Sure, here's the translation:
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Snap, snap!
Sounds rang in his ears as his stiff exoskeleton began to crack bit by bit.
"Good, continue!"
The grinding process lasted for at least ten minutes.
Finally, just as Jia Yan was about to exhaust himself, he emerged slowly from his old skin with a fresh, tender new exterior!
The third molting was a success!
"Alright... though it's tiring, routine training is indispensable. Each molt is a significant progress, and it's when training is most effective. I can't miss this opportunity!"
Without waiting for his strength to recover, Jia Yan controlled his body and rushed towards the surface of the cobblestones!
Time passed quickly, and another seven days went by just like that.
On a dark and windy night...
The sky was gloomy, and the gentle breeze blew across a murky pond, creating ripples on its surface.
This seemingly tranquil pond to humans was actually tumultuous, teeming with countless tiny creatures battling and dying inside!
A water scorpion quietly hid in its own territory.
The water source in this area was relatively clean, and there were so many organisms in the water that the water scorpion never went hungry.
It lurked quietly at the bottom of the water, waiting for prey to appear.
Suddenly, an unusual presence appeared before the water scorpion!
It was a larva.
But this larva was different; its massive body was almost twice the size of a typical larva!
Was this the same kind of creature it fed on every day?
The water scorpion was a bit stunned, but being naturally combative, it still prepared to attack.
Even though this larva was twice the size of a normal one, it couldn't possibly be its match. After all, the water scorpion was a natural hunter that could capture and kill fish of equal size!
The massive larva seemed unaware of the presence of the water scorpion. It gently swayed its unique black body, leisurely swimming in the water.
The water scorpion prepared to attack and then...
Suddenly lunged out!
A string of bubbles appeared in the water, caused by the water scorpion's rapid attack!
"Been waiting for you!"
But just as the water scorpion launched its attack, the enormous larva suddenly exerted force from its waist and abdomen, swiftly propelling itself away!
Splat!
The water scorpion's front legs and double hooks missed their target, and it turned its head in frustration, focusing its gaze on the rapidly retreating giant larva!
It lunged again!
The giant larva continued to move its body, dodging this attack!
Its speed was astonishing, almost matching the water scorpion's attack speed.
The water scorpion's attacks continued to miss.
This time, before the water scorpion could launch a third attack, the massive larva rapidly moved its body several times, making its figure disappear into the darkness of the murky water...
"Exciting!"
Jia Yan, swimming at top speed, carefully controlled his body, feeling extremely delighted.
This larval body was his own. After seven days, he had molted again, bringing him back to the initial stage of his fourth molting!
And this was also the larva's final molting. After this, it would pupate and become a mosquito!
Feeling stronger than ever, Jia Yan deliberately teased his neighbor, the water scorpion, in the pond!
The result was indeed excellent. He controlled his body and effortlessly dodged the water scorpion's attacks time and time again.
"In a few days, I'll pupate and become a mosquito..."
"Since I can confront the water scorpion, in addition to regular training, I'll tease it a few more times these days to enhance my dodging speed!" Jia Yan made the decision that would leave his neighbor in tears.
Compared to the second and third molts, the final molt gave Jia Yan a completely robust body!
Its shell was pitch black with mottled colors on it, and countless traces of impacts were clearly visible.
This body was simply a custom-made larval shell, something that ordinary larvae could hardly develop to the extent that Jia Yan had!
Compared to those petite peers, Jia Yan's body after the final molt was not only twice as large but also gave off a sense of solidity, appearing quite strong.
This was inseparable from his tireless exercise and food supplementation.
"About to become a mosquito. After becoming a mosquito, there will be so many things to do, so many things that can be done. In order to adapt to the future life, before that, I must make this body stronger!"
Jia Yan returned to his small nest - the crevice between the cobblestones!
This warm and safe place now seemed a bit small.
Jia Yan controlled his body to bump inside, feeling a bit awkward due to the small space, making it difficult to move back and forth.
"It's okay; this doesn't affect much."
