The seed of demons sprouts; turmoil is about to begin.

On the arena stage, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

The backlash from forcibly interrupting his Epiphany, combined with Shiyan’s fierce, overbearing, and utterly unreasonable attacks, left Lin Hao stretched thin and extremely disheveled. His proud sword moves became disorganized, and his footsteps lost their former composure.

“Impossible! How could I lose to trash like this!” Lin Hao roared internally, an unprecedented panic gripping him. The favor of the Heavenly Dao seemed to have completely abandoned him at this moment; the feeling that everything was under control vanished.

On the high platform, Deacon Zhao Qian’s frown deepened, the suspicion in his eyes almost materializing. He even began to feel that the contents of the Jade Slip might be partially credible. Lin Hao's previous smooth sailing was perhaps due to some hidden, illicit means, and now those means seemed to have failed.

The audience below burst into an uproar.

“Is Senior Brother Lin going to lose?”

“Did Shiyan take the wrong medicine today? He’s so fierce!”

“It looks like Luck eventually runs out.”

These discussions pierced Lin Hao’s ears like sharp needles, making his face alternate between green and white.

“Ah! Get lost!” Driven by extreme shame and indignation, Lin Hao finally erupted. He stopped pursuing the profound Epiphany and instead poured all his spiritual energy unreservedly into the longsword in his hand, unleashing the most practiced and powerful technique he possessed: the Advanced Yellow Rank sword art—Rending Wind Slash!

The sword wind roared, unmatched in its sharpness!

This strike, born of fury, almost surpassed his usual level!

Although Shiyan’s defense and strength had greatly increased, his agility and rationality had declined. Facing this strike thrown with full effort, he did not dodge or evade, instead roaring as he met it with a punch!

Boom!

Sword and fist collided, erupting in a violent roar!

The thick rock armor condensed on Shiyan’s fist shattered instantly. He was sent flying backward by the sharp Sword Qi, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena stage. After struggling a few times, he was temporarily unable to get up. The effects of the Thick Earth Pill also began to rapidly fade, and an intense feeling of weakness washed over him.

As for Lin Hao, although he had struck his opponent away with one sword move, the massive instantaneous consumption of spiritual energy and the counter-shock force from Shiyan’s final punch caused his face to blanch. He staggered back seven or eight steps, barely managing to steady himself by using his sword as a crutch. His chest heaved violently, clearly indicating he was not feeling well either.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

The presiding Elder was stunned for a few seconds before loudly announcing, “The winner of this battle is Lin Hao!”

He had won.

But there was no joy on Lin Hao’s face. He felt like he hadn't won, but merely salvaged a humiliating victory. He felt no pleasure in crushing his opponent, but rather like he had endured a shameful struggle.

Looking at the complex, surprised, and even slightly pitying gazes of the Disciples below the stage, Lin Hao felt his face burn. Without even sparing Shiyan a glance, he lowered his head and quickly walked off the stage, wanting only to leave the place that had caused him such embarrassment.

[Ding! Although Lin Hao, the son of destiny, won, he did so in an extremely humiliating manner. His Dao Heart was damaged, and his reputation suffered a blow. Acquired Luck Value -80, villain points +300.]

Nightmare, hidden in the shadows, watched the scene with satisfaction. The System notification sound was like the most beautiful piece of music.

This was the effect he wanted. He didn't have to directly seize Lin Hao's Opportunities every time; sometimes, making the process of obtaining them difficult and humiliating was equally effective in weakening his Luck and mentality.

This seed, named "Doubt" and "Frustration," had been planted and was beginning to sprout.

Nightmare did not linger. His figure silently vanished, returning to his secret mountain cave.

This action had yielded great rewards. His Luck Value and villain points had increased again, and more importantly, he had successfully interrupted an important growth node for Lin Hao.

As he tallied his gains, his gaze shifted to the System Mall. Now that he had relatively ample villain points, it was time to exchange for something more useful.

His gaze locked onto a skill:

[Demonic Seed Bewitchment (Elementary): Consumes villain points to condense an invisible 'Demonic Seed,' implanting it deep within the target's Heart Lake when their mind is unstable; it is extremely difficult to detect. The Demonic Seed will subtly amplify the target's negative emotions (greed, jealousy, anger, fear, etc.), making them more prone to extreme actions. Exchange Requirement: 1000 villain points. (Note: The firmer the target's resolve and the stronger their Luck, the higher the risk of failure.)]

“Demonic Seed Bewitchment...” A sharp glint flashed in Nightmare’s eyes. This was exactly the skill he needed. Killing a person is not as effective as attacking their heart; dismantling an enemy from within is the most brilliant method.

Although the price was steep, he chose to exchange for it without hesitation.

[Exchange successful! Consumed 1000 villain points, acquired the skill 'Demonic Seed Bewitchment (Elementary).']

A large amount of information regarding the application of the skill flooded his mind, and Nightmare closed his eyes to digest it for a moment.

“Deacon Zhao Qian...” The first target he thought of for implantation was that Outer Sect Deacon. This person was already morally corrupt and extremely greedy, and now harbored suspicion and avarice toward Lin Hao, making him the most suitable target.

