The moment Shen Wandou stepped into the cave residence, Luo Chen's divine consciousness closed in around him and followed every one of his movements. The scrutiny left him uncomfortable, but he kept his expression plain. Unseen, he slipped his left hand into his sleeve and formed a seal.

Luo Chen soon emerged from the meditation chamber. He wore loose white robes, and his hair fell freely over his shoulders. He offered Shen Wandou an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, fellow Daoist. The technique I'm practicing has made my divine soul unusually active, and I can't quite keep it under control yet."

Despite the apology, his divine consciousness continued to cover Shen Wandou. Before the hidden seal took effect, Luo Chen had already determined that the man's cultivation was at the third stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Their divine consciousnesses touched for only an instant before withdrawing, but that brief contact was enough for him to determine that Shen Wandou was in no way weaker than himself. And when the unknown secret art took effect, it concealed every trace of the man's aura, so perfectly that Luo Chen could not detect the slightest hint of it even while standing face-to-face with him. 

Of course, Shen...