Natural Stealth Technique (Happy New Year)

Dawn. A small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Yu Tiancheng woke from his slumber, his mind not yet fully clear, but his body's instinct had already driven him to check the diary rewards first.

[Diary recording complete]

[Settling rewards...]

[Basic reward: Comprehensive physical enhancement, soul ring endurance limit increased by 500 years]

[Special reward: Obtained "Spatial Perception Enhancement"—increased ability to perceive spatial fluctuations]

Almost as the text appeared, a warm and vast current surged from deep within his body, rapidly spreading through his limbs and bones.

Yu Tiancheng could clearly sense every inch of his muscle fibers quietly tightening and strengthening.

His bones emitted faint crackling sounds as their density increased; his meridians grew tougher and wider under the current's scouring.

That feeling was like a piece of ordinary iron thrown into a furnace, tempered and reforged into something entirely new.

Though his soul power level hadn't changed, the foundation of his body—strength, resilience, recovery ability—had undergone a qualitative leap.

With a flicker of thought, he released his Time Dragon Emperor Martial Soul.

A faint silver dragon phantom flickered behind him, but the most eye-catching was the first soul ring orbiting his body.

The purple, already deeper than an ordinary century soul ring, had grown even richer in hue, the light flowing across its surface more solid and restrained.

"As expected, the lifespan of my innate soul ring has also increased." Yu Tiancheng murmured to himself, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power coursing through his veins, sensing the astonishing resilience hidden in his bones and muscles.

"A 500-year limit increase... This means my second soul ring can pursue a higher-lifespan spirit beast."

He stood up, stretching his joints, which emitted crisp pops. "I have a lot more options now."

As he packed his gear, his movements were meticulous and focused.

He carefully smoothed the wrinkles from his dark gray Stealth Cloak, folded it into a neat square, and stored it in its fixed spot within his Storage Ring.

He checked his dried rations, water, and healing medicine, confirming that his dagger and rope were within easy reach.

Pushing open the door, the cool morning air rushed in, mixed with the forest's unique scent of grass and wood.

On the town's streets, early-rising Spirit Masters were already moving about, in small groups, talking in low voices, checking their equipment.

Everyone's face carried a mix of gravity and anticipation—entering the Star Dou Great Forest was never a casual outing.

Yu Tiancheng took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the endless, ancient-looking dark green sea of trees stretching into the distance.

"The real trial begins now."

Morning light was faint, the mist between the trees not yet fully dissipated, dewdrops glistening on the grass blades.

Xiao Wu's long eyelashes fluttered a few times as she slowly opened her eyes.

The moment her consciousness fully awakened, an unprecedented, wondrous sensation enveloped her.

It was as if... the entire world around her had opened its arms to embrace her.

The soft grass beneath her was no longer just a cushion; it felt like an extension of her own body, transmitting a warm and steady sensation.

The breeze brushing her cheeks was no longer mere airflow—she could "hear" the subtle differences as the wind passed through leaves of various shapes, could "feel" the moisture from a distant stream and the faint fragrance of some wildflower carried by the wind.

Even the slow breathing of the ancient tree not far away, the rustling of insects and ants in the soil... all these natural sounds, scents, and rhythms flowed clearly and harmoniously into her perception.

With just a slight thought, her aura naturally merged with the surrounding environment.

Her breathing became long and faint, her heartbeat seemed to echo some rhythm of the forest, and even her body temperature adjusted to match the coolness of the morning breeze.

[Because many people mentioned you yesterday]

[Entering the random lottery pool]

[Congratulations! You have been selected! Reward obtained: Natural Stealth Technique]

[Effect: Merges with the natural environment, making it difficult for those below God level to detect your aura]

The text appearing in her mind made Xiao Wu's lively, big eyes instantly widen, a flash of disbelief and joy flickering in their depths.

"Wow..." she cheered silently in her heart, a wave of immense relief washing over her.

She carefully attempted to conceal that most primal, most difficult-to-fully-hide special aura belonging to her hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit.

That trace of her spirit beast essence, so different from human Spirit Masters, was the flaw she most feared being detected by strong individuals.

Now, like a drop of water merging into the sea, it vanished without a trace.

She could even sense that even if a Titled Douluo stood before her now, unless they concentrated their spiritual power to the extreme and conducted a targeted, aggressive, and thorough investigation, they would never find her anomaly.

And if she intended to hide, even that kind of probing could be disturbed and misled by the natural fluctuations of the environment.

This was practically... a talisman tailor-made for her!

The corners of Xiao Wu's mouth couldn't help but curl upward, but she immediately pressed her lips together, blinked, and quickly suppressed that outward joy back into her heart.

She turned her head, using the corner of her eye to quickly scan the camp.

Tang San sat cross-legged on a bluestone not far away, facing east, a purple haze swirling in his eyes as he cultivated his Purple Demon Eye.

Ning Rongrong had just sat up, still rubbing her eyes drowsily.

Zhu Zhuqing was already fully dressed, sitting on a fallen log, meticulously wiping her sharp cat claws with a soft cloth.

No one looked at her. No one wore an unusual expression.

Xiao Wu let out a soft breath, shifting back into that slightly lazy, innocent and carefree demeanor, stretching broadly as if she had simply slept well.

