New God Born!

In the darkness, there were endless demons and evils.

Among the various evil entities and strange auras, Wandering Spirits were the most common. Their numbers were virtually endless. They usually invaded people's souls, but could also take their lives.

Evil entities that had developed spiritual awareness were even more bizarre and much harder to dispel.

More importantly, an evil entity such as a "spirit" had already gained the ability to "possess" people.

If the possessed person was lucky enough, a temple could purge it. But afterward, their essence, energy, and spirit would be severely depleted, and they would inevitably fall seriously ill.

However, the soldiers of the City Defense Army were usually not very lucky, because it was impossible for the people from the temples to accompany them at all times while they guarded the city.

And according to the rules of the City Defense Army, the moment a city guard encountered a spirit and was possessed, they could only be executed on the spot.

Regarding Zhao Jing's death last night, the Grand Commander had two suspicions.

Either the killer had been possessed by a spirit.

Or Zhao Jing had been possessed by a spirit.

But there were no traces of evil aura clinging to the remaining half of Zhao Jing's body. That was why the higher-ups of the City Defense Army had been so furious.

"Spirit possession..."

Mr. Jing had also seen the situation before him clearly, and his expression changed drastically at once.

Logically speaking, with his abilities, he should have been able to subdue even a spirit.

But this spirit feared neither Willow Venerable nor common sense.

At that moment, he felt that everything he had learned since childhood was utterly useless. His spirits sank further, and his confidence was completely shattered.

I'm such a useless fool. What's the point of staying alive?

As he thought this, he felt utterly powerless and closed his eyes.

But in the next moment, Mr. Jing suddenly snapped awake. He opened his eyes and shouted, "It is stealing our souls! It wants to devour us!"

But as soon as his voice fell, his heart sank to the bottom again.

The surrounding city defense soldiers and Night Patrol Envoys had already become dazed and vacant-eyed, collapsing one after another onto the ground.

Even the six envoys from the temple had hazy looks in their eyes.

It was over!

Liu Jing was filled with utter despair.

He had cultivated with the help of the temple's incense since childhood, so his soul was tenacious enough for him to awaken instantly.

But the others had sunk deep into it and were beginning to fall into the shadows... In another moment, their souls would be torn away and devoured until nothing remained.

"Is there still a way?"

Meng Lu's strained voice rang out.

His Martial Arts cultivation was not weak, and his blood and qi were relatively vigorous, allowing him to barely maintain his clarity.

But under the influence of the spirit, the lucidity in his eyes had begun to scatter as well.

"It's over..."

Liu Jing's face was deathly pale. In a hoarse voice, he said, "We're doomed!"

He had studied methods at the temple, working hard and diligently. His attainments were profound, and his prospects boundless. He had never imagined that on his first outing to dispel evil, he would lose his life.

Thinking of this, grief welled up in his heart, and tears streamed down his face.

Seeing this, Meng Lu also felt bitter inside. He thought that he had survived guarding the city last night and had a bright future ahead of him. He had only just earned the Grand Commander's recognition, yet now he was about to die here. A bleak sorrow rose within him.

But just then, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have overlooked something earlier.

It seemed that after he had chopped off the old man's head, the spirit had vanished, hiding somewhere nearby.

The other thing that had disappeared and been overlooked by everyone was the Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department?

His heart trembled. He was just about to speak when a cold voice came from the darkness a hundred paces away.

"Found you."

A flash of blade-light suddenly burst forth!

The dark clouds scattered!

The stars and moon shone brightly, and the sky suddenly opened up!

Beneath the starlight and moonlight, Lin Yan stood solemnly, clad in the Golden Silk Black Robe and holding a blade.

At his feet lay the Divine Banner, hacked into two pieces.

As for the so-called spirit, it had been utterly annihilated by that single stroke.

Silence once again descended upon Ox Horn Mountain.

A gentle breeze stirred the treetops.

Not a single person spoke.

At the same time.

In the southern area of Gao Liu City's Outer City stood the city guard office.

Two figures stood high above, gazing into the distance.

The one in front wore a red mask shaped like a rat's head.

The one behind wore a black mask shaped like an ox's head.

"The Sky Gazing Tower has sent word. The Outer Southern Prefecture Office is to dispatch people immediately to provide support."

"Ox Horn Mountain lies at the border between Lin Jiang Ward and Qing Shan Ward. How could a spirit have been born there?"

A grave voice came from beneath the red rat-head mask. "Tonight, was that where the instructor and the clerk were ordered to stand guard?"

"Yes."

The man wearing the black ox-head mask sounded somewhat astonished. "Strange. Back then, Elder Luo supported several Wandering Spirits, offering incense day and night and burning away his own fortune and lifespan to cultivate the Worship of Evil Method. Only then could he barely ask them to act."

