Fourteen days passed quietly in Yuelan City.
For most people living in the territory of the Lin Clan, those two weeks had been completely ordinary.
Markets opened with the morning light.
Transportation routes carried workers and cultivators across the city.
The Institute of Fundamental Arts continued its research and training without interruption.
But for the guests who had come from Shrek Academy, those fourteen days had been anything but ordinary.
Because the place they had been allowed to cultivate in was something none of them had expected.
The training hall of Lin Huang.
The massive chamber was located beneath one of the central compounds of the Lin Clan.
From the outside it looked like an ordinary building.
But once someone stepped inside, the difference became obvious immediately.
The interior space was enormous.
Far larger than the building above suggested.
Multiple layers of formations covered the walls and floor, their runic patterns faintly glowing as they continuously regulated the environment within the hall.
And at the center of the chamber—
A lake.
Not a natural one.
A Soul Power Lake.
The surface of the lake shimmered faintly with dense spiritual energy, releasing a thin mist that slowly spread throughout the hall.
The fog itself was made of condensed soul power.
Every breath taken inside the chamber felt like inhaling cultivation resources.
Wu Ming stood near the edge of the lake, staring down at the shimmering water.
"…Your clan built a lake out of soul power."
Her tone sounded half amazed, half offended.
Chen Zifeng scratched the back of his head.
"How much money did this cost?"
Xi Xi crouched down beside the water, poking the mist with one finger.
"It feels like cultivation energy."
Ling Luochen closed her eyes briefly.
The spiritual environment in the hall was unlike anything she had experienced before.
Her mind felt unusually clear.
Thoughts flowed more smoothly.
Perception felt sharper.
"…This environment improves mental clarity."
She murmured quietly.
"That makes perception of energy easier."
Ning Tian nodded slowly.
"The formations must be regulating both spiritual density and mental stability."
Nearby, Yao Haoxuan exhaled slowly as he stabilized his cultivation.
"…Even breathing here feels like cultivation."
Han Ruoruo leaned slightly against one of the pillars.
"No wonder everyone here is so strong."
The six Shrek students exchanged glances.
They had already been cultivating inside the hall for several days.
And the results were obvious.
Their cultivation speed had increased dramatically.
Even their perception of energy and combat techniques had improved.
Meanwhile, across the chamber, another figure sat quietly beside the Soul Power Lake.
Huo Yuhao.
His eyes were closed as he carefully circulated the soul power within his body.
The past two weeks had brought tremendous changes for him.
Not only had he completed his first soul contract, but the stability of his cultivation had improved dramatically after training inside the hall.
The energy circulating through his meridians grew steadier with each breath.
Lin Huang stood a short distance away, watching calmly.
"Your control improved."
Yuhao slowly opened his eyes.
"…Really?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"You're close."
Yuhao blinked.
"Close to what?"
"Rank 20."
The boy froze.
"…Already?"
Lin Huang crossed his arms.
"The contract stabilized your foundation."
"With the environment here, breaking through soon is normal."
Yuhao looked down at his hands quietly.
Two weeks ago, the idea of reaching Rank 20 had still felt distant.
Now it suddenly seemed much closer.
Nearby, Wu Ming overheard the conversation.
She turned toward Lin Huang.
"Wait."
"You're telling me he's about to reach Rank 20 already?"
Lin Huang shrugged.
"Probably."
Chen Zifeng looked at Yuhao again.
"…You're kidding."
Xi Xi tilted her head curiously.
"You're progressing faster than most academy students."
Yuhao scratched his head awkwardly.
"…I'm just following the method Lin Huang showed me."
Wu Ming groaned dramatically.
"Of course you are."
"Why does everything around you turn ridiculous?"
Lin Huang ignored the complaint.
Instead, his gaze moved briefly toward the entrance of the hall.
Huo Yun'er was not present.
Han Ruoruo noticed.
"Where is she?"
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"She went out earlier."
"To form contracts for her soul rings."
Wu Ming blinked.
"Already?"
"Her foundation is rebuilding."
Lin Huang said simply.
