Three days had passed since the quarterfinal battles.
But instead of calming the capital of the Sun Moon Empire—
The anticipation had only grown heavier.
The entire city now moved with a strange, electric rhythm.
Every street leading toward the colossal stadium was crowded with people long before the morning sun had fully risen above the imperial towers.
Merchants had set up temporary stalls along the avenues.
Vendors shouted loudly over one another while holding stacks of freshly printed newspapers.
"Semifinals today!"
"Latest tournament reports!"
"Masked captain finally fighting!"
One newspaper boy waved a copy above his head while running past a crowd gathered around one of the large projection screens floating above the street.
The headline stretched across the front page in bold letters:
THE MASKED CAPTAIN ENTERS THE BATTLE
Beneath the title were two large illustrations.
One showed the elegant crown-shaped martial soul of Princess Xu Jiujiu, radiant and regal.
The other—
A figure wearing a dark mask.
Surrounded by faint distortions of space.
The article beneath described the matchup that had become the most discussed topic in the entire empire.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering AcademyversusStar Luo Royal Academy
And at the center of the discussion—
Lin Huang.
Large projection arrays floated above the avenue leading toward the arena district.
Every few minutes, the formation screens shifted and displayed the updated tournament bracket.
Four academy names remained.
Shrek Academy.
Thousand Spirits Academy.
Star Luo Royal Academy.
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
Crowds gathered beneath the projections, pointing upward while arguing loudly about the upcoming battles.
"Star Luo's princess is a genius strategist!"
"But the Sun Moon captain hasn't even fought yet!"
"Did you see the golden dragon girl from their team?!"
"That team is full of monsters!"
The voices blended together into a constant roar of speculation and excitement.
Not far from the stadium gates, a familiar group walked calmly through the crowd.
Even surrounded by thousands of spectators, they were difficult to miss.
Some people recognized them immediately.
"That's them—Sun Moon Academy!"
"Look!"
"The masked one!"
People stepped aside instinctively as the group passed.
Some stared openly.
Others whispered while reporters tried to capture images using small projection cameras.
Xu Tianzhen sighed quietly as she walked beside Ma Xiaotao.
"This is getting ridiculous."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"You're the princess of the empire."
"You should be used to crowds."
Xu Tianzhen rolled her eyes.
"That's different."
Wu Feng crossed her arms while glancing around at the excited spectators.
"At least they're not trying to challenge us."
Ji Juechen walked slightly ahead of the group, his sword resting calmly across his shoulder.
His gaze remained forward.
Silent as always.
At the center of the group—
Lin Huang walked quietly.
His dark mask still covered his face completely.
But unlike the previous rounds of the tournament—
He was no longer walking empty-handed.
In his arms rested a small figure.
Tushan Honghong.
The fox spirit had returned to her preferred place.
Curled comfortably against Lin Huang's chest.
Her cerulean-blue hair moved softly in the morning breeze while her ten fox tails swayed lazily behind her.
One tail draped loosely across Lin Huang's arm.
Another flicked slightly every time the crowd noise grew too loud.
Su Mei glanced at the fox spirit while walking beside them.
"So you've abandoned me again."
Honghong opened one eye slowly.
"…Hmph."
Then she shifted slightly in Lin Huang's arms, clearly refusing to move.
Wu Feng laughed.
"She only follows whoever is more comfortable."
Su Mei shook her head.
"Traitor."
Honghong ignored her completely.
Ahead of them, the massive gates of the arena were already open.
Thousands of spectators poured through the entrance corridors while formation arrays guided the flow of people into different sections of the stadium.
The scale of the tournament had reached its peak.
The semifinals always attracted the largest audience.
But today—
There was another reason the crowd was larger than usual.
Today was the first time the masked captain of Sun Moon Academy would enter the battlefield.
Inside the arena complex, the noise from the stadium above echoed faintly through the wide interior corridors.
Officials moved quickly between preparation chambers.
Medical teams prepared recovery formations.
Engineers checked the stabilization arrays surrounding the battlefield.
