Chapter 1001: The Observer in the Shadows

Chapter 1001: The Observer in the Shadows

“Hmm?”

Lin Nuo seemed to have noticed something. Although the spell scan showed no abnormalities, it didn’t mean that hidden dangers had been eliminated.

The white mist was still thick, obscuring his vision. He couldn’t see clearly, but he vaguely felt that there were eyes watching him.

“Ling Meng.”

“I’m here, Master.”

“Check again, is everyone here?”

“Not everyone; Liu Shuqin is missing.”

“Exclude her.”

“Why?”

Ling Meng caught onto a clue from Lin Nuo’s words. Why was she singled out? So, the scent related to her on Master was not without reason. What had the two done together in private? Were they planning to hide her?

“Don’t worry about that for now. Check and see who else is missing.”

Lin Nuo said seriously, and seeing his expression, Ling Meng knew it wasn’t the time to press further.

She instructed her subordinates to count the people present.

“Sir, what’s the matter?”

Ruo’er also came out from the room, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning softly.

She thought that she wouldn’t be able to sleep without Lin Nuo around. However, she quickly fell asleep, probably due to growing up and burning too much energy, making her sleepy.

But after Lin Nuo and Ling Meng cast the spell, even without causing any disturbances or sounds, she suddenly felt her nerves tighten and woke up to see what was happening outside.

“Nothing. Did I disturb your sleep?”

“No, I just heard your voice, and it felt like something was going on, so I came to check. Sir, is something really wrong?”

“No, you go back to sleep.”

“Hmm… This array must mean something is going on…”

Although Ruo’er was naive, she wasn’t foolish. With the Demon Array set up, there was definitely something happening.

“I’m not sleepy for now. I’ll wait until you’re done before going back to sleep.”

Ruo’er said this, but she couldn’t help but yawn again.

“Not sleepy, huh?” Lin Nuo teased.

“Not sleepy, not sleepy! Ah, I’m not sleepy, Sir! I won’t disturb you, I’ll just watch from the side.”

Ruo’er yawned again and walked over to a nearby rock, adjusting her dress before sitting down.

She tried hard not to fall asleep, using a bit of magic to keep herself awake. If something happened, she didn’t want to be sleeping. If a major incident occurred, she could take care of herself, or else it would mean dragging Sir down with her.

Lin Nuo didn’t say much more to Ruo’er. Her sitting there wasn’t a problem; he let her be.

The subordinates quickly confirmed that everyone was accounted for.

As for Liu Shuqin, he wasn’t worried for now. Her Demon Sword wouldn’t allow foreign souls to take control.

The Demon Sword had its own spirit; being occupied by another was a great disgrace, like a loyal minister failing to protect their lord, only to call others “lord.” It would rather face death than allow that.

“Everyone is here, so there’s no problem.”

Lin Nuo said, repeating the spell with Ling Meng once again, but the results were the same—no abnormalities.

However, he still felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him through the dense white mist.

It might not be a person.

“Okay, everything’s fine. Everyone, disperse and go rest.”

Lin Nuo addressed the restless Demon Practitioners who hadn’t fallen asleep. The array had ended, and everyone exchanged glances. Since the Demon Ruler said it was fine, it probably was.

Whatever, time to go back and rest.

Everyone gradually dispersed, and yawning Ruo’er approached Lin Nuo.

“Sir, is it all done?”

“Yes, you go rest.”

“Sir, what about you? Where are you sleeping tonight? Why not come to Ruo’er’s room…?”

“How could the Master go to your room! Stop dreaming!”

Ling Meng’s angry voice interrupted Ruo’er.

“Hmph.”

Ruo’er snorted dismissively at Ling Meng. The two looked at each other like sworn enemies, angry just to be in each other’s presence.

“Enough. This isn’t the time for quarrels; you both go back and don’t wander around.”

Lin Nuo said in a stern voice, which held a certain authority. The two immediately fell silent.

“Ruo’er, you need rest to recover quickly. As for tonight’s matters, I’ll tell you tomorrow. Go back to sleep. Ling Meng, your task is done; you can go back too.”

“Go back? Master, did you forget something? Didn’t you say after finishing the task, we’d continue testing together?”

Ling Meng quickly retorted, reminding him of their more intimate plans post-task. Was he backing out now?

“Your task is complete, but mine isn’t. I will find you later. What, are you not listening to me?”

Lin Nuo’s face was serious. Though they would joke around usually, this wasn’t the time for messing around.

“No, I’ll listen…”

Ling Meng held her frustration, but what could she do? After all, he was her beloved Master. No matter his flip-flopping, she would forgive him.

Lin Nuo stepped away, disappearing from Ling Meng and Ruo’er’s sight as he walked into the forest.

He walked casually, pretending not to notice the gaze in the thick white mist. Those same eyes were still fixed on him, nothing more.

So the target was him. That was good; otherwise, if they had targeted Ling Meng or Ruo’er, it would have been troublesome.

His path wasn’t towards Liu Shuqin; he was now alone, getting closer to the depths of the forest.

To avoid alarming the snake, he needed to find an opportunity to locate the source of the gaze and eliminate it.

He stopped, sitting cross-legged in the grass, closed his eyes, and pretended to be cultivating.

The hidden eyes had never left him and even attempted to get closer to Lin Nuo.

Although Lin Nuo had his eyes closed, he was now better at sensing his surroundings. After all, opening his eyes would be in vain under the mist, so closing them was fine.

He had already figured it out.

Lin Nuo had a plan; he would strike swiftly and catch the opponent off guard.

Now.

With a deep breath, Lin Nuo quickly gathered his Spirit Energy, and a massive amount of Demon Soul Power surged into his right hand, yet he remained seated, appearing truly engaged in cultivation.

But in that instant, a powerful aura burst forth from his right hand, aimed straight at the hidden observer.

This powerful energy attack came unexpectedly, and the opponent had no time to evade, directly hit by Lin Nuo’s technique.

Charge!

The moment the energy struck out, Lin Nuo swiftly stood up and dashed toward where the attack landed, confident that it would hit.

Indeed, it struck true.

The energy blast cleared a path through the white mist, and Lin Nuo could finally see what it was.

He rushed over, only to find a crow that had fallen to the ground. If it weren’t for a bit of firelight, it would have blended perfectly into the dark surroundings.

Just a crow?

Had he been overly cautious?

No, it must have been the crow’s gaze.

Regardless, Lin Nuo felt it was necessary to take the fallen crow back for further inspection.

However, the crow spontaneously ignited, enveloped in gray flames, revealing a shadowy figure.