Haoyun and his team did not believe that the Ring of Balance could resolve this crisis on its own, especially since the Mother of Moulds had mentioned unknown variables in Elina's sneak attack. If the Ring of Balance failed and Elina succeeded, the consequences would be dire. Therefore, Haoyun and his team couldn't just watch Elina hide behind the Crimson Protection Shield and continue confronting the Ring of Balance alone.
Of course, Haoyun couldn't let Elina stay hidden behind the Crimson Protection Shield. Seeing this, they immediately changed their strategy from keeping a distance and countering Elina's multiple Thunder Claw strikes to confronting her directly at close range. Haoyun and the others knew that the closer they got to Elina, the more powerful her Thunder Claw strikes would be. This would increase the difficulty of battling the Thunder Claw strikes and require more from their Yin Spirit Realm Battle Armor to absorb the attacks. In short, this approach not only increased the difficulty of their battle but also drained their mental strength and the energy of their Yin Spirit Realm Battle Armor.
However, Haoyun's team didn't rush into danger because they were reckless; it was because Elina's Crimson Protection Shield had not fully formed yet. This meant that as long as they got close enough to this Crimson Protection Shield and found the right angle, they could create an opportunity for Dream Jia to launch the Hunt Bullet.
"Dream Jia! You must act quickly! The power of these Thunder Claws is too strong; I won't be able to hold out much longer!" Haoyun urged loudly.
At this moment, although Haoyun could wield his Phoenix Blade to fend off the Thunder Claw attacks aimed at him, his own strength made it noticeably harder for him to confront these Thunder Claws at close range compared to Dao Lao and Dream Jia. In fact, if it weren't for the formation they had formed together to assist each other, Haoyun would have long been thrown into the Dark Energy Storm that sealed off the Balance Realm, along with the Thunder Claws pinned to his shield.
"I knew you were such a weakling! Having a teammate like you, I must have been cursed for eight lifetimes! Hey! Hold on a little longer! Quickly draw the Thunder Claws towards Dao Lao! You two try to keep the battle between me and Elina, and cover me as much as possible! My system is pinpointing the best position to breach the Crimson Protection Shield!" Dream Jia mocked Haoyun's strength while commanding him to cooperate with Dao Lao to form a human wall in front of her, confident in breaking through the Crimson Protection Shield that was about to form, and using this opportunity to focus all her attention on Elina from the Ring of Balance.
"Dream Jia, find the angle quickly! The Crimson Protection Shield is about to form!" Haoyun again blocked the Thunder Claw attacks with all his might, then shook his arm, which was slightly numb from the Thunder Claw, and urged again.
Dream Jia continued to concentrate on aiming at the Crimson Protection Shield, waiting for the search results from her system. At this moment, Dream Jia was full of confidence in her Hunt Bullets. After being baptized by the Dark Energy Storm, not only did she gain tremendous strength, but she also had many insights into the use of Hunt Bullets that she had never thought of before. With these new insights, Dream Jia was confident in the power of her Hunt Bullets.
As the owner of the Hunt Bullets and having just clashed with Elina, Dream Jia knew very well that she could launch the Hunt Bullets at Elina with full force when Elina was off guard, causing fatal damage even if it didn't kill her in one shot. Therefore, when the system finally identified the weakest spot on the Crimson Protection Shield ahead that had not fully formed, Dream Jia gathered all her mental strength without reservation, pulled the trigger with all her might, and launched the Hunt Bullets.
The Hunt Bullets left a long golden tail, like a meteor rushing through the interstellar space, breaking through the weakest point on the Crimson Protection Shield just before it formed, and then shooting into the Crimson Protection Shield with lightning speed, accurately hitting Elina, who had turned her back to Haoyun's team due to her overconfidence.
As Elina was hit by the Hunt Bullets, a strong shockwave immediately spread out from the Crimson Protection Shield, blowing away the Thunder Claw attacks aimed at Haoyun's team and blowing the three of them far away. Haoyun and his team regained control of their bodies, floating in the air, looking at the Crimson Protection Shield engulfed in the explosion of shockwaves and flames, not yet able to celebrate the successful hit of the Hunt Bullets on Elina, but instead wearing surprised expressions again on their faces.
Because as the firelight and shockwave in front gradually dissipated, the three saw the blood-red energy shield. Although the surface of this Crimson Protection Shield was now covered with cracks and had completely burst after supporting it for a moment, after the Crimson Protection Shield turned into a burst of flames and quickly burned out, Haoyun and his team did not see Elina's head blown apart by the Hunt Bullets. Instead, they saw Elina standing proudly in the air, her head slightly tilted, glaring at them with a chilling and venomous gaze.
Seeing this scene, the mood of the three instantly cooled. If Dream Jia's Hunt Bullets, launched after her greatly enhanced strength, couldn't kill Elina when she was off guard, then how would they deal with Elina in the subsequent battles? Thinking of this, their minds went blank for a moment, and when Elina appeared again, they didn't know how to react.
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At this moment, Elina didn't seem to be in a hurry to strike back at Haoyun's team. Instead, she tilted her head coldly, looked at the three with disappointment and regret, and then turned her expression from maliciousness to self-reproach. Elina absentmindedly played with her disheveled hair that had just restored balance, glanced at the now completely dispersed Crimson Protection Shield, and then at the similarly shattered blood-red runes beside her, muttering self-blame, "Humph! It's my fault! How could I forget about your Hunt Bullets?! Humph, humph, humph! It seems that I really haven't learned my lesson!"
