The spirit weasel recognizes its master, and the demon seed is first sown.

Wind Chant Valley, located at the edge of Starfall Pavilion's outer Sect region, is named for its special terrain, where a constant breeze carries various floral fragrances and subtle sounds. Although the Spiritual Qi here is not dense, it is remarkably quiet, and low-level Disciples often come here for walks or to practice quiet Spells.

Under the night sky, Wind Chant Valley appeared even more serene. Moonlight filtered through the sparse trees, casting dappled light spots.

Nightmare's figure seemed to merge with the night, silently lurking behind a bush. The Breath Concealment Art was operating at its peak; at this moment, even a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator passing by would find it difficult to detect his presence without deliberately searching.

His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, patiently searching the area from his memories.

Although the memories of his past life were distant, information about Lin Hao's early major Opportunity was imprinted clearly—it was near an ancient 'Heart Cleansing Grass'.

Sure enough, after only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a faint 'rustling' sound came.

A small beast, pure white except for a pink nose tip and a fluffy, cloud-like tail, was cautiously moving through a small patch of Heart Cleansing Grass, its small nose twitching incessantly, seemingly searching for the most delicious stalk. It was indeed the Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel!

However, just as it selected a stalk of Heart Cleansing Grass and was about to take a bite, a sudden change occurred!

From a pile of dead leaves nearby, a 'Withered Leaf Viper', dark in color and almost blending into its surroundings, suddenly shot out, its fangs bared, striking directly at the Spirit Weasel's hind leg!

This viper itself was only a first-order Yao Beast, but its venom was potent enough to paralyze or even kill a small, defenseless beast like the Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel!

"Screech—!"

The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel was terrified, letting out a short, sharp cry of despair, desperately trying to dodge, but it was too late!

At this critical moment!

A barely perceptible whoosh sounded!

A small stone, infused with pure Devilish Qi, arrived later but struck first, hitting the Withered Leaf Viper precisely at its vitals!

Puff!

With a faint sound, the viper seemed to be hit by an invisible heavy hammer, stiffening suddenly, then limply collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel squeezed its eyes shut in fear, curling into a ball and trembling. When the expected pain didn't arrive, it timidly opened its dark, round eyes.

It first saw the dead viper, then noticed that, at some point, a figure had silently appeared before it.

The person wore a black robe, their face obscured by shadows, making it unclear. The aura around them was cold and obscure, causing the instinctively sensitive beast a trace of fear. But strangely, it didn't sense any obvious malice from the other party.

Nightmare squatted down, calmly looking at the thoroughly frightened little fellow. He slowly extended his palm, and in his hand, at some point, appeared a small pinch of golden honey powder emitting a strange sweet fragrance. This was a low-grade Beast Luring Powder he had temporarily exchanged from the System Mall with the 200 villain points he just acquired, which held an irresistible attraction for small beasts like the Spirit Weasel.

Fear was soon overcome by instinctive curiosity and greed. The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel's small nose twitched frantically, its dark eyes fixed on the pinch of honey powder, hesitating, then tentatively taking a small step forward.

Nightmare patiently maintained his posture, unmoving.

Finally, the allure of the delicious food triumphed over fear. The Spirit Weasel darted forward, its small tongue sweeping up the honey powder and swallowing it. It then showed an expression of intoxicated satisfaction, even rubbing its fluffy head against Nightmare's finger in an attempt to please him.

A hint of a smile flashed in Nightmare's eyes. He extended his finger and gently tapped the Spirit Weasel's hind leg, which the viper had targeted. A trace of pure Devilish Qi entered, dispelling any possible residual snake venom and bringing a warm, comfortable sensation.

The Spirit Weasel comfortably narrowed its eyes, its wariness towards Nightmare completely vanishing.

[Ding! Successfully altered the Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel's fate, slightly weakening the son of destiny Lin Hao's potential aid. Acquired Luck +20, villain points +100.]

Hearing the System prompt, Nightmare knew that the matter was settled.

He held out his hand, and the Spirit Weasel obediently climbed up his arm, settling on his shoulder. Its small claws even affectionately tugged at his collar.

"Let's go, little one. From now on, follow me." Nightmare whispered, his figure once again merging into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

Less than half an incense stick's time after Nightmare left, Lin Hao's figure appeared in Wind Chant Valley.

He frowned slightly, having come here guided by some mysterious intuition, always feeling as if some small Opportunity awaited him. However, after searching for a while, he only saw ordinary Heart Cleansing Grass and a Withered Leaf Viper that had died strangely.

"Strange..." Lin Hao muttered to himself, that empty feeling resurfacing, a little clearer than last time. He irritably kicked away a stone at his feet, "What's going on lately? Everything is going wrong!"

