Bloody Battle in the Dense Forest: Tang Lian First Formed

The atmosphere deep within the Soul Beast Forest was far more oppressive than at its periphery.

Towering ancient trees rose from the ground, their intertwined branches blocking out nearly all sunlight. The thick layer of rotting leaves on the forest floor felt soft and silent underfoot, while the air was thick with the pungent scent of vegetation. The occasional roar of a soul beast, echoing through the dense woods, carried a heart-shaking pressure that signaled the extreme danger of this region.

Lin Chen led the Shrek Seven Devils forward at a steady pace. His movements were calm, and his ink-colored soul power flowed around him like water; though he appeared casual, he kept everyone within the protective range of his aura. His spiritual sense remained fully expanded, capturing every movement within a five-kilometer radius—from the shifting of a soul beast's body to the subtle crawl of insects—all reflected in his mind with perfect clarity.

Having weathered previous storms, this team had long since shed their initial laxity. Everyone was tense, performing their respective duties and forming an impeccable combat formation.

Dai Mubai took the lead, following closely by Lin Chen's side. He quietly activated his White Tiger martial soul, pale golden soul power swirling around him. His tiger eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, scanning the dense forest ahead as he took on the role of vanguard scout. Ma Hongjun trailed half a step behind, his Phoenix martial soul subtly gathering power. The scorching fluctuations of his soul power radiated outward, driving away many low-level soul beasts and keeping him ready to unleash a fiery assault at any moment. Oscar stood in the center of the group, his hands moving in rapid seals as he silently condensed Recovery Sausages and Flight Sausages, ensuring their logistics were secure and their combat readiness remained uncompromised.

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong formed a defensive triangle. Xiao Wu's Soft Bone soul power circulated, her movements light and agile as she handled close-quarters strikes and defense. Zhu Zhuqing had her Hell Spirit Cat martial soul fully activated, her figure hidden in the shadows; she moved with ghostly speed, keeping a sharp eye on their blind spots to guard against ambushes. Ning Rongrong held the Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda suspended above her palm, a warm, gentle light enveloping the team. Her auxiliary soul power enhancements and speed buffs took effect quietly, elevating the group's overall strength to a new level.

Such seamless coordination would have been seen as miraculous by any soul master from the Martial Soul Hall—a team of soul masters this young possessing such top-tier synergy was a rarity across the entire Douluo Continent.

"Brother Chen, there is an extremely strong soul power fluctuation three hundred meters ahead! It's at least three thousand years old!" Dai Mubai suddenly lowered his voice, his expression grave. As a power-attack system soul elder, his perception of danger was exceptionally keen.

The group stopped instantly, their soul power tensing as they entered combat mode.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his spiritual sense locking onto the target with precision. He spoke calmly, "It is a three-thousand-year-old Nether Demon Wolf. They are incredibly fast, excel at group ambushes, and are highly aggressive. It's perfect for practice; let's test how much you have grown during this time."

Before his words had even faded, a shrill wolf howl erupted from the depths of the forest!

Several ink-black figures lunged from the bushes. Six Nether Demon Wolves surrounded the Shrek team in a pincer formation. The lead wolf was far larger than its kin, its fur as glossy as ink, its eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty crimson. Its sharp fangs glinted with a cold light, and it was wreathed in dense, dark soul power—it was the three-thousand-year-old Nether Demon Wolf King.

The other five wolves were also thousand-year-level beasts, baring their teeth and emitting low, threatening growls, ready to launch a fierce assault at any moment.

"They're here!" Ma Hongjun shouted, his flames surging as he condensed a scorching Phoenix Fire Line in his mouth.

"Fight according to the formation we practiced! Dai Mubai, pin down the Wolf King from the front. Ma Hongjun, use your flames to suppress the pack. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, flank and strike. Oscar, handle the supplies. Ning Rongrong, provide full support!" Lin Chen's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable authority. "Do not hold back; show me your full strength. I will hold the line!"

"Understood!"

The group responded in unison, without a hint of panic, instantly falling into their roles.

Dai Mubai leaped into the air, his White Tiger Intense Light Wave erupting into a surging pillar of golden soul power that slammed into the Nether Demon Wolf King. Ma Hongjun took flight, his Phoenix Fire Line sweeping out to form a wall of raging flames that blocked the pack's advance. Xiao Wu flashed forward, utilizing her Soft Bone techniques to precisely lock onto a wolf's neck, using her waist and abdomen to slam it hard into the ground. Zhu Zhuqing became a black shadow, her claws tearing through the air and shredding the wolves' fur. Ning Rongrong's Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda shone brilliantly, bestowing triple buffs of strength, speed, and soul power upon her teammates, while Oscar's Recovery Sausages were distributed instantly.

A fierce, bloody battle erupted in the forest!

The roar of clashing soul power, the howls of the beasts, and the shouts of the team intertwined, turning the once-silent forest into a chaotic battlefield.

The Shrek team worked with seamless precision. Power attacks, crowd control, support, and flanking maneuvers linked together perfectly. Every move was calculated to maximize the advantages of their respective martial souls. The ferocious pack of Nether Demon Wolves found themselves suppressed, gradually losing the upper hand.

Lin Chen stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the formation. He did not intervene, watching the battle quietly with a hint of approval in his eyes.

He could clearly feel that everyone's strength was rapidly improving through this real-world combat. Dai Mubai's White Tiger soul power was becoming more refined, Ma Hongjun's flame control more precise, Xiao Wu's Soft Bone techniques more skillful, Zhu Zhuqing's speed more agile, Ning Rongrong's support more proficient, and Oscar's sausage production more efficient.

More importantly, the cohesion of this team was being tempered in this life-or-death struggle. Their trust in one another grew firmer, and they were truly becoming partners who would live and die together.

