By manipulating water vapor and mixing it with his own fat, he could form a protective layer of "Jade and Glaze Liquid" under his skin. Its defensive effect was even greater than that of a Non-Newtonian Fluid, capable of blocking the majority of even a Saint Awakening Level attack.

The Water Cutting Skill, which restructured water molecules into a dense, thin blade to produce terrifying cutting power, and the Jade and Glaze Liquid, which mixed with fat to form an impenetrable fluid barrier in the subcutaneous tissue—these were the spear and shield of the Xuan Clan.

’What a formidable ability,’ Zhou Yuanjue thought. ’The most troublesome part is its resilience. The magnetic field is so tightly integrated with physical matter that it suppresses the influence of other magnetic fields. Most magnetic field techniques lose their effectiveness against it. It can’t be dispersed, evaporated, or easily destroyed...’

Zhou Yuanjue narrowed his eyes. ’This guy is like a black turtle clad in heavy armor and wielding a sharp blade. He’s impenetrable, yet also highly aggressive.’

’However, this level of skill alone won’t be enough to defeat me. A successor of the Xuan Clan should be capable of more than this.’

Sure enough, after blocking Zhou Yuanjue’s attack and forcing him back, Hong Miao didn’t press the attack.

"That’s enough of a warm-up. It’s time to get serious. This was mainly to give you an idea of my abilities. You’ve seen how sharp the Water Cutting Skill is. If you feel you can’t block what’s coming next, you’d better surrender quickly. Otherwise, if you get hit, you’ll probably lose an arm or a leg."

Hong Miao said with a smile.

"Oh?"

At his words, Zhou Yuanjue raised an eyebrow.

HSSS!!

The next moment, the pores all over Hong Miao’s body opened and closed again as he released most of the Profound Water from within him. He instantly appeared much slimmer.

He touched a finger to the point between his eyebrows and softly uttered a single word:

"Condense!"

Under the control of his Talent Magnetic Field, the water vapor around him suddenly condensed. Twelve blade-like objects, each as thin as a cicada’s wing, appeared and hovered around Hong Miao.

Then, he pointed a finger at Zhou Yuanjue.

"Go!"

The twelve Water Blades shot toward Zhou Yuanjue at incredible speed!

WHOOSH!!

The air shrieked as the twelve Water Blades tore through it.

’Incredibly sharp!’

Zhou Yuanjue frowned. He had already seen how sharp the Water Cutting Skill was; it wasn’t something flesh and blood could withstand. ’I didn’t expect it could be controlled remotely. It’s just like the legendary Sword Control Skill.’

’But since this ability is related to magnetic fields, and the water vapor is driven by one, there must be a way to resist it.’

’First, I’ll test the upper limit of this ability’s destructive power.’

VMMMM!!

A circle of blazing red light enveloped him. His arms, in particular, were covered in what looked like lifelike wings of crimson light. He dodged rapidly, flapping the glowing wings on his arms. While he couldn’t disperse the Water Blades, he could influence their trajectory enough to create a safe space around himself.

Even so, twelve Water Blades were too many. They swarmed him, shredding his clothes. Some even sliced his skin, drawing blood and putting him in a perilous situation.

"Sword Control Skill? This guy’s ability is really something else."

Ji Yunzhou remarked with a click of his tongue. "I wonder what its effective range is. If he can control them from a great distance, then he could truly take a man’s head from a thousand miles away."

"To be precise, it’s the Water Manipulation Skill, but there’s not much difference. The Profound Water that the Xuan Clan nurtures in their bodies has an extremely dense magnetic field structure, making it difficult to destroy. They cover their bodies in a fluid layer that can resist most physical attacks and almost completely negate the influence of other magnetic fields."

"There are two ways to defeat this clan. One is a battle of attrition. After the Profound Water leaves the body, its magnetic affinity gradually fades and the user’s control over it weakens. This is a flaw, unless one reaches the level of their ancestors, for whom all things were ’Profound Water,’ endlessly regenerating."

"The other way is to overwhelm it with sheer power, to break through its defensive limit. I suspect the kid is planning to use the second method."

Daoist Bailong said, stroking his white beard.

"Brother Zhou’s strength is far greater than this. The only reason he looks like he’s in danger is that he’s deliberately testing the Water Blades’ offensive power and magnetic field tolerance. He’s making sure his final, all-out assault will be flawless. If Hong Miao doesn’t have any other tricks up his sleeve, he’s going to be in trouble very soon."

Zhang Zhizhen said with a smile.

They were well aware of Zhou Yuanjue’s true strength, so they could make an accurate assessment. The other Spirit Guardians, however, were different. They had no real concept of how strong Zhou Yuanjue truly was.

"The number one of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm’s younger generation? He doesn’t look like much now. He can’t even fight back. The officials must have overhyped him. Is he just some guy with connections who got special treatment with resources?"

"It’s not that Zhou Yuanjue is too weak, it’s that Hong Miao is too strong. The abilities of the Xuan Clan are on a completely different level from other bloodlines. Their offense and defense are integrated, making them nearly perfect."

"I bet Hong Miao could take down all the other Donghua Martial Arts Family members by himself. It’s a shame he can only fight once, or the next match would be a guaranteed win."

"..."

A wave of discussion rose from the Spirit Guardian camp.

On the stage, Zhou Yuanjue continued to dodge the encirclement of the twelve Water Blades, but his eyes never left Hong Miao. Throughout the exchange, his constant probing had allowed him to gather all the information he needed about the Water Blades’ attack patterns. The counterattack was about to begin.

But just then, something unexpected happened.

"It’s time to end this. With such strenuous movement, the amount should be sufficient."

Hong Miao suddenly smiled. To everyone’s astonishment, he recalled all the Water Blades to his side.

"What’s the meaning of this?"

Zhou Yuanjue stood his ground and asked, perplexed.

"You’ve already lost."

Hong Miao said with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked. Everyone else present was also baffled, wondering what Hong Miao was up to.

"As everyone knows, the ’Profound Water’ that the Xuan Clan cultivates within their bodies gradually weakens and eventually dissipates after it’s released."

"But I’m different. The Bloodline I inherited not only allowed me to reach the Spirit Level upon my awakening, but it also granted me a unique ability. I can’t match my ancestors, who could instantly transform all the water in the world into Profound Water, but my Profound Water never loses its properties, no matter how long it’s been outside my body."

"This means that the ironclad rules that apply to most of the Xuan Clan don’t apply to me."

"For example, there’s one very important rule."

"Normally, unless there’s a huge difference in power level, if Profound Water enters someone else’s body, it’s affected by their personal magnetic field, becomes inert, and can no longer be controlled. That rule... doesn’t apply to me."

"In other words..."

Hong Miao said with a smile. He slowly raised a finger to the point between his eyebrows. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he softly uttered a single word:

"Detonate!"

POP POP POP!!

Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, blood suddenly burst from the arms and legs of the motionless Zhou Yuanjue. His limbs were suddenly covered in countless tiny, pinprick-like holes, as if miniature bombs had detonated just beneath his skin.