As the crimson light flashed, a massive figure wielding an enormous Moon Blade emerged from the red mist. This was none other than the manifestation of the Spirit Fusion Ability: Charm Demon, jointly performed by Hu Liena and Xie Yue.
The core feature of the Charm Demon was control. Within its range, all enemy Spirit Masters would experience a 50% reduction in sensory perception, a 50% suppression of Spirit Power, and a 50% slowdown in physical movement. Simply put, once this Fusion Ability was activated, the enemy would be forced into a desperate situation.
The thick red mist was a blend of multiple negative energy effects. And within that mist, only Hu Liena and Xie Yue—being the initiators of the Fusion Ability—could see clearly. For most Spirit Masters, losing vision in the middle of a battle would result in panic and disarray. Most would be quickly overwhelmed.
As the red mist engulfed the Shrek Seven, faint sneers appeared on the faces of the Spirit Hall Academy team. They were certain: once the Charm Demon took effect, Shrek Academy wouldn't stand a chance.
Even Bibi Dong, seated in front of the Pontiff's Palace, allowed a rare smile to grace her lips.
Yet within the red mist, the Shrek Seven showed no signs of panic. Tang San and the others quickly moved to shield Ning Rongrong and Oscar. Though they clearly felt the oppressive effects of the mist, Oscar's Flying Mushroom Sausage production didn't cease. Moments later, the team had completed all their preparations—awaiting only Lin Jie's signal.
Facing a figure many times larger than himself, Lin Jie stood alone without the slightest hint of fear. Though the red mist could obstruct ordinary sight, it had no effect on him.
After all, Lin Jie's Purple Demon Eye had long since reached a profound level. Piercing through this sort of visual interference was child's play for him.
And even without it, Lin Jie possessed a far more potent tool: his Mind Web, a cheat-like sensory network. Through it, every movement within the mist was exposed to him in vivid detail.
Suddenly, the massive Moon Blade came slashing toward Lin Jie.
In an instant, blue lightning wrapped around his hands. He raised his right arm and blocked the strike directly.
"How could you possibly know where I was attacking from?" A voice—a mix of male and female tones—echoed from within the mist. As the users of the Fusion Ability, Hu Liena and Xie Yue could see clearly, and now they were stunned. Lin Jie… was smiling calmly.
Xie Yue pressed harder, pouring Spirit Power into the Moon Blade. But just as it was about to force Lin Jie back—
He let go.
In the very next moment, a lightning whip lashed outward from Lin Jie's palm—not toward Hu Liena and Xie Yue, but toward Shrek's formation. It briefly touched Zhu Zhuqing before recoiling.
The whip wasn't an attack—it was a signal.
Upon receiving it, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass shot out, wrapping around the team and pulling them away from the mist's center. As another user of the Purple Demon Eye, Tang San could see through the mist as well.
Under his guidance, the Shrek Seven—except for Lin Jie—gradually retreated from the core of the red mist.
Suddenly, Dai Mubai let out a mighty roar. His first and third Spirit Abilities activated simultaneously. Behind him, Ma Hongjun spread his Phoenix wings, and Zhu Zhuqing's figure flickered into motion. The rest instantly entered combat mode.
"They can still see?" came the surprised voice of the Fusion Ability user. But before any further action could be taken, they abandoned Lin Jie as a target and redirected the red mist toward the retreating Shrek team. Just as they neared the edge of the mist, it expanded, drawing them back in.
With assistance from Spirit Hall's support-type Spirit Master, the range of the Charm Demon grew even larger, now enveloping nearly two-thirds of the arena.
"Unless you can fly, you won't escape our control," the voice taunted.
And yet, a strange premonition prickled at Xie Yue's nerves.
That was when Lin Jie shouted:
"Then we'll fly—now!"
The Shrek team, already prepared, simultaneously consumed their Flying Mushroom Sausages. Instantly, all six shot into the air, soaring clear of the red mist's range.
