Before leaving, Lin Chuan took one last look at the Blue Silver Emperor he had planted there.
After more than two months of adapting and absorbing energy, the Blue Silver Emperor's leaves had grown full and smooth, their golden veins prominent. The plant itself had grown a whole size larger.
Here, plants like the Blue Silver Emperor, a plant-type Soul Beast, grew incredibly fast. The effect was far better than that of ordinary medicinal herbs here: one was nourished passively, while the other actively absorbed energy.
The difference was enormous.
What was more, a trace of its soul still remained. Even if it absorbed the rich energy here unconsciously, it did so far more swiftly than herbs could be nourished passively.
Seeing that the Blue Silver Emperor hadn't died outright in this environment, even Lin Chuan couldn't help but sigh:
Its vitality really was astonishing.
It had been malnourished before, then moved back and forth, and finally planted here without having a chance to adapt.
An ordinary Blue Silver Grass might have died halfway from being unable to adjust to the soil and water.
After leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Lin Chuan found the midday sun hanging overhead, radiating waves of heat.
Sunlight fell across the seemingly endless forest. Not far away, a lake shimmered brilliantly beneath the sun.
A warm breeze swept in from afar, washing through the forest and setting the treetops swaying in unison. The rustle of leaves rang out in the otherwise quiet woods.
Summer had arrived without him realizing it.
Hovering above Sunset Forest, Lin Chuan gazed out across its boundless expanse and took a deep breath of fresh air. He felt his whole body relax.
After adapting to the environment inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the energy filling his body had felt like wearing weighted clothes.
It hadn't been uncomfortable, but it was like spending too long in a room with the heat turned up in winter—stuffy all the time.
Now, having left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it was as if he'd taken off those weights. He felt light and free.
After checking roughly where he was, Lin Chuan headed straight southwest.
His figure turned into a streak of light, swiftly cutting across the sky. The air currents in his wake churned the surrounding clouds, leaving behind white trails like bubbles.
Three days later.
In the rented courtyard in Suotuo City.
The sun was warm and bright. Lin Chuan lounged leisurely in a rocking chair, his expression relaxed, eyes closed, and breathing even as he slept.
On the surface, he seemed to be sunbathing. In reality, he had already begun the First Trial of the Nine Asura Trials: the Asura Blade, the Heart Barrier Trial.
With his strength, he had arrived as early as the second day, only to find that Ling Yuan hadn't returned.
Afterward, he had taken special care to conceal himself and visit Exotic Beast Academy. Meng Yiran was still stuck at level 29.
Her Soul Power was still far from level 30. It would take more than a month—at least half a month—before she could break through.
Things were going normally at Shrek Academy, too. They had since recruited another student with decent talent.
Tang San had nearly recovered from his injuries over the past few months. Resentment filled his heart, and he was constantly worried about Xiao Wu.
Comforted by the others at Shrek Academy, he worked even harder and had recently broken through to level 29. Still, Lin Chuan could now estimate the timing with reasonable accuracy.
While waiting, Lin Chuan began the First Trial of the Nine Asura Trials here.
The moment it began, he was pulled into a void.
His five senses were stripped away.
Before he could even react, the emotions tangled inside him sprang forth one after another, like shoots breaking through the soil after a spring rain.
A web woven from all kinds of emotions slowly pierced out from Lin Chuan's heart, each strand like a sharp thorn.
Black and crimson energy churned in clumps, like sticky, revolting monsters merging together.
"Heh. Feeling scared?"
A voice that sounded much like Lin Chuan's rang out from ahead, dripping with mockery.
In an instant, the writhing shadows fused together, forming a human figure. Fingers, facial features, and clothes all took shape.
It looked almost exactly like Lin Chuan, but its expression, mannerisms, and gaze were different.
"Don't doubt it. I'm you."
Its voice was a madman's deranged, icy laugh, laced with a eunuch's sinister shrillness.
When the other twice answered before Lin Chuan had said anything, he already knew it could hear his thoughts.
And not just the complaint he had made a moment ago—
It knew everything he had thought from the very beginning.
Hearing Lin Chuan's opinion of it, the shadow twisted its face and snarled through clenched teeth:
"Silver-tongued!"
The shadow's voice rasped with a monster's growl. It charged like a savage, terrifying beast.
It was so fast that the naked eye could catch only a fleeting trace of its movement.
It covered the dozens of meters between them in the blink of an eye.
"Boom!"
The impact rang out as their bodies collided.
Lin Chuan crossed his arms, intending to absorb the force and use it to complete a combo, but the shadow slammed him away in an instant.
Even he hadn't expected the shadow to be so strong. His arms went numb with pain, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
The shadow pressed its advantage, rushing at Lin Chuan and swinging its right hand, which had transformed into a massive claw.
Three claw marks, each ten meters long and brimming with evil energy, tore through space and slammed into Lin Chuan. They ripped a huge gash across his chest, spraying blood everywhere.
Unbearable pain surged into his mind. This felt real!
The being born in this space was based on him, but several times stronger.
Two attacks were enough to nearly knock him unconscious. His body slammed heavily into the ground with a dull thud.
"Don't rush to die. The fun's only just beginning!"
The instant the shadow finished speaking, all the negative emotions inside Lin Chuan erupted.
Killing intent, hatred, and rage intertwined. Like gasoline meeting a flame, they exploded at once.
The last trace of reason he had left was swallowed by emotion, and a terrifying aura burst from his body.
"Huff..."
"Huff..."
Lin Chuan's heavy breathing echoed from his mouth.
He was still trying to suppress the emotions surging through him, keeping himself from losing control.
He hadn't figured out how this place worked yet. If he fell for it now, he'd be done for.
Clearly, the initial loss of his five senses and their subsequent return had to involve some kind of expenditure.
It was like an hourglass: if nothing changed, all the sand on one side would eventually run out.
Lin Chuan still didn't understand what was happening, but the situation favored him.
All he had to do was hold on like this. Maybe he'd figure out what was going on.
And the key to holding on was staying calm—absolutely calm.
At worst, he'd fail the First Trial, die, and try again.
After all, the first trial of these tests was never too difficult. In illusions like this, death usually wasn't real; most of the pain was simply made to feel real.
As Lin Chuan thought this, the shadow across from him heard his reasoning and looked surprised.
It hadn't expected him to figure out some of what was happening. More than that, it hadn't expected him to stay calm.
To stop Lin Chuan from staying calm, the shadow racked its brains.
What could make him feel something?
Then it thought of something. Its expression grew excited and ferocious.
With a wave of its hand, a graceful figure appeared in the darkness.
The girl had long, pale golden hair, glossy and neatly layered. Some of it was pinned up, adorned with delicate gold hair ornaments that lent a touch of allure to her cool, bewitching expression.
She wore a fitted blue-and-white combat outfit, its fabric decorated with elaborate golden patterns. The overall design was both refined and practical.
The girl from his memories no longer had short hair. Her delicate, beautiful features were no longer so seductively alluring; now, they carried a touch of the mature charm of a married woman.
"Quite a change in just a few months."
Seeing that Lin Chuan showed little more than surprise and wasn't revealing much emotion, the shadow immediately grew dissatisfied.
"Damn it!"
It angrily swatted away the illusion, then glared at Lin Chuan, who was slowly getting to his feet. Its eyes were bloodshot, and a disdainful smile tugged at its lips.
"Stop struggling. With your strength, you can't even hurt me."
"I know what you're thinking. No matter what, you can't defeat me. You deserve to die here!"
"But... I'm not going to let you die that easily!"