As Lin Chen's voice faded, the peaceful atmosphere of cultivation in the valley vanished in an instant.
White Tiger Soul Power surged around Dai Mubai. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—circled him as the White Tiger Barrier sprang into action. Golden Soul Power condensed into thick armor of light, and his sharp, eagle-like gaze locked firmly on the direction of the forest. Ma Hongjun's stout body shuddered as he quietly released his Phoenix Martial Soul, scorching flames of Soul Power swirling around him. After Lin Chen's guidance, his once-temperamental flames had grown even more concentrated, ready to unleash a deadly strike at any moment. Zhu Zhuqing vanished into the shadows in an instant, displaying the Hell Spirit Cat's peerless speed. She lightly touched the ground with her toes and silently circled toward the flank, ready to launch a surprise attack. Ning Rongrong raised both hands, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda floated before her, its seven-colored light swirling as boosts to strength, speed, and defense stood ready for her teammates. Light shimmered at Oscar's fingertips. In mere moments, he had made two Recovery Sausages, gripping them firmly as he prepared to provide support in every way. Xiao Wu stood close beside Lin Chen, her Soft Bone Soul Power held in check. Her lively eyes brimmed with vigilance; at the first sign of trouble, she would pounce without hesitation.
After two days of Lin Chen's precise guidance, everyone's strength and teamwork had improved dramatically. Now that they had entered battle formation, no one showed the slightest panic. Their positions were orderly and precise, displaying the bearing of an elite team.
Lin Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes tranquil as his divine sense spread out completely, taking in every movement within a hundred meters. He could clearly sense that the sinister presence was hidden behind a boulder at the edge of the forest, dense poison swirling around it. Poison needles and poisonous mist traps were also concealed beneath the ground and among the grass, each step fraught with danger and aimed straight at the Shrek group.
"Quit skulking in the shadows. Since you're here, why hide?" Lin Chen said calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it pierced through the forest like thunder, reaching Tang San's ears with an irresistible pressure.
Deep in the forest, Tang San clenched the poison needles coated in deadly toxins. His knuckles whitened with the force of his grip, and his heart jolted in alarm.
He had thought he'd brought Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its utmost limit and concealed his presence without a single flaw, yet Lin Chen had still detected him with ease. The strength of Lin Chen's divine sense deepened both his hatred and his wariness.
There was no turning back now!
A vicious gleam shone in Tang San's eyes. He stopped hiding and shot out from behind the boulder, hunched over as he pounced at the Shrek group like a ghost. At the same time, he flicked his wrist, sending dozens of hair-thin poison needles hurtling through the air. Their cold, green glint flashed as they shot toward Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others, blocking every avenue of escape!
The needles were incredibly fast, and their poison could kill at the slightest touch of blood. One prick would mean instant death. They were sinister to the extreme!
"Watch out for the poison needles!" Dai Mubai roared. Rather than retreat, he charged forward, instantly condensing the White Tiger Intense Light Wave. A beam of golden Soul Power erupted and swept toward the incoming needles, trying to shatter every last one.
Ma Hongjun struck at the same time. Phoenix Fire Line spewed forth, scorching flames sweeping across the air as he tried to burn the needles and neutralize their poison. Zhu Zhuqing abruptly retreated and unleashed Nether Slash through the air. Her sharp Soul Power strike swept across, knocking aside the needles attacking from the flank. Ning Rongrong immediately bolstered Dai Mubai with boosts to strength and defense, making his Soul Power attack even more formidable. Oscar promptly tossed Recovery Sausages toward everyone, ready to respond to any emergency.
Their teamwork was flawless and their movements swift, but the needles were too small, and Tang San controlled them deliberately to dodge the Soul Power blasts. Several still broke through the line of defense, shooting straight for everyone's vital points!
At that critical moment, Lin Chen's gaze turned cold as he gently raised a hand.
An invisible Soul Power barrier instantly enveloped the area. Every incoming poison needle stopped in midair as if it had struck an unbreakable wall, unable to advance even a fraction. Then Lin Chen flicked his fingers, and the needles abruptly reversed direction, hurtling back toward Tang San even faster than before!
