A surging and oppressive aura erupted from Yan's body as his fifth Spirit Ring, a pitch-black glow, lit up—he activated his fifth Spirit Ability. A powerful strike surged straight toward Tang San.
At that moment, Tang San realized he had been locked on. Even with his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, there was no way to dodge Yan's fifth ability.
Since escape was impossible, he didn't even try. Raising the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San faced the attack head-on.
BOOM—
Though Tang San possessed great strength and the Clear Sky Hammer as his Martial Soul, Yan was far from weak. Once he activated his ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring, his locking-type ability connected. The powerful force interrupted Tang San's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique, launching him backward in a blast of energy.
But Tang San was still Tang San. Even under the force of Yan's fifth ability, he managed to stabilize himself mid-air using various unique techniques. However, his face had turned visibly pale.
Meanwhile, on Zhu Zhuqing's side of the battlefield, her one-against-two struggle was becoming increasingly difficult. Her two opponents had grown more coordinated with each passing second. Though she had the upper hand earlier, she was now being pushed back.
The two power-attack Spirit Masters from Spirit Hall—one with Spirit Power at Rank 48, the other at Rank 47—pressed their advantage and forced Zhu Zhuqing into retreat. Just as they were preparing to go in for the kill, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, eight fearsome, sharp legs burst out from Zhu Zhuqing's back. Each leg extended over four meters long, as thick as an arm, gleaming with a dark purple-black sheen. Cold light flickered along barbed joints, and the sharp tips were like unbreakable spears.
The Eight Spider Lances—her external Spirit Bone—had reappeared.
From the beginning of the match, Zhu Zhuqing had never used the Eight Spider Lances. But now, facing two powerful enemies stronger than any she had encountered before, she could no longer afford to hold back.
Her external Spirit Bone was a growth-type, inherently powerful and highly poisonous. After absorbing immortal herbs and undergoing Lin Jie's body-tempering process, the Spirit Bone had evolved even further—its strength, speed, and toxicity now unmatched. But its most terrifying feature remained the venom coursing through the Eight Spider Lances.
Dark energy surrounded her, and combined with the terrifying spider limbs on her back, Zhu Zhuqing's entire presence became ominous and lethal.
In past training sessions, once Zhu Zhuqing activated her Spirit Bone, only Lin Jie in Shrek Academy could rival her. Not even Tang San—when refraining from using hidden weapons or poison—could match her.
Now that she had unleashed her Spirit Bone, her explosive speed and attack power reached astounding levels. Her Spirit Power had surpassed Rank 50, perhaps even approaching the level of a Spirit Emperor. Against opponents like these, she could fight toe-to-toe.
"That's a… Spirit Bone? An external one?" Bibi Dong, seated in the Pontiff's Palace, looked shocked as her expression turned serious. As the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, how could she not recognize an external Spirit Bone? Among all Spirit Bones, external and torso bones were the rarest and most coveted. In fact, external bones were even rarer than torso bones—not only because of their scarcity, but because of their growth potential.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing use such a treasure, how could Bibi Dong not be shocked?
It wasn't just her. Even Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin (Sword Douluo) were visibly stunned. None of them had expected Zhu Zhuqing to possess a Spirit Bone—much less one of the most valuable types.
Now, with Zhu Zhuqing wielding an external Spirit Bone, the outcome of the match was suddenly far less certain.
Among the Shrek team, Ma Hongjun and the others visibly relaxed. They knew better than anyone else just how strong Zhu Zhuqing became when using the Eight Spider Lances.
Back within the red mist, Xie Yue, locked in a fierce battle with Lin Jie, had seen everything clearly. The moment Zhu Zhuqing unleashed her Spirit Bone, his expression turned grim.
Earlier, they'd already realized Lin Jie's strength was rising steadily. Even while using their Spirit Fusion Ability, they still couldn't gain the upper hand over him. Xie Yue's confidence was starting to waver.
He knew: If he didn't defeat Lin Jie soon, things outside the mist would spiral out of his control.
With demonic intensity in his eyes, Xie Yue's pupils shrank to slits. Veins bulged along his arms as he raised both Moon Blades and slowly extended his arms to either side, forming them into a perfect circle.
Staring coldly at Lin Jie, his voice turned sinister, like a devil whispering in the dark.
"You'll be the first to witness my self-created Spirit Ability. To die beneath it… should be an honor."
Lin Jie chuckled. "A self-created Spirit Ability? You think I don't have one? This sword—my Iron Sand Sword—is just one of them. Did you hear that? One of them. You haven't even seen its strongest attack yet. Want to try it?"
