Black meteors blanketed the sky, each one carrying devastating heat as they rained down toward Liu Yuan like divine punishment.
At that moment, the entire Star Luo Plaza was lit up as bright as day by the terrifying crimson glow.
In the stands, countless spectators stared upward at the awe-inspiring yet horrifying scene, exclamations spilling out unconsciously.
"Is this the true strength of Shrek's team captain? This is terrifying…!"
"How could Liu Yuan, a mere five-ring Spirit King, possibly block a full-power attack from a seven-ring Spirit Saint—especially a wide-area killing move like a Sixth Soul Skill?"
"It looks like the result is already decided."
"He may be strong, and that strange dance does boost him somehow, but against an absolute gap in cultivation like this… it's still not enough."
Heads shook across the audience, their voices filled with regret on Liu Yuan's behalf.
In their eyes, forcing Ma Xiaotao to use her Sixth Soul Skill was already something worth boasting about.
But that was all. No one believed a Spirit King could survive such a world-ending attack—much less turn the tide.
However, just as the entire audience believed the outcome was settled, an oddly different atmosphere filled the waiting area of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
As fire meteors smashed relentlessly onto the stage, Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and the others showed not the slightest hint of concern. Instead, strange, almost mocking smiles appeared on their faces.
"So this is Shrek's star pupil?" Xiao Hongchen folded his arms, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "She's really… adorably 'clever.'"
"She already thinks she's won," Meng Hongchen chuckled softly, schadenfreude flashing through her beautiful eyes. "Too bad she doesn't know that fire is the one thing our captain fears the least."
Mi Jia adjusted his glasses, his tone calm though the smile in his eyes betrayed him. "This Phoenix Meteor Shower might be fatal to anyone else, but for the captain, it's basically a free baptism."
"And more importantly…" Xiao Hongchen gazed at the figure still standing proudly amid the rain of fire, his smile deepening. "This kind of dense attack and massive momentum is the perfect cover for stacking Dragon Dance."
"If the captain uses this chance to fully stack it…"
Imagining the outcome, the Sun Moon team members couldn't help but laugh, exchanging knowing looks filled with anticipation.
This time, Shrek's face was going to be slapped until it swelled.
On the arena stage—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The first wave of meteors slammed down violently. Explosions erupted one after another, the entire stage trembling as debris flew and thick smoke filled the air.
At the center of the blast, Liu Yuan stood calmly amid the raging flames. There was no fear in his golden, slit pupils—only blazing excitement.
"Come on!"
If Ma Xiaotao had used attacks of other attributes, or pure physical force, he would indeed have had to exert real effort to resist.
But fire?
For him, it wasn't just harmless—it was pleasant. Warm, comfortable… so comfortable he almost wanted to groan.
Since defense was unnecessary, then—
"I'll stack it to the limit!"
Liu Yuan stopped holding back.
Under the cover of blazing firelight and rolling smoke, he unleashed himself completely.
Roar—!
A high, resonant dragon's roar echoed from deep within his body.
He no longer bothered to disguise his movements with evasive steps. Right in front of Ma Xiaotao, amid the meteor bombardment, he began the wild and ancient Dragon Sacrificial Dance!
With every spin, the dark-green light around him intensified.
With every leap, the surrounding air trembled.
Another layer of Dragon Dance—successfully stacked!
High above, Ma Xiaotao vaguely saw that figure below still "dancing" amid the sea of fire.
Her brows knit together as confusion and anger flashed through her eyes.
"Still dancing?"
"Death is right in front of you, and you're still struggling meaninglessly?"
"Under my Phoenix Meteor Shower, even maxed-out speed is useless! This is a full-coverage attack—you have nowhere to run!"
"Die!"
With a sharp cry, Ma Xiaotao unleashed her spirit power without restraint. The remaining fire meteors smashed down with even greater ferocity, completely engulfing Liu Yuan in blinding flames and smoke.
Rumble—!
A deafening explosion shook the sky. The shockwave slammed into the protective barrier around Star Luo Plaza, sending ripples across it.
The entire arena vanished beneath black smoke and crimson fire, nothing visible within.
"Hah…"
Ma Xiaotao slowly descended, breathing slightly heavily as a sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.
Such a large-scale Sixth Soul Skill consumed enormous energy.
