while it could enthrall opponents, killing them would be difficult. With this level of power, even wielding a weapon, she might not be able to leave a mark on a Golden Body Realm expert.

“You... weren’t affected?” When the dance concluded, Hu Yaoyao stopped. Seeing the young man opposite her with clear, untroubled eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. Her unparalleled figure and beauty had instantly marked her as a saint candidate for cultivation upon entering the Dance Master Guild. The reason she was permitted to enter the Confucius Temple this time was that she had fully inherited their techniques, allowing her to protect herself even against Great Sage experts.

With such an ability, meeting Zhang Xuan again naturally sparked a desire to compete. Back at Hongyuan Academy, countless people had fallen at her feet. Every male master teacher held her in awe, yet this guy was like an ox chewing on a peony, utterly blind to her beauty.

She had thought that after acquiring the Dance Master legacy, he would be affected. To her surprise, his gaze was even clearer than before... Brother, when exactly did you go blind? She truly wanted to find someone to treat him...

Just as she was full of frustration, his voice rang out: “Yes, I was somewhat affected!”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up as Hu Yaoyao looked over in confusion: “How come I didn’t notice...”

“Although your ‘Exquisite Soaring Dance’ was performed well, perfectly showcasing the form of a celestial maiden flying, and giving an illusion that is both real and dreamlike, as if one has entered an illusion array... its flaws are also very obvious. First, the movements are too deliberate. The reason celestial maidens are stunning isn’t just their graceful figures, but that every movement, every smile, carries an air of transcendence and otherworldliness; it’s about being detached from the mundane, not being worldly. Second, your spiritual attack is too intentional, which easily provokes resistance from powerful cultivators and makes it harder to penetrate their minds...”

Zhang Xuan listed seventeen flaws in one breath, paused, and then continued: “How should I put it... the effect your dance had on me just now was... there were too many flaws, I simply couldn’t watch it, it made me a bit nauseous. You know, I’m a perfectionist...”

“You...” Hu Yaoyao nearly spat blood. Perfectionist? Perfectionist my foot! My graceful dance, it’s one thing not to be tempted... but to feel nauseous and want to vomit...

Tears streamed down her face. Hu Yaoyao felt her career as a Dance Master was utterly bleak. Others enjoy watching dance, but you see flaws... Can we even enjoy ourselves anymore?

“Don’t be discouraged. These are the corrections I just made to your dance. If you study them carefully, you should be able to improve again. That way, for me... it should, uh, not be so unpleasant anymore!” Zhang Xuan said with a serious expression.

“...” Hu Yaoyao rubbed her temples. Her heart felt so tired. Fortunately, they were just friends. If they were a couple, with his emotional intelligence being so low, she’d feel suffocated many times a day; it would be better to just kill herself.

Filled with frustration, she still committed the flaws and correction methods he mentioned to memory. As she carefully pondered, the more she thought, the more she felt his words were accurate, concise, and straight to the point. Her body instinctively swayed, and she began to perform the Exquisite Soaring Dance again.

Her speed increased, and her movements grew more graceful.

*Boom!*

After an unknown period, the true qi within her body suddenly surged. Her cultivation, previously confined to the Saint Realm Ninth Layer, broke through in an instant, reaching the Divine-Indestructible Realm.

“I broke through?” Her delicate body stiffened. She looked at the young man nearby again, her gaze complex. This guy, to see so many flaws at a glance, and with corrections, she could improve... It seemed that in his eyes, being useless... was also a good option! At least she could get... guidance.

Forget it. Useless is useless. She’d just follow him and gain pointers. What’s the point of being so useful anyway... In that instant, Hu Yaoyao’s fighting spirit was reignited.