Not far away, Ning Rongrong rubbed her eyes as she sat up, her mind not yet fully awake, when that line of text surfaced in her thoughts and then faded.

[Because the number of people mentioned most frequently yesterday was large]

[Entering the random lottery pool]

[Regretfully, you were not selected]

She froze, maintaining the motion of rubbing her eyes, her fingertips lingering on her lashes.

A faint sense of disappointment, like the chill of morning, seeped silently into her heart.

But soon, that trace of loss was replaced by a stronger emotion—verification and contemplation.

"The reward mechanism is real... but there's actually a 'lottery' involved?" Ning Rongrong lowered her hand, her gaze growing calm.

"Then, who was selected?" This thought immediately dominated her mind.

She closed her eyes, quickly retracing the diary content she had seen last night.

Yu Tiancheng had mentioned a few names, but she herself had only appeared once.

That meant everyone mentioned once was among the "most frequently mentioned."

Thus, the winner must also be among those names.

"Xiao Wu? Zhu Zhuqing? Or... that Meng Yiran?"

At this thought, Ning Rongrong's heart suddenly leaped.

An even more critical question surfaced: I am not the only one with a Diary Copy!

The winner must also possess a copy, otherwise they couldn't receive the reward.

And among the four mentioned, at least one, likely more than one, also had that mysterious diary!

But she couldn't determine exactly who.

It could be Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, or that Meng Yiran, even... possibly more than one.

Ning Rongrong opened her eyes, her gaze appearing casual but carrying fine scrutiny as it swept over Zhu Zhuqing, who was wiping her cat claws, and finally landed on Xiao Wu, who had just finished stretching and was leaning against Tang San, yawning.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was as cold and focused as ever, her movements steady, revealing no abnormality.

Xiao Wu also seemed just like usual, with a hint of sleepy charm.

However, Ning Rongrong's observational skills had been rigorously trained in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

She keenly caught a subtle discordance—Xiao Wu's breathing.

Too light, nearly nonexistent.

If she hadn't deliberately focused to listen, she would have almost overlooked that someone was breathing there.

Not only that, but Xiao Wu sat there, her figure clearly visible, yet giving off a strange sense of "integration."

She wasn't abruptly present on that patch of grass; rather, she seemed as if she belonged there, a natural stroke in that morning painting, a part of the light and shadow, the curve that should exist as the breeze passed by.

"Could it be..." A guess rose in Ning Rongrong's heart, "Xiao Wu? The reward she got... is related to concealment, suppressing one's presence?"

This guess tightened her heart slightly, and her gaze unconsciously lingered on Xiao Wu for a moment longer.

Almost at the same time, Zhu Zhuqing's motion of wiping her cat claws showed an almost imperceptible pause, less than a tenth of a second.

She had also received the same notification—not selected.

Deep within her ice-blue eyes, a faint ripple stirred, then swiftly returned to absolute calm, like a fleeting wind trace across a snowy plain.

Long years of solitude and self-protection had honed her emotional control into instinct.

"Who was selected?" Her mind, like the most precise machinery, began high-speed operation and analysis.

She too instantly grasped the core of the issue: the holder of the Diary Copy was not just one person.

The diary content from last night was clear: her name had been mentioned once by Yu Tiancheng, and four others had also been mentioned once.

Thus, the winner was among these four, and must be one of the holders.

Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, herself, Meng Yiran.

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, using the adjustment of her claw-gripping posture, slid extremely naturally from her own sharp claws to Xiao Wu not far away.

Xiao Wu was tilting her head, speaking softly with Tang San, her face wearing her usual bright smile, appearing completely normal.

But Zhu Zhuqing was different.

Her Martial Soul was the Hell Spirit Cat, granting her not only speed and sharp claws but also the feline's innate extreme sensitivity to environment and presence.

In her current perception, Xiao Wu's sense of existence... was abnormally faint.

That wasn't an effect achievable by soul power suppression or concealment techniques.

No matter how advanced the concealment technique, it only made one's presence "disappear," like a hollow void.

But at this moment, Xiao Wu's presence did not "disappear"—it "melted." Melted into the freshness of the grass, into the coolness of the morning breeze, into the faint smoky scent of the campfire's dying embers.

She was right there, yet she seemed to be everywhere, a part of the environment's natural, harmonious rhythm.

This seamless unity of "being" and "not being," a contradiction perfectly fused, allowed Zhu Zhuqing to make her judgment instantly.

"Xiao Wu..." She was already seventy to eighty percent certain in her heart.

Her gaze did not linger. She continued scanning the camp in that cold, methodical way, as if merely confirming safety.

When her eyes passed over Ning Rongrong, she noticed that the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was lowering her head, her slender, fair fingers unconsciously twisting and kneading a corner of her skirt.

That subtle, small gesture exposed the turmoil within her heart.

"Rongrong is also observing Xiao Wu." Zhu Zhuqing understood immediately. "It seems she's noticed too, or rather... she's guessed as well."

Three young girls, in this early morning camp, each harboring secrets that held part of the truth, observed and probed one another, yet tacitly maintained a surface calm, with no one breaking the silence.

A subtle and tense atmosphere spread silently, without a sound.