Chapter 17: Spirit Fusion Showdown and the Power of Unity
With an exhilarating cheer, I saw Wang Dong'er's twin blades slice directly toward Huang Choutian's throat. For a moment, it seemed as if even his hair stood on end in terror.
But at the critical moment, he shouted, "Second Spirit Ring, Hammer of Power!"
The arena trembled. A powerful golden flash engulfed Huang Choutian's body; his muscles bulged suddenly, and a golden orb erupted from his fists, deflecting Wang Dong'er's blades mid-air and halting their movement!
I didn't let him catch his breath. I shouted inwardly, directing my mind through the spiritual link with Xiao Xiao.
"Xiao Xiao, now!"
She responded immediately, "Spirit Skill One: Tripod Shock!"
Her voice rang in my ears as a strange force burst forth. Huang Choutian's body froze in place, his eyes spinning in visible disarray, as if he had completely lost his balance.
Fortunately for him, the Lan sisters acted with lightning speed. They grabbed his arms and pulled him backward at the last moment, avoiding the full range of Xiao Xiao's shock.
I saw them exchange a quick glance before their first ring glowed with blue light.
"Spirit Skill One: Hair Net!"
Their long blue hair suddenly transformed into thousands of shimmering strands, extending toward us like a massive spiderweb intent on trapping us!
I didn't hesitate and sent another signal to Xiao Xiao.
"Ding Chi Chen!"
The sound of her three-toned instruments rose sharply, and a powerful vibrational force halted the advance of the blue strands in midair, freezing their momentum for a moment.
But Wang Dong'er didn't waste a second. She flapped her wings and shouted, "Winged Guillotine!"
Her razor-sharp blades shot forward like cutting lightning, shredding the dense hair strands into scattered pieces.
The net had already begun to crumble, but the Lan sisters didn't give up. Instead, the second ring on their bodies glowed simultaneously.
"Spirit Skill Two: Hair Thrust!"
Their blue hair was no longer just a net this time—it had transformed into deadly spear-like strands, launching toward us at lethal speed!
I felt my chest tighten as I prepared to counter…
As their blue hair strands rushed toward us like deadly blades, I felt the pressure mounting on my chest. Fortunately, Xiao Xiao remained calm. She exhaled coldly, and the light from her second ring flared.
"Ding Chi Dang!"
The sharp sound of her musical instruments rang in my ears, and suddenly, the seemingly unstoppable hair thrusts trembled. Their motion halted strangely, as if an invisible force had frozen their flow midair. I looked at the faces of Huang Choutian and the Lan sisters and saw astonishment written all over them. They never expected their attack to be disrupted so easily.
I carefully observed them through my Spirit Eye. Their confused expressions confirmed that doubt had begun to seep into their hearts. Indeed… except for me, the one with the lone Spirit Ring, both Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao were displaying power far beyond their usual level. That alone was enough to mentally destabilize our opponents.
The battle lasted longer than usual. They weren't ordinary opponents, and I realized they were very different from previous matches. Yet, I was confident—as long as our spiritual link held, we would always stay one step ahead.
Huang Choutian's roar cut through my thoughts. Anger and confusion mixed in his voice: "Hammer of Power!"
His body exploded with golden energy, and his massive fists surged toward us, each blow shaking the ground beneath our feet. I felt the air rushing at me like a roaring wave, the strikes falling like endless projectiles.
Any other team would have been crushed under this assault. But I… did not allow fear to seep in.
With each swing of his hammer, my Sharengan Spirit Eye clearly tracked its trajectory, revealing to me and my teammate the angles from which the attack would come.
In this moment, I had no desire to reveal my true power or to use the skills I possessed.
We moved in perfect synchrony, dodging just before impact, adjusting our positions with precision. True, we were covered in dust and our bodies smeared with grime, but not a scratch touched any of us.
A sudden shock ran through me as I saw the arena ignite with an aura I had never witnessed before. Huang Choutian's team… were they unleashing a Spirit Fusion technique?!
The Lan sisters exchanged glances, then embraced each other, and a terrifying power surged from them, sweeping across the area. The very air seemed to thicken, and the surrounding light seemed to engulf everything in the arena.
I swallowed hard and tried to assess the situation quickly. With Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er by my side, I knew we were strong—but this aura… I had never seen anything like it from the start.
I heard the crowd's voices, shouts of astonishment and admiration filling the stadium:
"Oh my god! Is this real?"
"Are they using the Spirit Fusion technique?"
"Team Ji Lin is doomed this time!"
I smiled faintly, despite my inner tension. Yes, the power of Spirit Fusion was formidable, but it would not stop us. I still felt confident because we knew each other well, and we had the spiritual link that allowed us to act as one entity.
I glanced at Xiao Xiao, then at Wang Dong'er, feeling them beside me—every skill, every movement calculated with care. We could face this… we could overcome this combined power, even if it seemed impossible to others.
I whispered to myself: "Alright, let's see what this trump card can do against us!"
The challenge ahead was greater than ever, yet a sense of control and certainty seeped into my heart. The most thrilling round of the first-year competition had begun… and we were ready.
The light web unleashed by the Lan sisters engulfed the entire arena, aiming to encircle us completely—but I didn't feel panic for a moment. Instead, a new surge of energy flowed through me.
I called out Wang Dong'er's name, and she immediately understood my intent. It wasn't the time for individual skills alone; this required full teamwork. She activated her second spirit ring and readied her technique, Butterfly of Light.
But before it could launch, the sisters felt a strange explosion in the air. The energy radiating from my eyes emitted a shocking force—a spiritual shock strong enough to temporarily halt the Spirit Fusion web, Heavenly Net.
Xiao Xiao seized the opportunity immediately. She split the Spirit-Suppressing Cauldron into three parts and rammed it into the Heavenly Net, weakening its power instantly.
Then Wang Dong'er unleashed her skill at precisely the right moment. The Divine Butterfly Light struck the net again.
"Bang!"
Everything erupted in a blinding flash. The mighty Heavenly Net cracked and collapsed in an instant. The dazzling multicolored light flooded the arena, surrounding the Lan sisters, while the three of us were enveloped in this shared energy—a wave of strength and relief filling my heart.
I knew we had successfully turned the tide in our favor. This was the power of cooperation—the strength of a spiritual bond that no fusion technique alone could ever overcome.