Chapter 324: The Sea of Cultivation Techniques

The puppets in the Puppet Hall were specially crafted by master artifact smiths and imbued with spiritual energy. They practiced similar moves and had the same cultivation levels, making them so evenly matched in combat that it was difficult to determine a winner.

Normally, when master teachers guided them for assessment, one puppet would only win by a slight margin.

But this guy... he made one puppet smash the other's head off. How did he do that?

Master Wu, Mo Hongyi, and the others quickly stepped to the door, looked inside, and their pupils contracted. They nearly fainted on the spot.

They saw two evenly matched puppets: one was lying on the ground, its head having rolled quite a distance away.

They had assumed that for one puppet to have its head knocked off, there must have been a fierce battle, with at least some injuries. But upon closer inspection, they realized that wasn't the case at all.

The red-robed puppet stood perfectly still, its sleeves gently swaying, completely unharmed, without even a scratch.

No damage at all, yet it smashed the other's head off...

Good heavens!

How did he do it?

In a normal fight, one would need to be significantly stronger than the opponent.

Just a casual guidance made one puppet so much stronger that it utterly crushed the other?

It felt like a dream.

"You said you'd been repairing for half the day... In how many moves did the red-robed puppet defeat the blue-robed one?" Mo Hongyi couldn't help but ask.

This was what he cared about most.

Hearing this, everyone else also pricked up their ears, afraid of missing a word.

"Moves? The red-robed puppet is so powerful, it only threw one punch, and that was it. If it used more moves, the blue-robed one would probably be flattened into a meat patty..." Zhang Xuan said, speechless.

"More moves? It couldn't even block one. If it used more, wouldn't it be even more ruined?"

"One move..."

Mo Hongyi, Jiang Chen, and the others felt their vision darken and their bodies swayed.

They had thought 17 or 25 moves was impressive, even defying common sense. They never expected this guy to do it in just one move...

To not only defeat but also knock off the head of an evenly matched puppet in a single move... was he even human?

And the most crucial thing was... what was with his disdainful expression?

Others took many moves to finish a fight, but he crippled one in a single move...

"This... if I may ask, how exactly did you manage to have the red-robed puppet defeat the blue-robed one in just one move?" Master Wu couldn't help but ask.

Any master teacher who had gone through the Puppet Hall assessment knew that there was almost no difference between the two puppets. In a normal battle, let alone defeating one in a single move, even winning in a dozen moves would be considered a remarkable feat, envied by countless people.

Precisely because of this, he simply couldn't comprehend how this seemingly impossible task was accomplished.

Princess Mo Yu also looked over with a puzzled expression. A few days prior, during her own assessment, it had taken her a full twenty-two moves to succeed. She was also very curious about what method Teacher Zhang had used.

Hearing the question, Zhang Xuan paused, then replied with an expression of complete nonchalance: "That's quite simple! The red-robed puppet is stronger, and the blue-robed one is faster. If they were to truly compete, it would indeed be hard to tell them apart. However, it becomes easy once you find the blue-robed puppet's weakness. No matter how fast it is, it will eventually stop, right? By accurately predicting its position the moment it pauses and having the red-robed one attack, one punch was enough to knock off its head..."

"Predict its position beforehand?"

"Determine its location?"

Everyone trembled.

It sounded simple, but in reality, it was extremely difficult.

Everyone knew that with ten thousand ding of strength, even a grandmaster could be defeated in a single move. But... knowing it was one thing; being unable to achieve it rendered the knowledge useless.

Similarly, while this combat method sounded simple, during an actual battle, time was measured in tenths or even hundredths of a breath. A slight miscalculation would make it impossible to execute and even create an opening for the opponent's counterattack.

To predict the opponent's position beforehand and accurately have the red-robed puppet knock off its head with one punch...

This not only required a complete understanding of both puppets' fighting styles, but also clear knowledge of their strength, physical condition, and the speed of their fists and movements... everything had to be perfectly clear!

To memorize all that after just one viewing and then implement the appropriate measures...

My God!

Big brother, you're not a three-star master teacher pretending to be a one-star just to mess with us, are you?

Ling Xiaoxiao, standing to the side, also felt her delicate body trembling as if it were about to fall apart, almost convulsing on the spot.

Just one day ago, when she met him, she thought he was an ignorant little apprentice who knew nothing. Now she realized he was a hidden monster.

He acted like he knew nothing when asked, but then performed incredibly well on assessments... Where did this freak come from?

She felt a tightness in her chest; if she hadn't suppressed it, she probably would have spat out a mouthful of blood.

