Dai Mubai gave Huo Wu a quick once-over, mentally noting her appearance.
She was attractive, with a strikingly fiery and sexy aura. The phoenix-tail flower pattern on her forehead and between her brows was especially eye-catching—though he wondered if it was a tattoo.
Huo Wu, for her part, was even more curious about Dai Mubai. She could tell that he was younger than her, yet he had already reached the Soul King level. This filled her with a sense of dissatisfaction and unwillingness to concede.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Shrek!!"
"Shrek!!"
"Dai Mubai!"
"Huo Wu!!"
After so many matches, Shrek Academy and Dai Mubai had finally gained some fans. Unlike the earlier rounds, they were no longer competing in silence.
"Let the match begin!"
At DouDou's announcement, the members of the Blazing Fire Academy instantly activated their spirits.
At the forefront were Huo Wushuang and two Spirit Elders whose spirits were Fire Cranes. Beside Huo Wushuang stood a Spirit Elder with a Fire Leopard spirit.
Huo Wu was positioned at the center of their formation, with two auxiliary spirit masters whose spirits were Fire Sparks supporting her from the rear.
"First Spirit Skill: Blazing Ember Field! ×2
The two auxiliary spirit masters activated their first skills almost simultaneously, bathing the Blazing Fire team in fiery light.
The entire team visibly tensed, as if receiving a powerful enhancement, before charging toward Shrek Academy.
Huo Wushuang, the captain and main force of the Blazing Fire team, went straight for Dai Mubai.
Despite Dai Mubai not activating his spirit, Huo Wushuang didn't dare underestimate him or assume he was being looked down on.
The two Fire Crane Spirit Elders engaged Huang Yuan and Jing Ling, while the Fire Leopard Spirit Elder was intercepted by Ma Hongjun.
"Nine Treasures arise, first: Strength!"
"Nine Treasures arise, second: Speed!"
"Nine Treasures arise, third: Spirit!"
"Nine Treasures arise, fourth: Defense!"
Ning Rongrong's incantations lit up the arena, her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda casting a radiant glow over Ma Hongjun, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling.
In an instant, their strength, speed, spirit power, and defense were boosted by 50%.
(Note: In the anime, later adjustments slightly reduced these boosts, but it's negligible here.)
In just 0.36 seconds, the trio felt as if they had ascended to the Soul Ancestor level, their capabilities surging dramatically.
"Roar!"
"Fall back!"
Huo Wushuang, locked in a fistfight with Dai Mubai, immediately shouted upon seeing the dramatic transformation of Shrek's members.
Retreat was the only option! With the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda amplifying them, those "weaklings" had become top-tier battle spirit masters in their level. There was no way the Blazing Fire team could win a direct confrontation.
"Retreat? Do you think you can leave just because you say so?"
Dai Mubai sneered, disappearing in an instant as though teleporting.
Huo Wushuang: "???"
You're not even using your spirit, and you can do this? Are you seriously claiming you're not cheating?!
Amid the bewildered stares of everyone, Dai Mubai reappeared, delivering a kick that sent Huo Wushuang flying toward Tang San.
"Captain!!!"
"Brother!"
Tang San was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react as Huo Wushuang hurtled toward him.
For his part, Huo Wushuang was equally baffled. The kick didn't seem to hurt—it felt as though Dai Mubai had deliberately aimed him in that direction without causing any real harm.
From her position at the back, Huo Wu keenly observed Dai Mubai's actions.
Judging by Huo Wushuang's expression and movements, the kick hadn't been heavy at all.
Her fiery temper notwithstanding, Huo Wu wasn't without brains.
"Does Dai Mubai have a grudge against Tang San?" she wondered silently.
The three Blazing Fire team members who had started retreating immediately rushed back upon seeing Huo Wushuang "deep in enemy territory."
Re-engaging their respective opponents, they sought to prevent their captain from being surrounded.
Meanwhile, Tang San was utterly exasperated.
With no time to overthink, he activated his Purple Demon Eye and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step to dodge Huo Wushuang's incoming attack.
"Boom!"
Huo Wushuang landed smoothly, glancing around.
He saw Dugu Yan, her five spirit rings shimmering, and Ning Rongrong, calmly casting her auxiliary skills. Finally, his gaze landed on Tang San's plant-based spirit.
"Die, Tang San!"
Without hesitation, Huo Wushuang charged toward Tang San, deciding to take out their control-type spirit master first.
Tang San: "…"
Seriously?! There's a perfectly fine auxiliary spirit master right there, and you're coming for me, the control-type? Do I look like an easy target?!
Suppressing his frustration, Tang San retracted his Blue Silver Grass and activated his Mysterious Jade Hand. Instead of retreating, he advanced, meeting Huo Wushuang head-on.
The two clashed fiercely, Tang San relying on his Tang Sect techniques to hold his own against Huo Wushuang.
To the astonishment of the audience, the battle seemed evenly matched.
"Unbelievable! This clown—ahem, I mean, Tang San—is a control-type spirit master, yet he's trading blows with a Spirit Elder-class offense-type spirit master!"
"We really underestimated him before!"
"That footwork—could it be a spirit bone ability?"
"No, there's no spirit power fluctuation. It's more like Dai Mubai's disappearing act earlier."
"Shrek truly is full of surprises. If Tang San hadn't been caught off guard in the first match, he might not have been beaten so badly!"
With Ning Rongrong's enhancements, the Blazing Fire team's three Spirit Elders were no match for Ma Hongjun, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling.
Seeing this, Huo Wu issued a retreat order.
Dai Mubai's lips curled into a smirk. He could tell what Huo Wu had in mind: she was preparing her third spirit skill—Repelling Fire Ring.
Sure enough, as the Blazing Fire team began retreating, Ma Hongjun's group shifted their focus to surround Huo Wushuang.
"Third Spirit Skill: Repelling Fire Ring!"
Huo Wu unleashed her skill, a fiery tornado erupting around Huo Wushuang. Tang San and the others were blasted away, suffering significant injuries from the powerful attack.
"Not bad. This Repelling Fire Ring is a decent skill—pushes back enemies, mitigates damage, and even reflects some of it," Dai Mubai commented from directly beside Huo Wu, startling her.
Huo Wu: "…"
Blazing Fire Team: "…"
When had Dai Mubai gotten there?!
Huo Wu's auxiliary teammates, who had been assisting from the rear, shuddered.
Dai Mubai smirked as he leaned in, "Third spirit skill: Repelling—"
(Chapter End)