A sudden gale swept through, and the ground across the entire Shrek training field trembled faintly.
More than a dozen students across from them released their Martial Souls in unison. Soul Rings of every color rose into the air, and the offensive, agility, support, and control types each took their positions. Clearly, they had coordinated briefly and planned to surround the six members of Shrek with overwhelming numbers, crushing them by force.
In everyone's eyes, this was a tough battle of many against few.
Dai Mubai's expression turned stern as he fully unleashed his White Tiger Martial Soul. Three Soul Rings—yellow, purple, and purple—revolved around him. His fierce tiger claws swept up a gust that tore through the air as he stepped forward first, standing at the very front. "Everyone, hold formation! I'll take the front!"
Oscar instantly activated his Sausage Martial Soul, quickly conjuring two boosting sausages. "Strength boost, speed boost! Everyone, grab one!"
Ma Hongjun spread the flaming wings on his back. Faint Phoenix Flame rose around him, its scorching heat washing over them as he prepared to provide fire support from a distance.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's palm gleamed, brilliant golden light instantly spilling over everyone.
"Strength boost! Speed boost! Soul Power boost!"
The three overlapping boosts settled firmly over the group, instantly raising the spirits of Dai Mubai and the others to their peak. The girl's gaze instinctively darted toward Lin Chen, behind and to the side, making sure he was safely within the range of her boosts. Only then did she quietly let out a breath of relief.
At some point, the security she felt in team battles had stopped coming solely from Dai Mubai's strength and Tang San's steadiness. It also came from this seemingly ordinary youth, who always silently covered everyone's backs.
Xiao Wu lightly touched her toes to the ground. Her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul remained at the ready as she nimbly retreated half a step, settling not far from Lin Chen's side.
The others took it for an ordinary adjustment in formation. Only the two of them knew the truth: this was Xiao Wu's instinctive reliance on him, a close protection no one else could see. Her eyes remained fixed on Lin Chen from the corner of her gaze. No matter how chaotic the battle became, as long as he stood there unharmed, she felt utterly at ease.
Zhu Zhuqing's figure became a cool black shadow as her Nether Civet Martial Soul possessed her. Every line of her body tensed, and purple-black Soul Rings revolved close to her as she prepared to slip through and flank the enemy.
But at the instant she moved, her cool eyes also flicked quickly toward Lin Chen.
The warmth of his secret protection, when he had pulled her from yesterday's desperate predicament, still lingered in her heart. She had never believed in kindness without reason, but Lin Chen's help had never come with demands or showmanship. He had even deliberately erased all trace of it, so that her pride need not suffer and she need not thank him.
That restraint was something no one else at Shrek possessed.
The battle erupted in an instant!
Several offensive Soul Skills thundered toward them. Earth shields, wind blades, and fireballs swarmed in a dense barrage, sealing off every avenue of escape for the six.
Dai Mubai bore the brunt of the attack. His tiger claws met several Soul Skills head-on, and his blood and energy churned faintly as his shoulder went numb. There were simply too many opponents, and their Soul Power flowed on without end. The crushing pressure of their numbers was already becoming apparent.
"Zhuqing, flank them and take out their support!" Dai Mubai shouted.
Zhu Zhuqing sprang forward, bursting into a flash of extreme speed. Like a black shadow, she streaked diagonally toward the two support Soul Masters in the enemy's rear ranks.
But just as she was about to break through the line, two control-type Soul Masters suddenly closed in from either side. Two vines shot out with Entanglement, while an Ice Seal Soul Skill cut off her path in advance!
It was a trap!
The others had already figured out Zhu Zhuqing's high-speed assault style. They had deliberately left an opening to lure her in, then planned to surround and trap her in an instant!
Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed at the edge of the field. He was already prepared to step in, call a halt, and point out her mistake.
Everyone was certain Zhu Zhuqing's charge had failed—and that she might even be forced to retreat from the battle with injuries.
Only Lin Chen's eyes remained calm.
Just as the Ice Seal Soul Power was about to wrap around Zhu Zhuqing's waist and the vines were about to bind her limbs—
A wisp of imperceptible, transparent Soul Power swept soundlessly over the two control Soul Skills, like a breeze passing by.
There was no earth-shaking spectacle, no Soul Power spilling out.
Only the faintest change occurred, too slight for anyone to notice: the Ice Seal's trajectory shifted by half an inch, and a knot in the Entanglement vines quietly loosened.
Zhu Zhuqing, racing forward at high speed, knew nothing of what had changed behind her. She only sensed, by instinct, that a fatal gap had suddenly appeared in what should have been an inescapable blockade.
Her gaze sharpened. Her superb battle instincts kicked in as she twisted her body to the limit, narrowly avoiding every control skill. Like a ghost, she pierced through the line and reached the enemy support Soul Masters in an instant!
Two Nether Claw shadows flashed past, cleanly breaking the enemy's support buffs.
Everyone saw only Zhu Zhuqing's astonishing maneuver and breathtaking technique. No one noticed that someone in the shadows had quietly eased her out of a deadly trap.
Zhu Zhuqing landed and turned to the side, but something stirred in her heart.
Something was wrong.
That blockade had been airtight. With her speed, she should never have been able to escape. The opening in that instant had been too strange to be mere coincidence.
She instinctively looked back. Her gaze pierced through the chaotic melee and settled once more on Lin Chen at the rear of the formation.
The youth still stood where he was, relaxed in posture and calm in expression, as if he had simply watched in silence the entire time without making the slightest move.
But deep in her cool, proud heart, a huge wave rose for the first time.
Once was coincidence, twice was chance, but if it happened every time... then it could not be unintentional.
Just how much was this seemingly ordinary, reserved youth hiding?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield.
