32: Undercurrent surges, first meeting Xun'er

Black Seal City before dawn was shrouded in a thin mist. Lin Chen stood on a rooftop, watching the Eight Gates guards rushing through the streets below.

Two hours had passed since he assassinated the Hall of Souls elder, and the entire Black Seal City had entered a state of martial law.

"The reaction is faster than expected." Lin Chen narrowed his eyes, watching Yuan Yi personally leading the search in the distance.

The Sect Leader of the Eight Gates had a terrifyingly grim expression, and the unique pressure of a Battle Emperor expert emanated from him.

A warmth suddenly spread from the Hall of Souls brand on his left wrist.

Lin Chen looked down, only to see intricate blood-colored patterns appearing on the surface of the brand; this was a secret technique used by the Hall of Souls to track fellow members.

"So it finally came..."

His figure flickered, disappearing from the rooftop.

A few breaths later, three dark figures appeared at the spot where he had just stood.

The leader was a tall man wearing a silver mask, with eerie runes carved on its surface.

"He's dead." The Silver Masked Man's voice was hoarse. "The image transmitted before the Soul Lamp extinguished was very blurry, only confirming that it was an expert skilled in assassination."

The black-robed man on the left whispered, "Could it be someone from Jia Nan Academy? They've been recently..."

"Impossible." The Silver Masked Man interrupted, "The movements of those old fellows from the Academy are all under surveillance. However..." He suddenly turned, looking in the direction Lin Chen had disappeared, "I always feel like someone is peeking."

Lin Chen held his breath, Shadow Erosion Dou Qi forming a perfect cycle within his body, completely integrating himself into the shadows of the building.

Only after the three Hall of Souls envoys left did he slowly exhale a turbid air.

"Battle Sect..." A hint of solemnity flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

The pressure the Silver Masked Man gave him was definitely that of a Battle Sect level expert.

It seemed the Hall of Souls was determined to obtain the Fallen Heart Flame.

He took out the storage ring he had obtained from the elder and forcibly broke the Restriction.

Inside, besides some regular Medicinal Pills and Cultivation Techniques, the most striking items were a pitch-black Jade Slip and a blood-colored token.

"This is..." As Lin Chen's Soul Power probed the Jade Slip, a piece of information immediately flooded his mind:

"Three days later, at midnight, Demon Flame Valley. Earth Demon Old Ghost has agreed to cooperate, be sure to arrive on time. — Wu"

Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

Earth Demon Old Ghost, the founder of Demon Flame Valley in the original work, a seven-star Battle Sect expert!

He hadn't expected the Hall of Souls to even win him over.

This was much earlier than the original plot; it seemed his intervention had accelerated the Hall of Souls's actions.

"The plan needs to be adjusted..."

He put away the Jade Slip and looked towards the direction outside the city.

Based on the time, Xiao Yan should have already left Black Seal City and was heading to Jia Nan Academy.

It was time to follow him.

......

At noon, Lin Chen had already left the Black Seal City area.

He had changed into a grey close-fitting outfit and wore a human skin mask on his face, looking like an ordinary mercenary.

This was his best disguise for operating in the Black-Corner Region.

"At this speed, I should be able to reach Peace Town before dark." Lin Chen estimated the distance.

That was the last stop before entering Jia Nan Academy's sphere of influence, and also where Xiao Yan was ambushed in the original work.

Suddenly, he paused, keenly sensing traces of a fight in the forest ahead.

A faint smell of blood permeated the air, and also... a familiar trace of a strange flame!

Lin Chen immediately reined in his aura and approached silently.

Through the bushes, he saw a chaotic clearing: over a dozen corpses lay scattered on the ground, all dressed as members of the Blood Sect.

In the center of the clearing, Xiao Yan was kneeling on one knee, panting, his xuan heavy ruler stuck in the ground beside him, its blade still stained with blood.

"As expected, he was attacked..." Lin Chen's gaze swept across the scene, but he didn't find Gu Xun'er.

This wasn't right; according to the original work, she should have been by Xiao Yan's side all along.

Just then, Xiao Yan suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze piercing directly towards where Lin Chen was hiding: "Who's there?"

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He was confident in his stealth skills, but he hadn't expected to be discovered.

Just as he hesitated whether to show himself, a cyan figure descended from the sky, lightly landing beside Xiao Yan.

"Xiao Yan Ge-ge, you're too careless." Gu Xun'er's tone was reproachful, but her eyes were full of concern.

She held a cyan longsword in her hand, its tip still dripping blood.

"Someone is following us." Xiao Yan vigilantly stared in Lin Chen's direction, "They've been following us since we left the auction house."

Lin Chen knew he couldn't hide any longer, so he simply walked out proactively.

He raised his hands to show he meant no harm: "Don't be nervous, both of you, I'm just passing by."

Gu Xun'er's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and an invisible pressure enveloped him.