Now outside the Fusion Ability area of control, Ning Rongrong activated her buffs: attack boost for Dai Mubai, Spirit Power enhancement for Tang San, and speed boost for Zhu Zhuqing.
Watching them soar beyond his reach, Xie Yue's expression soured.
Maintaining a Spirit Fusion Ability required tremendous Spirit Power. If they couldn't defeat their enemies quickly, they'd be the first to run dry. He could only hope the rest of his team would take down Shrek's fliers. All he needed to do was eliminate Lin Jie—and then regroup.
But just as he turned to engage Lin Jie again…
He froze.
At some point, Lin Jie had summoned a sword. Pitch-black particles whirled around its form. Even more shocking—tiny black craters were appearing all across the mist-covered floor.
"Electromagnetic Force: Iron Sand Sword."
Lin Jie had already prepared for this moment. Guided by his immense electromagnetic control, iron sand from beneath the arena surged into his hands, coalescing into his most powerful Iron Sand Sword yet.
Within ten meters, Lin Jie could wield this sword like a whip, its bladed segments vibrating at extreme speeds—essentially transforming it into a high-powered chainsaw.
Not even metal could resist its cutting force.
And if he chose to, Lin Jie could scatter the particles to create a 360-degree barrage of high-frequency assassination needles—a storm of lethal projectiles. But that attack was far too dangerous to use unless he intended to kill.
Meanwhile, Hu Liena and Xie Yue's Fusion Ability relied entirely on charm and Spirit Power synchronization. Once activated, they couldn't use any other abilities. And against someone like Lin Jie, whose spiritual force far surpassed theirs, charm was useless.
Within the red mist, Lin Jie's Mind Web tracked their every move.
Armed with the terrifying Iron Sand Sword, this fight was far from hopeless.
And outside the mist, the rest of the Shrek team had already begun their counterattack.
Dai Mubai was the first to strike. With his White Tiger Possession activated and Spirit Power surging at Rank 44, he dropped from the sky like a meteor.
His massive tiger claws slammed down toward Yan.
As a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, Yan was no slouch. He activated his Flame Lord Martial Soul, instantly igniting his body in dark red fire. His first and second Spirit Rings flared. His body swelled in size, bursting through his upper garments, and his skin hardened like granite—growing to over three meters tall.
His granite-like fist met Dai Mubai's tiger claws head-on.
Boom—!
The clash resounded like thunder.
Dai Mubai was blasted backward, thrown nearly eight meters across the arena.
But Tang San was already moving.
"First Spirit Ability: Bind!
Fourth Spirit Ability: Blue Silver Prison!"
His Spirit Rings lit up, and Blue Silver Grass exploded forth, entwining Yan. The Blue Silver Prison followed instantly—this high-level control technique wrapped around Yan's body, immobilizing him.
Even for a Spirit King like Yan, Tang San held nothing back.
At that moment, Dai Mubai stopped mid-air. His third Spirit Ability: White Tiger Vajra Transformation activated, and his purple Spirit Ring glowed.
Dozens of golden orbs formed around him.
"White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
With a roar, countless golden blasts hurtled toward Yan.
Just before the impact, Tang San retracted his vines. He couldn't risk Yan's fire turning the grass into armor.
Now empowered by both his Vajra Transformation and Ning Rongrong's attack amplification, Dai Mubai's White Tiger Meteor Shower surged with devastating power. Even a Spirit King might not be able to withstand it.
Tang San and Dai Mubai's teamwork was seamless. Their assault struck in perfect rhythm, too quickly for their opponent to react.
And though Yan was momentarily caught off guard, he responded immediately by activating his defensive Spirit Ability.
His Martial Soul wasn't just fire—it was dual-attributed, containing both fire and earth. A thick granite-like armor instantly formed around him.
Just as Dai Mubai's attack landed—
BOOM—!
The explosion shattered the air.