"I surrender!! I surrender!!"

Mu Xingyuan’s true self, disguised as an ordinary young man hiding in the crowd, immediately shot to his feet and roared. The situation was nothing like he had imagined.

He had thought his plan was foolproof. By using the Divine Splitting Technique to create his avatars while his true self hid among the crowd, he was sure he couldn’t fail. His opponent would never find him in such a large audience, and the power of his three avatars was more than enough to defeat him.

But to his shock, his opponent hadn’t played by the book at all. He showed no intention of searching for Mu Xingyuan’s true self. Instead, he unleashed a self-destructive technique, annihilating one of the avatars in a single blow.

These avatars were manifestations of his Three Souls. The loss of each one would inflict immense damage on his true self. If all three were destroyed, he would be in mortal danger.

This was just a match; it wasn’t worth risking his life over.

However, his surrender came a moment too late. Just as he shouted, Ji Yunzhou slashed out again. Blade energy shot toward the sky, and another of his avatars was annihilated by the terrifying power.

He violently spat out another mouthful of blood. At the same time, he saw Ji Yunzhou cough up a large glob of thick, viscous blood. His opponent’s injuries seemed just as severe.

Damn it!!!

"I surrender! I surrender!!"

He continued to roar, frantically directing his last avatar to flee the stage.

Only then did Ji Yunzhou seem to notice his shouts, turning to look in his direction.

"So that’s where you were hiding."

Ji Yunzhou broke into a grin. Since his opponent had already surrendered and fled, he didn’t pursue. Instead, he gradually reined in his power and returned to his normal state.

Although he had experienced such an outburst before and hadn’t maintained that state of released self-limitation for long, it still left him with severe injuries.

His internal organs were one thing, but just looking at his skin—the excessive magnetic field amplification had caused it to undergo Rainbow Transformation. Blood seeped from large patches across his body, a horrifying sight. Combined with the smile on his face that showed complete disregard for his own wounds, the surrounding Spirit Guardians gained a much deeper understanding of this man.

Powerful, defiant, and insane. He was ruthless toward his enemies and even more so toward himself.

The crowd watched as Ji Yunzhou slowly descended from the stage, walked back to his seat, and sat down.

"You alright?"

Zhou Yuanjue and the others glanced at Ji Yunzhou, who was still bleeding all over, and voiced their concern.

"I’m fine. It’s just a little blood; it’ll stop in a minute. I’ll probably need at least half a month to recuperate when I get back, though. It’s that kid’s fault for messing with me. I lost my temper."

"It’s not like you’re the type to hold back anyway."

Zhang Zhizhen shook his head, speechless. Given Ji Yunzhou’s personality, the fact that he hadn’t just killed the guy for making a fool of him on stage was a sign of immense self-control.

"You don’t have Brother Zhou’s Recovery Ability. You should be more careful about using moves like that," Jiang Jiushan said.

"I know. I’m really jealous of his ability," Ji Yunzhou sighed.

While the Donghua Martial Artists were chatting and laughing, the Spirit Guardian side was deathly silent.

No one had expected this outcome.

Two matches in, the Spirit Guardians had sent out two elites from their major clans. Their opponents had only dispatched two obscure, newly ascended Saint Awakenings, yet the Spirit Guardians hadn’t won a single victory.

The power of the Donghua Martial Artists was beyond their imagination. It shook them to their core and, to a certain extent, overturned their entire worldview.

The competition was the first to three wins. If they lost the next match, it would be over for them.

Although most of the Spirit Guardians had already resigned themselves to cooperating with the Officials given the current circumstances, being shut out without a single win was an unbearable loss of face.

Moreover, such a result would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the negotiations for the specific terms of their future cooperation. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Therefore, they had to win the next match, no matter what.

Who would go?

Several elites from the major clans exchanged glances. Then, a figure with a face as fair as jade slowly rose to his feet.

"I’ll take the next match."

A faint smile played on Hong Miao’s lips as he walked slowly toward the stage.

"It’s Hong Miao! With him fighting, this match should be a sure win."

"That’s what we thought last time..."

"This time is different! Do you not know of Hong Miao’s strength? Even the Saintess of the Moon Race, after undergoing her ritual, might not be his match. He’s in a completely different league from the rest of the younger generation!"

"He awakened directly to the Spirit Level. Who knows how much stronger he’s gotten after all these years. He must be at the peak of the Spirit Level, at least. It’s very likely he’s even reached the Celestial Level!"

"Besides, are you all forgetting the Xuan Clan’s Bloodline abilities?"

"..."

Hong Miao’s appearance instantly set off a wave of discussion among the Spirit Guardian camp. It seemed he was vastly different from those who had fought before him.

The Xuan Clan was a top-tier clan on par with the Moon Race. Their ancestors had once sealed away two of the Primordial Ancestors.

And Hong Miao himself was a rare genius among all the generations of the Xuan Clan’s Spirit Guardians. He had awakened at the Spirit Level; it was difficult to believe that the ultimate goal many pursued for a lifetime was merely his starting point.

His Talent was legendary throughout the Spirit Guardian world. Many even believed that the Saintess of the Moon Race—who was said to have the purest Bloodline and was the most likely to inherit the Ancestral Power—wouldn’t necessarily be more gifted than him, even after her awakening ritual.

Hong Miao stepped onto the stage. A gentle smile graced his handsome, jade-like face as he cast his gaze toward the seats of the Donghua Martial Artists. His eyes swept over the group before finally resting on one figure. He cupped his fist and spoke. "I am Hong Miao of the Xuan Clan. I have long heard that among the younger generation of Donghua Martial Artists, Brother Zhou Yuanjue is the most exceptional. Might I have the honor of inviting Brother Zhou to the stage for a lesson today?"

Though Hong Miao’s voice was warm and gentle and his words were courteous, this was, without a doubt, not a polite invitation. It was a challenge!

Hong Miao was challenging Zhou Yuanjue directly!

The crowd immediately understood Hong Miao’s intent. Zhou Yuanjue had always been hailed by the Donghua Officials as the foremost Martial Artist of the younger generation. Even though the Spirit Guardians had already lost two matches, if Hong Miao could defeat Zhou Yuanjue, they could still claim a measure of superiority over the Donghua Martial Arts Realm. This would give them a much stronger position in the upcoming negotiations.

All eyes fell on Zhou Yuanjue.

Zhou Yuanjue met Hong Miao’s gaze, the corners of his mouth turning up in a slight smile.

He slowly rose and began walking toward the stage.

"With Brother Zhou taking the stage, it looks like I came all this way for nothing," Jiang Jiushan said with a helpless shake of his head, his eyes on Zhou Yuanjue’s back.

"That guy from the Xuan Clan is just asking for trouble. I hope his ego can take the hit."

Ji Yunzhou and Zhang Zhizhen shot a pitying glance at Hong Miao on the stage.