Everything moved with disciplined efficiency.
The Sun Moon team eventually reached their designated preparation chamber.
Once the heavy doors closed behind them, the distant roar of the crowd became slightly quieter.
Ju Zi immediately moved toward the central projection table and activated the formation disk she carried.
The updated tournament bracket appeared above the table.
Xu Tianzhen leaned forward slightly.
"So it's really happening."
Ju Zi nodded.
"Yes."
She pointed toward the projection.
"Semifinal match."
Star Luo Royal AcademyversusSun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy
Across the room, Ma Xiaotao stretched lazily.
"About time he fought."
Wu Feng smirked.
"Yeah."
"People are starting to think the rest of us are carrying him."
Lin Huang said nothing.
Instead—
He stepped toward one of the preparation benches near the wall.
Honghong remained comfortably in his arms as he sat down.
Then, slowly—
He reached into the storage ring on his finger.
And removed two simple-looking metallic bracelets.
At first glance they appeared ordinary.
Smooth metal bands.
Nothing special.
But the moment they appeared—
Several people in the room noticed.
Ning Tian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's…"
Lin Huang slid the first bracelet onto his wrist.
Then the second.
A faint pulse of energy passed through the metal.
The atmosphere around him changed almost immediately.
His aura compressed.
Contained.
Suppressed.
Xu Tianzhen blinked.
"…You're serious?"
Lin Huang rolled his shoulders slightly.
The bracelets settled into place.
"Just being careful."
Far above them in the VIP observation balcony—
Several powerful figures watched the preparation chambers through specialized projection formations.
Lin Zhenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Suppressing bracelets."
Beside him, Lin Huang's father chuckled quietly.
"So he's doing that again."
Their expressions were calm.
Amused even.
But not everyone reacted the same way.
A short distance away, two women from Shrek Academy watched the same projection.
Cai Mei'er frowned slightly.
"Did you see that?"
Xian Lin'er nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her gaze remained fixed on Lin Huang's wrists.
"Those aren't ordinary bracelets."
She paused briefly.
Then added quietly.
"They're suppressing his power."
Back inside the preparation chamber, Lin Huang stood again.
Honghong stretched slightly in his arms before settling comfortably once more.
Outside the door—
The roar of the crowd suddenly grew louder.
The next match announcement had begun.
And soon—
The entire stadium would see the masked captain of Sun Moon Academy fight for the first time.
Lin Huang glanced toward the arena entrance.
Then exhaled slowly.
It was time.
The roar of the stadium rolled through the arena corridors like distant thunder.
Even inside the reinforced preparation chambers, the sound was impossible to ignore.
Tens of thousands of spectators had already filled the seats of the colossal arena. From the lowest rings of stone seats to the elevated imperial balconies, the stadium had become a sea of people waiting for the same moment.
The semifinals.
And the first appearance of Sun Moon Academy's masked captain.
Inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber, the announcer's voice echoed faintly through the corridor speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"The first semifinal of the Continental Elite Tournament of the Soul Masters Academy will begin shortly!"
The crowd responded instantly.
The roar shook the very structure of the stadium.
Xu Tianzhen crossed her arms with a small smirk.
"They're louder than before."
Ma Xiaotao stretched her shoulders lazily.
"Of course."
"This is the semifinal."
Wu Feng cracked her knuckles.
"And everyone wants to see him fight."
She tilted her head toward Lin Huang.
Lin Huang stood calmly near the center of the room.
The suppressing bracelets were already secured around his wrists.
His aura had been compressed into something almost unnoticeable.
If someone without strong perception looked at him now—
They might only see a calm young cultivator.
Not a monster capable of challenging Titled Douluo.
Honghong shifted slightly in his arms.
Her cerulean tails moved slowly behind her as she lifted her head to look toward the arena entrance.
The fox spirit could feel it.
The pressure outside.
The anticipation.
Su Mei glanced at them both.
"You're bringing her into the arena?"
Honghong immediately tightened her grip on Lin Huang's sleeve.
"…Hmph."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"She refuses to leave."
