Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Ye Zhi Qiu waved his folding fan, watching with a smile, his gaze lingering on Shen Zhen for a moment, as if deep in thought.

Feng Yu's eyes were deep and profound.

"Envoy Shen's prestige among the western tribes is truly admirable. I've heard you've broken through to the second tier? Congratulations!" There were no unnecessary pleasantries; his tone held a hint of inquiry.

Su Mingyuan, Qiu Zhengnan, and others also stepped forward to offer their congratulations, their gazes filled with complex emotions.

When they heard from Ye Zhi Qiu and Zhao Huai Jin that Shen Zhen had used a second-stage early-stage reverse attack to defeat a shaman with combat power approaching that of a third-stage warrior, everyone fell silent, looking at Shen Zhen as if he were a monster.

Su Mingyuan's smile was gentle, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes:

"Special Envoy Shen, congratulations!" The greeting was brief and polite, without any unnecessary praise, but it concealed a hidden agenda.

Qiu Zhengnan remained cold, only saying two words: "Impressive." Though brief, it could not conceal the shock and recognition in his heart.

Gu Chengye was the last to arrive. He offered his congratulations with a cupped hand, his tone polite but his eyes slightly distant.

Especially when he heard that Shen Zhen might have absorbed the evil power of "fear," his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. This kind of power is absolutely forbidden in orthodox cultivation concepts.

Teammates Qi Xuejian and Li Qingyan were genuinely happy for Shen Zhen. Qi Xuejian's eyes lit up.

"Captain Shen, we are all proud of you." Li Qingyan, Zhou Shi, and others nodded with smiles.

As comrades who went through this life-or-death experience together, Ye Zhi Qiu and Zhao Huai Jin had even more complex feelings.

Ye Zhi Qiu stopped joking and said in a low voice:

"Brother Shen, that power... are you alright?"

Although Zhao Huaijin remained silent, he expressed his concern with his eyes, but also hinted at a touch of pride.

In the crowd, Chen Xi's gaze remained fixed on Shen Zhen. Looking at the exhaustion on his pale face, and recalling how he shielded her from the attack and his resolute figure on the sacrificial ground, feelings of tenderness grew in her heart, and her eyes softened.

Wu Xian saw everything, his eyes darkened for a moment, then returned to normal.

Just then, Qian Sihai, along with Qian Duoduo and a group of servants, squeezed through with smiles on their faces.

"Special Envoy Shen! All heroes have returned in triumph!" Qian Sihai's voice boomed as he bowed to Shen Zhen, his tone both shrewd and warm.

"I heard that the Special Envoy has successfully vanquished the evil spirit; what a magnificent feat! Duoduo, quickly pay your respects to Special Envoy Shen! If you could receive even a little guidance from him, it would be your great fortune!"

Qian Duoduo obediently stepped forward to greet him and was about to bow when Shen Zhen quickly stepped aside to stop her, saying with a wry smile:

"President Qian, you absolutely mustn't! I am still figuring things out myself, how dare I presume to be a teacher? You're making me feel utterly ashamed."

Qian Sihai's smile remained unchanged, but his tone became more earnest:

"You are too modest, Special Envoy. It is hardly an opportunity for me to offer guidance. If there is a chance in the future, I would be extremely grateful if my son could have a chance to exchange ideas with you."

Shen Zhen had no choice but to agree, knowing it was not advisable to offend this local bully.

"President Qian, you flatter me. There's nothing wrong with exchanging ideas and learning from each other."

Feng Yu chuckled softly from the side:

"President Qian, Special Envoy Shen is focused on exorcising evil, he doesn't have time to specifically instruct this young man."

Agutuo, who was standing nearby, also came over and flattered her in broken Mandarin. Shen Zhen glanced at him indifferently, and he immediately shrank back and shut his mouth, but the fawning look in his eyes did not diminish at all.

At this moment, Hu Sandao's wife and daughters arrived and kowtowed to Shen Zhen and the others to express their gratitude. Other peddler's families also arrived one after another, and the city gate was immediately filled with cries, laughter, and words of thanks, creating a touching scene.

