All Hearts Return to Chen, Lingering Poison

The smoke of gunpowder in the dense forest had long since dissipated, leaving only the wreckage of the land to tell the tale of the heart-stopping duel that had just transpired.

The destructive aftermath of the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus had been effortlessly neutralized by Lin Chen. That scene was branded deep into the hearts of the other six members of the Shrek Seven Devils, never to be erased.

The group followed behind Lin Chen, walking steadily through the woods. The tension that had previously gripped them due to the betrayal of Tang San had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of unity and resolve.

Xiao Wu clung tightly to Lin Chen, her small hand unconsciously clutching his sleeve. She looked up at the tall, upright youth beside her, her eyes filled with undisguised reliance and admiration. In the instant the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus had detonated, she had been terrified out of her wits, but the way Lin Chen had neutralized the crisis with a mere wave of his hand gave her complete peace of mind. With him there, no danger could ever touch her.

"Brother Chen, that Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus was terrifying! It's a miracle you could block it so easily; I still have lingering fears just thinking about it!" Ma Hongjun patted his chest, his chubby face full of lingering dread. Yet, the look he gave Lin Chen grew increasingly worshipful, and the tip of his tail couldn't help but twitch. "I used to think my mutated martial soul was pretty impressive, but compared to Brother Chen, it's not even worth mentioning!"

Dai Mubai walked at his side, his White Tiger martial soul long since retracted. The arrogance of a Soul Elder that he once carried was gone, replaced by pure respect. He had been the captain of the Shrek Team and was accustomed to commanding through strength, but the heaven-defying power Lin Chen displayed time and again, combined with his calm and decisive nature, had completely won him over. "Lin Chen, from this day forward, all of us in Shrek follow your lead. Wherever you point, we strike!"

Dai Mubai spoke these words with the utmost solemnity, without a hint of reluctance.

Oscar silently handed out the Recovery Sausages he had just made to everyone, his honest face filled with determination: "Brother Chen, whether it's training or battle from now on, I will definitely cooperate with everyone and handle the logistics!"

Ning Rongrong retracted her Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda martial soul. The spoiled air of a young mistress was gone from her pretty face, and her gaze toward Lin Chen was full of admiration. Coming from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had seen many experts, yet she had never seen anyone at the Soul Elder realm who could so easily neutralize a lethal hidden weapon like the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus. "Lin Chen, you are truly amazing. My vision was too narrow before; from now on, we're all following you!"

Though Zhu Qing said little, her cold, clear eyes reflected Lin Chen's figure. The guarded, distant expression she usually wore had faded away, leaving only acceptance and a desire to follow. She had always believed in the strong, and Lin Chen was undoubtedly the most extreme powerhouse she had ever seen.

Hearing their words, Lin Chen paused his steps and turned to look at the six people behind him. A faint warmth flickered in his eyes as he spoke in a steady, powerful voice: "We are companions. As long as we trust and protect one another, there is no need for excessive formalities. In the coming training, everyone must act with caution and steadily improve your strength. As long as we are united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome."

There were no arrogant declarations, no deliberate attempts to win favor, yet that simple sentence made everyone's resolve firmer than ever. Their conviction in Lin Chen had reached the marrow of their bones.

The group responded in unison. The gloom caused by Tang San's betrayal was swept away, and everyone's spirit was renewed. As they moved forward, looking out for one another with determined gazes, they looked to Lin Chen as their leader. The cohesion of the entire Shrek Team had reached an unprecedented peak.

Back in the ruined clearing they had left behind, Tang San lay on the ground like a pile of mud, unable to move.

His dantian had been thoroughly sealed by a strand of Lin Chen's soul power, his meridians were shattered inch by inch, and his vitality was completely exhausted. Forget circulating soul power; even lifting a finger was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

His face was as pale as paper, and dried blood still stained the corners of his mouth. His once-clear eyes were now filled with dead silence, intertwined with resentment and madness. He stared fixedly at the direction in which Lin Chen's group had departed, his eyes as scarlet as poison-tipped blades, wishing he could tear Lin Chen into ten thousand pieces.

"Lin Chen... Lin Chen!!"