Su Mei sighed.
"Of course she does."
The announcement outside continued.
"Please welcome the first team entering the arena!"
"Star Luo Royal Academy!"
The moment the name echoed across the stadium—
The reaction was immediate.
Cheers erupted across the stands.
The Star Luo Empire held enormous prestige across the continent, and the royal academy was considered one of the most powerful institutions outside of Shrek.
The massive projection screens floating above the battlefield illuminated.
The arena gates opened.
And the team of Star Luo Royal Academy stepped forward.
At the front of the group—
Xu Jiujiu walked calmly into the arena.
Her long dark hair moved softly behind her as the wind from the open stadium swept across the battlefield.
Her posture was upright.
Elegant.
But there was nothing fragile about her presence.
Even from the distant preparation chamber projection screens, the aura surrounding her was clear.
Calm.
Sharp.
Strategic.
A golden crown-shaped martial soul appeared faintly above her head.
The Star Crown.
A rare support-type martial soul famous for its battlefield control and strategic amplification.
The moment it appeared—
The atmosphere around her team shifted.
Spiritual power began flowing through invisible pathways between the Star Luo fighters.
Each of them seemed slightly faster.
Slightly stronger.
Perfectly synchronized.
The crowd reacted immediately.
"That's the Star Crown!"
"Princess Xu Jiujiu!"
"She's the strategist of Star Luo!"
Inside the Sun Moon preparation chamber, Ju Zi watched the projection carefully.
Her eyes moved across the battlefield formation.
"They're already positioning."
Xiao Hongchen nodded.
"She's establishing control before the fight even starts."
Xu Tianzhen chuckled.
"She always did like playing chess."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"Let's see how well chess works against a hammer."
Back in the arena, Xu Jiujiu reached the center of the battlefield.
Her team spread out behind her in a loose formation.
Every movement was deliberate.
Calculated.
The Star Crown above her head pulsed softly with golden light.
She raised her eyes toward the opposite gate.
Waiting.
The stadium followed her gaze.
Then the announcer's voice returned.
"And now—"
The pause alone was enough to send another wave of excitement through the crowd.
"Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy!"
The reaction was explosive.
The stadium shook with the volume of the crowd.
Thousands of spectators stood from their seats.
Cameras focused toward the arena gate.
The massive doors opened slowly.
For a moment—
No one stepped through.
Then a single figure appeared.
Lin Huang walked into the arena alone.
The black mask hid his face completely.
The suppressing bracelets rested calmly around his wrists.
And in his arms—
Tushan Honghong rested comfortably.
Her cerulean hair shimmered faintly in the sunlight pouring through the open stadium roof.
Her ten fox tails moved lazily behind her.
The crowd went silent for half a second.
Then the murmurs began.
"That's the captain!"
"He brought a spirit beast?!"
"Is that his martial soul?!"
The projection screens zoomed in.
Honghong opened one eye slowly as the cameras focused on her.
Then she yawned.
Completely uninterested in the attention.
Across the battlefield, Xu Jiujiu studied him carefully.
Her eyes moved across several details immediately.
The mask.
The calm posture.
The suppressed aura.
And the fox spirit resting in his arms.
Her gaze lingered briefly on the metallic bracelets around his wrists.
Then she smiled faintly.
"So you're finally coming out."
Her voice carried across the arena.
Lin Huang stopped several meters away from her.
Honghong shifted slightly in his arms.
Then settled again.
Lin Huang tilted his head slightly.
"Looks like it."
Xu Jiujiu studied him for a moment longer.
Then her smile widened slightly.
"You're suppressing yourself."
It wasn't a question.
Lin Huang didn't answer.
But the faintest curve appeared at the edge of his mouth beneath the mask.
Xu Jiujiu nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
The Star Crown above her head glowed brighter.
"Then let's see how strong you really are."
The referee stepped forward between them.
His voice echoed clearly across the arena.
"Semifinal match!"
"Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy versus Star Luo Royal Academy!"
The protective barrier formations surrounding the battlefield activated instantly.
Golden light rose around the arena.
