Xu Wuyi had no intention of getting serious.

With a thought, he used the Battle Network System to suppress his own Life Energy Level to 15.

He remained rooted to the spot, making only minor shifts with his Body Technique. He raised his right hand, moving with deceptive speed—slow at first, then fast—to meet the edge of Qiao Zhiyao’s attacking palm.

THUD!

Fist met palm, producing a dull thud.

Qiao Zhiyao felt as though her palm had struck a thick, resilient piece of leather. The expected recoil came, but it failed to budge him in the slightest.

She used the momentum to spin, her left leg whipping out to strike Xu Wuyi’s side. The movement was fluid, the transition incredibly fast.

Xu Wuyi still only used one arm to block. His forearm precisely caught her ankle, deftly deflecting and redirecting the force.

Qiao Zhiyao instantly felt her attack miss its mark, her center of gravity shifting.

But she reacted quickly. Following the momentum, she touched down on one foot and launched another kick into the air, aiming for Xu Wuyi’s face. She was trying to use offense as defense to regain the upper hand.

However, Xu Wuyi simply leaned back slightly, and the kick whiffed through the air.

At the same time, the arm he had been using to block wrapped around her leg as if boneless. His fingers lightly closed around her calf as she kicked again, and he applied a hint of pressure.

Qiao Zhiyao felt a gentle yet irresistible force emanate from her calf. Her entire body was pulled into a half-spin, and she staggered upon landing, barely managing to stay on her feet.

She bit her lower lip, clearly unwilling to concede.

She took a deep breath. The aura from her circulation of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace intensified, and her Qi and Blood surged, causing the very air around her to distort.

She lunged forward again, unleashing every close-quarters Combat Skill she knew—fists, palms, finger strikes, and claws. Her speed was greater, her power more focused, and her attacks faintly carried the searing heat of a nascent "Furnace Fire."

Xu Wuyi’s expression remained placid.

Even with his Energy Level suppressed to 15, the foundation he had forged through the Minor Achievement stage of the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace was far superior to that of an ordinary level 15 Martial Artist.

His strength and reaction speed were still on par with the level 19 Qiao Zhiyao.

More importantly, he had just survived a true life-and-death battle, fighting a ferocious Wolfman War General and contending with the treacherous environment of the Star Realm.

The simplicity and efficiency forged in real combat were now deeply ingrained in his battle instincts.

Faced with Qiao Zhiyao’s storm-like assault, Xu Wuyi remained within an extremely small area. Every raised hand, every block, every slight turn of his body was perfectly executed.

He didn’t use Instant Shadow Step, activate any True Intention, or even employ any complete Martial Arts techniques. He relied solely on the most basic blocks, deflections, and counterattacks.

In fact, all the techniques he used were from the martial art Qiao Zhiyao was currently most familiar with—the Basic Body Refining Technique.

Yet in Qiao Zhiyao’s eyes, these fundamental movements were like an impenetrable wall, or a slippery eel she could never quite grasp.

Her attacks were either easily neutralized or guided into empty air. The occasional casual straight punch or palm-edge strike from Xu Wuyi was always enough to send her scrambling back in a fluster.

In the span of a dozen breaths, Qiao Zhiyao was already drenched in sweat, her breathing slightly labored.

She felt like she was fighting a flawless shadow. Every punch missed its mark, while his every effortless response left her feeling utterly miserable.

"Stop! Hold on a second!"

Qiao Zhiyao leaped back two steps and held up a hand, her chest heaving. She looked at Xu Wuyi, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration.

"Senior Brother Xu, you... you didn’t even use any powerful techniques! Why do you feel so much harder to fight than before?"

She remembered from their trial lesson that while Xu Wuyi had been strong, his strength had been tangible—stronger power, faster speed, more exquisite techniques.

But now, even though he had lowered his Energy Level and his movements didn’t seem fast, his techniques were as simple as could be. Still, she felt completely suppressed, a suffocating sensation.

Xu Wuyi relaxed his stance, his breathing as steady as ever.

"It’s nothing special. I’ve just had a bit more real combat experience."

He said it casually, but Qiao Zhiyao could sense the weight behind his nonchalant tone.

It wasn’t a boast, but the calm assurance of someone who had been tempered by fire.

Just then, the door to the reception room was pushed open again, and Han Mo appeared in the doorway.

He had clearly just arrived, catching the final moment as they stopped, as well as the vexed and puzzled look on Qiao Zhiyao’s face.

"Teacher." Xu Wuyi turned and bowed.

"Teacher Han!" Qiao Zhiyao quickly stood at attention, her face still flushed and beaded with sweat.

Han Mo’s gaze swept over them, lingering on Xu Wuyi for a moment as a flicker of understanding, barely perceptible, crossed his eyes.

He walked to the head of the room and sat down, gesturing for them to be seated as well.

"It seems you two haven’t been idle in my absence." Han Mo’s tone was peaceful, without a hint of reproach. In fact, it held a touch of amusement. "Zhiyao, how did it go?"

Qiao Zhiyao pouted and answered honestly, "It felt... awful. Senior Brother Xu clearly suppressed his Energy Level, but fighting him was even tougher than sparring with the level 20 partners at home."

"It was like he always knew where I was going to strike, how much force I would use, and how to fight with the least effort... I can’t quite put it into words."

Han Mo nodded and looked at Xu Wuyi. "Back from the Star Realm? It looks like you’ve gained quite a bit."

"Yes, Teacher," Xu Wuyi answered respectfully. "The mission is complete. Furthermore, my Shocking God Spear broke through to the Entry Realm yesterday."

A sharp light glinted in Han Mo’s eyes. "Oh? So soon? Show me."

Xu Wuyi rose and walked to an open space in the reception room. The Meteor Iron Long Spear materialized in his hand.

He made no extraneous preparations, simply gripping the spear calmly, his gaze fixed on a distant point in the virtual space.

The next moment, he moved.

There was no earth-shattering Starting Form, not even the immense aura that came from fully circulating his Qi and Blood—just a simple step forward and a straight thrust.

And yet, the instant he thrust the spear, an incomparably sharp "presence" erupted!

It was not the pressure of a Domain, nor the searing heat of flames. It was an intention, sharp and so pure it felt as if it could pierce any obstacle, bursting forth from the spear’s tip.

A committed thrust, spirit and intention following as one!

Although the physical power of the thrust was greatly limited by the Battle Network Space, and it wasn’t imbued with the Undying Flame, the sheer sharpness of the intention—so potent it seemed to pierce straight through one’s Heart and Spirit, even through thought itself—made the watching Qiao Zhiyao’s hair stand on end. She subconsciously took half a step back, her eyes filled with horror.

Han Mo, however, simply nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Your spirit and intention have begun to coalesce, and your thrust can now shock the soul. Not bad. Your entry into this Spear Technique is not merely a matter of form; you’ve already begun to grasp the very essence of ’Shocking God’."

"It seems the life-and-death tempering you underwent during this trip to the Star Realm has greatly aided your comprehension of this Spear Technique’s True Intention."