He roared frantically in his heart, though his throat could only emit a weak, wheezing sound like a broken bellows. Every emotional fluctuation tugged at his damaged meridians, sending piercing pain through his body, yet this pain was nothing compared to the humiliation and unwillingness in his heart!

He was a transmigrator, possessed of Twin Martial Souls and the peerless techniques of the Tang Sect. He should have been the chosen son of this world, destined to overcome all obstacles, stand at the pinnacle of the world, and be revered by all!

But instead, Lin Chen had appeared!

This man who had appeared out of thin air had crushed him time and again, stolen his glory, shattered his pride, and now had even crippled his cultivation, reducing him to a wretch worse than an ordinary person!

He was not reconciled!

He absolutely refused to admit defeat like this!

So what if the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus was destroyed? So what if his cultivation was crippled?

He still had the Tang Sect's supreme techniques, his vast knowledge of hidden weapons, and his mastery of poisons. As long as he was alive, there would always be a chance for a comeback!

"Just you wait, Lin Chen..."

Tang San lay on the ground, his fingernails digging deep into the soil until his fingertips bled. The dead silence in his eyes was completely replaced by a frantic hatred, and his resentful whisper was as faint as a mosquito's hum. "The humiliation you inflicted upon me today, the debt of crippling my cultivation—I, Tang San, swear that I will return it a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"

"You think that by sealing my soul power, you can keep me down? You are wrong!"

"I will survive. I will reclaim everything that belongs to me. I will make you pay a painful price, and I will make everyone who looked down on me and betrayed me pay the price!"

He struggled to turn his neck, scanning his surroundings. Enduring the agonizing pain throughout his body, he moved his body bit by bit, crawling toward the depths of the dense forest.

He could not stay here. If he were discovered by other soul beasts or if the Shrek group returned, he would surely die!

The dirt stained his hair and clothes, leaving him in a wretched state. His former pride and arrogance had been ground to dust, but that obsession and ruthlessness had only taken deeper root. As he crawled, he frantically searched his mind for a way to turn the tables—

He knew poison and could craft lethal hidden weapons; he knew stealth and could evade pursuit; he still had his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Even if his soul power was sealed, the faint seed of his martial soul remained. As long as he found a way to break the seal or encountered a heaven-defying opportunity, he could cultivate again!

He pushed his Purple Demon Eye to the limit, vigilantly observing his surroundings. Avoiding the territories of powerful soul beasts, he slowly crawled into the depths of the forest where few people ventured. Like a dormant viper, he suppressed all his aura, silently licking his wounds, waiting for the day he could bare his fangs and deliver a fatal strike to Lin Chen!

On the other side, Lin Chen led the Shrek group to a valley with a secluded environment and moderately leveled soul beasts.

The spiritual energy here was rich, and few powerful soul beasts roamed the area, making it perfect for the group to rest and train.

Lin Chen found a bluestone and sat down, closing his eyes to focus. He appeared to be meditating, but in reality, his divine sense had already spread out, enveloping the entire valley. He remained vigilant against potential dangers while silently organizing his own strength.

After the duel with Tang San, he had thoroughly grasped the power system of this world; his own overwhelming strength was enough to handle any current crisis. And with the Shrek group's complete loyalty, his path in the Douluo world would be much less troublesome.

Xiao Wu and the others gathered nearby, not daring to disturb him. They sat cross-legged, circulating their soul power to meditate or honing their soul skills, each of them filled with motivation.

They knew that only by constantly improving themselves could they keep up with Lin Chen's pace, avoid becoming a burden in future crises, and truly become each other's most reliable companions.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the valley, casting dappled shadows. Warmth enveloped the group, creating a scene of peace and stability.

Yet no one knew that in the shadows of the deep forest, a wretched and obsessive figure was lying in wait. A conspiracy centered on hatred and a comeback was quietly brewing.

The grudge between Lin Chen and Tang San had not ended with the crippling of Tang San's cultivation; instead, it had turned into a deeper undercurrent, waiting for the next, more violent eruption!

And the Shrek group, under Lin Chen's leadership, would also embark on a brand-new journey of training, moving steadily toward the path of becoming stronger!