"Match, begin!"
The moment the referee's voice faded, Lei Dong's third spirit ring flared to life.
"Third Spirit Ability, Thunder Web!"
*Crackle!*
Lei Dong slammed his right hand onto the ground. Instantly, a web of blue-purple lightning shot out from his palm. Instead of spreading out in all directions, he focused its power, retracting the unnecessary parts and channeling it into a single, reinforced net. It surged across the arena floor directly toward Ye Yin, who was standing in the center of Shrek's formation, and enveloped him completely.
As the electric net closed in, Yu Tianxin transformed into a bolt of lightning, his own spirit rings flashing as he charged forward. The other five members of Thunder Academy scattered like smaller lightning strikes, each one moving to intercept a specific member of the Shrek team: Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Tai Long, and Huang Yuan. Thunder Academy was known for its ferocious and aggressive attack style, and this was them at their most violent.
Everything happened in an instant. Their tactical execution was flawless.
"We did it!" the members of Thunder Academy thought, a wave of excitement washing over them.
A collective gasp went through the audience.
"So fast!"
"Ye Yin is trapped!"
"Yu Tianxin is about to hit him!"
In the VIP section, Bishop Salas's eyes gleamed with intense interest. Beside him, Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe both felt their chests tighten with anxiety. Even Shui Bing'er, watching from her team's rest area, had a thoughtful look on her face, silently scolding herself for not thinking of a similar strategy sooner. If she had managed to trap Ye Yin in ice, he never would have had the chance to use his strange abilities. But she had used a Martial Soul Fusion Skill and still failed. Of all the Five Element Academies, Thunder Academy now seemed the most likely to finally defeat Shrek.
But then, enveloped by the crackling electric net, Ye Yin did something that left everyone completely stunned. He showed no sign of panic or struggle. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes.
As countless tiny arcs of electricity crawled over his body like snakes, making sizzling sounds, and as the intense, numbing power of the lightning swept through him, Ye Yin's expression didn't show pain. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying it, as if he were feeling extremely comfortable. It was as if he wasn't caught in a deadly lightning trap but was receiving a perfect electric massage from a master masseuse.
"Mmm, that feels good," a low, satisfied sigh escaped his lips.
That sound reached Yu Tianxin's ears as he charged forward with all his might, and it hit him like a lightning bolt. *What's happening?! He isn't afraid of lightning? He's enjoying it!*
Yu Tianxin's pupils contracted in shock.
Ye Yin casually stretched his shoulders and offered a smile to Lei Dong, whose face was pale from the immense spirit power he was using to maintain the net.
"Nice technique. It's quite comfortable, thank you," Ye Yin said casually. "You could use a little more force, though. I can take it."
Lei Dong stared in disbelief, nearly coughing up blood from the shock. *Comfortable?! You're calling the spirit ability I'm risking my life to maintain 'comfortable'? And you're thanking me? Keep acting tough! You'll change your tune when the captain is done with you!*
[Resentment from Lei Dong +99!]
"Xiao Wu, Zhuqing!" Ye Yin called out calmly.
In a flash, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, who had been engaged with their opponents from Thunder Academy, broke away and reappeared in front of Ye Yin. Both of them possessed skills that allowed for instantaneous movement, so they could rush to his side to protect him at a moment's notice.
Xiao Wu swung the jade pestle in her hand directly at Yu Tianxin's head. At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing's third spirit ring lit up, and she and two clones attacked Yu Tianxin from three different directions. The tables had turned instantly; Yu Tianxin, who thought he was ambushing Ye Yin, was now the one who was surrounded.
"Captain!" the other Thunder Academy members cried out in alarm, especially the two who had failed to stop Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
Yu Tianxin let out a furious roar as his third, second, and fourth spirit rings lit up in quick succession.
"Third Spirit Ability, Wrath of the Thunder God! Second Spirit Ability, Thunderous Might! Fourth Spirit Ability, Blue Lightning Dragon Swift!"
His third ability, Wrath of the Thunder God, was a powerful enhancement skill that boosted his lightning attacks and his spirit power by one hundred percent. His second and fourth abilities were both powerful lightning strikes, and by using them together, he could surround himself in a storm of electricity. This would block a significant amount of damage and could even seriously injure Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
But Yu Tianxin had only one target: Ye Yin. He knew that even if he dealt with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, they would lose the moment Ye Yin used one of his abilities. He was prepared to sacrifice himself to take Ye Yin out of the fight.
Ignoring the attacks coming at him, he directed the furious storm of lightning straight at Ye Yin. "Ye Yin, it's over for you!"
Just as the attack was about to hit, Ye Yin's body shifted slightly to the side. The countless bolts of lightning merely grazed his sleeve, leaving a small smudge on his clothes.
"What?!" Yu Tianxin and Lei Dong's eyes went wide with disbelief. "How is that possible?!"
In the next moment, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's attacks slammed into Yu Tianxin. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground, severely injured.
"Captain!" the rest of Thunder Academy screamed.
Lei Dong roared at Ye Yin, his voice filled with shock and confusion. "How can you still move?! That's impossible! You were trapped by my Thunder Web, and you didn't use any spirit abilities to break free! How did you do it?!"
Ye Yin rolled his eyes at him. "How do you know I didn't use any skills? I cast them on all my teammates before the match even started. Everyone has strong lightning resistance and control resistance now. Your little web was never going to work on me. You'd need to make it at least ten times stronger to even have a chance of slowing me down."
[Resentment from Lei Dong +99!]
Lei Dong felt another wave of rage and frustration wash over him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?!" He felt like a complete clown who had been played from the very beginning.
"Since you've all had your turn," Ye Yin announced with a grin, "I guess it's my turn now!"
An extremely ominous feeling bloomed in the hearts of every member of Thunder Academy.
Seeing the look on Ye Yin's face, the injured Yu Tianxin tried to shout, "Thunder Academy surren—"
Before he could finish, Ye Yin clapped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. "Trying to run away after putting on such a big show?"
Ye Yin's fourth spirit ring flashed. "Fourth Spirit Ability, Mental Curse!"
A black light shot from his hand and entered Yu Tianxin's body. The effect of the curse was simple: as long as Yu Tianxin was on the stage, he would uncontrollably believe that a goddess with the most beautiful legs in the world was hidden somewhere in the arena. He would feel an overwhelming urge to find her immediately, at any cost, and offer her his most sincere praise.
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