"She needs the rings to stabilize her new martial soul."
Ling Luochen glanced toward him thoughtfully.
"Those eyes…"
The memory of the transformation two weeks earlier still lingered clearly in everyone's minds.
The pain.
The overwhelming surge of power.
And the strange aura that had emerged afterward.
Even now, none of them fully understood what kind of martial soul Huo Yun'er had awakened.
But they knew it was something extraordinary.
Meanwhile, Yuhao remained silent.
His fists slowly tightened.
He remembered clearly what his mother had endured to take that pill.
The pain.
The blood.
The trembling of her body as her martial soul reconstructed itself.
A quiet determination settled deeper in his heart.
I have to become stronger.
So mother never needs to suffer like that again.
Across the chamber, Lin Huang watched the boy quietly.
He didn't say anything.
But he understood that look very well.
The hall remained calm for a moment.
Then—
A heavy pressure suddenly descended from the far side of the chamber.
The spiritual mist above the Soul Power Lake stirred violently.
Wu Ming's head snapped upward.
"…What was that?"
Chen Zifeng turned toward the training platform across the hall.
At the center of the platform stood Lin Huang.
But the aura around him had changed.
Dark pressure spread across the chamber like a rising tide.
Touki.
Han Ruoruo's eyes widened slightly.
"…He's training again."
Nearby, Ji Juechen had also been standing quietly near one of the pillars.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
Because he could feel something unusual forming in Lin Huang's aura.
Something new.
Something deeper.
The pressure of blood and power began gathering around him.
The next stage of Lin Huang's cultivation was about to reveal itself.
The pressure spreading through the training hall grew heavier.
It was not soul power.
Not exactly.
Those who had cultivated with Lin Huang long enough could immediately recognize the difference.
It was Qi and Blood.
A deep, primal force.
The energy of the body itself.
The mist rising from the Soul Power Lake trembled as Lin Huang stepped onto the training platform in the center of the hall.
His breathing slowed.
The circulation of power inside his body shifted.
Deep within his meridians, the massive flow of Qi and Blood began accelerating.
The power that had been quietly stabilizing over the past fourteen days finally reached a critical point.
A low pulse echoed through the chamber.
Thump.
Not a sound.
More like a vibration.
Ji Juechen's eyes narrowed immediately.
"…His heartbeat."
It was far too loud.
Far too powerful.
Each pulse of Lin Huang's heart sent waves of Qi and Blood spreading outward through his body like a controlled explosion.
Han Ruoruo frowned slightly.
"That pressure…"
Ning Tian nodded slowly.
"It's not soul power."
The air around the platform grew denser.
Then suddenly—
A ring of crimson light appeared briefly around Lin Huang's body.
The seventh Qi & Blood soul ring.
Unlike normal soul rings, it did not appear outside his body.
Instead, it manifested internally as a condensed cycle of vitality circulating through his meridian network.
The moment the ring stabilized, the flow of Qi and Blood inside his body transformed.
The pressure around him changed.
What had once been wild, overwhelming force became something far more refined.
More controlled.
More dangerous.
Wu Ming blinked.
"…Did he just break through again?"
Lin Huang slowly opened his eyes.
The crimson aura around him pulsed once before stabilizing completely.
His voice was calm.
"The seventh Qi & Blood soul skill."
Chen Zifeng scratched his head.
"…You have separate soul skills for your body now?"
Lin Huang shrugged.
"Different systems."
He flexed his fingers slowly.
The Touki surrounding his body shifted.
The energy that once appeared as a dark, oppressive aura now carried something else within it.
Two different presences intertwined.
One ancient.
One elegant.
The Dragon Essence.
And the Kitsune Essence.
The fusion of both forces within his Touki had fundamentally changed its nature.
The aura around him felt sharper.
More refined.
Yet also far more oppressive.
Ma Xiaotao whistled softly.
"…That pressure got worse."
Qiu'er smirked slightly.
"He refined it."
Lin Huang raised one hand slowly.
The Touki condensed instantly around his palm.
Dense.
Controlled.