"But now he is already old, with depleted blood and qi, poor health, and a weakened spirit. The fact that he has avoided backlash is already astonishing."

"That old wretch couldn't possibly raise an evil entity with spiritual awareness, even if he stuffed his entire body into it."

The black ox-masked man's eyes were filled with astonishment.

The red rat-masked man thought for a moment, then asked, "Could it be that Elder Luo obtained a great deal of the evil aura last night?"

"Even that wouldn't be enough!"

The black ox-masked man gave a reply.

The two then fell silent.

After a long while, the red rat-masked man spoke in a low voice. "Looking across the entire southern district of the Outer City, there is not enough nourishment to allow a Wandering Spirit to develop spiritual awareness."

His eyes gradually grew somewhat bloodshot, as if filled with indescribable excitement. "Even if it devoured every Wandering Spirit that entered the city last night, it still wouldn't be enough."

"Could it be..."

The black ox-masked man had evidently understood as well. He said excitedly, "Tonight, there are direct disciples of the temple priest in both Lin Jiang Ward and Qing Shan Ward."

"The divine nature of Willow Venerable!"

The red rat-masked man clenched his fists and said with a trembling voice, "So that weak Wandering Spirit fused with Willow Venerable's divine nature, giving birth to spiritual awareness and ascending into a 'spirit'?"

"So this is an evil entity that fears neither the 'might of Willow Venerable'?"

The black ox-masked man's tone was grave to the extreme. "It can even use Willow Venerable's divine nature to grow stronger without end?"

"It is Him! It must be Him!"

The red rat-masked man was shocked and furious. "That 'Seed of Divine Intent' that flashed into existence and vanished last year—we searched everywhere for it but couldn't find it. It turns out that it fell into the hands of this old wretch!"

"He obtained the 'Divine Intent Qi Seed' but did not report it. Instead, he secretly fed it to Wandering Souls. He wanted to use it to ascend in a single bound and rise above you and me!"

"No wonder that old wretch has supported evil entities all this time without suffering backlash. It must be because of this fortuitous opportunity!"

"Bastard! Death would not be enough punishment!"

The red rat-masked man was consumed by fury.

But the man in the black ox mask fell silent, his expression turning solemn.

"Actually, Clerk Luo himself is unimportant."

"But the spirit in his possession, which has fused with the Divine Intent Qi Seed, is of supreme importance!"

"This signifies that the first step in the plan we have pursued for years has succeeded!"

The black ox-masked man gradually clenched his fists, unable to stop them from trembling. "Perhaps within our lifetimes, we can completely destroy Gao Liu City..."

"Yes! Yes! Let's hurry and welcome this spirit..."

The red rat-masked man grew excited at his words. "No! Having fused with Willow Venerable's divine nature, it should be called a new 'god'!"

The two exchanged a glance, seeing only surging, uncontrollable emotions deep within each other's eyes.

This newly born "god" feared neither Willow Venerable's divine nature. That meant it could completely resist every method of Willow Venerable's temple!

What Willow Branch Night-Illuminating Lamp, what temple incense and candles, what so-called incense ash—they could all do nothing to threaten its existence!

More importantly, an evil entity that had developed spiritual awareness already possessed the ability to "possess" others!

It could roam freely through Gao Liu City in the darkness, without fear of the "might of Willow Venerable"!

It was also a bizarre existence that could control any "official" in the city at any time!

For a long time to come, it would surely become Gao Liu City's most terrifying nightmare!

"Go! Let's welcome the new god!"

The two looked at each other, and both saw yearning and anticipation filling the other's eyes.

Then they withdrew their gazes and leaped into the air together, heading toward the place where the new god had been born.

"From this day forth, I'll make the people who rule Gao Liu City understand what despair is!"

The red rat-masked man spoke excitedly as he soared through the air.

However, before the two had even landed,

the aura of the new god ahead suddenly vanished into thin air.

"..."

At that moment, everything seemed to freeze.

The thoughts of the two men became rigid.

Their bodies were still in the air, rapidly falling.

And their hearts seemed to have fallen from the sky as well.

With a dull thud,

the two who had leaped into the air landed on the ground, their feet stepping onto the stone bricks.

Yet their hearts seemed to have no bottom, plunging ceaselessly into an endless abyss.

After a moment of silence, the two exchanged a glance.

"So this is despair?"

The black ox-masked man's expression was complicated, and his voice was hoarse.

After a long darkness, they had finally seen a sliver of hope.

Then, just as they took that step, before the raised foot had even touched the ground, they watched the light of hope get snuffed out.