24: Chapter 24 The Beacon's Trembling and the Approaching Shadow

Over the next two days, Lin Yuan lived at a tense yet orderly pace.

During the day, he focused on deploying and following up on the Optimization plan for the "Cross-border Selection" team. The "Energy Status Visualization" plugin embedded with a misleading layer had been quietly launched, and the team members' initial reactions were good. Boss Qian gave feedback that although efficiency hadn't improved that quickly, the number of argumentative emails within the team had dropped significantly. The newly added "Inspiration Ranting Channel" had even started to see some spontaneous, non-work-related lighthearted chats—these were the signs of a psychological safety zone being established. Through the "processed" data feedback from the plugin backend, Lin Yuan also confirmed the plan's effectiveness. At the same time, those misleading messages were quietly circulating within the system, waiting to be captured by "interested parties."

Meanwhile, he was also remotely assisting Chairman Liu and the Geomancer in advancing the geomantic conditioning work for Yongxin Cultural and Creative Park. Following the Geomancer's plan, the construction team hired by Chairman Liu began digging, transplanting specific trees, and trimming drainage at key locations. Lin Yuan could feel that every time a node of the construction was completed, the desolate yet calm aura of the park became a bit more "solid," as if a barren piece of land was being slowly but firmly improved.

The nights were for studying his own power. He continued to carefully "sculpt" the containment field within his divinity using that faint wisp of "Authority of Order." The "Order Node" initially carved had stabilized, and its weak "grinding" and "channeling" effects had reduced the core intensity of the violent work-related resentment surrounding it by about one-thousandth—the progress was minimal, but it proved the path was viable. He attempted to carve similar nodes in other areas of the containment field, surrounding the phantom of the Infant Spirit and the other two slightly smaller clusters of resentment. This process was extremely taxing on his mental energy and Power of Faith. Progress was slow, but he enjoyed it, as if he were polishing a precise and dangerous instrument.

As for the private message from the anonymous forum account, after leaving the other party hanging for a day, he replied using an encrypted method, quoting an inflated price and demanding a transaction using fragments of "ning-shen jade," a specific type of jade from a particular origin that had miraculous effects on stabilizing the soul. The other party did not agree immediately and fell into bargaining, which played right into Lin Yuan's hands—the longer it dragged on, the more anxious the other party would become, and the easier it would be for them to slip up in subsequent contacts.

As for "Lingxiao Capital," there were no new movements for the time being. Boss Qian reported that the other party seemed to be putting more energy into researching the "technical mortgage" rumor that Lin Yuan had "leaked," and was currently evaluating its value internally. This gave Lin Yuan a chance to catch his breath.

However, beneath the calm water, undercurrents never ceased to surge.

Late the next night, while Lin Yuan was in his studio using a faint Power of Faith to nourish his meridians and repair the hidden injuries left from his battle with the monster under Mr. Mo, suddenly—

Deep in his soul, the weak connection with the "composite talisman paper" placed at Chairman Liu's location suddenly transmitted a sharp tremor!

It wasn't a continuous alarm, but a short, intense fluctuation like a needle prick! Immediately after, the connection became extremely weak, almost on the verge of breaking, leaving behind only a trace of cold, slimy, alien energy aura filled with the desire for analysis!

Something had happened! Someone had triggered the beacon on the talisman paper! And the method was quite sophisticated; they had attempted to block or destroy the beacon the moment they triggered it! The residual aura... was of the same origin as the kindergarten ruins and the black wooden plaque, but colder and more obscure, as if it were Mr. Mo himself, or an even more core force under his command!

Was Chairman Liu in danger? Or was the other party just remotely probing the talisman paper and the crystal bottle?

Lin Yuan immediately tried to sense the state of the talisman paper through the connection. The connection was extremely weak, intermittent, but he could barely capture some fragmented information: the talisman paper did not seem to be physically destroyed, but its internal energy structure had been subjected to powerful interference and "peering," and the feng shui wealth-gathering effect disguised on the surface was rapidly decaying. And Chairman Liu's own life aura... did not seem to fluctuate violently, but was filled with terror and confusion.

