Douluo: Martial Soul of Lightning

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Lin Jie was already awake and had arrived at a secluded forest clearing.

There, Ning Rongrong was already waiting for him.

"Lin Jie, you're here!" she said excitedly, throwing herself into his arms. Without a word, she kissed him.

Lin Jie didn't resist. Seeing her so affectionate, he gently embraced her soft, delicate figure and returned her kiss.

A moment later, Lin Jie released her with a smile. "Missed me that much?"

"Mhm! I wish I could be with you every day," Ning Rongrong replied sweetly, completely unashamed. She was bold—at least when it was just the two of them. Lin Jie actually found that part of her quite charming.

"All right. We've got all the time in the world, but this isn't the moment for that. The sun's almost up—we should begin," Lin Jie said, lightly pinching her smooth, lychee-like cheek.

"Hehe, got it~"

Together, the two of them leapt onto a thick tree branch and sat facing each other cross-legged.

Both closed their eyes and began cultivating. Time passed quietly, and soon, the first rays of dawn began to break over the horizon.

As the sun rose, both Lin Jie and Ning Rongrong opened their eyes.

"Rongrong, let's start cultivating the Purple Demon Eye," Lin Jie said gently.

"Mm." Ning Rongrong nodded.

For the past few days, the two had made a habit of waking before sunrise to cultivate together—specifically to practice the Purple Demon Eye.

This was Lin Jie's idea. The best time to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye was at dawn, when the rising sun emitted faint traces of purple energy. The technique required drawing in that ambient purple qi to temper the eyes.

Lin Jie had discovered that his inner pink energy would automatically gather the surrounding purple qi during his cultivation. But at times, it drew in more than he could absorb—so he came up with the idea to train alongside Ning Rongrong.

As the sun crested the horizon, that ethereal purple qi began to spread. Lin Jie activated the Purple Demon Eye, and as expected, the pink energy in his body began drawing in strands of purple qi like a magnet.

Had anyone been watching closely, they would have seen those wisps of purple energy streaming through the air like silk, gently converging around Lin Jie and Ning Rongrong.

After a short while, the sun rose higher into the sky, and the purple qi dissipated. Lin Jie and Ning Rongrong opened their eyes simultaneously.

Their gazes met, and a soft smile appeared on both of their lips.

When Lin Jie first began training the Purple Demon Eye, it had taken him several days just to get started, and even more time to reach the first stage, Microscopic. He had thought himself quite the prodigy—until Ning Rongrong started practicing with him.

That's when he realized he'd been wrong.

This mischievous girl was a true cultivation genius. She'd entered the introductory level on the very first day, and by the fourth day had already reached the early stage of Microscopic. It had scared Lin Jie half to death.

If Tang San knew that Ning Rongrong was a natural-born talent in cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, would he regret trading techniques with her?

Of course, the early stages progressed quickly—but the further one went, the harder it became.

Since starting, Ning Rongrong's spiritual power had increased by leaps and bounds. Her multitasking control ability was becoming more and more refined by the day.

After they finished cultivating, Lin Jie was about to suggest heading back, but Ning Rongrong wasn't ready to return yet. They finally had some time alone—how could she waste it?

Still seated on the thick tree branch, Ning Rongrong leaned into Lin Jie's embrace. After holding him for a moment, she tightened her grip around his waist and gently kissed him again.

Seeing her so proactive, Lin Jie responded in kind, holding her close as they shared another quiet, tender moment.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a golden glow on the pair locked in an embrace. If anyone had passed by, they might have said—

"What a perfect pair... a golden boy and jade girl."

Not long after, Lin Jie finally brought Ning Rongrong back to the academy. After breakfast with the others, the Shrek team headed for the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.

Once Liu Erlong finished the registration process, the team learned who their next opponent would be—and everyone was immediately fired up.

Most excited were Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, who looked like they couldn't wait another second to get into the ring.

This round's opponent wasn't another elemental academy.

It was... Canghui Academy.

