Ambush and Counter-Ambush

Lin Fan had just stated his needs to the stall owner selling secret manuals when the man directly tossed out three or five methods for concealing one's aura.

"Qi Concealing Art: Training requirement: Spirit Gathering Realm Third Grade. Conceals one's own cultivation fluctuation within one major realm of difference from others. Price: 5 Contribution Points."

"Breath Concealing Technique: Training requirement: Meridian Condensing Realm Ninth Grade. Conceals one's own cultivation fluctuation within three major realms of difference from others. Price: 10 Contribution Points."

"Blood Gathering Art: Training requirement: Spirit Gathering Realm Fourth Grade. Conceals one's own cultivation fluctuation within two major realms of difference from others. Price: 8 Contribution Points."

Scanning the manuals before him, Lin Fan's eyes instantly lit up.

Judging by the training requirements of the three manuals, the first and the third were both suitable for him now.

Lin Fan leaned toward the third manual; its effect was much stronger than the first in terms of function, but he had few Contribution Points left, short by just one to afford it.

He thought for a moment, then tested the waters: "Boss, this Blood Gathering Art isn't bad, but your price is too high. I'll take it for five Contribution Points."

The stall owner was a gaunt-faced youth. At Lin Fan's words, he shot him a suspicious glance, then said coldly, "If you're serious, I'll take six Contribution Points. Otherwise, sir, please move along."

In the Blood Demon Sect, aura-concealing techniques were extremely niche arts.

This was a Devil Dao Sect after all; under normal circumstances, disciples were too busy scrambling to climb the ranks and show off to bother hiding their cultivation. How many would willingly conceal their aura?

Moreover, such niche arts wasted a great deal of energy and time, and few Devil Sect disciples were willing to cultivate them.

Otherwise, these manuals wouldn't be so cheap.

"Deal!"

Lin Fan didn't hesitate and agreed decisively.

Soon, the Contribution Points were transferred, and Lin Fan got his hands on the Blood Gathering Art as he'd wished.

He immediately flipped open the manual and quickly scanned through it.

[Consume ten years of Lifespan to pre-emptively master the Blood Gathering Art to the Beginner stage?]

At that moment, a line of text visible only to him appeared in Lin Fan's eyes.

"It reacted after all."

Lin Fan felt a private joy and immediately said, "Agree to the pre-emptive mastery."

The next second, a portion of insights into the Blood Gathering Art surged rapidly into Lin Fan's mind.

At the same time, a strange image formed in his thoughts: a youth who looked just like Lin Fan sat silently cross-legged on the ground, his Internal Force circulating along a unique path.

He sat like an old withered tree, and as his Internal Force moved, the aura emanating from him flickered like a candle flame in the wind, growing unstable and uncertain.

"The Internal Force path is unusual—it conceals one's own cultivation fluctuation."

Lin Fan understood intuitively.

Lin Fan didn't rush to test it. Instead, he put the manual away and then found a secluded corner to sit down.

He immediately began circulating his Internal Force according to the image in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, Internal Force circulated through the meridian cycles, but according to the Blood Gathering Art's guidance, the path it took was completely different.

In just a few moments, the faint cultivation fluctuation that had been emanating from Lin Fan seemed to vanish entirely.

Lin Fan could sense that his Internal Force was still stored within his body, but the subtle, barely perceptible waves that had been radiating outward were now slowly fading away.

Not disappearing, but in a sense, hiding themselves.

He immediately called up his panel to check his latest changes.

[Name: Lin Fan]

[Lifespan: 390]

[Talent: Pre-emptive Dao Fruit]

[Realm: Spirit Gathering Realm Fourth Grade]

[Arts: Basic Demonic Art (Mastery), Blood Gathering Art (Beginner)]

"With this Blood Gathering Art masking my cultivation, I can hide myself much better."

"And this art is indeed good—even at the Beginner stage, it conceals most of my aura. If I activate my Internal Force to fight, as long as I don't go all out, it'll be hard for others to see my true strength."

A smile spread across Lin Fan's face. This risky trip to the Market was definitely worth it!