Until Elina raised her left hand to adjust her long purplish-red hair, it was then that Hao Yun and the others noticed the somewhat inconspicuous golden mark on the back of her hand. Only then did they realize that Dream Jia's hunting bullet hadn't actually hit Elina's head. In the critical moment before impact, Elina had managed to slap it away with the back of her hand. This deflection caused the hunting bullet, off its trajectory, to accidentally strike the blood-red rune floating beside Elina, shattering it and thereby completely collapsing the crimson protective shield.
Elina looked at the slowly healing magical wound on the back of her hand with a strange expression. After tasting the residual energy left on the golden mark, she sarcastically remarked with a hint of disdain, "Oh —! I was wondering how the three of you mysteriously became so much stronger. It turns out, not only did you gain favor from that voice, but you also visited my old home! Hmph! It seems that after pushing me into the chaotic mist, the three of you had quite a few adventures! Hmph! So, shouldn't the three of you thank me as well?"
Dream Jia, always prideful, couldn't accept the fact that despite her greatly enhanced strength, her finishing move still couldn't defeat Elina. Coupled with Elina's mocking tone, her frustration ignited instantly. She gritted her teeth and angrily retorted, "Bah! If you want my gratitude, why don't you help me out completely and bring your head over for a strike!"
With that, Dream Jia launched another hunting bullet without hesitation. This action shocked both Hao Yun and Dao Lao because they knew what consequences Dream Jia would face for forcibly using the hunting bullet again without sufficient rest. However, after Dream Jia launched the second hunting bullet, their worry turned into surprise. They noticed that not only did Dream Jia's second hunting bullet retain its power, but it had even significantly increased in potency compared to the first one.
Faced with the ferocious second hunting bullet, Elina seemed to have no intention of evading. She wore an evil smile on her lips after Dream Jia launched the bullet, and at the moment it arrived, she swung her left hand, which was also brewing immense power. This triggered a violent explosion once again, producing dazzling light and a strong shockwave that quickly spread out from Elina's center. Seeing this, Hao Yun immediately supported the now collapsed Dream Jia due to forcefully using the second hunting bullet, resisting the shockwave and pushing them both back before asking, "Dream Jia! Are you alright?"
Although Dream Jia looked extremely weak due to using the hunting bullet twice in a short time, the baptism of dark energy storms had greatly enhanced her strength. This prevented her from fainting due to the strain of using the hunting bullet consecutively. After catching her breath for a moment, Dream Jia replied with heavy gasps, "Hoo... hoo... I'm, I'm okay. I can feel the growing power inside me rapidly replenishing the losses just now. If I rest a bit more, I should be able to recover."
Perhaps because Hao Yun's embrace of Dream Jia seemed too intimate, Dream Jia's tone was noticeably awkward as she spoke. Though Hao Yun only held Dream Jia out of a strong protective instinct, it was undeniable that this was the first time he had been so close to her, making it difficult for him to focus on the threat posed by Elina. As he held Dream Jia close, his heart was in turmoil.
As a series of unsettling and sinister laughter once again emanated from the explosion's firelight ahead, Hao Yun quickly suppressed his private thoughts and vigilantly looked towards Elina, who appeared again from the gradually dispersing flames. Dream Jia, on the other hand, coughed with disappointment upon seeing Elina unharmed and said, "Cough... Cough! Damn it! The second hunting bullet I launched was specially reinforced! How could it not even scratch her fur?! How could Elina become so terrifying?!"
Elina, as before, rubbed her left hand while floating nonchalantly beside the damaged blood-red rune. With a somewhat regretful tone, she said, "Hmph! What a pity! If your strength were just a bit stronger, maybe I wouldn't have been able to block the hunting bullet so easily! But unfortunately, you won't have another chance to launch the hunting bullet now! Hmph. Since you insist on courting death, I'll just fulfill your wish first, and then I'll go back to deal with the Balance Ring slowly!"
After saying this, Elina looked at Hao Yun and the others with an evil smile, her dual pupils burning with sinister green demonic flames. With her index finger on her right hand, she lightly scratched the damaged blood-red rune. Instantly, the rune released threads of purple-red lightning-like energy, as thin as spider silk, which swiftly entwined around Elina. Then, all this energy flowed into Elina's body, instantly boosting her combat power significantly.
Elina looked satisfied as she observed her hands, now transformed into claw-like claws, exuding an aura mixed with electric sparks. In a deep and indistinguishable tone, she said, "Hmph! Now, it's my turn to attack! Hmph! Perish—, hmm? What's this?"
Just as Elina was about to channel the energy within her to attack Hao Yun and the others, she suddenly seemed to sniff something in the air. In a bewildered expression, she withdrew her claws, which were brimming with powerful energy. Then, with a puzzled look, she shifted her attention away from Hao Yun and his group, turning her head towards the Balance Ring above her. Seeing this, Hao Yun and the others followed Elina's gaze towards the Balance Ring and noticed what appeared to be a gunshot-like wound. Moreover, they saw wisps of pure white energy escaping from the wound in the Balance Ring. Without needing to ask, Hao Yun and the others knew that this wisping white energy leaking from the Balance Ring was the core energy necessary to maintain the stability of the Spirit World — the positive energy.