Lin Chen secretly circulated Shadow Erosion Dou Qi to resist, but on the surface, he pretended to be unable to bear it and retreated two steps.

"Great Dou Master?" Xiao Yan was a little surprised, but his vigilance remained undiminished, "Why are you following us?"

Lin Chen had already prepared his excuse: "I saw this young brother's generous spending at the auction house and wanted to make his acquaintance.

Later, I found that people from the Eight Gates were targeting you, so I followed to warn you..."

"Warn?" Gu Xun'er sneered, "Then why have you been hiding in the dark for so long?"

Lin Chen scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed: "Well... after seeing this Young Miss's skill, I felt I was being superfluous."

Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er exchanged glances.

Lin Chen could feel Gu Xun'er's Soul Power sweeping over him, as if checking something.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance, adjusting the circulation routes of his Dou Qi, making him appear to be just an ordinary Great Dou Master.

"Thank you for your kindness." Xiao Yan finally spoke, his tone softening slightly, "However, we have important matters to attend to, so let's part ways here."

Lin Chen nodded, tactfully making way.

Just as Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er were about to leave, he suddenly said, "Be careful of the people from Demon Flame Valley; they've been very active recently."

Xiao Yan paused, turned back to give Lin Chen a deep look, then left without saying anything.

After the two had gone far, Lin Chen let out a long breath.

The performance just now was very successful; it both sowed a seed of vigilance against Demon Flame Valley in Xiao Yan's heart and did not expose his true intentions.

He walked over to a corpse of a Blood Sect Disciple and squatted down, carefully examining the wounds.

Most were killed with a single blow, either their throats pierced or their hearts shattered.

But a few corpses were very peculiar — there were no visible wounds on the surface, but their facial expressions were extremely contorted, as if they had experienced immense pain.

"Soul attack..." Lin Chen narrowed his eyes, "Gu Xun'er's methods are much more ruthless than in the original work."

This wasn't right.

According to the original setting, Gu Xun'er always maintained a gentle image in front of Xiao Yan, rarely displaying such ruthless methods.

Unless...

"They encountered an enemy more dangerous than in the original work?"

Lin Chen immediately checked the surroundings of the battlefield and, sure enough, found several deep claw marks on the tree trunks, with faint black energy lingering in the marks.

"Hall of Souls's Soul Chasing Claw!" Lin Chen's heart trembled.

This was a Battle Skill that only Earth-Grade envoys of the Hall of Souls could Cultivate.

It seemed that besides the Silver Masked Man, there were other Hall of Souls experts pursuing Xiao Yan.

Things were getting complicated.

Lin Chen quickly thought of countermeasures.

The original plan was to secretly follow Xiao Yan into Jia Nan Academy and seize the opportunity to profit when the Fallen Heart Flame erupted.

But now, with the Hall of Souls's early intervention, the variables had greatly increased.

"Perhaps... I can make use of the power of the ancient clan."

He took out a communication Jade Slip, which he had found in the Hall of Souls elder's storage ring.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Chen input a message into it:

"Target has moved towards Jia Nan Academy, accompanied by someone from the ancient clan.

Suggest an ambush in Peace Town. — Shadow"

This Jade Slip was specifically for contacting the Silver Masked Man.

Lin Chen wasn't sure if doing this was wise, but to profit in the upcoming chaos, he had to muddy the waters even more.

After doing all this, he quickly moved in the direction of Peace Town.

He had to get there before Xiao Yan and set up in advance.

......

At dusk, Peace Town was already visible in the distance.

This small town nestled between two mountains was a necessary route to Jia Nan Academy, and the town was permanently guarded by the Academy's law enforcement team, making it one of the few safe zones in the Black-Corner Region.

Lin Chen did not enter the town directly, but instead went around to the mountain forest behind the town.

The view here was excellent, overlooking the entire Peace Town.

He found a hidden cave and began to set up a simple monitoring Formation.

He took out seven black crystals from his storage ring and arranged them in specific directions.

This was the "Phantom Peeping Formation" he had learned from Elder Scorpion Mountain, which, once activated, could monitor energy fluctuations within a five-mile radius.

When the last crystal was in place, Lin Chen bit his finger and dripped a drop of blood into the center of the Formation.

A black light flashed, and the seven crystals simultaneously lit up with a faint glow, followed by blurry images appearing in Lin Chen's mind:

At the town entrance, three law enforcement officers in Jia Nan Academy uniforms were checking passing travelers;

On the second floor of the inn, Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er were talking in their room;

In the small forest on the west side of the town, two sneaky figures were burying something...

"Sure enough, there's an ambush." Lin Chen sneered.

He continued to investigate and soon discovered suspicious individuals throughout the town.

What caught his attention the most were three black-clad figures standing on rooftops, all wearing silver skull badges on their chests.

"Three Hall of Souls Earth-Grade envoys..." Lin Chen's brows furrowed.

