For the young master Zhong Shenxiu, already encircled by six swordsmen in the practice hall, Zhong Shenxiu’s expression remained utterly calm. So calm, in fact, that those who knew him well, like Angelia, only worried for the swordsmen who dared to approach.

“Everyone else step back; don’t blame me if you get accidentally hurt later!” Zhong Shenxiu kindly warned. Angelia and the others hurriedly retreated again and again, looking utterly flustered.

“Are you all prepared?” Zhong Shenxiu asked the swordsmen surrounding him, a slight smile on his face. For some unknown reason, the swordsmen felt a sudden tension.

Hearing Zhong Shenxiu speak, they nodded while gripping their swords ever tighter! Zhong Shenxiu casually raised his hand, and several ribbons of water materialized before him out of thin air, swirling around him like elegant silk veils!

Ma Kexin’s eyes widened even further. As a water-elemental mage, this was the strangest magic she had ever witnessed!

Offensive magic usually manifested with sharp edges or points; she had never seen anything so fluid and graceful! As she covertly studied Zhong Shenxiu’s spell, his voice cut through her thoughts: “You can attack whenever you’re ready!” The swordsmen, momentarily stunned by the display of water magic, snapped back to attention upon hearing his words.

These five swordsmen knew their opponent was overwhelmingly powerful. A direct, isolated assault would likely lead to disadvantage, so they exchanged a knowing glance and launched their attack in unison!

Ma Kexin, watching from a distance, grew anxious. She found herself worrying for Zhong Shenxiu.

If she were facing the combined assault of these five swordsmen, she admitted to herself she would simply await death! Could Zhong Shenxiu truly defeat these swordsmen using only magic?

Leng Xiangxue was equally curious about this question. As a dual cultivator of both magic and martial arts, she specialized in offensive magic; ice magic being a derivative of water magic, she certainly understood the latter to some degree.

She truly couldn't fathom the purpose of these water ribbons, let alone believe they could genuinely block the force of the swordsmen’s full-power strikes! Water is an intangible substance; conventionally, when struck by a blade, it should part cleanly!

But Zhong Shenxiu always seemed determined to defy convention! As the swords descended, the water ribbons around Zhong Shenxiu sprang to life, twisting like dancing dragons as they instantly met the blades.

There was no audible clash when steel met water. Initially, the swordsmen felt nothing unusual, but once their swords were fully enveloped by the water, they knew something was gravely wrong.

Their longswords felt as though they were being drawn by an unseen force, their trajectories uncontrollably veering towards other incoming blades! In an instant, several sharp clangs echoed—the sound of the swordsmen’s own weapons colliding with each other.

The change was too fast, too bizarre. Nobody could grasp what had happened; why had their blades suddenly turned on their comrades?

In truth, if one had observed closely, they would have noticed a subtle detail: Zhong Shenxiu’s water ribbons were far from ordinary; they were spinning at an incredible velocity internally! Because water is colorless, and everyone was fixated on the ribbons’ ethereal shapes, no one noticed the water inside was in rapid motion!

The trajectory and speed of this internal flow were entirely governed by Zhong Shenxiu’s will, causing the swords to strike each other. “Don’t lose focus; this is only the beginning!” Zhong Shenxiu made no move to attack, instead offering a good-natured reminder.

He didn't want to press the attack yet. If he did, these young hotheads would simply be annihilated.

The fight had just begun; ending it too soon would fail to showcase the true marvel of "close-quarters magic"! The swordsmen exchanged another look.

Terror flashed in the eyes of each man. These were all skilled fighters, yet their five-on-one coordinated assault had been so effortlessly nullified by Zhong Shenxiu.

This level of mastery transcended mere strength! It seemed they would have to unleash their true power!

The five ceased holding back, channeling their battle aura to its maximum and calling forth their signature techniques. Thus, five figures blurred in motion, some leaping into the air for an overhead cleave, others spinning for a whirlwind slash, and one wielding his sword from low to high for a 'Half-Moon Sever'—a barrage of every trick they knew, utilizing every ounce of skill they possessed!

Yet, no matter how they attacked, how they shifted their forms, Zhong Shenxiu remained motionless, standing there with such calm as if he were simply enjoying their performance! This stark contrast between movement and stillness illustrated the vast gulf in strength with devastating clarity!

All the spectators were dumbstruck. Though Zhong Shenxiu didn't move, the water ribbons around him spun faster and faster, effortlessly intercepting every incoming attack!

