Clouds of Doubt Cover Shadows, The Secret One Hides in the Void

The midsummer forest remained shrouded in an impenetrable gloom even during the day. The interlocking branches of towering ancient trees fractured the sunlight from above, casting only mottled, fragmented shadows upon the ground. Even the wind seemed to stagnate between the trees, and the overgrown weeds exuded the damp, musty scent of rotting earth. The silence was so profound it felt eerie, broken only by the occasional passing bird, whose fleeting presence only served to make the dense forest feel even more unfathomable.

Three dark figures, nearly indistinguishable from the shadows, crouched silently atop the canopy of a thousand-year-old cypress like long-dormant beasts. The dense layers of foliage completely concealed their forms; even a Soul Emperor's spiritual sense would struggle to detect anything amiss without deliberate, focused probing. The leader was Ghost Fiend, the head of the secret guards directly under the Martial Soul Hall's Tribunal, a level 58 Soul Emperor. His mastery of assassination, concealment, and reconnaissance was peerless, and he had never failed a mission. His temperament was notoriously steady and ruthless.

His two deputies, both level 53 Soul Kings, were also death-sworn warriors meticulously cultivated by the Martial Soul Hall. The three breathed in unison, their soul power frequencies synchronized, suppressing their presence to the absolute limit until they merged completely with the surrounding vegetation, soil, and air. This was a secret technique of the Martial Soul Hall that even ordinary Soul Saints struggled to penetrate. Yet, at this moment, Ghost Fiend's brows were tightly furrowed, his heart churning with an irrepressible sense of dread.

This dread did not stem from their upcoming target, Tang San, but from the mysterious black iron dart and the secret letter that had appeared out of thin air the previous night.

As a top-secret outpost for the Martial Soul Hall, this cliff-side communication point was known to only a handful of high-ranking officials and a few secret guard leaders. It was permanently protected by hidden soul power wards; even if a Soul Douluo were to infiltrate, it would trigger an immediate alarm. Yet, last night, a black iron dart—devoid of any soul power signature or lingering aura—had been silently embedded in the crevice of the cliff. It had bypassed every alarm and left no trace, remaining undiscovered until the guards changed shifts.

The content of the letter was brief but chillingly precise: Tang San, son of the Clear Sky Sect remnant Tang Hao, would soon break through to a level 40 Soul Ancestor and then infiltrate Shrek Academy to commit murder. Dispatch secret guards to lie in wait; capture him the moment he acts. Do not disturb any unrelated personnel within Shrek Academy, and under no circumstances attempt to uncover the identity of the sender.

These few words had sent the Martial Soul Hall's high command into a rage, prompting them to immediately order Ghost Fiend to lead a team to capture Tang San alive and track down the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect. It also sent a chill through Ghost Fiend's heart. To achieve such a feat, the sender's strength, intelligence network, and concealment methods were all top-tier—at the very least a Title Douluo, or perhaps an ancient monster who had been in hiding for years. This was someone he could not afford to provoke.

From the moment he arrived in the forest, Ghost Fiend had poured his Soul Emperor's spiritual sense into scanning every inch of Shrek Academy—from the training grounds and dormitories to the forbidden back mountain, abandoned buildings, and even the underground drainage channels. He had been desperate to find a trace of this mysterious informant, but after several hours of searching, he had found nothing. This only made him more certain that the mysterious figure was a hidden powerhouse, lurking in a place beyond reach, manipulating the entire game.

"Captain, there are no abnormal fluctuations within the range of my spiritual sense. The strongest soul masters in Shrek Academy are the two Soul Saints, Flender and Zhao Wuji. Their auras are steady, and there is no unusual activity," the Soul King guard on the left whispered, transmitting his voice via soul power, his tone filled with confusion. "Should we continue the search?"

Ghost Fiend shook his head slightly, his eyes as cold as ice. He transmitted back, "Do not waste your energy. This mysterious person's methods are heaven-defying; it is not something we can easily detect. Continue to lie in wait, keep a close watch on the entrances and exits of Shrek, and wait for the target to appear. Remember, do not act rashly. Follow the instructions in the letter to the letter."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a sudden, violent surge of soul power erupted from a barren slope three miles to the northwest!

The fluctuation carried the restlessness and brutality of a breakthrough. Although it was forcibly suppressed in an instant, the thick, mountain-like aura of the Clear Sky Hammer—the signature martial soul of the Clear Sky Sect—was like a beacon in the dark, instantly locked onto by Ghost Fiend's spiritual sense, never to be shaken off.

"He's here!" A cold light flashed in Ghost Fiend's eyes as his spiritual sense swept out like a tidal wave, pinning itself precisely onto a figure behind the barren slope.

Tang San was half-crouched behind a pile of rubble, his body wreathed in the pale purple light of a fourth soul ring. His soul power surged incessantly; his aura, previously that of a level 39 Soul Elder, had soared to that of a level 40 Power Attack Soul Ancestor. Clearly, he had hit a bottleneck just before arriving at Shrek and had just stabilized his cultivation. A look of lingering excitement and malice remained on his face.

He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, his eyes burning with intense murderous intent and resentment. He hissed to himself, Lin Chen, I have finally broken through to a level 40 Soul Ancestor. With the Clear Sky Hammer techniques personally taught by my father, once I return to Shrek, I will tear you to pieces, along with everyone else who knows my secret!

Tang San was immersed in the arrogance of his increased strength and the paranoia of his murderous plot, desperately suppressing his own aura, believing his concealment to be flawless. He had no idea that his every move, and even the murderous intent in his heart, was being watched clearly by the Martial Soul Hall's secret guards.

