132: Outsmart the hidden one!

Capital City Suburbs, the weeds grew taller than a person.

Li Dong pushed aside the branches blocking his path, and a dilapidated village appeared before him, lifeless and stagnant, as if the grass on a grave had forgotten to grow.

There was an indescribable chill in the air, carrying a hint of rust and... the sweet, putrid stench of decay. Evil Energy, no doubt about it.

"Heh, quite the setup," Li Dong muttered to himself, his face showing no sign of anything unusual, and he didn't even pause his stride.

A few crooked earthen houses stood at the entrance of the village, and several people dressed like villagers were hunched over, basking in the weak, listless sunlight. Seeing Li Dong, a stranger, those pairs of eyes turned in unison to stare at him.

Li Dong didn't even lift an eyelid; this bunch of "villagers" had lost their souls, every movement revealing the stiffness of a string-controlled Puppet.

He didn't expose them, instead feigning the appearance of someone who had been traveling for a long time, dusty and weary, while also acting a bit cautious.

A hunchbacked "old man," leaning on a crooked branch as a cane, shuffled over slowly: "Young man, you look unfamiliar. Are you... stopping for a meal or staying the night?" His throat sounded like a broken gong, yet it carried a sense of hypocritical warmth.

Li Dong knew this was that woman Ying Mei using the Puppet's mouth to probe him, trying to test his strength.

"Greetings, elder." Li Dong cupped his hands, his face appropriately showing "travel fatigue" and "the confusion of a newcomer." "I am Mu Feng, a wandering Loose Cultivator. I accidentally ended up here, completely turned around, and wanted to ask the way to the capital city."

With this appearance, he was every bit the inexperienced, cautious little Cultivator.

"The capital city?" The "old man's" eyes were murky, turning slowly. "Sigh, young man, it's not peaceful over in the capital city right now... I heard that some Dragon's vein was tainted by evil demons, and the city is in total chaos."

"Isn't that the truth!" Li Dong slapped his thigh, his brows furrowing. "This Junior heard about such a disaster in the capital city and thought about going over to help. But the Evil Energy along the way has been getting heavier and heavier, making people panic." As he spoke, he inadvertently revealed his "deep detestation" for Evil Energy.

In the shadows, Ying Mei's mouth nearly stretched to her ears. "Idiot, he took the bait just as expected." She sneered inwardly. This Mu Feng, just like the intelligence reports said, had a head full of mush and fancied himself righteous. Worried about the Dragon's vein? Detests the Shadow Council? Excellent; the more he is like this, the easier he is to manipulate.

Thinking she had the upper hand, her hidden Mental Energy fluctuation unconsciously rippled with a faint, subtle wave.

"I can see you're an honest child." The "old man" coughed twice, continuing in an "earnest" tone, "However, those evildoers from the Shadow Council are all black-hearted and ruthless. You are so young, don't be foolish and rush forward."

"This Junior understands." Li Dong wore an expression of "being taught." "But seeing evil paths harming the good, how can we Cultivators just stand by and watch? That Shadow Council is simply a scourge that deserves to be exterminated by everyone!"

He said these words with such "fervor," wishing he could immediately act on behalf of the heavens.

Ying Mei listened, feeling quite comfortable. In her view, this Li Dong had completely fallen into her trap, and that bit of "innocent heart" was his greatest flaw.

However, the trace of Mental Energy ripple leaked in her complacency, though thin as a gossamer thread, was like a firefly in the dark night, caught red-handed by Li Dong's ever-vigilant Spiritual Domain!

"Southwest, underground... interesting." Li Dong's thoughts raced; Ying Mei's true form was likely hiding right there!

On the surface, he continued to "confide" in the "old man," but his Spiritual Domain, like flowing mercury, silently seeped toward that direction.

Suddenly, Li Dong's Spiritual Resonance gave a slight jump.

This feeling did not come from Ying Mei's Mental Energy, but radiated from the village itself. Some extremely faint obsessions, like a candle flickering in the wind, were barely perceptible. Upon careful sensing, there was sobbing, despair, and a trace of deep-seated hatred.

"Eh?" Li Dong's heart stirred. These obsessions seemed to have some unclear connection with Ying Mei's Mental Energy, but they weren't entirely the same type of thing. They were older, and also more... chilling.

"Could it be... these are the 'leftovers' left by Ying Mei before?" Li Dong guessed, perhaps they were people she had harmed while Cultivating some evil path, and the resentment in this place was recycled by her to become part of this illusion.

While he was pondering, the "old man's" expression suddenly changed. The face that had been relatively honest now revealed an indescribable eeriness and allure.

"Fellow Daoist Mu Feng, since you have such a compassionate heart, why not... take a look at this?"

As soon as the words fell, the surrounding scenery began to ripple like water.

A figure, familiar beyond measure, slowly became clear in the distorted light and shadow—it was actually Li Qingyan!

"She" had a face full of worry and urgency, lips moving as if calling out "Brother Li Dong."

Ying Mei was showing her true colors, wanting to use the person Li Dong cared about most to disturb his composure.

If it were another Cultivator, seeing their own sister in such a state, they would likely lose their composure on the spot, or at least panic.

But who was Li Dong?

He looked at that "Li Qingyan," and deep in his eyes, there wasn't even a ripple; instead, he felt... amused, like watching a three-year-old child rolling and throwing a tantrum on the ground.

"Just this much skill? Ying Mei, oh Ying Mei, you really underestimate people." Li Dong thought.

With his composure, plus the constant purification of his Spiritual Domain, the moment this illusion appeared, he saw right through it.

"Are you done acting?"

Li Dong's voice was not loud, but it was like a needle, popping the inflated balloon with a "pop."

Before the words had even finished, his entire Aura suddenly changed!

Spiritual Domain, activate!

An indescribably massive power exploded, an invisible shockwave sweeping over every inch of land. Those carefully arranged illusions, whether houses, trees, or those walking-corpse-like "villagers," were like residual snow under the scorching sun, dissolving into nothingness in an instant with a sizzle!

"Ah—!"

A sharp, thin scream, carrying a hint of frustration and disbelief, faintly came from deep underground. It was the voice of Ying Mei herself; her mental illusion had been wiped out so simply and brutally that her soul had shaken three times along with it.

The fake appearance of the village faded, revealing the terrain underneath, ruined by Evil Energy, along with a few pits where Formation nodes had been buried.

"Want to slip away?"

Li Dong's gaze narrowed; Ying Mei's Aura was burrowing deep underground!

The woman's reaction was also lightning fast. As soon as the illusion was broken, she immediately activated some secret escape technique. Her figure flickered, turning into a wisp of shadow so faint it was almost invisible, and she darted away along the underground direction Li Dong had sensed earlier. This ability to escape underground really did have a ghostly quality.

Li Dong stood in place, not rushing to chase.

He carefully savored the lingering Aura of Ying Mei in his Spiritual Domain, as well as the momentary panic when she slipped away.

Li Dong dusted off the non-existent dust on his sleeves and curled his lips. "Mental infiltration, illusion to confuse the heart... I've pretty much figured out your trump cards. Ying Mei, oh Ying Mei, next time we run into each other, it won't be as simple as just scaring you."

Although he hadn't managed to capture her on the spot, Li Dong felt this trip was not a loss. Not only had he tested most of Ying Mei's signature skills, but more importantly, through this "battle of wits," he had a rough idea of this woman's modus operandi and the depth of her abilities.

This was crucial for cleaning up the mess later.