Shi Yu had noticed the change in advance and tried to stop it—but he couldn't. He could only respond passively, much like how Xu Sanshi used his Xuanming Replacement: sudden, unpredictable, and hard to guard against.
The audience was in shock. Confused and surprised faces filled the stands—most people had no idea what was going on. But the experts—Yan Shaozhe, Elder Xuan, and the others—understood.
Their expressions turned serious with a hint of amazement.
Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Replacement was already clever, but Shi Yu's version was even more extraordinary.
Where Xu Sanshi's ability allowed him to swap himself with objects, Shi Yu had apparently taken it a step further—he could swap someone else, using a mere piece of cloth to substitute Xu Sanshi and avoid the attack.
If developed further, this power could be classified as a divine skill.
"We have the same soul ring, only with different ages," Shi Yu said calmly. "You're not even a space-attribute soul master and yet gained a replacement skill. So why can't I, someone with a space attribute, master the same?"
And with that, he vanished—and appeared directly behind Xu Sanshi, launching a stab with the Eight Spider Lance.
He had already injected toxins before, and now aimed to insert more—to accelerate the poisoning.
But with Huo Yuhao sharing his Spiritual Detection, Xu Sanshi was no longer caught off guard. He immediately sensed Shi Yu's presence and raised his shield in defense.
Clang! Clang! Clang!—the sharp sounds of metal clashing echoed as Shi Yu's attack was blocked. Without hesitation, Shi Yu teleported away again, unwilling to stay in close combat for too long.
Both fighters paused their attacks. Xu Sanshi knew charging blindly was meaningless. He couldn't land a hit. Shi Yu, on the other hand, realized that his teleportation ambushes were no longer working. Xu Sanshi's reaction time had become so sharp that even surprise attacks were failing.
With the element of surprise gone, Shi Yu decided to wait—for the poison to take full effect.
Xu Sanshi, meanwhile, was starting to feel dizzy. The poison had begun its work.
Faint purple spots appeared on his skin in several places—the toxin from the Human-Faced Demon Spider was kicking in.
"I won't last if this continues," Xu Sanshi thought grimly. He could feel the poison weakening him, and despite trying to suppress it, his soul power was running low, making it harder to resist.
The poison was fierce and only getting worse.
"Using poison? How despicable and shameless!" Xu Sanshi cursed, glaring at Shi Yu in disgust.
"I remember the Sea God himself used poison," Shi Yu replied loudly so that the crowd could hear. "He often relied on the Eight Spider Lance soul bone's poison. Are you insulting him too?"
A murmur swept through the audience. Many frowned—especially Tang Ya, who had initially supported Xu Sanshi. But now… calling poison "shameless" felt like an insult to the Tang Sect itself.
After all, their core values were built around three things: poison, hidden weapons, and technique.
"Of course I'm not talking about the Sea God!" Xu Sanshi barked. "I'm talking about you!"
"Oh, so when the Sea God uses poison, it's honorable—but when I do it, I'm despicable? What a double standard." Shi Yu's tone was calm and cutting.
He wasn't in a rush. He was simply stalling for time—waiting for the poison to take full hold. But he couldn't tell what Xu Sanshi was planning either.
Xu Sanshi grew angrier. Words couldn't shake Shi Yu. Provocations didn't work. He couldn't land a solid hit. Even with a two-ring advantage, he was being toyed with—and that burned him with frustration.
His emotions spiraled. The more he lost control, the more his soul power surged—wild and unstable.
The turtle emblem on his shield began to morph. A phantom black snake slithered across the turtle shell.
"Air Control Technique!" Shi Yu's eyes narrowed. He sensed something was very wrong. He quickly distanced himself, activated his first soul ring, and rose into the air.
BOOM!
A terrifying force exploded outward from Xu Sanshi, covering the battlefield in a sinister black water aura—Xuan Shui.
The dark liquid flowed ominously across the field. Once gentle, water now felt like a threat.
The students gasped in awe and horror.
"Sanshi's bloodline has been awakened," Beibei stood up, visibly worried.
Once Xu Sanshi's bloodline was triggered, his combat strength would skyrocket—but at a price. The aftermath would leave him severely weakened, and he might need weeks or longer to recover.
"The power of Xuanwu…" Elder Xuan muttered, his expression tense.
This kind of strength was not easy to control. In fact, it was dangerous. If things went wrong, both fighters could die—Xu Sanshi included.
Even Yan Shaozhe and the senior teachers were on edge—ready to intervene at any moment.
"Please be okay…" Jiang Nannan whispered, her hands clenched tightly. Her face was pale with worry—for Shi Yu.
Even Zhang Lexuan looked uneasy. She didn't want to see either of them die.
Xu Sanshi's eyes turned icy as he scanned upward—Shi Yu was already soaring high, close to the ceiling of the arena.
If the dome weren't sealed, Shi Yu might've flown straight out.
He hovered roughly 200 meters above ground, far enough to avoid direct contact.
Below, the black liquid churned menacingly.
Shi Yu looked down. The liquid wasn't just threatening—it felt like death. If he touched it, he might dissolve on impact.
"GET DOWN HERE!" Xu Sanshi roared, releasing a burst of explosive soul power.
Two pillars of water surged upward, transforming into the massive head of a black turtle, which lunged at Shi Yu with open jaws.
But Shi Yu was agile. He weaved through the air, teleporting mid-flight, dodging the snapping jaws of the spirit-formed beast.
The attacks were strong—but not precise enough. With every miss, the turtle heads crashed into each other and detonated in midair.
"Why don't you come up here?" Shi Yu teased, unbothered.
His provocation continued.
He had already humiliated Xu Sanshi—why not push him further? As far as Shi Yu was concerned, the more Xu Sanshi exploded in rage, the more reckless he'd become.
No matter how powerful this Xuanwu burst was—it couldn't give Xu Sanshi the power of flight.
Without range or aerial mobility, he was helpless.
Even with all that power, Xu Sanshi was effectively grounded. And Shi Yu knew that the energy output of his current state couldn't last much longer.
Eventually, he would crash.
And when that happened… Shi Yu would finish it.
"AAAAARGH!" Xu Sanshi screamed, mad with frustration.
He continued firing black water blasts into the sky, one after another.
But Shi Yu danced between them, teleporting gracefully in midair, using his speed and agility to render Xu Sanshi's fury completely useless.