22: Crossing the line, clashing, establishing authority

The mountain wind swept through the forest, and the copper bells on the eaves of the temple chimed softly.

Li Muchen sat cross-legged on the cold jade meditation cushion, his mind as clear as a mirror. The profound mysteries of the Supreme Clarity Purple Mansion Returning to Origin True Scripture circulated within his sea of consciousness, and the bottleneck of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage loosened inch by inch in the cool serenity. His Purple Mansion Spiritual Sense could now cover thirty-five zhang, and his True Essence liquid flowed through his Meridians like a trickling stream, showing signs of becoming a surging river.

However, outside the temple, an invisible net was tightening.

Since Chen Jinghe's visit, the monitoring from the special department had increased layer by layer. Telescopes, thermal imaging, and electromagnetic scanning had become daily occurrences. Observers disguised as geological team members and hikers appeared in turns, thoroughly scouting the area within several miles of Qingfeng Temple. At several high points, cleverly disguised fixed observation posts operated twenty-four hours a day, like silent eyes suspended in the mountain forest.

Li Muchen was fully aware of all this. The breathing rhythms, heart rates, and the faint fluctuations emitted by the equipment of those people were as clear as lanterns in the daylight within his Spiritual Sense. He remained silent, Cultivating, sweeping, and receiving pilgrims every day, as regular as an ancient clock.

This silence itself was his response.

Behavioral experts among the monitors concluded: this person's mental state has either reached a realm where he ignores external disturbances, or he has long noticed them but simply does not care—either way, it points to him being unfathomable.

The probing began.

First, items with transmitters were "accidentally" left behind, followed by "lost tourists" intentionally approaching. Li Muchen's handling was calm and unremarkable: he let villagers pick up the suspicious items, and when he met people, he politely gave directions, handling the boundaries flawlessly.

The probing gradually escalated.

On an autumn evening, as the setting sun was about to drop, Li Muchen was circulating his Qi through his cycles inside the hall when his Spiritual Sense suddenly captured a hint of abnormality—in the bushes on the back slope of the temple, there were fluctuations from a micro-device being activated.

Immediately after, an infrasound wave that ordinary people could not perceive spread out. The frequency was unique and the energy was weak, but it was enough to disturb one's mind. If a Cultivator was in deep meditation, it could cause irritability at best, or disordered Qi at worst.

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Li Muchen sneered inwardly, but his Spiritual Sense had already spread out like a fine net, instantly analyzing the characteristics of the fluctuations. This interference was nothing more than a breeze to him, but he knew the other party wanted a reaction.

He maintained his Cultivation posture and only quietly mobilized a sliver of True Essence to simulate physiological signs of a slightly faster heartbeat and a subtle rise in body temperature. His brow furrowed extremely slightly for a moment and then quickly smoothed out, as if briefly disturbed by an inexplicable discomfort and then overcome by his willpower.

The entire process lasted less than three breaths.

In the distant observation post, the data was transmitted back in real-time: "Target's heart rate instantaneously increased by 5%, surface temperature rose by 0.1 degrees, lasting for two seconds before returning to normal... brow furrowed... no defensive behavior detected."

The commander, "Mountain Eagle," stared at the screen with a cold expression. This extremely restrained reaction was more alarming than a violent confrontation.

"Stop the probing," he ordered. "Maintain observation."

The equipment in the bushes quietly self-destructed, turning into electronic wreckage.

Inside the hall, Li Muchen opened his eyes, a hint of understanding flashing in them. This "performance" was just right: it let the other party know he wasn't completely unaware, while also showing the restraint of "following the rules." In this silent confrontation, both sides understood each other.

---

For the next few days, the area around the temple fell into a brief period of peace.

Li Muchen was happy to have the peace. He spent every day practicing Alchemy and meditating, his Cultivation steadily progressing toward the Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. He had already accumulated dozens of minor restoration pills, his True Essence grew thicker by the day, and his Spiritual Sense's control over his environment reached a new level.

But the peace was eventually broken.

Perhaps they misunderstood Li Muchen's restraint as a blurred bottom line, or perhaps it was due to pressure from superiors, but a few nights later, the monitors took more aggressive action.