"Captain, target identity confirmed. Tang San, level 40 Soul Ancestor. He has just broken through, his soul power is not yet fully stabilized, and his murderous intent is extreme. He may infiltrate Shrek at any moment," the Soul King guard on the right reported in a low voice, his tone tinged with disdain. To them, Tang San's concealment methods were like a child playing house, riddled with flaws.

Ghost Fiend nodded slightly, his gaze cold, yet he still did not order an attack. He kept his eyes fixed on Tang San's movements while simultaneously casting his spiritual sense toward the Shrek training grounds once more, hoping to find a clue about the mysterious informant. This time, his gaze fell again upon Lin Chen in the crowd.

On the Shrek training grounds, the scene was bustling with activity. Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others were engaged in combat practice, panting and drenched in sweat. Only Lin Chen stood quietly in a corner, his expression peaceful. A faint soul power fluctuation of a level 30-something Soul Elder radiated from him. He chatted softly with Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong nearby, his tone gentle and his demeanor ordinary. He looked like nothing more than an average Shrek student.

The moment Tang San broke through to level 40, a cold, mechanical prompt echoed in Lin Chen's mind:

[Ding! Detected that hostile target Tang San has completed a breakthrough. Current Soul Power Level: 40, Power Attack Soul Ancestor. Fourth soul ring absorption complete, soul power in a state of initial stabilization.]

[Ding! Host's current true Soul Power Level: 62, Control System Soul Emperor. The medicinal power of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Star Hidden Grass, and other immortal herbs remains unrefined and is currently sealed. The Ultimate Concealment buff remains in effect; form, aura, and soul power fluctuations are fully masked. Those at the level of Title Douluo and below will be unable to detect any abnormalities.]

The system prompt vanished in an instant, and Lin Chen's eyelashes did not even flicker; his heart remained calm. He maintained his gentle appearance, his fingertips lightly brushing his cuffs. Without a sound, he sealed his 62nd-level Soul Emperor soul power and the vast medicinal energy within his dantian even tighter. The concealment power of the Star Hidden Grass spread out completely, disguising him as an unremarkable student without a single flaw.

To Ghost Fiend, this sight completely dispelled his last shred of doubt regarding Lin Chen. He even struck Lin Chen from his list of potential candidates for the mysterious informant, becoming more convinced than ever: the mysterious person must be someone else entirely!

In Ghost Fiend's mind, a mysterious person capable of sending messages to the Martial Soul Hall without a trace, and who possessed such precise control over Tang San's movements and breakthrough timing, had to be a top-tier powerhouse with profound cultivation, a restrained aura, and deep, piercing eyes. Even if they deliberately hid their power, there would still be an underlying pressure that ordinary people could not ignore. But this Lin Chen before him had clear, gentle eyes, shallow and straightforward soul power fluctuations, and a demeanor no different from an ordinary youth. He was entirely focused on the trivialities of the training ground, lacking any of the scheming or presence of a chess player. No matter how he looked at it, he was just an ordinary pawn targeted by Tang San, and certainly not the mysterious informant!

This mysterious master must be a Supreme Elder hidden within Shrek, or perhaps a reclusive Title Douluo with a blood feud against the Clear Sky Sect who prefers not to act personally, and is thus using our Martial Soul Hall to eliminate Tang San, Ghost Fiend deduced, finding the logic increasingly sound. He hides in the shadows, refusing to show himself, precisely because he does not want to reveal his identity. We need only follow orders and take down Tang San; we must never attempt to uncover the master's tracks, lest we provoke him.

His two deputies fully agreed with this assessment. They withdrew their spiritual sense from Lin Chen entirely, turning instead to probe the deeper, hidden areas of Shrek, their minds occupied solely with finding the "reclusive mysterious powerhouse," paying no further attention to the seemingly ordinary youth.

For a moment, the situation between the three parties became exceptionally strange:

Tang San, filled with murderous intent, believed his concealment was successful and was stealthily creeping toward the Shrek Academy wall, intent on murdering Lin Chen.

The three Martial Soul Hall secret guards, lurking in the shadows of the forest, kept a close watch on Tang San while fearfully searching for a non-existent "reclusive mysterious person," remaining completely blind to the true puppet master, Lin Chen.

And Lin Chen, standing quietly in the corner of the training ground, used his level 62 Soul Emperor cultivation and ultimate concealment to pose as an ordinary student. He sat firmly in the center of the game, watching everything with cold eyes, holding the entire board of the match firmly in his grasp.

Ghost Fiend secretly gathered his soul power in his palm, the strength of a Soul Emperor ready to erupt. His eyes were locked on Tang San as he approached the Shrek wall, his breathing kept extremely shallow, not daring to make a single move. He had only one thought in his mind: wait for Tang San to act, then strike immediately to capture him, complete the mission, and never disturb the mysterious master, nor provoke the Shrek students that the master wished to protect.

Sunlight filtered through the branches, falling upon Lin Chen's gentle profile, the cold faces of the Martial Soul Hall guards in the forest shadows, and the malicious expression of the sneaking Tang San.

The entire game was shrouded in suspicion. Everyone was searching for the mysterious informant behind the scenes, unaware that the true master was standing right there in the sunlight, hidden in plain sight, manipulating all the undercurrents with the most inconspicuous of postures. No one knew, and no one noticed. The game of Tang San's attempted murder, the Martial Soul Hall's capture, and Lin Chen's layout was about to reach its explosive climax.