The End of Borrowed Lifespan

Fake.

So fake, in fact, that Shen Bai found it absurd.

It was like a cheap special effect.

But for Wuhua, it seemed to be a source of great pressure.

"That's odd. Such a fake illusion shouldn't have any effect at all," Shen Bai thought to himself, stroking his chin.

After a moment of careful thought, Shen Bai realized the reason.

—The Heart-Cleansing Incantation.

This Divine Ability has two attributes: heart-cleansing and tranquility.

The Sophora Tree Bizarre Entity's attack method was illusion.

In other words, Shen Bai's Divine Ability rendered the Sophora Tree Bizarre Entity ineffective against him.

Of course, there was still some minor effect, like these obviously fake illusions.

As Shen Bai was thinking this, the obviously fake phantoms all rushed towards him.

To others, they might have been terrifying, but with a wave of Shen Bai's hand, the phantoms instantly vanished.

The surroundings became quiet once more, with only the massive Sophora Tree swaying continuously.

Shen Bai turned his head, his brows slightly furrowed.

Wuhua was still in that conflicted state, muttering to himself.

"Beast, beast!"

"Today, this humble monk transforms into a Wrathful Vajra, slaying demons and eradicating evil!"

"If I, Wuhua, were not born into this world, the Buddhist path would be like an endless night!"

"Hahaha, you flatter me, you flatter me. This humble monk merely studies Buddhist scriptures from time to time; I am not worthy of being called a master."

Shen Bai: "?"

I think I've stumbled upon something incredible. This young monk seems to be a closet pervert.

Sure enough, everyone in this world has two sides to their personality.

As Shen Bai thought this, he felt that if Wuhua continued this way, things were going to get serious.

At this moment, Wuhua's aura was becoming increasingly unstable.

Shen Bai pondered briefly, then placed his hand on Wuhua's shoulder.

The next moment, an ancient incantation emanated from Shen Bai's mouth.

When the ancient incantation appeared, a transcendent and ethereal aura emerged from Shen Bai, as if he were a banished immortal from the heavens.

And with the appearance of the incantation, the somewhat deranged Wuhua gradually began to calm down.

The conflict in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by an expression of calm.

"Did this humble monk fall into an illusion?"

"Did Benefactor Shen pull this humble monk out?"

"This… what kind of scripture is this? It has such a miraculous effect?"

Wuhua asked three profound questions, feeling that Shen Bai had become even more mysterious in his eyes.

He could fight, he was intelligent, and he knew mysterious scriptures.

Such a person, if placed in Maple Forest Province, would be fought over by numerous powers, especially since he was still so young.

Shen Bai smiled, "Just a small trick."

The Heart-Cleansing Incantation could be used not only on oneself but also on others, though the effect was slightly diminished.

Wuhua gave a wry smile, "Benefactor, this humble monk is not as good as you. You are the true young prodigy. This humble monk wrongly claimed to be a master among the younger generation of Xuanxin Temple."

Shen Bai patted Wuhua's shoulder and said, "There are many masters in the world. If you have such thoughts every time you encounter one, it will be difficult to make progress."

Wuhua nodded, clasped his hands together, "This humble monk was too attached to superficial appearances."

Shen Bai said no more. Standing side by side with Wuhua, he walked towards the Sophora Tree.

The closer they got to the Sophora Tree, the more real the illusions became.

But for Shen Bai, the illusions were still too fake.

The Heart-Cleansing Incantation, like a sacred text from the heavens, continuously spread throughout this island.

Wuhua, following behind Shen Bai, instinctively swallowed.

He felt that when Shen Bai chanted the incantation, it was as if thousands of immortals surrounded him, making him both mysterious and terrifying.

The originally troublesome task seemed to become as simple as eating and drinking.

After a few breaths, the two arrived in front of the Sophora Tree.

The Sophora Tree weakly stretched its branches, exerting its full power to conjure illusions, but against Shen Bai, it was utterly ineffective.

"It's time for this to end."

Shen Bai drew the longsword from his waist.

The sword light flashed, a brilliant, righteous aura, like a blazing sun.

With one swing of his sword, a massive wound appeared on the Sophora Tree.

The entire Sophora Tree trembled, weakly shaking under the force of that single sword strike.

A wisp of ash appeared at the top of the Sophora Tree, and gradually, the entire tree, under Shen Bai's longsword, turned into a sky full of embers.

Two wisps of Malevolent Qi drifted, then entered Shen Bai's body.

Shen Bai's face was expressionless, but his heart was overflowing with joy.

He had initially thought this trip would yield, at most, one wisp of Malevolent Qi. He never expected to get two.

On second thought, it made sense. This Sophora Tree originated from Xuanxin Temple and was an extremely powerful Bizarre Entity, so acquiring two wisps of Malevolent Qi was normal.

One could only say that Shen Bai was a natural bane to the Sophora Tree.

On the ground, the remains of the Hundred Healers Valley disciple had not vanished.

However, once the Sophora Tree was destroyed, the expressions on the remains shifted from agony to peace.

Wuhua stepped forward to inspect them, pressing his palms together. "No resentment has festered. Even after enduring such a fate, her mind remained clear as a mirror after death. Truly worthy of a Hundred Healers Valley disciple."

Shen Bai looked at the remains and said, "Bury her."

Wuhua nodded. "Benefactor, please wait while this humble monk recites scriptures for her transcendence."

Passages of Buddhist scriptures emanated from Wuhua's mouth, imbued with a sacred aura.

After about an incense stick's worth of time, Wuhua finally stopped.

The two men worked together to bury the body in the center of the island.

Wuhua extended his hand, and the Buddha Beads were offered to Shen Bai.

Shen Bai asked, "What does this mean?"

Wuhua smiled. "If not for the Benefactor on this journey, this humble monk would have been in grave danger. The abbot once said that monks are also human and should remember kindness. So, I offer these Buddha Beads to the Benefactor."

Shen Bai raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid the temple will blame you? These Buddha Beads were given to you by the abbot."

Wuhua shook his head. "They were meant to be used, and there was only one chance. Now that the Sophora Tree has been dealt with, the Buddha Beads have fulfilled their purpose."

Shen Bai thought for a moment, then took the Buddha Beads into his hand.

He needed Bizarre Items, and since Wuhua was gifting them, there was no reason to refuse.

"Let's go, it's time to head back," Shen Bai said.

This trip not only yielded two wisps of Malevolent Qi but also a Bizarre Item. For Shen Bai, it was an incredibly profitable venture.

Upon returning, he would be able to rapidly increase his strength.

Especially when he thought about the imminent qualitative change to his Heart-Cleansing Incantation and the ability to appraise the Buddha Beads with one wisp of Malevolent Qi, Shen Bai was eager to rush back.

Wuhua nodded in agreement, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Benefactor, you should be careful for a while."

Shen Bai was already preparing to leave. Hearing Wuhua's words, he asked curiously, "Is there something big happening recently?"

Wuhua nodded. "The Heavenly Oversight Bureau's inspection is imminent. That's a big deal."

Shen Bai was slightly puzzled. "It's an official inspection. What does that have to do with me?"

The Heavenly Oversight Bureau's inspection was indeed important, but it should be the magistrate who was most worried. He was just an ordinary citizen, albeit a rather skilled fighter, so it had nothing to do with him.

Wuhua sighed. "Xuanxin Temple cooperates with the Heavenly Oversight Bureau in eliminating Bizarre Entities and has a good relationship with them. We've learned some news from the Maple Forest Province's Heavenly Oversight Bureau."

"This inspection, for other places, is just an inspection. Only Maple Forest Province is different."

"Besides the inspection, there's one more thing…"