The Evil Shrine at the Bottom of the Well, Incense Deceiving the Gods

The night was as black as ink, completely swallowing Black Water Town. The last trace of vitality from the day had vanished, leaving the entire town terrifyingly silent. Not even a dog bark could be heard, only the wind whistling through the empty streets, emitting a mournful sigh. Every house had its doors and windows tightly shut, and the sparse lamplight seeping through the cracks did nothing to bring warmth, instead adding a touch of the uncanny.

Li Yifan hid in the canopy of a large, leafy ancient tree about thirty feet away from Zhang Tie's abandoned well. He activated the breath-concealing technique of the Netherworld Ghost Shadow Steps to its absolute limit, his entire being seeming to merge with the dense foliage, his breath and heartbeat almost imperceptible. His gaze was sharp, piercing through the darkness, fixed firmly on the well covered by a stone slab.

Time trickled by. The moon reached its zenith, its cold light barely illuminating the ground, making the dark well appear even more sinister. The evil aura, a mixture of foul sweetness and decay, emanating from the cracks in the stone slab seemed to grow more active with the deepening night, seeping out in wisps.

Suddenly, Li Yifan's spiritual sense detected a faint movement! Not from the well, but a soft footstep from a distant alley!

He immediately focused his mind and looked intently. A blurry shadow, like a phantom, silently emerged from the alley's darkness and shuffled towards the well. In the faint moonlight, Li Yifan saw the person's appearance – it was the old watchman from earlier, surnamed Chen, who was responsible for the night watch. But now, Old Watchman Chen's eyes were hollow and vacant, a strange, infatuated smile on his face, his movements stiff, as if sleepwalking, completely unresponsive to his surroundings.

"Controlled?" Li Yifan's heart tightened.

Old Watchman Chen walked directly to the well, seemingly oblivious to the dense evil energy. Instead, he looked as if he had smelled a delicacy, a look of intoxication on his face. He extended a trembling hand, not to lift the well cover, but to pull something from his pocket – it was a palm-sized, dark red... memorial tablet? Or rather, a crudely made spirit tablet!

Even more chilling, Old Watchman Chen respectfully placed the small tablet by the well. Then, from another pocket, he took out three thin incense sticks emitting the same strange scent. He lit them with a fire starter. The incense burned extremely slowly, emitting a peculiar dark red smoke that rose and, instead of dispersing into the air, seemed to have a life of its own, seeping in wisps into the cracks of the stone slab!

As the incense burned, the evil energy from the well seemed to be nourished, becoming more active. Old Watchman Chen then knelt by the well, facing the small tablet and the well opening, and began to kowtow and worship, muttering words that were indistinct and unclear. Only fragments like "bless... peace... sacrifice..." could be vaguely heard.

"Incense offering? Evil god worship?" Li Yifan's heart burned with anger! This was clearly someone using evil arts to control villagers and absorb some kind of evil incense power! The thing in the well was likely not naturally occurring, but an evil spirit being artificially worshipped!

He suppressed the urge to act immediately and continued to observe. Old Watchman Chen knelt for about the time it took for one stick of incense to burn. Only when the three incense sticks were extinguished did he slowly rise, the infatuated look on his face receding slightly, but his eyes remained hollow. He collected the tablet and the ashes, and then, like a sleepwalker, shuffled back into the shadows of the alley from which he came.

The entire process was silent. If Li Yifan hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he would never have believed such a bizarre scene was unfolding in the dead of night.

"I must go down the well to investigate!" Li Yifan made up his mind. This evil shrine was at the bottom of the well. If it wasn't destroyed, the sleeping sickness in Black Water Town would never stop, and might even worsen.

He waited patiently for a moment, confirming there were no other anomalies. Then, like a falling leaf, he silently slid down from the canopy, landing without a sound. He approached the well, held his breath, and once again circulated his Nine Yang True Qi to protect his entire body, especially his spiritual platform and sea of consciousness, to prevent the evil energy from invading.

Taking a deep breath, he exerted force and lifted the heavy stone slab!

"Buzz—"

A cold, evil energy ten times more potent than before surged out from the well like a geyser! Even with his true qi protecting him, Li Yifan felt a bone-chilling cold and a sway in his mind! The well was as black as ink, bottomless, and the source of the evil energy was below!

Li Yifan no longer hesitated. He took out the grappling hook and chain he had prepared, secured it, and then, gripping the rope, leaped into the well!

