Deep in the Soul Beast Forest, the atmosphere was far more oppressive than at its outer reaches.
Ancient trees towered into the sky, their interlacing branches blocking almost all the sunlight. Thick layers of decaying leaves muffled every footstep, and the air reeked of plants and earth. The occasional roar of a Soul Beast echoed through the dense forest, each one carrying a heart-shaking pressure that spoke of the dangers lurking in this region.
Lin Chen led the Shrek Seven Devils forward at a measured pace. His steps were steady, and dark Soul Power flowed slowly around him like water. He seemed relaxed, yet kept everyone within its protective range. His divine sense remained spread out at all times, capturing every stir within five thousand meters. Even a Soul Beast shifting its body or an insect crawling showed up with perfect clarity in his mind.
After everything they had been through, the team had long since shed its initial laxness. Every member was tense and focused, each carrying out their own duty as they formed a flawless battle formation.
Dai Mubai led the way, close at Lin Chen's side. He quietly activated his White Tiger Martial Soul, pale golden Soul Power circling his body as his sharp, eaglelike eyes swept over the forest ahead. He took on the role of vanguard scout. Ma Hongjun followed half a step behind, his Phoenix Martial Soul gathering power as waves of scorching Soul Power spread outward, driving off many low-level Soul Beasts nearby. He was ready to unleash a fiery assault at any moment. Oscar stood in the middle of the group, rapidly forming hand seals as Recovery Sausages and Flight Sausages took shape one after another, quietly preparing supplies to ensure everyone remained in fighting condition.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong formed the three points of a triangle. Soft Bone Soul Power flowed through Xiao Wu's body as she moved with light, nimble steps, ready to launch close-range attacks or defend. Zhu Zhuqing had fully activated her Nether Civet Martial Soul. Her figure vanished into the shadows, swift as a ghost, as she kept watch on every blind spot against surprise attacks. The Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda floated above Ning Rongrong's palm, bathing the entire team in a gentle glow. Its boosts to their Soul Power and speed quietly took effect, raising everyone's overall strength another notch.
If Soul Masters from Spirit Hall saw such flawless teamwork, they would surely have been astonished. A team of Soul Masters this young had such top-notch coordination—a rare sight across the entire Douluo Continent.
"Brother Chen, there's an extremely powerful Soul Power fluctuation three hundred meters ahead. It's at least three thousand years old!" Dai Mubai suddenly said in a hushed voice, his expression grave. As a Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder, he had a keen sense for danger.
Everyone stopped at once, their Soul Power taut as they entered battle formation.
Lin Chen gave a slight nod, his divine sense locking precisely onto the target. "A three-thousand-year Nether Demon Wolf. It's incredibly fast, excels at group ambushes, and is highly aggressive. It'll make a good sparring partner and let us test how much you've grown."
Before his words had even faded, a piercing wolf howl suddenly rang out from deep within the forest!
Several ink-black figures shot out of the bushes, six Nether Demon Wolves surrounding the Shrek team. The one at their head was far larger than the others. Its glossy black fur gleamed, its eyes glowed a bloodthirsty red, and its sharp fangs shone coldly. Dark Soul Power swirled around its body. It was none other than the three-thousand-year Nether Demon Wolf King!
The other five wolves all had a thousand years of cultivation. They bared their fangs and growled threateningly, ready to attack at any moment.
"They're here!" Ma Hongjun barked. Flames suddenly surged around him as a scorching Phoenix Fire Line gathered in his mouth.
"Use the formation we practiced! Dai Mubai, hold off the Wolf King head-on. Ma Hongjun, suppress the pack with fire. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, attack from the flanks. Oscar, keep supplies coming. Ning Rongrong, give us full support!" Lin Chen's voice was calm, but his orders brooked no argument. "Don't hold back. Give it everything you've got. I'll stay here to back you up!"
"Yes!"
The team answered in unison, without a trace of panic, and each member immediately took up their position.
Dai Mubai sprang into the air, unleashing the White Tiger Intense Light Wave. Golden Soul Power surged into a beam of light and shot straight at the Nether Demon Wolf King. Ma Hongjun spread his wings and soared upward, sending a Phoenix Fire Line sweeping out. A wall of roaring flames blocked the pack's advance. Xiao Wu darted forward and used her Soft Technique to seize a wolf by the neck. She drove her strength through her waist and hips and slammed it hard into the ground. Zhu Zhuqing became a streak of shadow, her claws tearing through a wolf's fur with precise strikes. The Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand blazed brightly, boosting her teammates' strength, speed, and Soul Power, while Oscar promptly distributed Recovery Sausages.
A fierce battle erupted in the forest!
The thunder of clashing Soul Power, the roars of Soul Beasts, and the team's shouts rang out together, bringing the once-silent forest to life.
The Shrek team worked together seamlessly. Assault, control, support, and ambush linked one after another, every move precise as they made the most of their Martial Souls. The vicious Nether Demon Wolf pack was driven back step by step, gradually falling into a disadvantage.
Lin Chen stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the formation, watching without intervening. A hint of approval showed in his eyes.
He could clearly sense each person's strength surging with every moment of combat. Dai Mubai's White Tiger Soul Power was growing more concentrated, Ma Hongjun's control over his flames more precise, Xiao Wu's Soft Bone techniques more practiced, Zhu Zhuqing's speed more astonishing, Ning Rongrong's support more adept, and Oscar's sausage-making quicker.
More importantly, the team's unity had been tempered once again in this life-and-death battle. Their trust in one another had grown stronger, and they had truly become companions who would live or die together.
This was the Shrek Team he wanted.
Half an hour later, the Nether Demon Wolf King let out one last shrill howl and collapsed with a crash. The battle finally came to an end.
