When they emerged from the Soul Fighting Arena, it was already dark. The streetlights came on one by one, casting orange glows onto the bluestone pavement, making the shadows of the thirteen figures appear long and thin.
Feng Xiaotian walked in the middle of the group, his steps steady, his gaze fixed straight ahead, never looking back. However, the keen intuition honed by years of Soul Hunting subtly warned him that someone was following him, and more than one person.
From the moment I stepped out of the Soul Fighting Arena, those auras clung to me, having quietly followed me for at least two streets.
Feng Lingtian walked beside him, about to ask a question, but Feng Xiaotian uttered three words in a very low voice. "I know."
Feng Lingtian immediately stopped talking, and subtly glanced at the shop windows next to him out of the corner of his eye.
The glass mirror faintly reflected two figures wrapped in dark cloaks who paused briefly at the street corner. After the group had walked away, they leisurely followed.
"Don't go straight back to the academy," Feng Xiaotian said in a low voice, instructing everyone.
"Okay," Feng Lingtian replied. "Follow me to the old town. The alleys there are intricate and complex, making it easier to avoid being followed. There's also a shortcut that leads back to the academy."
After saying that, Feng Lingtian quickened his pace and walked to the front of the group to lead the way.
When he was young, he was mischievous and often sneaked out of the house to wander around Godwind City. He knew the streets and alleys of the old city by heart.
Normally, it takes half an hour to get back to the Godwind Academy from the Soul Fighting Arena via the main road, but taking the shortcut through the old town would be much faster. However, the most important thing right now is to shake off those tails behind us completely.
Feng Lingtian's mind raced, recalling the entire old town's road network layout. He could figure out which alley led to which place, and which corner offered a shortcut, even with his eyes closed.
He led the group into the first narrow alley, then immediately changed direction at the next intersection, and then turned into an even deeper alley at the next fork in the road.
In the time it takes to smoke a pipe, the thirteen people passed through four Nameless alleys and emerged silently from the other end of the old town.
Behind him, there was no longer a sound of footsteps following him.
Su Mei'er glanced back at the dark, deep alleyway entrance, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Did you shake them off?"
"We've shaken them off without a care." Feng Lingtian patted the wall dust off his palm and grinned. "They followed us all the way from the Soul Fighting Arena to Ju Zi Street. They've got patience, but when it comes to knowing the terrain, they're far from it."
Feng Xiaotian remained calm, simply saying, "Let's go back to the academy first, and talk about it then."
Throughout the entire process, his expression remained completely unchanged.
But Feng Lingtian, who was walking beside him, noticed that Feng Lingtian's right hand, which was hanging at his side, tapped the seam of his trousers twice with the fingertips—a habitual little gesture he made when he was deep in thought and secretly calculating.
It was already late at night when the group returned to the Godwind Academy.
Feng Xiaotian didn't let everyone go back to their dormitories to rest. Instead, he gathered all thirteen people together on the stone steps of the training ground. The night breeze blowing from the back mountain was cool, much chillier than during the day.
Feng Xiaotian took the first seat on the bottom stone step, and the others followed suit, sitting down in front of him as they did after training.
"All three Soul Fighting today resulted in a clean sweep."
Feng Xiaotian looked up at everyone and said calmly, " Ji Ning delivered a fatal blow in five seconds, Su Mei'er and Lu Qing achieved a perfect victory in the duo battle with zero injuries, and the two defensive lines in the team battle remained unbreakable throughout."
He paused briefly, then changed the subject. "But none of that matters. The real issue is that as soon as we left the Soul Fighting Arena, we were being watched and followed."
"Who could it be?" Lu Hanxiao asked, his brows furrowed.
"We don't know where they came from yet." Feng Xiaotian's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"I'm afraid they weren't targeted after leaving the Soul Fighting Arena," Su Mei'er suddenly said.
All eyes immediately fell on her.
