Library of Heaven’s Path

”That’s some fine swordsmanship you have there!” The eyes of Mu shi’s puppet lit up as it nodded in approval while moving to counterattack Zhang Xuan’s move.

In an instant, the human and the puppet were already colliding with one another.

Boom boom boom boom!

Exerting his full might, Zhang Xuan’s sword fell relentlessly on the puppet like waves in the river, each strike growing faster and stronger than the previous.

Even though he hadn’t cultivated any particularly powerful sword arts, he had managed to compile the many sword arts he had obtained so far to form the profound Heaven’s Path Sword Art. With its prowess, he could even overwhelm a Saint realm expert off-guard!

”But as formidable as it is, you are still too weak…” With a light chuckle, Mu shi’s puppet tapped its finger forward.

Huala!

The air right before Zhang Xuan’s sword suddenly seemed to have collapsed into an abyss, and the sharp glint of his blade seemed to have been pulled into a whirlpool, draining it of its strength.

Knowing that he would be placed in a vulnerable situation if he didn’t retaliate to that swiftly, Zhang Xuan gathered his full strength and forcefully pushed his blade ahead.

Hong long!

The collapsed air abruptly burst apart like a balloon, and Zhang Xuan’s sword surged forward with incredible momentum to clash with the puppet’s finger.

Huala!

As if having struck a thick wall, Zhang Xuan felt a numbing sensation assault his arm, and a stifled feeling welled up in his chest. In the next instant, he was abruptly sent flying from the recoil of the collision.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan swiftly utilized the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps to counteract the momentum of his retreat while pushing himself back to the ground, leaving behind numerous deep footprints on the ground in the midst of doing so.

After regaining his posture once more, he roared furiously and charged forward.

Huala!

A sword sliced through the air, heading straight toward where the weakness of Mu shi’s puppet was.

Seeing that the other party was able to see through the weaknesses in his movements so quickly, Mu shi’s puppet was taken aback for a moment before chuckling softly. ”Keen eyes!”

Following which, he swiftly twisted, and the weakness from a moment ago disappeared without a trace.

Even Heaven’s Path was imperfect, let alone man-made creations in the world. It was normal for any battle technique to have its own weaknesses. However, while Zhang Xuan was able to identify the weaknesses accurately, the difference between his speed and reflexes against his opponents were so great that he was unable to exploit it.

In other words, in the interval between him making his attack and his strike landing, his opponent had sufficient time to evade it. As a result, the ’weaknesses’ he had identified became nothing more than a joke.

As expected of the founder of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy… Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

If it had been any Saint realm primary stage cultivator in the other party’s place, it would be doubtful if the other party would be able to come up with an instantaneous counterattack to his moves, especially since his moves were directed at the other party’s weaknesses.

However, his opponent was actually able to go to the extent of even predicting the next few moves that he could possibly make within this narrow window, sealing away any alternative offensive maneuver he could utilize against the other party.

Fearsome!

The other party’s strength didn’t lie solely in his fearsome might, speed, and reflexes, but his astounding eye of discernment as well. Put those together with the other party’s vast combat experience and sharp battle sense, and the other party was truly a nearly impossible adversary for him to overcome with his current cultivation.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan didn’t panic.

As long as he makes a move, there will surely be flaws that I can exploit. I don’t believe that you can continue dodging until the end of time!

Even though Zhang Xuan usually relied on the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron, rarely making a move himself, he had collected and gone through many books on combat and accumulated the wisdom of many predecessors, sharpening his battle sense to one that was on par with a veteran general, or even beyond.

Regardless of how profound or elusive a technique was, it was bound to have its flaws. As long as he could pull off the correct maneuvers to counteract to the other party’s move, even if it was a God-tier battle technique that the other party was using, he would still be able to corner them.

But of course, that was still easier said than done. Even if he had the Library of Heaven’s Path, which allowed him to see through the flaws in the other party’s attacks, his strength was still lacking for him to push his attacks through decisively.

”Break!”

With the flexibility of a serpent, Zhang Xuan’s sword surged forth, and in the blink of an eye, it was already on the verge of striking one of the mingmen of Mu shi’s puppet.

As long as he struck that point, he should be able to inflict serious injuries on the other party even with the power disparity between them.

”A good move!” Mu shi’s puppet remarked.

However, as if having guessed that Zhang Xuan would make such a maneuver, it didn’t show the slightest hint of anxiety. Instead, it chuckled softly and jolted its arms.

In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt an overwhelming might crushing down on him, suppressing his aura. His seemingly indomitable sword was abruptly halted in its path under that astounding force.

Peng!

The overwhelming might struck Zhang Xuan squarely, and he was sent tumbling back in the air before crashing heavily onto the wall. With a reddened face, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth.

For two consecutive moves, he had successfully identified the other party’s weakness and aimed the attack at the other party’s blind spot. But… the disparity in strength was simply too great. Even technique was insufficient to bridge the difference.

Wiping away the fresh blood on the edges of his lips, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. I am still too weak…

He was only at Chrysalis realm primary stage, a gap of three whole realms from Saint realm 1-dan primary stage. Even his physical body and soul cultivation were insufficient to breach this massive difference.

Before the other party, his immense strength exceeding 80,000,000 ding was not worth mentioning at all!

Saint realm experts, having opened their Zhukong acupoint, were not only capable of flight but wielded a might exceeding 100,000,000 ding as well. Even if he could find the other party’s flaws with his Library of Heaven’s Path, he didn’t possess sufficient strength to breach the other party’s defense. So, how could he possibly win?

