Deep in the tranquil mountain valley, spiritual energy shimmered in the air. A clear stream wound between the rocks, and birds sang sweetly among the trees. The smoke and bloodlust of the forest battle had faded, leaving behind a perfect hidden sanctuary for cultivation.
After half a day of recovery, the Shrek group had fully replenished their Soul Power. The tension and lingering dread they had felt when facing Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus had finally faded in the calm surroundings. Having endured a trial of life and death and the sting of betrayal, all six wore steadier, more resolute expressions. Their eyes held an even deeper respect for Lin Chen, along with a genuine desire to follow him.
Dai Mubai was the first to finish cultivating. The White Tiger Soul Power around him gradually subsided as he stretched his limbs, his bones cracking in a series of sharp pops. Gratitude filled his gaze as he looked at Lin Chen. "Brother Chen, we owe you for stopping Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus earlier. Without you, we might not have made it through this one. And I've noticed that after this battle, my Soul Power flows much more smoothly. Even my Martial Soul's compatibility has improved."
Dai Mubai had once been the team's main fighter, and he had always been proud. But faced with Lin Chen's overwhelming strength, he had long since set aside his pride and accepted Lin Chen as their leader. Nearby, Ma Hongjun rose to his feet, rubbing his belly. The flames of his Phoenix Martial Soul had grown much calmer, no longer as volatile and short-tempered as before. Admiration filled his round face. "Brother Chen, you're incredible! You casually stopped that Hidden Weapon that could've blown everything to pieces. I'll follow you and train hard from now on. I'll get stronger as soon as I can and stop dragging everyone down!"
Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Xiao Wu gathered around as well. Xiao Wu clung tightly to Lin Chen's arm and gazed up at him, admiration practically spilling from her eyes. "Brother Chen, whatever dangers we face from now on, I'll face them with you. I'll train hard with my Soft Bone Martial Soul too, so you won't have to worry about me anymore."
Ning Rongrong gave a light nod, approval shining in her colorful glazed eyes. Born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had understood from childhood that the strong ruled. Lin Chen's strength and bearing had won her over completely, leaving none of her former spoiled airs. "Lin Chen, we'll follow your lead in the trials ahead. If you say east, we won't go west."
Zhu Zhuqing said little, but determination shone in her cool eyes. Oscar, too, clenched the sausage mold in his hands, earnestness written across his honest face. The Shrek group had now cast aside what little distance had remained between them. United as one, they had rallied around Lin Chen, their cohesion stronger than ever before.
Lin Chen looked at them, united at last. A trace of warmth passed through his dark eyes, and his voice was calm yet powerful. "In that case, we'll focus on training in this valley. I'll help you address your weaknesses and refine your Soul Skill usage, so we can raise our overall strength. The Douluo Continent is full of powerful people. Only by becoming strong enough ourselves can we face any crisis."
With that, Lin Chen began guiding them through their training one by one.
Dai Mubai's White Tiger Martial Soul had powerful bursts of strength but lacked stamina, so Lin Chen immediately pointed out the flaws in his Soul Power circulation and corrected how he applied force when using his Soul Skills. He taught Dai Mubai to link White Tiger Intense Light Wave and White Tiger Barrier more smoothly, preserving his explosive power while greatly reducing his Soul Power consumption. As for Ma Hongjun's unruly Phoenix Flame, Lin Chen guided him in calming its ferocity and gathering its scattered energy into focused streams, improving the flame's power and accuracy while preventing needless waste of Soul Power.
He helped Ning Rongrong refine the rhythm of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's boosts, breaking her habit of applying them in a fixed sequence. She learned to adapt to the battlefield and switch smoothly between boosts to strength, speed, and defense, maximizing her support. He also improved Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat footwork, compensating for her weak defense despite her extreme speed, and optimized the angle of her Nether Slash to make her ambushes and surprise attacks even more lethal. Even for Oscar's Support Sausage production, Lin Chen offered improvements to speed up the process and stabilize the effects of his Recovery Sausage and Flight Sausage, making them more useful in team battles.
Lin Chen paid particular attention to Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Martial Soul. He carefully corrected the tiny flaws in her grappling Soft Techniques and the way she generated force for her Waist Bow, teaching her to redirect an opponent's strength more effectively and gain an even greater advantage in close combat. At the same time, he reminded her to be cautious in battle and never recklessly put herself in harm's way.
