The shadowy figure stealthily reveals its initial prowess.

The atmosphere in the cave instantly solidified.

Lin Hao's face was ashen, his gaze sweeping every corner of the cave like lightning. The Millennium Blood Bodhi, which should have been his, had vanished without a trace, leaving a strange emptiness in his heart, and an indescribable irritation and unease surged within him.

Su Muqing was even more cautious. With a flick of her slender hand, a Jade Talisman emitting a soft white glow appeared in her palm, and she vigilantly braced herself. She could feel that, in addition to a faint trace of Devilish Qi in the air, there was also an extremely sophisticated hidden aura, making her Divine Sense feel as if it were trapped in a quagmire, difficult to probe.

"Who exactly is it? Hiding your head and tail, too cowardly to take responsibility?!" Lin Hao roared angrily, his voice echoing in the cave, only to be met with a few hollow reverberations.

Nightmare, hidden in the shadows, wore a cold, mocking smile at the corner of his lips.

Too cowardly to take responsibility? In his previous life, he was too 'brave to take responsibility,' which led to his downfall. In this life, he would hide behind the scenes, slowly flaying this son of destiny.

He made no sound, like the most patient hunter, quietly waiting. The Breath Concealment Art truly lived up to its System origin; its effect was excellent. Even the seemingly extraordinary detection Jade Talisman in Su Muqing's hand failed to discover his tracks.

Lin Hao punched the rock wall in frustration, sending gravel (shattered rocks) clattering down.

"Senior Brother Hao, calm down," Su Muqing gently advised, a subtle, unnoticeable glint flashing in her beautiful eyes. The Lin Hao she knew had always been composed and confident, blessed with Luck. When had he ever been so distraught? This stolen Opportunity seemed to affect him greatly.

"It's not advisable to stay here for long," Su Muqing continued. "To deal with this Yao Wolf so cleanly and efficiently, their strength is definitely not ordinary. If it truly is a Demonic Path expert who has infiltrated, we need to report this matter to the Sect Elders as soon as possible."

Lin Hao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil and anger in his heart. He knew Su Muqing's words made sense, but the Opportunity that had vanished into thin air stuck in his throat.

"Go!" He finally spat out two unwilling words, casting one last fierce glance at the messy cave before swiftly departing with Su Muqing.

After confirming that their auras had completely disappeared, Nightmare's figure slowly emerged from the shadows like ripples in water.

He glanced at the Yao Wolf's corpse on the ground and casually collected its valuable claws, fur, and Yao Core. These things were not of much use to him, but they could be exchanged for resources or used as Materials for future plans.

"Report to the Elders?" Nightmare chuckled lightly. "Perfect, saves me a lot of trouble."

He wasn't worried about the Sect's search. Although Starfall Pavilion was a Righteous Path School, it was rife with factions and hidden currents. While a Demonic Path Cultivator's infiltration was a serious matter, without concrete clues, it would likely end up unresolved. And this, precisely, gave him an Opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Leaving Black Wind Cave, Nightmare did not return to his residence in the inner Sect. Instead, relying on his memories from his previous life, he headed towards a secluded, rarely visited mountain valley deeper in the Sect's back mountain.

There was a hidden natural cave there, which he had accidentally discovered during a severe injury and escape in his previous life. It would serve perfectly as his initial secret base.

Entering the cave and setting up a few simple warning Restrictions, Nightmare sat down cross-legged and began to carefully sort through his own status and the System's functions.

His cultivation, after devouring the Blood Bodhi, had stabilized at Middle Golden Core, even approaching Peak. His Devilish Qi was several times purer than before.

With a thought, the System interface reappeared.

[Host: Nightmare]

[Realm: Middle Golden Core]

[Cultivation Techniques: Starfall Demonic Art (Incomplete), Soul Devouring Claw (Minor Achievement), Breath Concealment Art (Entry Level)]

[Luck Value: -900 (Black Cloud Covering → Entangled in Misfortune)]

[villain points: 500]

[Items: Several Yao Wolf Materials]

His Luck value had indeed increased by 100 points. Although it was still negative, that vague feeling of impending bad Luck had lessened a bit. As for villain points, the System explained they could be used for System Mall exchanges, lottery draws, improving Cultivation Technique proficiency, and so on.