Was the other party's target the "items" and "information," and perhaps they didn't intend to take action directly against Chairman Liu for the time being? Or, did Chairman Liu have protection, and the other party was wary of it?

Lin Yuan made a prompt decision. He didn't contact Chairman Liu directly (that might expose more), but immediately sent an encrypted message to Boss Qian: "There might be a situation with Chairman Liu; the 'thing' on him has been touched. Please confirm his status and safety in a secure way immediately, but do not mention me. Also, remind him to minimize going out recently and be careful of strange contacts."

Boss Qian's reply was quick: "Received. Arranged. You be careful too; the other party might be counter-tracking you."

Counter-tracking? Lin Yuan's heart sank. When the other party probed the talisman paper, they likely also sensed the extremely subtle mental brand on the talisman paper that pointed to the creator (Lin Yuan)! Although the brand had been disguised and multi-encrypted, facing an existence at Mr. Mo's level, it might not be completely hidden!

He stood up immediately and quickly scanned the studio. He found no obvious signs of abnormal energy intrusion. But he dared not be careless and immediately began to set up simple early warning and defensive measures: using cinnabar mixed with his own spiritual blood to draw warning runes at key locations on the doors and windows; placing the bronze bell in the center of the desk and injecting a wisp of Power of Faith to keep it in a semi-activated state; and holding the "mark of conquest" crystal in his hand.

After doing this, he pulled up the system interface, closely monitoring any abnormal data fluctuations, while his spiritual perception was raised to the limit, sensing every change in the surrounding environment.

Time passed second by second. The studio was silent, with only the occasional sound of distant cars coming from outside the window. But the warning signs in Lin Yuan's heart grew stronger and stronger. The feeling of being targeted by a viper in the dark had returned, and it was clearer and more imminent than before!

The other party did not launch an attack immediately; they seemed to be observing, waiting, or... setting up something.

He glanced at the time in the system: 23 days 02 hours 15 minutes.

The countdown coldly reminded him that a greater crisis (the divine breath repayment) was also approaching step by step.

"Cannot sit and wait for death." Lin Yuan's eyes turned fierce. Since the other party might be counter-tracking, he would give them a "clear" signal, a... lure.

He walked to the workbench and spread out a new piece of talisman paper. This time, he didn't draw any disguise, but instead used the purest Power of Faith containing the "Optimization" order intent (consuming a precious 0.5 points), mixed with blood from his fingertip, to draw an extremely complex, provocative one-way communication and positioning rune.

The function of this rune was simple: it would continuously emit a unique energy fluctuation bearing the "Order," "Optimization," and "God of Ruins" marks. The fluctuation was weak, but distinct in nature, like a small light in the dark night. At the same time, it contained a simple mental message: "I know you are looking for me. Want the secret of 'Optimization'? Or do you want an explanation for your 'workshop' and 'wooden plaque'? Tomorrow night at the hour of the Rat (midnight), at the site of the abandoned 'Third Textile Factory' in the east of the city. Don't be late."

He pasted the completed talisman on the most conspicuous wall in the studio, and then, without hesitation, packed up the most important items (remaining faith points, the bell, the mark crystal, the containment field sensing talisman, etc.), changed into dark casual clothes, quietly left through the back window of the studio, and disappeared into the old city alleys shrouded in night.

The place he was going to was a place he had accidentally discovered when investigating the problems in the "Xiangyang New Village" community—it was the edge of another old factory area waiting to be demolished, with a piece of vacant old warehouse about to be razed. The location was remote, the energy field was chaotic, which was convenient for hiding and setting traps, and also convenient for retreat. He had already set up several simple early warning and interference arrays there as one of his backup safe houses.

About half an hour after Lin Yuan left the studio.

Outside the old residential building where his studio was located, in the shadows of the dim green belt, the air rippled slightly like water waves.

A figure wearing a black robe, with a body as thin as a bamboo pole and a face covered with a layer of vague gray mist, appeared quietly like a ghost. Under the gray mist, two spots of ghostly green light stared fixedly at the window on the third floor with the curtains drawn.

