The wine jug exploded!
The Divine Banner fluttered, pressing down on the evil sorcerer, while also blocking the fragments and allowing everyone to escape unharmed.
But the old man was already thoroughly dead, his eyes wide open and filled with terrified horror.
"..."
Lin Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
At that moment, even City Defense Captain Meng Lu took a deep look at Mr. Jing.
"You..."
Meng Lu's expression was complicated as he hesitantly began, "I..."
Mr. Jing's face was also pale. Looking at the scene before him, he hurriedly waved his hands. "I... I didn't come to silence anyone by killing them..."
He clearly understood the meaning hidden in Lin Yan and Meng Lu's gazes.
He tried desperately to explain himself, afraid he would not be able to make things clear.
But then he discovered that the eyes of this Impermanence Banner Bearer and Captain Meng Lu were gradually becoming even more solemn.
Seeing this, Mr. Jing's heart lurched. He hurriedly tried to explain again, but suddenly froze.
He finally understood why everyone was so astonished—even horrified.
Because he had just been badly startled and had already released the Divine Banner from his hand.
Yet the Divine Banner was still there, suspended in midair.
An invisible wind blew against the Divine Banner, holding it in place.
"Impossible!"
Mr. Jing's pupils constricted. In horror, he said, "The Divine Banner was made from a branch of Willow Venerable's true body and worshiped in the temple for thirty years. It is one of the greatest treasures in the world, possessing an incomparably rich aura of Willow Venerable. How could it possibly fail to suppress an evil spirit?"
It had done more than merely fail to suppress it.
The evil spirit had directly seeped into the Divine Banner!
Entrusting itself to it and using the "banner" as its body!
Willow Venerable's aura had actually been unable to suppress this evil energy!
Any evil spirit capable of contending with Willow Venerable's aura was an existence of extreme ferocity!
Last night, Gao Liu City had established an altar and used immense incense offerings to send away this level of powerful demon and evil spirit once and for all!
The demons and evil spirits that had taken advantage of the opportunity to enter the city last night could not be too powerful!
Otherwise, it would not have been Mr. Jing who came today. The temple priest himself should have come in person!
Yet this seemingly not-so-powerful evil spirit was actually unafraid of the temple's supreme treasure?
"Spirit talismans!"
Although Mr. Jing had little experience, he had clearly learned a great deal within the temple.
At once, the six Divine Envoys behind him each took out a spirit talisman.
Mr. Jing also pulled a spirit talisman from his robes.
The seven of them surrounded the Divine Banner, forming the position of the Big Dipper above it. They immediately ignited the divine talismans and began reciting incantations.
Lin Yan, who had been about to act, stopped upon seeing this. He carefully watched the temple's method of exorcising evil, wondering what mysteries it held!
"The evil energies merged and devoured one another?"
Meng Lu said in a low voice, "A somewhat stronger evil spirit devoured the weak Wandering Spirits, strengthened itself, broke through its shackles, and became an even more powerful existence?"
He had come from the city defenses and possessed an understanding of the darkness after nightfall that ordinary people could never hope to match.
Throughout the generations, their ancestors had taught their descendants that people should not travel by night.
Because when people walked at night, they would be harmed by demons and evil spirits.
But Meng Lu knew that the countless demons and evil spirits in the darkness did not live together in peace.
The law of the jungle was still omnipresent.
Powerful demons and evil spirits would devour weaker ones to strengthen themselves.
As for the flesh and souls of humans, they seemed to hold an even more potent allure in the darkness of night.
"So it was a weak Wandering Spirit that entered the city last night, and through devouring the others, it reached a higher grade?"
The leader of the Night Patrol Envoys was filled with shock.
Meng Lu nodded. "That old fellow must have used the wine jug to make the evil spirits' strange energies devour one another, thereby growing stronger."
He drew a deep breath and said, "However, they were still weak Wandering Spirits last night. So although they are stronger tonight, they should not be much stronger than they were yesterday."
