Chu Shanhe’s Starting Form was ordinary, but Xu Wuyi could feel the Qi and Blood around his opponent’s body begin to silently circulate. A subtle but heavy pressure was slowly gathering.

Xu Wuyi started with "Holding the Essence and Guarding the One" from the Basic Body Forging Technique, but adapted it for his Spear Technique, holding the long spear loosely at his side.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

The next moment, Chu Shanhe moved.

His movements weren’t fast; they could even be described as unhurried.

He took half a step forward with his left foot and threw a straight punch with his right, aiming for Xu Wuyi’s chest—it was the exact same probing attack he’d used during the college entrance exams.

But this time, the dark-red Qi and Blood on his fist was no longer just contained within. It flowed out as if it were tangible, covering the entire surface of his fist!

Xu Wuyi’s eyes narrowed.

He didn’t choose to block. Instead, he executed a light shuffle with Instant Shadow Step, shifting half a foot to the left while simultaneously raising his long spear, its tip angling up toward Chu Shanhe’s wrist.

This was "Gentle Wind and Waves," a move from the Wind-Settling Spear. It looked light, but it concealed several potential variations.

Chu Shanhe neither dodged nor evaded.

His Fist Momentum hadn’t faded. He suddenly dropped his arm, the dark-red Qi and Blood abruptly thickening as he rammed it straight into the spear’s tip!

CLANG—!

A crisp sound like the clash of metal exploded outwards.

Xu Wuyi felt a heavy shock travel up the spear shaft. The tip felt as if it had struck armor forged from refined steel, unable to advance an inch.

But Chu Shanhe’s fist only paused for a moment before continuing its devastating strike!

Xu Wuyi used the force to retreat, creating distance, his gaze falling upon Chu Shanhe’s fist.

That layer of dark-red Qi and Blood wasn’t just a simple covering. It flowed slowly like a living thing, its surface shimmering with a metallic luster.

He had used seventy percent of his strength in that last thrust, yet he hadn’t even managed to break the surface.

"Is this the external projection of Qi and Blood from the Blood Nerve?" Xu Wuyi asked.

"It’s an Entry Level application," Chu Shanhe said, retracting his fist. "You force your Qi and Blood out of your body and condense it with a special Technique to form an armor-like effect. It integrates offense and defense, but the consumption is also high."

As he spoke, he took a step forward.

With that single step, the aura around him changed completely.

Dark-red Qi and Blood surged from his entire body, flowing like water to cover him completely. It formed a layer of constantly shifting Qi Blood Armor on his skin, about half an inch thick.

The armor wasn’t bulky. Instead, it clung to his body, outlining the sleek lines of his muscles. It was only slightly thinner at the joints to ensure flexibility.

Chu Shanhe looked as if he had donned a suit of dark-red battle armor, and his presence became heavy and wild.

"Be careful."

Before the words had even faded, Chu Shanhe’s figure shot forward!

His speed was more than a notch faster than before, and the Step Technique he used was no longer a single style of Martial Arts, but a product of multiple fused together.

At times he was as slippery as a fish, at others he pounced like a fierce tiger. His movements were completely unpredictable.

Xu Wuyi swung his long spear, deploying the defensive stance of the Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear.

But this time, Chu Shanhe’s method of attack was completely different.

He didn’t dodge or evade, directly meeting the spear’s edge with his Qi Blood Armor-clad arms!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The dense series of collisions sounded like a blacksmith hammering iron.

Chu Shanhe’s fists, palms, elbows, knees, and even his shoulders and back—every part of his body had become a weapon.

That layer of Qi Blood Armor not only provided formidable defense but also granted him terrifying attack power. Every strike was as heavy as a mountain, sending jolts through Xu Wuyi’s arms and making them go numb.

Even more frightening was how Chu Shanhe had perfectly integrated his complex Martial Arts into this fighting style.

