Zzzzt… Zzzzt… ZZZZT…
The thunderous electric hum echoed as Lin Jie's lightning serpent struck its target. The moment it hit, the figure convulsed violently—twitching uncontrollably.
But to Lin Jie's surprise, it wasn't Huo Wu who was hit.
Instead, it was the auxiliary-type Spirit Master standing beside her.
Just a moment ago, Huo Wu had no time to dodge Lin Jie's lightning-fast serpent. But at the last second, the auxiliary-type Spirit Master shoved her out of the way, taking the full brunt of the attack himself.
Lin Jie's lightning attacks were powerful—far beyond what a Spirit Elder, especially an auxiliary-type, could withstand. After a few spasms, the Spirit Master collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Huo Wu quickly realized what had happened. After confirming her teammate was only unconscious and not fatally wounded, she immediately reactivated her third Spirit Ability, Defying Flame Ring, and sent it rushing back toward Lin Jie.
Lin Jie, however, was intrigued. As the ring touched him, it bounced him several meters backward. Landing lightly, he stared at the slowly dissipating ring and muttered to himself, "Interesting ability."
Due to Huo Wu retracting the Defying Flame Ring to launch it at Lin Jie again, Huo Wushuang and the others ended up behind Lin Jie, with Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu between them.
Just as Shrek's team prepared to encircle Huo Wushuang, Huo Wu's Defying Flame Ring surged forward again, clearly aiming to bounce Lin Jie out of the engagement zone.
Lin Jie had already tested this odd ability. While he could shatter it with brute force, he chose not to—stepping back on his own to avoid the ring's area.
Taking advantage of the space and timing, Huo Wushuang, Huo Yun, and Huo Yu quickly regrouped beside Huo Wu, reforming into a tight 1-2-2 formation.
Clearly, the counter-surround tactic had failed. Now, Blazing Academy had one unconscious, one seriously injured.
Meanwhile, the Shrek team had regrouped, unscathed. Jiangzhu planted her recovery staff in the ground, her Spirit Rings glowing brightly as waves of healing energy spread outward, cleansing her teammates of residual fire energy and restoring their condition.
Refreshed and fully alert, Shrek stood facing Blazing Academy.
Neither side made a move.
Blazing Academy was down two members—only four could still fight.
Meanwhile, Shrek remained at full strength, and with Jiangzhu's support, their spirit power was rapidly recovering.
The difference in power, condition, and numbers was now crystal clear. Shrek Academy had the absolute advantage.
Huo Wu exchanged a glance with Huo Wushuang. No words were needed—they each nodded solemnly.
Raising both hands, two blazing flames appeared in Huo Wu's palms, rising slowly until they hovered a few meters above her head.
As the others looked on, the remaining auxiliary Spirit Master's purple Spirit Ring flared, and a condensed fire pillar shot into Huo Wu's body. One of the Fire Crane twins transferred his spirit power to the support-type master, forming a chain.
As the fire energy poured into her, the flames in Huo Wu's hands grew more intense. What had been orange-red now glowed white-hot. And with it, the surrounding heat abruptly vanished—suppressed entirely by the immense internal concentration of energy.
In front of her, Huo Wushuang and the others formed a wall, unleashing their Spirit Abilities to guard against a Shrek counterattack.
Huo Wu's fourth Spirit Ring lit up—blending with the white fire she was controlling. The orb pulsed with brilliance, illuminating her figure with an ethereal glow, her form seeming almost translucent beneath its radiance.
Lin Jie's eyes narrowed. This ability was clearly more powerful than anything Huo Wushuang had displayed—and with the boost from their support-type master, its power might rival even some fifth-ring Spirit Kings' attacks.
"Lin Jie, should we stop her?" Dai Mubai asked, his expression serious.
He could feel how dangerous this technique was. Even he wouldn't dare block it directly.
"No need," Lin Jie replied calmly. "You all fall back. Fire-type attacks… are useless against me."
He wasn't bluffing. After consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, Lin Jie had long since developed immunity to fire and ice. Even if he hadn't, his dual-attribute Martial Soul was far superior to any of their flames.
Hearing his words, the Shrek members obediently retreated. They knew Lin Jie never acted without confidence. If he said it was fine, it was.
That was the kind of trust Lin Jie's strength had earned.
Among the people Lin Jie knew, Huo Wu ranked among the best in terms of precision spirit power control. Even Tang San had once been a step behind her—though now, after cultivating Distraction Control, he was catching up.
"—Brilliant Sun!"
Huo Wu's clear voice echoed across the battlefield. With each syllable, the white fire above her intensified. By the time she spoke the final word, the orb had transformed into a massive, radiant sphere—like a miniature sun—hovering above her head, bathing the entire arena in white light.
From the VIP section, Ning Fengzhi murmured, "No external flame leakage… such precise control. This little girl's command over her spirit power is terrifying. And it's not even her own energy alone—this is clearly their finishing move."
"They've been pushed to the edge," Sword Douluo Chen Xin said evenly. "With Shrek unscathed, they have no choice but to gamble everything on this."
On the field, Huo Wu's gaze locked firmly onto Lin Jie.
She had no choice but to use this move. Lin Jie was too strong. If she couldn't take him down, they had no hope of winning.
Unfortunately… she was still underestimating him.
Lin Jie began walking toward them—calmly, casually, as though taking a stroll. The faint smile on his lips never wavered, utterly unshaken by the massive ball of fire looming above.
Seeing this, Huo Wushuang's expression twisted. That smile… to him, it was nothing short of ridicule.
He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and crush that smug look—but he knew better. Acting recklessly now would only drag his team down.
"You're strong—stronger than any of us. But the one who's going to lose… is still you," Huo Wu said.
Her voice trembled, perhaps from the overwhelming pressure of the burning sun above her, or perhaps from Lin Jie's unrelenting presence. But her eyes remained fixed on him.
Then—she launched the attack.
The radiant orb hovered half a meter from her, then shot forward like a streak of light, streaking straight toward Lin Jie.
It was locked on—there was no evading it.
But Lin Jie made no attempt to dodge. Instead, a thin layer of crackling lightning gathered around his body, forming a defensive membrane.
Honestly, if not for the risk of his clothes or hair getting singed, he wouldn't have bothered with even that much.
As the blazing white orb engulfed Lin Jie, everyone's hearts jumped.
"Lin Jie, be careful!" Xiao Wu couldn't help but shout, unable to hide her concern. She had been ready to rush in, but Dai Mubai grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?" she snapped at him.
"Do you think Lin Jie would do something he's not sure of?" Dai Mubai replied, his tone firm. "He's Lin Jie."
Xiao Wu froze at those words.
She took a breath to calm herself—but her heart was pounding wildly. The pink energy that Lin Jie had once passed into her body was reacting again, surging restlessly in her chest.
Blazing Academy collectively exhaled in relief as the fireball swallowed Lin Jie.
He was their greatest threat—if he fell, they still had a chance.
But Huo Wu looked utterly drained. Activating both her third and fourth abilities simultaneously was no small feat. And precisely controlling the Brilliant Sun to remain locked on Lin Jie had taxed her mental strength even further.
Now she hesitated—had she made it too strong? If Lin Jie died… they would be disqualified.
Then, from within the sea of white flame…
A calm voice echoed out.
"You're still too naïve."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin