Chapter 1102: Is Your Xuanxuan Society Still Recruiting? (Part 2)

"Tie your hands? Fair..."

Stumbling, Xiao Qin nearly fainted.

Fighting with hands tied—how was that fair?

He was being too looked down upon!

A peak Saint Domain First Layer expert like me, suppressing my cultivation to fight you, and you want to tie my hands...

A sharp pain in his chest, Xiao Qin felt he might spit blood again at any moment.

"If you think you can withstand my attacks, suit yourself..."

Gnashing his teeth almost to the point of breaking, Xiao Qin knew anger was useless. Taking a deep breath to calm his mind, he grabbed the air with his palm and lunged forward.

That girl earlier was a Saint Domain First Layer expert with exceptional talent; losing to her was understandable. But he refused to believe that anyone randomly picked could defeat him.

Swish!

His fingers hooked like claws, his palm carrying a whistling wind.

Martial technique: Thunderclap Heart-Piercing Claw!

Though this technique hadn't reached the Saint level, it was extremely famous among Spirit-level techniques. When cultivated to perfection, it was like a thunderbolt, intimidating opponents into submission.

Of course, mere intimidation wouldn't make it so renowned; its main feature was its ruthlessness!

Once struck, the target would suffer blade-like tearing, and even their heart could be ripped out!

Because it was too vicious, renowned masters usually avoided learning it, but battle masters learned killing techniques. The more vicious the move, the more unexpected its effect in combat. Thus, he had long mastered this technique to perfection. Now, as he executed it, it roared like thunder and sped like an arrow.

Whoosh!

Just as the Thunderclap Heart-Piercing Claw was about to land on the fair-skinned youth, the youth swayed his feet and dodged aside. His movements weren't fast—even slower than Xiao Qin's—but somehow, as if he knew where the attack would land, he evaded it effortlessly. At the same time, he raised his foot and kicked toward Xiao Qin's calf.

Xiao Qin's pupils contracted.

He had thought that someone chosen at random would have average cultivation at best, but now he realized this person was far more formidable than he had imagined.

The Thunderclap Heart-Piercing Claw had powerful hand attacks, but its lower stance was unstable. The kick aimed precisely at a spot he had to defend but could hardly dodge.

"Thousand-Silk Threading Leaf Hand!"

Knowing he would be injured if kicked, Xiao Qin transformed his claw into a hand and brushed it forward.

This move looked like strumming a zither, seemingly harmless, but it was actually fraught with danger.

Thousand-Silk Threading Leaf Hand was a technique created by a sound master. It appeared to be strumming without lethality, but each of the five fingers carried sword qi. Once touched, the qi would shoot into the opponent's body, making it hard to defend against and extremely insidious.

Switching from Thunderclap Heart-Piercing Claw to Thousand-Silk Threading Leaf Hand in the blink of an eye, without any hesitation or pause, and even without a transition, it looked like a single move executed consecutively. This alone showed that Xiao Qin lived up to his reputation as a genius of the Martial Technique Hall.

His mastery of martial techniques had indeed reached perfection.

However, his moves were exquisite, but his opponent was even more brilliant. As if knowing he would change moves, the youth suddenly swayed, leaped into the air, and his toes met Xiao Qin's fingers.

Crack! Crack!

A violent, fierce force from the toes collided with Xiao Qin's fingers. In an instant, he heard the sound of his finger bones breaking, then darkness fell as another foot came down.

Bang!

Before he could dodge, a surge of force sent Xiao Qin flying backward. He crashed to the ground, spitting blood.

Struggling to stand, he was filled with disbelief.

His opponent had never used his hands, only his feet, and had easily defeated him!

Losing to the girl could be explained by her being the most famous genius of the Xuanxuan Society, but this person was chosen at random—fair-skinned, harmless-looking—and he hadn't lasted two moves either!

Could it be that the martial techniques he practiced were really so flawed?

"Don't be discouraged. Your cultivation is decent, but you happened to meet me. And it's lucky you met me—I'm one of the lower-ranked members of the Xuanxuan Society!"

Seeing him doubting himself, the fair-skinned youth comforted him: "Your moves are flashy, your transitions quick, and your grasp of techniques and timing is good. The reason you can't win is that you trust the techniques too much and neglect yourself."

"Trust the techniques too much?" Xiao Qin was puzzled, not understanding his meaning.

"Simple. Techniques were created to fight and enhance combat power... In other words, they are just auxiliary means, not guarantees of victory!"

The fair-skinned youth smiled: "When you attacked Senior Qiqi and me, your moves were fierce and powerful. Against ordinary people, you would indeed hit and injure them. But in our eyes, because you were too eager to win, you were full of openings!"