"This... I don't have to pay for this, do I?"

After explaining, seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Xuan pointed at the puppet lying on the ground.

"The Master Teacher Pavilion has an automatic repair capability. The puppet will automatically restore itself to normal after a few days of rest!" Master Wu said, recovering from his shock.

"That's good..." Zhang Xuan sighed in relief. "So... does this mean I passed?"

"You passed!" Master Wu replied with a wry smile.

The others rolled their eyes.

He guided it to defeat the opponent in a single move. If he didn't pass, who would?

"The next stage is the Sea of Cultivation Techniques!"

Forcing down his frustration, Master Wu continued to explain the content of the next assessment: "The Sea of Cultivation Techniques contains countless cultivation manuals. To pass, you must randomly select one and teach from it. During the lecture, not only will there be many master teachers present to judge, but most importantly, there's also the Sage Bell!"

"The Sage Bell is a sentient treasure, imbued with the ancient sages' understanding and mastery of cultivation techniques. If your lecture doesn't satisfy it, the bell won't ring, and you won't pass! The more times it rings, the more accurately you've explained the technique."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright, please enter. All master teachers, please come with me. As for the rest, please remain outside!" Master Wu looked around and said.

The fourth stage, the Sea of Cultivation Techniques assessment, required master teachers to be present, and other outsiders were not qualified to enter.

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and entered the room.

The Sea of Cultivation Techniques was somewhat similar to a regular classroom, primarily testing a master teacher's lecturing abilities.

No matter how good a master teacher was or how strong their guidance, if they couldn't lecture, they could only serve individuals and wouldn't be considered a truly good teacher.

A truly good teacher would have disciples everywhere, and everyone under their tutelage would become exceptional.

Simply teaching one or two powerful students wasn't much.

Looking up, two rows of large bells hung on either side of the room, each taller than a person. They were adorned with special patterns, giving off a profound and artistic aura.

In the center were some tables and chairs, neatly arranged like student desks in a classroom.

A dozen master teachers entered one after another and took their seats.

Now they were the students, and there was only one teacher: Zhang Xuan.

Once everyone was seated, the door closed, and the room immediately became silent.

The lecturer's desk vibrated, and a book slowly appeared.

"This manual was randomly selected from the library. You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to review it, and then you will explain it!" Master Wu said, seeing the book appear. "The surrounding Sage Bells will automatically analyze the correctness of your lecture, and we will also make our judgments. The combination of both will determine whether you pass."

The Sage Bell was specially left behind by four-star master teachers. It contained their understanding of cultivation techniques and combat arts, their strengths and weaknesses, all engraved within. If the content explained matched this understanding, it would be recognized; if there were errors, it would not ring.

While it sounded complex, it was actually somewhat similar to the previous Auxiliary Cultivation Hall.

In the Auxiliary Cultivation Hall, scores increased or decreased, but here, it simply meant the bell rang for correctness and remained silent for errors.

"Mmm!" Zhang Xuan reached out, picked up the book, and casually opened it.

"Multi-wave Water Palm?" His eyes fell on the book's cover.

It was a combat art.

"Multi-wave Water Palm? His luck doesn't seem to be very good. This is one of the most difficult combat arts in the Master Teacher Pavilion's assessment!"

"Indeed, difficult to cultivate means difficult to explain. In the thousands of years since the Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion was established, eight examinees have drawn this book. Seven of them failed, and the only one who passed merely skimmed the surface, barely making it!"

"It's likely that even if he passes this stage by luck, his score won't be as impressive as before..."

Seeing the title of the book, the many master teachers sitting below simultaneously shook their heads, expressions of regret on their faces.

Although the Sea of Cultivation Techniques assessment involved randomly selecting a technique or combat art, it was also related to luck.

If one was lucky, they might pick a simple one or one they had seen before, making it much easier to explain. But if they picked a difficult one, one they couldn't even cultivate themselves, how could they explain it?

Clearly, Zhang Xuan's luck wasn't good; he had drawn the latter.

This Multi-wave Water Palm was not *the* most difficult combat art in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion, but it was certainly close.

Countless cultivators had tried and failed to practice it, let alone understand and explain it within the short span of time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Ignoring the discussions of the crowd, Zhang Xuan opened the manual, read it for a moment, and nodded.

This manual appeared profound, but in reality, it did not exceed the scope of the Tongxuan realm.

Having cultivated the Heaven's Path Spear Art, Heaven's Path Movement Art, and Heaven's Path Fist Art, he had gained a certain understanding of combat arts. As long as it didn't exceed his current strength level, no matter how difficult something was, he could figure out the creator's intent and determine the cultivation method just by glancing at it.