The space below the well was much wider than he had anticipated. The well walls were slippery and covered in moss. After descending about five or six feet, his feet touched solid ground. The bottom of the well was not entirely water, but a relatively dry gravel surface. And on one side of the well wall, there was a narrow opening, artificially carved, just large enough for one person to pass through! The dense evil energy was continuously emanating from this opening!

A faint dark red light flickered within the opening.

Li Yifan drew the Wind Breaking Blade from his back. The blade glowed with a faint green light under the infusion of internal energy. He carefully crouched and squeezed into the opening.

Inside was a narrow passage extending diagonally downwards. The air was foul, and the evil energy was almost tangible. After walking about ten steps, the space suddenly opened up into a naturally formed underground cave, about the size of a room!

In the center of the cave was a small pool of water, as black as the Black Water River itself. And beside the pool, illuminated by a few pieces of weakly phosphorescent ore on the cave wall, Li Yifan saw a sight that made his scalp tingle!

By the pool, a crude altar was built with loose stones. On the altar, there was no statue of a god, but a peculiar puppet about three feet tall, carved entirely from some kind of black, withered wood! The puppet's face was blurry, but its posture was twisted, exuding an extreme sense of malice and greed. Embedded in the puppet's chest was a pulsating, dark red, tumor-like object the size of a pigeon's egg. The source of the strong evil energy fluctuations was this very object!

Scattered around the altar were some white bones and decaying animal carcasses, filling the air with a nauseating stench. What made Li Yifan's pupils contract the most was that in front of the altar, three figures were kneeling! Judging by their clothing, they were residents of Black Water Town, two men and one woman. Like Old Watchman Chen before them, their eyes were hollow, and they were continuously kowtowing to the black puppet, muttering incoherently. A wisp of turbid evil energy, originating from the same source as that in Zhang Tie's body, coiled around their foreheads, clearly indicating they were completely controlled.

And wisps of dark red smoke, containing faint fluctuations of soul power, were rising from the heads of these three villagers, being greedily absorbed by the dark red tumor in the puppet's chest!

"Soul-Devouring Demon Wood? Or… an evil god puppet?" Li Yifan was shocked. This was clearly an altar set up by an evil cultivator to collect the power of souls and nourish an evil object! The tumor in the puppet's chest was likely the core of the evil entity!

As if sensing the presence of a living person, the black puppet suddenly "came alive"! Its blurry face turned towards Li Yifan, and two points of scarlet light ignited in its hollow eye sockets! Simultaneously, a sharp, piercing, soul-shattering shriek exploded in the cave!

"Screech—!"

The three kneeling villagers trembled violently, black blood oozing from their orifices, yet they continued to kowtow numbly, their life force being rapidly drained!

Li Yifan felt a sharp pain in his mind, as if countless steel needles were piercing it! But he was prepared. He circulated the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique with all his might, his crimson-gold true essence surging within him, unleashing an aura of utmost yang and extreme hardness, instantly dispelling most of the soul attack!

"Monster! Die!"

Li Yifan roared, his voice like thunder echoing in the cave, attempting to awaken the controlled villagers. At the same time, his body moved like lightning, the Wind Breaking Blade transforming into a streak of cyan light, slashing directly at the black puppet!

However, the puppet was surprisingly agile. It suddenly leaped from the altar, its withered wooden arms swinging, bringing forth streaks of dark evil energy that whipped towards Li Yifan like lashes! The evil energy collided with the blade light of the Wind Breaking Blade, emitting a "hissing" sound, and surprisingly managed to hold its ground!

At the same time, the three controlled villagers, as if receiving a command, had their eyes blaze with red light, letting out beast-like roars as they charged fearlessly at Li Yifan! Their movements were stiff, but their strength was immense, their fingers sharp, clearly corrupted by the evil energy and having lost their minds!

Li Yifan was immediately put on the defensive! He had to deal with the puppet's evil energy attacks while also being careful not to harm the controlled villagers, which made him somewhat hesitant!

"I must deal with the puppet quickly!" Li Yifan's mind raced. He unleashed the Netherworld Ghost Shadow Steps to their extreme, leaving afterimages in the narrow cave, dodging the villagers' attacks while his blade light continuously slashed at the puppet.

But the tumor in the puppet's chest pulsed more violently, emitting a dense dark red evil light that formed a shield, protecting the puppet. The Wind Breaking Blade struck the shield, only causing ripples and failing to penetrate! Instead, the evil shrieks and soul attacks from the puppet constantly interfered with Li Yifan.

