Battle with the Envoy

Liuyun Lake's surface was clear and still, not a ripple in sight.

After leaving Huaixi Village, Shen Bai and Wuhua headed straight for Liuyun Lake.

With the village matters mostly settled, save for the Sophora Tree issue, Shen Bai's thoughts were now focused on Liuyun Lake.

Nothing unusual happened on the way.

When Shen Bai and Wuhua arrived, they stood by the lake, gazing at the situation in the center.

In the middle of the lake was a small island.

And on that island stood an enormous Sophora Tree.

Its branches were dense with foliage, and its leaves rustled in the wind, creating a soft, rustling sound.

"Such a beautiful sight, yet it hides such depravity. The abbot said the world is in chaos, and it truly is so," Wuhua remarked, sighing with emotion as he stood by the lake.

Shen Bai narrowed his eyes. "Are you still not going to tell me your true purpose for this trip?"

Shen Bai had previously asked Wuhua why Xuanxin Temple had only sent him alone, and Wuhua had said it was inconvenient to say.

Now, Shen Bai asked again.

Wuhua clasped his hands together, thought for a moment, then said, "Throughout this journey, I've come to know that although you, benefactor, are ruthless in your actions, you are ultimately a good person. There's no harm in telling you."

A good person?

It was the first time Shen Bai had heard someone describe him that way, but he didn't refute it. Instead, he gestured for Wuhua to continue, his hand still on the hilt of the longsword at his waist.

Wuhua gathered his thoughts. "The matter of the Sophora Tree is a stain on Xuanxin Temple's reputation. Xuanxin Temple doesn't want too many people to know. If we were to send out a large force, and the world learned that Xuanxin Temple nurtured a Bizarre Entity, you, benefactor, should know the consequences."

Shen Bai understood immediately.

Even a temple dedicated to subduing demons and devils was, in the end, a force within the martial world.

If others learned that Xuanxin Temple's Sophora Tree had become a Bizarre Entity, it would not only be a loss of face but also a huge blow to the reputation of their sect.

But what Shen Bai didn't understand was that even if it concerned their reputation, sending only Wuhua seemed a bit inappropriate.

Wuhua seemed to read Shen Bai's thoughts and pulled a round bead from his embrace.

The moment Shen Bai saw the bead, his eyes lit up.

This was a Bizarre Item.

Before Shen Bai's eyes, a line of smoke-like text appeared.

[Glowing Buddha Beads]

[Appraisal Progress: 0%]

[A wisp of Malevolent Qi can quickly appraise]

The fact that it could be triggered by his Cheat System and generate text clearly indicated that this was the Bizarre Item Shen Bai had been yearning for.

Wuhua nodded and said, "This Bizarre Item is a treasure of Xuanxin Temple. When fully activated, it can emit Buddha's Light, equivalent to twice my strength. So, this is my trump card."

At this point, Shen Bai roughly understood the reason.

No wonder Wuhua dared to come alone; he had brought a Bizarre Item.

Bizarre Items were so precious, yet Xuanxin Temple was willing to part with it. It seemed they truly wanted to cover up the Sophora Tree incident.

Shen Bai nodded. "In that case, let's resolve this quickly."

Although it was a Bizarre Item, it belonged to Xuanxin Temple and was in Wuhua's hands, so Shen Bai didn't entertain any covetous thoughts.

For now, his main focus was on the enormous Sophora Tree.

Having said all they needed to say, the two stopped talking and walked together to the lakeside.

The lake water was clear and transparent, reflecting the moonlight.

Shen Bai stood on the bank, gazing into the lake, feeling a cold wind rise around him.

As the cold wind passed, Shen Bai saw the scene within the lake.

The surface of the lake appeared beautiful, but that was just the surface.

Beneath the surface, dark shadows slowly drifted with the flow of the water.

Under Shen Bai's gaze, the dark shadows gradually revealed their true forms.

They were corpses, about a dozen of them.

Their eyes were tightly closed in the lake water, and due to the water, their skin was swollen and pale, their true appearances no longer discernible.

And from the heart of each corpse, a black branch extended.

Looking closely, one could see that the ends of these black branches originated from the island in the center of the lake.

On the island in the middle of the lake, a Sophora Tree stood. There was no need to wonder what these branches were.

"Using humans as blood sacrifices, this Bizarre Entity is growing stronger and stronger," Wuhua said, a grave expression on his face as he witnessed the scene.

When humans are used as blood sacrifices, their deaths give rise to Malevolent Qi.

Then, by soaking the corpses in the lake and inserting Sophora Tree roots into them, the Malevolent Qi is continuously absorbed by the Sophora Tree, making its power even more terrifying.

Shen Bai rubbed his chin and said, "Let's finish this quickly."

Now that they understood the situation and knew their enemies, the simplest and most effective method was to directly resolve the situation.

Wuhua was about to speak when, at that very moment, something unusual happened by the lake.

The calm lake water began to churn, and mist rose from its surface.

Within the mist, a bamboo raft was gradually becoming clear from its blurry form.

On the raft, a boatman wearing a straw cape propelled it with a bamboo pole, slowly approaching the shore.

His eyes were as red as blood, staring intently at Shen Bai and Wuhua.

"That's the Guiding Guest Village Chief Yang mentioned."

Shen Bai drew the longsword from his waist.

A chilling voice emanated from the bamboo raft, as if winter was about to descend.

"This entire village was my painstaking effort, and now it's all gone. Since that's the case, I'll capture you two so I can report back to the higher-ups."

As the voice spoke, a cold mist rose from the lake's surface, forming a thin layer of ice.

Shen Bai didn't know how the other party knew, but given the current situation, a battle could erupt at any moment.

After the boatman finished speaking, he gripped the bamboo pole tightly, his fingers contracting, and the pole instantly shattered.

A silver spear appeared in the boatman's hand. At the same time, the straw cape on his body seemed to wriggle like worms, continuously weaving itself into a soft armor.

Even more bizarre, the boatman's face was heavily rouged, like an actor on a stage.

Seeing this, Wuhua's expression turned solemn. "Benefactor, be careful. This person is the Opera Envoy, one of the Twelve Envoys of the Upper Evil Gate. He specializes in using a long spear, and it's said that where his spear passes, not a blade of grass grows."

Wuhua didn't finish his sentence because he saw that the longsword in Shen Bai's hand had already been unsheathed.

On the longsword, a brilliant righteous aura flowed, and the surrounding cold mist instantly scattered as if swept away by a strong gust of wind.

Clang!

Accompanied by a clang of metal, terrifying splashes erupted across the entire lake.

The Opera Envoy used his long spear to block Shen Bai's longsword, a flicker of astonishment in his blood-red eyes.

"A master swordsman? The Five Hearts Sect Master died by a sword. Was that your doing?"

Shen Bai calmly replied, "You'll find out once you're down there, won't you?"

The Opera Envoy sneered, "Attack."

As soon as he finished speaking, a corpulent figure suddenly emerged from the water, raising a pair of giant palms and striking at Shen Bai's back.