Although Lin Jie could feel a haze of illusion distorting his senses, he quickly recovered. However, he didn't reveal this—he continued to feign being trapped by Shi Nian's Spirit Ability.
His body twitched and struggled, and as he moved, the muzzle of the electromagnetic railgun in his hands gradually shifted—until it was aimed squarely at Shi Nian's chest.
Shi Nian didn't think Lin Jie could possibly break free from his Brutal Dream. So when he saw Lin Jie struggling, his face only grew more and more excited. At that moment, Shi Nian truly looked like a madman.
Zzt… zzt…
The lightning around Lin Jie intensified. As he channeled more power, the magnetic field inside the railgun began to hum with energy. The custom-crafted ammunition within the barrel began to rotate at high speed, arcs of electricity flashing along the barrel.
Shi Nian did notice this strange object in Lin Jie's hands, but he dismissed it. He simply thought it was the delusion of someone trapped in his illusion realm. He even found it a little interesting—was it some kind of unique Soul Tool? Shi Nian smirked and casually walked closer.
Seeing him draw near, Lin Jie couldn't help but chuckle to himself. So eager to die, huh?
Shi Nian steadily approached. Excitement was practically radiating off of him. Lin Jie had no idea what there was to be so thrilled about—but perhaps this was just how maniacs worked.
Now, Shi Nian was within three meters.
Lin Jie had long since finished prepping the electromagnetic cannon. The moment Shi Nian stepped within that critical range, Lin Jie's previously vacant expression sharpened with clarity.
"Time to say goodbye."
"You—!"
Shi Nian had only managed a single word.
A beam of dark red light erupted from the barrel of the railgun, piercing the air with unstoppable speed.
BOOM—
The shot tore straight through Shi Nian's chest, blowing a hole over twenty centimeters wide right where his heart had been.
And it didn't stop. The blast shot straight through, piercing into the forest behind him before exploding in a thunderous boom.
BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions echoed across the trees.
Shi Nian staggered backward, blood bubbling from his lips.
"H-How… how is this… possible…" he managed to gasp.
Then his body collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
His heart was completely annihilated. If he had still been breathing after that, it would've been a miracle.
Lin Jie stepped up to the body and said quietly, "Nothing's impossible. You just had no idea how small your world was."
He remembered that Shi Nian was supposed to possess a Spirit Bone—and sure enough, after his death, a Spirit Bone emerged from the body, shimmering faintly.
Lin Jie picked it up and examined it closely. As he'd expected, it was a Wisdom Skull Bone, most compatible with Support-type Spirit Masters and those with illusion-based Martial Souls.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a good match for him.
At present, Lin Jie already had two Spirit Bones in his body—both left behind by the Dragon King. The abilities they granted were so powerful that he hadn't even needed to use them yet.
After confirming there was nothing useful on the corpse, Lin Jie turned to look at the massive crater left by his railgun. This much destruction was bound to draw attention. He needed to leave.
He raised a hand, gathered a surge of lightning, and blasted the corpse. Under the intense heat, Shi Nian's body was quickly reduced to ash.
After confirming he'd left no traces behind, Lin Jie took off at full speed, heading back toward Shrek Academy.
When he returned to the academy gates, he was surprised to find Zhu Zhuqing waiting for him.
As soon as she saw him, her expression shifted to relief, and she hurried over. "Lin Jie, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Why?" Lin Jie asked gently as he reached out and pulled her into a light embrace.
"I don't know why… but a little while ago, I suddenly felt uneasy. I got worried, so I came out to find you."
"Uneasy…" Lin Jie paused for a moment. Could it be the connection formed by the energy of the Yearning Heartbroken Red? Most likely.
"Don't worry, I'm really fine. By the way, are the others back yet?" Lin Jie gently brushed aside a strand of hair from her cheek.
"They're still watching the matches," Zhu Zhuqing replied, her gaze filled with warmth as she looked up at him.
"Come. I've got something to show you." Lin Jie took her hand and led her back into the academy.
Soon, the two of them arrived in Lin Jie's room. He closed the door behind them.
Zhu Zhuqing saw how urgently he had brought her here and thought he might be… in the mood again. Honestly, she was already used to dual cultivating with Lin Jie. In fact, she had even begun to enjoy it, in her own quiet way.
But instead, Lin Jie pulled out the item he had obtained earlier from his soul tool storage ring—a glimmering Spirit Bone.
"A Spirit Bone?" Zhu Zhuqing wasn't surprised, only slightly taken aback. She was used to Lin Jie giving her surprises. After all, every Spirit Bone on her now had come from him.
"Yeah," Lin Jie nodded. "This is a Wisdom Skull Bone—gem-type. It's best suited for Support-type Spirit Masters."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't ask where he got it. She didn't need to. She trusted Lin Jie with her whole heart and soul. Even matters of her own clan now barely concerned her.
What did puzzle her, however, was why Lin Jie had brought out a Spirit Bone that wasn't compatible with himself. Gem-type bones were ideal for Support-types… meaning the best candidate was Ning Rongrong.
Indeed, Lin Jie's intention was to give it to her.
Looking into Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, he said softly, "Zhuqing, I want to give this to Rongrong. What do you think?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't reply immediately. For some reason, her heart felt a little uncomfortable.
She had long noticed the ambiguous relationship between Lin Jie and Ning Rongrong. But over time, she had come to understand Lin Jie's heart more clearly. And though she hadn't mentioned it before, she had quietly waited for him to bring it up himself.
After a moment, she nodded lightly and said, "It's your Spirit Bone. You can decide what to do with it."
Lin Jie grinned and wrapped an arm around her slim waist, teasing, "Aww, don't tell me my little kitten is jealous?"
"Hmph, who's your little kitten?" Zhu Zhuqing blushed, flustered.
"You are," Lin Jie leaned in, whispering against her cheek, "And you'll always be my little kitten." He punctuated the sentence with a soft peck on her lips.
Zhu Zhuqing pouted slightly, clearly pretending to be annoyed. She felt sweet inside—but still found it embarrassing to be called that. Especially since Lin Jie loved calling her that while they were dual cultivating…
"Zhuqing," Lin Jie said gently.
"…What?" She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed pink.
He gazed at her—long, raven-black hair cascading like silk, a delicate jade-like forehead, soft brows, starry eyes that sparkled like autumn water, a fine and graceful nose, lips like ripe cherries, and an elegant jawline. She was stunning in every possible way.
Looking into those mesmerizing eyes, Lin Jie murmured, "Zhuqing, I really, truly love you."
Zhu Zhuqing's already-flushed cheeks turned even redder. Though she was used to hearing Lin Jie whisper sweet nothings, every time still made her heart flutter.
"…I know," she whispered, burying her face into his chest.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin