Nighttime Forest, Assassins Encounter Their Target

Plant Academy, late at night.

A torrential downpour fell as black clouds pressed against the mountains.

Five assassins forced their way in, only to find Lin Mo's residence empty!

They guessed their movements had likely been exposed and immediately prepared to retreat.

However, the Plant Academy Patrol Guard had already been alerted. Warning shouts rose one after another from afar, closing in step by step.

The sight filled the assassins with panic, and they dared not remain in the open courtyard for another moment.

"Retreat! Head for the Back Mountain!"

The Five-Ring Soul King captain barked, suppressing the unease in his heart.

Plant Academy was full of blind spots. Without familiarity with its internal layout, they could easily be surrounded. Only the dense Back Mountain forest, shrouded in torrential rain, offered tangled terrain and trees to conceal their tracks and evade the academy's search.

The five black-clad figures flashed away, abandoning the villa courtyard. They crossed the muddy grass without looking back and plunged into the dark, secluded forest of the Back Mountain, swiftly swallowed by the heavy rain and forest shadows.

Howling winds drove the pouring rain across the entire mountain forest, shaking the branches and leaves without pause.

The wind roared as thunder rolled.

The chaotic sounds within the forest concealed every trace.

Lin Mo was currently deep in the woods, cultivating by guiding the power of lightning. He had completely concealed his aura, seeming to merge with the rain-soaked forest night.

After breaking through to the second ring, the Perception range of his Thunder Hell Vine had surged once more.

With the Thunderstorm environment, every trace of lightning aura between heaven and earth became his eyes and ears, further expanding his Perception range.

Within a radius of a thousand meters, every wisp of Soul Power fluctuation and every sound of footsteps striking the rain entered his Perception with perfect clarity.

At the same time, his Soul Power received a constant supply, greatly increasing his strength.

This was essentially a "domain," though it required a special environment to achieve its effect, making it quite limited.

Five black-clad figures, carrying chilling killing intent, were rapidly fleeing deeper into the forest.

Lin Mo frowned slightly when he sensed them.

There were five of them in total: one Soul King and four Soul Ancestors.

They had just entered his dormitory. Their intentions were clearly hostile; they had most likely come to kill him.

A cold glint flashed through Lin Mo's eyes.

Enemies!

Given the current situation, their Soul Power Levels completely surpassed his.

He was only a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. Confronting them head-on would be foolish.

Lin Mo concealed his aura completely, hiding behind a massive ancient tree. His vine roots quietly sank into the wet soil and spread soundlessly.

Lin Mo silently laid an invisible net of blockade across the entire area, ready to watch and wait for the right moment.

Meanwhile.

The entire Plant Academy was thrown into an uproar.

The alarm over the midnight disturbance and outside intruders rang throughout the campus. Countless resident teachers and team-leading instructors were instantly awakened, and large numbers of powerful Soul Masters rushed out into the night.

They swiftly began a comprehensive search of the academy's dormitories, courtyards, and training grounds.

Lights pierced the rain curtain, tearing through the pitch-black night.

Instructor Shen Lin realized something and immediately rushed to Quiet Villa.

Seeing the smashed-open door, the disorderly and empty room, his heart sank, and a chill instantly swept through his body.

He had spent several consecutive nights organizing intelligence from the Northern Territory.

Now, outsiders had suddenly infiltrated in the dead of night, while Lin Mo's whereabouts were unknown. The worst possible outcome had already risen to the surface.

"This is bad!"

Shen Lin's face turned ashen as he raised his head toward the center of the rainstorm deep within the forest, anxiety reaching its peak in his heart.

Amid the chaos, several figures clad in dark, fitted outfits appeared within Plant Academy. Their auras were cold, steady, and restrained.

Dark patterns were concealed on their cuffs, while black iron badges hung from their chests—the exclusive insignia of Spirit Hall Shadow Guards.

The academy's duty instructors changed expression at once and did not dare stop them.

