Soul Beasts Surround and Kill, Thunder Counterattacks

As Lin Chen's words settled, the soul power of the seven Shrek members surged simultaneously. Their soul rings rose in sequence, and without a moment's hesitation, they followed in Lin Chen's footsteps, sprinting deep into the dense forest.

After three days of hellish training, the group's movement techniques and control over their soul power were no longer what they once were. Dai Mubai, wrapped in the soul power of his White Tiger, moved with steady, powerful strides to lead the way, his golden tiger claws faintly glinting with a cold light. Zhu Zhuqing transformed into a black shadow, weaving through the trees like a ghost to scout ahead; the keen senses of her Hell Spirit Cat were fully extended, scanning for hidden dangers. Ma Hongjun's flames were now restrained, no longer the volatile inferno of the past, but condensed into a faint, golden-red radiance; his speed was in no way inferior to an agility-type soul master. Oscar's fingers danced rapidly, condensing several Recovery Sausages and Flight Sausages in the blink of an eye, passing them out to the group to complete their battle preparations in one fluid motion. Ning Rongrong hovered her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda before her, its seven-colored halo swirling as she instantly boosted the speed and soul power of every member without a hint of delay. Xiao Wu clung to Lin Chen's arm, her Soft Bone soul power flowing nimbly, her ears twitching as she captured every abnormal movement in the forest.

The group's aura was concentrated and their coordination seamless. In just a short while, they had penetrated a hundred miles into the forest. The surrounding air grew cold and pungent, with a thick, fishy-sweet miasma permeating the foliage. Withered, blackened vegetation could be seen everywhere on the ground, and even the birds that usually nested here were nowhere to be found. In the deathly silence, a heart-stopping pressure loomed.

"Such potent toxicity—it's even more ferocious than the poison formation Tang San set up before!" Ning Rongrong frowned slightly. Her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda emitted a soft glow, erecting a simple energy shield to ward off the encroaching poison gas.

Lin Chen raised a hand to signal the group to stop. His divine sense expanded fully, covering a radius of several miles, and he instantly grasped the situation: "Tang San is lurking behind a giant boulder three miles ahead. He has already provoked three mutated, highly toxic soul beasts: a Jade Scale Poison Python, a Bone-Rotting Demon Spider, and a Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf. All are thousand-year cultivation beasts, and due to soul power pollution, their toxicity and combat power far exceed ordinary thousand-year beasts. They are currently closing in on us to kill."

The group's expressions tightened, yet not one person retreated; instead, their eyes ignited with fierce battle intent.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists, his White Tiger martial soul erupting completely. His third purple soul ring shone brilliantly, and a tyrannical wave of soul power swept outward: "Perfect. Let's test the strength of my level 31 Soul Elder cultivation. These poisonous beasts are the best touchstones!"

"Brother Chen already taught us how to deal with poison-type attacks, what is there to fear!" Ma Hongjun's flames surged violently, his golden-red Phoenix flames burning fiercely. The temperature was extremely high, causing the surrounding poison gas to ignite and burn away instantly upon contact. "My Phoenix flames are the perfect counter to these sinister, poisonous things!"

Zhu Zhuqing flashed, already hidden within the shadows of the trees, her cold voice drifting out: "I'll go distract the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf. It's the fastest and the hardest to deal with."

"I'll provide full-team buffs, and Oscar's sausages will keep us supplied!" Ning Rongrong's voice was crisp. Her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda flared with light, increasing the intensity of her buffs and pushing the group's combat power to its peak.

Oscar quickly distributed the Recovery Sausages to everyone, saying in a deep voice: "If your soul power runs dry, eat a sausage. I guarantee our endurance!"

Xiao Wu was eager to fight, her Soft Bone martial soul power surging, a sharp, agile glint flashing in her eyes: "I'll help Zhuqing—we'll take these beasts down in close quarters!"