Thus, despite what others considered terrifyingly difficult, his own training had made his insight incredibly sharp. Many times, even without the aid of the Library of Heaven's Path, he could spot flaws in cultivation techniques and point directly to the true path.

It was like someone who was accustomed to handling real banknotes; even if they had never seen a counterfeit, they could tell its authenticity just by touch.

The Heaven's Path Divine Art and the numerous Heaven's Path combat arts were akin to standing on the straightest path of cultivation, having already reached the other shore. Looking back at the winding paths, it was naturally easy to spot where the problems lay.

"Then I'll begin explaining..." Zhang Xuan finished reading the manual in dozens of breaths, placed it casually on the desk, and spoke.

"Teacher Zhang, you don't actually need to rush. You have a full incense stick's time to study it carefully..." Seeing that he was about to start explaining after just a glance, Master Wu couldn't help but say.

"No need!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

For such a simple combat art, spending more time looking at it would be a waste.

He glanced around, too lazy to delay any longer, and began directly: "Multi-wave Water Palm, its name suggests it's a water-attributed palm technique, and many cultivators, taking this as their basis, try all sorts of methods. However... this approach is incorrect!"

"Incorrect?" Everyone was startled.

Zhang Xuan continued: "Actually, 'multi-wave water pattern' refers to how, after cultivation, the attacks resemble endless water ripples and continuous waves, flowing endlessly! It has no relation to the water attribute itself..."

He casually explained the issues he had identified and the correct cultivation method.

"This..."

"So this is what it means! I never would have thought..."

"I see! This truly enlightened me!"

Hearing his explanation, everyone felt a jolt throughout their bodies, and their faces turned pale with excitement.

All those present were master teachers, naturally capable of discerning whether the explanation was correct or incorrect. Before, they had all believed this palm technique was water-attributed, never expecting it to be fundamentally different.

Analyzing it from another perspective, the previously incredibly difficult manual became as transparent as a naked beauty, with no secrets left to hide.

"There really is a gap..."

After hearing the explanation, Princess Mo Yu looked at the young man on the stage, her eyes filled with a complex expression.

She had coincidentally seen this Multi-wave Water Palm before, and her understanding was the same as everyone else's. She had never imagined such an alternative interpretation.

After listening to his explanation, she felt that her own understanding of cultivation techniques over the years had been far too superficial.

"Incredible..."

Mo Hongyi clenched his fists.

Although he didn't want to admit it, he also felt that the other person's explanation contained no errors whatsoever.

"This person... he might be my great rival..." Mo Hongyi's eyes narrowed, and a strong sense of fighting spirit welled up within him.

He was a super genius who had never had a true rival. Now, with someone appearing who was his equal, or even slightly superior, his fighting spirit was immediately ignited.

"It seems I also need to take the two-star master teacher assessment!"

He exhaled sharply, letting out a cold snort.

In truth, with his cultivation level, he could have already taken the two-star master teacher assessment. He had simply wanted to accumulate more experience and break all records. But with Zhang Xuan performing so exceptionally, if he didn't speed up, he might be surpassed.

While the master teachers on the inside had their own thoughts and were filled with admiration for the young man on stage, those waiting outside had anxious expressions, eager to know the results.

"I wonder how he'll fare in this stage!"

Ling Xiaoxiao's eyes were fixed on the door to the fourth stage, wishing she could peek inside.

Her Guardian Grandmaster behind her said, "The score in the Sea of Cultivation Techniques is related to how many times the Sage Bell rings. One ring means barely passed, two rings is satisfactory, three rings is good, four rings is excellent, five rings means complete understanding with no errors, and six rings signifies perfection! Currently, the best score for a master teacher assessment is still Mo Hongyi's, who achieved four rings, drawing countless envious gazes. If this Zhang Xuan wants to make a splash, he must achieve more than four rings!"

"Four rings? That's not easy at all! It's incredibly difficult to read and understand a combat art within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"I heard that Mo Hongyi was lucky during his assessment; he happened to have seen the combat art he drew, which is why he could explain it so thoroughly. This guy might not be so fortunate!"

Hearing their conversation, the surrounding crowd shook their heads simultaneously.

In an assessment, everyone wanted a good score, but good scores weren't that common.

He might have been impressive in the first two stages, but they doubted he could be just as surprising in this one.

"Ding!"

As everyone was discussing, the ground suddenly trembled, and a colossal sound reverberated.

The Sage Bell had rung!

"How many rings will there be?"

Everyone held their breath, looking forward in unison.