It had been over a month since the conclusion of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Prior to the tournament, Feng Xiaotian's Spirit Power had been at Rank 44. Although he had sustained serious injuries during the finals, the aftermath hadn't left any lasting damage. In fact, it had turned into a blessing in disguise, allowing him to break through to Rank 45.
Right now, all he wanted was to give his all in a real fight against Lin Jie—win or lose, that didn't matter to him anymore.
As powerful Spirit Power surged outward in a rush, Feng Xiaotian activated his strongest move the moment he struck:
Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops.
Lin Jie, upon seeing him launch that technique, didn't react much. Only a faint blue glow formed over his hands as a protective layer.
While Stormwind Demon Wolf's Thirty Six Successive Chops was undoubtedly powerful, it had a fatal flaw: once interrupted, the user would take the brunt of its backlash and lose outright.
Lin Jie had defeated Feng Xiaotian back in the tournament—and now, with his Spirit Power having reached Rank 50, there was even less of a contest. With his Purple Demon Eye having advanced to the Mustard Seed stage, his enhanced spiritual perception allowed him to view Feng Xiaotian's movements as though they were happening in slow motion.
Faced with the swift, sharp assault of wind-element wings, Lin Jie's eyes glowed purple. Just as Feng Xiaotian closed in—
Lin Jie moved. With a sidestep and a powerful shove of his hand, he disrupted the rhythm of Feng Xiaotian's attack entirely. The attack's rebound energy slammed directly into Feng Xiaotian, sending him flying backward.
And in that moment, Lin Jie's figure blurred again—reappearing behind Feng Xiaotian in a flash. He followed up with a palm strike to Feng Xiaotian's back, sending him hurtling forward once more before crashing to the ground.
Lin Jie withdrew his hand. The blue glow faded. He didn't follow up.
"Wh-What… How's that even possible…" Feng Xiaotian was utterly stunned by what had just happened. His voice came out in fragments.
He had been defeated in a single move—something he simply couldn't believe.
But it wasn't that Feng Xiaotian was weak. Lin Jie was just too strong.
Although the exchange ended quickly, from the moment Feng Xiaotian launched his move, Lin Jie had already locked onto him with immense spiritual pressure. The Purple Demon Eye allowed him to see through the attack's weakness instantly, and the sheer physical power of his counter was enough to send Feng Xiaotian reeling.
In fact, the majority of the damage Feng Xiaotian took had come from his own Spirit Ability's backlash.
Still, he wasn't heavily injured. After taking a few breaths, he stood up again.
"What rank are you now? How are you this strong?"
Lin Jie didn't hide it.
"Rank 50. Four-ring Spirit Ancestor."
Feng Xiaotian gave a bitter laugh.
"No wonder… Looks like I was just overestimating myself."
"You got anything else? If not, I'll be going."
"Wait." Feng Xiaotian called out, stopping Lin Jie just as he turned to leave.
"Hm? You want to go another round?"
"That's not it." Feng Xiaotian shook his head bitterly.
Rank 50… and not even twenty years old yet. He couldn't compare. No wonder Huo Wu had fallen for Lin Jie.
"I want you to go see Huo Wu."
"See Huo Wu? What's that supposed to mean? Don't you like her? Aren't you afraid I'll steal her away?"
Feng Xiaotian smiled wryly. "I do like her. But I've come to terms with the fact that she doesn't feel the same. She's only ever seen me as a brother."
"Actually, stopping you just now wasn't just about sparring. I had another reason—but I wasn't expecting you to have grown this strong already."
"Oh? What other reason?"
"To ask you to check on Huo Wu. You know how competitive she is. After losing to you in the finals, she's been acting… different. It's like she's possessed. She does nothing but train, day in and day out."
"She keeps muttering your name. Her brother, Huo Wushuang, came to talk to me—worried she might develop inner demons. Eventually, she confronted me directly and made it clear she doesn't return my feelings."
"She's still the same now. Her family's worried sick, but no one can do anything. And frankly, Lin Jie, all this started because of you. So I figured… only you can fix it."
Feng Xiaotian's words surprised Lin Jie.
Huo Wu… repeating his name every day?
He knew she was prideful and fierce, but this?
In his eyes, she had always been a girl who dared to love and hate—a little headstrong, sure, but not unreasonable. Now hearing all this, Lin Jie began to wonder: Am I really that charming?