"Interesting provocation... 'Optimization'... 'God of Ruins'..." The Black-robed Man's voice was dry and hoarse, like rubbing bone fragments, "Destroying my 'Spirit-Nurturing Ground,' breaking my 'Contract Plaque,' and daring to initiate a duel... You don't know what death is."

He stretched out fingers as withered as chicken claws and made a stroke in the air towards the window. There was no sound, but the warning rune Lin Yuan had drawn on the glass inside the third-floor window vanished silently.

Immediately after, the Black-robed Man's figure blurred again, as if merging into the night, and the next moment, he had appeared in Lin Yuan's studio.

The room was empty. Only the slightly glowing bronze bell on the desk and the talisman on the wall emitting provocative fluctuations remained.

The Black-robed Man didn't even look at the bell and walked straight to the talisman. His ghostly green gaze swept over the patterns on the talisman, and the corners of his mouth under the gray mist seemed to pull into a cold arc.

"Cheap tricks... Want to lure me into a trap?" He muttered to himself, his fingers pointing in the air, and the energy fluctuation on the talisman was instantly suppressed and analyzed, "East of the city... Third Textile Factory? Hmph, making a feint to the east while attacking the west, or just setting up a confusing array?"

He closed his eyes, and the gray mist surged, seemingly sensing something. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, the ghostly green light flickering.

"The aura is very faint... Went to the northwest... Residual traces of 'Order,' and... a strange smell of 'Tolerance' and 'Transformation'..." The Black-robed Man pondered, "Is this 'Optimization'? It really has some substance. No wonder the Master is interested."

He didn't move the talisman, nor did he touch anything. He just stood in place, the gray mist slowly spreading, like the finest dust, sweeping through every corner of the studio, collecting all residual auras and information fragments.

A moment later, the gray mist retracted.

"Found it..." The Black-robed Man let out a low, ambiguous laugh, "Although it was well-disguised, the pre-combustion fluctuation of the 'Spark'... and the resonance of that 'containment field'... You can't escape."

His figure faded again, and as if he had never appeared, he vanished from the studio. Only the provocative talisman on the wall remained, still emitting weak and persistent fluctuations.

The night wind blew in through the gap of the back window that hadn't been closed tightly, brushing over the bronze bell on the desk, making an extremely slight, almost sobbing tremor.

And Lin Yuan, who was several kilometers away in the abandoned warehouse, was sitting cross-legged in the center of his pre-set array, suddenly felt something in his heart and opened his eyes abruptly!

He sensed that the warning rune in his studio had been destroyed! And, that provocative talisman seemed to have been touched, but it hadn't been taken away or destroyed!

The other party went to the studio, saw through his lure, and... possibly had already tracked his deeper secret through some means—the pre-combustion fluctuation of the 'Void God Spark,' and the existence of the containment field!

"So fast..." Lin Yuan's face turned slightly pale, but his eyes became even sharper like knives.

The other party's methods and perception ability exceeded his expectations. This was no longer a probe, but the beginning of a hunt.

He had to adjust his plan immediately. The duel location at the Third Textile Factory in the east of the city had been exposed (the other party might not go, but that wasn't important), and this backup safe house might no longer be safe.

He glanced at the system interface; the progress of [Void God Spark Activation Pre-loading] had quietly jumped to 0.5% at some point.

Was it because of the stimulation of the crisis just now? Or because the other party touched the deep layer of the divinity during the probe?

Whatever the reason, the jump in this faint progress was like dropping a spark with temperature into cold seawater.

Lin Yuan gripped the mark crystal in his hand, feeling the slow but firm rotation of the containment field within his divinity.

"Come on." He said to the boundless darkness in a low voice, his tone calm and cold.

"Let's see if your evil arts are crafty, or if my 'Optimization'... can better define these chaotic rules."

The night swallowed everything.

Only the silently jumping countdown, and that faint but stubborn spark omen in the depths of his soul, flickered vaguely in the darkness.

23 days 00 hours 44 minutes.

A new day was about to begin in the midst of crisis.