Solo Training Expedition to the Secret Realm

The night was deep and Shrek Academy was silent; the lights in the student dormitories had all been extinguished, save for the faint glow still emanating from Lin Chen's room.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes half-closed, repeatedly running through his subsequent plans in his mind.

With the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament fast approaching, relying solely on his current grueling training would not be enough to crush the various geniuses of the continent or completely eliminate the hidden threat of Tang San's revenge; a critical step was still missing. Only the peerless immortal herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could allow his companions to complete a heaven-defying transformation and fill in all their shortcomings.

However, this matter could not be leaked in the slightest.

Tang Hao lurked in the shadows, his mind meticulous and ruthless; once he learned of the opportunity for these immortal herbs, he would surely seize them by force and might even ruthlessly slaughter the members of Shrek. Furthermore, the secret realm of the immortal herbs was a heaven-sent mystery; the more people involved, the greater the risk of exposure. A single moment of carelessness could turn this heaven-defying opportunity into a catastrophe.

After much deliberation, acting alone was the only safe choice.

He would tell the outside world that his spirit power had reached a state of fullness and he needed to go out for solo training to seek a breakthrough, bidding farewell to the academy. He would leave and return quickly, telling no one his true destination and letting no one perceive the purpose of this trip.

Having finalized his plan, Lin Chen stopped hesitating, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and conserved his energy, fully preparing for the next day's journey to the secret realm.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten and the first rays of dawn had yet to pierce the clouds, Lin Chen had finished packing and walked straight to the main gate of Shrek Academy.

Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the Shrek Seven had already heard the news and rushed over, their faces filled with worry and confusion.

"Lin Chen, are you truly going out to train alone? With the tournament approaching and the surrounding situation complex, it is truly unsettling for you to be out there by yourself," Flender said, his brows locked in a tight frown, his tone full of concern. The academy was preparing for the tournament, and having a core member leave the team alone was inherently high-risk.

Zhao Wuji also chimed in with a deep voice: "Why not let Dai Mubai accompany you? That way, you can look out for each other, and if you encounter danger, you can lend a hand."

Lin Chen shook his head gently, his expression calm, the excuse he had long since prepared rolling off his tongue: "Dean, Teacher Zhao, this training of mine is to settle my consciousness and break through my own spirit power bottleneck. I need to be alone to focus; having others by my side would only interfere with my cultivation. I will return as quickly as I left and will certainly be back at the academy safely before the tournament preliminaries begin, without delaying our preparations."

His tone was firm and his eyes steady; there was not the slightest hint of anything amiss, presenting the perfect image of someone focused solely on cultivation and gathering strength for the tournament.

Seeing this, the others found it difficult to dissuade him further.

They had always trusted Lin Chen's strength and character; since he insisted on training alone, he must have his own sense of proportion.

Dai Mubai stepped forward and patted Lin Chen on the shoulder: "Be careful in everything. If you encounter trouble you cannot solve, send word to the academy immediately, and we will come to support you at once."

"You must take good care of yourself; we will be waiting for you to return at the academy," Ma Hongjun also added quickly.

Xiao Wu stood in the crowd, her clear eyes fixed tightly on Lin Chen. Her gaze was filled with reluctance, but she was sensible enough not to say more, only whispering a reminder: "Remember to come back early; I'll be waiting for you."

Lin Chen swept his gaze over everyone with warmth and nodded gently: "Rest assured, everyone, I have my own sense of proportion. During this time, focus on your cultivation at the academy and refine your team tactics; there is no need to worry about me."

Without further farewells, Lin Chen turned and set off. Dressed in simple attire, he walked alone toward the dense forest outside the academy. His figure soon disappeared along the forest path, looking no different from any ordinary spirit master heading out for training.

The group stood at the academy gate for a long time, and only when they could no longer see Lin Chen's figure did they return to the academy to continue preparing for the Spirit Master Tournament according to the original plan, completely unaware that Lin Chen's trip was not for ordinary training, but to pluck the peerless immortal herbs that would change the entire fate of Shrek.

Once out of the academy's sight, Lin Chen immediately suppressed all the aura around his body. Without a moment's delay, he unleashed his full speed and galloped toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He chose to travel through deep mountains and dense forests where few people ventured, resting by day and traveling by night, avoiding all towns, villages, and places where spirit masters gathered. His journey was extremely secretive; even a powerhouse at the level of a Spirit Emperor would find it difficult to detect his tracks.

Galloping all the way, avoiding several waves of wandering spirit beasts and several passing groups of spirit masters, Lin Chen relied on his precise memory to arrive at that heaven-sent forbidden land—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—in just three days.

The scene before him was one of stark contrasts: on one side, magma churned and heat waves surged, the air distorted and warped by the scorching temperature; on the other, ice stretched for miles, the cold biting and everything frozen solid. The Yin and Yang energies converged in the center, forming a sky full of misty clouds, and the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth, mixed with the refreshing fragrance of herbs, rushed toward him.

This was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a rare secret realm of immortal herbs in this world. Just as he knew, apart from the overbearing Yin and Yang energies, there were no powerful spirit beasts guarding it, making it perfect for his solo operation.

Lin Chen did not hesitate in the slightest. Carefully avoiding the violent currents of cold and heat, he relied on his superior control over spirit power to step steadily into the heart of the secret realm.

His gaze swept precisely across the area: the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, the Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid, the Aromatic Silk Beauty, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red... one by one, the peerless immortal herbs suited for the Shrek members came into view.

He was neither hurried nor impatient. According to his companions' martial soul attributes, he plucked them one by one with gentle care, placing each herb cautiously into the airtight jade boxes he had prepared in advance to isolate the medicinal aura and prevent the loss of potency. He took not a single extra herb, nor did he covet even a fraction of excess opportunity.

In less than half an incense stick of time, all the required immortal herbs were in his possession.

After confirming everything was correct, Lin Chen did not linger for a moment. He immediately retreated from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well along the same path, silently and without a trace. He hid his tracks once more and traveled day and night, returning to Shrek Academy at the fastest possible speed.

After returning, Lin Chen did not make a scene. He continued to claim to the outside world that he was in closed-door training, quietly returning to his room to hide the jade boxes containing the immortal herbs, waiting for the best opportunity to secretly arrange for everyone to refine them.

Meanwhile, in a hidden canyon ten thousand miles away, Tang San was still training the Clear Sky Hammer day and night.

His body was covered in scars and his clothes were soaked with sweat; every swing of the hammer was accompanied by excruciating pain in his meridians, yet the obsession and hatred in his eyes grew ever more intense. He was filled with thoughts of achieving mastery as soon as possible to take revenge on Lin Chen at the Spirit Master Tournament and wash away all his humiliation.

He was completely unaware that while he was still struggling to polish his foundation, Lin Chen had already used his forward-thinking planning to secure a heaven-defying opportunity for the Shrek members to change their fates.

The gap in strength between the two sides had already been set in stone during this secret, unknown journey to the realm.

Shrek's secret transformation was about to begin quietly, and this Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament was destined to see a subversive conclusion.