Tang San fled the valley in a sorry state. The sinister killing intent that had lingered among the trees vanished completely, and the secluded valley returned to silence. Only the faint, lingering stench of poison in the air reminded everyone of the harrowing clash of poison and schemes they had just endured.
The Shrek group sat together, their hearts taking a long time to settle. Their eyes held a new certainty forged through life and death, and they had finally severed the last thread of pity they had felt for Tang San.
Xiao Wu clutched Lin Chen's sleeve, her little face full of indignation and regret. "I never thought Tang San would become like this. He's thrown away all the affection we once shared, with nothing but revenge and schemes on his mind. He's such a disappointment."
"You never know what's in someone's heart. Hatred has long since clouded his judgment and led him astray. He has nothing more to do with us." Dai Mubai spoke gravely, White Tiger Soul Power flowing steadily around him. After facing that fight, his control over his Soul Skills had improved once more. "From now on, if he dares come after us again, I won't show him any mercy."
Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar all nodded. After enduring the poison attack, they had finally come to their senses. They understood that in the law-of-the-jungle Douluo Continent, mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself. Only by growing stronger could they withstand every unknown danger.
Seeing that everyone had settled down, Lin Chen's eyes held a hint of approval. He spoke slowly. "A crisis that helps you see people for who they are and tempers your character still has its benefits. Your teamwork against those schemes was flawless, but there are still weak points. You especially need to improve your adaptability when facing unconventional poison attacks. In the training ahead, I'll focus on improving your ability to adapt in battle while helping you break through your Soul Power bottlenecks. Let's get everyone's strength to the next level."
With that, Lin Chen resumed his targeted instruction. Compared with the basic improvements they had worked on before, this training was much harsher, simulating all kinds of dangers they might encounter in a real fight.
He took them on himself, using suppressed Soul Power to simulate attacks from all kinds of powerful enemies. At times he launched a direct assault; at others, he struck from ambush or unleashed strange energy that ate away at them, testing their split-second reactions and teamwork. Dai Mubai was tasked with holding the front line as Lin Chen steadily increased the force of his attacks, forcing him to combine the White Tiger Martial Soul's defense and explosive power to the utmost and shore up his weakness in endurance. Ma Hongjun had to control his Phoenix Flame with precision, using it to burn a wide area and break through a stalemate or concentrating it to pick off a target, until he had thoroughly tamed his unruly flame Soul Power. With Lin Chen pursuing her at breakneck speed, Zhu Zhuqing kept refining the Hell Spirit Cat's footwork, stringing together dodges, ambushes, and counterattacks while honing her close-range defense. Ning Rongrong abandoned her sluggish buffing rhythm, learning to switch buffs instantly and apply them precisely to her teammates so she could bring the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's support ability to its fullest. Under the pressure of intense battles, Oscar kept cutting down the time it took to make sausages and developed simpler Support Sausages better suited to emergencies. Lin Chen took apart Xiao Wu's Soft Bone techniques one by one, strengthening her ability to turn an opponent's force against them and increasing her lethality in close combat. He also taught her to sense danger around her and avoid threats before they struck.
Under the harsh combat training, everyone pushed past their limits time and again. Sweat soaked their clothes, and their Soul Power ran dry several times, but not one of them complained or backed down. Whenever they neared their limits, Lin Chen would guide their Soul Power at just the right moment and instruct them in the essence of its circulation. They transformed even through exhaustion, and their cultivation became far more efficient than before.
In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.
Soul Power fluctuations in the valley reached an unprecedented intensity.
Dai Mubai was the first to break through. The light of his Soul Rings blazed around him as three rings—two yellow and one purple—pulsed wildly. Soul Power surged through his body like a mighty river, and a golden White Tiger apparition roared skyward around him. His Soul Power Level broke through to thirty-one, making him a Soul Elder! His bottleneck shattered completely, and the power of his White Tiger Martial Soul surged. Both his defense and attack power had undergone a qualitative leap.
"I broke through! Brother Chen, I really made it past level thirty!" Dai Mubai could barely contain his excitement; even his voice trembled. The bottleneck that had troubled him for so long had given way so easily under Lin Chen's guidance. The improvement filled him with confidence in his future cultivation.
Soon after, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar also made progress in their Soul Power. Ma Hongjun neared level twenty-nine, his flame Soul Power growing ever more concentrated. Even without using a Soul Skill, he was surrounded by restrained heat. Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power stabilized at level twenty-eight, her movements becoming more ghostly as the power of Nether Slash rose considerably. Oscar's Soul Power climbed steadily, and the speed and effects of his Support Sausage reached new heights. He even seemed to have brushed against the threshold of a new Soul Skill.
Under her prolonged, high-intensity support training, the light of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul grew brighter and brighter. As its seven-colored radiance flowed, the strength of her buffs increased by nearly thirty percent. She had even broken with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's traditional approach to buffing, learning to stack multiple buffs instantly. Her support ability now stood unrivaled among Soul Masters of her level.
