Su Yun successfully absorbed the Soul Ring and Soul Bone, bringing their mission into the Star Dou Great Forest to an end.
Lei En swept his large hand through the air and declared exuberantly, "We've gained so much this time! Come on, let's gather the useful materials from this mantis shrimp, then head home and celebrate properly!"
Everyone responded in unison and got to work. The thousand-year mantis shrimp's shell was incredibly hard, an excellent material for making defensive Soul Tools; its terrifying pair of raptorial limbs was worth a fortune, especially the sharpest parts at their tips, which contained tremendous piercing power. In addition, certain special tendons, muscles, and membranes beneath its shell each had their uses. Under Lei En's direction, everyone carefully cut apart and sorted these materials, then each shouldered a large bundle of them.
Lin Yan helped throughout the process. His movements were deft and his eye precise, often allowing him to point out the choicest parts of the materials and make their collection twice as effective with half the effort. This deepened Lei En and the others' admiration for him.
By the time all the valuable materials had been gathered, the sun had begun sinking westward, and the light between the trees had softened. Lei En clapped his hands, looked with satisfaction at the somewhat fuller storage bag, and said, "All right, the mission was a complete success-far beyond our expectations, even! Let's leave the Star Dou Great Forest now. The journey back will still take some time."
"All right!" Ling Ren and Ji Qiu answered excitedly, while Su Yun smiled and nodded as well.
Lin Yan, however, remained where he stood. He looked at the four preparing to leave and said calmly, "You should head back first. I don't plan on leaving just yet."
At these words, the four, who had been about to step forward, immediately stopped and turned to him in surprise.
"Brother Lin Shuo, you're not coming with us?" Lei En asked in puzzlement, his brows drawing together slightly.
Ling Ren chimed in, "Exactly, Lin Shuo! It's too dangerous for you to stay here alone! Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are everywhere deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, and you might even encounter a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast! If you come with us, we can at least look out for one another."
Ji Qiu and Su Yun also cast puzzled looks his way.
His teammates' sincere concern warmed Lin Yan's heart a little, but he had already made his decision. He shook his head gently, swept his gaze over the four, and offered an excuse he had prepared beforehand. "Thank you for your kindness. But I can't go back with you. My family's trial isn't over yet."
"Your family's trial?" Lei En repeated, taken aback and puzzled.
Lin Yan adopted a carefully measured expression of resignation and resolve, then continued, "Yes, my family's trial. My family has a rule-or rather, a test. Our family's resources are limited, and they're only willing to devote them to descendants with genuine worth and potential. The test is this: before becoming a Soul Elder, I must kill a Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone, relying on my own strength. Only then can I prove myself worthy of the family's continued nurturing and support."
"Kill a Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone?!" Ling Ren exclaimed involuntarily, his eyes round and wide. "That... that requirement is far too harsh! Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are generally as strong as Soul Elders, if not stronger! That's too dangerous!"
Ji Qiu also drew in a sharp breath, eyes filled with shock. "It really is... unheard of. Most families and sects take considerable care to protect their outstanding disciples, often having teachers or elders stand guard while they hunt Soul Rings. Requiring someone to kill a Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone before becoming a Soul Elder... that's practically dancing on a knife's edge. The chances of success are far too low!"
Su Yun covered her mouth, her eyes full of worry. "Lin Shuo, your family... why would they make such a strict rule? It's almost inhumane."
Lei En's expression grew grave as well, and he said solemnly, "Lin Shuo, it's not that we doubt your strength. If you can venture deep into the Star Dou Great Forest to train, you must be quite capable. But Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are no trivial matter. They come in countless varieties, with all kinds of abilities. The slightest lapse could send you beyond redemption. Isn't this rule too much of a risk?"
Seeing their worry and even indignation on his behalf, Lin Yan felt a little apologetic, but he had to see the act through. He could only continue fleshing out this "family background," his voice calm yet carrying unquestionable resolve. "My family believes that the strong reign supreme. They believe that only potential awakened on the brink of life and death is true potential. Flowers raised in a greenhouse cannot withstand wind and rain. The family has no need for mediocrity." He paused, his voice lowering a little. "Perhaps it seems inhumane to you, but this is how our family survives. Only by passing a test like this can I go further in the future."