Then he spoke.
"ALL Crash."
He moved his hand forward slightly.
No explosion followed.
No visible attack.
But the moment the condensed Touki left his palm—
The air itself seemed to fracture.
A section of the training barrier in front of him collapsed inward as if the structure of the energy protecting it had been dismantled piece by piece.
The protective formation flickered violently before stabilizing again.
Wu Ming's eyes widened.
"…What the hell was that?"
Ling Luochen stared at the damaged barrier carefully.
"…The energy didn't explode."
She whispered.
"It collapsed."
Ji Juechen stepped forward slightly.
His sharp eyes studied the platform with intense focus.
"The structure of the attack was dismantled."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"That's the idea."
Chen Zifeng looked confused.
"You broke the formation?"
Lin Huang shook his head.
"I broke the structure of the energy."
The difference was enormous.
Instead of overpowering a technique through brute force—
ALL Crash disassembled the internal structure of the energy itself.
Barriers.
Attacks.
Techniques.
Anything built from energy could theoretically collapse under that pressure.
Ma Xiaotao leaned forward with interest.
"So you just… break things?"
Lin Huang shrugged.
"More or less."
He raised his hand again.
This time the Touki condensed far more densely.
The aura around the platform darkened.
Dragon pressure mixed with the elegant, terrifying presence of the kitsune essence.
The combined force made the air itself feel heavy.
Even the Shrek students felt the difference.
Han Ruoruo crossed her arms slowly.
"That aura…"
Ning Tian nodded.
"The qualitative change is obvious."
The Touki was no longer just raw pressure.
It carried lineage now.
Dragon authority.
Kitsune elegance.
The fusion created something entirely new.
Xi Xi tilted her head.
"…That feels like two completely different creatures."
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"That's because it is."
He released the energy.
The Touki dispersed instantly.
The pressure inside the hall disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
For a moment, the chamber fell completely silent.
Then Wu Ming rubbed her forehead.
"…I hate training with you."
Chen Zifeng laughed.
"Yeah."
"Every time we see you fight it feels like the rules of cultivation change again."
Ji Juechen remained silent.
His eyes were still fixed on Lin Huang.
Because he had noticed something else entirely.
The precision.
The control required to dismantle energy like that was enormous.
Not brute force.
Not speed.
But perfect understanding of structure.
And that realization sparked something deep within his mind.
His sword intent stirred faintly.
Lin Huang glanced at him briefly.
He noticed.
But said nothing.
Instead, he turned slightly toward the far end of the hall.
His voice remained calm.
"Now that the seventh skill is stable…"
He flexed his fingers again.
"…I can finally focus on the mind."
The pressure from Lin Huang's Qi and Blood gradually faded.
The training hall returned to its normal state, though the mist rising from the Soul Power Lake still drifted slowly through the air.
Most of the Shrek students were still staring at the platform.
Wu Ming rubbed her forehead again.
"…I'm starting to think this place breaks people."
Chen Zifeng laughed.
"You mean him?"
Wu Ming pointed at Lin Huang.
"Yes."
"That one specifically."
Ma Xiaotao smirked.
"You get used to it."
But Lin Huang had already moved away from the center of the platform.
The breakthrough of the seventh Qi & Blood soul skill had been important.
Yet for him, that had not been the main objective of the past fourteen days.
He stepped down from the platform and walked toward the edge of the Soul Power Lake.
The mist of condensed soul power brushed against his clothes as he stopped beside the water.
His eyes closed slowly.
Inside his spiritual sea, something entirely different was happening.
Unlike the physical circulation of Qi and Blood…
The mental world followed completely different rules.
Deep within his spiritual sea floated a radiant structure.
His Spiritual Soul Core.
It rotated slowly, releasing waves of pure mental energy that spread across the vast internal space of his mind.
And inside that core—
A small figure stood quietly.
A perfect mental construct.
The Mental Avatar.
The avatar looked identical to Lin Huang, but it existed entirely within his consciousness.
The moment Lin Huang focused on it, the avatar opened its eyes.
Mental energy surged.
