Chapter 1176: Entering Subtlety

"Not bad!"

Seeing that the person before him, in just a few days, had completely changed his attack methods and no longer relied solely on brute force, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Instead of retreating, he gently sidestepped.

Swish!

Shi Hao's thrusting palm grazed his shoulder and landed on empty air.

This dodge was executed with exquisite precision, missing by a hair's breadth. A centimeter more, and the opponent would have had time to change his move; a centimeter less, and he would still have been injured.

"This is... entering subtlety?"

Hall Master Xing below the stage narrowed his eyes.

"Hall Master, what is entering subtlety?"

A mentor, slightly puzzled, asked.

"Entering subtlety means being meticulous to the smallest detail. During battle, one can discern the range of an opponent's attack based on their strength and movements, with no margin of error. In this state, one can dodge attacks without wasting any energy and even prepare offensive moves in advance, making them unpredictable..."

Hall Master Xing explained.

Entering subtlety is easy to describe but extremely difficult to achieve. It requires not only exceptional eyesight and strength but also high standards of temperament and spirit.

For example, when a longsword is thrust at the forehead, even if one knows it won't hurt, they will still tense up and instinctively defend... Entering subtlety means calculating exactly how far the sword is, not dodging but actively moving closer, and counterattacking at the closest point!

"Many Soul Separation realm experts cannot comprehend this realm, and I cannot either. I didn't expect that Teacher Zhang has already achieved it..."

After explaining, Hall Master Xing sighed.

"Soul Separation realm?"

Everyone was shocked. No wonder this Teacher Zhang was so formidable, breaking countless records. Such talent was indeed beyond their reach.

Amid their astonishment, Zhang Xuan dodged Shi Hao's palm and began his counterattack. He gently shook his shoulder and, in the blink of an eye, arrived at the opponent's chest, lightly tapping it.

Whoosh!

Shi Hao didn't even have time to resist before he was sent flying backward and fell to the ground.

"I lost..."

His face pale, Shi Hao quickly cupped his fists.

He understood that the opponent had shown mercy; otherwise, he wouldn't have just been sent flying but likely killed by that shoulder strike.

"All of you, come at once!"

Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd.

Swish!

The battle masters no longer hesitated and simultaneously leaped onto the high platform.

"Surround him, and then... attack with the fastest martial techniques! I don't believe he can dodge them all!"

A young man in the crowd shouted.

It was Jiao Qin.

This genius of the Martial Arts Hall had extensive knowledge of combat and knew the weaknesses of Zhang Xuan, whose hands and feet were bound.

"Go!"

Understanding his intention, the remaining nineteen men quickly surrounded Zhang Xuan. With a loud shout, they simultaneously unleashed their fastest and most proficient martial techniques.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!

On the competition stage, a sharp wind howled as if countless arrows were raining down from all directions toward Zhang Xuan.

"Let's see how he dodges..."

Hall Master Xing below the stage didn't dare blink.

The members of the Battle Master Hall had trained in coordinated formations. No matter how many people, they could always cooperate seamlessly, unleashing combat power greater than the sum of their parts.

With nineteen attacking simultaneously, even though they suppressed their cultivation to the initial Cocoon Seal realm, their combined combat power was enough to overwhelm even a peak Half-Saint or even a Quasi-Saint, possibly beating them to a pulp.

With his concentration focused and his Soul Separation realm strength fully activated, everything on the stage slowed down. Every attack of the group fell into his view.

Fists, fingers, palms, knuckles, shoulders, heads, feet... all became weapons. The nineteen, all outstanding figures of the Battle Master Hall, launched rapid attacks simultaneously, causing the surrounding air to become chaotic with a series of sonic booms.

Seeing such swift and violent attacks, Hall Master Xing's face grew paler, and his body trembled involuntarily.

If it were him, even without suppressing his cultivation, he probably couldn't withstand it.

Shaken, he couldn't help but look at Zhang Xuan to see how he would dodge. He saw the man standing still, seemingly oblivious to the attacks.

"If he doesn't dodge, even without suppressing his cultivation, he'll be injured..."

Anxious and tense, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Only then did he realize that the opponent wasn't motionless; his movements were too fast and too subtle to be seen with the naked eye, only detectable by divine sense.

Swish, swish!

Under these subtle movements, all the attacks missed. Despite so many people surrounding and attacking simultaneously, not a single blow landed on him!

"This... this..."

Hall Master Xing's throat went dry.