Lin Chen watched their orderly deployment and nodded slightly. His own aura remained calm, yet he kept a firm lock on the soul beasts' signatures and Tang San's hiding spot: "Follow the plan. Dai Mubai, take the Jade Scale Poison Python head-on. Ma Hongjun, use your flames to suppress the Bone-Rotting Demon Spider. Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, pincer the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf. Rongrong, Oscar, provide support throughout. Remember, don't get bogged down in a prolonged fight. Defeat the beasts first, then deal with Tang San!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the ground shook violently. Three brutal, dark shadows tore through the forest, carrying a monstrous miasma as they lunged straight toward the Shrek team!

The leading Jade Scale Poison Python was several yards long, its scales a deep green with a ghostly, toxic sheen. Its maw hung wide, spraying a thick green mist; wherever the mist touched, the ground instantly corroded into deep pits. Its third thousand-year soul ring swirled around its body as it swept its massive frame toward them with astonishing force.

To the right, the massive Bone-Rotting Demon Spider moved on eight legs covered in barbs, leaving charred, corrosive trails on the ground. Its abdomen continuously spat out viscous, poisonous spider silk that corroded upon impact, possessing extreme stickiness and toxicity. Its thousand-year soul ring flickered as it lunged to envelop the group.

At the rear, the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf was lithe and jet-black, its eyes glowing with a scarlet, murderous light. It was incredibly fast, surrounded by black poison mist that caused vegetation to wither and rot instantly. It let out a howl that carried a mental shock, striking directly at the group's minds.

The three thousand-year mutated, highly toxic soul beasts attacked in unison, filling the air with poison and murderous intent. Had it been the Shrek team from before, they would surely have been thrown into chaos, but now, their eyes were resolute, each performing their duty without a hint of panic!

"White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"

Dai Mubai struck first. His third soul skill erupted, a golden, tiger-shaped light wave carrying tyrannical soul power meeting the Jade Scale Poison Python's mist head-on. As the light wave collided with the poison, the mist was instantly scattered, and the sheer force sent the massive python reeling backward.

Immediately following, Dai Mubai surged forward, the phantom of his White Tiger True Form manifesting. His fists, imbued with peerless strength, slammed heavily into the python's vital spot. The strength of a level 31 Soul Elder was on full display as he went toe-to-toe with a thousand-year poison python, not losing an inch!

"Phoenix Meteor Shower!"

Ma Hongjun leaped into the air, unleashing his flame soul skill at full power. Golden-red flames condensed into countless fireballs that rained down from the sky, striking the Bone-Rotting Demon Spider with precision. Phoenix flames were a natural counter to evil toxins; as the fire landed on the spider and its silk, a raging inferno ignited. The Bone-Rotting Demon Spider let out a shrill screech, its toxic power suppressed by the flames, leaving it unable to use its poison and forced to dodge in a panic.

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu attacked simultaneously, pincering the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf from both sides.

Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Slash cut through the air, the black blade-light aiming straight for the wolf's neck, her speed leaving behind trails of afterimages. Xiao Wu moved with agility, her Waist Bow providing the force as she closed the distance instantly. Her Soft Bone Lock clamped onto the wolf's body, using its own momentum against it to neutralize its attacks, her Eight-Stage Throw primed and ready.

Ning Rongrong's buffs never ceased. Strength, speed, defense, and soul power recovery—four layers of buffs switched seamlessly, precisely applied to each person to keep their combat power at its peak. Oscar kept his eyes glued to the battlefield, tossing out Recovery Sausages the moment anyone's soul power dipped, ensuring the team's endurance.

A thrilling, high-stakes team battle had begun!

The Shrek members coordinated flawlessly, their offense and defense orderly. Each of them pushed the techniques Lin Chen had taught them to the limit. This was no longer a simple contest of soul skills, but an all-encompassing battle of soul power control, tactical coordination, and on-the-spot adaptability.