The surrounding space of his spiritual sea expanded like an endless horizon.
Outside, the changes in Lin Huang's mental state were subtle.
But those with sharp perception still noticed it.
Ling Luochen frowned slightly.
"…His aura changed again."
Ning Tian nodded.
"It feels… clearer."
Ji Juechen narrowed his eyes.
The pressure this time was not physical.
It was something more refined.
More difficult to grasp.
Lin Huang's voice sounded calm when he spoke.
"The mind is slower than the body."
"But it evolves differently."
Wu Ming raised an eyebrow.
"…What does that mean?"
Lin Huang opened his eyes.
"The Psychic Soul Rings."
He raised one hand slightly.
Invisible ripples of mental energy spread through the training hall.
Nothing exploded.
Nothing cracked.
Yet everyone present suddenly felt something strange.
Their thoughts slowed for a brief moment.
Not because their minds were weaker—
But because Lin Huang's mind had accelerated far beyond theirs.
He spoke again.
"The first ability."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Mental Simulation."
Inside his spiritual sea, the Mental Avatar moved instantly.
An entire battlefield appeared within the mental space.
Techniques.
Energy structures.
Combat models.
All simulated instantly.
Possible outcomes calculated.
Energy flows analyzed.
Everything happened in a fraction of a second.
Outside the spiritual sea, Lin Huang exhaled slowly.
"It allows me to simulate combat scenarios."
Chen Zifeng blinked.
"…You can predict fights in your head?"
Lin Huang shrugged.
"More or less."
Wu Ming stared at him.
"That's cheating."
Ma Xiaotao laughed.
"Completely."
Lin Huang ignored them.
"The second ability."
His voice remained calm.
"Mental Acceleration."
The mental avatar inside his spiritual core moved again.
This time the entire internal world accelerated.
Thoughts multiplied.
Calculations expanded.
What normally took seconds could now occur in fractions of time.
Lin Huang explained simply.
"It speeds up thinking."
Xi Xi tilted her head.
"For fighting?"
"Not only."
Lin Huang replied.
"It helps analyze techniques."
"And create new abilities."
Ling Luochen nodded slowly.
"That would help with understanding laws."
"Exactly."
Lin Huang continued.
"The third ability."
"Mental Multitasking."
Inside the spiritual sea, the Mental Avatar split its focus.
Multiple processes ran simultaneously.
Combat simulation.
Energy analysis.
Technique construction.
All happening at once.
But the effort required was enormous.
Lin Huang spoke calmly.
"It allows different thoughts to operate independently."
"But it consumes mental energy."
Ning Tian folded her arms thoughtfully.
"That would be extremely useful for researchers."
Lin Huang nodded.
"It is."
Then he paused briefly.
"The fourth ability."
His voice lowered slightly.
"Mental Avatar."
Inside the Spiritual Soul Core, the small figure of the avatar raised its hand.
Energy structures appeared around it.
Weapons.
Techniques.
Soul skill models.
The avatar manipulated them as if training in a separate world.
Lin Huang opened his eyes again.
"It exists inside the Spiritual Soul Core."
"And it allows me to practice techniques mentally."
Ji Juechen's eyes sharpened.
"You can train without moving."
Lin Huang nodded once.
"Exactly."
The training hall fell silent for a moment.
The implications of such an ability were enormous.
Ma Xiaotao whistled.
"…Your brain is basically another cultivation room."
Wu Ming groaned.
"This is ridiculous."
But Ji Juechen remained completely focused.
Because he realized something deeper.
If Lin Huang could simulate techniques, accelerate thoughts, and train inside his mind—
Then his rate of improvement would be terrifying.
Ling Luochen spoke quietly.
"The Psychic Soul Rings enhance your brain martial soul."
Lin Huang nodded.
"They also improve perception."
His gaze drifted briefly toward the Soul Power Lake.
"The clearer the mind…"
"…the easier it becomes to understand laws."
Outside, the mist over the lake continued drifting slowly across the hall.
And inside Lin Huang's spiritual sea, the Mental Avatar continued moving quietly.