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The moment his hand dropped—
The battle started.
The instant the referee's hand fell—
The battlefield moved.
But not with chaos.
With strategy.
Xu Jiujiu did not rush forward.
She didn't even take a step.
Instead, the Star Crown above her head pulsed softly with golden light.
And her team moved.
Four Star Luo fighters surged forward from different directions, their movements perfectly synchronized as if they had already rehearsed the exact opening sequence hundreds of times.
One attacker lunged straight toward Lin Huang from the front.
Two others flanked the sides.
The fourth circled behind.
The formation tightened immediately.
A textbook strategic encirclement.
High above the arena, the projection screens displayed the battlefield clearly.
The audience reacted instantly.
"That formation—!"
"They're surrounding him!"
"Star Luo's coordination is incredible!"
Inside the Shrek observation section, several members leaned forward.
Wu Ming nodded slightly.
"That's classic Xu Jiujiu."
Ling Luochen spoke quietly.
"She always starts by testing the opponent."
Han Ruoruo added calmly,
"Force the enemy to reveal their strengths."
Back on the battlefield, Lin Huang stood where he was.
He did not move.
Honghong shifted slightly in his arms as the four opponents closed in.
One of her cerulean tails flicked lazily.
Completely unconcerned.
The first attacker reached him.
A spear thrust forward with explosive speed.
At the same moment—
Two blades came from the sides.
And a heavy hammer descended from behind.
Four attacks.
Perfect timing.
Perfect coordination.
The kind of opening designed to overwhelm a single opponent instantly.
Lin Huang finally moved.
But not the way the crowd expected.
He didn't dodge wildly.
He simply stepped.
One small step to the left.
The spear missed him by a hair's breadth.
His shoulder shifted slightly.
The blades cut through empty air.
Then he leaned forward—
And the hammer struck nothing but stone.
The arena floor cracked beneath the impact.
But Lin Huang was already standing somewhere else.
The crowd gasped.
"That movement—!"
"He avoided all four attacks!"
Xu Jiujiu watched carefully.
Her eyes never left him.
Interesting.
His movements looked heavy.
Deliberate.
Almost restrained.
Her gaze flicked briefly toward the metallic bracelets on his wrists again.
So it wasn't just a guess.
He really was suppressing himself.
The Star Crown pulsed again.
Golden threads of energy spread across the battlefield, connecting her teammates through invisible channels.
"Second sequence," she said calmly.
Her team reacted instantly.
The spear user attacked again.
But this time—
The other three fighters did not rush forward.
They positioned themselves.
One activated a defensive barrier.
Another launched a ranged attack.
The hammer user moved to block Lin Huang's retreat path.
A layered strategy.
Pressure.
Control.
Containment.
Lin Huang tilted his head slightly.
Then he stepped forward.
Straight into the formation.
The spear lunged again.
Lin Huang caught the shaft with one hand.
The attacker's eyes widened.
"…What—"
Lin Huang twisted his wrist slightly.
The spear user lost his balance instantly.
At the same moment—
The hammer descended again.
Lin Huang moved.
His body shifted sideways.
The hammer slammed into the spear user's chest.
Both fighters collapsed across the arena floor.
The crowd roared.
"Did you see that?!"
"He used one against the other!"
The two remaining attackers reacted quickly.
One launched a burst of spiritual energy.
The other moved behind Lin Huang with a curved blade.
But Lin Huang didn't turn.
He simply stepped backward.
The curved blade sliced past his shoulder.
Then his elbow moved.
The impact struck the attacker's ribs.
The fighter flew across the arena.
The last remaining Star Luo combatant froze for half a second.
That was enough.
Lin Huang stepped forward once more.
His palm struck the opponent's chest.
The fighter slid backward several meters before collapsing.
Four attackers.
All down.
The entire sequence had taken less than ten seconds.
The stadium fell silent.
Then the noise exploded.
"He defeated four people alone!"
"That was insane!"
"Star Luo's formation collapsed instantly!"
Inside the Sun Moon observation chamber, Wu Feng laughed loudly.
