157: Chapter 158 Shen Muyao's Crisis

"Change how you address me," Lin Muyang said indifferently, his voice betraying no emotion.

Upon hearing this, Chiba Ruri, almost as a conditioned reflex, adjusted her posture to be even more respectful and devout. She gazed intently at Lin Muyang with those blue eyes that seemed ready to overflow with water. Although her voice still trembled unnaturally due to the restraints, it was filled with heartfelt reverence: "Yes, Master... no, Lord! Please, remove some of the restraints for me... My current state makes it impossible for me to serve you better and respond to your will..."

She seemed eager to find a more appropriate term that could still convey her submission, ultimately settling on "Lord," a relatively neutral yet respectful term.

Lin Muyang said nothing more; he merely shifted his thoughts slightly, making a fine adjustment to the Absolute Command Aura via their soul link. He did not completely remove the control over Chiba Ruri; that would be too dangerous.

He merely lifted the excessive restrictions on her "basic activities" and "routine communication," allowing her to walk freely within the villa, converse, use living facilities, and express her opinions and thoughts relatively freely when permitted or asked by Lin Muyang. However, all actions involving the use of talents, external communication, leaving the villa without permission, and anything that could pose a potential threat to Lin Muyang and the young ladies remained strictly prohibited.

The invisible shackles seemed to loosen slightly. Chiba Ruri's delicate body trembled slightly, and then, a long-lost sense of control over her own body returned—though this control was limited, a freedom constrained by countless invisible "threads of rules." Yet, this was enough to make her so excited she nearly burst into tears.

Almost immediately, without hesitation, she knelt deeply in the direction of Lin Muyang, her knees giving way. Her forehead touched the cool, smooth wooden floor with a soft "thud." Her movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest reluctance, as if this action had been rehearsed a thousand times in her soul.

"From this day forward, I, Chiba Ruri, am your most humble and loyal servant and follower!"

"No matter the matter, no matter the time, as long as you give the order, Ruri will do her utmost, even unto death!"

Her voice no longer trembled; instead, it carried a strange, almost oath-like firmness and devotion. She raised her stunning face to look up at Lin Muyang, her blue eyes clear, reflecting his calm countenance as if trying to carve his image into the depths of her soul.

This sudden, solemn kowtow and oath made Lin Muyang raise an eyebrow slightly, and it also drew slightly surprised glances from the other young ladies in the living room.

Lilia blinked her large green eyes and tilted her head in confusion; Feng Ling's golden eyes swept over them indifferently without lingering; a trace of coldness flashed in Seraphina's purple eyes, as she harbored an instinctive vigilance against any outsider who might approach her master; Su Daji curiously poked her head out, her nine fox tails swaying gently and unconsciously behind her; even the succubus Elabess had put away her playful expression, observing this Japanese girl with keen interest.

Lin Muyang himself felt some doubt. Could merely the instructions of the Absolute Command Aura, combined with some "unconventional" abilities he had displayed, cause a girl with a sub-god level talent and a proud heart to develop such profound, even somewhat fanatical, "faith" and "submission" in such a short time? This effect seemed a bit too good.

He scrutinized Chiba Ruri's blue eyes, which were filled with devotion. Perhaps it wasn't entirely the effect of the Aura. The girl's own upbringing, Japan's tradition of worshipping the strong, and her experience of being brainwashed by the Oracle organization with concepts similar to "Apostle of God" all left her subconsciously lacking sufficient resistance to such "absolutely powerful," "mysterious," and "grace-granting (such as enhancing talent)" existences, even sparking an almost instinctive urge to submit and worship. The Aura's command was more like lighting a fuse that had long been buried in her heart.

"She might... really be longing to follow a more powerful master," Lin Muyang thought to himself. "Especially after witnessing the miracle of Elena's talent enhancement, her inner longing must have reached its peak. Following me means the possibility of reaching higher levels of power, and even obtaining the 'gift' she dreams of."