Simulating.
Analyzing.
Creating.
Preparing for the next step of his cultivation.
The training hall gradually calmed after Lin Huang finished explaining the structure of his psychic abilities.
The mist above the Soul Power Lake returned to its gentle flow, and most of the Shrek students slowly resumed their cultivation.
Yet Lin Huang did not remain in the hall for long.
There was another place he had spent much of the past fourteen days.
The Herb Garden.
Located slightly outside the main training district of the Lin Clan territory, the herb garden was far larger than it appeared from the outside.
Rows of spiritual plants stretched across carefully maintained fields.
Some glowed faintly with spiritual energy.
Others carried delicate fragrances that spread through the air.
Above the soil, faint formations pulsed gently, regulating the flow of vitality throughout the garden.
The moment someone stepped inside the area, the difference in the environment became obvious.
The land itself felt alive.
Tang Ya stood among the rows of plants, her Blue Silver Emperor vines extending quietly across the soil.
The vines did not grow aggressively.
Instead, they moved carefully between the roots of the plants, distributing vitality and stabilizing the surrounding energy.
Nearby, Bi Ji stood beside a large wooden table covered with books.
Medical diagrams.
Meridian charts.
Notes about vitality circulation.
Several scrolls describing rare spiritual herbs were also spread across the table.
Bi Ji had been studying almost constantly over the past two weeks.
Not only the comic Lin Huang had drawn earlier—
But actual medical theory.
Human anatomy.
Energy circulation within meridians.
She turned a page slowly.
"The meridian network is far more complex than most people think."
Tang Ya looked up from the plants.
"That's why most healers only focus on surface injuries."
Bi Ji nodded.
"But vitality energy can influence the entire body."
She pointed at one of the diagrams.
"If applied precisely, it can stimulate recovery, stabilize organs, or even disrupt energy circulation."
Tang Ya smiled slightly.
"That sounds more like combat than healing."
Bi Ji returned the smile.
"Sometimes they are the same."
At that moment, Lin Huang entered the garden.
The moment he stepped onto the soil, the surrounding plants reacted slightly.
Not violently.
But the vitality circulating through the land seemed to respond faintly to his presence.
Tang Ya noticed immediately.
"You're back from the training hall?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"The seventh Qi & Blood skill stabilized."
Bi Ji closed one of the books.
"And the psychic abilities?"
"Stable."
Lin Huang replied calmly.
He glanced briefly at the diagrams spread across the table.
"You've been busy."
Bi Ji nodded.
"I'm trying to formalize the system."
Tang Ya leaned against one of the wooden posts nearby.
"We've been discussing new professions."
Lin Huang raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Tang Ya gestured toward the surrounding fields.
"Spiritual plants require careful management."
She continued,
"Most cultivators harvest herbs without understanding how they grow."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"That wastes resources."
"Exactly."
Tang Ya smiled.
"So we're developing a new auxiliary profession."
She spread her arms toward the fields.
"Spiritual Gardener."
Bi Ji added calmly,
"Someone trained to cultivate, stabilize, and enhance spiritual plants."
Lin Huang looked across the garden.
The vitality flowing through the soil.
The carefully arranged formations.
The Blue Silver Emperor vines maintaining balance between the plants.
"…That makes sense."
Bi Ji spoke again.
"And another profession."
Lin Huang glanced at her.
"Spiritual Doctor."
She tapped the anatomical diagram.
"A healer who understands vitality, meridians, and the structure of the body."
Tang Ya smirked slightly.
"Basically someone who can fix people."
Bi Ji shook her head gently.
"More than that."
She placed her hand on the diagram again.
"Someone who can guide vitality."
"Restore balance."
"And if necessary…"
Her eyes grew slightly sharper.
"…disrupt it."
Lin Huang crossed his arms.
"You're building an entire medical system."
Bi Ji nodded.
"Yes."
Tang Ya leaned forward slightly.
"And both professions connect directly with cultivation."
Lin Huang looked around the garden again.
Spiritual plants growing under Tang Ya's guidance.
