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"...you still have the same problems as before!" Zhang Lie called out to Yang Ze.

Zhang Lie snapped his fingers. Genetic energy exploded and disrupted the space around Zhang Lie. The fog blew away, revealing Yang Ze behind Zhang Lie, a sword raised overhead.

Zhang Lie twisted his head and looked at him, at which point Yang Ze\'s body dissipated like ripples disturbing a calm body of water.

Zhang Lie was able to manipulate water-attuned genetic energy to create mirages and illusions, but Yang Ze could do it even better.

"I\'m right here, Captain!"

Under the effects of [Mirrored Refraction], he seemed to phase in and out of existence.

He swam through the air, leaving buds of water behind.

Zhang Lie punched forward without even looking toward the voice.

He punched in a seemingly random direction, but Yang Ze\'s face suddenly changed.

The next moment, Yang Ze\'s body erupted in a cloud of fog. Zhang Lie was rather impressed that Yang Ze had been able to trick him, then quickly began punching in all sorts of different directions.

Yang Ze retaliated with a [Fists of the Silent Sea] of his own. The two attacks, which both seemed to strike at nothing but air, somehow smashed into each other.

The fists met head-on, and Yang Ze\'s body burst into another wave of ripples.

As ripples spread throughout the arena, the buds that Yang Ze had placed initially finally exploded. Lotus flowers made of pure water blossomed from the buds, each an intricate construct of genetic energy.

The ripples intersected in mid-air and launched a chain reaction, devastating the arena with water-attuned genetic energy.

However, Zhang Lie himself had a water-attuned framework, one of a higher grade than Yang Ze, and the attack would be all but meaningless against him. He folded his arms and gave Yang Ze the time he needed to strengthen the attack to its maximum.

Amidst a storm of water-attuned genetic energy, Yang Ze raised his sword up high. Boundless energy suffused him, and a giant shark emerged from his back.

"Captain, here I come!"

Yang Ze swung down with his greatsword, and the giant shark flicked its tail and launched itself toward Zhang Lie. Zhang Lie raised his arm, and the serpent behind him stuck out its head.

A black serpent uncoiled from behind Zhang Lie\'s back. As it raised its head, waves of dark energy flooded the room.

As the serpent hissed, black ripples spread out from its body, releasing waves of corrosive energy that scoured the battlefield.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]!"

As Zhang Lie released his fist, the black serpent shot forward.

Yang Ze didn\'t dare to clash against Zhang Lie head-on. He had seen Zhang Lie use this technique before, and it wasn\'t something he could block.

As the giant shark struck the serpent, its body dissolved into water-attuned genetic energy.The serpent continued barreling forward, but Yang Ze\'s body shone with [Mirrored Refraction]. The black serpent passed right through his body.

Zhang Lie nodded. "Excellent. It looks like you\'ve already incorporated your understanding of the 24 layers of space into your attacks. You remain in one of the deepest layers and project an image of yourself from that layer..."

Yang Ze chuckled. "As expected, I can\'t fool you, Captain. I was going to give you a surprise, but you uncovered the trick within moments."

Zhang Lie asked, "What layer of space are you in now?"

"The 24th layer is impossible for me at the moment, but the eighteenth is readily accessible. If I want to project an image of myself, however, the deepest I can go is the twelfth layer."

After all, they were currently in a pocket dimension constructed by Zhu herself, invoking her authority as ruler of the unified world. They were naturally isolated from the rest of the third realm, and rather severely so, considering that Zhu had erected multiple barriers around the pocket dimension as a failsafe.

Being able to descend into the twelfth layer was already beyond impressive.

Zhang Lie continued, "But it doesn\'t look to me as though you\'re a projection from the twelfth layer."

Yang Ze seemed surprised. "You can tell?"

"At least within the first ten layers."

Yang Ze chuckled wryly. "It looks like I do have to work hard to surprise you, Captain."

Zhang Lie replied, "If your projection were from one deeper layer, I would have had a much harder time telling."

Yang Ze drew a greatsword from his back, and pale blue genetic energy surrounded his body.

"[The Boundless Blade: Yawning Wave]!"

He struck again, his sword flashing toward the king like the current along a river.

Zhang Lie cut apart the current with a hand. "You can even use skills? It looks like this is beyond a mere projection."

Yang Ze\'s sword flashed toward him. Zhang Lie attempted to knock it aside with his hand, but all he struck was air. Yang Ze\'s blade landed, only to be repulsed by a barrier of water-attuned genetic energy.

"Interesting!"

Yang Ze retreated after his rapid attack. "It\'s a real projection, after all."

Zhang Lie understood what he meant. "I see. So that\'s why you\'re in the tenth layer, rather than the twelfth."

Yang Ze explained, "This is an upgrade of [Reflected Sight, Refracted Vision]. [The Boundless Blade: Dragonwhale]!"

In the blink of an eye, Yang Ze was surrounded by a patch of ocean.

The lapping of waves echoed through the battlefield. They grew and grew, reaching a crescendo and rising into the sky like a tsunami, manifesting in the form of a huge whale.

Upon seeing the massive dragonwhale, Zhang Lie remarked, "It looks like you can even use some of your stronger techniques with this projection..."

The whale\'s body was long and streamlined, with long whiskers and scales patterning its body.

Pale blue genetic energy rippled about Zhang Lie\'s arms. He flicked his wrists, causing a frightening aura to descend on the world. The sky began to darken, and a fish the size of a whale materialized in the air.

At this point, however, despite all his tricks, Yang Ze was weak in a frontal clash.

A howling gale swept over the arena. As more and more genetic energy gathered around Zhang Lie\'s arms, it looked as though he were at the heart of a whirlpool.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Soar]!"

A huge wave soared into the air. As Zhang Lie punched forward, the fish slammed its huge tail on the ground and sent a torrent of water surging toward the sky.

Ripples of energy spread out from Zhang Lie, warping the space around him. The towering waves looked like enraged black dragons, flooding the hall.

The serpent swam around, and it and the whale smashed into each other.

A huge rumble shook the heavens, and Yang Ze\'s projection distorted for a moment.

A wave of annihilation exploded around the dragon. Pitch-black energy swallowed everything in the vicinity like a storm at sea. Pale blue genetic energy and the pitch-black energy of annihilation crisscrossed through the air.

The explosion was like a black hole that sucked up everything in sight...