Ning Rongrong was pouring all her attention into maintaining her boosts, her brilliant glazed light flowing without end over the entire team. So focused was she on sustaining them that she failed to notice an agility-type Soul Master slip around the main fight and quietly approach through the swirling dust!
A sharp claw aimed straight for the opening in Ning Rongrong's back. It moved with incredible speed, and the attacker was already less than three feet away!
Support Soul Masters were weak in close combat. If one was caught by surprise at close range, all their boosts would vanish in an instant, and the whole team's formation would collapse.
The students at the edge of the field cried out in alarm. Dai Mubai couldn't get back in time!
Ning Rongrong panicked at the warning and instinctively tried to dodge, but she couldn't interrupt her Martial Soul's support. Her body could not move even an inch, and her pretty face instantly paled.
At the critical moment!
Once again, Soul Power flowed soundlessly.
Lin Chen stood where he was, his hands hanging at his sides, not so much as lifting a fingertip. His expression did not change in the slightest.
Only within his soul did the source power of Star Hidden Grass quietly unfurl. An exceedingly thin, completely transparent barrier of Soul Power instantly enveloped Ning Rongrong.
A faint hiss—
The subdued impact was completely drowned out by the roar of battle.
The swift claw struck the invisible barrier. Eighty percent of its force was gently dispersed in an instant, and the remainder didn't even ruffle Ning Rongrong's hair before scattering into nothing.
The student who had launched the sneak attack froze, bewildered. He had no idea why his sure-kill strike had failed out of nowhere.
Ning Rongrong felt a faint chill across her back, but it was gone in a flash, and calm returned. The danger had vanished for no apparent reason.
Still shaken, she turned and scanned the area. The battle was chaotic, everyone was fighting, and no one was paying special attention to her—much less coming to her aid.
Yet her sensitive heart clearly caught the fleeting sense of safety and protection.
For reasons she couldn't explain, she looked straight at Lin Chen again.
The youth still stood there calmly, as if nothing concerned him. His gentle features were placid and serene.
But Ning Rongrong's cheeks warmed despite herself, and that soft, tingling feeling spread through her heart once more.
She couldn't put the feeling into words. She only knew that whenever she was in danger and at a loss, some unseen force would quietly protect her. And the source of it all seemed always to be that gentle, modest youth who never fought for attention.
Her panic and timidity faded away, replaced by a deep sense of security and a secret delight.
She lightly bit her lower lip, her gaze lingering on Lin Chen, unwilling to turn away. The hazy affection in her heart had finally taken root and begun to bloom.
The battle raged on.
Even after twice quietly covering for the others, Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged, his mind as still as water.
His gaze swept calmly across the field, seeing through every opponent's remaining Soul Power, residual strength, and follow-up attacks.
To keep the fight from dragging on and drawing too much of Zhao Wuji's attention, and to give his teammates a chance to sharpen their teamwork, Lin Chen stopped making small, scattered corrections. He was going to decide the match with a hidden hand.
He casually took two steps, landing at the most delicate point in the team's formation.
The power of Star Hidden Grass spread completely, threading through the air without a sound and winding around every Soul Skill his teammates used. It subtly corrected their trajectories, strengthened their power, and covered their flaws.
The next moment—
The power of Dai Mubai's White Tiger Intense Light Wave quietly surged, smashing through all the enemy's defenses head-on;
Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame precisely engulfed the enemy cluster, sealing off every escape route;
Xiao Wu seized the opening and rushed in with her Soft Technique, controlling two of the enemy's main fighters in an instant.
Every attack flowed smoothly, every move linking perfectly without the slightest flaw.
The team battle, which had been at a stalemate, instantly turned into a one-sided rout!
In just three breaths, more than a dozen students on the opposing side were defeated and suppressed. Their Martial Souls were forced back, and not one of them remained standing.
The noisy battlefield fell silent at once.
After a moment of absolute stillness, waves of astonished exclamations broke out.
"Too strong! Their teamwork is unbeatable!"
"They were outnumbered, and they still won so easily!"
"Boss Dai and Zhuqing's charges, Rongrong's boosts, and Xiao Wu's control—it's like they're one flawless whole!"
Everyone marveled at the six members of Shrek—their coordination and strength. No one knew that the rhythm of the entire battle, its offense and defense, its outcome, had been controlled from beginning to end by Lin Chen, the least conspicuous member of the team, with a single hand in the shadows.
Zhao Wuji nodded, his eyes full of approval. "Excellent teamwork awareness. Your transitions between offense and defense, and your coverage of one another's openings, are nearly flawless. Keep it up!"
Everyone relaxed and exchanged smiles.
Only the three girls—Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—had very different feelings. Once again, their gazes converged on the youth standing calmly at the back of the group.
Xiao Wu's eyes held gentle understanding and affection. She knew Lin Chen's restraint better than anyone and knew how much of his strength and tenderness he hid to protect them all.
Ning Rongrong's eyes held a hazy, growing affection. Her thoughts were full of the youth's quiet tenderness. Her fondness had taken root, and an unspoken flutter had begun to stir within her.
In the depths of Zhu Zhuqing's cool eyes, delicate ripples finally spread. Suspicion and distance faded away, leaving only complete trust in this mysterious youth—and a secret concern for him.
Three different feelings quietly fermented in the breeze after the battle, secretly intertwining.
Lin Chen accepted their gazes without concern. His expression remained gentle and composed, and he still looked as ordinary as ever, lost among the crowd.
Currents stirred beneath the surface, his sharpness hidden in the shadows.
The game deepened, and hearts pledged themselves in secret. The storm had yet to arrive, but he already stood within the game, in control of every twist and turn ahead.
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