Vitality flowing through the soil.
Bi Ji studying the structure of the human body.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he spoke quietly.
"…Interesting."
Tang Ya raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Lin Huang's gaze moved slowly across the garden.
Then toward the distant fields beyond the clan compound.
"These systems…"
He paused briefly.
"…nurture life."
Bi Ji studied his expression carefully.
"You're thinking about the Divine Trial."
Lin Huang nodded.
The memory of the emerald rune left by the Goddess of Life stirred faintly within his spiritual sea.
The first trial had never been about power.
It had always been about life.
Protection.
Growth.
Balance.
Lin Huang looked down at one of the small plants growing beside the table.
Then he spoke calmly.
"If these professions develop properly…"
"…they may be part of the solution."
Tang Ya blinked.
"The solution?"
Lin Huang simply smiled faintly.
"To the first trial."
The wind moved gently across the herb garden.
The plants swayed softly in the breeze.
And for the first time since receiving the divine trial, Lin Huang could finally see the outline of the path ahead.
The training field behind the Lin Clan territory stretched wide beneath the afternoon sky.
It was normally used for large-scale sparring and high-level combat training.
But even so—
Most battles held here did not carry the kind of pressure that now filled the air.
At the center of the field stood two figures.
Lin Huang.
And the Snow Empress.
The moment their auras touched, the environment began reacting.
Frost crept slowly across the ground around Xue Di.
Meanwhile faint cracks spread beneath Lin Huang's feet as the pressure of his Touki pushed outward.
Two completely different forces.
Two completely different concepts.
Yet neither side retreated.
At the edge of the battlefield, the Shrek students watched with full attention.
Wu Ming folded her arms.
"…Remind me again why this is considered sparring."
Chen Zifeng scratched his head.
"I think they forgot the meaning of the word."
Xi Xi leaned forward with excitement.
"This is amazing!"
Ling Luochen said nothing.
Her gaze remained fixed on the two figures in the center of the field.
Meanwhile Ji Juechen stood slightly apart from the others.
His focus was absolute.
Because what he was about to witness might change his understanding of sword intent entirely.
Xue Di moved first.
Her body disappeared like drifting snow.
A sword of condensed ice appeared in her hand as she crossed the battlefield in an instant.
Her blade fell.
A clean, perfect arc.
The frozen slash cut through the air with terrifying precision.
Lin Huang did not step back.
Instead—
His fist moved forward.
Black lightning erupted around his arm.
Kokusen.
The compressed strike collided directly with the incoming sword energy.
The explosion shattered the frozen slash into fragments of ice and distorted air.
The ground beneath them cracked violently.
Wu Ming jumped.
"…What kind of punch is that?!"
Xi Xi stared with wide eyes.
"He's punching sword attacks again!"
But Lin Huang was already moving.
Another step.
Another strike.
Kokusen.
The black shockwave tore across the battlefield.
Xue Di's sword flashed again.
Ice and black energy collided violently.
A second impact ripped through the air.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
Lin Huang's fists moved like thunder.
Kokusen.
Kokusen.
Kokusen.
Each strike carried compressed destructive force.
The air itself distorted as the blows crossed the battlefield.
Even the frost covering the ground shattered under the repeated impacts.
Chen Zifeng stared in disbelief.
"…He's throwing those punches like normal attacks."
Ma Xiaotao grinned widely.
"He improved them."
Qiu'er crossed her arms with a faint smile.
"Much stronger than before."
Suddenly—
Lin Huang's aura changed.
The Touki around his body condensed sharply.
Dragon authority and kitsune elegance intertwined within the dark energy.
The pressure grew heavier.
Then the energy gathered into his hand.
The air trembled.
A weapon formed.
A long spear constructed entirely from condensed power.
The Sovereign Armament.
Kokusen.
Touki.
Longwei.
Spear Intent.
All four forces fused into a single weapon.
Wu Ming narrowed her eyes.
"…That spear again."
Chen Zifeng nodded slowly.
"He used it during the tournament."
Xi Xi leaned forward.
