"Lin Jie!"
Lin Jie turned around and saw a flash of red approaching rapidly—Huo Wu.
She strode straight up to him, stopping barely a meter away, hands on her hips as she glared at him.
Lin Jie looked at Huo Wu, and he had to admit—she was indeed strikingly beautiful. She stood almost exactly his height, around 1.8 meters. Her long legs, slender waist, graceful curves, and flawless fair skin—tinged faintly pink—were all eye-catching. Her oval face, willow-leaf brows, small cherry lips, and sculpted nose made for an undeniably alluring appearance. But her eyes—those spirited, expressive eyes—shone the brightest.
Huo Wu locked eyes with the handsome and composed Lin Jie. She spoke in a clear, proud tone:
"Do you dare fight me again—this time without using Spirit Power?"
Lin Jie blinked, momentarily surprised. So she's here to challenge me out of pride, huh...
He had trained his physical body rigorously for years and had never slacked off on physical cultivation. Even with Spirit Power, Huo Wu hadn't been a match for him—without it, she stood even less chance.
Shaking his head calmly, he replied, "We'll meet again during the advancement rounds." With that, he turned and began walking off alongside Dai Mubai.
"No! Right now!" Huo Wu shouted, stamping her foot.
Before Lin Jie could take another step, her long, shapely leg lashed toward him.
He frowned slightly—Still so hot-tempered, huh? Going straight to kicks...
As her kick came flying in, Lin Jie responded swiftly, gathering inner force and raising his hand in a blur. In an instant, he caught her ankle firmly in his grasp.
Huo Wu had used about seventy to eighty percent of her strength, but Lin Jie's grip was solid and effortless.
She gritted her teeth, clearly unwilling to concede. She poured even more strength into her leg, trying to break free.
But no matter how hard she tried, Lin Jie remained perfectly composed, still holding her leg as if it weighed nothing.
"Damn it..." she muttered, biting her lip in frustration.
Still calm, Lin Jie shifted forward slightly and raised his right arm. Her leg, already lifted high, was suddenly pulled even higher, forcing her into a full split right there on the spot.
Stepping closer, he said in a gentle tone,
"You're not my match—not right now. Go back and train more."
"You—!" Huo Wu's eyes burned with indignation.
With a small flick of his wrist, Lin Jie released her ankle. Huo Wu staggered back several steps before regaining her balance.
She stood there, cheeks flushed with frustration, clearly still unwilling to give up. Just as she was about to go after him again, her older brother Huo Wushuang stepped in and pulled her back.
"Let's go," Lin Jie said to Dai Mubai as he walked off without a second glance.
"Brother! Why are you stopping me?" Huo Wu snapped.
Huo Wushuang held her firmly, keeping her from giving chase. Watching Lin Jie walk away, he sighed.
"Xiao Wu, you're not his match. Don't waste your energy."
"Brother..." she whispered.
The fact that Lin Jie had so effortlessly countered her strongest kick had hit her pride hard. Her eyes began to redden.
Knowing her personality all too well, Huo Wushuang sighed again.
"Silly girl. If you really want to beat him, then train harder. Use your strength to win—understand? And I believe in you. You can do it."
Just then, Feng Xiaotian popped up from who-knows-where and declared with righteous indignation:
"Don't worry, Huo Wu! When the advancement round comes, I'll help you beat him!"
Huo Wu completely ignored Feng Xiaotian. She wiped her eyes, glanced one last time at Lin Jie's departing back, and clenched her fists. Her eyes now shone with renewed determination.
On the way back to Shrek Academy from Heaven Dou Arena, the group was full of smiles, chatting and laughing along the way.
Not long after returning, all twelve Shrek team members were summoned to the conference room by Flender.
Flender entered and saw the group chatting casually. He cleared his throat.
"Alright, quiet down. Ahem—today marks the end of the preliminary round of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. And your performance? Excellent. As your headmaster, I'm proud of you."
"However," his voice turned serious, "don't get cocky. There's still the advancement round—and after that, the finals. For the next month, I expect all of you to focus on training. I'll have Xiao Gang oversee your progress. Got it, little monsters?"
"Got it!" everyone responded in unison.
Flender turned to the side. "Erlong, Xiao Gang, anything you'd like to add?"
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward, nodding. He cleared his throat.
"The prelims are over, and you all did very well. But it's not enough."
"You've seen it with your own eyes. You're not the only geniuses in this world. Other teams are just as strong—some maybe even stronger."
"This competition isn't just about personal strength. Team coordination is just as important. And frankly, your teamwork still needs work."
"So over the next month, I'll be focusing on group training and coordination drills. I'm also going to push you through some intensive training."
At the words "intensive training," Oscar and Ma Hongjun couldn't help but groan internally.
Flender chuckled and turned to Liu Erlong. "Erlong, anything to add?"
She glanced over at Lin Jie and the others, then softly said,
"Today's battle just ended. I'm sure they're tired. Let them rest for now."
Flender nodded. "Very well. You get tomorrow and the day after off. Two days of rest. But don't slack off after that—training resumes in full. If there's nothing else, you're all dismissed."
He left with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
The moment "vacation" was mentioned, everyone exhaled in relief. A short break was better than none—especially with what they knew was coming next. In Oscar and Ma Hongjun's minds, Flender's training was synonymous with "torture."
"Hey, Oscar, wanna go out into Heaven Dou City tomorrow?" Ma Hongjun turned with a grin.
"No thanks. I need a proper rest or I might not survive what's coming," Oscar shook his head immediately.
Rejected, Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up again and turned to Dai Mubai.
"Boss Dai, how about it? Let's explore Heaven Dou tomorrow."
Everyone knew exactly what "exploring" meant coming from Fatty.
"You go ahead," Dai Mubai said without hesitation. "I need to train."
Even though they'd won today, that match had been humbling for Dai Mubai. He had assumed that beating the opposing Spirit Elder would be easy. But in the end, he'd had to go all out and still barely scraped a win. Yu Xiaogang's words echoed in his mind. They weren't the only geniuses in the world.
Seeing Dai Mubai turn him down, Fatty turned to Tang San—only to be cut off.
"I have plans tomorrow," Tang San said with a soft smile.
He wasn't lying. He planned to speak with Yu Xiaogang.
Though he hadn't fought in the match against Tianshui Academy, he had observed everything clearly. He was especially intrigued by Shui Bing'er's Spirit Abilities. He had mentally placed himself in Lin Jie's position and asked:
Could I beat her?
The answer was: No.
From her ice-sealing abilities to the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, everything about her directly countered his Blue Silver Grass.
If I run into a Spirit Master who counters me so completely... what should I do?
That was what he wanted to discuss with his teacher.
Rejected by three in a row, Ma Hongjun turned to Lin Jie, his face beaming.
"Lin Jie! How about it? Wanna come with me tomorrow?"
But before Lin Jie could even respond, Ning Rongrong cut in with a huff.
"Go where? Fatty, if you wanna chase girls, go alone. Don't drag others into it!"
Ma Hongjun froze. Huh? What's her problem? I was asking Lin Jie, not her...
Then it hit him. Ning Rongrong and Lin Jie were... close.
Realizing this, he chuckled awkwardly and turned away.
Lin Jie looked at Fatty, then at Ning Rongrong, who was clearly flustered. He coughed lightly.
"Er, Fatty, I'll pass."
Seeing everyone's eyes turn to him, he added, "Today's match was exhausting. I'm going to rest up."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out of the meeting room.
After Lin Jie left, Ning Rongrong noticed the glances and blushed. She grabbed Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing and hurried out as well.
Once they were gone, Tang San and the others chatted briefly, then each returned to their rooms.