As Huo Wu kissed Lin Jie, her chest heaved up and down, clearly showing how much courage it had taken for her to take such a step. She was nervous—this was her first kiss, after all.
When her lips pressed against his, Lin Jie froze. He hadn't expected Huo Wu to kiss him out of the blue. But the warmth on his lips quickly confirmed—it was real. Instinctively, he raised his arms and wrapped them around the girl in front of him.
Huo Wu was undeniably beautiful. Lin Jie had never denied that. While he hadn't been particularly interested in her before—aside from a trace of appreciation for her looks—this sudden initiative from her amplified that appreciation significantly.
And he wasn't the kind of man to refuse such initiative—especially not from a stunning girl like Huo Wu.
Her kiss was clumsy and unfamiliar, but with Lin Jie—an experienced flirt—it turned into something much more intoxicating.
Originally, Huo Wu had intended to give Lin Jie a brief kiss as a gesture of gratitude for saving her life. But the moment their lips touched, everything changed. It wasn't like she imagined. Lin Jie's presence felt like a gravitational force, drawing her in deeper.
Her breathing quickened from nervousness, and with Lin Jie actively responding, even embracing her, she found herself growing lost in the moment. Her vision blurred slightly as her eyes grew hazy.
At first, she had only wanted to defeat Lin Jie. Her drive came from pride, her competitive nature. But ever since that match where he'd defeated her, his image had been carved into her mind. After he risked himself to shield her from her own attack, something had shifted inside her. That persistent thought of "defeating him" had gradually turned into something more complicated—a subtle fondness, one she couldn't explain.
As a woman, she naturally admired strong, handsome men. Lin Jie checked every box. Not only had he bested her, he had also saved her. That sense of awe and admiration had grown deeper and deeper. Otherwise, why would she willingly give him her first kiss?
In Lin Jie's arms, the kiss deepened, evolving into a full, passionate embrace. With him leading, and Huo Wu not resisting, the moment became more intense by the second.
Her body slowly weakened, breath becoming shallower, and her limbs felt limp—as if she were suffocating slightly. Subconsciously, she clung tighter to Lin Jie's neck, burying herself into his embrace as the strength left her limbs.
Realizing she was about to collapse, Lin Jie finally eased up and released her lips.
As the kiss broke, Huo Wu's dazed eyes began to refocus. She saw a thin string of saliva linking their lips—and her face instantly turned bright red. Her beautiful, peerless features were now tinged with overwhelming shyness.
Her chest still rose and fell with rapid breaths. Catching her breath, she glanced up at Lin Jie and felt a mix of embarrassment and bashful affection.
Lin Jie looked at her and smiled gently. Seeing this normally fiery girl flustered and vulnerable like this, he found her surprisingly cute.
Still holding her, he joked, "You're still clinging to me. Don't tell me you want another kiss?"
Huo Wu bit her lip and lowered her voice, murmuring so only he could hear, "That was my first kiss. Take it as repayment for saving my life. After this... I don't owe you anything."
Only she knew how true that really was.
Just as she turned to leave, Lin Jie—teased by her words and actions—reached out and pulled her back with a tug.
Startled, Huo Wu yelped softly and fell right back into his arms.
Pinning her gently against the wall, Lin Jie smirked. "You lit a fire, and now you want to run? Tell me—do you like me?"
Flustered and pinned in place, Huo Wu stammered, "W-who said I like you? I just... just wanted to repay your kindness... I—" Before she could finish, her pupils dilated.
Lin Jie's lips met hers once more.
He kissed her again—firmly, possessively—pressing her to the wall. His hand had already slipped to an unmentionable place, and Huo Wu didn't resist. In fact, she gradually melted again into the kiss, breath growing rapid, heartbeat racing.
Her mind went hazy, body tingling from Lin Jie's teasing touches. She had no strength to push him away, nor did she want to.
But just as she was about to be swept away again, a sudden thought pulled her back to her senses. She abruptly pushed him away, cheeks flushed and breathing erratic.
"I-I've repaid you now. We're even," she whispered, voice still trembling.
Lin Jie chuckled. "Sure, but your kissing skills could use some work. Come find me next time—I'll give you some private lessons."
That teasing remark made her cheeks burn even redder. She shoved him again, turned, and fled in the blink of an eye.
Watching her disappear, Lin Jie touched his lips with a helpless smile. "Two kisses for a life. Still feels like I lost out..." he muttered.
