On the viewing platform, Lin Jie couldn't help but chuckle quietly as he watched Zhu Zhuqing's clever strategy unfold. He hadn't expected her to come up with such a method to drain her opponent's Spirit Power.
That's right—Zhu Zhuqing's goal was to exhaust her opponent. By channeling Spirit Power to enhance her speed, her own energy consumption was minimal.
But for Yu Tianxin, activating his third Spirit Ability required tremendous energy to maintain.
At that moment, Yu Tianxin suddenly stopped and stood still in place.
After chasing Zhu Zhuqing for a while, he had realized her strategy. She was stalling, waiting for his Spirit Power to run out. If that happened, she could win without needing a direct confrontation.
But Yu Tianxin wasn't foolish. Once he realized her intent, he devised a countermeasure.
Seeing him stop, Zhu Zhuqing also halted. The distance between them was about fifteen meters, but she remained vigilant.
Yu Tianxin's four Spirit Rings glowed simultaneously, the two purple ones shining especially bright.
He had made up his mind—this would be the decisive blow. Once he activated his fourth Spirit Ability, she wouldn't be able to dodge. The distance was far enough that she also wouldn't be able to interrupt his buildup.
As his two purple Spirit Rings lit up, the lightning mark on his forehead glowed brilliantly.
A bluish-white sphere of electrical energy formed in his hand. Countless arcs of lightning surged into it, and before long, the sphere rose and transformed into a one-meter-long blue lightning dragon, crackling with energy and hovering around him.
Zhu Zhuqing instantly understood—he was going all out for a final blow.
What's more, the moment he began condensing the lightning dragon, she realized she had been locked on by his aura. Dodging was no longer an option. Her only choice was to face it head-on.
"If you want a showdown… then come," Zhu Zhuqing murmured.
She, too, activated all of her Spirit Rings.
On the platform, most spectators couldn't believe what they were seeing—an Agility Attack-type Spirit Master was choosing to confront a Power Attack-type directly? Even Emperor Xue Ye shook his head slightly in doubt.
But Lin Jie knew better. He understood Zhu Zhuqing's true strength better than anyone—he'd personally helped nurture her abilities.
At this moment, the fourth ring on Zhu Zhuqing's body—a deep purple ring tinged with black—shone brightly.
Fourth Spirit Ability: Shadow Nether Doppelganger.
Spirit Power surged within her, and then, another identical figure appeared at her side.
Then another. And another.
In total, four Zhu Zhuqings now stood on the battlefield—one real body and three clones.
Each clone was tangible, not illusory, and each possessed 50% of her real strength. The longer the Spirit Power held, the longer the clones could exist.
This ability came from the 9,000-year-old Shadow Nether Panther, a Spirit Beast Lin Jie's team had fought hard to subdue. Its racial talent was nearly broken—being able to create up to nine clones, each with half the power of the original. If its age surpassed 10,000 years, the clones would approach the full strength of the original.
At the time Zhu Zhuqing obtained this ability, Lin Jie and the others had teased her endlessly—saying it was practically cheating.
Right now, Zhu Zhuqing could only maintain three such clones at half strength. Any more would weaken them significantly.
But even just three clones at 50% power was an incredible asset—especially since they were solid entities.
As Yu Tianxin's one-meter-long lightning dragon charged at her with bared fangs, the four Zhu Zhuqings aligned in a straight line, ready to confront the attack.
Yu Tianxin, having finished preparing his Fourth Spirit Ability: Blue Divine Dragon Envy, was stunned by her sudden replication technique. What's more, they weren't illusions—they were solid and real.
Still, his Spirit Ability was already launched. There was no turning back.
With a sharp motion, Yu Tianxin hurled the dragon downward.
The first Zhu Zhuqing clone surged forward, her aura peaking. Claws extended, cloaked in dark energy, she blasted off like a bullet, colliding head-on with the incoming dragon.
The second and third clones followed closely behind.
The blue lightning dragon barreled into the first clone, devouring it in a flash of thunder and light. The clone disintegrated into wisps of dark energy.
But then—those wisps of energy flowed into the second clone.
Empowered by the first, the second clone's strength surged, and she struck the dragon next. However, the lightning dragon's might was overwhelming. The second clone also dissolved into dark mist.
All of that energy then flowed into the third clone, whose power now approached that of the true Zhu Zhuqing.
Thanks to the prior two sacrifices, the lightning dragon's energy had been significantly diminished.
When the third empowered clone clashed with it, the weakened lightning dragon was finally destroyed—shattering in a burst of dissipating energy.
Though thrown backward, the third clone survived.
Yu Tianxin stood stunned.
He had simultaneously activated his third and fourth abilities, depleting his Spirit Power. Now, facing both the real Zhu Zhuqing and her last empowered clone charging toward him from opposite sides, he had no strength left to defend.
The two of them appeared at his flanks in an instant. Razor-sharp claws hovered at his throat.
If he didn't yield, the next second those claws might dig in.
"You've lost," came two calm, identical voices.
"I've lost," Yu Tianxin muttered with a bitter smile. It was true. He had lost. Still, being defeated by a girl stung his pride.
"To think… you're this strong. Is that your full power?" he asked, voice steady now.
Zhu Zhuqing gave him a faint glance and replied coolly, "Seventy percent."
Then she turned toward Shrek's side of the platform.
Her gaze landed on the smiling figure who raised his hand toward her—Lin Jie.
A soft smile curved her lips.
Yu Tianxin's eyes widened as he saw her smile. Until now, Zhu Zhuqing had struck him as cold, unapproachable. He had never imagined she would smile—especially not in front of him.
That smile felt like a spring breeze brushing across Lake Lugu, or autumn rain nourishing Jiuzhaigou. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and even the look in his eyes began to change.
Zhu Zhuqing, unaware—or uncaring—of Yu Tianxin's thoughts, turned back and walked toward the Shrek viewing platform once the referee announced Shrek Academy's victory.
As she returned, she was met with cheers and applause. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong even ran over and twirled her in circles, squealing with joy.
Yu Tianxin watched her walk away in a daze, only snapping out of it when his teammates came over to check on him.
Although Thunderclap Academy had lost, there was no despair—just cheerful banter and laughter.
Lei Dong, who'd lost earlier, chuckled and teased, "Captain, you not only lost the fight, but also your heart, huh?"
"Get lost!" Yu Tianxin shoved him, pretending to be annoyed.
"I knew it," another teammate chimed in. "You didn't take your eyes off the Shrek side for a second!"
Their banter echoed with laughter, helping them forget the sting of defeat—if only for a little while.