Dai Mubai fought steadily, pushing the offensive and defensive capabilities of his White Tiger martial soul to the limit, holding off the Jade Scale Poison Python's onslaught while constantly searching for openings. Ma Hongjun controlled his flames with precision, suppressing the poison without wasting soul power, steadily forcing the Bone-Rotting Demon Spider back. The agility-based coordination between Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu was perfect; one attacking and one controlling, they left the lightning-fast Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf with nowhere to run, forcing it into a passive, defensive state.

Though the three mutated, highly toxic soul beasts were fierce, they were firmly suppressed by the Shrek team. Their poison was burned away by Phoenix flames, and their attacks were neutralized by team coordination, gradually causing them to lose ground.

Not far away, behind a giant boulder, Tang San took in everything. His fingers were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes a mix of resentment and disbelief.

He had assumed that the combined might of three highly toxic, mutated soul beasts would be enough to exhaust Lin Chen and the others, leaving them heavily wounded so he could reap the rewards. He never imagined that in just three short days, the strength of the Shrek members would have transformed to such a degree. Their coordination and raw combat power far exceeded his understanding!

"Impossible! How could they have become this strong!" Tang San whispered through gritted teeth, the unwillingness and hatred in his heart growing more intense. He watched the Shrek members dominating the field, then looked at his own sealed meridians and unusable poison techniques; his paranoia spiraled out of control.

He could not accept that his plan had failed again, nor could he bear to watch his former companions thrive while he was reduced to a stray dog.

His gaze locked onto Lin Chen, who was calmly directing the battle without having made a move himself. A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tang San's eyes. He quietly channeled the secret arts of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, ignoring the agonizing pain in his sealed meridians, and forcibly mobilized a sliver of weak soul power. He condensed it at his fingertips and flicked a tiny, invisible strand of Mysterious Jade Hand energy toward the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf!

He would provoke the wolf, forcing it into a berserk state to trigger a suicidal poison explosion. Even if it couldn't kill Lin Chen, it would make the Shrek team pay a heavy price!

The Mysterious Jade Hand energy silently sank into the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf. The already suppressed wolf let out a shrill howl, its black poison mist surging wildly. Its eyes turned completely blood-red, and its body began to swell violently—it had clearly been triggered into a berserk, self-destructing instinct!

"Careful! It's going to detonate its poison core!" Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. He instantly perceived Tang San's petty move and warned the group in a deep voice.

At the same time, Lin Chen moved—he finally took action!

He did not release his soul rings, yet a heart-stopping power of divine sense swept out, instantly suppressing the wolf's berserk aura. He gripped the air with his right hand, an invisible force locking the wolf's body in place, rendering it unable to move a single inch.

"Rongrong, buff!"

As Lin Chen's words fell, Ning Rongrong understood instantly. The seven-colored light of her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda surged toward Lin Chen, her amplification power fully unleashed.

"Phoenix flames, condense with all your might!"

Ma Hongjun immediately ceased his current attack, condensing all the flames around him into his palms. They transformed into an intensely concentrated beam of golden-red fire, and following Lin Chen's command, he fired it!

The beam of fire pierced the Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf with precision, shattering the poison core about to detonate within its body. The toxic power was completely incinerated by the Phoenix flames. The Shadow-Eroding Poison Wolf didn't even have time to scream before it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Having resolved the self-destruction crisis, Lin Chen's gaze turned icy, landing directly on the boulder where Tang San was hiding. He spoke calmly: "If you've had your fun, come out and die."

Behind the boulder, Tang San's face was deathly pale. He hadn't expected his final scheme to be so easily dismantled by Lin Chen. Watching Lin Chen walk toward him step by step, and seeing the Shrek members standing in the field with high morale and cold, icy eyes, Tang San finally felt a bone-chilling despair and fear.

His meticulously planned poison plot and the soul beast ambush had been utterly ineffective against absolute strength and coordination. He himself was now trapped in a hopeless situation with nowhere to run.

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others gathered around, completely sealing off Tang San's retreat. The way they looked at him held no ripples—only cold, absolute resolve.

The conspiracy Tang San had instigated was finally coming to its end right here.