"That was quick."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"He's still holding back."
Ji Juechen nodded once.
"Obviously."
Back on the battlefield, Xu Jiujiu watched the fallen members of her team calmly.
She did not panic.
In fact—
She smiled.
"Interesting."
Her Star Crown flared again.
Golden light spread across the battlefield.
The fallen fighters began standing up again.
The support energy of the Star Crown stabilized their injuries.
Not fully healed—
But able to continue.
Xu Jiujiu stepped forward for the first time.
Her eyes remained fixed on Lin Huang.
"You're stronger than I expected."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
Honghong shifted comfortably in his arms again.
Xu Jiujiu continued,
"But you're still suppressing yourself."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
He simply said,
"Maybe."
Xu Jiujiu's smile sharpened slightly.
"Then I'll just have to force you."
The Star Crown blazed with light.
Her team repositioned again.
A new formation.
A more aggressive one.
This time—
She would break his restraint.
One way or another.
The battlefield tightened.
Xu Jiujiu's formation closed like a net.
Four Star Luo fighters moved in perfect synchronization, each attack forcing Lin Huang to shift slightly in another direction.
Every step.
Every dodge.
Every block.
Was guiding him toward the exact position Xu Jiujiu wanted.
From the outside, the spectators could see it clearly now.
The battlefield had turned into a chessboard.
And Xu Jiujiu was moving the pieces.
Another strike came from the left.
Lin Huang leaned aside.
A blade swept toward his ribs.
He blocked.
The hammer user rushed forward again, forcing him backward.
Stone cracked beneath his feet.
Xu Jiujiu's voice rang calmly across the arena.
"Now."
Her command was simple.
But her team reacted instantly.
The spear user moved.
Not toward Lin Huang's body—
But toward his head.
The thrust was sharp.
Precise.
And timed exactly when Lin Huang shifted his weight to block the hammer strike.
For a split second—
His movement was restricted.
The spear struck.
Not flesh.
Metal.
Crack.
The sound was sharp enough to echo across the arena.
A fragment of Lin Huang's mask broke away and spun across the stone floor before sliding to a stop.
For half a second—
Everything froze.
The projection arrays reacted immediately.
The massive screens above the arena zoomed in.
And for the first time since the tournament began—
The masked captain of Sun Moon Academy was partially revealed.
A portion of his face appeared where the mask had split.
Long deep blue hair fell around his shoulders, shifting slightly in the wind that moved through the open stadium.
Strands framed a face that seemed almost unreal under the sunlight pouring from above.
His skin was pale and smooth, almost luminous beneath the arena light.
But the detail that captured every eye—
Were his eyes.
Crimson.
Not ordinary red.
A deep, vivid crimson with pupils slightly shaped like those of a fox.
Sharp.
Calm.
And strangely captivating.
Even with half the mask still covering his face, the presence surrounding him changed the atmosphere of the arena.
Not merely powerful.
But sovereign.
As if the battlefield itself naturally belonged beneath his feet.
For half a second—
The entire stadium was silent.
Then the reaction exploded.
"Wait—!"
"That's him?!"
"He looks—!"
"Is he even human?!"
Some spectators stared in disbelief.
Others leaned forward, trying to see more of the face hidden behind the broken mask.
A few younger spectators simply forgot to cheer.
The contrast between the terrifying strength displayed earlier in the tournament and the face revealed now was almost surreal.
In the Shrek observation section, the reaction was immediate.
Wu Ming blinked in surprise.
"…That's the masked captain?"
Ling Luochen narrowed her eyes slightly.
"So that's Lin Huang."
Chen Zifeng crossed his arms slowly.
"…Now I understand why everyone kept talking about him."
Xixi tilted her head, studying the projection screen.
"He's… surprisingly handsome."
Yao Haoxuan laughed loudly.
"That's not the part we should be worried about!"
But even he could not ignore the strange pressure that had filled the arena.
Han Ruoruo remained calm, her gaze fixed on Lin Huang.
"…His presence changed."
Dai Yaoheng, standing nearby, frowned slightly.
