Hardship Cultivation's Metamorphosis, Winds and Clouds Rise

As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the treetops of Shrek Academy, spilling onto the bluestone floor of the training grounds and casting seven sweat-drenched figures in sharp relief.

Since their narrow escape from the dense forest, the training of the Shrek Seven Devils had become increasingly desperate. Without anyone needing to urge them on, the memory of that desperate situation facing Clear Sky Douluo and the two soul-shaking pressures of the divine beasts had long since turned into the sharpest of whips, carved into the depths of everyone's hearts. They knew better than ever that if they wanted to avoid being crushed by powerful enemies and wanted to protect the companions by their sides, they had to exhaust every ounce of strength to grow stronger; there were no shortcuts to be taken.

On the east side of the training grounds, Dai Mubai was shirtless, his White Tiger soul power surging like waves. Golden halos wrapped around his fists as he repeatedly refined the force-generating techniques of his White Tiger Fist. Every punch he threw carried a sharp, air-piercing whistle, his soul power controlled with ease. Gone was the reckless, brute-force aggression of the past; instead, he focused his power into a single point, precisely controlling the rhythm of offense and defense. In just a few days, his soul power had stabilized at the level thirty-two Soul Elder realm, and his control over his martial soul far exceeded what it had been before; facing soul masters of the same level, he could now easily crush them.

Not far away, Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged, his golden-red Phoenix Flame swirling around him. It was no longer the wild, raging inferno of the past, but had transformed into a layer of gentle flame armor, clinging to the surface of his skin. He kept his eyes tightly shut, precisely controlling the temperature and range of the flames, absorbing all the soul power in the surrounding air to temper his own Phoenix martial soul. He had long since shed the disadvantage of excessive soul power consumption, and the flames' ability to suppress evil toxins and dark forces had increased several times over. He seemed less restless and far more composed.

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu stood side by side in the woods, honing their close-quarters combat coordination.

Zhu Zhuqing's form turned into streaks of black shadows, the speed of her Hell Spirit Cat reaching a new level. Her flickering figure left almost no trace, and the blade light of her Nether Slash became increasingly condensed, every strike aimed directly at vital points. Xiao Wu, meanwhile, moved with agile steps, her Soft Bone soul power flowing through her body. Her Waist Bow, Soft Bone Lock, and Eight-Stage Throw were linked without a single flaw. One attacking and one controlling, one fast and one nimble, their movements intertwined without a single opening; even when facing agility-type opponents far stronger than themselves, they could easily keep them in check.

In the center of the field, Ning Rongrong held the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her palm. Seven-colored light flowed ceaselessly as she seamlessly switched between five types of buffs—strength, speed, defense, soul power recovery, and mental power enhancement—landing them precisely on each of her companions. Baptized by the desperate situation, the resilience of her soul power had greatly improved, and the duration of her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's buffs had doubled. Even when maintaining the buffs for long periods, she no longer suffered from soul power exhaustion, firmly establishing her position as the team's primary support.

Oscar sat to the side, his fingertips dancing with soul power as new sausages were condensed one after another. In addition to his Recovery Sausage and Flight Sausage, he had successfully concocted Defense Sausages and Agility Sausages through days of dedicated research. Consuming them could briefly boost physical defense and movement speed, completely filling the gaps in the team's support and taking Shrek's team endurance and adaptability to the next level.

Among the seven, Lin Chen stood to one side of the field. He appeared idle, but in reality, his divine sense constantly enveloped the entire area. He observed the details of everyone's training, correcting their flaws at any moment, while silently absorbing the surrounding soul power to consolidate his own strength.

His soul power remained at its original level, but his foundation had become increasingly profound, and his divine sense far exceeded what it had been before. Any movement within a radius of ten miles could not escape his perception. He had repeatedly contemplated the two divine beast pressures that had emanated from the Star Dou Forest that day, which not only greatly enhanced the resilience of his divine sense but also gave him a deeper understanding of beast-type martial souls and the power pathways of ancient divine beasts. Even if he were to encounter pressure of Tang Hao's level again, he could calmly resist it and protect his companions.