The Soft Force of the Mianyun Palm transformed into an insidious Penetration Power that passed through the Qi Blood Armor. Aided by the armor, the ferocity of the Wind-Splitting Leg was like the lashing of a steel whip. Even in a head-on clash, the precision of the Vessel-Cutting Finger could still find openings to strike at vital joints...

Xu Wuyi was forced completely onto the defensive.

He had no choice but to push the Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear to its limits, its afterimages forming a curtain to desperately defend the three-foot radius around him.

But Chu Shanhe’s assault was like a tide, each wave stronger than the last. The layer of Qi Blood Armor let him cast aside all caution and attack with reckless abandon.

’So this is a humanoid Star Beast...’ The realization dawned on Xu Wuyi.

What the Blood Nerve granted Chu Shanhe was precisely this "Flesh Armor" style of combat.

He no longer needed to evade sharp edges or worry about defense. He could pour his entire Heart and Spirit into offense, unleashing his peerless Martial Arts to their absolute fullest.

In just over ten exchanges, Xu Wuyi had already retreated seven steps.

With every direct clash, he could feel the feedback from the spear shaft growing heavier.

Chu Shanhe’s Qi Blood Armor was too tough; ordinary attacks could hardly make a dent.

But Xu Wuyi didn’t panic.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

After another hard clash, Chu Shanhe swept a roundhouse kick toward Xu Wuyi’s lower body.

Xu Wuyi pressed his spear shaft down to block, using the force to slide back three meters and temporarily disengage from the fight.

Chu Shanhe didn’t pursue. He stood his ground, the Qi Blood Armor around him flowing slowly, his breathing slightly ragged.

"Your Spear Technique has improved greatly," Chu Shanhe said, his tone serious. "If you were the same person from the college entrance exams, you would have already lost to that last series of attacks."

He could tell that while Xu Wuyi seemed to be constantly retreating, he was actually handling it with ease and hadn’t lost his rhythm.

Xu Wuyi regulated his breathing and nodded. "You too."

In their first year of university, Chu Shanhe clearly hadn’t stood still either. His Martial Arts had advanced again.

"But you should have other methods," Chu Shanhe said, looking at Xu Wuyi with a probing gaze. "That flame from the youth tournament... what is it?"

Xu Wuyi didn’t answer.

He took a deep breath. Inside his body, the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace roared to life, and his Qi and Blood surged like a mighty river.

The next moment, he made a loose fist with his left hand, and a wisp of Dark Gold Flame rose from his palm—the Undying Flame.

The instant the flame appeared, Chu Shanhe’s pupils contracted slightly.

He instinctively felt a sense of threat.

The flame seemed quiet, but it emanated a persistent aura, one that promised not to rest until it had burned everything to ash. It seemed to faintly repel the Qi and Blood flowing around his body.

"Try this."

As Xu Wuyi’s voice fell, he waved his left hand, and the ball of Dark Gold Flame split into several thin streams that coiled around the shaft of his Meteor Iron Long Spear.

At the tip of the spear, the flame condensed, resembling a single point of dark golden starlight.

Chu Shanhe’s expression grew solemn.

He didn’t wait any longer. His figure shot forward again!

This time, his speed was even faster, his assault more ferocious. The dark-red Qi Blood Armor left an afterimage as he moved at high speed.

He had to press the attack.

Xu Wuyi moved as well.

He was no longer purely on the defensive. He took the initiative and charged forward to meet him!

The spear thrust out like a dragon, the Undying Flame dancing on its tip as it crashed viciously against the dark-red Qi Blood Armor!

HISS—!

This time, the sound wasn’t the clash of metal, but a strange hissing, like cold water dropped into hot oil.

Chu Shanhe’s expression changed slightly.

He clearly felt it: the moment that point of Dark Gold Flame on the spear tip touched his Qi Blood Armor, it seemed to come alive. It swiftly "bit" down, beginning to frantically corrode and burn away the Qi and Blood Energy that made up the armor!