Tang San's expression changed drastically. He had never imagined Lin Chen could so effortlessly neutralize his killing move—and even turn it against him. He hurriedly used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, weaving and dodging, but the needles were too fast. Even at full strength, he couldn't avoid them all. One needle grazed his shoulder, piercing the skin.
A trace of green poison immediately spread from the wound. Tang San's face changed, and he quickly circulated Mysterious Jade Hand to suppress it, his heart seething with shock and rage.
The deadly Hidden Weapons he had painstakingly crafted were utterly useless before Lin Chen!
"That's all you've got?" Lin Chen said indifferently, undisguised disdain in his voice. "Without Soul Power, you dare flaunt these crooked tricks and poison arts before me?"
Before his voice had even faded, a vicious glint flashed through Tang San's eyes. He suddenly slapped the ground and growled, "Poison Mist Formation, rise!"
In an instant, dense clouds of dark green poisonous mist burst out from beneath the ground and among the grass, rapidly spreading until they covered most of the valley. The mist gave off a pungent, foul stench. Everywhere it passed, plants withered and blackened in an instant. It clearly contained a potent neurotoxin; inhaling even a little would muddle the mind and rot the meridians.
"Hold your breath, everyone! Don't touch the mist!" Ning Rongrong called out. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda burst with brilliant, seven-colored light as she tried to use a Soul Power barrier to stop the mist from spreading. But the mist was so corrosive that it began eating away at the barrier, bit by bit.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others all summoned Soul Power to protect themselves and held their breath, but the mist spread at astonishing speed. It was about to surround them completely.
Standing at the edge of the mist, Tang San curled his lips into a sinister smile. He had already taken the antidote, so he feared no poison. In his eyes, no matter how powerful Lin Chen was, he would still be hampered by this indiscriminate poisonous fog. Sooner or later, Tang San would find an opening and deliver a fatal blow.
"Lin Chen, aren't you supposed to be all-powerful? Today, I'll bury you and this pack of traitors in the poisonous mist!" Tang San laughed maniacally, his voice venomous and grating.
Xiao Wu looked at Tang San's savage face and murderous intent, her eyes filled with disappointment and coldness. The fellow disciple who had once been her companion was now willing to use such vicious, insidious methods to kill everyone for the sake of revenge. It shattered the last trace of hope she had held for him.
"Tang San, you're vicious beyond words! We never meant to wipe you out, yet you keep pushing us, trying to kill every last one of us!" Xiao Wu scolded angrily, Soft Bone Soul Power surging through her. She could hardly wait to rush over and teach this obstinate man a lesson.
Lin Chen raised a hand to stop Xiao Wu and calmly looked at the spreading poisonous mist, not the least bit flustered.
"Parlor tricks. And you dare show them off before a master?"
Dark Soul Power slowly swirled around Lin Chen. It did not erupt with a mighty aura, yet it carried a pressure that seemed to suppress all things. He gently raised his hand, palm down, and clenched it in midair!
A bizarre sight unfolded. The dark green poisonous mist, which had been spreading wildly, abruptly stopped as though pulled by an invisible force. Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, it surged toward Lin Chen's palm. No matter how the mist struggled or how corrosive it was, it could not escape the powerful force. In mere moments, every wisp of poisonous mist in the valley had been drawn together, condensing into a tiny dark green Poison Bead that floated at Lin Chen's fingertips.
Toxins churned inside the bead, yet they couldn't break through the restraints of Lin Chen's Soul Power. Its deadly force had been completely neutralized.
A deathly silence fell over the valley.
Dai Mubai and the others stared at the sight, dumbstruck, their hearts swept by a storm of shock.
The poisonous mist formation could kill in an instant, yet in Lin Chen's hands, it was like a child's game, gathered up and dispelled with ease. His control and strength had already surpassed anything they could comprehend!
The maniacal smile froze on Tang San's face. His pupils contracted, and disbelief filled his features as if he'd seen a ghost.
How was this possible?!
He had spent every ounce of effort setting up that poison formation, which combined several kinds of deadly toxins. Even a Soul Elder would suffer greatly if caught inside, yet Lin Chen had neutralized the poisonous mist with one hand without even causing the slightest stir!
Despair swallowed Tang San in an instant.
The revenge plan he had painstakingly laid and hidden for days was so utterly helpless before Lin Chen's overwhelming strength that it seemed like a colossal joke.