Su Mei'er leaned against the stone railing, arms crossed, her voice a few decibels lower than usual. "When Lu Qing and I left after our doubles match, I vaguely sensed several pairs of eyes fixed on us from the audience. It wasn't just ordinary staring; it was purposeful. I dismissed it as my imagination and didn't say anything."
She looked at Feng Xiaotian: "Looking back now, it wasn't an illusion at all."
Feng Xiaotian nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and tapped his fingertips lightly on his knee. "So, it turns out we were already being secretly watched the moment we entered the arena. Winning all three matches was just to solidify their resolve to follow us relentlessly."
"Then our identities will probably be exposed soon," Jiang Lin said at the opportune moment.
He was usually a man of few words, so his decision to speak up now clearly indicated that he had carefully considered the pros and cons.
"Today we only announced our academy, but there are many spectators at the Soul Fighting Arena. Anyone who is interested can easily find out our background and names by comparing our Soul Power Level and Martial Soul characteristics with the information from various academies," Jiang Lin analyzed confidently.
"That's right." Feng Xiaotian nodded in agreement. "Starting tomorrow, all matches and training in the Soul Fighting Arena will be suspended. We must find another way to re-enter the arena with completely new identities."
Feng Xiaotian was silent for a moment, then looked at Feng Lingtian beside him. " Lingtian, do you have a way to temporarily disguise and conceal everyone's Martial Soul characteristics, Soul Skill brilliance, and even their own Soul Power aura?"
Feng Lingtian pondered for a few seconds, then reached into his Storage Soul Tool and took out the well-worn " Lingtian's Notes," laying it flat on the stone steps. His fingertips traced back and forth across the page on medicinal properties and pharmacology before he suddenly stopped.
A glint of inspiration flashed in his eyes as he looked up at the crowd. "There is a solution, but I need a few days to study and formulate it."
How long will it take?
"Three days," Feng Lingtian said firmly. "Give me three days, and I will try to develop a special elixir."
Feng Xiaotian gave him a deep look, but without asking further questions, he simply replied in a deep voice, "Alright, I'll give you three days."
A brief silence fell over the training ground.
"Everyone, disperse and go back to rest," Feng Xiaotian instructed. "Three days later, we will return to the Soul Fighting Arena with new identities. From now on, we will not only go there to win or lose, but also to hone our skills and gain experience."
Everyone got up and walked back to the dormitory in twos and threes.
Bai Yu walked to Feng Lingtian's side, her expression hesitant, and asked in a low voice, "The kind of pill you mentioned... can it really conceal our Soul Power aura?"
Feng Lingtian closed the note, looked up at her with a relaxed smile, and said, "I can't guarantee it 100%, but we have to give it a try."
Looking at his composed expression, Bai Yu felt a sense of relief. She nodded gently and jogged a few steps to catch up with Ye Qingyu.
Su Ran walked beside Ye Qingyu, took out a small paper packet from her Storage Soul Tool, and handed it to her. "I just prepared some Wind Grain Ears. You used up a lot of energy today, so this is a good way to replenish your energy."
Ye Qingyu took the package, a gentle smile curving her lips, "Thank you."
Su Ran turned his head away, a faint blush creeping onto the tips of his ears. Fortunately, the darkness of the night concealed his unease.
After everyone else had gone far away, only Feng Lingtian remained on the trial ground.
Feng Xiaotian got up and walked past him, pausing slightly in his steps.
Go back and rest early.
"Understood, Captain." Feng Lingtian replied casually, his fingertips still lightly resting on the spine of the notebook, showing no intention of getting up.
Feng Xiaotian gave him a deep look, said nothing more, turned around and walked towards the dormitory.
The training ground was deserted, with only the night breeze blowing gently.
Feng Lingtian unfolded the notebook again and placed it on his lap. By the light of the cold moonlight, he condensed a wisp of Soul Power to light up the faint glow on his fingertips and turned to the page that recorded the Mist Concealment Grass.
Three days.
Since he made the promise in front of the whole team, he must keep it.