Though no one stirred to cooperate, Zhong Shenxiu didn't press them. After a brief contemplation on which technique to display, he finally settled on an idea.
Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Zhong Shenxiu retrieved an hourglass from his magic ring, one section colored red and the other blue, used to mark the passage of time.
Everyone stared intently at the hourglass, trying to discern any hidden mystery, speculating if it was connected to the technique he was about to demonstrate.
As they pondered, Zhong Shenxiu's voice cut through the air: "Now pay attention, I'm going to show you the first technique!"
As he spoke, a mischievous smile played on his lips.
Because everyone was captivated by the hourglass set on the ground, they missed the sly grin, or else those who followed Zhong Shenxiu closely, like Angeliya, would have instantly been on high alert!
Qie He was the most expectant among the group. Although she had always been called a genius, she knew her own strength was rather weak, only serving in a supportive role.
She too had dreams, yearning to stand on her own as a formidable force. It was precisely for this reason that she had devoted the most effort to the spell "Radiant Heaven"!
Now, Zhong Shenxiu was about to reveal a practical, powerful technique, one not found in any book. Naturally, she was beside herself with excitement!
Amidst the waiting crowd, a dazzling burst of light erupted from Zhong Shenxiu’s body. It was so sudden and brilliant that no one could discern the exact source of the glare!
Some couldn't bear the intensity of the light and quickly turned their heads away, closing their eyes, but it was too late. They felt as if something had drilled through their eyes and entered their minds. Immediately afterward, their consciousness was filled with blinding white—they could see nothing, hear nothing. The entire world seemed to fade to pallor in that instant!
Fortunately, this sensation did not last long. Gradually, everyone recovered.
The first thing they did upon regaining their senses was to look at Zhong Shenxiu, eager to see what that technique had been and what its result was.
But then they became confused. Zhong Shenxiu stood there, watching them with a faint smile. The light had vanished, and everything had returned to how it was before.
What just happened?
The crowd even suspected Zhong Shenxiu was playing a trick on them. Hadn't he promised to demonstrate a "practical Light Element magic"? Was flashing a light considered practical?
Qie He was even more bewildered. If it was just a flash of light, she could manage that easily, but this was far from the practicality she had hoped for.
Angeliya was momentarily stunned too. However, she knew Zhong Shenxiu would never act without reason. Something they didn't know must have occurred during that moment. What could it be?
Angeliya pondered, scanning her surroundings, until her gaze finally fell upon the hourglass on the ground. She froze completely, as if struck by lightning!
Leng Xiangxue, mindful of Angeliya, kept glancing in her direction. Seeing Angeliya suddenly staring ahead with an expression of horror, she couldn't help but look over curiously. When she saw the hourglass, she too froze. A single thought repeated endlessly in her mind: How could this be?
Soon, more and more people noticed the change in the expressions of these two beauties—first Rhys, then Solomon, and then more. Finally, everyone focused their eyes on the hourglass on the ground, their eyes widening in unison!
What did they see? Why were they all so astonished?
In reality, nothing strange had happened to the hourglass; everything was normal. What shocked them was the sand inside: more than half had already fallen. This meant that at least fifteen minutes had passed since the sudden burst of light, yet in their perception, it felt like the blink of an eye!
What did this imply?
It meant they were in a blank state during that period, and simultaneously, it meant they had lost connection with the world for a quarter of an hour!
What a terrifying realization. It meant they had lost the ability to move for fifteen minutes—no different from being knocked unconscious. If an enemy had done anything to them during that time, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Now they finally understood Zhong Shenxiu’s intention in bringing out the hourglass. He was clearly telling them: You just spaced out for a full fifteen minutes!
Yes, this was the ability of Zhong Shenxiu's recent technique, capable of temporarily paralyzing a person's five senses, named Azure Mist!
To use an imperfect analogy, Azure Mist could be imagined as a form of illusion, operating by attacking the nerves, causing the temporary loss of sensory functions due to overload and obstruction!
The true brilliance of this technique, Azure Mist, lay in this: the more intensely one stared at the light, the greater the impact on the nerves!
This explained the meaning behind Zhong Shenxiu’s earlier mischievous smile. By telling them to watch closely, he was essentially tricking them into falling for the trap!
"Have you realized it yet?" Zhong Shenxiu asked the group.
The look of horror had not entirely faded from their faces; they merely nodded without speaking!
"That last technique is called Azure Mist. It can instantly strip an enemy of their five senses, leaving them as if immersed in a vast whiteness!" Zhong Shenxiu briefly explained.
The crowd finally understood what that pale, colorless world they had seen meant—it was the sign of being afflicted!
"Next, I will show you another technique!" Zhong Shenxiu’s sudden announcement made everyone pause again.
They hadn't even fully recovered from the shock of the previous demonstration, and now Zhong Shenxiu was starting another one. Did he want them to survive at all?
"This next one might be a bit fast, I will try to slow down as much as possible!" Zhong Shenxiu said slowly. Without asking if they were ready, he immediately began the motion.
He gently raised both hands, and as they reached chest height, he abruptly stopped. Then, countless tiny points of light began to materialize around him, one by one, resembling a cluster of stars in the night sky!
The entire group was drawn to these bizarre little lights, studying what they were for, and how they were smaller than a grain of rice!
Though Qieli was also confused, being a Light Element mage, she could clearly sense that these tiny orbs were composed of highly dense Light Elemental energy!
At that moment, a shocking scene unfolded: these small lights suddenly shot out with a whoosh, their speed so fast it was nearly instantaneous!