"I told you, you're nothing but a clown. No matter what tricks you try, they're meaningless." Lin Chen moved his fingers slightly, and the Poison Bead instantly crumbled to dust and vanished into the air without a trace.
He started toward Tang San. Every step made Tang San's heart jolt, and he retreated involuntarily, fear and resentment filling his eyes.
In Tang San's eyes, Lin Chen was an insurmountable mountain, crushing the breath from his lungs.
"Y-you, stay back!" Tang San snarled. He tried to activate his remaining poison needles and poison formations, but his dantian was sealed and his Soul Power completely spent. With only his physical strength, he could no longer perform any of the Tang Sect's poison arts. All he could do was watch helplessly as Lin Chen approached.
Dai Mubai and the others also gathered around. Their gaze toward Tang San had completely changed: all traces of their former bond were gone, replaced by cold loathing and wariness.
They finally saw him clearly. Tang San had long since been consumed by hatred, with nothing in his heart but killing and revenge. He was no longer the companion who had once cultivated alongside them and fought shoulder to shoulder with them.
"Tang San, you're obstinate and bent on revenge, willing to harm your former companions with such underhanded methods. Today, you'll pay for what you've done," Dai Mubai said gravely, White Tiger Soul Power surging as he prepared to subdue Tang San.
Lin Chen raised a hand to stop Dai Mubai. His gaze settled on Tang San as he said evenly, "Your hatred still burns, and you still haven't given up. I won't kill you today, nor will I extinguish the last spark of life in you. But remember: if there's a next time, I'll make your soul scatter and leave you no chance to rise again."
As he finished speaking, Lin Chen sent a wisp of faint Soul Power from his fingertips, striking the wound on Tang San's shoulder with precision. It immediately neutralized the poison remaining in his body. At the same time, a stream of Soul Power entered him and sealed the meridians throughout his body, so he could no longer easily handle poisons or practice poison arts.
Tang San collapsed to the ground, his body limp and his face twisted. The venom in his eyes had not faded as he glared at Lin Chen and ground out through clenched teeth, "Lin Chen, I won't admit defeat! I'll remember this humiliation. One day, I'll make you pay!"
"I'll be waiting." Lin Chen's tone was calm, as though Tang San's threat meant nothing to him. Then he waved a hand. "Get out of this valley. Don't show your face here again."
Tang San struggled to his feet and shot a venomous look at Lin Chen and the Shrek group. Dragging his battered body, he limped into the depths of the forest like a beaten dog, yet he still lurked in secret, waiting for a chance to take revenge.
Watching Tang San disappear, the Shrek group felt a jumble of emotions, but they finally let go of the last remnant of their former bond.
Dai Mubai looked at Lin Chen with deep admiration. "Brother Chen, we owe you. Without you, even if we'd managed to deal with the poison plot today, we'd have suffered losses."
After this crisis, everyone's trust in and loyalty to Lin Chen grew even firmer.
Lin Chen looked at them, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Your response just now was steady enough, and your teamwork is growing more seamless. Your improvement is plain to see."
"But remember: Douluo Continent has more than just direct clashes of Soul Power. There are countless sinister tricks and underhanded methods, too. Only by staying vigilant and growing stronger can you remain undefeated in the face of any crisis."
Everyone nodded, committing Lin Chen's words to heart.
This sudden crisis had not discouraged the Shrek group. Instead, it had helped them face reality, temper their resolve, and strengthen their unity once more.
Sunlight spilled over the valley again, driving away the poisonous mist and killing intent and restoring its former tranquility.
Lin Chen looked toward the distance, a profound glint passing through his eyes. Tang San remained a threat, and more crises were sure to come. Their path of trials had only just begun.
"Rest for a while. After that, we'll continue cultivating. Only by becoming stronger can we face whatever storms lie ahead."
As Lin Chen's voice faded, the Shrek group once again devoted themselves wholeheartedly to cultivation. Soul Power surged more densely through the valley, and a mightier force was quietly gathering.
Deep in the forest, Tang San hid in the shadows, feeling the meridians sealed within his body. The obsession and madness in his eyes grew ever more intense as a greater conspiracy quietly took shape in his heart.
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