Having absorbed the Heavenly Brahma Flower, the Ancestral Tree looked even more ancient than before. Rare patterns now stained every single leaf. Those patterns did not originate from the Ancient Era or the Primeval Era but an era even older and beyond Liu Wuxie's understanding.

When the wood-attribute energy flowed into Shi Wa's body, his injuries healed rapidly within mere breaths.

Liu Wuxie said, pointing his finger at Shi Wa's left rib, "Attack his left rib."

Shi Wa quickly memorized every pointer. Yan Hu's calf had already stopped bleeding. The wound wasn't deep, and compared to Shi Wa's injury, it was pretty superficial.

"Watch my feet," Liu Wuxie's voice echoed in Shi Wa's ears, and he took a few seemingly random footsteps. He used his divine sense to speak to Shi Wa, leaving Ye Linghan confused as to why Liu Wuxie had taken those random steps.

However, Shi Wa memorized them all.

"Let the second round begin," Nangong Shan said. His patience had nearly run out after seeing his student stabbed by a mere ant. Even though Yan Hu had won the first round, he still wasn't pleased.

"Go on," Liu Wuxie told Shi Wa.

"Yan Hu, use your strongest attack," Nangong Shan's assistant mentor instructed.

He was clearly urging Yan Hu to leave Shi Wa no opportunity to fight back and finish him in one blow. Such ruthlessness left many inwardly appalled.

When Shi Wa and Yan Hu stepped into the field again, Shi Wa's injury on his left shoulder had mostly recovered. Yan Hu had also recovered from his wound, and it would not hinder the battle.

Like before, one move would decide the battle. Shi Wa crouched down again and circulated his cultivation technique. His aura slowly strengthened, showing signs that he could reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm at any moment. Once he broke through, he would soar into the sky instantly.

Yan Hu attacked first like a ferocious tiger. He kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. With the strength of a ninth-level High Immortal, he displayed terrifying speed and tried to suppress Shi Wa outright.

Facing that immense pressure, Shi Wa felt as though a colossal mountain had landed on his back.

A loud roar erupted from Shi Wa's lower abdomen as he successfully stepped into the first-level Heavenly Immortal Realm. Xiao Qian was thrilled because this meant her elder brother was finally no longer a mere mortal.

After reaching the Heavenly Immortal Realm, the pressure on Shi Wa eased greatly. He mimicked the footwork Liu Wuxie had taught him, which consisted of only four steps.

The footwork looked simple. He stepped left, forward, then backward. The instant he took the fourth step, he suddenly charged at Yan Hu.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, especially that final step, which could only be described as absolutely brilliant. Yan Hu's attack missed Shi Wa completely.

"This is bad!" Nangong Shan exclaimed.

He was a profound immortal, so he naturally noticed something was wrong. Though Shi Wa's footsteps looked chaotic, they had perfectly allowed him to avoid Yan Hu's attack.

But how was that possible? Nangong Shan wasn't the only one shocked. Every mentor and student present was equally stunned.

Yan Hu stood on the left, while Shi Wa appeared on the right. The golden dagger spun in Shi Wa's palm, but Yan Hu could no longer stop his momentum. His left side was his weakness, especially the area beneath his armpit. But how had Shi Wa discovered it?

Liu Wuxie possessed the Ghost Pupil, which allowed him to detect the weakness in Yan Hu's movements. After all, everyone's immortal energy circulated differently, and as long as one found that path, they could break through it.

Shi Wa suddenly thrust the golden dagger forward. Unable to halt his charge in time, Yan Hu crashed straight into the blade.

The golden dagger was incredibly sharp, instantly piercing Yan Hu's protective aura. If Shi Wa had used an ordinary weapon, he would have struggled to tear through Yan Hu's defensive barrier. But Ye Linghan's golden dagger had been forged from the bones of a Primordial Golden Immortal Beast.

In terms of level, the weapon had reached the Spirit Immortal Realm, allowing it to tear through Yan Hu's defensive barrier with ease. Blood sprayed out, dyeing Yan Hu red.

The instant the dagger pierced Yan Hu, Shi Wa yanked it free and rolled to Yan Hu's left. As a result, all of Yan Hu's attacks missed their mark, and his punch slammed into the sand, blasting a large crater into the ground.

Yan Hu screamed in pain before charging at Shi Wa like a ferocious tiger.

"Hold it right there!" Liu Wuxie yelled. His voice turned into a sound wave that drove Yan Hu back, allowing Shi Wa to escape.

Before everyone could come back to their senses, Liu Wuxie had already announced the result of the second round. "The second round goes to Shi Wa!"

As blood dyed the sand red, Yan Hu's eyes turned bloodshot. As a ninth-level High Immortal, he couldn't believe that a mere ant had injured him.

The surroundings fell silent, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Shi Wa's attacks were simple, and there were more than ten thousand ways to counter them. Yet his attacks had countered Yan Hu's attack, making the situation seem far too coincidental.

With that, the two rounds ended with each side claiming one victory.

Nangong Shan's face gradually froze as murderous intent filled his eyes. He instantly realized that he had fallen into Liu Wuxie's trap. Anyone could tell that Liu Wuxie had guided Shi Wa earlier, but they couldn't find any evidence. Even if they gave instructions themselves, could they help Shi Wa defeat Yan Hu?

