That massive cluster of deep crimson Evil Fire hovered above Ma Xiaotao's head like a miniature sun about to crash down, radiating terrifying heat that warped the surrounding air.
However, faced with Liu Yuan's lightning-fast charge, Ma Xiaotao did not hurl the fireball forward as everyone expected.
The sight left the spectators utterly baffled.
"What's she doing? Liu Yuan is that fast, and she's still charging a skill now?"
"Exactly! No matter how strong a fireball is, it's useless if it can't hit!"
"It's over, it's over—did Ma Xiaotao get scared stiff by that kid's speed?"
Even Emperor Xu Jiawei, watching from atop the imperial city wall, couldn't help but frown.
The speed Liu Yuan displayed with his First Spirit Skill, Extreme Speed, was already beyond conventional limits. Against such an opponent, the worst mistake was using a long wind-up or slow-trajectory attack.
As a top student of Shrek, Ma Xiaotao shouldn't be making such an elementary error.
Just as doubt spread through the crowd and many were convinced Ma Xiaotao was about to pay for her arrogance, the situation on the stage changed abruptly.
"Scatter… for me!"
When the Evil Fire above her head reached its limit, a cold curve appeared at the corner of Ma Xiaotao's mouth.
Without hesitation, her raised hands slammed downward.
BOOM—!!!
The giant mass of Evil Fire didn't fly toward Liu Yuan. Instead, it detonated downward with Ma Xiaotao at the center, like an exploding sun crashing into the ground.
In an instant, the deep crimson flames surged outward like a breached flood, spreading madly in all directions.
The moment the granite floor touched the Evil Fire, it let out a sizzling sound, as if it were being instantly melted into magma.
In the blink of an eye, nearly half the competition stage was swallowed by a raging sea of flames.
And Liu Yuan, naturally, stepped straight into it.
"You think flames at this level can stop me?"
In his Extreme Speed state, Liu Yuan felt the scorching heat rising from beneath his feet. He frowned slightly, but inwardly remained unconcerned.
With his Fire Attraction ability, he wasn't afraid of flames at all. Even though this Evil Fire was terrifyingly hot and corrosive, to him it was no different from solid ground.
So—
"Take this!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Liu Yuan's eyes as his speed not only failed to slow—it surged again.
He carved a straight vacuum path through the sea of fire, the surrounding flames violently pushed aside by the gale generated from his movement.
His fist clenched tightly, spirit power surging across his dark green dragon claws as he drove a heavy punch toward Ma Xiaotao's shoulder.
Yet just as the edge of Liu Yuan's fist was about to brush the corner of her clothes—
A scene unfolded that shocked the entire arena and caused Liu Yuan's pupils to contract sharply.
Ma Xiaotao, who had seemed motionless with her back to the flames, suddenly swayed her body slightly to the left.
The movement was incredibly small—yet perfectly precise, as if it had been calculated countless times… or as if she had already seen the future.
Whoosh—!
Liu Yuan's punch, tearing through the air with a piercing howl, grazed past Ma Xiaotao's cheek. The pressure of the strike even lifted several strands of her fiery red hair.
She dodged it?!
At that distance, at that terrifying speed—she had actually avoided it?!
Shock surged through Liu Yuan's mind. His old momentum was spent, his new force not yet formed—this was precisely the instant when his defenses were weakest.
And Ma Xiaotao would never let such an opportunity slip.
"Got you!"
Her crisp shout exploded beside his ear.
As she evaded, Ma Xiaotao twisted with the momentum, her long, powerful leg wrapped in dense, deep crimson Evil Fire like a blazing whip, slamming brutally into Liu Yuan's side.
BANG—!
A deep, heavy impact echoed across the arena.
Liu Yuan felt a massive force crash into him, sending him flying like a kite with its string cut. He spun several times in midair, the golden light ribbons behind him whipping wildly as they barely dispersed the impact.
