At Worst, I'll Die and Come Back

Before leaving, Lin Chuan specifically took a look at the Blue Silver Emperor he had planted there.

After more than two months of adaptation and absorption, the leaves of the Blue Silver Emperor were plump and smooth, its golden veins were prominent, and it had grown a size larger overall.

In this place, the growth of a plant-type spirit beast like the Blue Silver Emperor was incredibly rapid, with effects far better than the ordinary herbs here; one was passively nourished, while the other actively absorbed.

The gap between the two was vast.

Moreover, the Blue Silver Emperor still possessed a trace of a remnant soul, so even if it were only subconsciously absorbing the dense energy here, it would still be incomparably faster than the passive nourishment of herbs.

Seeing that the Blue Silver Emperor had not died directly due to the environment here, even Lin Chuan had to sigh:

It truly has tenacious vitality.

It had been malnourished before, and later tossed about, changing locations back and forth, before being planted here without having adapted.

If it were an ordinary Blue Silver Grass, it might have died halfway due to being unable to acclimatize to the environment.

Leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the midday sun hung overhead, radiating rolling heat.

Sunlight shone upon this forest that stretched as far as the eye could see; not far away, the shimmering surface of a lake sparkled under the sun.

A warm breeze carrying heat came from afar, rushing into the forest, causing the treetops to sway in unison; one could only hear the rustling sound of leaves rubbing against each other, echoing within the somewhat quiet forest.

Unknowingly, summer had already arrived.

Lin Chuan stood above the Sunset Forest, gazing at the endless expanse, and took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling his entire body lighten.

Having adapted to the environment within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the fullness of energy permeating his body felt like wearing a weighted vest.

It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was like staying in a room with the heater on for a long time during winter, constantly feeling stifled.

But at this moment, having left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it was like taking off that weight, leaving him feeling light and unburdened.

After checking his approximate location, Lin Chuan headed straight toward the southwest.

His figure turned into a stream of light, rapidly traversing the sky, the airflow left in his wake disturbing the surrounding clouds and turning them into foam-like white trails.

Three days later.

In a rented courtyard in Suotuo City.

The sun was just right, and Lin Chuan was leaning leisurely on a rocking chair, his expression relaxed, eyes closed in sleep with steady breathing.

On the surface, he appeared to be sunbathing, but in reality, he was already undergoing the first trial of the Nine Asura Trials: the Asura Blade, Heart Barrier Trial.

Given his strength, he had arrived as early as the second day, only to find that Ling Yuan had not yet returned.

Afterward, he specifically concealed himself and went to take a look at the Exotic Beast Academy; Meng Yiran was still stuck at level 29.

Her spirit power fluctuations were still far from level 30; not to mention a month, she wouldn't be able to break through for at least half a month.

Shrek Academy was currently living a normal life, and they had recently recruited a student with decent talent.

Over these past few months, Tang San's injuries had mostly healed, but he was filled with resentment and constantly worried about Xiao Wu.

Encouraged by the others at Shrek Academy, he worked even harder and had also broken through to level 29 not long ago; however, a rough timeframe could now be determined.

While waiting, Lin Chuan conducted the first of the Nine Asura Trials here.

The moment it activated, he was pulled into a void of space.

Within the space, his five senses were stripped away.

Before he could even react, the emotions intertwined in his heart sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, breaking through the soil one by one.

A giant web woven from various emotions emerged, bit by bit, like sharp thorns piercing out from Lin Chuan's heart.

Clusters of black and red energy, like viscous and disgusting monsters, were merging with one another.

"Heh, feeling afraid?"

A sneer with a voice similar to Lin Chuan's own rang out from ahead.

Suddenly, the black shadow that was still squirming merged together, transforming into a human shape; even the fingers, facial features, and clothing were manifested.

It was a person almost identical to Lin Chuan, only the expression on its face, its behavior, and its eyes were different.

"No need to doubt, I am you."

The voice sounded like the manic, cold laughter of a madman, mixed with the sinister nature of a eunuch.

Seeing the opponent answer twice when he hadn't spoken, Lin Chuan already knew that the other party likely knew his thoughts.