"But it looks… different now."
Ling Luochen spoke quietly.
"The intent inside it is much stronger."
Ning Tian studied the weapon carefully.
"The structure is far more stable too."
Across the battlefield, Xue Di's eyes gleamed.
"Good."
Her sword aura sharpened instantly.
The blade in her hand hummed faintly.
A new presence emerged.
Sharper.
More absolute.
Months of cultivation within the Lin Clan territory had allowed her to refine her understanding of weapon intent.
Now the sword in her hand carried something deeper.
The Apex of Sword Intent.
Ji Juechen froze.
His pupils shrank.
"…That's it."
The peak.
The path he had been searching for.
Even Zhang Lexuan and Wu Feng felt their own weapon intentions stir slightly in response.
Across the battlefield, Lin Huang lowered his stance.
The Sovereign Armament aligned perfectly with his body.
Xue Di raised her sword.
The air between them grew heavier.
Sword intent.
Spear intent.
The invisible clash of wills distorted the air around them.
Wu Ming took a step back.
"…Why does it feel like the air is fighting?"
Qiu'er smirked slightly.
"Because it is."
Then suddenly—
Lin Huang glanced briefly toward the spectators.
His gaze landed on Zi Ji.
He sighed dramatically.
"I'm not giving Zi Ji the satisfaction of beating me again."
He stretched his shoulders casually.
"One domestic beating was enough."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Ma Xiaotao burst out laughing.
Meng Hongchen nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Even Xue Di's lips curved slightly.
Zi Ji slowly narrowed her eyes.
"…You want to repeat that after the fight?"
Lin Huang looked away.
"…No."
The tension across the battlefield rose again.
The playful moment vanished.
Across the field—
Xue Di's sword lifted.
Lin Huang's spear lowered.
The pressure of their power climbed higher and higher.
The surrounding air trembled violently.
Even the defensive formations beneath the field began glowing faintly.
Both of them understood something now.
This exchange had already reached its limit.
The next clash would not remain at the level of techniques.
It would rise to something greater.
Something far more destructive.
The threshold of domain expansion had already been crossed.
The moment the pressure between Lin Huang and Xue Di reached its peak—
Reality bent.
A violent surge of power erupted across the battlefield as both of them released their domains at the same time.
The ground cracked.
Frost exploded outward across the field as Xue Di's power surged.
Her Domain of Absolute Ice expanded like a frozen storm.
Snow began falling from the sky.
Massive crystalline blades formed in the air around her, each radiating terrifying cold.
The temperature across the battlefield plummeted instantly.
The grass froze.
The soil hardened.
Even the air itself felt heavy with frost.
At the edge of the battlefield, Wu Ming shivered violently.
"…That's not normal ice."
Ling Luochen spoke quietly.
"It's absolute ice."
Her eyes remained fixed on Xue Di.
"The purity of that element is terrifying."
Meanwhile—
Lin Huang stepped forward.
His domain unfolded.
Unlike the violent storm of ice surrounding Xue Di, his domain expanded with overwhelming pressure.
Dark waves of Touki spread outward like an expanding tide.
Dragon authority.
Kitsune elegance.
Dominion.
The moment the domain spread across the battlefield, the frozen ground beneath his feet shattered under the pressure.
The two domains collided.
Ice against sovereignty.
Cold against domination.
The impact tore across the battlefield like thunder.
A massive shockwave erupted outward.
The ground exploded.
Frozen earth shattered.
The air distorted violently.
And then—
Space itself fractured.
Thin black voids opened briefly between the two domains before sealing again.
Xi Xi gasped.
"…Did space just tear?"
Ji Juechen answered quietly.
"Yes."
"…Their domains are colliding with too much power."
Xue Di moved first.
Her sword flashed through the frozen storm.
The blade carried the absolute focus of the Apex of Sword Intent.
But something else was happening as well.
Inside the storm of ice—
A faint red glow appeared.
Tiny sparks flickered within the frozen air.
Ma Xiaotao blinked.
"…Is that fire?"
Ling Luochen's eyes widened slightly.