...

Inside the secret cave.

The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel chirped excitedly, circling Nightmare, its small paws constantly pointing in a certain direction outside the cave.

"Oh? You found something good?" Nightmare's heart stirred.

The Spirit Weasel nodded vigorously.

Nightmare didn't hesitate, once again performing the Breath Concealment Art, and quietly left the cave with the Spirit Weasel.

Led by the Spirit Weasel, they navigated many turns, arriving deep within an extremely hidden rock crevice. There, a small plant, entirely green with star-shaped leaves, emitted faint Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

"Star-Patterned Grass?" Nightmare was slightly surprised. This was a rather rare Spiritual Plant, an auxiliary ingredient for refining various Golden Core Stage Medicinal Pills, and directly consuming it could also slightly nourish one's Divine Sense. For him currently, it was a good harvest.

"Well done." Nightmare stroked the Spirit Weasel's small head and carefully plucked the plant.

[Ding! Acquired Star-Patterned Grass, slightly enhancing personal strength. Acquired villain points +50.]

Nightmare felt pleased. This Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel truly lived up to its reputation; it had brought tangible benefits immediately after being acquired. In the long run, its value even surpassed the one-time Blood Bodhi.

After returning to the cave, Nightmare didn't rush to consume the Star-Patterned Grass but began to plan his next steps.

Merely plundering resources wasn't enough. He needed to systematically improve his strength and, more importantly, proactively create trouble for Lin Hao.

His past life memories were his greatest advantage; he remembered a crucial turning point in Lin Hao's early life—the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

During the Outer Sect Grand Competition, Lin Hao would 'unexpectedly' experience an Epiphany, mastering a partial Spirit Rank sword technique, thereby defeating a powerful enemy in one fell swoop, claiming first place, gaining qualifications to enter the Inner Sect and generous rewards, and truly entering the high-level Sect members' sight.

"Epiphany?" Nightmare sneered. How could there be so many natural Epiphanies? It was merely a cheat granted by the Heavenly Dao.

Now that he knew, he couldn't let Lin Hao have such a smooth time during this Grand Competition.

He was currently an Inner Sect Disciple and couldn't directly participate in the Outer Sect Grand Competition. But he could 'observe the ceremony,' and even... secretly pull some strings.

For example, 'helping' Lin Hao's opponents in advance.

A calculating glint flashed in Nightmare's eyes. He needed a list of Outer Sect Disciples who had potential, but also had some grievances or competitive relationships with Lin Hao.

For this matter, he might need a 'helper'.

He thought of someone—the Outer Sect Deacon, Deacon Zhao Qian.

Deacon Zhao Qian was a greedy individual whose cultivation had been stuck at Foundation Establishment Perfection for many years, eager to find an Opportunity for Breakthrough. In his past life, he later seemed to have offended Lin Hao over some matter, was dealt with casually, and met a rather miserable end.

"The enemy of my enemy might be temporarily useful." Nightmare decided in his heart.

He took out paper and pen, quickly wrote a line of text, then took out a lowest-grade communication paper crane, inserted the note into it, and silently recited Deacon Zhao Qian's name and approximate location.

The paper crane transformed into a faint light, silently flying out of the cave and disappearing into the night.

The message was simple: "To break through to Golden Core, meet tomorrow at noon in the abandoned mine cave behind the servant district. Opportunity awaits. —An insider"

Nightmare didn't need to expose himself; he just needed to throw out a bait the other party couldn't refuse. A person as consumed by greed as Deacon Zhao Qian would never let go of any possible Opportunity.

As long as he went to the abandoned mine cave, Nightmare would have plenty of ways to make him 'accidentally' discover some 'secrets' about Lin Hao, such as Lin Hao possibly possessing a rare treasure or mastering some secret method for rapid advancement... thereby planting a seed of greed and suspicion in Deacon Zhao Qian's heart.

This seed, during the Outer Sect Grand Competition, might sprout in unexpected ways.

After doing all this, Nightmare picked up the Star-Patterned Grass, consumed it, and began to close his eyes and refine it.

On his shoulder, the Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel quietly lay, guarding its new master.

Outside the cave, the night was still thick.

A silent storm targeting the son of destiny was quietly brewing in the shadows of Starfall Pavilion.

And at this moment, Lin Hao, unsettled by two consecutive missed Opportunities, uncharacteristically almost made a mistake during his meditation.

"Who exactly is opposing me?!" He suddenly opened his eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them. "No matter who you are, no one can block my Lin Hao's path of destiny!"

Though he said this, the sense of crisis lingering in his heart refused to dissipate.

For the first time, he felt a hint of uncertainty about the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Competition.