But gazing at the sea of flames below, a victorious smile curved her lips.
"It's over."
"Taking my Phoenix Meteor Shower head-on… even if he doesn't die, he'll be severely injured. Shrek wins."
In Shrek's waiting area—
"Good!!!"
Xuan Zi slammed his thigh and leapt to his feet, nearly tossing aside the wine jug in his hand.
"We won! Finally!"
"I told you—how could a mere Spirit King stir up any trouble?"
He stared smugly at the billowing smoke on the stage, as if he could already see Liu Yuan being carried off, charred black.
"Xiao Tao's attack is terrifying—even Spirit Emperors would kneel! That kid even dared to dance in there? He was courting death!"
"Hmph! Dragon Dance, power boosts—jokes in the face of absolute strength!"
"Looks like this championship is Shrek's after all!"
Though Huo Yuhao and the others felt things had gone too smoothly, they couldn't find a reason to object. After all, it was the Sixth Soul Skill of the Phoenix Evil Fire—who could endure that with just their physical body?
However—
Just as the audience awaited the referee's announcement, just as Xuan Zi prepared to celebrate—
A gentle breeze swept through.
The thick smoke on the arena slowly began to disperse.
First revealed was the ground.
The once-solid granite floor had completely melted into lava, radiating suffocating heat.
Then, a figure wrapped in dark-green light gradually emerged.
He wasn't lying on the ground.
Nor was he burned black.
He stood quietly in the molten lava, straight as a pine tree. Six flickering dark-green dragon phantoms coiled around him, emitting terrifying pressure that made hearts tremble.
"That is…"
The once-noisy stands fell deathly silent.
Eyes widened everywhere, mouths frozen open.
Even Xuan Zi, wine jug halfway to his lips, froze completely, staring as though he'd seen a monster.
"This… how is this possible?!"
The smoke fully cleared.
Liu Yuan stood exactly where he had been before.
Not a corner of his clothes was damaged. Not a speck of dust touched him.
A crystal-clear luster flowed across his dark-green skin, while the two golden Tassel Light Bands on his back had grown several times larger, whipping wildly through the air and radiating suffocating divine brilliance.
Dragon Dance—Maximum Stacks!
At this moment, Liu Yuan's aura was no weaker than Ma Xiaotao's as a Spirit Saint—if anything, it was even more terrifying.
"Not… injured?"
The wine jug slipped from Xuan Zi's hand and shattered on the ground. Wine splashed everywhere, but he didn't even notice.
His mouth hung open, beard soaked in wine, utterly stunned.
"He took Xiao Tao's Sixth Soul Skill head-on… and he's unharmed?!"
"Is this kid made of iron?! No—even iron would've melted!"
Xuan Zi's worldview collapsed in an instant. Everything he had trusted—his experience, his judgment—shattered completely.
On the arena.
The smile on Ma Xiaotao's face froze solid.
She stared at the uninjured youth before her, whose aura had instead multiplied several times over. Her pupils shrank violently in shock.
"You…"
"How is this possible?!"
"My Phoenix Meteor Shower… how could you be perfectly fine?!"
Unable to accept reality, Ma Xiaotao raised her hand again. A condensed sphere of deep-red Evil Fire formed in her palm.
"I don't believe it! Burn!"
Boom!
The fireball transformed into a roaring dragon head, surging toward Liu Yuan's chest with her fury and disbelief.
This time, Liu Yuan didn't dodge.
He didn't defend.
He didn't even blink, allowing the fireball—hot enough to melt steel—to slam directly into his chest.
"Puff."
A soft sound rang out.
Like a spark falling into the ocean, the terrifying Evil Fire vanished the instant it touched Liu Yuan's body.
It didn't disappear.
It was absorbed.
The dark-green glow around Liu Yuan flickered, becoming even more brilliant—like someone who had just consumed a powerful tonic.
Silence fell over the entire plaza.
Ma Xiaotao's hand froze midair, her mind struck blank.
At last, she understood why Liu Yuan dared to dance within the sea of fire.
Why he had seemed pressured—but never truly injured.
Staring into his calm, golden slit pupils, the thought she had desperately avoided finally escaped her trembling lips:
"Could it be…"
"You're… immune to fire?!"