When he and Hall Master Liao had attacked him before, he didn't seem this formidable. In just three days, how had he changed so much?

It was as if the man before him had complete control over the surrounding space, seeing every attack from front and back clearly and analyzing them with perfect precision!

"My turn..."

Amid his shock, a faint voice sounded from the stage.

The voice seemed to arise from the depths of the heart or come from a distant time and space, entering the ears directly, causing even him to feel a bit dizzy.

"Damn, this is demonic sound..."

His pupils contracting, Hall Master Xing was about to speak when he saw the nineteen attackers on the stage appear dazed and confused.

Swish!

Then, Zhang Xuan, without attacking, calmly looked around.

His movements were unhurried, elegant and dignified, like an emperor reviewing his soldiers or a mentor inspecting truant students...

In an instant, everyone felt boundless fear and reverence.

Thud!

A battle master with a weaker mind could no longer bear it and knelt directly: "I was wrong... I won't dare again..."

Following his lead, the others also looked conflicted, swaying unsteadily as if struggling to hold on.

"No need to continue fighting; you've already lost..."

Hall Master Xing quickly jumped onto the stage and looked at Teacher Zhang again, filled with horror.

With nineteen attacking simultaneously, his feet never leaving the ground and his hands tied behind his back, he had easily dodged the storm of attacks, and with a single sentence, plunged them into an illusion, and with a glance, terrified them into submission...

How terrifying!

"Yes!"

Hearing the shout, the others snapped back to reality, cold sweat pouring from their heads. They involuntarily stepped back, looking at Zhang Xuan as if at a monster.

Attacking together, they didn't even know when they were ensnared... If he had wanted to kill them, they would surely be dead by now.

"Teacher Zhang just used the... Startling Swan profession, right?"

Ignoring their shock, Hall Master Xing approached and couldn't help asking.

The voice he used employed the talent of a Demon Sound Master, but the glance around used the ability of a Startling Swan!

"Correct!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Can a Startling Swan also exude such intense majesty?" Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in confusion.

In his impression, Startling Swans wore revealing clothes and had seductive dances... But Teacher Zhang's glance just now carried a cold severity that brooked no defiance, and his movements were like an emperor... Could a Startling Swan really do that?

"A Startling Swan doesn't rely solely on allure to captivate. If it were that simple, Confucius would not have allowed this profession to remain. When truly cultivated to the peak, a single glance or movement becomes a force in itself, unleashing combat power beyond imagination!"

Zhang Xuan said calmly, lightly moving to break free from the ropes.

If a Startling Swan could only attack by stripping and using seductive dances, it wouldn't deserve to be called a special profession.

Great sound is silent; great form is formless.

A profession that has been passed down cannot rely solely on devious means.

"I've been taught..."

Hall Master Xing was filled with shame.

Previously, as a battle master, he had always looked down on professions like the Startling Swan, considering them vulgar. Now he realized... there are no professions to look down upon, only people to look down upon.

"Since none of you together could harm me, is there anyone who is unconvinced and wants to try again?"

Ignoring Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd again.

"We dare not..."

"We admire you wholeheartedly!"

"We hope Teacher Zhang will guide us well. We will do whatever you ask without hesitation..."

...

Everyone looked at him with fervent eyes.

If before they only admired Zhang Xuan's unparalleled talent, now through this battle, they understood that his understanding of combat and adaptability were far beyond their reach.

The gap between them was like heaven and earth, incomparable.

To learn from such a person was the greatest fortune.

"Mm."

Seeing that their attitudes had completely changed, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Binding his hands and feet to fight wasn't for showing off, but to crush the confidence of these geniuses and make them submit completely.

Only then could he better tailor training plans for them and bring about a transformative change within three days.

"Good. Since no one wants to compete with me, I'll now arrange your training. Each of you will have different tasks. I expect them to be completed within three days. If you fail... don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded in unison.

"Mm. You are different from the members of the Xuanxuan Society. They lack insight and combat awareness, like blank slates that can be written on freely. Direct teaching can greatly improve them. But you... many combat techniques are already ingrained in your bones. Lectures alone will yield little progress, so I must use other methods..."

Seeing that everyone agreed, Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist, took out paper, and quickly wrote twenty training plans.

"Alright, these are training plans I've designed specifically for each of you. Take them and strictly follow them!"

Everyone took their plans, excitedly looking them over. But after just one glance, their pupils contracted, and their eyes nearly popped out, feeling as if they were going mad.