Even if one were to equip an ant with a sword, there was no way it could rival an elephant. They were simply existences on two different levels! No matter how skilled the ant was, it couldn’t possibly win.

Such was the situation he was faced with. The other party was a puppet that boasted nigh invincible defense, and with his current strength and weapon, he couldn’t breach the other party’s defense. On top of that, the other party possessed sharp battle sense that allowed it to retaliate against every opportunity he received…

This was truly a despairing situation…

How could anyone overcome such a challenge?

”I guess, I have no choice then…” Knowing that he wouldn’t stand a chance in a proper fight, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path and summoned a certain book.

Since the other party was a puppet, it had to be assembled part after part. If nothing worked out, he would just have to abandon his dignity and dismantle that fellow into its miscellaneous parts as he had done on the seventh level.

Flipping open the book slightly, the content of the book immediately surfaced in his mind, becoming part of his knowledge.

”7-star Serial Puppet…”

Upon noting the name of the puppet, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows immediately shot up.

The puppet on the seventh level was also a Serial Puppet as well, but it was only at 6-star, so he was able to dismantle it with relative ease. A 7-star Serial Puppet… it was truly hard to say whether or not he would be able to dismantle it with his current strength!

On top of that, the other party wouldn’t simply stand idly on the spot while it was being dismantled. Once the other party sensed that it was in danger, it would surely retaliate with all of its might, and under such circumstances, he had no confidence that he would emerge as the victor.

Forget it, I will still have to give it a try!

Taking all of the flaws of Mu shi’s puppet into mind, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and turned his gaze to the other party once more.

Hu!

Executing the Heaven’s Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuan’s figure vanished on the spot. In the next instant, he appeared behind Mu shi’s puppet with his sword cutting diagonally down on it.

Simultaneously, the fingers of his left hand stabbed for a certain point on the other party’s back.

”Interesting!” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s attacks on its vitals, Mu shi’s puppet abruptly turned around and sent a punch at him.

The punch was not a battle technique or a maneuver, just a simple attack packed with raw strength.

However, Zhang Xuan instinctively sensed that he would be severely damaged if he were to push on. Thus, executing Heaven’s Path Movement Art once, he swiftly sidestepped to the left and dodged the attack.

Naturally, his offense also fell flat with this defensive maneuver he made.

What incredible reflexes… Zhang Xuan face darkened.

Never had he felt so indignant in a battle before.

Despite grasping the weaknesses of the other party tightly in his hands, he was still forced back with just pure strength!

As long as he didn’t possess that darned strength, putting aside whether he would be able to defeat the other party, it would already be a blessing if he could survive the other party’s attacks!

Just as he had found the other party’s weakness, the other party had also found his—lack of strength!

As long as the other party continued exploiting that weakness of his, he would be rendered completely helpless.

”Admit defeat, you aren’t a match for me.” Mu shi’s puppet shook his head.

”Admit defeat?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

It hadn’t been easy for him to reach the ninth level. Was he really going to have to admit defeat and leave like that?

”That’s right. In your current state, you won’t be able to defeat me. However, as long as you work hard on your cultivation and reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it is very likely that I won’t be a match for you then!” Mu shi’s puppet said.

Even though it had been able to easily defeat the young man before it, it knew that this wasn’t a problem with the other party’s talent or skill.

As long as the other party raised his cultivation to Chrysalis realm pinnacle, it was very likely that it wouldn’t be a match for him anymore.

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask, ”You should have established the ninth floor in the Mountain of Records hoping that someone will be able to clear the trial, but is it really possible for one with a cultivation beneath Half-Saint to defeat you?”

If the other party was just an ordinary Saint realm 1-dan cultivator, his chances at victory would still have been considerable. However, Mu Kai was a master teacher, an expert who had founded the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy at that. His understanding of battle had reached an extremely profound level… It could be said that anyone who didn’t possess strength rivalling him wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul… Yet, despite that, he was still unable to defeat the other party. He truly found it hard to believe that there would be another person in the world who could outdo him!

But if that was truly the case, why would Mu shi bother creating a ninth level that no one would be able to clear?

”It is possible!” Mu shi’s puppet replied with a nod.

”Really?” Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

”You need not doubt my words; I am certain of that. There are many combat masters who are capable of this feat, and even Kong shi slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint back then!” Mu shi’s puppet said.

”Slew quite a number of Saint realm experts before reaching Half-Saint?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He knew that the other party meant killing with their own strength and not making use of external aids such as the Golden Origin Cauldron or the Byzantium Helios Beast.

To be able to slay Saint realm experts… Was Kong shi already that formidable before reaching Half-Saint?

”Of course. If he wasn’t able to accomplish such extraordinary feats, how could he possibly lead mankind in a war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?” Mu shi’s puppet replied nonchalantly.

”This…” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

When he met Lu Cheng and Wu Xu back then, he had thought that combat masters were only that capable. However, it seemed like it was naive of him to gauge combat masters just based on those two.

”Admit defeat. You can’t possibly win against me. There is no point stalling for time!” Mu shi’s puppet said, knowing that Zhang Xuan was only trying to earn some time to recuperate his zhenqi.

”You can return after you reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle. Perhaps you will wield sufficient strength to defeat me then.”

Mu shi’s puppet didn’t think that the other party would be able to defeat him with a cultivation of Chrysalis realm primary stage. If that was really the case, he would be far more frightening than most combat masters he knew of.

”Return after I reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. ”There is no need for that. I can defeat you right now!”

”Oh?” Mu shi’s puppet curiously gazed at Zhang Xuan.

”You don’t believe me?” Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. ”I can prove it to you. However… I will have to ask you to give me a moment. I will change my clothes before battling you once more!”