The covert Shadow Guards dispatched by Bishop Salas had remained hidden outside the academy the entire time.

The moment they detected someone forcibly entering the academy, they entered and took control of the situation.

They had only one order—

Ensure Lin Mo's safety. Kill any assailant on the spot!

Several Spirit Hall Shadow Guards swiftly scattered, their movements crisp and efficient. Following the faint residual killing intent and traces of Soul Power, they sped toward the Back Mountain forest, murderous intent blanketing the rainy night.

Watching them act, the academy instructors quickly realized something.

The intruders were hiding in the Back Mountain forest?!

The academy immediately redirected the main search force toward the Back Mountain while securing all sides to prevent the intruders from escaping amid the chaos!

Within the dense forest, the situation had quietly tightened.

Lin Mo concealed himself with [Skill · Simulation]. With his exceptional ability to lurk and the support of the thunderstorm, he hid perfectly in the darkness.

Under these circumstances, it was best to avoid a direct battle, stall until the academy's forces arrived, and capture them in one sweep.

However, what he had not expected was that his whereabouts were still exposed.

Among the five black-clad assassins was a small-built, sinister Four-Ring Soul Ancestor whose Martial Soul was an unusual Poison Spider.

With the extraordinary Perception of his Spider Martial Soul, he gathered every minute disturbance in the surroundings.

Ordinary opponents who concealed their Soul Power and hid their auras had nowhere to hide under Spider Sense.

The countless noises of wind and rain, the swaying vegetation—none could conceal the faint fluctuations of a living being's blood, qi, and Soul Power.

As that assassin with the Spider Martial Soul stepped deeper into the forest, his brows suddenly knitted tightly, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes.

"Captain! Something is hiding ahead! I don't know whether it's a soul beast or a Soul Master!"

The instant his words fell, the five assassins stopped at once and turned together, their gazes locked tightly onto where Lin Mo was hiding.

The Five-Ring Soul King leader immediately attacked. Terrifying leopard claws tore through the forest in an instant, and blades of wind force swept out.

Had he been completely seen through after all?!

Lin Mo's pupils contracted. A pair of wings suddenly spread from his back, blending into the night beneath the illusion of Simulation.

He seemed to pause in midair, instantly appearing among the trees at the other end of the night and easily evading the attack.

"No, he dodged it!" The man continued sensing and pointed toward Lin Mo's new hiding place.

Intense killing intent erupted in the Five-Ring Soul King captain's eyes.

"Move!"

The other teammates sprang into action. Without releasing their Soul Rings and attracting attention, they relied on the strength of their Martial Souls to fight!

"Trap that bastard! End this quickly! Kill him and withdraw immediately—don't get drawn into a prolonged fight!" A cold shout rang out.

The five figures instantly formed an encirclement, sealing off Lin Mo's position as they advanced step by step toward the ancient tree.

The pressure of their Soul Power swept outward, making even the surrounding wind and rain seem to stall slightly.

The five assassins remained on high alert, moving with caution.

Seeing this from the shadows, Lin Mo knew there was no use enduring any longer. There was nowhere left to run.

His eyes were cold and calm, without the slightest hint of panic. He had already settled on a lethal strategy.

The next instant, the Thunder Hell Vine rooted beneath the ground erupted!

Bzz—

Fine purple-gold lightning instantly surged across the entire forest floor. The wet soil and rain-soaked vegetation all became conduits for the current.

In an instant.

The entire forest was engulfed by the Thunder Domain. Violent threads of lightning crisscrossed through the air, sealing off every route of movement.

The five assassins were struck. Their movements were restricted, and their bodies went somewhat numb.

"Dark Purple Vine, and it carries electricity—it's him!" Hope instantly burst into the assassin captain's eyes.

The other four also revealed delighted expressions.

They had thought the operation had failed and retreated deeper into the mountains, only to stumble upon the target they had come to assassinate by sheer luck!

—Lin Mo!