This lineup far exceeded expectations; it seemed the false intelligence had worked, and the Hall of Souls had dispatched more personnel.

Suddenly, the monitoring Formation experienced a violent fluctuation.

Lin Chen sharply looked up, only to see a cyan stream of light rapidly approaching in the distant sky.

"This is... a Battle Emperor expert?"

The cyan light was incredibly fast, reaching the sky above Peace Town in an instant.

Lin Chen "saw" through the Formation that it was a middle-aged man in cyan clothes, with a majestic face and a terrifying pressure emanating from him.

"Someone from the ancient clan!" Lin Chen immediately recognized the person's identity.

In the original work, Gu Xun'er indeed had a Battle Emperor expert secretly protecting her, but they usually wouldn't show themselves easily.

The cyan-clad Battle Emperor landed directly in front of the inn where Xiao Yan was.

At the same time, the Hall of Souls envoys ambushing throughout the town stirred.

Lin Chen could feel the tense atmosphere in the air.

"The show is about to begin..."

He quickly put away the monitoring Formation and changed into a black night suit.

The Hall of Souls brand on his left wrist was slightly warm, reminding him of the approaching danger.

But the more chaotic it was, the more he could fish in troubled waters.

When Lin Chen silently infiltrated Peace Town, fierce fighting had already broken out in the direction of the inn.

Cyan and black energies collided in the air, and the entire small town trembled.

"Gu Nanhai! How dare you obstruct the Hall of Souls's business?" A cold voice echoed through the night sky.

"A mere Hall of Souls Earth-Grade Protector, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of me?" The cyan-clad Battle Emperor's response was incredibly domineering.

Lin Chen moved quickly along the shadows of the wall, heading straight for the central square of the town.

According to the original description, that was where Peace Town's teleportation Formation was located, which could lead directly to the outskirts of Jia Nan Academy.

The aftermath of the battle kept coming, and the streets were in chaos.

Lin Chen took the opportunity to blend into the panicked crowd and soon arrived at the edge of the square.

Six Jia Nan Academy law enforcement officers stood around the teleportation Formation, all looking nervous.

"Stop! The teleportation Formation is temporarily closed!" The leading law enforcement officer shouted sharply.

Lin Chen was already prepared and pulled out a token from his in arms — this was obtained from the Hall of Souls elder he had killed.

"The Hall of Souls is doing business, move aside!"

The law enforcement officers' faces changed dramatically.

The infamous reputation of the Hall of Souls was known to everyone in the Black-Corner Region.

As the few of them hesitated, Lin Chen had already strode towards the teleportation Formation.

Just as he was about to step into the Formation, a fierce Sword Qi suddenly struck from the side!

Lin Chen instinctively dodged sideways, but his sleeve was still cut.

"Impersonating a Hall of Souls member, what audacity!"

Lin Chen turned his head, only to see a white-clad woman standing with a sword, it was Nalan Yanran, whom he had met once before!

Why was she here?

Before he could think further, Nalan Yanran's second sword strike came.

This sword was as fast as lightning, with a cyan whirlwind entwined around its tip, clearly the strength of a Peak Great Dou Master!

Lin Chen cursed inwardly, having no choice but to reveal some of his strength.

Shadow Erosion Dou Qi condensed in his palm, and a Shadow Calamity Finger accurately struck the sword body.

"Clang!"

Amidst the clash of metal, Nalan Yanran retreated three steps, her beautiful eyes filled with shock: "You're not a Great Dou Master!"

Lin Chen knew his disguise had been exposed, so he no longer hid.

His figure flickered, transforming into three afterimages that simultaneously pounced on Nalan Yanran.

This was a new technique he had comprehended from Limitless Steps — Phantom Triple!

Nalan Yanran responded hastily; although she barely blocked two attacks, the third afterimage had already circled behind her.

Lin Chen delivered a hand chop to the back of her neck, Nalan Yanran grunted, then slumped to the ground.

This series of exchanges was completed in a flash.

By the time the surrounding law enforcement officers reacted, Lin Chen was already standing in the center of the teleportation Formation.

"Activate the Formation!" He shouted sharply, simultaneously releasing Battle Spirit level pressure.

The law enforcement officers were intimidated and instinctively activated the teleportation Formation.

In the dazzling white light, the last thing Lin Chen saw was the rapidly approaching silver figure in the distant sky...

"Lin Chen! You can't escape!" The Silver Masked Man's roar came from far away.

The white light swallowed everything.

When his vision returned, Lin Chen was already standing in an unfamiliar forest.

In the distance, the outline of a magnificent academy loomed in the morning light.

Jia Nan Academy, he had finally arrived.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, feeling the rich energy of heaven and earth in the air.

Next, was the real challenge.

Fallen Heart Flame, Hall of Souls, the ancient clan, Xiao Yan... various forces would compete on this stage.

And he, the hunter hidden in the shadows, was ready for the harvest.