Wait a minute, where is my master?

Fifteen minutes ago.

Inside the shrine, the fire atop oil lamps flickered softly, accompanied by the slight crackling sound of kerosene igniting.

After Jin Xu asked if you are sure, the bronze lamp hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"What do you mean by your words, Fellow Daoist?"

The tone remained steady and calm.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to ask the Divine Lamp, what was that faint trace of black energy when you just lit the candle flame?"

Jin Xu's tone was calm, but his arm was already imbued with golden spiritual power.

Just now, he seemed to be wandering around the shrine listlessly, not joining the conversation.

In reality, his spiritual sense had been locked onto this lamp without the slightest relaxation. The moment the flame of the bronze lamp was lit, a thread of extremely fine black energy had suddenly mixed into the pale golden Qi of the lamp.

"Fellow Daoist, do not speak nonsense. I have been enlightened by the offerings of incense and follow the orthodox path. How could there be any black energy?"

The tone of the bronze lamp grew serious, and the flames burning on the wick even rose an inch higher, as if angered by the Taoist's slander.

"Are you really sure?"

"If you doubt me, then I..."

To be on the safe side, Jin Xu conjured golden lightning in his right hand, then heard the bronze lamp change its tune.

"Then I suppose I must tell you the truth..."

The lamp spoke sincerely. It had not expected that this cultivator, who seemed to have no fluctuations of spiritual power, could exhibit such a terrifying presence!

Then, the lamp started to explain to the little Taoist. It appeared to be just one lamp but in reality harbored a dual soul. The two wicks on the lamp each held the soul of her and her sister.

The sisters took turns managing the bronze lamp, and life was quite comfortable for them.

Their main activity was to receive the worship of the townspeople, responsible for solving the single status of men and women who came to offer incense in the shrine. She would bless anyone she could, while her sister only blessed the good-looking ones.

The two absorbed the power of worship day after day. Although progress was slow, it was stable.

However, a few months ago, her sister suddenly became excited and told her she had found a way to quickly increase her cultivation: by absorbing the negative emotions of the town.

She felt this method was inappropriate and advised against it, but to no avail.

Whenever her sister managed the lamp, she would secretly absorb the town's negative emotions to cultivate, and over time, her sister, who was originally weaker in cultivation, was almost catching up to her.

Though her cultivation improved quickly.

The downside of cultivating with negative emotions gradually became apparent. Her sister started to become extreme, cruel, and even began to harm people these days.

She wanted to stop her but couldn't bear to harm her seriously, only able to suppress her sister's soul into a deep sleep, but recently it was almost uncontrollable.

After the explanation, the bronze lamp spoke again.

"It's indeed an embarrassing matter, which is why I concealed it from Fellow Daoist."

The lamp's once calm tone now bore a hint of apology and loss, the flame on the wick dwindling to the size of a soybean.

Jin Xu laughed after hearing the story concocted by the lamp.

Lifting his left hand, he scratched the back of his head with resignation and mumbled, "Does this lamp think I'm easy to deceive because I look naive?"

Just now, he had swept through the entire bronze lamp with the power of the Sea of Consciousness and, while he didn't know by what means she concealed the resentment, there was certainly no such sister in the wick.

Inside the entire lamp, there was only one soul present.

Hearing the Taoist's mutterings, the bronze lamp realized that the hastily made-up story hadn't fooled him and instantly switched faces.

"Since Fellow Daoist insists on courting death, then do not blame me for being impolite!"

As it spoke, the flame on the wick turned a pale greenish-white color and soared upwards. The base of the bronze lamp also began to show patches of rust, taking on a more chilling aura as the entire lamp suddenly shifted from its initial air of neutrality to the standard image of a villain.

Seeing the sudden change before him, Jin Xu readied his Hand Palm Thunder, poised for action.

Although he felt the opponent's strength wasn't great, it was his first time facing someone who practiced the Fire God Tao, and he feared they had some method unknown to him.

Better to be cautious.

Then, the little Taoist saw the seemingly mighty bronze lamp smash directly through the shrine's roof and fly into the high sky.

"???"

Jin Xu instinctively raised his right hand and released the palm thunder.

In the sky.

The bronze lamp, having just escaped the temple hall, suddenly felt heat from below and looked down.

Hiss~ The fright made the lamp oil spill out.

Visible to the naked eye.

A thick and fierce column of golden lightning struck right at its base.

So hot... so warm... Why can Hand Palm Thunder reach so high? That was the last thought of the bronze lamp.

Immediately after, the golden thunder completely engulfed her.

Inside the temple hall.

Well, it should be solved now, right? The young Taoist looked outside through the huge hole in the roof.

Then, the entire roof collapsed with a loud bang.

The temple hall had become a convertible.

Outside.

A young and an old constable, having just witnessed the Taoist's impressive lighting technique, one of them tremblingly said,

"Uncle... Captain Li, can I... can I take a leave? I want to go home and change my pants."

"Wait... wait, your uncle will go with you in a moment."

The two slowly retreated, leaving deep footprints behind.

...

In Shangjing City.

The Demon Sect's Third Elder had a thought.

Hm? The lamp that I casually enlightened outside Gusu City, why has it disappeared as well?

That bronze lamp was one that the Third Elder of the Demon Sect had, on a whim, taught magic to absorb negative emotions on her way past Gusu City, which led her onto an evil path.

Originally, she was going to visit Yao Chen in Medicine King Valley, but she had found him dead, so she didn't enter Gusu City.

Instead, passing by Qian Deng Town, she discovered a young cultivator practicing the Fire God Tao and casually enlightened him.

Forget it, since it was just a whimsical action, its purpose was merely to stir the waters a bit.

Since it's dead, it doesn't matter.

She'd better check on the progress of her subordinates' Dao elimination plan.

With that, she took out a Communication Jade Token and began inquiring about the progress.

...

At the entrance of Qian Deng Town, three teachers from Qingmu Academy were transfixed by the place where the golden lightning column had vanished.

They were all too familiar with it.

That thing had almost caused Qingmu Academy to lose a highly respected elder.

The first to regain composure was Mr. Mei, wearing a plum-colored scholar's robe; he wanted to fly towards where the golden column had disappeared but was quickly grabbed by the collar by Mr. Song, one of the Three Cold Friends, and firmly held in place with his left hand.

Simultaneously, with his right hand, he preemptively grabbed the collar of another teacher wearing a bright green scholar's robe. Mr. Zhu looked at him puzzled.

"Have you forgotten the dean's command?" Song Xili's face was very serious as he held onto their collars and spoke.

When Qingmu Academy had the incident, the dean initially was furious and conducted a thorough investigation.

Latterly, all orders were suddenly withdrawn, proclaiming it to be a misunderstanding—claiming it was the old dean creating a new magic that caused the strange phenomenon.

However, teachers of their level all knew the old dean was genuinely injured, but as for why and how severely, or who was responsible, there was no news at all.

It was only three days later that the academy suddenly issued a baffling order.

It was that when their students traversed the Cultivation World, they should avoid provoking Taoists as much as possible, and if they encountered any young and good-looking Taoist, they must absolutely not provoke them!

Old-timers know that when traveling, monks, Taoists, nuns, the elderly, women, and children, are all best avoided.

But for the academy to specifically warn against provoking Taoists, there had to be an issue.

ps: Thanks to missingjc for the monthly ticket, and also thank you everyone for your recommendation votes, xoxo~