One of the reasons Zhang Xuan was able to slip into the Terpsichore School in the first place was due to the concealment of the night. Even with his aura hidden by utilizing the unique nature of his Heaven's Path zhenqi, there was a huge chance that someone might spot him if he were to attempt to sneak off in the day.
If he didn't leave right now, he would be stuck in the library once the crowd start spilling into the school.
Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan's soul rushed to the first floor of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, heading for the doors.
The student whom he entered with was still busily looking through the shelves. However, judging from the deep frown on her forehead, it seemed she hadn't found the book she was seeking yet.
Zhang Xuan didn't know what she needed, so he couldn't help her even if he wanted to. Thus, he headed straight for the main door.
Hmm?
Zhang Xuan walked up to the door and tried to open it, but to his alarm, it wouldn't budge.
In order to prevent any unauthorized personnel from entering the premises, a special mechanism was installed to ensure that the doors wouldn't open to without the presence of a student token and Academic Credit token. Unless one possessed strength beyond the level of a Half-Saint, it would be impossible to open!
Zhang Xuan was only able to get in earlier by following the student in front of him. As long as no one tried to enter or leave the library, he would be trapped within!
What do I do now? Zhang Xuan thought frustratedly.
It was still dawn, so there were still very few people in the Terpsichore School at the moment. If he were to delay it any longer, he might very well be found!
For an unaffiliated individual to be snooping around the Terpsichore School in the early morning, there was no way he could explain that!
But if it wasn't opened, the formations and mechanisms constructed around the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion were more than sufficient to prevent a soul like him from leaving even if they weren't able to perceive him.
Zhang Xuan turned to look at the student in the library worriedly, but the latter didn't seem like she was about to leave anytime soon. Sighing deeply, he could only continue to wait patiently.
Forget it, there's no use worrying over this. I should just make use of this time to study the Heaven's Path Terpsichorean Art…
Since there was nothing he could do in this situation, he decided to find a quiet spot in the library and immerse his consciousness in the Library of Heaven's Path to read through the terpsichorean books he had just compiled.
He had a full compilation of Heaven's Path Terpsichorean Art from 1-star to 6-star, and detailed within them were the cultivation techniques for the various terpsichorean arts.
Since he couldn't do anything else at the moment, he flipped open the 1-star Heaven's Path Terpsichorean Art and began browsing through it seriously.
With the new upgrade of his Library of Heaven's Path, he could take in the content of a book just by flipping open the book, thus allowing him to understand and assimilate the essence of it even faster than before.
To become a terpsichore, one must have a powerful soul and a dance that is nearly aligned with nature in order to draw it out… The purpose of dancing is to enhance the strength of the soul to the utmost limit, thus drawing out its full might…
The knowledge regarding terpsichores flowed through his head.
Before long, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
He had fully assimilated the knowledge regarding the 1-star Heaven's Path Terpsichorean Art.
In other words, even if he were to take the examination at this very instant, he would be able to clear the 1-star terpsichore examination easily.
The prowess of a terpsichore was highly dependent on their soul, and Zhang Xuan had cultivated his soul to be beyond ten meters large. The level that others could hardly reach in their life, he could achieve it as easily as merely eating or drinking.
Drawing his consciousness out of the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan noted that the student was still busy looking for her book and had no intentions of leaving yet. Thus, he moved on to study the 2-star Heaven's Path Terpsichorean Art.
While martial artists wield their battle techniques, and terpsichores wield their terpsichorean arts. Terpsichores essentially aim to utilize their art form as a weapon for murder. The world trembles beneath a dance, and in the next moment, a soul perishes. The dance serves as a medium for terpsichores to engage in soul attacks…
Reading the content in the book, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Terpsichorean arts, just like the soul techniques of soul oracles and the Impartation of Heaven's Will, were offensive techniques for dealing with souls. But different from the others, terpsichores utilized their dance as a medium to amplify the effectiveness of their offense.
… Since it serves as a medium, does it mean that, once one reaches the very peak, one will be able to engage in powerful soul attacks even without using the dance as a medium?
As Zhang Xuan continued to read on, a certain line appeared before him.
Engage in powerful soul attacks even without using the dance as a medium? Does that mean… the Swordless Realm? Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.
He might not know much about terpsichorean arts yet, but he did have some mastery in the field of swordsmanship. Based on what he knew, if one were to cultivate their swordsmanship to the peak, they would be able to utilize even a blade of grass or a pebble by the roadside as a sword. Going further, they might even be able to execute the full prowess of a sword art without a weapon in hand.
That was to say, the sword only served as a medium in order to execute the techniques. Even without a sword in hand, one could still execute a sword art, perhaps even more fluidly, completely, and agilely.
What Zhang Xuan was reading was very unlike the knowledge imparted in the conventional books that terpsichores read. His road of cultivation was directed toward the ultimate endpoint—for the swordless to surpass any sword, for the formless to surpass any form.
Reading on…
"…Terpsichorean arts aim to utilize movements as a medium to engage in soul attacks. In essence, even walking and the slightest gestures could be considered as movements, so they could, as well, be considered as terpsichorean arts…"
"A true terpsichore dances not with a routine set of movements but with even the most casual of gestures…"
…
Before long, Zhang Xuan was done browsing through the book.
He closed eyes to slowly savor and comprehend the knowledge he had just taken in.
Geji! Geji!
Crisp echoes sounded from his soul as a new world unfolded around him.
2-star terpsichore, reached!
Continue!
The more Zhang Xuan studied, the more excited he became. Thus, he went on to finish the remaining books as well.
Four hours later, he was done browsing through all of the books and assimilating their knowledge.