Yes—that Canghui Academy. The very same whose teacher, Shi Nian, had once tried to use despicable tricks against them. Unfortunately for him, he'd chosen the wrong targets.

There were still thirty minutes before their match. Since Shrek wasn't the first to compete today, they made their way to the spectator stands to watch the earlier matches.

Upon finding seats, they sat together. Even though there were plenty of people nearby, none dared sit too close.

As a result, Shrek Academy sat conspicuously isolated, standing out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

In the Spirit Master world, strength was everything—and Shrek's performance in this tournament had already made them famous.

Especially Lin Jie, with his ten-thousand-year Spirit Ring. More than a few fangirls in the crowd were gazing his way with sparkling eyes.

As they chatted softly among themselves, Ma Hongjun turned to Lin Jie. "Hey, Lin Jie, let me fight in the next match, okay? I promise I won't use my fourth spirit ability! I really wanna beat the crap outta those guys."

"Nope. Hold it in, Fatty," Lin Jie said, shaking his head.

"Ugh... but I really, really wanna go!" Ma Hongjun groaned, covering his face dramatically.

"Haha, don't worry. I'll beat them so bad they'll wish they never got out of bed," Tai Long laughed.

"San, you'll be replacing Jiangzhu for this match. That okay with you?" Lin Jie asked, turning to Tang San. Over time, Lin Jie's leadership in the team had become absolute—even more so than Dai Mubai's as captain. No one ever questioned his arrangements.

Tang San was momentarily surprised, then smiled and nodded. "No problem."

Dai Mubai furrowed his brows. "We're putting two Control System Spirit Masters on the field against Canghui Academy? Is that really necessary?"

Lin Jie replied calmly, "I don't think Canghui Academy can beat us either. But it never hurts to be cautious. I've reviewed their record. They've only lost three matches—against Elephant Armored, Thunderclap, and Godwind. But they've won every other one. Right now, their total ranking is higher than Elephant Armored. If they want to qualify for the finals, they need to win at least two of their last three matches. And their next opponent is us."

He glanced around the group. "Given our history with them, they'll definitely go all out. I'm bringing Tang San in just to be safe."

Dai Mubai nodded. "Got it. If that's the case, let's go with your plan. But if Canghui thinks they can qualify by beating us? Keep dreaming."

"Exactly, Boss Dai!" Ma Hongjun said. "Make sure you beat them so hard they don't recognize themselves afterward!"

"Don't worry, Fatty. I won't let them walk away happy," Dai Mubai grinned.

Just then, an arrogant voice called out from behind them, interrupting their strategy discussion.

"Hey, you're the Shrek team, right?"

They turned around to see a man in a blue team uniform, wearing a face mask.

"Yes, that's us. Who are you?" Dai Mubai asked, frowning.

"I'm Feng Xiaotian. You might not know me, but that's okay—I just came to cheer you on. Be sure to crush Canghui Academy for me, alright?" Feng Xiaotian's tone was relaxed and cheerful, even behind the mask.

"Oh? Thanks for the support," Lin Jie replied with a faint smile.

Feng Xiaotian... of course Lin Jie remembered him. Godwind Academy's team captain, Control System Spirit Master, and the one who developed his own self-created spirit ability, Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops. A formidable fighter—and also, someone head over heels for Huo Wu. He probably came here today to help her settle a score.

"You're Lin Jie, right? I've heard of you. You're strong—but be careful. We fought Canghui before, and I don't think they were going all out. Anyway, good luck. I'll be off now."

As quickly as he came, Feng Xiaotian vanished—leaving behind only a series of cryptic remarks.

"What... was that supposed to mean?" Dai Mubai asked, confused.

Everyone shrugged.

Back with the Godwind team, one of Feng Xiaotian's teammates asked, "Captain, what did you say to them?"

Another chimed in, "Don't tell me... you went over there to declare war! I knew it! You're amazing, Captain. One man versus their whole team! Truly worthy of being our Godwind captain!"

The speaker clasped his hands under his chin, his eyes sparkling with worship.