This was Liu Wuxie's teaching method, and no one else could imitate it.

"Liu Wuxie isn't ordinary," Zhongshan Wen said. He had witnessed everything so far and hadn't expected Liu Wuxie to possess such high combat talent in addition to his talent in spiritual arrays.

Some mentors at the Profound Immortal Realm looked baffled. "What's going on? How did Yan Hu get stabbed?"

They still couldn't understand how Yan Hu had lost.

"Yan Hu was careless right from the beginning," Wei Wenbin said.

Shi Wa was also dazed, unable to believe that he had won a round. After reaching the first-level Heavenly Immortal Realm, his aura continued to rise, further increasing his odds of winning the final round.

"Liu Wuxie, you're too despicable!" Nangong Shan's assistant roared.

"I'm despicable? Why don't you tell me how despicable I am?" Liu Wuxie sneered. Even while facing the pressure from Nangong Shan's two assistants, he maintained his smile.

"Do you dare to let him fight Yan Hu openly? It's despicable to rely on sneak attacks!" The assistant had already figured everything out, and Shi Wa had indeed relied on a sneak attack to strike Yan Hu.

"Can you be any more shameless? When you're locked in a life-and-death battle, would you still pause the fight to make an agreement with your opponent to fight openly?" Liu Wuxie scoffed.

Setting aside the fact that Shi Wa was only at the first-level Heavenly Immortal Realm, it would shock the entire Azure Flame Dao Hall even if he accomplished such a feat at the ninth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm. The difference between the two was so vast that a mere sneak attack could not overcome it. The other mentors said nothing because Liu Wuxie was right. In a life-and-death battle, any method could be used, and Shi Wa injuring Yan Hu through a sneak attack was already heaven-defying.

Xiang Rulong and the others exchanged looks. They had never understood why Liu Wuxie made such a decision and sent Shi Wa to his death. But now that they looked at it again, they realized they had all underestimated Liu Wuxie. The five students who had withdrawn earlier were now filled with regret.

After helping Yan Hu bandage his injuries, another assistant asked, "Yan Hu, can you continue to fight?"

"I'm going to tear him into pieces!" Yan Hu growled, gnashing his teeth.

The third round would decide the outcome.

Liu Wuxie beckoned, and Shi Wa walked over to him with a respectful expression.

"Same as before. Keep attacking his left rib, but reverse the order of your footwork this time," Liu Wuxie said, his voice ringing out in Shi Wa's ear.

This was no longer just a battle between students, but a contest between mentors. Nangong Shan also walked over to Yan Hu and taught him various techniques to counter Shi Wa's previous footwork. After all, Nangong Shan would be humiliated if his student lost.

Shi Wa's confidence soared as he quietly reviewed the footwork in his mind. He knew he could only create an unexpected effect by catching his opponent off guard. If he used his trump card too early, his opponent would be able to react.

"Shi Wa, it doesn't matter if you lose, but you have to be careful," Ye Linghan said.

Shi Wa nodded and walked into the field again with the golden dagger in hand.

The surrounding students watched with fascination. "Who do you think can win this fight?"

They had never imagined that such an ordinary battle would make their blood boil. The fight wasn't particularly spectacular or brutal, but a battle with such a huge disparity was simply unheard of.

Shi Wa lowered his hand to the ground, the golden dagger still stained with Yan Hu's blood.

The students from the other classes began to discuss among themselves. "Yan Hu will win for sure. He has already suffered twice, and he'll be more cautious this time. Didn't you see that he even took out his weapon?"

Most of the students present were more optimistic about Yan Hu, whose cultivation was significantly higher.

Everyone had seen Shi Wa's resilience, especially when he chose to suffer heavy injuries just to wound Yan Hu. That scene still lingered vividly in everyone's minds.

Many students already sensed that something strange was happening. "Don't be so sure about that. Assistant Liu is filled with mystery, and I have a feeling that Yan Hu might be in danger." With the battle about to begin, Yan Hu's aura grew even stronger than before under Nangong Shan's guidance. He summoned a long blade in his hand, which gave off a terrifying chill.

Meanwhile, Shi Wa took a step back. Yan Hu raised his blade, preparing to use his signature technique, the Giant Lizard Slash. This attack mimicked a lizard's attack form, allowing it to strike from the sky or the ground. This martial technique worked both ways, and Shi Wa could not dodge the incoming attack, no matter how he tried.

"Brat, I'm going to cut your head and kick it around like a ball," Yan Hu said, licking his lips as he walked into the field. The blade intent he released overwhelmed Shi Wa, gradually sinking his legs into the sand.

"Liu Wuxie, this is your last chance to admit defeat. Otherwise, it'll be too late for you to regret it later once he dies on this beach," Nangong Shan said, looking at Liu Wuxie with a smile.

As long as Liu Wuxie admitted defeat, he would be able to save Shi Wa's life.

"Is Mentor Nangong so confident?" Liu Wuxie asked, ignoring his provocation. He turned to look at the field, but there wasn't the slightest concern in his eyes.

His composure alone earned the respect of many people.

The fight unfolded in the blink of an eye as Yan Hu made his move, his Giant Lizard Slash descending in the form of a saber that cleaved down from the sky.