Zhang Zhizhen’s words struck Ge Honglin like a hammer blow, ringing in his ears.

Skill and Dao.

To Ge Honglin, or rather, to the Qi Clan, the Thunder Skill was merely a type of "Skill."

It could be easily performed through specific Qi Meridian Circulations.

The Qi Clan possessed countless similar Skills.

To them, a "Skill" was more like a tool, a means to an end.

They could use these methods through their innate Bloodline Talent and unleash immense power. But with thousands of Skills to choose from, they never truly understood the principles behind any of them.

What is thunder? What are the characteristics of lightning? What is the essence of an electromagnetic field? How does one create lightning from nothing and manipulate that field?

Having cultivated countless "Magic," Ge Honglin could not truly comprehend any of this.

But for Zhang Zhizhen, who had focused solely on the Thunder Skill from the very beginning, he had experienced the entire process from nothing to something. The will represented by the Thunder Skill was the "Dao" he walked.

Throughout his journey, he had endured life-and-death tribulations. He had finally broken through to Saint Awakening and connected with nature. As a result, he understood the Mystical Technique of "thunder" better than anyone.

Therefore, in the final blow, what Ge Honglin thought was a powerful strike instead became a boon to Zhang Zhizhen. It provided him with an environment where the thunder-attribute magnetic field was at its most intense, increasing his power.

That was why Zhang Zhizhen had said that Ge Honglin clashing with him head-on using the Thunder Skill was the worst possible decision. If he had used other Magic, Ge Honglin would have stood a fighting chance.

"Skill and Dao..."

Ge Honglin looked up at the sky, seeming to have come to some sort of realization.

"More doesn’t mean better. I have strayed onto the wrong path and never truly understood the mysteries of the Thunder Skill. You have taught me a valuable lesson."

Ge Honglin gave Zhang Zhizhen a solemn fist-and-palm salute, then turned to the crowd below and announced:

"I have lost this match. The Qi Clan will honor its promise."

With that, Ge Honglin turned and walked off the stage.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into an uproar.

Ge Honglin, who had held the absolute advantage, had actually lost in the end. And by the looks of it, he was utterly convinced by his defeat.

However, what truly shocked the Spirit Guardians present wasn’t just the outcome of the match, but also Zhang Zhizhen’s final words.

They once believed that Martial Artists’ abilities were too singular and not powerful enough.

But now, that perception was changing.

Singular did not mean weak. And complex did not mean strong.

After Ge Honglin left the stage, Zhang Zhizhen followed. Under the gazes of the crowd, he slowly walked back to the table with Zhou Yuanjue and the others and sat down.

One match was over, but this was only the beginning. The next one was about to start.

Who would step up for the next match?

The members of the major clans exchanged glances. Finally, a young man stood up—he was thin, with a gloomy expression and slightly pale skin.

He was dressed in a sharp suit and wore glasses, looking like a young and successful professional. His attire seemed somewhat out of place among the others.

"I’ll take the next match."

The young man in the suit said with a smile, his voice sounding a bit strange.

He then slowly walked onto the high platform, looked toward Zhou Yuanjue’s group, and cupped his hands slightly. "Mu Xingyuan of the Shadow Race. Which of you will do me the honor?"

"Ji Yunzhou should take this one."

This time, it was Daoist Bailong who spoke up.

"Oh?"

The others were slightly surprised.

"Alright, I’ll go then."

Ji Yunzhou glanced at Daoist Bailong but didn’t ask for a reason. He stood up and slowly walked toward the stage.

"Who is he?"

Zhou Yuanjue and the others looked toward Daoist Bailong.

"A master from the younger generation of the Shadow Race. This clan’s abilities are quite unique. They are related to the legendary ’Out of Body Experience’ and the ’Three Souls.’ Ancient legends about things like ’External Incarnation’ are all connected to this clan."

"This clan isn’t skilled in direct confrontations, but relying on their strange abilities, very few people can ever get close to them."

"The Shadow Race is considered a major clan in Donghua. My reason for sending Ji Yunzhou up is also related to the Shadow Race’s abilities."

"The Three Souls versus the Seven Spirits. Don’t you think that will be interesting to watch?"

Daoist Bailong stroked his beard, a wide smile on his face.

It almost made Zhou Yuanjue and the others think the old man wasn’t here on business, but just to watch a good show.

A duel between the new and old Thunder Skill, a battle between the Three Souls and the Seven Spirits...

’It seems this old man came prepared,’ Zhou Yuanjue thought. ’I just wonder who he has arranged as my opponent.’

A flicker of interest appeared in Zhou Yuanjue’s eyes.

At this moment, on the high platform, Ji Yunzhou and Mu Xingyuan stood facing each other.

"Ji Yunzhou of the Seven Spirits Sect. Please enlighten me."

Ji Yunzhou said to Mu Xingyuan, cupping his hands.

"The last match was a clash between the new and old Thunder Skill. And this time, if I remember correctly, Ji Yunzhou’s Martial Dao is the Seven Spirits Blade, right? The Three Souls versus the Seven Spirits? This is so interesting! I wonder when your idol will go up?"

Zuo Xi whispered to Zuo Xian.

"No matter when he goes up, he’s the strongest!"

Zuo Xian’s eyes sparkled. She was originally intimidated by the reputation of their opponents and lacked some confidence in Zhou Yuanjue. But now, after witnessing Zhang Zhizhen’s battle, she had let go of her worries. Martial Artists were indeed no less than Spirit Guardians.

’So frustrating! If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered practicing my Family Secret Skill. It would have been so much better to learn the Martial Dao. This useless Bloodline of mine won’t amount to much even if I master it anyway...’

Zuo Xian sighed to herself.

"Since this is an exchange and not a battle to the death, I’ll be frank. My abilities are not suited for direct combat. Physical clashes are certainly not my clan’s strong suit."

"So, how about we make a little agreement?"

The slender Mu Xingyuan said with a smile.

"Oh? What kind of agreement? Why don’t you tell me first?"

Ji Yunzhou said, his expression shifting.

"It’s very simple. If you can touch my body even once, you win. How about it?"

Mu Xingyuan said.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Ji Yunzhou asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No, no, no, Brother Ji, don’t misunderstand. My clan isn’t skilled at close combat. If you can touch me, you can naturally harm me. At that point, continuing the fight would inevitably lead to injury and hurt the friendly atmosphere."

"Even without this agreement, I would concede the moment you managed to land an attack on me."

Mu Xingyuan said, waving his hands hastily.

Ji Yunzhou was speechless. ’This guy has no backbone, does he? And this is supposed to be the strongest of the Shadow Race’s younger generation.’

"Since you put it that way, I accept."

Ji Yunzhou said flatly.

"Excellent. Then it’s settled."

A smile tugged at the corner of Mu Xingyuan’s lips, looking somewhat strange and inscrutable.

Suddenly, the shadow behind him spread out, completely covering the area around him.

Sight was obstructed, and perception was cut off.

The next moment, three identical figures walked out from that patch of shadow.

Slender, pale-faced, dressed in a fine suit, and wearing glasses. They looked like young, successful professionals, each with a faintly strange smile on his face.

The three figures were all lifelike, making it impossible to tell which was real and which was false.

The Shadow Race’s Yang God Technique—the Divine Splitting Skill!