Lin Muyang did not dislike this behavior of admiring the strong, provided that such following was controllable, useful, and did not cause trouble. Chiba Ruri's current value lay in the fact that she was a line connecting to the Oracle organization. As for whether to give rewards, that would depend on her performance, loyalty, and his own needs. If she disobeyed or lost her value, he would just dispose of her. In a world where power is respected, Lin Muyang had long been accustomed to this calm, even cold, weighing of options.

"Get up first." Lin Muyang's tone remained indifferent. He did not respond directly to Chiba Ruri's oath, simply instructing: "Do what you are supposed to do."

"Yes! Lord!" Chiba Ruri immediately responded, standing up nimbly. She stood to the side with her hands down, her posture respectful, yet her eyes gazed burningly at Lin Muyang, as if waiting for the next command. Being able to gain limited "freedom" and the "Lord's" permission to stand up already made her heart surge with excitement.

Just then, Elabess's slightly playful voice, transmitted via the soul link, rang out in Lin Muyang's mind: "Master~ It seems this little girl from Japan really wants to follow you~ I've heard that in their culture, the worship of the strong is engraved in their bones. And look at her eyes, tsk tsk, it's like she's seen a true god descend~" Her voice carried her usual charm and a hint of amusement at watching the show.

Elabess was happy to see new, powerful existences willing to follow Lin Muyang. This meant her master's power was expanding and his influence was growing; in the future, there might be more people to help handle chores and gather information, and she and her sisters could focus more on serving her master and improving their own strength.

"Whether she is sincere or feigning, whether it is out of worship or a desire for power," Lin Muyang calmly responded to Elabess in his mind, "right now, her most important identity to us is a 'clue,' a clue that can help us make contact with, or even possibly unearth, that 'Oracle' organization, especially the 'Gods Chosen One' behind it. Until she proves her absolute loyalty and value, she is merely a tool that must be used with caution."

Before he could finish his thought, the special encrypted phone that Chiba Ruri had been holding suddenly lit up, emitting a low, unique vibration, completely different from a regular phone's notification sound.

Chiba Ruri's expression tightened, and she immediately looked down to check it. After just one glance, her stunning face instantly lost its color, and a flash of shock and nervousness crossed her blue eyes. Almost subconsciously, she turned toward Lin Muyang faster than before, holding the phone screen toward him with both hands, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible trembling:

"Lord! The 'Gods Chosen One'... has replied!"

Lin Muyang's gaze swept across the phone screen. On the pure black background, there were only a few lines of cold white text, without any signature or identification:

"The will of God is supreme; how could it be easily glimpsed by mortals? 'Dragon,' since you have already conveyed the divine revelation, your mission is complete. Since the target does not wish to convert voluntarily, God has His own methods to make them 'willingly' submit. This is not for you to interfere with. Subsequent matters will be handled by 'Eagle.' Return to the designated location immediately and await further instructions. Do not make contact with the target again."

The text was concise, yet it exuded an unquestionable arrogance and coldness. Especially the phrase "make them 'willingly' submit," which carried a clear threatening tone. And "will be handled by 'Eagle'" clearly pointed to the highest-ranking middle-aged male member within the organization.

"He says... he represents the will of God, and ordinary people are not qualified to meet him." Chiba Ruri translated in a dry voice, looking nervously at Lin Muyang's expression, "If you are unwilling to join the organization voluntarily... he will take measures to make you join willingly. Lord, the measures he speaks of..."

She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts, the worry on her face deepening: "My lord, perhaps he sent me here precisely with the intention of testing you. Given the strength you have displayed, the organization, or rather, the 'Gods Chosen One,' will never easily give up. To ensure they can bring an existence like you under their control, he has likely... made arrangements and preparations in other areas long ago. I am worried... he might resort to some less-than-honorable methods, such as threatening those you care about!"

