Star Conceals Trace, Dart Delivers Message to Set Secret Period

Night fell over the eaves of Shrek Academy, and the noisy training grounds of the day had long since fallen silent, save for the evening breeze brushing against the leaves with a faint, rustling sound. In a secluded corner behind the academy, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong gathered around Lin Chen, their brows furrowed with unconcealable gravity.

The monstrous killing intent harbored by Tang San weighed on their hearts like a boulder. Even with the strength gained from the immortal herbs, they could not help but feel tense when facing his clandestine schemes. "Tang San might sneak in to silence us at any moment. Even if we can hide our true strength, I'm afraid of a sudden, undefendable attack..." Ning Rongrong lowered her voice, the usual playfulness of her youth completely vanished, replaced by deep anxiety.

Xiao Wu clenched her fists. Recalling Tang San's hypocrisy and ruthlessness, her eyes were filled with resistance. "He never considered Shrek a home; he only cares about his own secrets. Once he makes a move, he will surely leave no room for mercy." Though Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, she kept her gaze fixed on Lin Chen, her cold eyes reflecting the concern of her companions. All three were waiting for Lin Chen to decide on a strategy.

Seeing the anxiety of the three girls, Lin Chen was the first to soften his expression. He stepped forward to soothe them, his tone steady and filled with absolute confidence, instantly smoothing away the panic in their hearts. "You need not be nervous. Tang San is suspicious and arrogant; he will only lurk and ambush in the shadows, not attack openly. I have a comprehensive plan to resolve this crisis. The most important thing right now is to remain calm, continue to hide your strength as usual, and act as if nothing is wrong. You must not let anyone see anything unusual."

His soul power was gentle and calm, yet within his body surged a massive amount of immortal herb medicinal power that had not been fully absorbed. The medicinal potency of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Star Hidden Grass, and other spiritual extracts he had consumed was too vast. He had not fully refined them but had used extremely precise soul power techniques to forcibly condense the violent energy, hiding it within his dantian and limbs. He had released only a small portion to stabilize his cultivation, pushing his soul power level to a 53rd-level Soul King. The remaining medicinal power continued to quietly nourish his martial soul and physical body, allowing for further breakthroughs at any time. His current strength was far from what it appeared on the surface, more than enough to deal with Tang San's conspiracy. His reassurance was gentle yet firm. The three girls already trusted him implicitly, and after hearing these words, their tense bodies gradually relaxed. The panic in their eyes dissipated, and they nodded one after another, quietly waiting for Lin Chen's arrangements.

After fully calming the three girls and confirming there were no eyes around and no fluctuations in soul power detection, Lin Chen's gaze narrowed. His thick 53rd-level Soul King soul power instantly retracted to the extreme, sealing away the unabsorbed medicinal power in his dantian so that not even a trace of a ripple leaked out. He flicked his fingertips, using flawless soul power control to activate a portion of the Star Hidden Grass's power hidden within him. This grass was an ancient, innate concealment treasure; even as mere residual energy, when combined with his pure 53rd-level soul power, it could trigger an impeccable, ultimate concealment effect.

In an instant, a wisp of stardust light, faint to the point of invisibility, wrapped around his entire body, merging him completely into the world in the blink of an eye without leaving a single trace. The next second, Lin Chen's physical form, life force, soul power fluctuations, and even the spatial ripples around him were perfectly erased, blending him entirely into the night, the vegetation, and the evening breeze.

This was absolute concealment, devoid of any flaws. Let alone Title Douluo-level powerhouses like Flender or Zhao Wuji, even if a Title Douluo stood right next to him and used their full spiritual sense to scan every corner without blind spots, they would absolutely be unable to detect a single trace or breath. It was as if Lin Chen had never existed in this world; even the most top-tier sensory-type Title Douluo would find no clues to track.

He lightened his footsteps, maintaining this impeccable state of concealment throughout. He walked straight through the academy's restricted areas, passing slowly outside the windows of Flender and Zhao Wuji's quarters. Even with the two Soul Saints sensing their surroundings with all their might, they did not notice a thing. He moved silently, like a void phantom, slipping out through the hidden gaps of Shrek Academy without alerting a single soul. Even if a Title Douluo had passed over Shrek at that moment, they would have been completely unable to detect a living person moving below.

Until he reached a desolate forest ten miles outside of Shrek and confirmed the area was extremely remote with no spiritual sense surveillance, Lin Chen maintained his absolute concealment and quickly took out the thin paper and charcoal pencil he had prepared in advance. His strokes were light, using simple, coded language to write a secret letter. He informed the Martial Soul Hall of Tang San's plot to sneak back into Shrek to silence them, and precisely set the date for the Martial Soul Hall to send personnel to lay an ambush and wait for the opportunity. He left no extra information, preventing any possibility of a leak.

After writing, Lin Chen folded the thin paper into a tiny ball and tied it firmly to a Dark Iron Dart that bore no soul power imprint or special markings. He focused his energy, attaching only a trace of imperceptible 53rd-level Soul King soul power, locked onto a hidden crevice on a cliffside used exclusively by Martial Soul Hall scouts, and flicked his wrist.

The Dark Iron Dart cut through the night sky without a sound or a trace of soul power, flying with extreme speed and precision. With a soft "tap," it embedded itself firmly into the hidden crevice, instantly covered by the moss on the cliff. There was no extra movement, and it left no trail or clues.

With the message delivered, Lin Chen did not linger. He once again activated the residual power of the Star Hidden Grass to maintain absolute concealment, supported by his thick 53rd-level soul power, and returned to Shrek Academy along the same path without a sound. He avoided all gazes and potential detection, returning to the original spot behind the mountain. He slowly dispersed the concealment power, his figure gradually appearing. His clothes were neat, his breath steady, and the unabsorbed immortal herb power remained hidden in his dantian. There was not a single trace of his excursion, as if he had never left the spot.

From his departure in concealment to sending the dart to the Martial Soul Hall and returning to the academy, the entire process took less than half an incense stick of time—it was hidden to the extreme. Inside Shrek Academy, Flender and Zhao Wuji were resting peacefully, and Dai Mubai and the others were still fast asleep. No one in the entire academy noticed that Lin Chen had quietly left, nor did anyone know that this 53rd-level Soul King, a youth harboring a massive amount of unabsorbed immortal herb power, had already secretly sent word to the Martial Soul Hall and set the key date to counter Tang San's murder plot, all by relying on an ultimate concealment that even a Title Douluo could not detect.

Seeing Lin Chen return with his usual expression, the three girls felt completely at ease. They tacitly chose not to ask a single question, trusting all his arrangements completely. Lin Chen nodded slightly at them, his tone calm and waveless. "Everything is ready. We only need to go about our days as usual and continue to hide our strength. Everything else will follow its course."

The night remained quiet and peaceful, and the calm facade of Shrek had not changed in the slightest, but Lin Chen's secret layout had been firmly established. The unabsorbed immortal herb power within him was his greatest trump card, and combined with his 53rd-level Soul King cultivation, it was enough to handle any variables. All his secret plans were completely sealed by the absolute concealment power of the Star Hidden Grass; even if a Title Douluo were to visit Shrek in person, they would find no flaws or clues.