All six Nether Demon Wolves had been slain. Though the team was somewhat exhausted and bore a few minor injuries, their eyes shone brighter than before, and their Soul Power fluctuations were several times stronger. Their combat ability had made a qualitative leap.
"That was exhilarating! It's been ages since I've had such a satisfying fight!" Dai Mubai gasped for breath, his face brimming with joy. "Training with Brother Chen has made our strength improve so fast!"
"Of course. With Brother Chen backing us up, we don't need to worry about anything behind us. We can just fight to our heart's content!" Ma Hongjun thumped his chest, showing no fear—instead, he was full of fighting spirit.
Ning Rongrong gently wiped the sweat from her brow as the glow of her Glazed Pagoda faded. Smiling, she said, "With the way we work together now, we could handle even stronger Soul Beasts with ease."
Xiao Wu skipped over to Lin Chen and tugged at his sleeve, her eyes curving into a smile. "Brother Chen, did you see how well we did?"
Lin Chen patted the top of Xiao Wu's head, his gaze warm, though his tone still carried a note of warning. "You did all right, but don't get overconfident. The Soul Beast Forest is full of dangers, and there are countless Soul Beasts stronger than the Nether Demon Wolves. We'll keep moving. Don't let your guard down for even a moment."
Though he said that, he knew full well that after this bloody battle, the team had truly grown. Even against a Soul Elder-level opponent, they would have a fighting chance.
Still, he had never let down his guard against Tang San. Every so often, his divine sense swept toward the direction Tang San had gone. He could faintly sense that the deadly killing intent in that area was growing stronger and stronger.
Meanwhile, in a hidden cave a hundred meters away, the air was icy and tense.
Tang San sat cross-legged on the ground, his face as white as paper and his lips cracked. His Soul Power was all but depleted. His once handsome face now showed only obsession and malice, and the hatred in his eyes clung to him like a bone-deep curse, impossible to shake off.
For a full day and night, he had gone without sleep, nourishing the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus with his own blood essence and Soul Power.
Before him, the blood-red fragments of metal had completely fused into shape!
A tiny, exquisite lotus that nevertheless radiated an endless aura of death hovered in midair. Its layered petals gleamed dark red and cold, while a faint blood mist swirled around it. Even though Tang San was forcibly suppressing its world-destroying aura, the air throughout the cave had grown stagnant, and cracks were faintly appearing in the stones underfoot.
The semi-finished Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus had finally been completed!
Tang San slowly opened his eyes. A flash of frenzied delight appeared in them as he stared at the peerless Hidden Weapon before him, his hands trembling with excitement.
"It's done... It's finally done!"
His hoarse voice dropped to a murmur, steeped in venomous hatred. "Lin Chen, you never expected this, did you? I actually managed to make the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus!"
"This peerless killing weapon can kill a Soul Elder in an instant and severely injure a Soul Ancestor. Let's see how you stop it this time!"
To create this Hidden Weapon, he had sacrificed thirty percent of his blood essence, and his Soul Power was nearly exhausted. He had even drained his own life force, leaving himself utterly frail. But he didn't care in the least.
In his mind, as long as he could kill Lin Chen and wash away every humiliation he had suffered, any price was worth paying!
He could clearly sense the fierce fluctuations of Soul Power coming from nearby, and could guess that Lin Chen was leading the Shrek team in their training, hunting Soul Beasts.
The more triumphant that group seemed, the more intense the hatred in his heart grew.
Why?
Why could Lin Chen bask in everyone's admiration and respect, while he was branded a traitor and forced to skulk in this gloomy cave, scraping by?
Why had everything he carefully plotted been so easily crushed by Lin Chen?
It wasn't fair!
Tang San slowly got to his feet. He staggered, but still gripped the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus tightly before stowing it in the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges. A resolute glint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
He had already sensed that Lin Chen and his group were slowly approaching his location.
The moment was almost here.
He forced his feeble body to move and quietly shifted the stone blocking the cave entrance. Through the gap, he stared at the depths of the forest, eyes like those of a lurking serpent, waiting for the instant he could strike a fatal blow at his prey.
As soon as Lin Chen and his group entered the ambush range, he would detonate the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus without hesitation and bury Lin Chen—and all the Shrek members who had spurned him—right here!
In the forest, Lin Chen led the Shrek team onward once more after they had finished resting.
As they walked, he suddenly stopped, his brow faintly furrowing.
A deadly chill, steeped in destruction and bloodlust, was quietly spreading from the shadows ahead, locking onto their team.
The killing intent was subtle and lethal, and carried a hatred cold enough to pierce the bone. It didn't come from a Soul Beast, but from Tang San, the very person Lin Chen had been on guard against!
"Finally couldn't hold back any longer, could you?"
The corner of Lin Chen's mouth lifted in a cold smile. Dark Soul Power surged around him, and his eyes sharpened.
He turned to the others, who were looking back at him in confusion, and spoke in a steady voice full of confidence. "Everyone, an old acquaintance has arrived."
"Get ready to fight. It's time to put an end to this farce!"
At his words, the Shrek team's expressions changed. Their Soul Power burst forth, and they turned in unison toward the direction of the killing intent, their eyes filled with caution and fury.
In the shadows, Tang San heard Lin Chen's words and realized he had been discovered. He immediately stopped hiding.
He shot out of the cave and landed on the branch of an ancient tree. Looking down at Lin Chen and the others, he fixed them with a stare. A twisted, frenzied grin spread across his face.
"Lin Chen, we meet again at last!"
"Today, I'll use your life to wash away every humiliation I've suffered!"
A final clash between a peerless Hidden Weapon and overwhelming strength was about to erupt!
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