Xie Yue's gaze sharpened. He has more than one self-created technique? And an even stronger attack? That made things far more dangerous.
Shaking his head, Xie Yue knew he had no time to hesitate. His Spirit Power had already been depleted too much—this needed to end now.
He moved.
Xie Yue's body spun like a whirlwind and vanished in a blur, both he and his Moon Blades disappearing without a sound.
The very next second, a crescent moon-shaped blade appeared silently before Lin Jie. There was no sound of slicing air, no flash of light—only a sudden, lethal presence.
For the first time, Xie Yue had unleashed his strongest move—his self-created Spirit Ability.
This was what had crowned him the leader of the Golden Generation. With this move, he had once defeated a Spirit Sage (Rank 68) instructor. It was this victory that earned him the title of strongest among his peers.
Full Moon Slash—two Moon Blades spun at extreme speed, forming a rotating circular blade. Its cutting and offensive power were both overwhelming.
But in terms of cutting power and attack speed, could Lin Jie's Iron Sand Sword—enhanced by electromagnetic force—really lose to this?
Not a chance.
Blue-white lightning burst out of Lin Jie's body. In the blink of an eye, his entire figure was encased in a lightning-clad armor, surging with crackling energy.
With the armor activated, Lin Jie's speed, defense, and attack all spiked dramatically. The originally ten-meter-long Iron Sand Sword retracted to two meters, its body condensed, black and gleaming.
Now, the iron sand within was packed even tighter, and as electromagnetic power surged through it, the rotation frequency of the blade rose to a frightening level. The sound it emitted was like countless bees' wings, vibrating madly. The sword shone with a dark glow.
Calling it "sharp" no longer did it justice—it was devastation incarnate.
Iron Sand Sword in hand, Lightning Armor on his body, Lin Jie charged forward to meet the Full Moon Slash head-on.
He moved like lightning, vanishing from his spot and crashing directly into Xie Yue's attack.
BOOM—!!
A thunderous explosion shook the battlefield. The spinning Full Moon technique briefly stalled, and through its flickering form, the fused figures of Xie Yue and Hu Liena could be vaguely seen.
But under Xie Yue's control, the blade spun once more and charged at Lin Jie again.
Lin Jie was momentarily stunned by the move's destructive power—but he wouldn't back down.
With Spirit Power surging, bolts of lightning exploded once more across his body. The Iron Sand Sword vibrated even faster, its edge now more of a chainsaw than a blade.
BANG—CLANG—BOOM—
Explosions echoed as the rotating Full Moon blade clashed again and again with Lin Jie's vibrating sword. It was like a high-speed circular saw meeting a super-charged industrial drill—unstoppable forces colliding at close range.
Fiery sparks burst through the red mist, lighting it up in dazzling arcs.
TING!
A final piercing note rang out—and Lin Jie was blown backward. He stumbled several steps after landing before finally stabilizing himself. His breathing had grown labored.
As for Xie Yue and Hu Liena, their expressions twisted in shock as their Full Moon technique was blasted away. They could no longer maintain their Spirit Fusion Ability.
The Charm Demon vanished, and the red mist dispersed.
All eyes on the battlefield instantly turned toward the revealed figures of Lin Jie and the Spirit Hall duo.
Just before that—
Zhu Zhuqing's cold eyes narrowed as she faced her two opponents. A faint smile curved her lips.
Anyone else might've been shocked to see her smiling—Zhu Zhuqing rarely smiled, whether in front of her friends or enemies. Only around Lin Jie did she ever show such warmth.
Now, she smiled because—her opponents were finished.
The Eight Spider Lances on her back twitched rhythmically. In a flash, she vanished from sight.
As she moved, Ning Rongrong's speed boost landed on her body.
The two Spirit Hall power-attackers had already realized Zhu Zhuqing was terrifying when she held her ground against them alone. Now that she had unleashed her Spirit Bone? Their faces turned grim.
Still, they couldn't back down. With the Supreme Pontiff and elders watching, they had to win.
Both activated their third and fourth Spirit Abilities, Spirit Power bursting forth in full force, charging toward Zhu Zhuqing.
But at her current level… how could two Spirit Elders stop her?
A blur of black light flashed.
By the time the Spirit Hall attackers realized it, Zhu Zhuqing had already appeared behind them.
Their bodies froze mid-strike, faces suddenly turning purplish-black.
Two of her spider legs had pierced their backs, venom instantly spreading through their bodies.
Thud!
Both Spirit Elders collapsed, completely incapacitated.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze now turned toward the red mist—where Lin Jie, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena had just emerged.