The ceremony dragged on.
One by one, children stepped into the array, flinched, flared, cried out, or stood dumbly as sparks of power shimmered into existence. Most were underwhelming—kitchen tools, insect wings, brittle vines. A few drew polite interest. None drew awe.
The perfect kind of crowd to get lost in.
But Qin Yu wasn't watching the children.
He was watching him.
Liang Fei hadn't blinked in ten minutes.
He stood at the edge of the ritual space, arms folded behind his back, chin slightly raised. The light caught on his Spirit Hall badge—silver, marked with a triple-arrow crest. Not an enforcer's insignia. A recorder.
Information-gathering class.
Qin Yu kept his back turned and called up the Scan again.
> [Target: Liang Fei]
Rank: 36
Martial Spirit: Raven Eye
Type: Observation / Memory-based
Traits: Long-term recall, photographic aura mapping, silent playback
Current Status: Neutral-Alert. Suspects anomaly, non-hostile. Will report upon return.]
Known Techniques:
– Eye of Recollection (Stores spirit aura impressions)
– Mental Mark (Applies silent energy beacon to targets)
– Aura Playback (Reveals exact energy signature from past 24 hours)
That last one chilled him.
If Liang Fei had used Eye of Recollection during the brief flash of Voidborne Body, the signature might be stored. Even if his current aura read as "stone-hide," the memory trace could be replayed in a Spirit Hall archive.
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
> [Warning: Host may be marked by "Mental Mark." Detection probability: 82%]
[Suggested Action: Interference Options – Disrupt Mark, Relocate, or Submerge Aura]
Submerge.
> [Executing…]
He felt it immediately. Like sinking into deep water—his spirit aura thinned, collapsed inward, leaving only a whisper of presence.
Liang Fei's head tilted ever so slightly.
Qin Yu didn't flinch.
He turned toward the village well and joined two other boys scooping water into a clay bucket. His hands moved slowly, rhythmically. He even let the rope slip a little on purpose, drawing a tired groan from the elder nearby.
"Clumsy brat."
Qin Yu smiled sheepishly.
When he glanced back again, Liang Fei was no longer looking at him.
The pressure lifted.
> [Mental Mark disrupted. Status: Clean.]
He exhaled.
Crisis avoided.
For now.
But the observer had already logged his existence.
A rare spirit awakening in a nameless village.
It would go in a report.
It would end up on a desk.
And someday, someone would come looking.
He would need to be long gone by then.
Stronger.
Ready.
---