His words carried a cold sense of reality that left Lei En and the other three silent for a time. They came from ordinary backgrounds, and although they had endured hardships, they had never encountered such a brutal method of nurturing a family's descendants. They could not understand it, yet they seemed able to sense that heavy pressure in Lin Yan's calm voice.
After a long while, Lei En sighed and patted Lin Yan's shoulder. "Ah, I never imagined your family... Since that's the case, there's not much more we can say. But we really can't rest easy leaving you here alone. How about this? We'll stay with you and provide support nearby. We absolutely won't interfere in your fight, only when you're truly in danger..."
"No." Lin Yan cut him off decisively and shook his head. "The family's rules cannot be broken. The test must be completed 'alone.' If an outsider helps, even if they're only watching from the sidelines, it will count as cheating, and I'll still be abandoned. Besides..."
He shifted the conversation, offering another prepared explanation to put their minds at ease. "You don't need to worry too much about my safety, either. Although the family is strict, they won't truly stand by and watch a core descendant perish for no reason. In fact, an expert dispatched by the family has been following me in secret as my protector."
"An expert is protecting you?" Ling Ren's eyes lit up.
"Yes." Lin Yan nodded, his tone certain. "But this protector will only act when I face a threat to my life that I have absolutely no means of resisting, such as encountering a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast or being surrounded by several powerful enemies. Moreover, he'll only save me. If you're there, he absolutely won't help you, and he might even judge me to have failed the test because of your involvement."
This explanation was entirely reasonable. It established that Lin Yan had a life-saving trump card while also completely extinguishing Lei En and the others' thoughts of secretly following and helping him-not only would they be unable to help, they might even harm him instead.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Lei En and the others exchanged looks, then finally sighed helplessly. With things having reached this point, continuing to insist would truly mean they did not know when to stop.
"I see... With a family expert watching from the shadows, we can feel a little more at ease." Lei En nodded, his voice carrying relief as well as a trace of barely perceptible disappointment. He had sincerely wanted to befriend Lin Yan and hoped they could form a long-term team, but it seemed the other man's background and path differed from theirs.
Ji Qiu adjusted his glasses and remarked, "Great families really do have their own unique laws of survival. Brother Lin Shuo, you must take care and act within your limits."
Ling Ren thumped his chest firmly. "Lin Shuo, take care! Once your training is over, come find us at Soto Academy in Suotuo City. We'll fight side by side again!"
Su Yun walked up to Lin Yan, her clear eyes filled with sincere well wishes. She gently raised her hand, Soul Power stirring faintly in her palm as she condensed a small cluster of particularly crystalline dandelion dew containing pure life energy, then offered it to him. "Lin Shuo, take this. Although its effects might not match a Soul Skill, it may help you recover a little Soul Power or relieve some fatigue at a critical moment. I hope you... pass your test smoothly."
Looking at the warm green glow in Su Yun's hand and the sincere concern and well wishes on his teammates' faces, Lin Yan was moved. He fell silent for a moment, then accepted the kindness, reaching out to take the cluster of life dew. It felt warm and smooth in his hand, giving off a soothing vitality. He carefully put it away, then cupped his fist toward the four and said solemnly, "Thank you, everyone. Once my training is over, I'll definitely come find you. Until we meet again!"
"Until we meet again!" Lei En, Ling Ren, Ji Qiu, and Su Yun replied in unison.
Without lingering any longer, Lei En gave Lin Yan one last, long look, then turned and led Ling Ren, Ji Qiu, and Su Yun toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Su Yun glanced back at Lin Yan once more, a trace of reluctance and worry in her eyes, but still turned and caught up with the group.
Lin Yan remained where he stood, watching the four figures gradually disappear into the dense trees until he could no longer sense their presence.
The supposed family trial and hidden protector were, of course, all lies Lin Yan had invented.
He had joined their team earlier because he wanted to use their company to reach the Thousand-Year Soul Beast region safely, avoiding being bothered by Hundred-Year Soul Beasts farther out and wasting his stamina.
Now that he had reached the Thousand-Year Soul Beast region, he needed to hunt Soul Beasts alone, mainly because he truly did not want to expose his actual circumstances.
Lin Yan checked his bearings, then headed deeper into the forest.