Han Zhong and Wei Qingxu were beaming, as if they were the ones who had done the good work. The lingering fear in their hearts had long since vanished, replaced by genuine credit and pride, and their faces were beaming with joy.

Shen Zhen never expected that this battle would make him famous.

Of course, this is something.

The welcoming banquet was held at the prefect's residence, where guests and hosts alike enjoyed themselves immensely.

After the banquet, Shen Zhen declined the maidservants arranged by Han Zhong, saying she needed to recuperate, and returned to her room at the inn alone.

After closing the door and shutting out the noise from the outside world, Shen Zhen sat cross-legged on the couch. Instead of falling asleep immediately, he began to review the battle with the shaman.

The ingenious use of spatial power, the fusion of despairing mental power and the blazing sun cage, the purification of the blue lamp at the critical moment... every scene replayed clearly in my mind.

He summarized his experiences and reflected on his shortcomings.

When he focused his mind into his body and carefully examined it, he clearly sensed that in addition to the increased pure mental power in his meridians, there was also a faint but chillingly cold, dark green mental power.

That was the fear power of the so-called "God of Bones" that was forcibly devoured. Like the power of despair, it belonged to the category of negative emotional power.

This wisp of mental energy lingered in the subtle parts of his meridians, constantly emitting disturbing fluctuations, attempting to erode his mind.

"It's not that simple after all..." Shen Zhen thought with a chill.

However, he had experience in refining the power of despair, so he tried the previous method, circulating his own neutral and peaceful mental power, like a gentle stream of water, slowly washing away and enveloping that trace of fear.

This process is slow and difficult, and the slightest mistake could trigger a counterattack.

Just as the refining process was halfway complete, the wisp of fearful mental energy suddenly became violently agitated, spreading wildly along the meridians. The icy aura instantly swept over the mind, and countless chaotic illusions of fear flooded the brain.

The images of his mother's sacrifice, the numb faces of Qingwu Town, and Garro's ferocious smile layered upon each other, attempting to break his will.

Shen Zhen was startled and almost lost control. In the critical moment, he subconsciously activated the green lamp between his eyebrows. A warm green light quietly flowed out, enveloping the restless fear in his mind and calming his chaotic thoughts.

He gritted his teeth, steadied his mind, and continued to circulate his mental power, gradually wearing away the violence of the fear mental power.

It took Shen Zhen more than an hour to completely integrate that wisp of mental power and gain complete control over it.

He opened his eyes, a hint of weariness flashing in them, but more so, joy.

This wisp of fear will also grow along with one's own mental strength, mutually reinforcing each other, just like the power of despair.

With a thought, Shen Zhen unleashed two streams of power around his body.

One was a gray-black, despairing mental force; the other was a ghostly green, fearful mental force.

The two strands of mental energy intertwined and flowed slowly around him, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment wherever they passed.

Having resolved the hidden dangers within her body, Shen Zhen immediately felt her mind and spirit clear.

It can be said that this battle against the higher-level sorcerer was incredibly rewarding, not only solidifying his early-stage second tier but also allowing him to find a combat path that better suits him.

Just as he was immersed in contemplation, the green lamp trembled slightly.

Shen Zhen opened her eyes and took out the green lamp.

The flame was calm, but the ancient patterns on the lamp body seemed to come alive, shimmering under the light.

He instinctively reached out and touched it.

The moment my fingertips touched it, my mind went blank!

A relatively clear image came in:

Beneath the endless crimson sky, a tall figure stood between heaven and earth, dressed in a simple, tattered robe similar to Ning Anran's, with the patterns on the robe faintly visible. In his hand, he held a blue lamp almost identical to the one before him, and was fighting a group of monsters shrouded in black mist and with distorted forms.

His movements were bold and sweeping; wherever the green lamp shone, the black mist dissolved and monsters howled, but those monsters were endless and impossible to kill.

Finally, the figure planted the blue lamp into the earth, and the flame suddenly shot into the sky, transforming into a huge blue pillar of light that purified the monsters that filled the sky. His figure gradually became hazy and transparent within the pillar of light, and finally disappeared without a trace.

Only the green lamp stands between heaven and earth, its flame burning eternally, piercing through the blood-red sky...