"You're not afraid that seeing me will make her fall for me? Wouldn't that crush your last bit of hope?"
Feng Xiaotian gave another bitter laugh.
"I already have no hope. I've always liked her, but it was just one-sided. She never liked me back. Maybe one day I'll forget her. But I just don't want to see her ruin herself like this."
Lin Jie found himself quietly admiring Feng Xiaotian's character.
As for Huo Wu… he had always felt something toward her. After all, it was natural for a man to appreciate a beautiful woman.
"I don't know where she is. And I've got my own things to do."
"The Blazing Academy isn't far. I can take you."
"…Alright." Lin Jie nodded.
He had to admit—he was curious about what Huo Wu had become.
With that, Feng Xiaotian led Lin Jie toward Blazing Academy.
Its address was in Norls City, and with how famous the academy was, it wasn't hard to get directions—just ask a passerby.
As one of the Five Elemental Academies, Blazing Academy held considerable influence within the Heaven Dou Empire. Its headmaster was a Spirit Douluo, and that man also happened to be Huo Wu's father.
After weaving through the streets for a while, Feng Xiaotian brought Lin Jie not to the academy, but to a lavish private courtyard.
Familiar with the place, he led Lin Jie straight to a refined three-story building and knocked on the door.
When it opened, a surprised voice called out,
"Brother Feng? What brings you here?"
Lin Jie immediately recognized the voice. He looked up and saw—it was Huo Wushuang.
Huo Wushuang spotted Lin Jie behind Feng Xiaotian and widened his eyes.
"It's you—Lin Jie!" he exclaimed, startled and visibly relieved, as if seeing a lifeline.
Feng Xiaotian exchanged a few words with Huo Wushuang, but not wanting to remain where his feelings might be wounded again, he soon left.
That left Lin Jie standing awkwardly in place.
He had a decent impression of Huo Wushuang.
The latter also respected Lin Jie—even though their teams had clashed in the tournament, it had only been a competition. There was no personal grudge.
That said, Huo Wushuang did feel somewhat conflicted—this was all because of his sister.
Originally, he had wanted to show Lin Jie some hospitality. But remembering Huo Wu's current state, he got straight to the point.
He explained the situation, describing how obsessed Huo Wu had become with training. Lin Jie listened silently, sighing inwardly.
At Huo Wushuang's request, Lin Jie followed him—not to the academy, but to a more secluded training ground.
Lin Jie didn't worry about being ambushed or anything. This wasn't the tournament anymore—he had plenty of methods to defend himself. Even against a Titled Douluo, he'd dare to fight.
If Huo Wushuang really had any underhanded ideas, Lin Jie wouldn't hesitate to strike back.
He quickly noticed that this place had an unusually high concentration of fire-element energy—ideal for Fire-type Spirit Masters.
As they approached a training field, Huo Wushuang stopped.
"We're here. Lin Jie, my sister's inside. Please… try to talk to her. From one brother to another, I'm asking you."
"No problem. It's just a small favor." Lin Jie nodded.
From their earlier conversation, Lin Jie gathered that Blazing Academy was nearby, and that their Spirit Douluo-ranked father was currently there.
Inside the training field, Huo Wu heard movement but didn't react—she assumed it was her father or brother again.
Lately, they'd come often to try to dissuade her from overtraining. But she didn't think there was anything wrong with what she was doing.
To her, becoming stronger was the only path.
And yet… ever since Lin Jie entered her heart as an obsession, her focus had been shaken. She couldn't calm her mind while training anymore.
She didn't even know how she felt about Lin Jie now.
Did she like him? Yes.
His kiss that day had left a deep mark in her memory.
But she was also proud, stubborn, and competitive. She didn't want to lose. She wanted to be strong. She longed for power.
Yet now, she found herself stuck—trapped behind an invisible wall. Her cultivation had plateaued.
If she didn't resolve this inner conflict, she feared she'd never improve again.
Someone like Huo Wu would never accept defeat. To break through this bottleneck, she'd shut herself in this training space and barely left it.
Even when her father and brother visited, she ignored them. As for Feng Xiaotian—she'd made it clear. She didn't like him.
Lin Jie now fully understood the situation. Between what Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wushuang had told him, it was all coming together.