Wu Feng's face flushed crimson with desperation. Waves of heat from her Fire Dragon churned wildly around her, but no matter how hard she strained, she could not break free of the layers of blue strands.
At that moment, she looked like an incompetent bodyguard powerless to protect her master, frantic yet utterly helpless.
This was a team match, and her task was to protect Ning Tian, their support. But now she was bound fast, with no way to go back and help.
She turned furiously toward Nanmen Yun'er beside her and snapped:
"We're being pinned down! We have to find a way to break free, fast!"
Nanmen Yun'er's face instantly went pale, her eyes filled with anxiety.
With both front-line fighters firmly trapped, Ning Tian was stranded in the rear without help. As Chen Jie raced toward her, the situation teetered on the brink of disaster.
Seeing Chen Jie charging toward her, Ning Tian panicked. She had no means of defending herself and could only stumble backward in alarm, barely keeping her footing.
The cauldron's crushing pressure bore down on her. A powerful surge of soul power slammed into Ning Tian, making her shudder violently. The soul power inside her plunged into chaos, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovering in the air rapidly dimmed before vanishing altogether.
Ning Tian's legs gave out, and she landed heavily on the ground. She could no longer fight, and every enhancement she had given her teammates abruptly ceased.
"Miss!"
Seeing Ning Tian defeated, Wu Feng's eyes reddened with desperation, and fury surged through her. She poured every ounce of strength into her martial soul. The phantom Fire Dragon swelled abruptly, unleashing wave after wave of searing flames as she desperately burned the blue hair binding her.
Beside her, Nanmen Yun'er was beside herself with panic. She could only grit her teeth and drive her Fire Bird martial soul onward. She beat her flaming wings with all her might, trying to burn through the hair and escape, but she lacked the strength. Her efforts barely helped.
Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo remained calm, perfectly in sync.
The sisters exerted themselves together, their pale-blue hair whipping wildly in the wind. Countless strands wound around their opponents in overlapping layers, weathering the scorching flames by sheer force and tightening further and further.
A soft light flashed as their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Heavenly Net, activated.
A vast blue net descended from overhead, scooping up Wu Feng, who was still struggling desperately, and Nanmen Yun'er, who could no longer resist. Fierce flames kept searing the mesh, but the hair drew tighter and tighter, gradually sealing off the channels through which the two circulated their soul power.
After they struggled for some time, the flames gradually died. Wu Feng was bound fast by the hair, her face filled with defiance, yet she could not move a muscle. Nanmen Yun'er had exhausted her strength as well and remained firmly trapped. All three opponents had lost the match.
After watching the entire fight, Teacher Mu Jin announced, "Chen Jie's team wins this round."
The surrounding students began murmuring among themselves. None had expected this much-anticipated match to end in such a decisive victory.
The remaining students then completed their matches group by group, and soon the entire class's assessment was over.
Teacher Mu Jin swept his gaze over everyone and said evenly, "The practical assessment is over. Class dismissed."
Just as everyone was about to return to the classroom, he added, "Everyone else can go back. Chen Jie, stay behind. Come to my office in a moment."
Everyone dispersed, and Chen Jie followed Teacher Mu Jin to the teachers' office.
The office was quiet, with several desks arranged neatly and numerous Soul Master Academy files and notebooks resting on them. Teacher Mu Jin reached back to close the door, then turned around. His gaze settled on Chen Jie, his expression stern.
"Tell me why you were late this morning. Earlier, you said you were helping someone recover. That sounds like a lie."
Looking helpless, Chen Jie answered honestly, "Teacher, I wasn't lying. A young married woman suddenly fainted, so I used my soul power to stabilize her condition. I stayed until she recovered and I was sure she was all right. Only then did I hurry to the classroom."
Teacher Mu Jin sat behind his desk and quietly studied him. Rather than pressing the matter of his lateness, his gaze grew sharp and intent.
"I'll set aside your lateness for now. But during that match, I noticed something very strange."
He stared fixedly at Chen Jie and said slowly:
"Your cultivation is only in the thirties, so normally you should only be able to bear three soul rings. Yet just now, I clearly saw an additional white soul ring on you, shrunk to an extremely small size."
His expression remained calm after he finished speaking. He had already worked it out, and he looked at Chen Jie as he asked:
"Chen Jie, you have twin martial souls, don't you?"
Chen Jie knew perfectly well that his exposure just now had been no accident. He had deliberately shrunk that soul ring, leaving a faint trace for Teacher Mu Jin to notice. He wanted to use this match to draw his teacher's attention and lay the groundwork for his later plans.
At that thought, the corners of Chen Jie's mouth dipped slightly. He put on an expression of stunned disbelief, acting as though his secret had been abruptly exposed and he had never seen it coming.
Watching his startled reaction, Teacher Mu Jin considered for a moment before continuing with a hint of curiosity:
"During the fight, I only saw you use the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron's soul skills. I didn't see the soul skill associated with that white soul ring. What does it do?"
Chen Jie did not answer. With a thought, he activated that soul skill directly. A wave of spiritual power spread silently outward and instantly flowed into Mu Jin's mind.
In an instant, a complete panoramic view appeared in Mu Jin's consciousness. The office, the corridor, the courtyard downstairs-every sight and moving figure within range lay fully exposed, as though he had gained a god's-eye view of the entire area.
Mu Jin jolted, his pupils suddenly contracting. Disbelief filled his face, while delighted surprise flooded his heart. He had never imagined that such an extraordinarily gifted genius would emerge from his own class.
"This... this kind of detection ability is practically a divine skill!"
Chen Jie withdrew his spiritual power and said evenly, "That's only the surface level of its detection. There are deeper capabilities I didn't share with you just now."
Mu Jin's delight grew, and a trace of anticipation entered his gaze as he looked at Chen Jie. Reining in his curiosity, he leaned forward and asked, "Then what does that deeper level of detection do?"
Chen Jie swept his gaze over him and grinned. "Teacher, you're wearing purple lace underneath today. I never expected you to have such a naughty side beneath that reserved exterior."
Mu Jin's cheeks instantly burned, a blush spreading across his face. He hurriedly pulled his outer robe closer by reflex, then glared at Chen Jie, embarrassed and angry. "You little brat! Don't talk nonsense!"
His outer robe covered the clothing beneath it completely. Under normal circumstances, there was no way anyone could see it. Mu Jin was deeply shaken. He had never expected this soul skill's detection to reach such an extent.
He felt another jolt of shock and thought to himself, If he can see mine, doesn't that mean he can see through everyone else's too...?
Before you continue