The killing intent in the dense forest had yet to dissipate. The seven members of Shrek surrounded Tang San, trapping him firmly in their midst.
Tang San leaned against a boulder, drenched in cold sweat. His sealed meridians throbbed with pain, and every inch of his bones and muscles screamed in agony. He watched Lin Chen draw closer, step by step, and the cold, resolute eyes of those around him. The last trace of hope in his heart crumbled completely, leaving only fear that sank to the marrow.
He had lost. He had been utterly and completely defeated.
The Soul Beast ambush he had painstakingly plotted had been easily foiled by the Shrek team's absolute coordination. The Poison Wolf's self-detonation, which he had desperately triggered at the last moment, had also been neutralized by Lin Chen with a flick of his finger. Now he was trapped, his Soul Power sealed, with no use for his Hidden Weapons or poison techniques. He didn't even have the right to struggle.
"Lin Chen, I..." Tang San's lips trembled. All the calm and wisdom he had once possessed were gone, replaced by nothing but panicked disarray. He wanted to beg for mercy, to appeal to their past friendship, but when the words reached his lips, he realized they were all utterly hollow.
He had been the one to betray his companions first. He had repeatedly struck with murderous intent. He had no right to blame anyone for showing him no mercy.
Lin Chen didn't stop walking. His gaze was calm and indifferent as the faint Soul Power around him slowly gathered, without the slightest hesitation.
He had already shown Tang San more than enough mercy. If left alive, Tang San would remain a threat to Shrek forever. Today, this had to end.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others tensed, their Soul Power ready to surge at a moment's notice. They agreed with Lin Chen's decision. Tang San's actions had long since made him undeserving of any forgiveness.
Xiao Wu furrowed her delicate brows and turned her gaze away. She felt no pity, only utter disappointment. Zhu Zhuqing bent forward slightly, the aura of her Nether Civet Martial Soul locked onto Tang San, ready to finish him off at any moment. The light of Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda dimmed, while Oscar gripped his Recovery Sausage tightly, leaving no room for any mishap.
Lin Chen had nearly reached Tang San. He raised his hand, ready to deliver the fatal blow!
At that critical moment!
Boom—!!
A terrifying pressure, powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth, suddenly crashed down from the sky!
The entire forest shook violently. Ancient trees that soared into the heavens creaked as their branches and leaves rained down. The ground split open in countless web-like fissures. The vast Soul Power of an ultimate Power Attack System Martial Soul swept in every direction like a tsunami, leaving everyone breathless and making their Soul Power nearly freeze in place!
"What a powerful presence!"
Dai Mubai's expression changed drastically. His White Tiger Martial Soul erupted at full power on instinct, yet the pressure still forced him back again and again, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The Phoenix Flame surrounding Ma Hongjun flickered violently, nearly going out altogether. He staggered as he fought to steady himself, his face filled with shock.
The rest of the Shrek team also looked horrified. They were forced to stop and pour all their strength into resisting the sudden, terrifying pressure. They couldn't spare a thought for Tang San anymore.
Lin Chen's gaze sharpened as he looked up at the sky. His spiritual sense spread out in an instant, and he already understood.
Here it comes. The real wild card has finally arrived.
The clouds suddenly churned in the distance. A colossal, pitch-black phantom of a Clear Sky Hammer burst through them, its head wreathed in black Soul Power. It hovered above the forest with a force that seemed to suppress heaven and earth. Though it was only an apparition, it was enough to make the Soul Power of the entire world submit!
A moment later, a tall, black-clad middle-aged man strode slowly through the air. His face was cold and stern, his eyes deep as a frozen pool. There was no excess Soul Power radiating from him, yet every step he took made the earth tremble, and the invisible pressure grew more terrifying with each passing moment.
Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao!
No one knew when he had arrived. He had been hiding nearby all along, and had finally appeared only when Tang San's life hung by a thread!
"Who dares lay a hand on my son?"
Tang Hao's voice was low and hoarse, yet carried an unquestionable arrogance and authority. Each word cracked like thunder beside their ears. Oscar and Ning Rongrong, whose Soul Power was weaker, instantly turned pale and staggered.
Tang San, who had been waiting in despair for death, jerked his head up at the familiar voice. Seeing Tang Hao descend from the sky, his eyes instantly reddened, and he cried out, "Father!"
He had never expected his father to appear at a time like this. He was saved!
Lin Chen slowly lowered his hand and looked up at Tang Hao, his expression still calm, without the slightest fear. He simply said, "Clear Sky Douluo, this has nothing to do with you. Tang San has repeatedly plotted against the members of Shrek, luring poisonous Soul Beasts to surround us and trying to kill us. I'm settling things with him today. It's only right."
"Settling things?" Tang Hao landed in front of Tang San and shielded him behind his back. The black Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul had already appeared in his hand, and his Soul Rings slowly rose—two yellow, two purple, two black, and one red!
Seven Soul Rings in all. The last was a dazzling red, a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, radiating an overwhelming pressure. The mere sight of the rings was enough to make everyone feel the absolute suppression of a Soul Saint!
