A Malevolent Spirit with Awakened Sentience

The malevolent spirit had taken refuge within the Divine Banner.

The Divine Banner had now become the malevolent spirit's true body!

The "Evil Banner" summoned a sinister wind that actually encircled half of Ox Horn Mountain, trapping everyone inside.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Mr. Jing's voice was filled with shock. "How could this happen?"

The Divine Banner was saturated with Willow Venerable's aura. Yet not only had it failed to suppress the malevolent spirit, it had instead become the vessel upon which the spirit relied!

He had burned a spirit talisman and summoned the divinity of Willow Venerable.

But not only had the divinity failed to destroy the malevolent spirit, it had instead allowed it to grow even stronger!

He had cultivated at Willow Venerable's temple since childhood, and had never heard of such a case.

How could there be a malevolent spirit in this world that feared nothing from Willow Venerable?

Even if it did not fear Willow Venerable, how could it possibly use Willow Venerable's divinity to grow stronger instead?

And how could such a terrifying malevolent spirit have fallen into the hands of someone like Clerk Luo?

The understanding he had built through studying the Law since childhood was utterly destroyed at this moment.

"..."

Even as Meng Lu was horrified, his expression was even more complicated.

When he had come to assist Mr. Jing, Grand Commander Zhao Zhou had told him that he was here to deal with a demon.

Because Mr. Jing did not know Martial Arts, and there was a fear that he might be harmed by the demon.

But as for malevolent spirits, Meng Lu did not need to worry.

Mr. Jing was a disciple of the temple, and everything he had learned was specifically capable of restraining malevolent spirits!

The malevolent spirit that had entered the city last night was merely an ordinary Wandering Spirit. It was rather troublesome for a martial artist, but to Mr. Jing, it was as easy as reaching out and grabbing it.

Yet no one had expected them to encounter such a situation.

At that moment, he had even vaguely wondered whether Mr. Jing had been sent by the enemy.

Otherwise, how could the malevolent spirit have grown stronger and stronger after Mr. Jing had "performed his ritual"?

If the malevolent spirit at the beginning had still been something Meng Lu could withstand with his Martial Arts cultivation, allowing him to protect himself from its corrosion,

then this malevolent spirit, whose evil aura now permeated half the mountain, could easily devour Meng Lu's soul until not even dregs remained.

"What do we do now?"

Just then, a Divine Envoy spoke solemnly in a low voice.

"I have one more method. Cover me!"

Mr. Jing's expression was grave as he spoke.

But the moment his voice fell, several voices rang out one after another!

"Don't!" Meng Lu cried out involuntarily, his heart filled with terror.

"Please put away your divine powers!" The leader of the Night Patrol Envoys was so frightened that his face went pale.

"Please, Mr. Jing, spare our lives!" More Night Patrol Envoys and city-defense soldiers turned deathly pale and begged him one after another.

"I..."

Mr. Jing opened and closed his mouth, speechless for a moment.

He turned his head and saw that the six Divine Envoys behind him were also hesitating to speak, clearly intending to dissuade him.

At that moment, another icy voice rang out.

"If you help 'it' grow any further, I can conclude that you're one of them."

Lin Yan's expression was cold, his tone freezing. "Stand there and don't make a move. Otherwise, I'll split you in two with one slash!"

The atmosphere in the field grew extremely stifling.

Lin Yan's own feelings were also rather complicated. At first, he had merely wanted to witness the temple's methods for driving out evil.

He had never expected that under the temple's methods, the malevolent spirit would seem to have received a heaven-sent opportunity, growing to such a level in mere moments.

If it grew any stronger, it might surpass the limits of a Wandering Spirit and become an Evil Spirit.

Although the stronger the malevolent spirit became, the more Baleful Intent Lin Yan would obtain,

he had no experience dealing with an Evil Spirit.

He could protect himself, but when facing an Evil Spirit he had never fought before, he had no absolute confidence that he could preserve the lives of everyone present.

In Lin Yan's eyes, these people were all guardians of Gao Liu City. If he risked their lives just to scheme for a few more strands of Baleful Intent, that was not how a true man should act!

Thus, he had directly stopped Mr. Jing and prevented him from making another move.

"I..."

Mr. Jing's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally lowered his head in dejection.

He was the personal disciple of the temple priest and had always been treated with deep respect wherever he went.

He had never imagined that after coming to Lin Jiang Ward, at the very edge of the Outer City, he would encounter such a strange and mysterious affair.

He had made mistake after mistake in the span of a few moments, causing the malevolent spirit to become so powerful. He was truly ashamed and could not bring himself to lift his head.

But the Divine Envoys behind him could not bear to see someone from the Outer City treat Mr. Jing with such disrespect.

One of them immediately stepped forward and shouted, "If Mr. Jing does not act, what other method do you have to face the malevolent spirit?"

"If you were facing a demon, as martial artists, you could boldly draw your blades and cut down its flesh."

"But malevolent spirits are formless and bodiless. The edges of the blades in your hands are completely useless."

"Moreover, here in Gao Liu City, even Willow Venerable's divinity cannot suppress it. What other method do you have to escape this place?"

After his voice fell, Mr. Jing raised his hand again.

Seeing this, everyone once more turned their eyes toward the somewhat apologetic-looking Mr. Jing.

"Actually, this malevolent spirit is not too powerful. It has not completely exceeded the limits of a 'Wandering Spirit,' nor has it yet awakened its 'Innate Evil Nature.'"

"According to reason, I should be able to suppress it easily."

"But for some reason, it fears nothing from Willow Venerable's divinity. It can even absorb Willow Venerable's divinity to strengthen itself."

"Such a strange malevolent spirit is unprecedented. I truly have no way to begin. If I use everything I have learned right now, it seems I can only make it stronger, not destroy it."

"At present, if there were an existence in the Essence Refining Realm who had entered the Martial Path, with inner and outer aspects unified, qi and blood blazing like fire, and a physique tough as diamond, then they could withstand 'its' corrosion."

Mr. Jing spoke thus, his voice low. "For now, none of the temple's methods or objects that specifically counter malevolent spirits have any effect on 'it'! But if there were an existence in the Essence Refining Realm, perhaps they could draw forth their heart's blood with the tip of their tongue. With just one mouthful of 'essence blood,' there might be hope of breaking through the malevolent spirit!"

"Where would an Essence Refining Realm expert come from here?"

Just then, a cold laugh rang out, old and hoarse, raw and grating.

Everyone looked over in horror and saw the corpse of the old man with the wine jug on the ground open its eyes, revealing a savage grin.

His waist and abdomen were riddled with holes, resembling a sieve.

Yet he struggled to slowly rise.

With a twisted posture, he stiffly climbed to his feet.

His aged face gradually contorted, his expression sinister and ferocious.

"In Gao Liu City, which of those great figures isn't in the Inner City, wielding immense authority?"

The old man split his mouth, his lips stained with blood, and laughed. "Rather than counting on such a person to save you, you might as well count on becoming a part of me. Together, we'll attain godhood in the future, share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth, and remain imperishable for all eternity..."

Everyone retreated one after another, utterly terrified and horrified, feeling the night turn incomparably cold.

Only Meng Lu gritted his teeth slightly and stepped forward, bringing his blade down to cleave off the old man's head.

But after the head rolled to the ground, it continued staring fixedly at Meng Lu. Opening its mouth, it said, "What courage. Pity your abilities are lacking. Otherwise, I would have taken this body of yours."

After the voice fell, the head closed its eyes and perished completely.

"A malevolent spirit with awakened 'sentience'..."

Meng Lu's heart suddenly sank.