Jia Yan continued to bump!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each bump, the last bit of algae on the surface of the cobblestone was completely peeled off, restoring the crevice to its original state.
Another night passed like this.
Larvae had no concept of rest. Except for occasional dreams, Jia Yan spent almost the entire day exercising and foraging.
When the first rays of sunlight shone into the pond...
"Alright! Time to go out for a breath of fresh air and forage, and also to tease that water scorpion again!"
The massive larval body in the crevice between the cobblestones started to swim. Jia Yan's larval body was now completely adapted to swimming.
Or rather, compared to ordinary larvae, he was a swimming champion, possessing unparalleled swimming skills!
The massive larval body swam out of the crevice, devouring the gray-white organic matter in the water.
This organic matter seemed small, but it took a lot to fill his belly.
But this also proved how much Jia Yan's body had grown.
Just like human children, who, when young, could be full after eating a banana but as they grew up, might not be satisfied with ten bananas.
"Why am I thinking about bananas? Being a larva shouldn't be too evil." Jia Yan chuckled at the analogy of bananas, feeling a bit amused.
The days of being reborn as a larva were very difficult. There were no conversations, no discussions. Every time he fell asleep and dreamed, he dreamt of his family and school life.
But every time he woke up, a sense of silent loneliness engulfed his entire body.
He was very clear that the days he had before were impossible to return to!
To alleviate loneliness, to prevent himself from going crazy, he kept talking to himself in his mind.
Without encouragement or pep talks from anyone, he cheered himself on!
A hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times!
Otherwise, he couldn't endure the arduous training at all.
Without chatting or conversing with anyone, he kept himself company to ward off loneliness.
Chattering incessantly in his mind, without stopping for a day, a moment, or even a second!
This way, he wouldn't forget that he used to be a human, nor would he forget that he was completely different from the larvae around him...
"Mmm... that's satisfying!"
After consuming the gray-white organic matter, wasting at least ten minutes, Jia Yan finally felt
a bit bloated.
Next, it was time to tease his neighbor!
Jia Yan rallied himself and swam towards the direction where the water scorpion often lurked.
As expected, the water scorpion was lurking at the bottom of the water.
Its color blended with the mud, making it almost indistinguishable from ordinary aquatic creatures.
But as a being with a human soul, Jia Yan naturally had judgment far beyond that of ordinary creatures, easily distinguishing the water scorpion.
"Still have to be extremely cautious; I can't resist its power yet. If I'm accidentally caught, I'll still die!"
Jia Yan forced himself to be vigilant and cautiously swam towards it.
His body maintained a posture ready to flee at any moment!
Whoosh!
The water scorpion apparently didn't remember the giant larva in front of it. It continued its attack mode, its movements unchanged.
Suddenly, it lunged!
The menacing mouthparts and double hooks moved right in front of him!
"Escape!" Jia Yan's heart moved, and the larval body suddenly sprang away!
He escaped the attack range.
Splat! The water scorpion's attack didn't stop at all. It accurately aimed at Jia Yan's escape direction and continued its lunge, unexpectedly approaching again!
"I'll escape again!" Jia Yan exerted the explosive force of his body to the limit, and his body moved again, escaping from the water scorpion's attack.
Failing to capture its prey twice in a row, the water scorpion seemed a bit bewildered. It paused in the water, its compound eyes staring at Jia Yan, who was slowly moving away, allowing its body to gradually sink into the water...
"Hehe, caught off guard, huh!" Jia Yan glanced back at the water scorpion behind him, feeling a disdainful chuckle in his heart.
The once formidable threat seemed to have... become a thing of the past.
As long as he was careful, the water scorpion could no longer pose a significant threat!
Ordinary larvae couldn't do this, right?
A sense of pride arose in Jia Yan's heart, but at the same time, there was a sense of loss...
Even the water scorpion couldn't do anything to him. It seemed that in this world of the pond, his last wish had also been fulfilled.
Was it time to leave?...
The mood was very complicated.
"Time to say goodbye... to the first world after rebirth."
After returning to the nest, Jia Yan stared blankly at his cobblestone home.