"He is my son, Tang Hao's. Even if he's done something wrong, it's not for an outsider to teach him a lesson."
Tang Hao's voice was as cold as ice, and his eyes fixed on Lin Chen with undisguised murderous intent.
He had already witnessed everything that had happened in the forest. He also knew that Tang San had acted viciously and had been in the wrong first. But Tang San was his son, the only bloodline of the Clear Sky Sect. He would never stand by and watch his son die at someone else's hands.
"Father, Lin Chen has been suppressing me at every turn! He took everything from me, and now he's brought people here to kill me!" Tang San hid behind Tang Hao, suddenly emboldened. Most of his fear faded, and he once again tried to make himself out to be the victim, his eyes full of venom as he glared at Lin Chen.
"Silence!" Tang Hao barked. But he didn't truly punish Tang San. He merely shielded him more tightly, clearly determined to take his son's side to the end.
Dai Mubai instantly flew into a rage. He stepped forward against the pressure and shouted, "Clear Sky Douluo, at least be reasonable! Tang San struck first. We were only defending ourselves!"
"Reason?" Tang Hao sneered. His Soul Power surged, and the Clear Sky Hammer quivered slightly. "Before absolute strength, strength is reason. Today, I'm taking him with me. Anyone who tries to stop me will die."
He was domineering and overbearing, but backed by absolute strength.
A Soul Saint-level Clear Sky Douluo wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, the world's number-one Power Attack System Martial Soul, was unmatched even among Soul Saints of the same rank. And Lin Chen's group had a highest rank of only level thirty-one, a Soul Elder. Before Tang Hao, they were no more than ants.
Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others looked grim as they tightened their grips on their Martial Souls. No matter how great the difference in strength, they would never abandon Lin Chen and back down on their own.
Lin Chen raised a hand to stop them, signaling them not to act rashly. He looked straight at Tang Hao, his tone calm but edged with steel. "Clear Sky Douluo, I understand that you want to protect your son. But what Tang San did today can't just be forgotten. You can take him away today, but if he ever dares attack Shrek again, I'll kill him even if you're standing in my way."
He wasn't afraid of Tang Hao's pressure, nor would he yield just because Tang Hao had appeared.
Today, their strength left them unable to deal with Tang San. But he would draw the line clearly. If Tang San refused to change his ways and crossed it again, then even if Clear Sky Douluo himself stood before him, Lin Chen would show no mercy.
Tang Hao studied Lin Chen for a long moment, secretly surprised.
The boy before him was only around twenty, yet he could face a Clear Sky Douluo with such composure and not the slightest fear. His temperament was far beyond that of ordinary people. Even Tang Hao himself hadn't come close to matching him at that age.
What concerned him even more was the way Lin Chen had neutralized the Poison Wolf's self-detonation just now. That wasn't something an ordinary Soul Master could do. This young man's reserves of power were unfathomable.
After a moment of silence, Tang Hao said coldly, "I'll take him away. He'll never set foot in Shrek again, and he'll never make an enemy of you. But if you dare try to kill my son again, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
With that, Tang Hao said nothing more. He grabbed Tang San beside him, then flashed away, leaping into the sky like a streak of black shadow. The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer slowly faded, and the overwhelming pressure gradually receded with it.
Throughout it all, Tang San kept glaring at Lin Chen, the venom and hatred in his eyes completely undisguised. Though his father had taken him away, he had no intention of reflecting on his actions. Instead, he laid the entire humiliation of the day at Lin Chen's feet.
Only after Tang Hao and Tang San had disappeared completely into the sky did the tense atmosphere in the forest finally ease.
Everyone let out a breath, their faces still etched with lingering fear.
For a moment there, Tang Hao's pressure had truly made them feel death breathing down their necks.
"Brother Chen, we're just letting them leave?" Ma Hongjun asked, unwilling to accept it. "That guy Tang San definitely won't let this go!"
Lin Chen gazed in the direction Tang Hao had left, his eyes deep. He said calmly, "We're no match for Tang Hao right now. If we'd tried to hold them here by force, we'd only have suffered for nothing. But I won't forget what happened today—or the threat he posed."
"From here on, our only choice is to grow stronger. Strong enough to disregard Clear Sky Douluo, strong enough that Tang San wouldn't dare harbor even the slightest ill intent again. That's what real confidence looks like."
After this ordeal, an even stronger desire to grow had ignited in every member of Shrek.
And Tang Hao's appearance and Tang San's departure weren't the end. They had merely planted the seeds of something greater.
More intense clashes were certain to await them in the future.
Lin Chen turned to his companions, his tone steady. "We're done here. Let's return to the academy. From now on, we'll focus on getting stronger and prepare for every challenge ahead."
Everyone answered in unison, their eyes resolute, and followed Lin Chen toward the edge of the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the branches, falling upon them. Though powerful enemies of unknown strength lay ahead, they stood shoulder to shoulder, and feared nothing.
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