Although he said this, with the evil spirit before them and the Divine Banner suspended in the air,
the night wind swept past, its chill piercing to the bone.
Everyone fell silent, and all of them were panicking inside.
Some of the Night Patrol Envoys could not even keep hold of their blades, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes, Meng Lu spoke again. "Everyone, relax. To martial artists like us, evil spirits are naturally terrifying."
"But the temple is the natural enemy of evil spirits."
"Given today's situation, even a martial artist at the peak of the Inner Strengthening realm would have fallen here!"
"But although Mr. Jing is not a martial artist, his ability to exorcise evil and dispel calamity is something even a martial artist at the peak of the Inner Strengthening realm cannot compare with."
"Once Mr. Jing suppresses this evil spirit, Lin Jiang Ward will be safe after tonight."
After saying this, Meng Lu looked toward Lin Yan.
He discovered that this Impermanence Banner Bearer's brows were gradually knitting together.
As the Divine Banner fluttered in the wind, the ashes of the seven burning spirit talismans had already drifted over and attached themselves to it.
"Willow Venerable above, divine nature descend and aid me in subduing demons and vanquishing devils, eradicating evil spirits!"
Mr. Jing formed hand seals and shouted, "I beseech Willow Venerable's divine nature to descend!"
In a daze, light seemed to gradually emerge. On the Divine Banner, it gleamed like scattered starlight, beautiful beyond compare.
The evil energy vanished, and the ghosts and spirits were completely eliminated.
The Divine Banner suddenly fell to the ground.
The evil spirit had been completely sealed within it.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The six Divine Envoys also panted unevenly. Clearly, summoning Willow Venerable's divine nature had consumed an enormous amount of their energy.
"It is done!"
Mr. Jing's face was pale. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, bowed to everyone, and then turned his gaze toward Lin Yan.
"This... Fifth Master?"
Mr. Jing hesitantly said, "I will report tonight's events truthfully. My master will investigate the source of this evil spirit. If there are any questions afterward, Fifth Master, please cooperate with the investigation."
After all, he had killed an official from the Outer Southern Prefecture Office in front of everyone.
Although what they had just witnessed had convinced everyone that this Banner Bearer was innocent,
the matter would certainly be investigated in detail after it was reported, and there would inevitably be further trouble.
Lin Yan understood this as well and nodded slightly.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly stepped forward and kicked Mr. Jing over.
The abrupt turn of events caused everyone's expressions to change drastically.
The people who had already lowered their guard against this Banner Bearer instinctively drew their blades again, their faces filled with horror.
Mr. Jing had also fallen to the ground, looking utterly bewildered.
The other Divine Envoys hurriedly surged forward, shocked and enraged.
"How dare you! How dare you attack Mr. Jing..."
Before this Divine Envoy could finish speaking, he discovered that all the Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamps held by the people had gone out at that very moment.
The entirety of Ox Horn Mountain once more sank into silent darkness.
The stars and moon vanished!
Dark clouds blanketed the sky!
In the blink of an eye, evil energy had already enveloped half the mountain!
--
Inner City, Sky Gazing Tower.
"Seventh Master, an anomaly has appeared in the direction south of the city!"
"An anomaly?"
"It erupted all of a sudden. The divine mirror suddenly underwent a disturbance. From what we can see, the strength of its aura has exceeded the range ordinary demons and evil spirits should possess!"
"Where?"
"Outside Qing Shan Ward, within Lin Jiang Ward, at the boundary between them." The clerk holding the brush spoke in a low voice. "It should be near Ox Horn Mountain."
"Is it a demon or an evil spirit?"
"An evil spirit."
"It should be fine. Little Jing is in Lin Jiang Ward. With his attainments, he can mobilize a large amount of Willow Venerable's divine nature. As long as it is not a 'Ferocious' level evil spirit, he can handle it."
Seventh Master Liu said this, let out a sigh of relief, and then casually waved his hand. "But to be cautious, have Ling He, who is responsible for Qing Shan Ward, take people there to provide assistance."
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