This bizarre form of repayment—only a woman would come up with something like that.
And honestly, Lin Jie was starting to find her bold personality rather endearing.
He cast a glance toward the other side of the lounge and started heading out.
But just after he left, a shadow slowly emerged from a hidden corner.
Feng Xiaotian stood there, face ashen, fists clenched so tightly that cracking sounds echoed from his joints.
He had liked Huo Wu for years, and nearly everyone in the Five Elemental Academies knew about it. Whether on or off the battlefield, his eyes were always on her.
When he saw her head off to talk to Lin Jie, he'd instinctively followed—driven by both curiosity and jealousy.
And he saw it all.
Huo Wu embracing Lin Jie. Kissing him.
The sight made Feng Xiaotian's blood boil. He had chased her for so long, but had never even touched her hand. Now his goddess had kissed someone else—worse, she'd initiated it.
Only a shred of reason kept him from charging in and attacking Lin Jie on the spot.
But the fire of jealousy had already taken root. In his mind, if he could defeat Lin Jie in battle, he could win Huo Wu back.
Back in the resting quarters, Lin Jie returned to find everyone had gone back to their rooms. He touched his lips again, an odd emotion stirring in his heart.
Since no one else was around, he slipped back to his room.
Earlier, Zhu Zhuqing had waited for his return, but then Ning Rongrong joined her. Even Jiangzhu came out, saying she was bored. The three of them ended up chatting and forgot about waiting for Lin Jie altogether.
Later that night, when Lin Jie returned to his room, Tang San and Oscar gave him curious looks, clearly wanting to know what Huo Wu had wanted.
Lin Jie simply replied, "She just wanted to say thank you." But from their expressions, it was obvious they didn't believe him.
The next few days, Shrek Academy continued their winning streak—defeating five more teams in the promotion round.
Among them was a team Lin Jie had previously taken interest in.
To everyone's shock, another one-versus-seven feat occurred in these matches—and this time, the one who achieved it was Zhu Zhuqing.
The spectators were stunned. She was beautiful, young, and incredibly strong—and this wasn't due to elemental countering. It was raw power.
Once again, Shrek Academy's strength defied expectations.
What surprised Lin Jie most was that in their tenth match, they ended up facing the Beast Spirit Academy—and his first match after returning was against Meng Yiran.
Naturally, Lin Jie won.
Back in the Star Dou Forest, Meng Yiran had already lost to him once. Since learning that Lin Jie was a Spirit Ancestor and even possessed a ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring, she had no complaints about losing.
As she left the stage, she briefly shared something her grandfather had told her, and then departed.
After that, Lin Jie handed the stage over to Ma Hongjun.
In the eleventh match, Shrek faced a formidable opponent—Tianshui Academy.
Ma Hongjun went up first, and to everyone's surprise, Tianshui's first fighter was Shui Bing'er.
Both had top-tier Beast Martial Souls—Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix.
Spectators expected an epic clash.
But they were disappointed.
While Ma Hongjun was strong, Shui Bing'er was stronger. Her Spirit Power, her control, and her status as a control-type Spirit Master all worked in her favor. She defeated Ma Hongjun swiftly.
Dai Mubai went up next.
Although Shui Bing'er had used a third of her Spirit Power already, she still managed to beat Dai Mubai as well—despite him giving his all.
Two of Shrek's core fighters—Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai—defeated by one opponent.
The crowd was stunned.
They had all seen Ma Hongjun's one-versus-seven feat. And Dai Mubai was the team captain.
That alone showed how powerful Shui Bing'er really was.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped up next.
Although Shui Bing'er had stayed on the field to try and drain Zhu Zhuqing's energy, she was eventually defeated.
Next came Xue Wu, another Spirit Ancestor with jet-black hair, but even she lost to Zhu Zhuqing after a few intense rounds.
Tianshui's strongest were now defeated. The remaining members were no match for Zhu Zhuqing.
Shrek Academy won match eleven—securing eleven consecutive victories and taking first place in the Heaven Dou Empire's promotion tournament.
For now.
But the final three matches would be the hardest.
Two of their remaining opponents were major threats: Thunderclap Academy—who had only lost once—and Godwind Academy.
The twelfth match was scheduled for the next day—against Thunderclap Academy.
A team even more powerful than Tianshui and Blazing Academy.
Shrek was taking this one very seriously.