The crowd only felt something flash before their eyes, immediately followed by a sizzling, crackling sound, and then wisps of faint white smoke began to rise from various spots around them!
What was happening?
Everyone was utterly confused, but after the white smoke dissipated, what they saw with their eyes left them stunned!
Where the white smoke had risen, a small hole had appeared, about the size of a bean, and deep—impossibly deep!
This was utterly shocking. This training ground was constructed of bricks made of special material and reinforced with magic. Damaging even one was extremely difficult. Yet now, these holes, resembling a giant wasp nest, were horrifyingly present!
What kind of magic was this? How could the destructive power be so insane?
And the attack speed—it was too fast! Had he really slowed it down? What would it look like at full speed?
Question after question began to flood their minds, but there was one thought they dared not entertain: What would happen if this technique were used on a person?
Zhong Shenxiu surveyed the pockmarked ground with a hint of disappointment. He had already significantly reduced the power, yet it still felt like attacking tofu rather than these reinforced bricks. It seemed that if he wanted to demonstrate properly here in the future, he would need to modify the area. At the very least, he needed to set up a defensive formation!
Zhong Shenxiu turned to look at the stunned students, feeling a touch of disappointment again. With such a simple technique, they were already this shocked. If he unleashed some of the truly formidable ultimate moves, then...?
"Teacher Zhong... Teacher Zhong, I want to learn these two techniques!" Qieli’s voice suddenly broke the silence, laced with a tone of coaxing and pleading!
She was simply too excited. Only today did she realize Light Element magic could be this ferocious. If she learned such powerful spells, wouldn't she instantly become a true master!
However, Zhong Shenxiu merely rolled his eyes at her and said coolly, "We'll talk about it later!"
"Oh!" Qieli pouted slightly but dared not say more.
"The previous technique was called Uranium Shot. You’ve already seen its capabilities without me needing to explain," Zhong Shenxiu stated calmly.
By now, the students' adoration for Zhong Shenxiu was as boundless and immeasurable as the vast universe!
Incredible. This was the epitome of power!
They had never seen anyone so formidable in their lives, nor techniques so earth-shattering. Each one overturned common sense, yet each was undeniably mighty!
Such a powerful person, possessing such incredible techniques—why would he choose to teach here?
The crowd couldn't fathom it. With Zhong Shenxiu’s current strength, he could easily secure a powerful and wealthy position working for the government!
These students now felt immense relief. Relief that Zhong Shenxiu was teaching here, and even more relief that they hadn't left like some others!
Though this class hadn't taught them practical skills, it had fundamentally changed their worldview!
Afterward, Zhong Shenxiu told Qieli to return to her seat, and his gaze settled upon the two mixed martial practitioners.
Leng Xiangxue felt a surge of nervousness under Zhong Shenxiu’s scrutiny; she had never felt this tense in her life.
"Your name is Leng Xiangxue, right? Come here!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out.
Leng Xiangxue walked over with noticeable awkwardness. Although she forced herself to appear calm, her eyes were alight with tension and expectation!
Zhong Shenxiu had already demonstrated his power to a Swordsman and a Mage; would the next display be for the mixed martial artists?
The mere thought caused the blood in her body to churn restlessly, threatening to melt away her icy composure!
"I watched your match," Zhong Shenxiu said lightly.
Leng Xiangxue looked up in astonishment, unsure what significance his remark held. "If I guess correctly, the swordsmanship you use is incomplete," Zhong Shenxiu adopted an expression of profound mystery.
Leng Xiangxue's body trembled. Though she remained silent, her eyes clearly asked: How do you know that?
Zhong Shenxiu offered no reply, continuing instead, "Do you know there's a fatal flaw in your swordsmanship?"
Leng Xiangxue's trembling became more pronounced. She stared at Zhong Shenxiu with surprise.
If anyone else had said this, she would have scoffed and ignored them, but coming from Zhong Shenxiu, it was different. He had already shaken her to her core, almost to the point of blind worship! If Zhong Shenxiu said she had a fatal flaw, then she surely did!
Angeliya, standing nearby, also paused slightly upon hearing this. She had dueled Leng Xiangxue and personally experienced her swordsmanship, yet she hadn't detected any flaw—unless one counted the lack of speed, but she couldn't think of anything else!
"What is the weakness?" Leng Xiangxue finally couldn't contain her curiosity and inquired, her voice lacking the usual icy tone she used with others, carrying instead a touch of softness.
"You have a bad habit!" Zhong Shenxiu didn't state it outright but continued, "Demonstrate your 'Dual Swords' technique right now!"
Leng Xiangxue assumed Zhong Shenxiu was about to give her personal pointers. She quickly drew her two swords and adopted a stance!
However, to her surprise, Zhong Shenxiu turned away and called Angeliya over: "Girl, come here for a moment!"
Then, under the puzzled watch of the others, Zhong Shenxiu whispered something to Angeliya. The crowd only saw Angeliya first look startled, then nod with an expression of understanding!
"I have now informed Angeliya of your weakness. You two will spar again!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly announced.
Leng Xiangxue had originally been eager for another match against Angeliya, but now a sense of unease washed over her; she even felt a desire to avoid the fight!
"Are you ready?" Angeliya stared intently at Leng Xiangxue.
She didn't draw her own sword, seemingly intending to fight barehanded. This wasn't arrogance, but rather a faith in Zhong Shenxiu that surpassed even her faith in herself!
Leng Xiangxue also wanted to understand what critical weakness she possessed, so she nodded, indicating she was ready to fight at any moment!
"Then I'm coming in!" Angeliya said, but instead of rushing toward Leng Xiangxue, she began to walk toward her slowly and steadily.