Chapter 432 The Invisible God 1

The monster that suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Qiao looked like a demon from hell; it was clearly a strange person transformed by the power of the Seed of the Heart.

I didn't even notice his approach beforehand, not because he possessed exceptional stealth skills, but because he didn't harbor any clear malice. I could easily discern his magical power; it was stronger than a monster like Agent Kong, but weaker than the monster creator. Since I've seen so few level-one demon hunters, and level-one and level-dweller demon hunters seem similar to me, I couldn't be sure whether he was level-dweller or level-one.

If I hadn't been deliberately trying to distinguish him, I wouldn't have been able to tell him apart from the ordinary people passing by. Compared to me, they were all roughly the same size. This is one of the reasons why this strange man was able to blend into the crowd and approach.

Because this strange person didn't show any intention to harm Xiao Qiao after transforming, I didn't act immediately. People passing by seemed to treat the strange person as if they didn't exist, walking past them quite naturally. This is consistent with the abilities of the "shadow monster" that Xiao Qiao mentioned in her previous account.

Just as ordinary people "cannot see" this strange person, as long as I have the will, this strange person also "cannot see" me.

"Don't worry, he won't eat you," I told my junior, Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao seemed to realize that I was there for her, and at the same time, she seemed to realize that the monster had been motionless since transforming, and her turbulent emotions gradually subsided.

The strange man intently observed Xiao Qiao's reaction. After a moment, his body changed again, reverting to the male form he had initially appeared in. The shadow on the ground coiled upwards, transforming into black clothing that enveloped his body.

"Who are you……"

Xiao Qiao, a junior student, seems to recognize the man's appearance. If nothing unexpected happens, this man should be the mysterious man Xiao Qiao mentioned last time.

According to the intelligence I have, those members who persuade and recruit new people for Peach Blossom Village have a pretentious title within the village, which seems to be "preachers".

“Because I forgot to tell you the meeting time, I came to pick you up first,” the “preacher” said in a calm tone.

"Oh, I see..." Junior Qiao said timidly, "What about the others..."

The Preacher said, “I’ve sent shadows to fetch everyone else, but since you’re closer, I’ll come in person.”

His real reason is probably not that.

In Xiao Qiao's own account, she suspected that the fact that she hadn't been "brainwashed" might have been seen through by the "preachers." This suspicion is reasonable; for a strange person with superhuman senses, judging whether someone is experiencing abnormal emotional fluctuations based on their reactions is a very easy thing.

However, the "preacher" might not actually be convinced that Xiao Qiao was acting, because the reactions of people who have briefly experienced the illusionary dream through the white book are incredibly varied. The abnormal reactions that a liar might have, such as a racing heart or breaking out in a cold sweat, could very well overlap with the reactions of those who have just been forced out of the illusionary dream.

As for the sixth sense that strange people possess, in my impression, it is more inclined to hunt and detect dangerous elements. Or rather, most demon hunters' intuition is more inclined to judge life-or-death dangers, while only a few can consistently see through other people's lies and acting skills like Zhu Shi and Xiao Wan.

The "preacher" is probably only suspicious right now; I can almost see a scrutinizing look hidden in his calm eyes as he looks at Xiao Qiao. His sudden pat on the shoulder from behind and his abrupt transformation into a strange person was likely an attempt to probe her reflexive emotions in that moment of panic. A true demon hunter, even if they could restrain themselves from retaliating, would still unconsciously let their true feelings show. But Xiao Qiao's reaction was completely that of an ordinary person.

He seemed to relax for a moment, and then said, "Come with me."

After saying that, he turned around and began to lead the way. Little Qiao, my junior, stopped, seemingly glancing at me out of the corner of her eye to confirm my stance. I said, "Let's follow."

My junior sister Xiao Qiao had no choice but to follow behind the "preacher," and I followed closely behind.

Yesterday, I was supposed to stay invisible and follow Junior Sister Qiao, but before I could even enter stealth mode, the "Preacher" appeared first, so I had no choice but to go along with it. Despite speaking several times, the "Preacher" still didn't seem to notice me. Junior Sister Qiao seemed to realize something was wrong then, but she didn't seem to know whether she should speak to me first, and she didn't even dare to look at me.

The black robes worn by the "Preacher," constructed from shadow magic, emitted an unstable gas resembling wisps of smoke, yet those around him remained oblivious to this unusual sight. Xiao Qiao, perhaps unsure if it was some kind of dangerous substance, and out of apprehension towards the "Preacher," kept a distance of nearly ten meters from his back.

