Ning Chuan watched Tang San gradually disappear down the mountain path deep within the sheltering trees before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
Turning around, he looked toward the hunting ground he had chosen and strode forward at an unhurried pace.
The path beneath his feet was no longer the packed dirt road in the village, but a rugged trail covered in fallen leaves and weeds. Every step produced a faint rustling sound, making the mountain forest seem all the more tranquil.
Morning dew dampened Ning Chuan's trouser legs, bringing a trace of chill, yet leaving his mind even clearer.
It's time. Taking a deep breath of the forest's unique air, Ning Chuan murmured inwardly.
His consciousness sank slightly as the twenty-fifth-rank Soul Power within him began to circulate silently.
Unlike ordinary Soul Masters, whose Soul Rings would inevitably manifest whenever they activated their Soul Power, Ning Chuan's spiritual power had long become refined and controllable after repeatedly nurturing the Willow Deity's true spirit and deeply utilizing the Heavens Trash Station.
With a thought, Ning Chuan easily suppressed the manifestation of his Soul Rings, confining the fluctuations of his Soul Power to an extremely small range.
More importantly, with the Station, that unimaginable supreme treasure, acting as a "great tree," it invisibly concealed all leakage of his extraordinary aura.
Unless a top-tier expert deliberately inspected him at close range, it would be nearly impossible to detect the flow of Soul Power hidden within Ning Chuan.
As for Tang Hao, who was not constantly watching him at present, Ning Chuan was fully confident that this slight disturbance of his was like a breeze in the woods or dew dripping from a leaf—utterly incapable of drawing any attention.
This sense of freedom, of "hiding his strength and acting without restraint," made Ning Chuan feel