"Do you think strength alone is enough?"
He growled, trying to retaliate, but the attacks never ceased—not a single second to catch his breath. Each strike landed at a different interval, like an unbreakable rhythm.
Finally, at the breaking point, he collapsed to the ground, gasping. His breaths were ragged, his face a mix of fury and disbelief. He hadn't expected her to force him to his knees.
And the worst part… deep down, he sensed this wasn't even her full power.
Dai Mubai rallied his strength, limbs trembling from exhaustion. Blood dripped from his body, but his expression refused surrender. Defeat loomed over him, yet he knew this battle wasn't over. As he panted, an unfamiliar energy gathered around him. The instinct of a wild tiger awakened—and with it, an old, vengeful hunger.
"I can't give up now…" he whispered, as if convincing the soul within his body to erupt once more.
He looked at Zhuqing, standing meters away, her eyelids heavy but still alert. A thread of fear crept into him—not fear of her final blow, but of her demeanor: calm, deliberate, as if this weren't just a battle but a test of something greater.
She watched him like he was part of her trial, as though pushing him to shatter the limits he'd accepted.
"You didn't think I'd lose this easily, did you?" Dai Mubai said, his voice dripping with defiant pride.
Then, as if answering himself, he stretched his arm toward the sky. The tiger within him had finally decided to reveal its full might.
In an instant, his body blazed with a deep golden light. Energy pooled in his hands, muscles swelling unnaturally, even his nails sharpening into iron-like claws.
"If you think speed is all that matters, you're wrong," he roared, the echo of his voice filling the air. "Now I'll show you true strength!"
He advanced again, his body dancing with the energy radiating from him. But this time, his movements were fiercer, more focused—like a starved tiger locking onto prey.
Zhuqing observed. She knew this moment was the tipping point, but what she saw wasn't reckless aggression—it was her opponent's transformation.
This fight wasn't just a clash of strength, but of philosophies, of ways of life and thought. He'd surrendered to instinct, to the beast within… yet a flicker of something else in his eyes unsettled her.
Their energy blades collided again, light and darkness meeting in a destructive flash. Dai Mubai's counterattack was fiercer than ever, a visceral struggle between controlled power and raw abandon.
But Zhuqing didn't fear strength. She studied it.
She stepped back, vanishing into the air—but this time, instead of three afterimages, a fourth phantom held the truth. She struck from an unexpected angle, slipping past his defenses with precision.
Dai Mubai fell again, but now his face held more realization than pain.
"You're not fighting… you're teaching," he whispered, as if the words tumbled out once the truth dawned.
Zhuqing stood before him, and in that moment, he understood: this battle wasn't about strength, but something deeper—understanding oneself.
Their breaths grew ragged, blood seeping from both their bodies, with no room left for retreat. Both were on the verge of collapse, yet their resolve refused to break.
Dai Mubai staggered to his feet, energy draining from his legs, his face streaked with sweat and blood. He felt the limits of his power fading, but he wouldn't yield. Regret gnawed at him, yet his pride screamed louder—demanding he prove, to her and himself, that he was still strong, even broken.
As Zhuqing watched his every move, something strange stirred in her. It wasn't the challenge driving her now, but another layer to the duel. She studied not just his body, but his soul. She knew when it was time to end it.
In a flash, Zhuqing lunged with unbelievable speed—like light piercing darkness. She didn't strike Dai Mubai directly but sought the final gap, the point that would shatter his resolve.
She leapt, landing atop him with lightning grace, her palm striking his chest gently—yet it was the decisive blow.
His inner energy faltered, his strength crumbling before her strike. Her hand carried more than force—it carried wisdom, understanding, the truth he'd known in his core.
Dai Mubai dropped to his knees, panting in agony, as Zhuqing stood before him. Her gaze fell to the ground, as if pondering something deeper. She'd won the fight, but her victory wasn't about physical strength.
"You've surpassed your limits," she said softly, voice brimming with certainty. "But you haven't surpassed yourself yet."
He screamed, as if his heart couldn't bear the weight:
"Why? Why now?!"
Zhuqing stepped forward slowly, her footsteps heavy but unshaken. Her face held no triumph—only finality. Her eyes held no hatred, only clarity, like someone freed of a lifelong burden.
"Because I waited too long," she said, her voice gentle yet sharp as a blade.
Then she turned to the crowd and declared, voice ringing:
"I announce the annulment of my engagement to Dai Mubai—before the Academy and the world.
I, Zhu Zhuqing, am free from the clan's chains!"
Silence gripped the arena. Even the wind stilled, as if honoring the moment. No one moved. No one spoke. Her words were beyond refutation, beyond denial.
Then—applause.
It began with Yu Tian: slow, soft, but unwavering. Others followed. Students, teachers, alumni… The clapping wasn't mockery but reverence. Not praise for the fight, but respect for the courage to break free.
In a corner of the arena, the Grandmaster watched with eyes that had witnessed countless battles—yet rarely one so weighted. He shook his head slowly and said nothing.
Today at Shrek Academy… was a day none would forget.