Just then, a strange noise suddenly came from the hollow in the dead tree. Wave after wave of powerful spiritual energy surged out, churning up the surrounding area as countless golden rays appeared once more.
The black-cloaked man's palm stopped less than a foot from Bai Ling's forehead. Turning his hand slightly, he gently stroked her head.
"You should be grateful he isn't dead yet. Otherwise... there would be no reason to keep you around either..." the man said, grinning to reveal his gleaming white teeth.
With that, he withdrew his hand, returned to where he had stood before, and resumed his silent vigil.
Bai Ling had survived the false alarm, but her soul had long since fled beyond the heavens in terror. Now she wanted to cry but had no tears, and kept pleading inwardly for Shen Luo to return alive.
Inside the cavern, Shen Luo was still seated on the ground, though he now sat cross-legged with his palms pressed together, exactly like Sun Wukong in the mural. The phantom images that had surrounded him earlier had all vanished.
Shen Luo slowly opened his eyes. The lingering fluctuations of magic power around him had yet to fade completely, and a smile appeared on his face.
He stretched out both hands and clenched them hard. His knuckles gave a series of crisp cracks, and something like an electric current coursed through the muscles of his arms. He felt filled with explosive strength.
"Going from the Huangting Scripture to the Seventy-Two Transformations seems to have changed more than just my techniques. This body seems much tougher than before, too. I wonder whether the Three-Star Demonbane Divine Ability will be more powerful now?" Shen Luo murmured, sensing the changes in his body.
Just then, a streak of light suddenly swept across