During a break in training, the group sat on the ground to rest and regulate their breathing.

Xiao Wu held the Recovery Sausage Oscar had handed her, nibbling on it in small bites, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused. Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the Beast Bone Pendant at her neck, and a lingering sense of unease remained hidden in her heart.

Triggering the token in a moment of desperation that day had drawn the pressure of Daming and Erming. Although it had forced back Tang Hao, it had also made it incredibly easy to expose her identity. It wasn't that she didn't trust her companions; it was just that her true form was a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit. Once her identity was exposed, it would inevitably bring fatal disaster to the Shrek group and would further implicate Lin Chen, who had always protected her.

This secret was like a tiny thorn, pricking at her heart and preventing her from ever feeling completely at ease.

"What are you thinking about?"

A gentle voice sounded beside her. Lin Chen had sat down next to her at some point, his tone calm, but his eyes held a knowing tenderness.

Xiao Wu's heart trembled. She quickly put away her thoughts, looked up at Lin Chen, and forced a calm shake of her head. "Nothing, just thinking about the coordination from earlier and where I didn't do well enough."

Lin Chen looked at the panic she couldn't hide in her eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He didn't point it out, only saying softly, "No matter what happens, with me here, no one can hurt you, and no one can make things difficult for our people at Shrek."

It was a simple sentence, yet it carried incomparable confidence and certainty.

Xiao Wu stared at him blankly, looking at the unreserved trust and protection in Lin Chen's eyes. Her nose felt slightly sore, and the unease in her heart dissipated by more than half. She suddenly felt that perhaps she didn't have to be so cautious all the time; the person beside her could truly shield her from all the wind and rain.

She nodded vigorously, took Lin Chen's arm, and her eyes regained their usual agility and determination. "Mm! I will train hard and get stronger with everyone. In the future, it will be my turn to protect everyone!"

Lin Chen smiled and ruffled her hair, saying nothing more.

He had long since perceived the connection between Xiao Wu and those two divine beast pressures, and he had guessed that her identity was extraordinary, but he had never thought of probing it, let alone distancing himself because of it. In his eyes, Xiao Wu was his companion, a member of Shrek. No matter what her identity was, he would protect her, and that was enough.

Just as the group finished resting and prepared to continue their training, Flender and Zhao Wuji walked over side by side. Their expressions were solemn, clearly having something important to announce.

"Everyone stop, there is something I need to tell you." Flender stood still, his gaze sweeping over the seven of them. Seeing their rebirth-like transformation, his eyes were full of gratification, and then his tone became serious. "The Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament is about to begin its preliminary rounds. Our Shrek Academy has received the decree to participate."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes lit up instantly. The exhaustion that had previously clouded their expressions was swept away, replaced by a soaring fighting spirit.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament!

It was the stage that every young soul master on the entire Douluo Continent dreamed of! It gathered the top young soul masters from all over the continent; it was a contest of strength, a glory for the academies, and the best opportunity for young soul masters to make a name for themselves!

"Dean, can we really participate? Our academy's quota..." Dai Mubai was the first to speak, unable to hide his excitement. Shrek Academy had always been unconventional and had never deliberately participated in continental competitions; receiving a decree to participate this time was a complete surprise.

"Naturally, we can participate." Zhao Wuji laughed heartily, his deep voice carrying a sense of boldness. "Your current strength far exceeds that of soul masters at the same level, especially after this life-and-death tempering. Your coordination is tacit, and your combat power is formidable. You are fully qualified to stand on this stage!"

Flender nodded and added, "The preliminary rounds will begin in one month, and the location is set at the Suotuo City main arena. This month, you will undergo final intensive training to hone your team combat tactics and prepare for the tournament. I hope you can make a name for our Shrek on the field and use this tournament to temper yourselves and break through your limits!"