Under Lin Chen's guidance, backed by an understanding of cultivation far beyond this era, everyone suddenly saw the way forward. The many obstacles and questions they had encountered in training were resolved in an instant. They immediately followed his instructions and devoted themselves to cultivation. Soul Power surged throughout the valley, and everyone's strength rose at a visibly astonishing pace—several times faster than it would have through solitary training.
Time slipped by, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Shrek group had all made a qualitative leap. Dai Mubai had drawn closer to the bottleneck at level thirty, while Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar's Soul Power had steadily advanced. Ning Rongrong's support abilities had improved greatly, and Xiao Wu's Soft Bone techniques had become more and more polished. The whole team had grown more coordinated, able to work together perfectly in battle without exchanging a word.
Lin Chen stayed nearby the entire time. He kept his divine sense spread across the valley, watchful for hidden dangers, while quietly consolidating his own strength. The dark Soul Power around him lay as deep and still as an abyss. It seemed utterly motionless, yet concealed power enough to destroy the heavens and earth, ready to meet any sudden threat.
Now and then, his divine sense swept over the depths of the forest and caught a resentful, craven, sinister presence. He paid it little mind. In his eyes, Tang San—whose cultivation had been crippled and who now had only his poison and schemes—was nothing more than a clown. No matter how long he hid and plotted, he could not so much as shake Lin Chen. In the end, his hatred would only lead him to ruin.
Meanwhile, far from the valley, deep in the desolate forest, Tang San crouched in the corner of a damp, shadowy cave. His face was haggard, his clothes torn, and his body streaked with dirt and scratches. He looked utterly wretched.
The seal at his dantian remained ice-cold, completely blocking the flow of his Soul Power. His shattered meridians sent sharp, stabbing pain through him from time to time. Yet these torments of the flesh only made his hatred burn hotter, until madness and malice nearly spilled from his eyes.
For the past two days, he had survived on wild fruit and stream water, dragging his broken body through the forest in search of poisonous plants and venomous insects. With his Purple Demon Eye, he identified each poison precisely; with his Mysterious Jade Hand, he resisted their toxins. Bit by bit, he gathered the ingredients he needed to concoct the Tang Sect's deadly poisons.
Unable to use powerful Hidden Weapons that needed Soul Power, he abandoned techniques like Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus, which required immense reserves to unleash. Instead, he turned to the Tang Sect's most vicious, most discreet poisoned weapons and poisons—those that could be used without Soul Power.
Using hard stones, he ground tiny, needle-thin darts. He boiled down the Heartbreak Grass, Heart-Rotting Insects, Nether Flowers, and other toxic materials he had gathered into deadly extracts, then coated the needles again and again until they were smeared with lethal poison. He also followed the instructions in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record to set hidden poison-mist traps and Soul-Severing Poison Arrays. Every method was cruel and venomous, leaving no chance of survival.
"Lin Chen... those traitors from Shrek..." Tang San ground a poison needle against a stone. He didn't even notice when a chip of stone cut his fingertip. His eyes glinted with obsessive malice as he hissed, "You think you're so strong? Just wait until I've made enough poisonous Hidden Weapons and laid an impregnable poison array. I'll make sure every last one of you dies without a whole corpse!"
"So what if you sealed my Soul Power? Did you think that would make me submit? I have the Tang Sect's lifetime of knowledge. Even without Soul Power, I can kill you with poison! Every bit of humiliation and pain I've suffered today—I'll make you repay a thousand times over!"
He knew full well that he was no match for Lin Chen now; facing him head-on would be like throwing an egg at a rock. So he abandoned any thought of a direct confrontation and devoted himself to sinister methods, planning to hide in the shadows, wait for a chance to strike, and take revenge by the most despicable means.
As he coated his weapons with poison, he slowly crept toward the valley where the Shrek group was staying. Carefully suppressing his presence, he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to conceal his movements. Like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, he inched toward his prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and deliver a fatal blow to Lin Chen and the others.
In the valley, Lin Chen's gaze suddenly turned cold as his divine sense caught the sinister presence drawing nearer. A scornful smile tugged at his lips.
He had seen through Tang San's intentions long ago, but still didn't strike first. Instead, he planned to let things unfold and force Tang San to give up for good, while showing the Shrek group his true, vicious nature.
"Everyone, stop cultivating. Keep watch. Some fool who doesn't know his place has come looking for us."
Lin Chen spoke calmly, but his voice carried a force that brooked no argument.
At his words, the Shrek group immediately stopped cultivating. Soul Power surged around them as they entered combat stance, their eyes sweeping warily across the surroundings. The atmosphere tightened at once.
Before you continue