"Threatening those around me?" Lin Muyang frowned slightly. The first people who came to his mind were naturally the young ladies from another world by his side. Lilia, Feng Ling, Seraphina, Su Daji, Gui Wanwan, Elena, Elabess, Ao Qingyan... They were his companions, the core of his strength. But their essence was that of summons; even if killed in this world, they would return to their original world, waiting to be summoned again. Using them to threaten him would have limited effect, unless the opponent possessed some taboo method capable of completely erasing or permanently sealing summons, but that possibility was extremely low.

Then, if it wasn't them...

Lin Muyang's gaze deepened. His "interpersonal relationships" in this world were very simple. Before changing jobs, he was an orphan, and his relationships with classmates were distant. After changing jobs, those he had more contact with, who might be seen by outsiders as people he cared about...

The beautiful homeroom teacher Su Qingyue? She had taken good care of him and lived nearby.

The campus belle Shen Muyao? She clearly had feelings for him and they had occasionally been in contact recently.

The Gu sisters from the Gu Group, Gu Shuanglin and Gu Xiaoyu? He had just had interactions with them at the Provincial Tournament and even added Gu Shuanglin as a friend.

If the "Gods Chosen One" really intended to start with the "people around him," these individuals were indeed the most likely targets. Especially if the other party had investigated his background and knew he was "all alone" in this world, then these people with whom he had more interactions were undoubtedly the best choices.

It was better to believe it than to dismiss it.

Lin Muyang's eyes turned cold. Without any hesitation, his thoughts raced, and two God-Tier Auras, which were not often used together but could exert miraculous effects when combined at this moment, were instantly activated!

【 Spell Expansion (God-Tier Aura) 】: The range of Aura effects is expanded by 3800% (38 times). The Aura, which already had a massive base range, was easily able to cover the entire Zhongnan City after this amplification, and could even radiate into the surrounding areas.

【 Tracking (God-Tier Aura) 】: Based on the target's information (including but not limited to name, image, Aura, recently touched items, soul fluctuation characteristics, etc.), it can perform "movement marking" and "trajectory backtracking" on specific targets within the Aura's coverage range, beyond visual range and ignoring obstacles. The markings appear as pale golden phantom paths and light points visible only to the caster, showing the target's current position and recent movement trajectory in real-time. Maximum effective tracking distance: 10,000 kilometers. Cooldown: 30 minutes (can be reduced by Auras like 【 Infinite Firepower 】).

The combination of these two Auras was a strategic-level reconnaissance artifact! As long as the target was still on Blue Star, within the duration of the Aura, Lin Muyang could instantly lock onto their position, see their surrounding environment, and even backtrack their recent movements!

He needed to confirm immediately whether those who might be implicated were safe.

First, Su Qingyue, who was closest. He focused his mind on the image and Aura of that gentle and intellectual beautiful homeroom teacher.

Pale golden light points lit up in Lin Muyang's special vision, located in the villa not far away. The light point was stable, with no signs of movement. Zooming in, he saw Su Qingyue wearing a comfortable silk nightgown, wrapped in a thin air-conditioning blanket, lying on her side on the large, soft bed, sleeping soundly. Her long, black hair was draped over the pillow, and her exquisite face looked exceptionally soft and quiet in sleep. Everything in the room was normal, without any abnormal energy fluctuations or the Aura of a stranger.

"Safe." Lin Muyang felt slightly relieved and immediately switched targets.

Shen Muyao. The image of that pure campus belle appeared in his mind, along with the unique, fresh scent of books that clung to her.

The pale golden light point lit up again, but the location... was not in Zhongnan City! The light point showed that Shen Muyao was currently in the eastern urban area of Tianhai City, inside a high-end hotel called "Pearl International."

"Did she go to watch the competition..." Lin Muyang understood. The Shen family seemed to be well-off; going to Tianhai City to watch the competition and staying there for a night was normal.

However, just as his gaze focused on the hotel floor where Shen Muyao was, and the room she was staying in, an unexpected change occurred!