It wasn't just his internal monologue from a moment ago, But from the very beginning, the other party knew everything he was thinking.

Hearing Lin Chuan's evaluation of him in his heart, the black shadow's expression turned ferocious, and it roared while baring its fangs:

"Sharp-tongued!"

The black shadow's voice was hoarse, carrying the roar of a monster, and it charged out instantly, like a savage and terrifying beast.

Its speed was fast, so fast that the naked eye could only capture a trace of an afterimage.

The distance of several dozen meters was covered in the blink of an eye.

"Bang—!"

An explosive sound erupted from the point where their bodies collided.

Lin Chuan crossed his arms over his chest, intending to use the momentum to deflect the force and execute a combo, but he was instantly sent flying by the impact.

Even he had not expected the shadow's strength to be so immense; a numbing pain shot through his arms, forcing him to gasp in sharp breaths.

The shadow pressed its advantage, sprinting toward Lin Chuan as its right hand morphed into a giant claw and slashed out violently.

Three claw marks, each ten meters long and imbued with malevolent energy, tore through the space and slammed into Lin Chuan, carving a deep gash across his chest and sending blood spraying into the air.

An incomparable, searing pain flooded his brain—this sensation was real!

The entity born within this space was a version of himself, reinforced several times over.

Just two attacks had nearly caused him to lose consciousness, his body slamming heavily into the ground with a dull thud.

"Don't be in such a hurry to die; the real show has only just begun!"

The moment the shadow's voice faded, the various negative emotions within Lin Chuan erupted.

The instant his killing intent, hatred, and rage intertwined, it was like gasoline meeting fire, exploding into a blaze.

The last shred of his sanity was consumed by these emotions, and a terrifying aura burst forth from his body.

"Hoo~"

"Hoo~"

Heavy, ragged breaths escaped Lin Chuan's lips.

He was still struggling to suppress the erupting emotions, fighting to keep from losing his mind.

He hadn't figured out everything here yet; if he fell for the trap now, it would be over.

Clearly, from the initial sealing of his five senses to the current lifting of that shroud, it was inevitably a form of consumption.

Like an hourglass, if things remained unchanged, the sand on the other side would eventually run out.

Although Lin Chuan still didn't understand the situation here, the current circumstances were in his favor.

As long as he maintained this state, he might just figure out what was going on.

And the necessary condition to maintain it was calm—absolute, unwavering calm.

At worst, if he couldn't pass the first trial, he would just die and try again.

In any case, the first trial of an assessment was never too difficult; regarding these illusionary trials, death usually wasn't permanent, mostly just involving the sensation of real physical pain.

Just as Lin Chuan was thinking this, the shadow opposite him heard his assessment and looked surprised.

He hadn't expected his opponent to guess part of the situation, let alone maintain such composure!

To prevent him from staying calm, the shadow racked its brain.

What exactly could trigger an emotional fluctuation in him?

Suddenly, an idea struck, and the shadow's expression turned both excited and sinister.

With a wave of his hand, a beautiful figure materialized within the pitch-black space.

The young girl had light golden hair, layered and lustrous, with some strands pinned up and adorned with exquisite gold accessories, adding a touch of charm to her cold and alluring expression.

She wore a form-fitting blue and white combat outfit, the fabric embellished with intricate golden patterns, giving the overall attire a sense of both refinement and agility.

The girl from his memories no longer wore her hair short; her delicate, beautiful brows and eyes were no longer just seductively charming, but now held a hint of matronly grace.

"Quite a lot has changed in just a few short months."

Seeing that Lin Chuan showed no excessive emotion other than a sigh, the shadow was immediately dissatisfied.

"Damn it!"

Frustrated, he swiped his hand to dissipate the phantom, his eyes turning blood-red as he looked at Lin Chuan, who was slowly standing up, a sneer of disdain curling his lips.

"Stop struggling. With your strength, it's impossible for you to even scratch me."

"I know what you're thinking. No matter what, you cannot defeat me; you are meant to die right here!"

"However... I won't let you die just like that!"