"Yes!"

The seven of them responded in unison, their voices ringing out with strength, their eyes full of fighting spirit.

They had been worrying about not having real combat to test their training results, and this soul master tournament was undoubtedly the best touchstone!

And they all knew that this tournament would gather all kinds of powerful enemies. It was not only a contest of strength but might also hide dangers—no one could guarantee whether Tang San, filled with a fixation for revenge, would use the tournament as an opportunity to reappear and wait for a chance to retaliate.

But at this moment, no one was afraid.

Having experienced life and death, they were no longer the naive soul masters they once were. The Shrek Seven Devils, standing side by side, had the confidence to meet any challenge!

Just as the Shrek group was full of fighting spirit, preparing for the Continental Soul Master Tournament, a scene of extreme oppression was unfolding in a hidden canyon ten thousand miles away.

Deep in the canyon, the rocks were jagged and the soul power was thin.

Tang San was covered in scars, his clothes soaked through with sweat. His hands tightly gripped a miniature Clear Sky Hammer, repeating the basic hammer techniques over and over. Every swing of the hammer tugged at the meridians in his body that had yet to fully heal, sending waves of heart-wrenching pain through him.

Yet he was completely unaware, his eyes filled only with a paranoid crimson. In his mind, the figure of Lin Chen, the scene of the Shrek group surrounding him, and the humiliation of Tang Hao dragging him away to save his life echoed repeatedly.

All the humiliation, unwillingness, and resentment had turned into the motivation for his training. Even as his meridians ached with every inch, and even as his soul power was completely exhausted, he never stopped his movements.

"Stop, rest for a moment."

Tang Hao's voice came, carrying a hint of exhaustion and helplessness. He looked at his son, who was training in a near-masochistic manner, his brows furrowed, yet he was powerless to stop him.

These days, he had exhausted all his efforts to teach Tang San the basic training methods and profound meanings of the Clear Sky Hammer, helping him sort out his sealed meridians and improve his soul power. But Tang San's temperament had long been twisted by hatred. Outside of training, he had even hidden from him to secretly study the hidden weapon techniques and poison arts from the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, his methods becoming increasingly sinister and vicious.

"Father, I can still train!" Tang San gritted his teeth, refusing to stop. "I must become stronger as soon as possible. I must defeat Lin Chen, and I must make everyone in Shrek pay the price for what they did today!"

"You stop that right now!" Tang Hao shouted sternly, the pressure around him surging slightly. "I taught you to train so you could protect yourself, not so you could blindly seek revenge! Do you know how terrifying those two pressures in the Star Dou Forest were that day? Those were two top-tier hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. With such existences protecting Lin Chen, you simply cannot afford to provoke him!"

Mentioning those two divine beast pressures, Tang Hao still felt a lingering fear.

He could perceive that those two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts were by no means comparable to ordinary soul beasts. If Tang San insisted on seeking revenge against Lin Chen, he would only end up dead with no place to be buried.

But Tang San couldn't listen at all; the hatred in his heart had long since blinded his mind.

He lowered his head, masking the sinister glint in his eyes; while he obediently ceased his cultivation on the surface, the resolve for vengeance in his heart grew ever more steadfast.

He swore to himself that he would master the Clear Sky Hammer techniques and refine the arts of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record in the shortest time possible, so that when the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament began, he would appear before Lin Chen at his absolute peak to wash away every humiliation with his own hands!

Within the canyon, the fire of vengeance burned ever brighter;

At Shrek Academy, the will to prepare for battle grew stronger with every setback.

The curtain of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament was about to slowly rise, and a storm of a showdown, gathering the top combat power of the continent's young soul masters, was already quietly brewing.

And the feud between Lin Chen and Tang San, as well as the contest between Shrek and their potential formidable foes, were destined to reach a brand-new eruption at this highly anticipated tournament!