"What are we going to do next?" Junior Sister Qiao asked tentatively.

"Have you forgotten? Next, you will participate in the 'Trial'." The "Preacher" said casually, "Once you pass the 'Trial', you will gain the same power as me... No, at first you will be much weaker than me, but if you have enough talent, you may be able to stand on equal footing with me in the future."

Junior student Xiao Qiao asked, "Since it's a 'trial,' there must be a possibility of failure, right?"

I think the trial the "preacher" was referring to was probably planting the heart inside Xiao Qiao's body.

While the Seed of the Heart can transform an ordinary person into an eccentric, it's not something everyone can enjoy.

The monster creators only produced three monsters in Saltwater City, while in other cities they typically only produced one or two. Of course, this might be due to the creators' selective approach to their subjects. According to information I obtained from the Humanitarian Division's secret base, the monsters modified by the creators were all individuals with a sufficiently high compatibility with the Heart Seed, allowing each to develop unique abilities. Normally, not every monster possesses such outrageous abilities.

So what happens if the compatibility with the Seed of the Heart is too low? The answer is simple: in that case, the Seed of the Heart will treat the object as nourishment for itself, like a carnivorous plant preying on an insect, draining and absorbing everything from it. Blood, soul, talent, destiny… everything will be plundered, becoming sustenance for the Seed of the Heart. Just as the Mountain Yin-Yang has done to its successors.

The "preacher" gave Xiao Qiao a meaningful look, then said in a low voice, "You'd better focus on facing the 'trial' head-on. If you're too afraid, it will affect your performance in the 'trial'."

"As long as you overcome the 'trial,' you can gain power... Is that true?" Junior Sister Qiao seemed to have rekindled her interest in gaining supernatural power during the strange events.

“Of course. I have no reason to risk the consequences of lying to you; you are not worth it,” the “preacher” said.

"The price?" asked Xiao Qiao, a junior student.

“Words possess power. For us cultivators, speaking and putting words into practice is a sacred ritual that strengthens the power of our words and actions. Conversely, if a cultivator fails to keep their word, negative consequences will occur. Many powers involving ‘words,’ such as spells that rely on incantations, will be weakened. Therefore, we cultivators generally do not lie unless absolutely necessary.”

Perhaps because he had high hopes for Xiao Qiao, the "preacher" was quite generous in his explanation. Judging from his tone and knowledge, he didn't seem to be just an ordinary eccentric, but rather someone who had received occult education, and even called himself a monk, giving him a touch of supernaturalism.

Perhaps the idea of ​​transcendence is not only popular in Luoshan.

"So, the reason you can make those around you 'invisible'... is also because of the power of cultivators?" Junior Sister Qiao asked.

"Pretty much. In the past, I was a cultivator in the 'Dwelling Realm,' but after passing the 'Trial,' I gained new power and leaped to the top of the cultivation realm."

The "preacher" put his hands behind his back and said calmly, "The souls of cultivators like us who have reached the advanced stage are worlds apart from those ordinary people on the roadside. It's as if we exist in different dimensions."

"The weak will unconsciously submit to the strong, and weak souls will unconsciously submit to powerful souls. As long as I think about making them not pay attention to me, even if their eyes catch my presence, their minds will unconsciously ignore me, because their hearts have already been defeated by me."

"There's no need to go through the trouble of making any arrangements, let alone casting any special spells. Truly powerful forces, simply by existing there, can distort all things in the world."

As he spoke, his tone seemed unable to conceal his contempt and disdain for the passersby around him.

This person actually is a "Cheng" level cultivator. Although he cheated to reach that level using the power of the Heart Seed, being a Cheng level cultivator still makes him one of the very elite among demon hunters. Ying Lingyun's monster-transformation modification technology has clearly had a huge impact on the demon hunter ranking system.

Xiao Qiao, a junior student, hesitated, glancing at me cautiously out of the corner of her eye before asking the "preacher": "Uh... so if, I mean if... is it possible that someone could make you unconsciously ignore the past, just like ordinary people unconsciously ignore you..."

She seemed to realize that asking such a question was inappropriate, and hesitated before speaking. The "preacher," however, seemed to unconsciously ignore the strangeness in her words, laughed twice, and said, "How could such a person possibly appear here? If there really is an existence that can look down on cultivators at the completion stage as mere mortals, then at the very least, it must be a very small number of demigods who have reached the completion stage. Normally, only genuine gods can do that."

"Gods—?"

My junior classmate, Xiao Qiao, looked at me as if she could no longer hold back, and pronounced the word with an incredulous expression.

(End of this chapter)