Blue light surged wildly in Lin Jie's hand as an invisible electromagnetic force materialized at his fingertips.
The moment the electromagnetic force appeared, the iron sand suspended in the air above the arena was violently drawn toward him. In the blink of an eye, countless grains of iron sand gathered and condensed into a pitch-black sword in Lin Jie's grasp—the Iron Sand Sword.
The Iron Sand Sword was formed by Lin Jie manipulating electromagnetic force to extract iron particles from the soil within a hundred meters. Then, using magnetic force to shape and bind them, he created a weapon capable of both extreme offense and adaptive transformation.
Though it looked like a solid longsword, it could freely change shape and length like a whip, extending dozens of meters. The resulting hum sounded like hundreds of amplified bee wings. When used in motion, the fine iron grains—vibrating at high speed—resembled an electrically driven chainsaw. These particles could be used for close-range slashes or defensive parries, or dispersed into countless needle-thin projectiles for an omnidirectional assassination storm.
Right now, Lin Jie hadn't activated its dynamic form. The sword remained in solid form, hardened by electromagnetic cohesion and thermomagnetic fusion, rendering it razor-sharp and incredibly durable.
Wielding the pitch-black blade in hand, Lin Jie stared calmly at the oncoming Feng Xiaotian.
"Is that... also a self-created Spirit Ability?"
Several high-level Spirit Masters in the stands immediately took notice. Lin Jie had activated no Spirit Rings to produce this ability—it had to be self-made.
"No wonder this battle's so intense... Both of them are geniuses with self-created abilities."
Just then, Feng Xiaotian launched his fifth strike, a fierce slash brimming with sky-splitting momentum.
Lin Jie stepped forward, gripping the Iron Sand Sword tightly. Power from his waist and arm flowed into the blade as he slashed upward to meet the blow.
BOOM—
A violent shockwave rippled outward. Feng Xiaotian was blasted upward from the impact, flying even higher than before. If one looked closely, cracks had appeared in his twin wings.
The sheer force of the impact flushed Feng Xiaotian's face red. He stared at the black sword in Lin Jie's hand in disbelief—he hadn't expected Lin Jie to suddenly conjure a weapon, much less one this hard and deadly.
Even the referee was stunned. He had seen the blade's formation with his own eyes—the arena vibrating as iron sand coalesced into a sword. He could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
High in the air, Feng Xiaotian twisted again, launching his sixth and seventh strikes in rapid succession. The force behind them was overwhelming.
Lin Jie met the twin strikes head-on with his Iron Sand Sword. The sound of their clash rang like clashing steel and rock.
The rhythm of battle quickened.
Again and again, they clashed—once, twice... dozens of times.
With each exchange, the pressure in the arena thickened, the air practically rippling from the force. Even after twenty-some exchanges, Lin Jie remained composed, though his breathing had grown slightly heavier.
Feng Xiaotian, meanwhile, hovered above, glaring at Lin Jie. His breath came fast and uneven. His arms and wings were numb from repeated counterforce, and the drain on his Spirit Power was significant.
Lin Jie couldn't help but praise him inwardly: Feng Xiaotian truly is a genius. His Thirty Six Successive Chops, especially when combined with aerial advantage, was formidable enough to challenge even stronger opponents.
Unfortunately for him, he was facing someone even more monstrous.
Lin Jie.
Looking up, Lin Jie narrowed his eyes and warned softly,
"This next move... even I can't guarantee it won't kill you. Be careful."
As he spoke, the Iron Sand Sword in his hand began to disintegrate—its solid form scattering into countless vibrating black particles.
Guided by electromagnetic force, the iron sand now vibrated at extreme speed—transforming into a high-speed rotating chain sword in Lin Jie's grasp.
Feng Xiaotian's heart tightened. He stared grimly at the chain sword, its shrill vibration exuding a murderous aura.
But his momentum was already committed—he couldn't stop. The thirtieth slash of his Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops barreled downward.