This was the Shrek team he wanted.

Half an hour later, as the Nether Demon Wolf King let out one final, shrill cry before collapsing to the ground, the battle came to an end.

All six Nether Demon Wolves had been slain. Though the group looked slightly exhausted and bore a few minor wounds, their eyes were brighter than ever. Their soul power fluctuations were stronger than before, and their combat capabilities had seen a qualitative leap.

"That was satisfying! It's been too long since I've had such a hearty fight!" Dai Mubai panted heavily, his face full of exhilaration. "Training with Brother Chen makes our strength grow so fast!"

"Of course! With Brother Chen holding the line, we don't have to worry about anything and can just fight with all our might!" Ma Hongjun patted his chest, his face showing no fear, only high spirits.

Ning Rongrong gently wiped the sweat from her forehead as the light of her pagoda faded. She smiled and said, "With our current coordination, we could easily handle even stronger soul beasts."

Xiao Wu hopped over to Lin Chen's side, tugging on his sleeve with a beaming smile. "Brother Chen, did we do well?"

Lin Chen reached out to ruffle Xiao Wu's hair. His gaze was gentle, but his tone remained cautionary. "Your performance was acceptable, but do not be arrogant. The Soul Beast Forest is extremely dangerous, and there are countless beasts stronger than the Nether Demon Wolves. We continue forward now; do not let your guard down for a single moment."

Despite his words, he knew deep down that after this bloody battle, the team had truly matured. Even if they encountered a soul elder-level opponent, they would be capable of putting up a fight.

He never relaxed his vigilance regarding Tang San. His spiritual sense swept toward the direction Tang San had departed from time to time, and he could faintly sense that the lethal killing intent in that area was growing increasingly dense.

Meanwhile, in a hidden cave a hundred meters away, the atmosphere was chillingly cold.

Tang San sat cross-legged on the ground, his face as pale as paper and his lips cracked. His soul power was nearly exhausted. His once-handsome face now held only paranoia and malice, and the hatred in his eyes was like a festering wound that refused to heal.

He had spent an entire day and night without sleep or rest, consuming his own essence and soul power to nurture the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus.

Before him, those blood-stained metal fragments had finally fused into shape!

A small, exquisite lotus flower that radiated endless killing intent hovered silently in mid-air. Its petals were layered and complex, glowing with a cold, dark-red light. A faint blood mist swirled around the lotus, and the world-destroying aura it emitted—even while Tang San forcibly suppressed it—made the air in the cave grow stagnant, causing cracks to appear on the stone floor.

The semi-finished Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus was finally complete!

Tang San slowly opened his eyes, a flash of frantic joy crossing them. He stared fixedly at the peerless hidden weapon before him, his hands trembling with excitement.

"It's done... it's finally done!"

He whispered in a hoarse voice, his tone filled with extreme resentment. "Lin Chen, you didn't expect this, did you? I actually succeeded in forging the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus!"

"This is a peerless killing weapon capable of instantly slaying a soul elder and severely wounding a soul ancestor. This time, let's see how you defend against it!"

To forge this weapon, he had sacrificed thirty percent of his life essence, his soul power was near depletion, and he had even overdrawn his own vitality. He was left incredibly weak, but he didn't care in the slightest.

In his heart, as long as he could kill Lin Chen and wash away all the humiliation he had suffered, any price was worth paying!

He could clearly perceive the intense soul power fluctuations coming from not far away, and he could guess that it was Lin Chen leading the Shrek team in their training and hunting.

The more high-spirited that group was, the more intense the hatred in his heart became.

Why?

Why was Lin Chen surrounded by praise and admiration, while he was forced to become a traitor, hiding in this dark cave, struggling to survive?

Why should everything he meticulously planned be so easily crushed by Lin Chen?

This is unfair!

Tang San slowly stood up, his figure staggering, yet he still gripped the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus tightly, stowing it away into the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges as a flash of resolute killing intent crossed his eyes.

He had already sensed that Lin Chen and his group were slowly approaching his location.

The moment was almost at hand.

Forcing his weak body to move, he quietly shifted the stones blocking the cave entrance and, through the gap, stared fixedly into the depths of the dense forest, his eyes like a dormant viper waiting for the instant to deliver a fatal strike to its prey.

As soon as Lin Chen's group entered the ambush range, he would detonate the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus without hesitation, burying Lin Chen and all those Shrek members who had spurned him right here!

Deep in the forest, Lin Chen led the rested Shrek members forward once again.

As they walked, he suddenly halted his steps, his brows knitting slightly.

An intensely cold killing intent, reeking of destruction and blood, quietly spread from the shadows ahead, locking onto their team with lethal precision.

This killing intent was subtle, deadly, and carried a bone-chilling hatred; it did not come from a spirit beast, but from the very Tang San he had been guarding against all along!

Finally, can you no longer resist making your move?

A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth as his ink-colored spirit power surged instantly, his gaze turning incomparably sharp.

He turned to look at the confused group behind him, his tone steady and filled with absolute confidence: "Everyone, our old acquaintance has arrived."

"Prepare for battle; it is time to bring this farce to a complete end!"

As his words fell, the expressions of the Shrek members changed instantly, their spirit power erupting as they all looked toward the source of the killing intent, their eyes filled with vigilance and rage.

Tang San, hidden in the shadows, heard Lin Chen's words and realized he had been discovered, so he no longer bothered to hide.

He lunged out from the cave and stood atop an ancient tree, looking down from above, staring fixedly at Lin Chen's group with a twisted, hideous, and crazed smile plastered across his face.

"Lin Chen, we finally meet again!"

"Today, I shall use your life to wash away every humiliation I have suffered!"

An ultimate collision between peerless hidden weapons and top-tier strength was on the verge of breaking out!