Ma Kexin clasped her hands to her chest, staring transfixed at the beautiful water ribbons, her mind racing with fantasies of how she would employ such a technique. Leng Xiangxue felt similarly, though her thoughts leaned more towards the possibilities: if she could incorporate this move with her dual swords, wouldn't her own power fundamentally transform?

The battle intensified, seemingly reaching a white-hot peak. The five swordsmen moved with increasing speed, finally beginning to reveal the talent worthy of their prodigy status.

However, their frustration mounted: after such a prolonged assault, they hadn't managed to defeat Zhong Shenxiu, nor had they even forced him to shift his position! Zhong Shenxiu shifted his gaze from the swordsmen to the group of mages, including Ma Kexin.

“By now, you must have grasped the potential of mages in close combat! The reason you struggle against swordsmen up close isn't poor physical conditioning, but a fundamental misunderstanding of how to properly deploy your magic!” Ma Kexin and the others visibly stiffened.

Who among them wouldn't want to defeat a swordsman in close quarters if it were possible? This was a feat they hadn't dared dream of, something that upended all conventional magical understanding.

Yet, Zhong Shenxiu had turned the impossible into reality. If this knowledge spread, it would send shockwaves across the world, and the people of the 'Summer Star Empire' would surely travel vast distances just to seek his tutelage!

Seeing that the demonstration was sufficient, Zhong Shenxiu decided it was time to conclude the lesson! As a wicked smirk touched the corner of his lips, the swordsmen, who had been attacking moments before, were suddenly hurled into the air—more accurately, they were swept skyward by the water ribbons.

Then, the five men were simultaneously slammed back down onto the ground. A muffled BOOM echoed, so powerful it seemed the entire practice field trembled!

Looking at the ground, the five men lay sprawled in every conceivable position—none of them standing! Their swords had all been knocked loose, scattered across the area!

Solomon, watching from the sidelines, felt profoundly relieved that he hadn't chosen to challenge the young master, otherwise, he would have suffered a similarly undignified fate! The fall had been severe.

The five swordsmen felt as if their internal organs had been violently rearranged, their minds swimming from the concussive blow, feeling as though they’d been hammered by an iron maul! The sequence of events had happened too quickly; they still couldn't comprehend how they ended up flat on their backs.

They had been pressing an attack just a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, they were the ones being struck down! “Do you wish to continue fighting?” Zhong Shenxiu asked the five prone figures.

The men on the ground struggled to move, let alone speak clearly! Zhong Shenxiu ordered men to help the five rise and be tended to.

Then, glancing at the mages, who stood staring in utter shock, he smiled faintly and called out, “Cherie, come here!” Cherie blinked in surprise, then a look of delight crossed her face. “Yes!” she chirped, skipping over enthusiastically.

“What is your most powerful offensive spell?” Zhong Shenxiu inquired. Having spent time with Cherie, he knew she specialized in Light magic!

“Radiant Heaven,” Cherie replied softly. As a light mage, most of her learned skills focused on healing, as Light magic offered very few suitable options for raw annihilation!

Zhong Shenxiu paused in thought, then spoke a sentence that utterly astonished Cherie: “Perform it for everyone!” “Here?” Cherie questioned, her eyes wide, looking around the training grounds. Zhong Shenxiu nodded, sensing her hesitation, and quickly added, “Just cast it.

Don’t worry about anything else!” “Oh!” Cherie acknowledged, then immediately began chanting the incantation. As Cherie’s chant resonated, light particles converged rapidly overhead.

Finally, the ‘Radiant Heaven’ spell coalesced. In that instant, the entire training field was flooded with blinding white light, as myriad light blades and lances rained down—the power was truly terrifying!

Cherie lived up to her reputation as a magical prodigy; this cast seemed even more potent than before! As the light blades and spears approached the ground, some spectators instinctively covered their ears to brace for the deafening impact.

However, at that critical juncture, Zhong Shenxiu simply waved his hand gently. The torrent of light vanished instantly, as if the entire spectacle had been nothing more than an illusion!

This action left everyone stunned once more, completely bewildered as to why the magic had simply ceased to exist. While they were still puzzling over the event, Zhong Shenxiu’s voice returned, this time directed only at Cherie: “Your spell looks devastating, but its practical application is quite poor.” Initially, Cherie felt deeply wronged by the critique, but Zhong Shenxiu’s next words made her eyes light up!

“Next, I will show you a few practical applications of Light magic!” Zhong Shenxiu declared, then looked toward the others, asking, “Anyone else care to step up and try?” The crowd uniformly shook their heads, moving like windshield wipers on a rainy day! It was a joke!

The five men who had just tried were still practically half-dead on the ground; stepping up now would be actively seeking out torment!