Chapter 790: Neon Dress Ripple Dance

The physical movements were so abnormal that if I had to explain them, I could only attribute them to the eruption of an inner demon, which would be simpler.

Otherwise, claiming I had no thoughts or intentions would involve the Warlock Soul, leading to endless explanations.

As for the soul the other party discovered earlier, as long as I didn't admit it was mine, there would be no way to trace it anyway.

"An inner demon?" Sure enough, upon hearing his words, the woman in the air stopped. Although her attack did not continue, she did not believe him, and the cage remained. It seemed she would attack immediately if he made a mistake in his explanation.

"Exactly," Zhang Xuan quickly explained. "I am a new student at the academy. I originally intended to go to the library to study for the Enigma Master examination. As soon as I arrived here, I had an epiphany, and to avoid being disturbed, I had to hide in the tree..."

"An epiphany?" The woman frowned.

For cultivators, epiphanies come and go quickly. That's why the academy built numerous pavilions, to provide a time for teachers and students to be undisturbed. If this guy truly had a sudden epiphany and hid in the tree trunk to avoid disturbance, it would be plausible.

"What is your connection to that thing hidden in the library just now?" Of course, this was only a possibility, and she didn't believe it. An invisible uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the library, and this guy then fell from the tree; it was impossible to say there was no connection between the two!

"I don't know what you are talking about, Senior," Zhang Xuan said. "I was previously meditating on the details of the 'Rainbow Rippling Dance,' which led me to almost suffer a cultivation deviation. I've only just recovered and am unaware of anything happening outside!" He couldn't get involved in this matter; he had to deny it completely. Otherwise, he would have no way to defend himself or explain further.

"'Rainbow Rippling Dance'? That's a dance skill studied by six-star Enigma Masters, reaching level six. You're a new student, yet you're meditating on this? Are you trying to deceive me?" The woman frowned and snorted. Thunder rumbled in her palm again, as if she would strike at any moment. This guy, around twenty years old, had just claimed to be a new student, and now he was talking about meditating on a level-six dance skill. It would be strange if she weren't suspicious.

Seeing that mentioning this dance skill had indeed captured her attention, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, an emblem appeared before him. "I am a six-star Artificer. Meditating on a level-six Enigma Dance shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

"A six-star Artificer?" Seeing the six stars glittering on the emblem, the woman frowned. An Artificer's emblem couldn't be faked, meaning the other party was truly a six-star Artificer. Artificers were a top-tier profession; for someone who could achieve that, studying a level-six dance skill was indeed nothing.

"Yes, the Rainbow Rippling Dance is one of the more powerful level-six dance skills. If executed well, it can even bewilder Saint Realm experts, making them fall into it helplessly. However, through my observation, while this move is powerful, it also has several obvious flaws that need to be corrected." Seeing her attention focused, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and continued: "Firstly, the Rainbow Rippling Dance, as its name suggests, requires luxurious attire to achieve its maximum effect. However, if danger arises and battle is imminent, how could your opponent allow you to change clothes? This is its biggest flaw. Secondly, while this set of dance skills is stunning, it doesn't reach a point where it's indefensible. Especially when performing it, the soul wanders, consuming an enormous amount of energy, making one easily fatigued. 'Killing a thousand enemies, harming oneself eight hundred times' — this is the second flaw..."

"...This is the third!" "...The fourth!" "...The seventeenth!" Zhang Xuan's voice was like a machine gun; he didn't give her a chance to interrupt, rattling off seventeen flaws of the Rainbow Rippling Dance in one breath.

This dance skill had detailed descriptions in many books he had collected in the library. He had skimmed through them, knew the content, and finding the flaws at this moment was extremely simple. To prevent her from pursuing the Warlock Soul matter, he had to take the initiative in the conversation. The Rainbow Rippling Dance was the most commonly used skill among six-star Enigma Masters. Pointing out its flaws directly would shock her, and it now seemed to have achieved the desired effect.

"So many flaws... you discovered them?" The woman was somewhat incredulous. She frequently used this dance skill herself but had never found so many problems. This young man had listed them all in one breath; to say she wasn't shocked would be a lie. As a six-star Enigma Master, after a moment of careful consideration, she immediately understood that not a single word he spoke was false; it was all fact! In other words, the Rainbow Rippling Dance truly had all these flaws, without any error! Even she couldn't see them, yet he did... What kind of insight was this? Could it be that this guy really came to take the Enigma Master examination?

"Exactly!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Do you have solutions?" Seeing him so confident, the woman couldn't help but ask.

"Before my epiphany, I indeed had no method, but now, with a deeper understanding of the Enigma profession, I can solve some of them!" Zhang Xuan nodded: "Regarding the first flaw I mentioned earlier, the requirement for luxurious attire, that's actually a misconception. This dance skill emphasizes ripples, not 'rainbow clothes.' Ripples mean waves. What immerses people isn't the opulent clothing, but the surging ripples. For example, even if I'm dressed simply right now, if I perform this dance skill, it will still have considerable power..."