"…That aura."
The reaction from the Sun Moon observation section was far less composed.
Ma Xiaotao slammed her hand against the railing.
"LIN HUANG!"
Xu Tianzhen's face flushed instantly with anger.
"YOU IDIOT!"
Wu Feng stared at the screen.
"You actually let it break?!"
Ning Tian pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"…This is exactly what we were trying to avoid."
Meng Hongchen covered her mouth.
"Oh no…"
Long Xiaoyi sighed quietly.
"That's going to cause trouble."
Jiang Nannan looked slightly flustered as well.
Her voice was almost a whisper.
"…Everyone is looking now."
High above the arena, Lin Huang's family had a very different reaction.
His mother covered her mouth slightly.
But the expression in her eyes was unmistakable.
Amusement.
"Ah…"
"So that's how it happened."
Beside her, Lin Huang's father laughed openly.
"I told him that mask wouldn't last forever."
Lin Zhenyuan leaned back in his seat.
Then burst into loud laughter.
"That boy finally made trouble for himself!"
Back on the battlefield, Lin Huang stood still for a moment.
The broken fragment of the mask rested near his feet.
Honghong shifted slightly in his arms.
Her cerulean ears twitched as she looked down at the fallen piece of metal.
Then she looked up at his exposed face.
"…Hmph."
As if silently judging the situation.
Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
Then glanced toward the Sun Moon observation section.
Even from across the arena—
He could feel their reactions.
The anger.
The embarrassment.
The inevitable lectures waiting for him later.
He muttered quietly under his breath.
"…Yeah."
"I'm definitely getting yelled at when I get home."
Across from him, Xu Jiujiu watched carefully.
Her gaze moved across the portion of his face now visible beneath the broken mask.
For a brief moment—
Even she seemed slightly surprised.
Then her smile returned.
"So the mask really was important."
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"Very."
Xu Jiujiu nodded slowly.
"Well."
"At least I managed to break something."
The Star Crown above her head flared again.
Her team moved back into position.
But her gaze never left Lin Huang.
And now—
The curiosity in her eyes had grown stronger.
"Let's see what you do next."
The battlefield trembled slightly as her formation prepared to move again.
This time—
She intended to force him to reveal everything.
The battlefield trembled as Xu Jiujiu's formation prepared to move again.
This time—
She intended to force him to reveal everything.
Across the arena, the Star Crown above her head pulsed with golden light as her teammates repositioned around Lin Huang.
Their movements were still disciplined.
Still coordinated.
But the atmosphere had changed.
The mask was broken.
And now everyone in the stadium could see the calm crimson eyes watching the battlefield.
Xu Jiujiu raised her hand again.
"Continue."
Her team surged forward.
Three fighters attacked simultaneously while the fourth prepared a ranged strike from the rear.
A layered assault.
Designed to overwhelm.
Lin Huang didn't move at first.
Honghong shifted slightly in his arms, watching the approaching fighters with mild curiosity.
Then he sighed.
"You're really determined."
He bent slightly and placed Honghong gently on the arena floor.
The fox spirit looked up at him.
"…Hmph."
Then stepped back a few paces.
Her tails swayed slowly as she sat down to watch.
Lin Huang straightened again.
Xu Jiujiu noticed immediately.
The bracelets.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You're still restraining yourself."
Lin Huang glanced down at his wrists.
"…Yeah."
He raised his hands slowly.
Then pressed his fingers against the metal band.
Click.
The first bracelet unlocked.
And fell.
BOOM.
The impact shook the arena floor.
Cracks spread across the stone where the bracelet landed.
The crowd gasped instantly.
"What was that?!"
"That bracelet—!"
"How heavy is that thing?!"
Lin Huang removed the second bracelet.
Another metallic click.
Another fall.
BOOM.
The second impact shook the battlefield even harder.
Dust rose into the air.
Several Star Luo fighters hesitated instinctively.
Xu Jiujiu's eyes narrowed further.
Those were not ordinary suppressing tools.
He had been fighting with both spiritual and physical restraints.
