Nius, Angelia, and Charlotte—every single one of them stood frozen, mouths agape as if they’d just been struck by lightning.

“Relax, I’ll go easy on you,” Zhong Shenxiu stated after a brief pause. “How about this: I won’t move from this spot while we spar. What do you say?”

No one knew what wicked scheme he was brewing now; no one could fathom the thoughts churning in his mind! This "genius" always thrived on the unexpected!

Seeing that the others remained stock-still and silent, Zhong Shenxiu resorted to goading them. “Surely you aren’t afraid of that? And you call yourselves swordsmen.”

If this failed, Zhong Shenxiu's next move would be to force their hand!

Robin had always obeyed Zhong Shenxiu’s words without question. After a moment of stunned silence, she was the first to voice her agreement! For her, the chance to spar with her master was an honor!

The second to agree was Angelia. Though she knew victory was slim, she eagerly anticipated fighting side-by-side with Robin. Such an opportunity was rare!

The third to commit was Rhys. He had come here prepared for what was coming! Being thrashed wasn't new to him!

Only Charlotte remained. Unwilling to stand out or break ranks, she reluctantly nodded. Truthfully, if she could have avoided it, she wouldn’t have fought at all today, having suffered enough beatings already!

“Then let us begin!” Zhong Shenxiu strode toward the designated area first.

Robin followed closely behind, with Angelia and the others trailing.

Zhong Shenxiu first drew a perfect circle just large enough to contain himself in the center of the field, then addressed Charlotte and the others: “I will not step outside this circle. Attack boldly. In this spar, I only wish to show you the true uses of these swords!”

Saying this, Zhong Shenxiu picked up the sword Rhys had been using earlier and continued, “This sword is called ‘Ruo Huo’ (Flickering Fire). Its ability is to possess the attribute of fire!”

Perhaps everyone found it strange. Zhong Shenxiu hadn't studied Fire Magic yet, so how could he forge a sword imbued with fire attributes?

The explanation was quite simple: Zhong Shenxiu could now utilize "Magic Formations" for crafting artifacts. This wasn't limited only to magic formations; he could also employ cultivation formations. Furthermore, through his modifications, he had merged "Magic Formations" and "Cultivation Formations" into one. It was similar to when he researched Dark Magic and discovered a connection that allowed him to use some witchcraft with his spiritual power—the underlying principle was much the same!

Many cultivation formations rely on the principle of the "Five Elements generating and overcoming each other," and this principle worked just as well with magic. This meant that Zhong Shenxiu could now unleash Fire or Water magic, elements he hadn't explicitly learned, through this principle! The only drawback was that he couldn't achieve the mastery he would gain from direct system learning!

Returning to the matter at hand, hearing Zhong Shenxiu’s declaration, Charlotte and the others exchanged glances, feeling a sense of disbelief.

If Zhong Shenxiu’s statement was true, wouldn't they be fighting an invincible opponent!

Despite the thought, Angelia dared not let down her guard. Based on her understanding, Zhong Shenxiu never engaged in battles he wasn't certain of winning; his decision must stem from absolute confidence!

“I think we should discuss tactics!” Charlotte suggested. She also sensed something fishy about the situation and preferred caution!

So, the group quickly conferred. The final plan was: Robin would handle the frontal assault, as she was the strongest among them. Angelia and Rhys would provide flanking interference, focusing on distracting Zhong Shenxiu. Charlotte would cover the rear, aiming to find the precise moment for a decisive blow!

With the plan set, the group immediately sprang into action, taking up their positions to form a loose encirclement around Zhong Shenxiu. However, to play safe, they all maintained a respectful distance from him.

Zhong Shenxiu watched them with amusement, saying aloud, “I’m ready when you are. You can start anytime!”

“Move!” Following Charlotte’s command, the four launched their simultaneous attacks from the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest directions.

Robin, tasked with the frontal assault, charged toward Zhong Shenxiu like a meteor, her bone sword flashing into a cold gleam as it stabbed toward him!

This time, Robin unleashed her true strength, holding nothing back, because she knew her master was a god-like entity who absolutely could not be defeated by mere mortals like them!

To counter Robin’s thrust, Zhong Shenxiu’s ‘Ruo Huo’ moved slower but arrived faster, effortlessly parrying Robin’s attack with a casual swing. Robin stabilized herself, weaving several rapid changes into her attack, each sword stroke swifter than the last.

After Robin and Zhong Shenxiu exchanged dozens of blows, Angelia and the others finally caught up. They channeled all their power, intending to swarm Zhong Shenxiu.

However, the scene that unfolded was something none of them could have possibly imagined.

With a sudden whoosh, a wall of flame erupted around Zhong Shenxiu, soaring five or six meters high!

What—?