Lin Jie raised the Iron Sand Chain Sword and met him head-on.
The moment they clashed, the vibrating blade sank into Feng Xiaotian's Spirit Power-forged wings.
Sensing danger, Feng Xiaotian let out a howl, and his body erupted with bright green light. A deafening explosion followed as he forcibly shattered his own energy wings.
From the ruptured wings, a massive shockwave burst forth, slamming into Lin Jie's blade. The chain sword stalled slightly.
Losing his aerial support, Feng Xiaotian was hurled backward by the shockwave. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crashed into the ground.
What a bold move—cutting off one's own wings to survive.
Though the wings weren't physical limbs, they were a core extension of Feng Xiaotian's Martial Soul. Severing them meant severe internal injury—not something he could recover from in a few days.
But it was that self-sacrifice that saved his life.
If he hadn't broken his own wings to generate that shockwave, Lin Jie's chain sword would have sliced clean through his wings and continued on to his body. The result? Severe injury at best. Death at worst.
Even as the chain sword's vibration dispersed the residual shockwave, Lin Jie steadied himself and halted.
The energy backlash had left Feng Xiaotian crumpled on the ground. Blood pooled from his lips.
Now, with ten meters between them, the outcome was clear—Lin Jie stood. Feng Xiaotian lay defeated.
Still, the Godwind captain hadn't given up. Panting heavily, pale-faced, he propped himself up and stared at Lin Jie across the field.
"That was the attack you said might kill me?" he gasped. "Impressive."
Though he had plenty of Spirit Power left, the physical trauma from severing his own wings was immense. Struggling to his knees, Feng Xiaotian added:
"That was your self-created Spirit Ability, wasn't it? The Iron Sand Sword?"
Lin Jie nodded calmly.
"Correct."
Feng Xiaotian let out a bitter laugh. He now understood. He'd seen Lin Jie use multiple self-created abilities, and each one had terrifying power. In terms of strength, talent, and sheer ingenuity, Lin Jie surpassed him on every level.
"I can't beat you. I doubt we'd do any better than you in the finals, either. I concede. Godwind Academy admits defeat."
Lin Jie nodded in acknowledgment and replied loud enough for all to hear:
"You're strong too. If you keep refining that self-created ability, it could become even more powerful."
Feng Xiaotian murmured to himself,
"Keep refining it...?"
He didn't quite understand why Lin Jie would say that—but the words stuck. He had already considered improving his Thirty Six Successive Chops. Now, his conviction was stronger than ever.
Because of the wager they'd made the day before, and Feng Xiaotian's personal concession, Godwind Academy forfeited the match.
With the referee's announcement, Shrek Academy was declared the victor of Round Thirteen of the elimination tournament.
The Godwind team rushed down to assist their injured captain. None of them showed blame—only support.
"Captain, it's okay. It's just one match."
"Yeah, it's no big deal. You fought your hardest."
Warmth welled up in Feng Xiaotian's chest.
As the crowd erupted into cheers, Lin Jie calmly exited the arena.
The following day, Shrek Academy's final opponent chose not to appear, conceding without a fight.
Thus, Shrek Academy won all fourteen matches, standing undefeated among the fifteen teams and taking first place in the Heaven Dou Empire competition zone.
In the course of the promotion tournament, Shrek had consecutively defeated elite academies such as Blazing Academy, Botanical Academy, Tianshui Academy, Thunderclap Academy, and Godwind Academy, proving themselves worthy of the title: Strongest Academy Team in the Heaven Dou Empire.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Emperor Xue Ye gave a rousing speech, encouraging all fifteen advancing academies.
Though Shrek had claimed first place, the true test still lay ahead—the Continental Finals.
Emperor Xue Ye officially announced:
All qualified teams would be given three days to rest.
Afterward, escorted by the Five Hundred Royal Knights, they would journey together to the final battleground—Spirit Hall City.