Chapter 982: We Are the Xuansuan Society

Martial arts challenges are a common occurrence at the Master Teacher Academy. Master teachers frequently challenge powerful fighters to test their understanding of combat.

Seeing Zhou Ye speak directly, the young man named Ruohuan across from him paused, then smiled faintly. "Of course!" he replied.

"Let's begin then!"

Nodding, Zhou Ye took a deep breath. He suppressed his internal power layer by layer until, like his opponent, he was at the Bridging Heaven realm.

"Seeing that you just used palm techniques, I won't use a weapon either. Let's start!"

Smiling, Zhou Ye flicked his wrist and lunged forward rapidly. His figure was like a ghost or a phantom; although he was using the power of the Bridging Heaven realm, he moved like a specter, making it impossible to discern his exact attack direction.

"Not bad!" Ruohuan's eyes lit up. Without moving his body, he sharply flipped his palm and struck straight ahead. Dean Zhang had once said that panicking at such a move and reacting along with it meant falling into a trap, being led by the opponent's rhythm, and making victory difficult. Therefore, for attacks with many feints, one must see past the superficiality to the essence. No matter how the opponent moves, to truly attack, there are only a few fixed positions. Remaining still allows one to adapt to all changes.

"Good move!" Seeing him remain still and strike forward, Zhou Ye's eyes gleamed. Just as he had anticipated, the purpose of his move was to draw his opponent into action. Once the opponent moved, a weakness would be exposed.

He moved to his opponent's side, flipped his palm, and pressed down. He thought that with this strike, using his full strength, his opponent would surely be injured and concede. However, before the force from his palm even reached his opponent, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. His pupils contracted. He then realized that his opponent had, at some unknown point, discovered the position of his true body, and another palm was already waiting there! In other words, the forward strike earlier was a feint, designed to lure him in. Once he made his move and revealed his position, the other palm immediately followed up.

It was too late to dodge. With a dull thud in his chest, Zhou Ye flew straight off the training ground and landed on the path.

"He defeated Zhou Ye in a single move?"

"Could this be the one they're testing?"

"Highly possible! How can his combat power be so strong?"

Everyone from the Combat Master Hall was startled. Liao Song's eyebrows twitched as well. From the previous fight, he could easily tell that Ruohuan's true qi and reaction speed were inferior to Zhou Ye's. Yet, he had won the match, indicating an exceptionally high talent for understanding martial arts and combat. He was likely the cultivation genius that Zhuo Qingfeng had mentioned. Otherwise, how could he be so strong?

"Hu Chen, you go up and try!" Liao Song waved his hand, raising an eyebrow. Of course, whether it was him or not, they still needed to test further.

"Okay!" The young man named Hu Chen nodded and leaped onto the training ground. "Seeing your exquisite moves, I'd like to try as well..." With that, he suppressed his cultivation.

"Alright!" Ruohuan nodded, just about to make a move, when a young man beside him stepped forward: "Ruohuan, please let me have this opportunity to spar with a weaker opponent. You know I'm the worst at learning; I still haven't understood what the Dean explained. Why don't you let me try?"

"Alright then!" Seeing his friend's expression, Ruohuan gave a wry smile and nodded. This friend indeed had a weaker grasp of martial arts. It was difficult for him to practice by sparring with them, but perhaps sparring with this "weakling" who had appeared out of nowhere would provide significant insight.

This Ruohuan was none other than Young Master Ruohuan, who had come with Zhang Xuan from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. After a period of intense cultivation, he had now reached the Bridging Heaven realm. Having been with Zhang Xuan since the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, his understanding of martial arts was naturally deeper. Furthermore, as one of the founders of the Suspended Xuan Society, he had put in great effort in his cultivation. Both his discernment and strength were vastly different from before; he was no longer the same. In his view, the two individuals who had suddenly appeared, though not weak in combat power and possessing novel moves, were still far inferior to what the Dean had taught. The Dean taught the fundamentals: all changes revolve around the same core principles. No matter how flashy or dazzling a martial art might seem, its essence is still to attack people. As long as there is an attack, there is a flaw that can be countered! Therefore, letting his friend spar would be an excellent way to train him.

"Weakling?" Hu Chen heard their conversation, feeling his true qi surge violently, almost causing him to explode on the spot. "Brother, open your eyes! I am a Combat Master of the Silkworm Sealing realm, and I've suppressed my cultivation to fight you. Yet you call me a 'weakling'..."

Not only him, but the other Combat Masters almost spat blood upon hearing this. Combat Masters were always considered superior wherever they went, with boundless combat power. This was the first time they had been so openly despised.

"Hu Chen, show no mercy..." A Combat Master couldn't help but transmit a message to him.

"I know!" Hu Chen's eyes flashed with a fierce intent. Originally, he had intended to be merciful if the opponent couldn't handle it, to save face. But since they were so tactless, he wouldn't hold back.

"Let's begin!" Hu Chen extended his palm, making an inviting gesture.