Constant defense leads to defeat! Li Yifan forced back a charging villager with one strike, but his left arm was grabbed by another. Sparks flew from his Black Iron Chain Mail, leaving several white marks! Although he was not injured, the immense impact caused his qi and blood to surge.

"No more hesitation!" A sharp glint flashed in Li Yifan's eyes. Ordinary methods wouldn't work quickly enough. It seemed he had to use his trump card!

He suddenly leaped backward, temporarily creating distance, and switched the Wind Breaking Blade to his left hand. He brought his right index and middle fingers together, circulating the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique at an unprecedented speed. The Nine Yang True Fire in his dantian, which had reached minor completion, was fully ignited!

"Heart like the scorching sun, burn all evil!"

Crimson-gold light condensed at his fingertips, and a terrifying will that could burn through all directions and purify everything instantly filled the entire cave! The dense evil energy, as if encountering its nemesis, made a "sizzling" sound and rapidly dissolved and retreated!

The black puppet seemed to sense a fatal threat, letting out an incredibly terrified shriek. The tumor in its chest throbbed wildly, and the dark red shield flared brightly!

But it was too late!

"Scorching Sun Finger!"

Li Yifan pointed his fingers like a sword and struck! A finger wind, condensed like crimson-gold crystal thread and emitting purifying flames, tore through the air. At a speed exceeding sound, it ignored the dark red shield and accurately struck the pulsating dark red tumor in the puppet's chest!

"Pfft!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a light sound like burning rotten wood. The crimson-gold finger wind easily pierced the tumor! The power of the utmost yang and extreme hardness of the Nine Yang True Fire surged in!

"Awooo--!"

A shriek, so piercing it sounded inhuman, erupted from within the puppet! The tumor writhed and swelled within the pure flames, then with a "bang," it exploded! Turning into a sky full of flying ash!

The moment the tumor burst, a more refined, yet more venomous, soul impact spread outwards like a tide! Li Yifan bore the brunt of it, but he was prepared. His Nine Yang True Qi shielded his spiritual core, though his body still swayed.

The three controlled villagers, caught in the soul shockwave, stiffened abruptly. The red glow in their eyes rapidly faded, and they slumped to the ground, unconscious. The foul, malevolent energy at their brows also dissipated with the destruction of the tumor.

The black puppet, having lost its core, seemed to have its soul ripped out. The scarlet light in its eyes extinguished, and with a "crack," it fell onto the altar, shattering into several pieces of ordinary deadwood.

The dense evil energy within the cave began to rapidly dissipate, and the suffocating pressure vanished.

Li Yifan let out a long breath, his face slightly pale. The continuous high-intensity combat, especially the final activation of the Nine Yang True Fire to unleash Scorching Sun Finger, had drained him significantly. He quickly took a few Qi-replenishing pills and meditated briefly.

Confirming that the evil entity had been thoroughly destroyed, he walked over to the three unconscious villagers and checked their condition. Although their souls were damaged and evil energy had invaded their bodies, the core evil source was gone, and their lives should be out of danger, requiring only good care and recuperation.

He searched the cave meticulously and, in a crevice behind the altar, discovered a small oilcloth package. Inside, he found a booklet with a special material cover adorned with twisted runes, along with several fragments of jade talismans etched with teleportation formations.

On the cover of the booklet, written in ancient script, was "The Bewitching Incense and Offering."

"As expected, a demonic cultivator's method!" Li Yifan flipped through the booklet. It detailed how to create that dark red incense, set up the altar, and use the puppet and evil core to absorb the life force of souls, converting it into incense and offering power – a wicked practice. The teleportation formation fragments suggested that a demonic cultivator might have used this method for remote control or to receive offerings.

Pocketing the oilcloth package, Li Yifan carried the three unconscious villagers back to the surface via the rope. The eastern sky was already showing the pale white of dawn.

He settled the three in a safe place, then found the town mayor. Revealing his identity, he explained the situation (omitting details like the Nine Yang True Fire), stating that the evil source was eliminated but the villagers needed time to recover. He also urged them to conduct thorough checks and destroy any similar dark red incense or suspicious spirit tablets.

Watching the sky gradually brighten and the first brave villagers cautiously opening their doors to peek out, Li Yifan knew that Black Water Town's nightmare had finally ended. Yet, he felt little relief. The Bewitching Incense and Offering, along with the teleportation jade talismans, indicated that a larger conspiracy might be hidden behind this incident.

"Time to go back and complete the mission." Li Yifan collected himself and turned away from the land that had just experienced a silent battle.