As he spoke, he raised his palm and lightly drew a line in front of him. True Qi surged around his body, sending out layers of ripples, like stones thrown into a pond, with elegant waves rising and a sudden graceful charm emerging. The woman looked forward. Although the young man in front of her was dressed simply, against the backdrop of the ripples, he seemed like a nine-heavens dancing god in luxurious attire, invading the soul and providing a peculiar enjoyment and aesthetic. It was as if this single movement not only altered his aura but also changed his clothes, transforming him from the dirty figure who had just crashed into the wall into a prince attending a banquet in some kingdom. It made one involuntarily fall into it, unable to extricate oneself. She shook her head to clear it, only then realizing that he had already stopped, still in his ordinary clothes, with no significant change.

"Amazing!" Her heart trembled. She was a six-star peak Enigma Master, accustomed to only bewitching others. Yet the other party, without even changing clothes, had caused her to lose her composure. She feared that this person's understanding of dance skills had already surpassed hers, reaching a more profound realm.

"Regarding the second flaw I mentioned earlier, 'killing a thousand enemies, harming oneself eight hundred times,' if you circulate your soul power according to my method, you can avoid it..." Seeing her shocked expression, Zhang Xuan knew she had believed his identity. He breathed a sigh of relief, smiled again, and continued.

Addressing the flaws of the Rainbow Rippling Dance was not difficult, given his current understanding of the Enigma Master profession. This dance skill consumed a significant amount of soul power, harming oneself while harming others. However, if his method were used, the degree of self-harm would be significantly reduced, and it could even unleash greater power at less than a third of the previous cost!

"This, this..." Hearing the method, she pondered it carefully. The more she thought, the more shocked the woman became, her eyes wide with disbelief. With her knowledge, and having just tested it, what he said was utterly flawless! In other words... this person in front of her had not only modified the Rainbow Rippling Dance but also made it more powerful and less consuming!

"As for the third flaw..." While she was still in shock, she heard his words continue without pause.

The third, the fourth, the fifth... He had actually solved all seventeen flaws he had just mentioned, using special methods.

"If this modified version were to be compiled into a new manual... the power of the Rainbow Rippling Dance would more than double. If I were to perform it, let alone a Saint Realm First Layer expert, even a Second Layer expert might fall into its allure and be controlled..." Her throat dry, the woman's entire body stiffened. With her insight, she could naturally discern the preciousness and terrifying nature of the modified Rainbow Rippling Dance. He had merely glanced at it, pointed out seventeen flaws, and could even modify them... This young man, though not old, possessed an understanding of the Enigma Master profession that even she could likely not hope to match!

"Alright, this is my recently acquired understanding of the Rainbow Rippling Dance. I hope it's useful to you," Zhang Xuan said, looking over with a slight smile. "If there's anything else you don't understand, feel free to ask me. If I can answer, I certainly won't hold back!" He was also forced by circumstances, learning and applying on the spot. Otherwise, facing a formidable Saint Realm expert, if she were to attack, ten of him wouldn't be a match.

"I happen to have a question regarding the 'Fragrant Dance Skill.' Every time I cultivate it, I feel a dullness in my heart, and I don't know how to resolve it..." The woman hesitated for a moment before speaking. She indeed had a cultivation problem that had puzzled her for a long time and remained unresolved. Since this person in front of her could even modify the Rainbow Rippling Dance, could he also help her solve her problem?

"'Fragrant Dance Skill'... are you referring to the one created by Drunken Linglong, the six-star peak Enigma Master, three thousand years ago?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Exactly!" The woman nodded.

"When this is performed, it not only makes people's souls stir, but can also spread a fragrance for ten miles, causing birds and bees to dance along. It's a very powerful, peak-level six dance skill. If you feel dull when performing it, if I'm not mistaken..." Frowning, Zhang Xuan paused, then looked at her: "You probably haven't been in love before, have you?"

"I... haven't!" The woman shook her head. She had dedicated her entire life to the Enigma path, with nothing but cultivation, and no man had ever caught her eye, so she had naturally never been in love.

"That's it! Drunken Linglong created the Fragrant Dance Skill precisely when she was awakening to the bloom of youth and intended to live with her lover forever, growing old together. This dance skill might seem like just a few simple movements, but in reality, it embodies her fantasies and expectations for a beautiful life together. Since you've never been in love, you naturally don't understand this kind of yearning. When you perform it, your state of mind can't merge, not only yielding no effect but, if you force it, you might even... suffer repercussions!" Zhang Xuan explained: "How about this? I'll modify the cultivation method for this dance skill to eliminate this hidden danger. If you want to learn it..."

With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan looked over. "I can teach you!"