Chapter Forty-One: The Subtle Art of "Charm"

"This lion-ape beast is just too fierce. How could I possibly beat it? Just getting close is enough to get myself crippled..." After resurrecting, Lan Tian stared gloomily at the lion-ape beast not far away, still gnawing at his own "corpse," and muttered in a low voice.

"Here you go again. How would you know you can't win if you haven't even tried? Let me tell you, as long as you fully master that divine rhythm, taking down this lion-ape beast will be a piece of cake!" Bai said, clearly dissatisfied. The thing Bai loathed most about Lan Tian was his timidity—he lacked the ruthless drive that all cultivators in the universe possessed.

Bai continued, "Aside from that missed punch, was there any difference between you just now and you before you learned the basic combat technique?"

"Uh... doesn't seem like there was any difference," Lan Tian replied, silent.

"I've already told you, don't be so rigid in your thinking! Broaden your mind. With your comprehension, you should be able to grasp it quickly. That divine rhythm can be used on any part of your body. Listen to me—any part. Do you understand what 'any' means?" Bai looked at him with the kind of eyes that said: You're completely wasting your talent.

"Er... now that you put it that way, I think I get it..." Lan Tian wasn't stupid. After Bai especially emphasized "any," a flash of understanding dawned in his heart.

He didn't rush to ask Bai to start again, but began experimenting on his own.

"Any part..."

He muttered to himself, letting that divine rhythm flow around his right arm, then slowly moved it. First, he tried controlling the divine rhythm at the center of his chest. There was nothing unusual—unlike on his arm, he no longer felt the urge for power to burst forth.

"Maybe I should test its defensive effect?"

No sooner thought than done. He thrust out his right arm and punched hard at the spot where the divine rhythm was circulating on his chest. In the real world, he’d never dare try this; his body’s defense couldn’t withstand such an attack—he might actually punch himself to death!

But this was a virtual game, so what was there to fear?

"Bang!" Lan Tian’s body shook as a loud boom erupted from his chest. Yet, to his surprise, there was no searing pain.

"Huh, what's going on?" Puzzled, Lan Tian punched the same spot again, this time focusing all his attention on his chest.

Through careful observation, he finally found the reason. When his fist struck the skin, the divine rhythm vibrated sharply, sending a ripple like water across the surface. Most of the force of the punch was absorbed, while the remaining bit was dispersed throughout his body along the ripple from the chest.

So, though he felt some shock, he was completely unharmed!

How marvelous!

Lan Tian felt as if he had discovered a new continent. Next, he moved the divine rhythm to his legs. This time it was much simpler—he pressed down with his legs, and instantly the sound of rushing wind filled his ears.

"Huh? Why is everything around me so empty?" Lan Tian wondered, then looked down and immediately his eyes rolled back in disbelief.

He had, with that stomp, leapt hundreds of meters into the air!

"Damn, I'm going to fall to my death!" Lan Tian groaned in frustration. Having such power wasn’t always a blessing—one misstep and you’d end up dead from the fall. How tragic!

Luckily, in that moment of crisis, he managed to maintain an upright posture in midair. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he directed the divine rhythm to the soles of his feet.

"Boom!"

The ground cracked in all directions, but Lan Tian landed in a half-crouch, completely unharmed.

"Haha! I've got another skill now. I can't die from jumping off buildings anymore! Mom will never have to worry about me losing hope again!" Lan Tian stood up, muttering neurotically to himself.

At last, a wild idea struck him. He directed the divine rhythm to his abdomen.

Wasn't it said you could use it on any part?

"Uhh... maybe not there..." Lan Tian suddenly felt a strange change somewhere in his body, his face flushed red, and he quickly dispersed the divine rhythm.

What was I thinking?!

He cursed himself inwardly, hunched over like an ostrich and waited until his body returned to normal. Then, brimming with confidence, he called out, "Bai, let's go again!"

"This time, I'm going to beat that beast so badly its own mother wouldn't recognize it!"

"As you wish," Bai replied, his expression odd.

Truly a prodigy with explosive comprehension—even tried it on his abdomen. I've got to hand it to you!

"Attention, challenger. Mission objective: Kill the lion-ape beast."

As soon as the synthesized electronic voice faded, the lion-ape beast, still gnawing at Lan Tian’s "corpse," abruptly stopped and fixed its gaze on the newly revived Lan Tian.

Without hesitation, it charged at him again.

Lan Tian stood his ground, the divine rhythm flowing through his right hand. He was determined to see just how far apart he and the lion-ape beast truly were!

"Boom! Boom!"

Violent collisions echoed in all directions. The tremendous recoil sent both of them reeling—Lan Tian staggered back several steps, while the lion-ape beast withstood his first burst of force without retreating, only stepping back after the second and letting out a furious roar.

On the surface, even with the divine rhythm circulating, Lan Tian’s strength still couldn’t match the lion-ape beast’s. Yet, after this blow, Lan Tian was completely unscathed, while blood gushed from the beast’s forelimb joint!

"Haha, that’s more like it! Again!" After this strike, Lan Tian’s confidence soared. No longer timid as before, he launched himself at the lion-ape beast for the first time.

He darted forward, leaped into the air, and whipped both legs at the beast like lashes. In that instant, he gained a new insight into the wonders of the divine rhythm.

There was no need to channel the divine rhythm to the attacking part from the very start. Instead, it was best to keep the divine rhythm circulating between his chest and abdomen, so it could swiftly reinforce any part of his body as needed—ready to attack or defend at a moment’s notice!

Moreover, he realized it wasn’t necessary to always aim for one hundred percent output of the divine rhythm. Reaching full power required a brief charging period, but that very delay might cost him the best timing for attack.

After experimenting, he reached a conclusion.

He only needed to channel the divine rhythm to the exact point of contact with the lion-ape beast just before each attack landed. This way, he could unleash the special effect of the divine rhythm with about seventy to eighty percent of its full power.

As long as the quality of his attacks was close enough, increasing the number of strikes made a huge difference. The result was a much more flexible and effective combat performance compared to rigidly waiting for full charge every time!