Unfortunately, a significant portion remained hidden beneath the skin, unrevealed, and Qingshui couldn't see clearly when the Cinnabar Mark wasn't activated...
"Can't see a thing, Zhang Chulan!"
Fatty Cang Long loudly voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Can't see? No problem! I'll just activate my qi, and it'll be perfectly clear! Golden Light Mantra!"
The Cinnabar Mark restriction fully manifested.
"How about that, huh?! I let you all 'observe the bird' under the moonlight, wasn't I generous enough, Zhang Chulan?! Hahahaha..."
Not far from the crowd.
Zhang Lingyu was trembling all over, looking as if he wanted to stab Zhang Chulan.
Master truly made a mistake. It really was wrong to let this idiot into Longhu Mountain.
The next day.
Qingshui didn't even participate in the thirty-two to sixteen elimination rounds.
Because his opponent was Hu Jie, Qingshui directly reported that Hu Jie was being controlled by Quansheng's Gao Ning, which led to Hu Jie being taken down and interrogated on the spot by Lu Jin, who was observing the matches.
As for his opponent in the sixteen to eight rounds, it was Wang Bing.
*"Slap!"*
A bright red handprint appeared on Wang Bing's face.
"You dare to—"
*"Slap!"*
"I'll fight you to the—"
*"Slap!"*
"I—!"
*"Slap!"*
In the stands, Wang Ai watched his grandson being knocked down repeatedly and almost stood up several times.
However, just thinking of the man wearing sunglasses beside him, he could only sit back down obediently.
That person belonged to the government, and was a top expert from the capital.
The status of the person beating his great-grandson below was then obvious.
You're a great scientist, why aren't you focusing on your studies and research? Why come compete with young people and bully children?
Even if Wang Ai wanted revenge, he wouldn't dare!
In the Anomalous Human World, his Wang family could run rampant, and among ordinary people, he could even command the wind and summon the rain, but in front of the government, his Wang family was simply insignificant!
What rotten luck.
"I..."
*"Slap!"*
"give..."
*"Slap!"*
"up..."
*"Slap!"*
The bad boy Wang Bing was about to cry.
I've already surrendered, why are you still hitting me?
"Winner, Zhuo Qingshui!"
In the stands, Fude, a Celestial Master's Mansion disciple serving as referee, raised his hand and shouted loudly.
"Next match! Feng Baobao versus Xiao Xiao!"
Wang Ai hurriedly jumped into the arena and helped up his grandson.
"Professor Zhuo, do you have a grudge with Wang Bing? Or do you just not like him?"
Xu Si handed Qingshui a bag of potato chips and asked him.
After two or three days, he had learned that with Qingshui, these were more effective than cigarettes.
Similarly, cola was more effective than alcohol.
Qingshui naturally took the potato chips.
"Nothing of the sort. I was just curious about the Wang family's Divine Coating."
Qingshui deliberately explained to Xu Si in a voice loud enough for Wang Ai, who wasn't far away, to hear.
"I heard the Wang family's Divine Coating can make people enter a painting, as if compressing a person from a three-dimensional space into a two-dimensional world. Humanity's current research on space-time is still too shallow, so I wanted to see if I could learn anything from the Divine Coating."
Wang Ai looked at his great-grandson, who was on the verge of unconsciousness, with a thoughtful expression.
Wang Bing's personality was quite offensive, but he had no prior entanglement with this great scientist, and neither should the Wang family.
So, was the scientist merely acting on his scientific curiosity, wanting to research the Secret Technique of Divine Coating?
However, this technique was the very foundation of the Wang family's stability and their position among the Four Families, holding even greater importance in Wang Ai's heart than Spirit Control and Summoning.
But since Professor Zhuo held such a high position within the government, it might be worth considering establishing good relations with him.
It's just that his precious grandson would likely be bedridden in the hospital for quite some time.
Qingshui said he was indeed very curious about the Divine Coating technique.
In the Marvel Universe, he could use the Mind Stone to empower himself, or rely on the power of Vishanti to cast Portals and enter the Mirror Dimension.
However, without these powers, the effectiveness of these spells would be greatly diminished for Qingshui's main body and his other Avatars.
Portals were manageable; although the quality of his Chakra couldn't compare to the power of a multiversal deity like Vishanti, it still possessed spatial attributes, allowing him to cast simple spatial displacement Ninjutsu like Summoning Jutsu and Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Even if his current skill level might be slightly inferior, Qingshui believed he could consistently open them once his mastery of magic improved. At most, the range would be limited by his perception and spatial coordinates, unlike when he used Vishanti's power, where he could open even interdimensional spaces with a Sling Ring.
But the Mirror Dimension was different; it involved more profound spatial magic than Portals.
