Elder Xuan saw that the teams had been divided and waved his hand.
"Alright, everyone, fall back and put some distance between you. Get ready to begin!"
The two teams quickly retreated, facing each other from a hundred meters away.
On Dai Yueheng's team, he immediately made a decision and said to Ji Jing, "Ji Jing, Ma Xiaotao is the strongest on the other side. Her Phoenix is incredibly domineering, so I'll leave it to you to control her!"
Ji Jing nodded calmly, saying nothing more.
On the other side, Ma Xiaotao's team quickly finished their pre-match discussion.
The moment the match began, the handsome Gongyang Mo lightly tapped his staff, and several glowing halos instantly settled over Ma Xiaotao.
At the same time, Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up. His invisible Spiritual Detection instantly spread across the entire field, clearly sharing every opponent's position and Soul Power fluctuations with each of his teammates.
"What is this..."
Ma Xiaotao's heart jolted. It was her first time experiencing this kind of battlefield awareness, as though she knew everything and could do anything. She couldn't help feeling utterly astonished by Huo Yuhao's ability.
This was practically a divine skill made for team battles!
With her confidence greatly boosted, Ma Xiaotao let out a clear cry. Blazing flames rose around her, and a Phoenix phantom appeared behind her. In an instant, she shot toward Dai Yueheng's team like a burning meteor.
She would use her full strength to take down the other side as quickly as possible!
However, before her fierce attack had even reached its midpoint, a sudden change occurred!
Ji Jing's expression remained indifferent as he raised his left hand and spread his fingers.
A cluster of flames ignited in his palm.
As he made a grasping motion, the Phoenix flames around Ma Xiaotao, which had been unstoppable just moments before, seemed to encounter their sovereign. They instantly went out of control, wrenching wildly toward Ji Jing's palm!
Ma Xiaotao felt as though an invisible shackle had clamped down on the Soul Power within her. The flames around her immediately died down. No matter how she tried to rouse them, the power of her Martial Soul seemed to have fallen asleep, completely suppressed and impossible to summon!
"How is this possible!"
Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes widened, her face filled with incredulous horror.
Watching from behind Ji Jing, Dai Yueheng felt a surge of delight.
He was immensely glad he'd made the right choice and brought this monster onto his side!
With their main threat, Ma Xiaotao, out of the fight, the battle instantly became one-sided.
"Attack!"
Dai Yueheng roared. He and Chen Zifeng, who was also in the Power Attack System, charged at the opposing formation from either side like tigers leaping down a mountain.
Ling Luochеn's ice element precisely congealed beneath the opponents' feet, slowing their movements.
Jiang Nannan became a streak of light and cut in from the flank.
Under Ji Jing's absolute suppression of her flames, Ma Xiaotao's team collapsed in an instant.
Gongyang Mo, Xixi, and the others fought with everything they had, but they still couldn't withstand the combined assault of Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Ling Luochеn, and Jiang Nannan.
The battle began quickly and ended even faster.
In what was practically a rout, every member of Ma Xiaotao's team lost the ability to fight.
Elder Xuan watched the outcome with a look of amazement, then announced, "Dai Yueheng's team wins! The losing team, carry out your punishment."
Ma Xiaotao was full of frustration and defeat, but Shrek had its rules.
She took a deep breath. Then, with her teammates, she blushed and shouted unwillingly, "I'm a pig!"
"I'm a pig!"
"I'm a pig!"
Afterward, Wang Dong glared at Ji Jing with her big powder-blue eyes, thinking to herself, When we get back to the dorm tonight, I'll make you pay!
During the subsequent sparring exercises, one indisputable fact became clear to everyone:
Whichever side Ji Jing was on, that side won.
No matter how Elder Xuan rearranged the teams in an attempt to balance their strength, the outcome was never in doubt.
Ji Jing displayed astonishing dominance on the battlefield.
Even when Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, the two strongest members of the Inner Court, gave it everything they had, they were no match for Ji Jing.
At Shrek Academy, strength was always the sole measure of everything.
Age didn't matter. Through one undeniable victory after another, Ji Jing naturally became the absolute core in the hearts of both generations of the Shrek Seven Devils present.
That night, after they returned to the dorm.
As soon as Wang Dong shut the door, she quickly changed back into a girl.
She stomped over to the bed, and while Ji Jing was off guard, shoved him onto it and climbed astride him.
"That's for embarrassing me! That's for making me yell that I'm a pig!"
She pouted as she swung her little fists, lightly pounding Ji Jing's chest.
Ji Jing didn't resist. With an exasperated smile, he raised an arm in a halfhearted attempt to fend her off, letting her vent her frustration.
It was just that the position was rather awkward...
Wang Dong suddenly froze. She immediately felt the unmistakable change.
A rush of heat shot from her neck straight to the top of her head. Her pretty face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she sprang off Ji Jing as if shocked, standing to one side, flustered and unsure what to do.
"You... you..."
She was so embarrassed that she could barely get the words out. A hint of panic showed in her beautiful eyes.
"You... what are you trying to do? Why... why are you doing this again..."
Ji Jing sat up, a little awkwardly, and spread his hands with a bitter smile. "Th-this isn't my fault..."
Wang Dong was embarrassed and angry. She blushed and huffed, then lifted her smooth, jade-like little foot and lightly kicked Ji Jing.
"You rascal! Go make dinner, or I won't talk to you for the rest of the day!"
Soon, Ji Jing had prepared a sumptuous dinner.
After they ate, Ji Jing went to the academy's public bathhouse to wash, while Wang Dong cleaned up the dishes and took care of her personal needs in the dorm.
When Ji Jing returned to the dorm, Wang Dong was already sitting cross-legged on the bed in a fresh set of pajamas.
They exchanged a smile, then sat down facing each other on the bed and pressed their palms together, beginning to cultivate.
The dorm was silent, save for their steady, unhurried breathing.
As Soul Power flowed through their bodies along the route of the Clear Sky Sect's secret technique, the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Ji Jing's consciousness slowly sank into his Sea of Consciousness.
It was a boundless golden ocean, calm and vast.
Ji Jing's spiritual consciousness hovered above its surface.
Rather than immediately cultivating his spiritual power as usual, he fell into deep thought.
He thought of Tang Ya, and of the trial his father had left for her.
"Father's purpose in testing Tang Ya is actually quite simple..."
Ji Jing murmured silently to himself.
"Just as the Seven Deadly Sins Gods once served under the God of Destruction, and the original Shrek Six Monsters stood beside Uncle Tang San, Father is choosing my future followers and testing who is worthy to follow me and ascend to the Divine Realm together."
"Those who are worthy will pass the test and be able to follow me in the future, gaining the chance to become gods and serve as my true right-hand men."
"Those who aren't worthy will naturally lose that opportunity. They can only follow the path of mortals on this continent, growing old and dying."
"Besides Tang Ya, there are plenty of others on this continent who have the potential to earn Father's recognition and qualify to become my future subordinates."
"We'll meet."
As for Huo Yuhao, Ji Jing wasn't too concerned about his future.
He was Tang San's chess piece.
Since Tang San hadn't interfered with Ji Jing, Ji Jing wouldn't interfere with Tang San.
Whatever the case, he and Tang San weren't enemies right now. At most, he'd annoy the old geezer a little—he wouldn't actually cross his bottom line.
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