"Finally, it's appeared, huh?"
Shui Wuhen sat atop a massive block of ice, beneath which the previously boastful Ma Hongjun was frozen solid. At this moment, Ma Hongjun's expression was comically close to death, completely stripped of his earlier arrogance.
As for the nearby members of Shrek Academy, although they noticed Ma Hongjun was restrained by Shui Wuhen, not a single one dared to come to his aid. Oscar and Ning Rongrong, in particular, immediately ran in the opposite direction, leaving the area around Ma Hongjun almost instantly deserted. They weren't foolish; even if they were just support roles, not even Dai Mubai or Tang San could save Ma Hongjun, and they might even put themselves in danger trying.
Shui Wuhen stroked his chin, glanced at the ten-meter-tall Nether White Tiger, then looked toward Shui Bing'er, muttering, "Now, little sister, how are you going to handle this?"
Even the weakest Spirit Fusion Techniques allow a Spirit Master to fight across a whole tier of strength, and a renowned Spirit Fusion like the Nether White Tiger was far stronger.
Currently, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were both just over level forty. The Nether White Tiger formed by their fusion could, for a short time, possess the combat power of a Peak Spirit King. Of course, this power couldn't last long, but for Shui Bing'er, who was only at Spirit Sect level, it was a massive threat.
"Roar!!!"
The Nether White Tiger appeared, its figure flashing into a streak of light, charging directly toward Shui Bing'er and the others.
In this critical moment, Shui Bing'er's mind was exceptionally calm. Without hesitation, she activated her third spirit skill: Resisting Ice Ring.
As Shui Bing'er's third spirit ring lit up, a circular, repulsive ice-blue shockwave erupted around her. The ice-blue ring expanded rapidly and collided with the Nether White Tiger just a few meters away.
A shocking scene unfolded: the once-dominant, seemingly invincible Nether White Tiger was blasted backward twenty to thirty meters by the ice-blue shockwave. Shui Bing'er had successfully defended against the Nether White Tiger's attack with her Resisting Ice Ring.
Boom—
The crowd erupted in astonishment. In previous matches, Shrek's Nether White Tiger had left a deep impression, seemingly capable of overcoming any obstacle. Yet now, it had failed.
In the stands, Feng Xiaotian looked at Shui Bing'er with a hint of surprise. "It's similar to Huowu's Resisting Fire Ring."
Huowu's Resisting Fire Ring could repel attacks or Spirit Masters up to ten levels below her. Judging by Shui Bing'er's effect, it was at least as strong as Huowu's technique.
"This is interesting. The Nether White Tiger is powerful, but it won't last long." Feng Xiaotian smiled faintly, keeping his attention on the arena.
Elsewhere, Huo Wushuang observed the scene and smiled at her sister. "Looks like Shui Bing'er's spirit skill is even stronger than yours."
"Pfft~~" Huowu sneered. "It's just because her level's slightly higher than mine. If I were level forty-six, I could repel the Nether White Tiger too."
"You'd better stop wasting time on Feng Xiaotian. If you focused on training instead, you'd already be beyond level forty-one." Huo Wushuang's remark left Huowu speechless. Ever since encountering Feng Xiaotian, her sister had completely changed, thinking about him all day, even letting her training lag behind.
And yet she still wanted to compete with Shui Bing'er? The age difference alone made that impossible, and Shui Bing'er's level was higher. No contest.
"Hehe~" Sensing the situation, Huowu made what she thought was a cute face, trying to charm her way out. But staying away from Feng Xiaotian? Impossible. That would never happen in her lifetime.
Huo Wushuang, seeing his sister make that face, shivered slightly, his gaze filled with a mix of annoyance and disdain.
"Roar!!!"
On the arena, the Nether White Tiger, after being repelled, paused in confusion, then charged again at Shui Bing'er.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't believe it. This was their royal family's ancestral Spirit Fusion Technique—the Nether White Tiger. How could it fail to breach a Spirit Sect's defense?
Yet, it was once more repelled by Shui Bing'er's Resisting Ice Ring, unable to get close.
At that moment, all eyes on the Nether White Tiger turned thoughtful. This was Shrek's ultimate move, their hidden trump card. And yet, a single third spirit skill from Shui Bing'er had countered it. From a tactical perspective, Shrek had suffered a serious loss.
"Dai, Zhuqing, you can't keep this up." Tang San, having broken free from Shui Bing'er's ice, shouted toward the Nether White Tiger. "Attack Shui Wuhen! As long as we replace him, we won't lose!"
As a Spirit Fusion, the Nether White Tiger had limited duration. If it wasted all its energy on countering Shui Bing'er's Resisting Ice Ring, Shrek would lose their final chance of victory.
Upon hearing Tang San, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing reacted quickly, controlling the Nether White Tiger to charge toward Shui Wuhen.
"Brother, be careful!" Shui Bing'er warned. Though her Resisting Ice Ring could repel the Nether White Tiger, its raw power was undeniable. A normal Spirit King couldn't match it. She wasn't worried about her brother's strength, but she feared he might get hurt—and she would be heartbroken if he did.
At that moment, the Nether White Tiger became a streak of light, reaching Shui Wuhen and raising its right paw to strike heavily.
Shui Wuhen, watching the charging Nether White Tiger, remained completely calm.
"Hmm~~"
In the next instant, a freezing blue beam descended from above, striking the Tiger's right paw.
In an instant, the right paw froze solid, ice spreading rapidly until the entire arm was encased. The Tiger's speed slowed drastically. Taking advantage of this, Shui Wuhen stood, lightly leaping, and vanished from sight.
The Nether White Tiger's right paw, carried by momentum, slammed down heavily onto the massive ice block beneath Shui Wuhen.