"Take the claw technique you used against me. If you grab someone, it's fierce and powerful, but what if you miss?"

Pausing, he continued: "If you miss, no matter how powerful the attack, it's useless. I deliberately dodged at the last moment because your move had reached its limit, exposing the biggest flaw. At that point, all your strength was concentrated in your upper body, leaving your lower stance as the greatest vulnerability."

"So I attacked your calf. From palm to calf are two extremes of the body. Even if your qi circulates quickly, it's hard to cover both ends. This flaw, though inherent, was hardest to conceal under my provocation. Still, you reacted well by switching to a zither-like attack."

"That attack seemed light but concealed sword qi, ready to strike on contact. Hard to defend against. I guessed it was another technique. It's a good move, but it only attacks with the back of the fingers. I jumped into the air, avoiding the sharpest edge, making your move miss. Then I stomped... Swords are sharp, but attacking the back rather than the blade or tip renders them ineffective. Instead, I easily broke your finger bones!"

Shaking his head again, the fair-skinned youth showed pity.

This guy was decent overall, but his techniques were too outdated.

"You... you..."

Trembling, Xiao Qin felt thunderstruck.

The other's explanation was logical; every move had exposed the flaws in his techniques... No wonder he couldn't withstand them!

"Did you... all see that?"

His throat dry, he looked around.

"You're so weak, of course we saw it!"

"It's easy to see, nothing special..."

"Actually, he only said half of it. Fierce attacks do great damage if they hit, but if they miss... what use are the best techniques?"

...

Seeing him ask, the crowd chimed in.

"Miss?"

Standing still, Xiao Qin looked dazed.

Indeed.

Techniques were created to injure people, but if they couldn't hit... what meaning did they have?

No matter how many you executed, they were just fancy moves!

"I've learned..."

Understanding this, Xiao Qin had an epiphany, as if seeing the sun through the clouds. He couldn't help but bow deeply.

All these years, he had prided himself on learning more and stronger techniques, thinking that mastering powerful techniques meant having greater combat power...

This worked against ordinary people, but against true experts, it was full of openings!

Bite off more than one can chew!

No matter how smooth the transitions, they were still different moves with various flaws and vulnerabilities, easily exploited.

"No need to be polite. Actually, we learned from the dean. He taught us, and that's why we have this insight and vision. Otherwise, we'd just be ordinary masters and wouldn't be your match!"

The fair-skinned youth quickly waved his hand.

"Dean?"

"Yes. The dean is a genius, younger than us, but his understanding of combat surpasses everyone's imagination. Like in that fight just now: if your first attack had shifted three points to the left and your left foot stepped forward... I wouldn't have been able to attack; I'd have been lucky to dodge!"

The fair-skinned youth said.

"This..."

Frowning, Xiao Qin recalled his move as described and his eyelids twitched.

Indeed!

If he had done that earlier, his opponent wouldn't even have had time to dodge, let alone spot his unstable lower stance and attack.

"For the second move, your finger strum was good, but the technique was too old, and your fingers too rigid. If you had combined it with a Soft Palm, you could have covered all directions. Even if I jumped into the air, I'd have had to clash head-on. Then who would win or lose would be uncertain..."

The fair-skinned youth continued analyzing.

Xiao Qin stiffened again.

His finger joints had been broken because the flaw was exposed, and more importantly, the sword qi within, failing to hit the target, had backfired.

If he had combined it with a Soft Palm, he could have resolved that risk, covered all sides, and naturally countered the opponent's move...

"Our dean once said, 'Trusting moves too much is worse than having no moves.' Combat is like this: relying too much on techniques puts you at a disadvantage..." The fair-skinned youth sighed.

Clenching his fists, Xiao Qin digested this for a while before finally recovering. Exhaling turbid air, his eyes filled with admiration: "Your dean can teach such methods—truly an unparalleled genius..."

These combat methods were superior to even the War Master Hall's. They must have been studied for ages. Regardless of the dean's actual strength, this legacy alone was terrifying.

"The dean is indeed an unparalleled genius, and more importantly, broad-minded like the ocean. As long as one is willing to learn, he teaches without discrimination and imparts everything."

The fair-skinned youth smiled.

"Teaches without discrimination? Anyone can learn?"

"Yes. Any member of the Xuanxuan Society is eligible. That's why countless people want to join."

Ruo Huan Gongzi interjected.

"This... this..."

Clenching his fists, Xiao Qin's face alternated between pale and red. After a moment, he couldn't help but ask: "Excuse me... is your Xuanxuan Society still recruiting?"