"Mm!" The young man opposite him nodded and stepped forward. "Although the Dean explained the techniques for combat extensively, I haven't mastered them yet. In a bit... if I accidentally injure you, don't blame me..." the young man said.

"Enough talk, come on!" Unable to hold back any longer, Hu Chen stomped his foot and charged forward. His attack moves were broad and sweeping, his true qi flowing in all directions, giving a sense of overwhelming power.

Seeing his moves, the young man not only showed no fear but his eyes lit up. He shrieked, "Good!" Without regard for the astonished gazes of the onlookers, he met the attack with a single punch, utterly devoid of technique.

Boom! Fist met palm, and Hu Chen felt his arm go limp as fierce power surged towards him. His face flushed, and he was instantly sent flying backward. Like Zhou Ye before him, he flew off the training ground and landed headfirst on the ground. If he hadn't used his full strength just now, the backlash would have been less severe. But now, after a head-on collision, his entire arm was immobilized. It would likely be impossible for him to recover within three to five days.

"This..."

"Head-on, our Combat Masters are no match?"

The many Combat Masters were bewildered once more. Liao Song's mouth twitched even more. He had just witnessed with his own eyes that Ruohuan's true qi and strength were far inferior to his subordinates'. Yet, this person who claimed to be learning from others had sent Hu Chen flying with a single move... It was simply too incredible!

Just as he was looking bewildered, he heard Ruohuan on the stage, looking exasperated, say to the young man nearby: "Didn't I tell you that combat isn't just about brute force? It's about skill, skill... How can you be so clumsy?"

Young Master Ruohuan was indeed very annoyed. This fellow had only learned the true qi and strength taught by the Dean, but his comprehension of martial arts was very poor. That's why he always lost to them. This time, he specifically let him spar with someone who didn't have a strong grasp of martial arts... and yet, he still used brute force. How could he be so foolish?

"I..." The young man, Zhao Qing, scratched his head, looking utterly embarrassed: "Seeing him come at me so directly, I couldn't help myself... How about this!" He then looked at the onlookers standing nearby: "Does anyone else want to spar with me? This time, I promise not to overwhelm you with brute force..."

"You..." Seeing such an attitude, the many Combat Masters were furious, almost going mad. This was the first time in history that someone facing a Combat Master said they wouldn't overpower them with strength... Too arrogant, too insolent!

"I'll go..." Unable to hold back, a Combat Master rushed forward. He was the last one at the Silkworm Sealing realm. He also suppressed his cultivation, and with a gesture of his palm, said, "Come!"

"Okay!" Zhao Qing nodded, just about to make a move, when a student from the side spoke up, sounding displeased: "Zhao Qing, what do you mean? Are you going to monopolize such a great opportunity to spar?"

"I..." Zhao Qing scratched his head.

"Alright, I think these friends aren't too bad in strength, and opportunities for sparring like this are rare. Zhao Qing, let Song Ying have this one!" Ruohuan said.

"Alright!" Zhao Qing nodded reluctantly.

"You all..." The Combat Master who had come onto the training ground was so angry he almost cried. "'Not too bad?' We are very strong, aren't we?" But... he turned his head and saw his two companions lying headfirst on the ground, and the words caught in his throat, unable to speak. Easily defeated... and that's called 'very strong?' In their eyes... perhaps it really was just 'not bad!'

"Enough talk, come on!" Gritting his teeth, this Combat Master looked over.

"With a restless mind, how can one fight..." Stepping forward, Song Ying shook his head.

"You..." Although furious, this Combat Master knew he was losing his composure. He took a deep breath, suppressed the frustration in his heart, and looked back again: "Let's begin!"

Seeing him quickly suppress his inner agitation, Song Ying showed a look of surprise, then nodded: "Begin!" With that, he swayed and darted forward.

A flurry of blows ensued. The two immediately engaged. After three moves, the Combat Master's face flushed. He was caught off guard by a flaw in his defense and kicked flying, landing on the ground.

"This..." Seeing that three challengers in a row were no match for them, the many Combat Masters exchanged bewildered glances. They had thought Zhuo Qingfeng was exaggerating and deliberately highlighting the might of Hongyuan Academy. Only after witnessing it firsthand did they realize how truly powerful they were.

"Are you... Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and others who are participating in this Combat Master selection?" A Combat Master couldn't help but ask.

"Zheng Yang, Liu Yang?" Hearing this, Ruohuan shook his head with a wry smile: "They are the Dean's direct disciples, a hundred times more formidable than us. How could we possibly compare to them!"

"No? Then... are you three among the hundred who passed the Combat Master assessment this year?" Liao Song asked.

"A hundred people?" Ruohuan shook his head again: "Our strength is too low; we don't qualify for the Combat Master selection..."

"Don't qualify for the selection?" Liao Song staggered, feeling a tightness in his chest: "Then who are you..."

"We are from the Suspended Xuan Society..." Young Master Ruohuan looked at him with a serious expression. "The academy has over thirty thousand other members with similar combat power to ours! Our level of strength is nothing special in the Society; there are plenty more like us..."