He needed to find the right Opportunity to get close to the mentally unstable Deacon Zhao Qian in order to successfully implant the “Demonic Seed.”

The Outer Sect Grand Competition continued, but it no longer concerned Nightmare. Although Lin Hao won a few more matches afterward, he could never recapture the feeling of sweeping effortlessly through opponents. He ultimately only managed to squeeze into the top ten, earning the qualification to enter the Inner Sect, but missing out on the generous rewards for the top three.

This result shocked many who had favored him, and deepened the suspicion in Deacon Zhao Qian’s heart.

Night fell, and the Outer Sect Grand Competition concluded.

Deacon Zhao Qian returned to his Deacon’s residence, heavy with worry. Lin Hao’s performance today had greatly disappointed him, and he even began to doubt the authenticity of the Jade Slip information. Had he truly been tricked?

Just as he was unsettled and pushed open his door—

A black shadow appeared silently behind him like a ghost!

Deacon Zhao Qian, being a Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection, instantly grew alert, horrified, and tried to turn around and activate his protective Magical Artifact!

But the intruder was faster! A cold hand pressed seemingly casually onto his back.

A cold, eerie aura, carrying a strong power of bewitchment, instantly penetrated his body and rushed straight into his Sea of Consciousness!

Deacon Zhao Qian felt his mind buzz. Countless dark thoughts were instantly amplified: the intense desire for the Golden Core realm, the greed for the secret technique Lin Hao might possess, the agitation of not getting it, the anger of being played... All these negative emotions surged out like a broken dam, nearly drowning his rationality!

His body stiffened, his pupils dilated, and veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled on the verge of losing control.

And the black shadow, at the very moment his mind failed, had silently planted an invisible “Demonic Seed” deep within his Heart Lake.

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.

When Deacon Zhao Qian suddenly gasped for air and turned around in a frenzy, there was no one behind him, as if everything had been an illusion.

But the greed and agitation in his heart, magnified infinitely, were terrifyingly real!

“Lin Hao! The secret technique! It must be mine!” Deacon Zhao Qian gasped, his eyes bloodshot. His original suspicion and caution had now been catalyzed by the Demonic Seed into a belief bordering on paranoid madness. “I must find a way... I must get my hands on that secret technique! At any cost!”

The black shadow was naturally Nightmare. He was now miles away, feeling a faint connection to the Demonic Seed deep within Deacon Zhao Qian’s Heart Lake, knowing he had succeeded.

“The seed has been planted; now we wait for it to bear fruit,” Nightmare muttered indifferently.

Having finished all this, he did not rest. The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel once again played its role, guiding him beneath a remote cliff face in the Starfall Pavilion’s back mountain, where it discovered a small Land of Baleful Yin.

This place accumulated faint Earth Baleful Yin Qi, which was poison to Righteous Path Cultivators, but an excellent supplement for Nightmare, who Cultivated Demonic Techniques.

He immediately decided to temporarily enter seclusion here for a few days, using the Earth Baleful Yin Qi and the resources he possessed to attempt to break through to the Late Golden Core Stage!

Only when his own strength was great enough could he proceed with the next deeper step of his plan.

Nightmare sat cross-legged in the center of the Land of Baleful Yin. The Starfall Demonic Art slowly circulated, his pores opened, and he began to absorb the pure Earth Baleful Yin Qi. The Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel obediently squatted beside him, acting as his Protector.

Meanwhile, in the Outer Sect Disciple living area.

Lin Hao sat in his room, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. Today’s experience was the biggest Waterloo he had faced since his Transmigration.

“Who exactly is messing with me?!” He slammed his fist onto the table. “Shiyan’s state was absolutely abnormal! And before that, the Blood Bodhi, the Treasure-Seeking Spirit Weasel... Once is coincidence, but two or three times? Someone is definitely targeting me in secret!”

He no longer attributed it to simple bad Luck; he was certain there was an unseen enemy secretly tripping him up!

“Don’t let me find out who you are!” A vicious glint flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes. “Once I find you, I will definitely tear you into ten thousand pieces!”

After his impotent rage subsided, he forced himself to calm down. The priority was to quickly increase his strength. As long as his strength was sufficient, all schemes and tricks would be futile!

He recalled a location—recorded in the Sect’s historical texts—that there seemed to be an abandoned Ancient Cultivator's Cave Dwelling somewhere in the back mountain. It was said that some items might have been left behind, but the location was extremely hidden, and no one had ever found it.

“Perhaps my Opportunity lies there?” Lin Hao reignited his hope and decided to search for that Ancient Cultivator's Cave Dwelling tomorrow.

What he didn't know was that the information regarding that Ancient Cultivator's Cave Dwelling was already present in Nightmare's memories from his previous life.

Nightmare’s seclusion was not just to raise his cultivation; he was waiting.

Waiting for Lin Hao to willingly step into the next trap that had already been prepared for him.

Under the night sky of the Starfall Pavilion, undercurrents surged, and two invisible nets were quietly being cast.