Chapter 185: Tailing The Intruder

Soon, Fenrir arrived through the spatial rift. After that, all three of them started waiting for Theo’s men to arrive.

"By the way, Master," Noira said as they waited, "since they have cultivators among them, you need to hide your presence. Otherwise, they’ll be able to detect you even from a great distance."

"Hmm? Hide my presence? How do I do that?"

"Hiding your presence means concealing your aura, Master. You’re constantly releasing your aura without realizing it. Normally, this skill can only be comprehended after reaching the Grandmaster Realm, and even then, not everyone can master it. However, those with exceptional sensory abilities can perceive their own aura and gradually calm it until it no longer leaks into the surroundings. Once you achieve that, your presence will feel no different from that of an ordinary person. With your Spirit Zone ability, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to understand. Give it a try. You can make good use of the time while we’re waiting."

"Alright."

Afterward, Fenrir and Noira returned to Leon’s Soul Sanctuary, leaving him alone.

Leon closed his eyes and began trying to sense his own aura.

Minutes passed.

Then an hour.

Then another.

Finally, after two hours, he felt it. An invisible yet unmistakable energy constantly radiated from his body like gentle ripples surrounding his whole frame. Even without realizing it, he had been releasing it the entire time.

Leon focused his mind, calmed his breathing, and slowly tried to draw that aura back into himself.

After only a few attempts...

He actually succeeded.

[Congratulations, Host. You have comprehended the skill: Concealment.]

[Description: Allows the wielder to conceal their cultivation realm unless someone of a vastly higher realm deliberately probes them.]

"Oh?" Leon muttered in surprise. "Nice. Then do I even need the bracelet Mr. Cooper gave me? If I can hide my aura like this, won’t I be able to conceal my true strength?"

"No, Master," Fenrir’s voice echoed inside his mind. "This method only works while you’re not using Qi to enhance your body. The moment you fight or channel Qi to increase your strength or speed, your aura will begin radiating again.

There is another technique called Realm Suppression. It allows a cultivator to suppress their strength to a chosen level, hiding their true cultivation even during combat. However, that technique is far more difficult to comprehend. At your current cultivation realm, you aren’t capable of learning it yet.

As for the bracelet that person gave you, it forcefully suppresses your strength. Unless you remove it, your power will remain sealed regardless of whether you’re concealing your aura."

"I see." Leon nodded. "Then let’s focus on the current matter."

With that, Leon concealed his aura and continued waiting.

Five hours passed in the blink of an eye, yet no one appeared.

Soon, dusk settled outside, but there was still no sign of anyone.

The night gradually grew deeper, blanketing the city in silence, yet Leon remained perfectly patient.

Finally, around midnight...

His wait came to an end.

Through the apartment window, he spotted a figure slipping into the building.

’That person’s at the S-Class level...’ Leon’s eyes narrowed. ’It’s them.’

Without wasting a second, he quietly moved behind a large piece of furniture, positioning himself where he could observe everything without exposing his presence.

S-Class knights were incredibly rare in Delvan. There were only seven of them. Yet an unfamiliar S-Class knight had just entered the building. Leon knew every S-Class knight in Delvan by face. The moment he saw that stranger, he knew... The people he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

And just as expected...

Two minutes later, the apartment door slowly opened.

Leon immediately controlled his breathing until it became almost inaudible as he carefully observed the intruder’s every move.

’He didn’t bring Elena with him. That means she’s still being held somewhere else. Looks like I’ll have to follow this person to the very end.’ Leon decided inwardly.

The intruder headed straight for the bedroom before walking toward the bedside locker. He crouched down and entered the PIN. Elena was already in their grasp, and they had already inquired about necessary details. So knowing exactly where to look and the locker PIN as well wasn’t surprising.

Click!

The locker unlocked without any difficulty.

The man reached inside and carefully took out a single herb. The moment it was exposed to the air, a rich medicinal fragrance spread throughout the apartment.

Leon’s eyes widened. Even from a distance, he could tell that this herb was very special and definitely valuable. But what he couldn’t understand was why these people were after this.

After confirming that it was the item the intruder had come for, he swiftly placed it inside a briefcase. Without wasting another second, he turned around and hurried out of the apartment.

Only after the man had left did Leon step out from behind the furniture.

"Are we going to follow him now, Master?" Noira’s voice echoed inside Leon’s mind.

"Of course," Leon replied. "They still have Elena. Besides, I want to see what’s so special about that herb that they’re willing to go to such lengths for it."

Leon returned to the window.

The moment the S-Class knight left the building, Leon flew out of the window, following from high above. He deliberately kept his distance to avoid alerting the man.

Now that he was circulating Qi, concealing his aura was no longer possible.

The S-Class knight didn’t notice anything unusual. He got into a car and drove away.

Leon continued to follow him from the sky.

The car continued along the main road. Before long, it reached the border checkpoint. The S-Class knight brought the car to a stop and presented his identification along with the necessary documents. After clearing the inspection, he resumed his journey.

The city Leon lived in was located close to the border between Delvan and Johana. That’s why it only took a few hours to leave Delvan’s territory.

However, to Leon’s surprise, the car didn’t head toward Johana. Instead, it took a different route.

Leon’s eyes narrowed, but he continued following from high above.

Hours passed.

Finally, the following morning, the car came to a stop at the foot of a vast mountain range.

This region lay at the junction of three countries.

The S-Class knight stepped out of the vehicle and began climbing a narrow mountain trail on foot.

Without the slightest hesitation, Leon continued following him, unaware of what awaited him ahead.