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

After seeing off the Wuche royal family, the banquet at the Qian residence was drawing to a close.

Qian Sihai wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a forced smile:

"We are so grateful to Special Envoy Shen for turning the tide today; otherwise, we would have lost face big time."

Feng Yu waved his hand, but his expression turned serious:

"President Qian, please keep quiet about today's events and what you heard at the banquet."

Qian Sihai's expression hardened, and he quickly agreed.

Back at the inn, the group did not disperse.

Feng Yu, however, went back to his room to rest, claiming he had drunk too much, and told everyone to discuss it and let him know the result, as if he wanted to be a hands-off manager.

Shen Zhen, Su Mingyuan, Ye Zhiqi, Gu Chengye, and Qiu Zhengnan gathered in Shen Zhen's room.

"A half-wolf head totem, etched into the very marrow..." Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes sharpened.

"It seems that the case of Shen Du Wang You Zui is almost certainly the work of Lang Batu."

They need large quantities of the essence of the soul to refine the spirit dust liquid, possibly for cultivating mutants or for performing some kind of ritual.

Su Mingyuan pondered for a moment before replying:

"The high priest of Langbatu discovered the altar in Tucheng and sent people to Shendu to purchase prohibited materials... Their ambitions are far from small."

The strange man who met with Hogner was very likely either the heretical messenger or a shaman of Wolf Batu.

"The God of Bones..." Qiu Zhengnan murmured.

"I seem to have seen relevant records in the ancient books of the Ceremonial Office."

In the ancient tribes of the western frontier, there once existed an evil god worshipping death and bones, who often used human sacrifices to gain power. They were later wiped out by a joint effort of various royal courts.

Could it be that Wolf Batu is secretly reviving this path?

Gu Chengye also spoke up at the opportune moment:

"Vice Envoy Qiu is right. I've also heard my father mention a tribe in the western borderlands known as the 'People of Bones.' They were infamous for their brutal sacrificial rituals, and their 'God of Bones' could grant believers superhuman strength."

Shen Zhen, who had been silent all along, finally spoke:

"No matter what they worship, the altar is destroyed, the plan is thwarted, and there will definitely be a next step."

We need to clarify two things as soon as possible:

First, the exact location and strength of the Wolf Batu tribe;

Second, their ultimate purpose in collecting the essence of the dead and performing human sacrifices.

Gu Chengye nodded and said:

"Special Envoy Shen is absolutely right. First, send the news of Shen Xinsui and Lang Batu back to the capital."

Then, have Prefect Han and Garrison Commander Wei investigate whether there have been any unusual disappearances of people, especially young adults, around Dayue City in the past six months.

Human sacrifices often require healthy offerings.

Everyone's hearts sank.

The night outside the window was deep, and the lights of Dayue City flickered in the desert wind.

For the next few days, things seemed calm on the surface in Dayue City.

Han Zhong and Wei Qingxu mobilized their manpower to investigate the missing persons case, both openly and secretly, but progress was slow.

The western border region is characterized by complex population movements, frequent tribal conflicts, bandit raids, and even disappearances after entering the Burial Sands, making it difficult to define whether these are "abnormal" occurrences.

Shen Zhen then locked himself in the quiet room of the inn and devoted himself to cultivation, and the two bottles of Mind Dust Liquid he carried with him were almost used up.

He reviewed his battle with Elvie, which, though brief, gave him new insights into the use of spatial power.

The subtle feeling of using spatial power in extreme combat is improved much faster than simply practicing.

"Space... is not a static backdrop."

Shen Zhen sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and the spatial power within his body seeped into a one-meter radius around him.

This time, in his perception,

In the void, there are not only "cracks" but also countless tiny "curved surfaces" that intertwine to form a complex and exquisite spatial network.

With a slight thought, several curved surfaces in the void unfolded into ripples. It turns out that spatial ripples are the form of these curved surfaces after they unfold.

When he was dealing with the Sand King Scorpion, he simply used spatial power to forcibly condense spatial ripples, which consumed a lot of mental energy.

Now, he can capture those naturally existing curved surfaces and guide them with his mental power to make them naturally unfold into spatial ripples.

In this way, not only is the consumption of mental energy greatly reduced, but the speed of ripple generation and the precision of control are also far superior to before.

He tried to perform it in the quiet room; with a light touch of his fingertips, the space rippled like the surface of water.

The ruler in his hand flew out, entering from one ripple and exiting from another.

Then it enters the next ripple, and then reappears from a ripple further away, its trajectory winding and unpredictable, as if traversing an invisible bridge.

A sudden realization flashed in Shen Zhen's eyes: these spatial ripples were not only a means of attack, but could also serve as a passage to traverse space and avoid danger.

As Shen Zhen's understanding of spatial power deepened, he began to explore higher-level applications.

In the future, he could try to combine spatial ripples with his own divine incantation to create a unique spatial combat technique.

Thinking of this, I was overjoyed.

At the same time, he also had new ideas for improving "Shadow Strike".

Since it can create afterimages to confuse the enemy, why can't the afterimages have a certain "interference" ability?

For example, injecting a very weak trace of psychic power into the afterimage can temporarily impair the enemy's psychic perception.

Or, by combining spatial power, could the "presence" of the afterimage be made more real?

He stood up and slowly unleashed the Shadow Strike in the quiet room.

One, two, three... seven figures appeared simultaneously.

This time, he did not rush to attack, but instead tried to inject a wisp of mental energy into the three afterimages.

It worked!

The aura of those three afterimages was noticeably more "solid" than the other four. Although they still couldn't attack, they could slightly interfere with perception.

"Would the interference effect be even stronger if different types of psychic energy were injected?"

Shen Zhen pondered,

"For example, a trace of despair..." He shook his head, temporarily suppressing this dangerous thought.

The power of despair is too bizarre; a slight misstep could harm innocent people or expose one's own secrets.

In his spare time, Shen Zhen would also spar and seek advice from Yi Tianxing.

"The Dao of Space is as vast as the ocean; what you have comprehended so far is but a drop in the ocean." Yi Tianxing watched Shen Zhen demonstrate his newly comprehended techniques, his eyes filled with both satisfaction and solemnity.

"But remember, human strength has its limits, so don't force things."

"I understand, disciple."

"Furthermore," Yi Tianxing lowered his voice,

"The spatial power within you originates from the same source as the cyclical rules of Qingwu Town."

I suspect that the green lamp may be related to a powerful being who has dabbled in the Dao of Space.

If you have the opportunity, pay close attention to relevant ancient books or historical sites; you might find a more advanced method.

Shen Zhen kept it in mind.

That afternoon, Shen Zhen was discussing with Chen Xi the auxiliary effects of several herbs unique to the western border on the recovery of mental power when Wei Qingxu came to their door with a grim expression.

"Special Envoy Shen, Prefect Han has reported another woman has gone missing." He spoke urgently.

"They said her husband went out to deliver goods and hasn't returned for half a month."

Wei Qingxu frowned.

"The person who reported the case also said that he used to return in three to five days, but this time he has not returned for a long time, and the other men who were with him have also disappeared without a trace, so he suspects that something bad has happened to them."

Shen Zhen's expression hardened, and he asked:

"Have you searched along their usual routes?"

Wei Qingxu nodded:

"We've already sent people to search, but we haven't gotten any useful information yet. So, I suspect this disappearance might be related to the Wolf Batu tribe you mentioned."

Shen Zhen stood up:

"Take me to see the person who reported the case first, and get a detailed understanding of the situation. Then send someone to inform the Third Prince and Ye Zhi Qiu."