Inside the water barriers, the fights continued without pause.
On Yan Feiyu's side, the pressure was noticeably worse. The shaman's water affinity suppressed her flames, each fire attack losing heat the moment it made contact. Steam filled the enclosed space, vision distorted, footing unstable.
Feiyu adjusted quickly, keeping her movements tight and controlled. She didn't waste power forcing large explosions anymore. Instead, she focused on timing—short bursts, precise angles, never letting the shaman complete a full cast.
She didn't know what was happening outside the barrier.
I need to finish this quickly, she thought. Even if nothing happens to them… I can't be careless.
The shaman raised its staff again, water spiraling upward.
Feiyu stepped back once, inhaled, and made a decision.
Flames condensed.
Fire gathered in her hands, reshaping itself into a long, elegant arc. A bow formed, glowing with concentrated heat, its surface radiating like a rising sun. A matching arrow took shape, sharp and blinding.
[Crimson Sunstring].
She drew.
The bow hummed under the strain.
Feiyu released.
The arrow tore forward in a straight line, fire compressed so tightly it didn't disperse. It pierced through the shaman's water barrier, punched cleanly through its chest, and detonated behind it.
The shaman collapsed without another sound.
The water barrier shuddered.
On the other side, Jin was still engaged.
His shaman fought differently—less casting, more control. Water wrapped around its body like armor, lashes snapping out to restrict Jin's movement.
Jin dodged narrowly, water slicing past his ribs.
This is dragging on.
He clenched his jaw.
"I don't want to use this again," he muttered under his breath. "But you leave me no choice."
Lightning flickered faintly around his fingers.
[Lightning Claw].
He stepped in, ignoring the backlash already creeping up his arm, and drove the attack straight through the shaman's guard. Electricity surged inward, disrupting the water construct from the inside.
The shaman convulsed once and fell.
Jin didn't hesitate. He placed his hand on the body briefly and devoured it, ending the process before the barrier fully destabilized.
Both water barriers collapsed almost simultaneously.
Outside, the situation was worse.
Mu Chen, Zhou Kang, and Han Rui were still fighting Krothak—but it was obvious they were reaching their limit. Their attacks landed, their coordination held, but the Lizard King's defenses absorbed most of the damage.
Krothak's trident swept wide, forcing them back again.
Zhou Kang wiped blood from his mouth and laughed harshly. "We don't have a choice anymore."
Han Rui planted his feet with effort. "We weaken him. That's it."
Mu Chen nodded once. "Then Feiyu finishes him."
They moved together.
Han Rui went first.
His body surged forward, power reinforcing every step. For a moment, it looked like a massive rhino charging head-on.
[Iron Bastion].
He slammed into Krothak's guard. The impact didn't break through—but it forced the Lizard King back several steps, claws scraping stone.
Before Krothak could recover, Mu Chen vanished.
[Shadow Nap].
He reappeared behind Krothak, blade flashing toward vital points. The strike landed—harder than anything before—forcing a grunt from the Lizard King as scales cracked under amplified force.
Zhou Kang didn't give Krothak time to turn.
[Titan Fists].
His arms expanded grotesquely, muscles surging far beyond normal limits. He unleashed a relentless barrage—one punch after another—each impact shaking the cavern.
The final blow connected squarely.
Krothak was sent flying, crashing through a stone pillar before hitting the ground.
The three of them stood there, breathing ragged.
Then Krothak stood back up.
Slowly.
Scales cracked—but not broken. Eyes burning with fury.
Mu Chen dropped to one knee.
Han Rui staggered, barely upright.
Zhou Kang's arms trembled violently as he forced a grin. "Guess… that's everything."
Lan Xue was already exhausted, healing nonstop. Her hands shook as she maintained recovery, her output clearly weaker now.
Krothak stepped forward again.
Old Qiao watched quietly.
Figures, he thought. Three-star power, but not enough real combat experience. They can't draw out the full potential yet.
He shifted his stance, preparing to move—
Then Krothak stopped.
The Lizard King turned his head.
Both water barriers had collapsed.
Jin and Yan Feiyu stood there, unharmed.
Krothak changed direction instantly.
Zhou Kang laughed weakly as he collapsed backward. "Perfect timing… we did what we could."
Han Rui exhaled. "Your turn."
Feiyu moved.
She charged straight at Krothak, flames surging again as she closed the distance. The Lizard King swung his tail in a brutal arc.
Jin reacted immediately, intercepting with a sharp strike that knocked the tail aside.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"No," Feiyu replied without hesitation. "I've got this."
She pressed forward again.
Jin didn't interfere.
Instead, he turned back, quickly lifting Zhou Kang, then Mu Chen, then Han Rui, carrying them to the rear and setting them down beside Old Qiao and Lan Xue.
Lan Xue forced herself to activate her healing again, even as her output weakened further.
Zhou Kang waved a hand weakly. "Don't… don't waste everything on us. Save it for them."
Jin straightened and walked over to Old Qiao, who was still standing calmly at the back, eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead.
Jin stopped beside Old Qiao, both of them watching the fight unfold ahead.
"Do you think she can defeat the Lizard King alone?" Jin asked quietly.
Old Qiao didn't take his eyes off the battlefield. "Who knows. Maybe she can. At least… I hope so."
Jin frowned slightly. "That might be true if this were a normal unique boss. But this one's different. After the mutation, he's close to an epic-class monster. Do you really think she can handle that?"
Old Qiao remained calm. After a moment, he spoke.
"I can't judge someone who's giving their best. And she's my employer." He smiled faintly. "So I need to believe she can do it."
He paused, then continued, still watching Feiyu.
"She already told me not to intervene in the boss fight,I can't step in. Unless she changes her mind which she won't that is."
Another pause.
"I've seen her grow up since she was a child. This is a battle she needs to fight for herself."
Jin glanced at him.
"The least I can do," Old Qiao finished, "is support her. I only hope it doesn't force me to intervene."
They both looked forward again.