Xiao Wu's progress was even more astonishing. Her mastery of the Soft Bone Martial Soul reached its peak, and her Waist Bow, Soft Bone Lock, Eight-Stage Throw, and other combat techniques had become second nature. Soul Power flowed around her with effortless grace. Not only was she formidable in close combat, she had also honed a keen sense for danger, and her Soul Power Level had quietly risen to twenty-eight. Her whole demeanor had grown more agile and resilient.
After several days of extreme tempering, the Shrek group's individual strength and teamwork had reached their peak since enrolling. They no longer needed words to coordinate; a single glance was enough for each to understand the others' intentions. They had become a formidable, elite team.
As Lin Chen looked at the transformed group, a faint glimmer appeared in his dark eyes. During this time, he had also steadily consolidated his cultivation and sharpened his divine sense. Nothing in the valley or the surrounding forest could escape his perception.
At the same time as everyone's strength was transforming, another undercurrent was churning through a dark cave deep in the forest.
Lin Chen had sealed Tang San's meridians, leaving him unable to touch poisons or concoct them. Like a venomous snake with its fangs pulled, he still refused to let go of his desire for revenge. He curled up in a corner of the cave, feeling the restraints on his meridians and the icy seal at his dantian. The venomous hatred and obsession in his eyes were almost tangible.
He was unwilling to accept it. He refused to believe that, despite possessing the Tang Sect Secret Arts, he had repeatedly fallen to Lin Chen. And he was even less willing to accept being abandoned by his former companions and reduced to a stray dog.
His Soul Power was sealed, and his poison arts were forbidden. He had no chance of winning a direct fight, but he still refused to give up. He frantically searched the records in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record for even the slightest chance to turn things around. He knew that in his current state, he couldn't face Lin Chen head-on. To get revenge, he had to find a more powerful backer or draw upon an even stranger force.
Suddenly, a crazed light flashed in Tang San's eyes. He remembered the strange legends told about the depths of this wild forest. Supposedly, Mutated Soul Beasts tainted by Soul Power dwelled in its heart. They were savage and naturally venomous, and even seasoned Soul Masters dared not venture there lightly.
"Mutated Soul Beasts... venomous Soul Beasts..." Tang San murmured, a vicious smile curling his lips. "Lin Chen, you sealed my poison arts, so I'll borrow an outside force to kill you! The Mutated Soul Beasts in this forest will be my perfect weapon!"
A more vicious plan had already taken shape in his mind: he couldn't act himself, so he would find a way to provoke the venomous Mutated Soul Beasts deep in the forest and lead them to the valley where the Shrek group was staying. He would use the beasts to wipe out Lin Chen and the others!
Even if this plan failed to kill Lin Chen outright, it could drain his Soul Power and keep him occupied, leaving Tang San to reap the benefits and wait for a chance to take revenge.
With that thought, Tang San forced himself to endure the pain in his body and struggled to his feet. Using his Purple Demon Eye to find his bearings, he carefully avoided the Soul Beasts in the forest and groped his way toward its deeper, more perilous heart. He staggered as he walked, but his eyes were resolute. Every step carried a vicious determination, like a scorpion creeping through the darkness and quietly laying a new death trap.
In the valley, Lin Chen was stabilizing his cultivation when his gaze suddenly darkened. His divine sense caught that sinister aura moving toward the heart of the forest, and he instantly saw through Tang San's malicious intent.
"He refuses to learn, and he won't turn back." Lin Chen's voice was calm, but a glint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
He had wanted to give Tang San a way out, but the other man had tried to kill them time and again. Since that was the case, there was no need to show him any more mercy.
Just then, the Shrek group noticed Lin Chen's change in expression. They stopped cultivating and gathered around him.
"Brother Chen, what's wrong? Is Tang San up to something again?" Dai Mubai immediately tensed, Soul Power surging around him as he prepared for battle.
Lin Chen looked into the depths of the forest. His voice was calm, yet carried a chill. "He can't accept defeat, so he plans to lead the venomous Mutated Soul Beasts from deep in the forest here to attack us."
At his words, everyone's faces changed. They had been cultivating in the valley for days, and every so often they could sense violent Soul Power fluctuations coming from the depths of the forest. Clearly, that area was full of danger.
"Mutated Soul Beasts? What should we do?" Ning Rongrong asked softly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hands already poised for action.
A faint smile curved Lin Chen's lips as his gaze swept over them. He spoke in a firm voice. "Since he's delivered such a generous training gift right to our doorstep, how could we refuse it? This Mutated Soul Beast will be the perfect test of your progress over the past few days—and the perfect chance to settle things with Tang San once and for all."
"Everyone, follow me! We're going to face the Mutated Soul Beast!"
At his command, determination filled the Shrek group's eyes, their Soul Rings pulsing as their fighting spirit soared. After days of grueling cultivation, they were no longer the inexperienced Soul Masters they had once been. Faced with a powerful enemy, they felt no fear—only a surge of fighting spirit.
Sunlight pierced the branches overhead, scattering dappled shadows across the ground. The valley's peace was shattered. A fierce battle between humans and Soul Beasts, and a final reckoning between righteousness and evil, was about to erupt in the heart of the wild forest!
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