"…Impossible."
But it was real.
When ice reached its absolute extreme—
Its opposite naturally appeared.
Just as Electrolux once described.
The concept of fire began forming within Xue Di's domain.
Not strong.
Not yet stable.
But present.
Xue Di herself noticed it.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
Her sword cut forward.
A frozen blade of absolute cold tore through Lin Huang's domain.
But at that moment—
Lin Huang's eyes changed.
His spiritual sea trembled.
Inside the Spiritual Soul Core, the Mental Avatar moved instantly.
And then—
Lin Huang activated it.
Infinite Void.
The battlefield seemed to freeze for a moment.
Xue Di felt it immediately.
Information flooded her perception.
Endless streams of awareness.
Energy flows.
Spatial distortions.
Conceptual pressure.
Her reaction slowed.
Not because she was weak—
But because the sudden overload of information disrupted her focus.
Even a moment of hesitation was enough.
Lin Huang moved.
The Sovereign Armament dissolved.
And then—
Hundreds of spears appeared behind him.
Dark weapons formed from condensed energy and intent.
An entire storm of weapons filled the sky.
Unlimited Blade Lance.
Wu Ming stared upward.
"…What the hell is that?"
Chen Zifeng swallowed.
"…That's not normal."
The sky above the battlefield filled with weapons.
Each spear carried Kokusen.
Touki.
Longwei.
Spear intent.
The storm of weapons descended.
The spears rained down across the battlefield like a falling army.
Xue Di reacted instantly.
Her sword flashed again.
Frozen blades erupted upward.
Ice collided with spear energy.
The battlefield exploded with destruction.
The ground collapsed under the barrage.
Entire sections of the training field shattered.
The defensive formations beneath the soil ignited with blinding light as they struggled to contain the damage.
Yet even with the formations active—
The environment continued breaking apart.
Large craters formed across the battlefield.
Chunks of frozen earth were blasted into the sky.
Even space itself flickered repeatedly as thin voids opened and closed around the battlefield.
At the edge of the field, Chen Zifeng took a step back.
"…This is insane."
Ji Juechen said nothing.
His eyes were locked on the battlefield.
Because the clash of spear and sword intent was reaching something deeper.
Then suddenly—
Both domains surged again.
Lin Huang's aura changed.
Inside his domain, multiple elemental forces began merging.
Lightning.
Wind.
Soul.
Light.
Darkness.
Creation.
Destruction.
They did not fuse completely.
But under the influence of the Law of Domination, they partially aligned.
A terrifying pressure filled the battlefield.
Even Xue Di felt it.
"…You advanced."
Lin Huang said nothing.
But the power gathering in his hand told the answer.
A spear formed again.
But this time—
The weapon felt heavier.
Stronger.
The surrounding space trembled under its existence.
The Lance of Heavenly Judgment.
The partially fused elements amplified the power of the attack dramatically.
At the same time—
Xue Di's sword gathered the full power of her domain.
Absolute ice.
Sword intent.
And the faint awakening of fire within the extreme cold.
Her blade descended.
Lin Huang thrust the spear.
The two ultimate attacks collided.
The explosion shook the entire battlefield.
The ground collapsed inward.
Frost and shattered stone blasted across the sky.
Massive spatial voids opened above the battlefield before sealing again.
For several seconds—
Nothing existed but light and destruction.
Then slowly—
The energy faded.
The battlefield was almost unrecognizable.
The once smooth training field had become a massive crater of shattered ice and broken earth.
At the center—
Two figures still stood.
Xue Di lowered her sword slowly.
Her breathing was steady.
"…A draw."
Lin Huang let the spear dissolve into fragments of energy.
"…Looks like it."
At the edge of the battlefield, the Shrek students stood in stunned silence.
Wu Ming spoke first.
"…You people need a bigger training field."
Ma Xiaotao laughed loudly.
Even Xue Di smiled slightly.
Meanwhile Ji Juechen remained completely still.
Because in that final clash—
He had seen it.
The direction of the true peak of sword intent.
And his path forward had finally become clear.