When his feet finally hit the ground, he slid backward more than ten meters, carving two deep furrows into the stage before stabilizing himself.
For a moment, Star Luo Plaza fell into dead silence.
Countless eyes stared at the stage in disbelief.
Just a second ago, Liu Yuan had held an overwhelming speed advantage and seemed on the verge of landing a decisive blow.
In the next instant, the situation had completely reversed—Ma Xiaotao stood unharmed, while Liu Yuan had been kicked away.
"Good!!"
After a brief pause, thunderous cheers erupted from the Shrek waiting area.
Xuan Zi shot to his feet, crushing the chicken bone in his hand without realizing it, his face split by a broad grin. "Well done, Xiaotao! That reaction was flawless!"
"That was insane! Captain's unbeatable!" Xu Sanshi shouted excitedly, pumping his fists.
On the stage, Liu Yuan didn't rush to attack again.
He glanced down at his waist. A faint ache spread from the spot where several dark green dragon scales had been struck.
He wasn't injured—but for someone who usually crushed opponents with sheer speed and power, this was a clear and serious warning.
"Something's wrong…"
Liu Yuan lifted his gaze, fixing it on Ma Xiaotao in the distance—and on the sea of flames beneath her feet, still burning and pulsing as if alive.
"My Extreme Speed surpasses the dynamic vision limits of most Spirit Masters. Even a Spirit Saint shouldn't be able to dodge that precisely without mental-type Spirit Skills."
"She moved in advance."
"But… how did she judge my trajectory?"
Thoughts raced through his mind, until his eyes finally settled on the flames carpeting the ground.
Could it be—
At that moment, Ma Xiaotao casually brushed imaginary dust from her sleeve. Looking at Liu Yuan, she smiled—calm, confident, and composed.
"Surprised?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but empowered by spirit power, it carried clearly throughout the entire arena.
She extended one hand, palm up, as a wisp of deep crimson flame danced playfully at her fingertips.
"Liu Yuan, you really are fast—so fast that my eyes can't track you at all."
"But as long as you're within this sea of fire, every move you make—every disturbance in the airflow—can't escape my perception."
The smile in her eyes deepened, tinged with pride.
"Speaking of which, I actually have someone to thank for this."
"When you fought that person named Xiao Huo earlier, the 'Flame Demon Domain' he used gave me a lot of inspiration."
"By spreading my Evil Fire across the field and integrating my mental force into every wisp of flame, I can form a simplified pseudo-domain."
"I call it—Evil Fire Domain!"
The instant those words fell, the entire venue exploded in uproar.
"She learned it on the spot?!"
"She copied a Spirit Skill just by watching one fight?"
"That talent is terrifying!"
"As expected of Shrek's monsters—this kind of combat intelligence is unbelievable!"
The way the crowd looked at Ma Xiaotao changed completely. What had once been awe for her strength had now turned into genuine admiration for her brilliance.
Even Emperor Xu Jiawei couldn't help but praise aloud, "Such talent truly lives up to Shrek's reputation."
Liu Yuan's gaze sharpened, admiration flickering within it.
"I see."
"You learned it from Xiao Huo."
Ma Xiaotao was indeed Ma Xiaotao.
Truly the most outstanding genius disciple Shrek had produced in a century.
After seeing it once, she had not only grasped the concept but refined it, perfectly merging it with her own Evil Fire.
Within this sea of flames, Liu Yuan's greatest advantage—speed—was severely restricted.
No matter how fast he moved, the moment he caused airflow, the flames would sense it, allowing Ma Xiaotao to anticipate his actions.
"So relying on speed and my First Spirit Skill to finish this in one strike… won't work."
Liu Yuan took a deep breath. The dark green light around him didn't fade—on the contrary, it grew deeper and heavier.
"In that case…"
"I'll just stack Dragon Dance a bit more."
-------------Author---------------
Read 50 advanced chapter
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic