As the Black Knight stepped forward, Feng Ye noticed something off. One glance left him stunned. He sighed in resignation, "As expected. Whenever I run into a spear-wielder, crazy stuff happens. Like a ninth-tier War Spirit suddenly breaking through to Saint-tier."

No sooner had he spoken than Lin Chuan erupted with massive Spirit Energy. He fully unleashed his Divine Artifact's power and charged at the Black Knight.

"Holy crap, bro Lin Chuan really doesn’t fear death." Feng Ye was startled by his boldness. The next second, a brick appeared in his hand. "But bro, you’re not drawing your blade to slash monsters—you’re drawing it to recall!"

"Brother Feng Ye?"

Lin Tang turned her head and saw Feng Ye vanish from his spot. Her little face froze in surprise for a moment.

Then she heard her idiot older brother shout Genji’s ultimate line from Overwatch: "Dragonblade!"

Lin Chuan was enveloped in Spirit Energy. As he drew his blade, a whispering wind seemed to rise from the sword. This was the first strike of the Heavenly Origin’s secret technique, Sky-Clearing Feather Slash. Sealed within this ancestral blade, it was now unleashed by Lin Chuan’s Spirit Energy. His slash swept like a gale across the land. And the coldest, sharpest cut hid within that violent storm—seemingly invisible, yet utterly lethal!

However!

Though this slash could harm a War Spirit-tier powerhouse, it was weak against a Saint-tier War Spirit—far stronger than any War Spirit-tier Awakened.

The War Spirit’s eyes flashed with cold red light—he saw through Lin Chuan’s attack. His sword ignited with roaring Black Flame, ready to slash down at the charging Lin Chuan.

Sword light flashed. The heat from the swirling Black Flame warped the air itself.

But suddenly, Feng Ye appeared behind the War Spirit. He raised the brick in his hand and slammed it against the back of its helmet.

"Clang!"

The brick struck the Black Knight’s helmet with a metallic clang, sparking blindingly. The massive force sent it stumbling forward—right into Lin Chuan’s slash.

The gale-like slash sent the Black Knight flying like a ball.

"Haha! I knew I was the protagonist!" Lin Chuan laughed, planting his Divine Artifact katana on the ground. He’d poured almost all his Spirit Energy into it to unleash that slash.

"Y-you…!"

Lin Tang stared at Feng Ye, who had somehow reappeared before her, as if seeing a ghost. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Was I seeing things?"

She’d clearly seen him vanish just moments ago.

Feng Ye ignored Lin Tang’s shock. "Your brother’s Divine Artifact is seriously powerful. That direct slash should’ve finished off the War Spirit."

Though the War Spirit had temporarily broken through to Saint-tier, it wasn’t fully recovered and still injured. Especially after Feng Ye’s brick shattered its protective soul energy. Combined with Lin Chuan’s slash, it was instantly downed.

The War Spirit probably never expected such a humiliating defeat. It struggled to rise from the ground, black mist still seeping from its body.

But it had almost no fight left. Shadowblade, arriving from afar, thrust his spear through its skull. The War Spirit then exploded into a cloud of black mist.

As for the warhorse, after Shadowblade used his battle skill, it was no match and was instantly taken down.

Shadowblade eagerly retrieved a black crystal from the dissipating mist. It glowed with a magical light, captivating anyone who looked at it.

"This is an A-grade War Spirit essence!!"

Seeing a phantom shadow form in the crystal’s core, Shadowblade’s breath grew heavy. The War Spirit wielded a spear, and so did his own War Spirit. Absorbing this essence would greatly boost his power.

Lin Tang temporarily forgot about Feng Ye’s disappearance. Curious, she ran up to Shadowblade. "That’s the essence dropped by the War Spirit, right? Let me see it."

Seeing the cute, curious expression on the little girl’s face, Shadowblade hesitated. This essence was loot from the War Spirit’s defeat, so it belonged to the Lin siblings. But it was far too important to him…

Shadowblade clenched his fist. "Can I have this? I’ll forgo my payment for this mission."

Lin Tang frowned. "No way. This essence is worth way more than your fee. And my brother killed that War Spirit anyway."

"But it’s useless to you for now, right? How about this: I’ll skip my payment and give you two A-grade Beast cores plus a thousand exchange points. That should be fair."

Lin Tang thought for a moment, then shook her head. "If you want to buy it, we’ll talk later." Truth was, she didn’t know its exact value, but she knew it was priceless. She wasn’t about to let it go easily.

The precocious little girl annoyed Shadowblade. He gripped the essence tightly and glanced at the others nearby.

The Speedster brothers were helping the heavily injured Titan to his feet. Meanwhile, Feng Ye supported Lin Chuan, who had nearly exhausted his Spirit Energy.

That glance sparked dark thoughts in Shadowblade’s mind.

Shadowblade knew how terrifying the War Spirit’s power was. Yet Lin Chuan’s Divine Artifact had finished it in one strike—proof of its might. But now, he judged Lin Chuan couldn’t use it again. And Feng Ye, just a D-grade Awakened, was beneath his notice.

So the next second, Shadowblade grabbed Lin Tang amidst her scream.

"What are you doing, bastard! Let me go!" Lin Tang panicked, trying to channel Spirit Energy. But Shadowblade’s energy sealed her own, blocking its flow.

Deprived of Spirit Energy, Lin Tang hung in the air, struggling fiercely. But her little arms and legs couldn’t reach Shadowblade. Even when she kicked him, the force was nothing more than a tickle against his energy shield.

"Tangtang!"

Lin Chuan, who had been boasting to Feng Ye about his Divine Artifact’s power, noticed the commotion. His face turned grim.

"Bastard, let her go!"