Soul Hall Pursuit

On the clearing, Su Baichen and Cao Ying's auras had already vanished.

Amid the silence, the space not far away suddenly twisted unnaturally, like a stone thrown into a still lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

Immediately afterward, a pitch-black rift was forcibly torn open, and a frigid aura seeped out from within.

Several figures clad in loose black robes, their faces hidden beneath the shadows of their hoods, stepped silently out of the rift.

Their robes were embroidered with strange dark patterns, and faint waves of deathly stillness emanated from their bodies, utterly at odds with this vibrant valley.

The leading black-robed man was tall. He stood still as his powerful soul perception spread in all directions like an invisible web, carefully catching every trace left in the air.

A moment later, he let out a muffled snort, his displeasure obvious. "Well? Can you determine which one is the real body?"

A black-robed man behind him stepped forward, his voice carrying helplessness and reverence. "Elder, the aura of the puppets Su Baichen created is simply too realistic. They are nearly indistinguishable from his true body."

"His residual aura is everywhere, equal in strength and shifting unpredictably. This subordinate... this subordinate truly cannot tell them apart."

"Hmph, this trick again!"

The black-robed man addressed as Elder spoke in a chilling tone. "That brat is slippery as an eel. Every time, it's these underhanded tricks!"

He fell silent for a moment. His gaze swept over the people behind him beneath his hood before he decisively ordered, "We cannot let him escape again! Split up and pursue him! His strength should not have fully recovered yet, so he cannot be that powerful."

"I'll lead one team. The rest of you form your own groups and each choose a direction to pursue. Remember, the moment you discover the true body's trail, send a signal immediately. Do not fight him alone!"

He paused, his voice growing darker. "The Hall has already spent far too much effort trying to capture him. This brat is not only proficient in spatial power; his concealment techniques and puppet arts are even more troublesome. At the slightest disturbance, he flees thousands of miles away. We finally caught traces of him and that girl leaving Danta this time. We absolutely cannot return empty-handed!"

"Understood!"

The black-robed men answered in unison. Their figures then flickered as they swiftly split into several groups, transforming into streaks of black light that shot in different directions where Su Baichen's aura had vanished. The sound of tearing air rang out, then quickly faded into the distance.

The valley returned to its superficial tranquility, but that faint, chilling pressure had not completely dissipated.

Within the spatial crevice, Cao Ying saw everything outside clearly through the tiny rift maintained by Su Baichen.

Her palms were slick with sweat. Only when she saw the black-robed men split up and leave did she finally let out a long breath, instinctively wanting to praise her master's foresight.

However, she had only slightly parted her lips when Su Baichen's hand moved faster, gently covering her mouth.

Cao Ying looked up in astonishment and met Su Baichen's grave eyes. Her master gave a slight shake of his head, signaling for her to remain absolutely silent, then very slowly pointed downward—toward the very spot where the black-robed men had appeared and stood.

Cao Ying was initially confused. Then, a terrifying thought washed over her like icy water, making her pupils contract as she instinctively held her breath.

They had not left! They were still waiting for prey to walk into their trap!

Half an hour later, this terrifying suspicion was coldly confirmed.

In the clearing below, space rippled like water once more, and the familiar rift reappeared.

The black-robed Elder who had left earlier stepped out with two subordinates, his expression blank.

His sharp gaze was like that of a hawk as he carefully swept over every inch of the valley again, not even overlooking the spaces behind several boulders or within the dense canopy.

In the end, he found nothing and could only shake his head in extreme disappointment.

"Elder, it seems Su Baichen truly isn't here."

One subordinate said in a low voice, "We have delayed for so long. If we pursue him now, I fear..."

The black-robed Elder snorted and cut him off. "Pursue! Even if the hope is slim, we must pursue him! That brat is as cunning as a fox. I merely thought that he might be hiding right under our noses, pulling a trick of hiding in plain sight."

He looked around once more, his tone tinged with reluctance. "Unfortunately, after waiting so long without any movement, it seems he truly is not here."

"Ah, forget it. Follow the planned route and continue the pursuit. We should be able to find some clues."

With that, he swept his sleeve and tore open space again, leading his two subordinates into it as they pursued in one of the directions they had initially judged.

This time, the spatial rift completely closed, and that frigid pressure truly vanished as well.

Yet even after the enemies had departed, Su Baichen and Cao Ying remained motionless within the spatial crevice.

Su Baichen closed his eyes and focused. His powerful perception, like the most precise radar, continuously scanned everything outside.

Cao Ying imitated him, doing her utmost to restrain her aura and even slow her heartbeat to its gentlest rhythm.

Time gradually passed, from afternoon to dusk, then until night fully enveloped the valley and stars appeared one by one.

Only when the moon hung high overhead, its cold light filling the valley, and Su Baichen had confirmed there were no more abnormalities or lingering feelings of surveillance did he slowly open his eyes and give Cao Ying a slight nod.

Only then did the two emerge from the spatial crevice like Gui Mei, silently returning to solid ground.

When her feet touched the soft grass, Cao Ying finally felt her constantly taut nerves relax. She patted her chest and asked in a hushed, lingeringly frightened voice, "Master, did they... really leave this time?"

At her words, Su Baichen revealed a relaxed smile. As was his habit, he reached out and ruffled Cao Ying's hair, his tone returning to its usual gentleness. "Mm, they really left this time. Those fellows are slipperier than loaches. If we hadn't waited a few more hours, I wouldn't have felt at ease."

Only then did Cao Ying completely relax, letting out a long breath as the relief of surviving a close call surged through her.

She raised her face and asked curiously, "Master, you're incredible! How did you know someone would definitely come after us? And how did you prepare so many puppets in advance?"

A barely noticeable trace of embarrassment flashed across Su Baichen's face, but he quickly concealed it beneath a calm and composed expression.

He gave a light cough and said in a deliberately profound manner, "Well... when you encounter it often enough, you naturally get used to it. If you travel through the Central Plains without a few life-saving and anti-tracking skills, people would have gnawed you down until not even your bones remained."

He paused, a meaningful smile curling his lips. "However, the old fellow leading them this time was indeed much smarter than the ones from last time. He actually knew to double back and wait for prey at the original spot. What a pity..."

"What's a pity?" Cao Ying asked curiously.

A sly glint flashed through Su Baichen's eyes, like a child who had succeeded in a prank. "A pity they still underestimated your master. In the past, once my puppets ran out of energy or were destroyed, they would slowly dissipate."

"But this time..."

He chuckled. "I made a slight improvement. After those puppets last for a while, or the instant they are violently destroyed, they go boom and give their pursuers a little 'surprise.'"

Imagining the black-robed men scrambling about in panic, he added in high spirits, "I hope they enjoy my parting gift! It won't hurt them at the root, but it will be enough to leave them battered and embarrassed for a while."

With that, Su Baichen wasted no more time. With a sweep of his sleeve, he tore open space once again and led the worshipful, curious Cao Ying into the dark spatial rift, vanishing completely from this valley that had witnessed several hidden undercurrents.