Even Yu Xiaogang, who prided himself on his vast knowledge, couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Could this be... a Martial Soul True Body?"
Feng Xiaotian stared at the colossal figure that had suddenly manifested above the arena, his expression grim. He had intended to break through and take down Ning Rongrong directly. But now, that path was completely blocked. The towering lightning avatar Lin Jie had released stood in his way like a mountain. If he wanted to continue his assault, he would have to go through that giant.
From the moment the massive blue-white figure appeared, Feng Xiaotian had been shaken by the sheer oppressive aura it exuded.
But he had already committed to his attack. The momentum was too great to stop. All he could do now was throw everything he had into breaking through the lightning giant.
"Ahhh!"
With a defiant roar, Feng Xiaotian accelerated once more, his wings slashing forward with full force, aiming straight at the blue-white avatar.
Hovering ten meters off the ground, Lin Jie's eyes suddenly snapped open. Twin beams of electric-blue light shot from his gaze. Pressing his palms together, he inhaled deeply and murmured,
"Thunder God... Wrath."
Though his voice was not loud, Bibi Dong—seated atop the Pontiff's throne—clearly heard every word. Her eyes flashed sharply, and she repeated softly to herself, "Thunder God…"
The moment the words left Lin Jie's mouth, he spread his palms apart and thrust his right hand forward.
Instantly, the enormous lightning avatar behind him mimicked the motion, pushing a massive hand of blue-white lightning toward the charging Feng Xiaotian.
BOOM!!
The enormous hand of lightning collided with Feng Xiaotian's blazing, white-armored figure in mid-air.
A deafening explosion rocked the entire Spirit City, accompanied by the sharp sound of shattering energy.
The first thing to shatter was Feng Xiaotian's green wings, disintegrating upon impact. Then the white armor that had coated him also cracked and burst into shimmering fragments of light, dispersing into the air.
A cry of agony rang out as Feng Xiaotian was flung in an arc, sent flying out of the arena and beyond the Pontiff's Palace. His condition was unclear—whether alive or dead.
A figure quickly darted out to catch him mid-air.
Back on the battlefield, the six remaining members of Godwind Academy stood frozen in disbelief. None of them had imagined that Feng Xiaotian, empowered by the strength of four people, would be so easily and thoroughly defeated by Lin Jie.
Huo Wu's eyes locked on the thunder god-like figure hovering in the sky. Her mind blanked momentarily.
Only Lin Jie himself truly understood how powerful he had become in that moment. Feng Xiaotian's swift defeat could be attributed to several factors:
First, Lin Jie had the backing of six Spirit Elders, while Feng Xiaotian only had three supporters—two of whom were just Spirit Elders and not Spirit Kings.
Second, Feng Xiaotian's Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops had a glaring weakness—if interrupted midway, it would completely collapse, similar to the Clear Sky Clan's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique, which also required uninterrupted momentum.
Most importantly, Lin Jie's power in that instant was overwhelming. Boosted by six teammates, Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and her Spirit Fusion ability, Lin Jie's Spirit Power temporarily exceeded Rank 70.
Defeating Feng Xiaotian had been effortless—and Lin Jie had even held back. Had he used his full power, Feng Xiaotian wouldn't have survived the encounter.
Even after losing their leader, Godwind Academy's team refused to surrender. Ignoring the looming lightning titan, Huo Wushuang charged forward, while Huo Wu prepared a second strike from behind.
But Lin Jie could already feel his Spirit Power rapidly draining. He knew he couldn't afford to delay.
He raised his arm once more.
With a roaring thunderclap, wind howled and lightning surged. A second shockwave of immense power swept toward the six remaining opponents.
BOOM!
Huo Wushuang, leading the charge, was blasted back over a hundred meters by the force of the attack. The rest of the team followed, all thrown violently off the stage.
Even when the wave reached Huo Wu, Lin Jie consciously held back. Despite that, she too was blown off the platform.
One move.
Just one strike—and six opponents were down. The sheer destructive power spoke for itself.
As the lightning giant gradually dissipated at Lin Jie's will, he slowly descended to the stage. The moment his feet touched the ground, exhaustion overwhelmed him. He dropped to one knee, drained.
The spectators stared in stunned silence as the towering lightning avatar vanished. Godwind Academy had been defeated—just like that.
"That must have been a Martial Soul True Body…" Ning Fengzhi murmured in disbelief.
Beside him, Sword Douluo Chen Xin frowned. "It should be. But I recall Lin Jie's Martial Soul was just a simple bolt of lightning. How could it manifest something like that?"
Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "A pure lightning Martial Soul… I've never even heard of such a thing before. I can't imagine what kind of evolution it's undergone."