"System, open the mall."

The light screen in front of him changed, displaying a dazzling but mostly grayed-out list.

[Heavenly Dao Shield (Elementary): Temporarily shields oneself, making it difficult for the Heavenly Dao to observe. Exchange required: 10,000 villain points.]

[Opportunity Compass (One-time use): Points to untriggered Opportunities related to the child of destiny within a hundred li of the Host. Exchange required: 5,000 villain points.]

[Skill Proficiency Enhancement Card (Small): Enhances the proficiency of a designated skill. Exchange required: 300 villain points.]

[Low-grade Healing Pills, Rejuvenation Pills, etc...]

There were many good items, but they were expensive. His current 500 villain points seemed barely enough.

Nightmare pondered for a moment, then asked, "System, is there a way to actively acquire more villain points and Luck value?"

[Reply, Host. The main methods are as follows:]

[1. Complete tasks issued by the System.]

[2. Plunder Opportunities, Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, etc., from the son of destiny and their associates (such as confidantes, Revered Masters, allies). The more important the plundered item is to the son of destiny, the richer the reward.]

[3. Strike at the son of destiny's mentality, causing their Dao Heart to waver, doubt, fear, anger, and other negative emotions.]

[4. Destroy the son of destiny's important interpersonal relationships, or intercept their confidantes (Note: This action may bring high rewards and high risks).]

[5. Directly or indirectly weaken the son of destiny's power and prestige.]

[6. Slay other fated supporting characters or stepping stones who are enemies of the Host; this can also yield small rewards.]

Nightmare's eyes gleamed. There were many ways, but the core was just two words—targeting. He had to go all out to make Lin Hao miserable.

His current strength was far from enough to directly contend with Lin Hao, let alone the potential Dao Protectors behind Lin Hao. Therefore, the strategy was clear: develop in secret, continuously intercept Opportunities, and constantly weaken him.

He recalled another important Opportunity of Lin Hao's in the near future.

"System, exchange for [Skill Proficiency Enhancement Card (Small)] for the Breath Concealment Art."

[Exchange successful, 300 villain points consumed.]

[Usage successful! Breath Concealment Art has been upgraded to 'Proficient' level!]

In an instant, more exquisite applications of the Breath Concealment Art flooded his mind. He felt his ability to conceal and control his aura reached a new level.

He temporarily kept the remaining 200 villain points for unforeseen needs.

Subsequently, Nightmare took out the Yao Core obtained from the Yao Wolf, cupped his hands together, and circulated a rather domineering absorption method from the Starfall Demonic Art.

Strands of pure Yao Beast energy were extracted and integrated into his Golden Core, solidifying his newly Breakthrough Realm.

Time slowly passed.

When the Yao Core's energy was completely absorbed and turned into dust, Nightmare's cultivation also thoroughly stabilized at the Peak of Middle Golden Core.

He opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within him and the increasingly refined concealment technique. A powerful sense of confidence arose spontaneously.

"It's time."

He stood up, his gaze seeming to penetrate the mountain wall, looking towards the area where the Outer Sect Disciples resided.

According to his memories from his previous life, tomorrow, Lin Hao would 'accidentally' rescue a Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel bitten by a venomous snake in 'Wind Chant Valley' in the Outer Sect's back mountain.

This Spirit Weasel was not a combat Spirit Beast, but it had an innate, extremely keen perception for high-quality Spiritual Plants and minerals. It was precisely by relying on this Spirit Weasel that Lin Hao was able to repeatedly discover deeply hidden Spiritual Plants in the Early Stage, refine them into Medicinal Pills for consumption, and rapidly advance his cultivation.

He must acquire this Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel!

As night deepened, the Starfall Pavilion's Outer Sect area gradually quieted down.

A ghost-like figure, under the protection of the Breath Concealment Art, silently moved through the shadows, stealthily heading towards Wind Chant Valley.

Nightmare's second interception operation was about to begin.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao, who was currently meditating in his room, trying to calm the irritation caused by the loss of the Blood Bodhi, suddenly shivered. A strange feeling of being spied upon, as if something important was about to leave him, resurfaced.

He opened his eyes in annoyance but found nothing.

"What exactly is going on?!" he muttered to himself, his brows tightly furrowed, the panic in his heart becoming even clearer.