In his Spiritual Sense net, three well-disguised figures were crossing the outer security line and infiltrating the core area of the back mountain—that was the node of the Spirit Gathering Formation, the quiet place where Li Muchen practiced Palm Thunder and cultivated variants of heart-clearing grass, and more importantly, it was an extension of the temple's Spiritual Vein.

Coldness rose in Li Muchen's eyes.

The previous minor disturbances could be considered probing, but this crossing of the line had touched his bottom line.

The three men moved in a triangular formation, their movements extremely professional, avoiding almost all terrain that might make a sound. The leader held a square instrument, the data stream on the screen flickering: "Energy readings are 30% higher than the perimeter, vegetation activity is abnormal..."

"Mountain Eagle" led the team personally and said in a low voice, "Collect samples after reaching the coordinates and set up the 'Waterdrop' monitors."

Just as they approached the entrance of the valley, a sudden change occurred.

The lead team member tripped, unexpectedly entangled by slippery aerial roots! The nearby bushes moved without wind, and thorny branches lashed out fiercely against exposed skin, the stinging pain carrying a sense of paralysis. The instrument in his hand flew out, and the humus soil where it landed suddenly collapsed, swallowing it silently.

"Stay alert!" Mountain Eagle barked, the powerful beam of his tactical flashlight sweeping the area.

But a thick fog had already risen.

It wasn't a mountain night mist, but a milky-white fog barrier gushing simultaneously from the ground, the thickets, and the valley. In an instant, visibility was less than two zhang. The powerful light was scattered and swallowed, the thermal imaging screen flickered with static, communication signals were completely cut off in a piercing noise, and GPS positioning turned into garbled code.

The three men were trapped in a desperate situation, isolated and helpless.

"Return the way we came!" Mountain Eagle tried to retreat from memory, but the ground beneath his feet seemed to have come alive. Mud pits suddenly appeared on flat ground, boulders shifted inexplicably, and the trees twisted and deformed in the fog. They spun around in vain within a small area, their physical strength and mental energy depleting rapidly.

Even weirder sounds emerged in the fog: low growls that were neither beast nor human, the fine rustling of leaves, breathing right against their ears, and intermittent murmurs... When the mental pressure reached its limit, two points of eerie green light lit up deep in the fog, staring quietly like the eyes of an ancient beast.

Mountain Eagle's back was completely drenched. He had no doubt that if the presence in the fog intended it, they would have no chance of survival.

Just as his mind was about to collapse, the green light went out.

The thick fog dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye. Moonlight once again spilled into the forest, the terrain returned to normal, the path back was clearly visible, and even the pit that had swallowed the instrument had smoothed over, leaving only a few scattered leaves.

Communication was suddenly restored, and an urgent call came through the headset: "Eagle's Nest calling! What happened? Abnormal thick fog observed for fifteen minutes!"

Mountain Eagle panted, looked at his two pale-faced team members, and responded dryly: "Encountered... unknown natural phenomenon. Mission failed, requesting immediate extraction."

"Extraction approved."

The three didn't even dare to look for the expensive instrument, retreating in embarrassment with their restored positioning, their professional poise from when they arrived completely turned into terror.

---

In the Main Hall of the temple, Li Muchen withdrew his Spiritual Sense and True Essence.

The "Mist Illusion Array" just now was merely using his Spiritual Sense to trigger the Earth Qi and water vapor, combined with terrain control and psychological guidance to create a mental trap. The two points of green light were just True Essence glimmers imbued with a deterrent effect.

Not a single person was harmed, and no trace was left, but a red line had been drawn in blood.

He closed his eyes again and sat back on the cold jade meditation cushion.

Soldiers come to block, water comes to dam? No.

He only needed to Cultivate and keep getting stronger. When the mountain is high enough, the breeze passes over the ridge, the bright moon shines on the river, and all sorts of schemes will become empty echoes.

The night was deep, and the copper bells rang again.

In the observation post outside the mountain, Mountain Eagle was writing a report. His pen paused for a long time before finally writing a line: "Target suspected of possessing the ability to manipulate the local environment, danger level raised to the highest. Recommendation: Long-term observation, avoid direct conflict for now."

He looked out the window at the deep mountains, where the silhouette of the temple was as silent as an abyss in the night.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered a sentence from an ancient book:

"A true master does not show his face; one who shows his face is not a true master."

The mountain wind wailed, as if in response.