Yet, the Wang family's Divine Coating seemed to share some similarities with the Mirror Dimension, perhaps even being the same type of technique.
The Mirror Dimension could only be cast where there was a mirror, while Divine Coating could be cast on any flat surface.
Qingshui couldn't help but be interested, because if he could learn this technique, he might be able to further deepen his understanding of space, allowing him to cast these relatively advanced, even dimension-related, spatial spells using only his own power, without relying on other energies.
These miraculous techniques, which had allowed prominent families to establish themselves for many years, might not be much less practical than the Eight Unique Skills.
While Wang Ai was still figuring out how to deal with Qingshui, others had already approached him.
"Professor Zhuo."
Feng Zhenghao had appeared beside Qingshui at some point, accompanied by Feng Xingtong.
"Mr. Feng, congratulations on your prosperity."
Qingshui cupped his hands towards Feng Zhenghao.
"Professor Zhuo, you're too kind. Before long, your net worth will surely surpass mine. Ah, well, what can I say? The new era is an era of talent. A genius like you, with a single move, uses technology to deliver a dimensionality reduction attack on us small business owners. I am truly impressed."
"Mr. Feng, you flatter me."
"Oh, this is no flattery. If this were flattery, then no businessman in this world would be able to withstand praise."
Feng Zhenghao offered two more compliments, then continued:
"This is my son, Xingtong. He's seventeen, still in his second year of high school, and plans to apply to your university's medical school. He's also your opponent in the next match. Come, Xingtong, say hello to Professor Zhuo."
"Hello, Professor Zhuo!"
Feng Xingtong obediently greeted Qingshui.
As the inheritor of the Feng family's Spirit Control and Summoning, he possessed the spirit of Wang Zizhong, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine master who passed away two years prior. He could invite the spirit to possess him, inheriting Wang Zizhong's medical skills and knowledge, and continuing to learn.
If he were to study traditional Chinese medicine, as long as the Feng family continuously offered incense to Wang Zizhong's spirit, ensuring its long-term existence like a city god or ancestral spirit, then within ten years, Feng Xingtong would become another medical master no less accomplished than Wang Zizhong.
Because Feng Xingtong didn't face Wang Bing, and the latter hadn't revealed Spirit Control and Summoning, the Feng family hadn't experienced the events of the original timeline with the Wang family.
Even if Wang Ai had ideas, he could only temporarily calm down and wait to make his plans later.
Meanwhile, Feng Zhenghao was busy trying to build a relationship with Qingshui.
Undoubtedly, with his technological advantage, Qingshui was destined to become a major new tycoon and could collaborate with the Tianxia Association.
Lei Bus and Ren Zhengfei had already made a fortune with their new chip technology. Who wasn't envious now?
And now, after chip technology, there was artificial intelligence!
In this era, the famous Siri was merely a smart voice assistant, not even considered weak AI, and Xiao Ai hadn't even been released yet. The emergence of a strong AI was also a dimensionality reduction attack!
Xiaomi and Huawei wanted to continue collaborating with Qingshui on AI, and Tencent and Alibaba also wanted to partner. Foreign companies like Google even wanted to become his agents in overseas markets.
His Tianxia Association, as an emerging top commercial power, also wanted to get involved.
And this was just one reason why Feng Zhenghao wanted to build a relationship with Qingshui.
He had already produced two inventions that could change the business world, and even the world itself. What about the future?
He heard that Professor Zhuo was only twenty-seven, unmarried, and had no girlfriend...
It was a good thing he hadn't let Sha Yan get a bargain with that Zhang Chulan kid. He wondered if Professor Zhuo would like someone like Sha Yan?
The Luo Tian Grand Ceremony was still proceeding in an orderly fashion, everything moving according to the predetermined course.
Xiao Xiao's soul was almost shattered by Feng Baobao, but he was jointly saved by Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing. The latter two top young experts then clashed, with Wind-Rear Strange Gate making a stunning appearance, and Zhuge Qing's dao heart nearly collapsing.
Jia Zhengliang, because he didn't hit women, especially pretty women from the city, held back after getting serious and was eliminated by Feng Shayan.
Zhang Chulan had advanced directly yesterday because he was saved by Shan Shitong when the latter was buried alive by Feng Baobao, and today he unexpectedly used Lightning Technique to instantly defeat Tang Wenlong of Tangmen, who was quite strong.
The match between Zhang Lingyu and Lu Linglong was quite a surprise to everyone.
Without using Filthy Thunder, the former almost failed to defeat Lu Linglong.
As for the remaining match, it was between Liao Fan, another Mohist Sect disciple who made it to the top sixteen, and Zero, a sword-wielding retainer of the Lu family.