Lin Huang rolled his shoulders slowly.
The pressure around him expanded.
Not violently.
But heavily.
Like the slow descent of a mountain.
Several weaker spectators in the stadium felt their breathing grow slightly heavier.
Inside the Shrek section, Ling Luochen leaned forward.
"…His aura just changed."
Wu Ming nodded.
"So that's what he was hiding."
Xu Jiujiu spoke calmly.
"You're still carrying something."
Her eyes moved downward.
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
He tapped his foot lightly against the arena floor.
"Those too."
He crouched slightly.
Then reached beneath the edge of his boots.
A metallic clink followed.
The first hidden weight dropped.
BOOOOM.
The arena floor cracked violently.
Gasps spread across the stadium.
"That's impossible!"
"How heavy are those?!"
The second weight followed.
BOOOOM.
Another shockwave rolled across the battlefield.
Dust rose from the shattered stone.
Now—
Lin Huang's posture had completely changed.
The heaviness in his movements was gone.
The subtle stiffness.
The restraint.
Everything had vanished.
He stretched his neck slightly.
Then looked toward Xu Jiujiu.
"Sorry about that."
The next moment—
He moved.
Not quickly.
Instantly.
His body appeared in front of one of the Star Luo fighters.
A palm strike.
The fighter flew across the arena like a cannonball.
Another step.
A kick.
The spear user was thrown completely out of the battlefield.
The third fighter attempted to block.
Too slow.
Lin Huang's elbow struck his chest.
The man collapsed.
The formation disintegrated within seconds.
Xu Jiujiu's eyes widened.
This wasn't just strength.
This was domination.
She raised her hand immediately.
The Star Crown exploded with golden light.
"Final formation!"
Her remaining teammates gathered around her.
A defensive array formed instantly.
Energy barriers layered together.
Support lines reinforced by the Star Crown.
A last defensive structure.
Lin Huang stopped several meters away.
For a moment—
He simply watched the formation.
Then he lifted one hand.
The air beside him distorted.
And something appeared.
A spear.
Long.
Dark.
Elegant in its simplicity.
But the moment it manifested—
The atmosphere changed.
A sharp presence spread across the battlefield.
The Intent of the Spear.
Inside the Shrek section, Wu Ming's eyes widened.
"…Weapon intent."
Ling Luochen nodded slowly.
"And strong."
Han Ruoruo's gaze sharpened.
"That's domain-level intent."
Lin Huang held the spear loosely in one hand.
Then he stepped forward.
The spear pointed ahead.
A deep dragon's roar seemed to echo through the arena.
Longwei.
Dragon might surged through the spear.
The pressure exploded.
The entire battlefield trembled.
Xu Jiujiu's pupils shrank.
"…Everyone!"
But it was already too late.
Lin Huang thrust the spear forward.
The motion was simple.
Direct.
But the intent behind it was overwhelming.
The air split.
The defensive barriers shattered like glass.
The formation collapsed instantly.
The shockwave surged upward—
Even the clouds above the stadium scattered.
For a moment—
It felt as if the heavens themselves had been pierced.
The spear stopped.
Less than an inch from Xu Jiujiu's face.
Her hair fluttered from the wind of the strike.
The entire arena was silent.
Lin Huang stood calmly before her.
The spear perfectly steady.
The meaning was obvious.
The strike could have continued.
But it didn't.
Xu Jiujiu exhaled slowly.
The Star Crown above her head dimmed.
"…I understand."
Her voice remained calm.
"You were never really playing the same game."
Lin Huang lowered the spear.
The overwhelming pressure faded.
The referee raised his hand.
"Star Luo Royal Academy is unable to continue!"
"Victory—Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy!"
The stadium exploded.
The projection screens updated instantly.
FINAL MATCH
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering AcademyvsShrek Academy
Honghong trotted calmly across the cracked arena floor and jumped back into Lin Huang's arms.
"…Hmph."
Lin Huang glanced toward the Shrek section.
Then toward the final bracket above the battlefield.
The last battle of the tournament awaited.