On the stage, Bibi Dong's sharp gaze remained fixed on Lin Jie, her thoughts unreadable.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo also exchanged glances, both clearly surprised. Deep within the Pontiff's Palace, mysterious elders had noticed the sudden change in weather as well. As the energy outside erupted, several of them turned their attention toward the arena.
Back on stage, Lin Jie panted heavily, the back of his shirt soaked in sweat.
But inside, he felt a quiet thrill. He had never expected his Martial Soul True Body to be like this.
Lightning… the Lightning Martial Soul. Lin Jie had often wondered what form his True Body would take once he reached Rank 70. But now, after actually unleashing it, even he was shocked. The towering avatar had been awe-inspiring—more so to him than to anyone watching.
It was powerful. That was his first impression. But beyond that strength, Lin Jie sensed something else—something mysterious and profound.
The battle had begun and ended faster than anyone had expected. Many spectators hadn't even had time to process what had happened.
When the referee finally announced the victor, the Shrek team stepped off the platform.
Oscar rushed over with freshly prepared Recovery Sausages, while Jiang Zhu immediately activated her healing abilities. The group wasted no time returning to their hotel to rest.
Once back, Yu Xiaogang gathered everyone together again. Oscar continued making more Recovery Sausages for the team.
Yu Xiaogang looked over the group, his expression grave.
"Can you all recover to full strength by tomorrow?"
"We'll be fine."
Even though using his Martial Soul True Body had severely drained Lin Jie's Spirit Power—and his spiritual energy too—he knew his body could recover in less than a day. The others nodded as well.
Yu Xiaogang turned to Lin Jie.
"You used your Martial Soul True Body today, didn't you?"
"Yes," Lin Jie confirmed. "It's the special True Body of my Lightning Martial Soul. I call it Thunder God's Wrath."
Hearing the name and the confirmation, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but sigh. Such an overwhelmingly powerful True Body was almost hard to believe.
The rest of the Shrek team looked at Lin Jie in astonishment.
Yu Xiaogang sighed again.
"If I'd known you could unleash a Martial Soul True Body, I would've saved it for tomorrow, even at the cost of greater fatigue. With that power, we'd have a seventy percent chance of beating the Spirit Hall Academy. But now, we can't use it again tomorrow."
He explained the reason to the group. After discussing strategy for the final match, everyone retired to their rooms to cultivate and recover.
Meanwhile, in the council chamber of the Pontiff's Palace, Bibi Dong sat calmly at the head of the hall. Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo sat to either side. Before them stood the seven members of Spirit Hall Academy.
At the front were Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, their expressions solemn and respectful.
"Remember everything I told you," Bibi Dong said coolly.
"Yes, Your Holiness," the seven responded in unison.
Bibi Dong nodded. "Shrek Academy's Lin Jie used his Martial Soul True Body today. He won't be able to use it again tomorrow. All you need to do is disrupt their Seven-in-One Spirit Fusion Ability. With your real strength, they won't be able to beat you."
"Yes!" the team replied firmly.
Ghost Douluo then added in a cold voice,
"You should understand the significance of tomorrow's battle. It's not just about honor—it's about earning the right to these three Spirit Bones. If you lose, those bones will be gone forever, with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and all Spirit Masters as witnesses. These bones were meant to reward you, to drive you to greater heights. If you fail… I'll throw you into the Lost Grand Canyon for training."
The moment he mentioned Lost Grand Canyon, all seven members involuntarily shuddered. That hellish place? Only a madman would want to go there.
Once the instructions were finished, Bibi Dong waved her hand, dismissing the group.
Left alone in the grand, empty Pontiff's Palace, Bibi Dong tapped her fingers rhythmically on the armrest, lost in thought.
No matter how majestic her throne was, in that moment, her solitary figure looked undeniably lonely.
Perhaps this… was the burden of power.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, after a full recovery, the Shrek Seven prepared for battle with renewed energy and sharp focus.
"Hold on," a voice called out. It was Flender.
Yu Xiaogang turned, puzzled.
"Flender, do you have something to say?"
Flender stepped forward, his expression solemn. He walked up to Dai Mubai and adjusted his uniform.
"Kids, today is your final battle before graduation. To be honest, I feel incredibly honored and proud that Shrek Academy was able to nurture such talents like you.
"But… all good things come to an end. Once this match is over, you'll be considered officially graduated. From here on, the path is yours to walk alone.
"I've joked before that you couldn't graduate without winning the championship—but that was only a joke.
"Now, I'm telling you: win or lose, you are all my pride.
"For today's battle, the championship isn't what matters most. Your safety is. Promise me—come back alive.
"That's all I have to say. Go out there and give it your best, children."