In the special vision of 【 Tracking 】, besides the stable pale golden light point representing Shen Muyao, and two slightly distant light points representing her parents, outside the window of Shen Muyao's room—on the smooth glass curtain wall of the hotel exterior—an extremely faint, dark red light point was "climbing" upwards silently at a weird and slow speed!

No, not climbing. It was "floating"! That dark red light point completely ignored gravity, sticking to the vertical glass curtain wall like a gecko, or perhaps a ghost, moving towards the floor level of Shen Muyao's room! In the vision of 【 Tracking 】, this dark red light point represented a target "carrying malice" or "executing hostile or surveillance actions"! Moreover, a layer of blurry distortion field surrounded this light point; that was... the effect of a high-level stealth or lurking skill!

"There really is one?!" A cold light flashed in Lin Muyang's eyes. An unknown existence in a high-level stealth state, carrying malice, attempting to approach Shen Muyao's room! Judging by its movement trajectory and method, it was definitely not a benevolent entity! Was it an "Eagle" sent by the "Gods Chosen One," or some other minion under their command?

The target was very clear: it was Shen Muyao!

Lin Muyang's heart sank. He hadn't expected the other party to act so quickly and for the target to be so precise. What made him feel even more tricky was that this undoubtedly meant the distance he had deliberately maintained with acquaintances in this world had been broken due to his recent "high profile." Shen Muyao, this girl who had feelings for him, had been dragged into danger because of him.

"These rats hiding in the dark are truly rampant." The coldness in Lin Muyang's heart intensified. "Gods Chosen One... no matter who you are, today, neither you nor this 'Eagle' you sent will be able to escape unscathed."

But for now, the most urgent thing was to ensure Shen Muyao's safety. He had to stop or eliminate the uninvited guest in stealth before they could reach her.

"It seems this trip is mandatory." Lin Muyang sighed inwardly. He had always avoided getting too close to Shen Muyao, precisely because he didn't want her to become his weakness or Achilles' heel. Because the young ladies he summoned were not living beings in the true sense in this world, there was no worry about permanent death.

But Shen Muyao was different; she was a living person, and if something happened to her, it would be a permanent regret. Now it seemed some things could not be avoided just because he wanted to. When his light was too dazzling, shadows would naturally try to find corners that his light couldn't reach to erode them.

Fortunately, with his current strength, he no longer feared any open spears or hidden arrows. He had enough confidence and means to protect the people he wanted to protect and make the enemies who dared to reach out pay a painful price.

"Gods Chosen One..." Lin Muyang silently repeated the codename in his heart, hiding his murderous intent.

"Prepare to depart." Lin Muyang's low voice resounded in the living room without hesitation.

The moment his words fell, several God-Tier Auras for speed and mobility, which were already prepared and permanently active on him, were fully activated!

The three major speed-type amplification effects stacked, combined with his own terrifying attributes, created an instantaneous burst of speed that was beyond imagination.

At the same time, the concealment field of the Divine Concealment Aura spread out from him as the center, enveloping all the young ladies in the living room—Lilia, Feng Ling, Seraphina, Su Daji, Gui Wanwan, Elena, Ao Qingyan, Elabess, and even Chiba Ruri, who had just stood up and was still in shock and anxiety—all of them were covered!

The level 337 Divine Concealment effect caused everyone's figures to instantly fade from the material world, as if they had merged into the air. Not only did they disappear visually, but their Aura, energy fluctuations, and even to some extent, traces of causality, were perfectly masked. Unless one possessed anti-stealth means or special perception exceeding this level, it was absolutely impossible to discover their existence.

Including Chiba Ruri in the Divine Concealment range was not an impulsive decision. On one hand, she was now one of his own, and taking her along could serve as bait or a bargaining chip for identity verification when contacting the "Gods Chosen One" or the "Eagle." On the other hand, Lin Muyang also needed her on the scene to point out potential enemies or provide more information about the "Eagle."