As if his massive soul had been tempered, it looked much more transparent and purer.
Terpsichores utilize their dance as a means to beguile, enchant, attack, or even kill the soul of another… Even though Zhang Xuan had never learnt terpsichorean arts before, he had comprehended the most profound and innate essence of the occupation. Currently, his knowledge regarding the occupation was unmatched by anyone beneath 7-star.
If he were to take the examination at this very moment, he would definitely qualify for 6-star pinnacle.
I finished the books much faster than I would have before! Zhang Xuan thought.
In the past, it would have taken him at least twelve hours in order to learn another occupation from scratched to 6-star pinnacle.
However, he did it with terpsichore using only six hours.
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Where is that student? Standing up, Zhang Xuan glanced around the room to search for the female student who was in the library with him, and he suddenly froze.
The vast Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion was empty, and not a single person was in sight.
The heck! When did she leave? Widening his eyes in shock, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted.
He had been too immersed in his cultivation that he hadn't noticed that the student whom he had followed in had already left!
As the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion required Academic Credits to enter, there was rarely anyone in it. From his arrival last night until now, this student was the only one who had entered the premises. Now that she was gone, how was he supposed to leave the area?
Was he going to be locked in there for several days straight?
Zhang Xuan felt a tinge of helplessness.
What the heck was this! If only he'd known, he wouldn't have immersed himself so deeply into his cultivation.
It's nothing much for me to be confined here, but my body is still in the vicinity. If someone were to find it, I will be in deep trouble…
As a soul, he was highly indiscernible and was unaffected by the mechanisms and formations governing the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, so being trapped here wasn't too much of an issue for him.
The problem was his body.
Even though he had hidden it in the best spot he could find, it would be a stretch to say that it would be able to hide from the discerning eyes of the many master teachers of the Terpsichore School for extended periods of time, especially in the day.
It would be a calamity if he were to be found by anyone.
Seeing that it was already nearing noon, Zhang Xuan could no longer hold himself back any longer. He rushed up to the door, hoping to find a gap or any other openings which he could escape through.
However, after circling around the entire Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, he could only sigh deeply in frustration.
Looks like there really is no way for me to escape…
The mechanisms and formations set up in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion were extremely powerful, and it was impossible for anyone to force them open.
If Zhang Xuan's physical body was there, he could've compiled a book on them just by touching them, and exploiting its flaws, he would have been able to escape easily.
Incapable of touch, however, his soul was unable to do so.
His Eye of Insight was currently too weak to see through the formation and mechanisms as well… Was he doomed to continue waiting helplessly here until someone arrived?
Zhang Xuan's eyes twitched as helplessness washed over him.
Forget it, I will just continue to wait. Surely there will be someone who will visit the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion by the end of the day…
Since Zhang Xuan was unable to find a better solution to his dilemma, he could only resign himself to fate. Just as he was about to find a place to bide his time, 'jiya!', the doors suddenly creaked open.
Hmm? Someone is here?
Not expecting that someone would arrive that quickly, Zhang Xuan leaped up in excitement. He hurriedly rushed behind the doors to hide as he waited for an opportunity to rush out of the library.
Hu!
A resplendently dressed lady carrying a graceful disposition walked into the room.
After stepping across the threshold, she was just about to walk toward the shelves when her eyebrows suddenly knitted together. She glanced at the direction where Zhang Xuan was hidden and howled, "Who is it? Come out!"
Sensing her gaze on him, Zhang Xuan's body stiffened in tension.
It should have been hard for anyone to notice him in his soul form, especially since he was lying dormant in the corner. Yet, the other party had actually noticed him instantly. How could that be?
A Saint realm expert? Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed warily.
There was only one possibility for this—the other party was a Saint realm expert!
With the breakthrough to Saint realm, one would gain a certain level of comprehension regarding the nature of space. Even though Zhang Xuan had concealed his presence well, his disguise was not perfect due to the limitations of his cultivation. For one, the flow of spiritual energy where he was standing would be slightly disturbed due to the presence of his soul, thus betraying his presence.
"What? You aren't going to come out?" Frowning deeply, the lady harrumphed coldly as she raised her palm and grabbed toward the space where Zhang Xuan was situated.
Hong long!
A sudden burst of zhenqi abruptly froze everything in place. Zhang Xuan felt an immense pressure strangling him, threatening to dissipate his soul.
As big as his soul was, it only possessed the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan pinnacle. That was far from matching up to a Saint realm expert!
They were two completely different levels!
Escape!
Knowing that he would die if he were to allow the other party to do as he pleased, he immediately drove his cultivation, and with a powerful burst of strength, he managed to barely break free of the other party's restraint. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he rushed right for the doors.
Hong long!
The movement of his immense soul disturbed the spiritual energy in the surroundings, stirring up a burst of wind in the surroundings
"This is… a soul?" The lady's face turned grim.
While she did sense a presence in the room, she'd only thought that it was someone who had used some kind of technique or ability to conceal their presence. She'd never even considered the possibility that it would be a soul.
Soul oracles had already vanished several dozen millenniums ago. For one to suddenly appear in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion… where could he have come from? And what was he up to?
"Where do you think you are going…" With a sharp shout, the lady darted forward to grab the escaping soul.
Hong long!
With a Saint realm expert exerting her full might, the space within several thousand meters was immediately sealed in place.
This is truly bad…
After barely darting out of the library, Zhang Xuan was just about to escape into the air when the area around him suddenly turned incredibly viscous. It was as if he had fallen in a marsh. As much as he tried, he just wouldn't move.
Is this the ability of Saint realm experts, 'Zhenqi Spatial Lock'?
Zhang Xuan stiffened tensely.