All of them flinched back immediately, halting their steps. Rhys reacted slightly slower and had his clothes singed by the flames. He frantically slapped at himself, looking utterly wretched!

Just as the others stood frozen, the ‘Wall of Flames’ suddenly expanded outward, pressing toward them.

“Everyone fall back!” Perhaps due to professional habit, Charlotte couldn't help but shout a command.

When the ‘Wall of Flames’ dissipated, Zhong Shenxiu’s half-smiling expression was revealed.

“What, are you all done already?” Zhong Shenxiu teased.

Charlotte said nothing, but her expression seemed to ask: What kind of perverted move was that just now?

“You weren't just going to let Robin attack alone, were you?” Zhong Shenxiu asked after batting Robin’s renewed attack back.

The others watched the inhuman exchange between Robin and Zhong Shenxiu, saying nothing, making no move!

Because they had attacked simultaneously moments before, they hadn't been paying close enough attention. Now, they realized the battle between Robin and Zhong Shenxiu had reached a terrifying level.

It was no exaggeration to say: if Zhong Shenxiu hadn't paused ever so slightly when blocking Robin’s strike, they would have assumed Robin was no longer even there.

Heavens, what speed was that?

How could they possibly react to such velocity??

It was only then that Charlotte truly understood why someone as formidable as Robin obeyed Zhong Shenxiu. She never imagined this young boy possessed such terrifying power!

Had it not been for this contest, she might have believed Zhong Shenxiu and Robin were nearly equal in strength, with little gap between them. But now, she knew she was wrong, and staggeringly so!

“Since you won’t advance, don't blame me,” Zhong Shenxiu said with a knowing smirk.

As the words left his lips, Zhong Shenxiu waved ‘Ruo Huo’ in the empty air a few times, and then, a horrifying sight materialized!

Dozens of fire snakes erupted from the blade. They first shot into the air, then split into three distinct groups, targeting only Angelia and the other two who were still stunned.

“Look out!” Charlotte’s shout snapped Angelia and Rhys back to awareness.

These fire snakes were clearly potent; even when severed by a sword strike, they retained their destructive power. What troubled Charlotte and the other two even more was that these tongues of flame seemed to possess a homing function, capable of changing direction mid-flight as they dodged!

Perverted, utterly perverted!

They were unaware that the reason these fire snakes pursued them relentlessly was because Zhong Shenxiu was actively controlling them.

These fire snakes were different from ordinary magic; they were born from the ‘generating and overcoming’ principle of the Five Elements and contained ‘Sword Breath.’ They could be manipulated using the ‘Ruo Huo’ sword. Everyone could think of the ‘Ruo Huo’ sword as the remote control guiding them!

A single technique, ‘Swarm of Fire Snakes,’ had left Charlotte and the others in complete disarray. If Zhong Shenxiu used another technique, ‘Dragon’s Breath,’ would they perish right there?

Fortunately, Zhong Shenxiu didn't pursue that. Surprisingly, he recalled the ‘Ruo Huo’ sword back into his magic ring, and instead drew the sword Angelia had used earlier.

“This sword is called ‘Guang Yu’ (Light Whisper). Now, I’ll show you its true might!” As Zhong Shenxiu spoke, a dazzling radiance flared forth.

Robin reacted instantly, closing her eyes and rapidly retreating while constantly changing her position.

Charlotte and the others were not so fortunate, though they managed to close their eyes just in time.

Several cries of alarm erupted from the mouths of the three, followed by the sight of countless beams of light surrounding them, an eerie spectacle. In a short time, Charlotte, Angelia, and Rhys all collapsed onto the ground, unable to rise for a long while.

This was the power of the ‘Guang Yu’ sword. The move Zhong Shenxiu had just used was called ‘Blinding Light Cold Acupoint’—its effect was to paralyze the acupoints, causing loss of consciousness. This was a technique Zhong Shenxiu had recently created, integrating various principles to bring it into being.

This technique had one key feature: it only affected people standing still. If the target was moving, it had no effect whatsoever. It was akin to being in freezing snow: if you remained motionless, you quickly lost feeling, but constant movement prevented that.

The way Charlotte and the others now looked at Zhong Shenxiu was as if they were staring at a monster among monsters!

Zhong Shenxiu was long accustomed to such gazes and simply smiled slightly, asking, “How does it feel?”

Before Charlotte and the others could answer, Zhong Shenxiu switched swords again, taking up the very one Charlotte had used against Robin earlier.

“This sword is named ‘Feng Chang’ (Wind Entrail)!”

Zhong Shenxiu simply stated the name and offered no further explanation.

And then...

To everyone’s confusion, Zhong Shenxiu actually pressed the tip of the ‘Feng Chang’ sword against the ground! What was he planning?

And what chilled everyone to the bone was: Zhong Shenxiu was looking at them with a sinister smile!! What did he intend to do??