Of course, there were plenty of other things in the Market that caught his interest—arts more impressive than the Basic Demonic Art, special pills that could enhance one's physique, and so on.

Unfortunately, he had almost no Contribution Points left, so he could only stop and stare.

After leaving the Market, Lin Fan didn't look back and headed straight toward Blackwood Cliff.

"Junior Brother Lin, what a coincidence."

But Lin Fan hadn't gone far before a figure blocked his path.

Seeing Wu Hai suddenly appear, Lin Fan's brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly relaxed it.

He asked with a smile, "Senior Brother Wu, what are you doing here?"

"With so many people gone missing these past two days, my conscience just couldn't rest easy. I thought I'd come down and search again, see if I could find any trace of them."

Wu Hai spoke with a tone of deep anguish.

As he spoke, he walked closer to Lin Fan.

Wu Hai pleaded earnestly, "Junior Brother Lin, if you don't mind, come with me to search for their tracks. I'm willing to offer ten Contribution Points as your reward."

"I invited several Menial Disciples up there to help find people, but not a single one was willing to pay me any attention."

Wu Hai's voice was filled with grievance.

"Of course no one would bother with you."

Lin Fan chuckled inwardly.

On the surface, he put on a sympathetic expression and comforted him, "Senior Brother Wu has good intentions. They just don't understand you. I believe in your character."

With that, Lin Fan took the initiative to walk toward Wu Hai and raised a hand to pat his shoulder.

Lin Fan's seemingly casual move, however, made Wu Hai sense some kind of terrifying danger.

The next second, several black tentacles burst out from within Wu Hai's body, shooting rapidly toward Lin Fan's chest.

"Since you believe in me, then die."

"Killing you means one less competitor, and I can use your essence blood to grow stronger."

Yet Lin Fan, as if he had anticipated this, dodged all the attacks with a single sidestep.

Before Wu Hai could react, Lin Fan had already rushed in front of him like a ghost.

"Senior Brother Wu, you shouldn't have provoked me."

Lin Fan flashed a bright smile, but in Wu Hai's eyes, that smile was ice-cold.

His face twisted abruptly as a sharp pain shot through his chest.

Only then did he realize in horror that Lin Fan's fist had somehow already punched through his chest, blood gushing wildly from the wound.

"You..."

Wu Hai barely moved his lips when his body exploded with a loud bang.

"Why seek death when living is so good?"

Looking at the blood and flesh scattered on the ground, Lin Fan shook his head and muttered to himself.

This was his first time killing someone, yet instead of feeling guilt, he found it quite satisfying.

Perhaps it was because the person he killed was a merciless villain like Wu Hai that he felt this way.

Lin Fan's peripheral vision suddenly caught something—a cloth pouch left behind by Wu Hai.

The pouch was heavy, likely containing quite a few good things.

Lin Fan didn't open it in a hurry but first tucked it away.

Then he punched a hole into the ground and buried all the bloody remains inside.

After disposing of the body, Lin Fan unhurriedly made his way toward Blackwood Cliff.

He returned to Blackwood Cliff before noon.

Just as Lin Fan was about to enter the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, he ran into Wang Biao coming out.

Wang Biao glanced at him and took the initiative to greet him, "Brother Lin, what did you buy?"

Lin Fan shook the medicine bottle in his hand and smiled, "Foundation Replenishing Pill."

The moment he said that, Wang Biao froze on the spot.

Almost all the Menial Disciples in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion climbed the ranks through Dual Cultivation. Who would care whether their cultivation partner lived or died? If one died, they'd just find another.

Well, well—not only do you care, but you're even maintaining them?

Wang Biao clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "Never thought you'd be a good person."

"Not a good person, just have a little conscience left." Lin Fan shrugged.

Wang Biao chuckled and said nothing more.

At the last Monthly Test, Lin Fan had reached the First Grade of Spirit Gathering Realm in such a short time, making many veteran Menial Disciples wary of him, seeing him as a formidable competitor.

Now, with Lin Fan being so unwise as to spend his limited Contribution Points on a cultivation partner, he might not be able to keep competing with them for the few spots as Formal Disciples.

One less competitor meant one more chance for themselves—Wang Biao and the others were more than happy to see that.