These Mohist Sect disciples were all scholars and researchers, and their combat experience, even among the younger generation, was remarkably scarce. Only Liao Fan had a self-refined defensive Magic Tool that provided a significant margin for error, allowing him to fight his way into the top sixteen.
This particular Luo Tian Grand Ceremony had strict rules for participating Anomalous Humans: if you wanted to use a Magic Tool, it had to be one you crafted yourself.
The inspection process was also quite simple. If a Magic Tool was forged from your own Qi through Materialization, then the Qi within it would undoubtedly be yours. Even if someone else used the Magic Tool, the core Qi within it would still belong to you, the Artificer.
However, an Artificer needs several years to craft a Magic Tool, and training an Artificer also takes a long time. It's not like Jia Family Village where children are raised from a young age with weapons to nurture. So, among the Anomalous Humans under thirty, besides Qingshui and Liao Fan, no one else actually used a Magic Tool.
Liao Fan's defensive Magic Tool was only completed at the beginning of this year. It took him a full five years, ever since he joined the Mohist Sect at age twenty-four. If not for Qingshui, he would have been the only Artificer in this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony and the only Mohist Sect disciple to make it into the top sixteen.
Although it was a pity he fell short against Qingshui and couldn't advance to the top eight, it was still a commendable achievement.
How many major powers are there in the Anomalous Human World?
The Celestial Master's Mansion, Wudang Mountain, Shaolin, Wuhou Sect, the Four Families of Wang Gao Lü Lu, Tianxia Association, Northeast Shaman—there are quite a few when you list them out.
Making it into the top sixteen is already considered an outstanding achievement for a young Anomalous Human, especially since the Mohist Sect has shifted its focus from the Anomalous Human World to scientific research.
Another day passed.
The morning saw the match between Wang Ye and Zhang Chulan. After Feng Baobao attempted to bury Wang Ye but failed, the match concluded with a shout of "You little brat!" and a breakfast eating contest.
The next match was between Qingshui and Feng Xingtong.
"Professor Zhuo, please be careful. Grandfather Liu is a very powerful family spirit."
Feng Xingtong smiled, his eyes glowing as he activated Spirit Control and Summoning. A lifelike serpentine black mist coiled around him.
This was Changbai Mountain Liu Kunsheng, a Northeast Shaman, that he had summoned from Deng Youfu—an extremely ancient snake spirit, estimated to be hundreds of years old.
Even Lu Jin, the over-hundred-year-old patriarch of the Lu family, referred to himself as a junior in its presence, showing that it already held significant fame and status when Lu Jin was young.
"No matter. I'm quite eager to see how much power a Northeast Shaman can unleash under the effects of Spirit Control and Summoning."
Qingshui looked at Liu Kunsheng with considerable interest.
He hadn't had much contact with spirits before, but he wasn't entirely ignorant either.
He hadn't encountered the Spirit Transformation Technique from the Naruto World, but in the Marvel Universe, he had experienced Soul Body Exiting Sheath, a type of magic.
The difficulty wasn't low, but it wasn't particularly high either. As long as one's soul was strong enough and they understood the casting process, they could generally perform it successfully. Its usage was essentially no different from the Spirit Transformation Technique.
If he could also learn Spirit Control and Summoning, one of the Eight Unique Skills, it would provide him with another method to counter such techniques.
"Then, Professor Zhuo, please forgive my offense, Xingtong!"
Feng Xingtong apologized, then raised his hand and waved, controlling Liu Kunsheng to charge at Qingshui.
The latter stepped quickly, dodging instantly. With a slash of his Magic Tool longsword, he unleashed a sword qi that struck Liu Kunsheng.
However, the sword qi only caused a few splashes of black mist on the large snake's body, having no other effect. Instead, the snake hissed, spraying a large cloud of black mist towards Qingshui.
"It is quite powerful, indeed. The Northeast Shaman's spirit-summoning method truly has its intricacies."
After a probing sword strike, Qingshui calmly commented.
He had generally figured out the essence of this thing.
That sword qi actually had an effect. If it had been a spirit or undead that had only existed for a few years, that strike would likely have dispersed its soul.
But Liu Kunsheng, as a spirit with many years of cultivation and countless years of offerings from a Northeast Shaman family, was simply a stat monster among spiritual beings.
If it were any other young Anomalous Human, it's doubtful many could deal with Liu Kunsheng. Only the Lightning Technique of the Celestial Master's Mansion's two Zhangs, or versatile sorcerers like Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing, would have a chance.
Unfortunately, Liu Kunsheng ran into Spirit Control and Summoning, and not just one, but two. Without Feng Xingtong, there's also Wang Bing, who was in the same group. One can only say that Deng Youfu was quite unlucky; otherwise, purely based on his hard power, he would definitely have made it into the top eight, and even the top four wouldn't have been out of reach.
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