Chapter 3: Transformation, Mystic Heart Spell

On the moonlit island, Wuhua’s voice drifted over gently.

"Not long ago, the Fenglin State Observatory acquired an extremely important Deceitful Object."

’A Deceitful Object?’

Shen Bai’s eyes lit up slightly when he heard those two words.

He’d found that ever since getting his Golden Finger, he seemed to have developed an occupational hazard.

Whenever he heard words like "Deceitful Object" or "Evil Qi," he would have a peculiar reaction.

Wuhua didn’t notice Shen Bai’s strange reaction. Assuming Shen Bai was just surprised by the news, he nodded and said, "That’s right. It’s said that this Deceitful Object’s ability is related to Body Techniques. But a short while ago, it was stolen."

Shen Bai stroked his chin, musing, "To be able to steal a Deceitful Object from the Observatory... the thief must be quite something."

The Observatory is the primary enforcement arm of the entire Great Zhou Country.

Although the Great Zhou dynasty is currently in turmoil, it hasn’t fallen yet.

A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. It’s not the kind of hornets’ nest an ordinary faction would dare to poke.

Now that the Deceitful Object has been stolen, it’s a blessing the Observatory hasn’t deployed its full force.

The person who stole it is definitely no ordinary character.

Wuhua nodded. "Only the Thief Sect would be capable of stealing from the Observatory."

"What kind of faction is the Thief Sect?" Shen Bai asked.

Wuhua explained, "The Thief Sect prides itself on stealing everything under the heavens. It’s a faction utterly despised by many others."

"They’ve even looted the ancestral tombs of quite a few factions, making them a public enemy."

"After the Observatory discovered the Deceitful Object was stolen, they locked down all of Fenglin State and began a systematic search."

"Right now, every county seat is being searched. I suspect Shengyun County is no different."

Shen Bai thought for a moment and said, "But what does this have to do with me?"

Whatever the Thief Sect did was their own business.

He was just a pawnshop owner, completely unrelated to the whole affair. Shen Bai felt this trouble wouldn’t land on his doorstep.

Wuhua pressed his palms together. "Benefactor, anything is possible in this world. I am merely mentioning this to you. If by some coincidence you do get involved, you must be extremely careful."

Hearing this, Shen Bai generally understood.

Wuhua had good intentions.

After all, the theft of a Deceitful Object was a major event. Wuhua was worried he might get caught in the crossfire in Shengyun County and was giving him a heads-up so he could be prepared.

"Don’t worry, it’ll be fine," Shen Bai said.

Right now, he just wanted to go home and grind his Skill Level, evolve his Purifying Heart Spell, and then appraise the Buddha Beads Wuhua had given him.

As for everything else, Shen Bai was content to just watch the show from the sidelines.

With the matter of the Locust Tree resolved, Shen Bai and Wuhua had no intention of lingering. They boarded the wooden raft once more and left the island.

On their way back, they passed through Huaxi Village again.

On their way there, Shen Bai hadn’t paid any mind to the crazed middle-aged man; after all, they were heading into a fight.

On the return trip, Wuhua wanted to take the middle-aged man with them and find someone in the county seat to look after him properly.

Shen Bai didn’t object.

But when the two returned, the middle-aged man was already lying on the ground.

In his hand was a rock, and before him lay a corpse, battered into a bloody pulp.

Wuhua went forward to examine the body and sighed. "He died of exhaustion, but his expression is peaceful. Perhaps he has avenged the disciples of the Hundred Medicines Valley."

Shen Bai looked at the horribly mangled corpse on the ground and nodded. "For him, living was a kind of torment. To be able to depart peacefully, his heart’s resentment finally settled, is a good thing."

The two worked together to bury the middle-aged man as well.

After the burial, Wuhua recited the Sutra of Transmigration, and only then did the two prepare to leave.

As for the bodies of the other villagers, they were unworthy, fit only to rot in the wilderness.

"After we get back, I need to file a report at the County Magistrate’s Office."

Wuhua said, "Benefactor, you’re living in seclusion in Shengyun County. I assume you don’t wish to reveal your identity?"

What happened this time was a major event. Xuanxin Temple is on good terms with the Great Zhou Country, so Wuhua had to follow procedure.

Shen Bai nodded. "If it’s convenient, you can take all the credit yourself."

Wuhua smiled. "Benefactor, if the outside world knew about this great deed, your name would shake all of Fenglin State. Yet you prefer to remain unknown. In this, I am your lesser."

Shen Bai waved his hand. "I just don’t want the trouble."

Fame meant a lot of trouble.

Shen Bai still had so many things to grind; he didn’t have time for that.

The two did not linger and left Huaxi Village.

「Shengyun County.」

By the time they reached the county seat, it was the dead of night. The eastern sky was beginning to glow faintly; dawn was not far off.

The two parted ways after entering the city. Wuhua headed for the County Magistrate’s Office, while Shen Bai returned to his pawnshop.

He lit an oil lamp, poured himself a cup of tea, and as he drank, a line of smoke materialized before his eyes.

The smoke coiled gracefully, coalescing in the air until it finally formed a line of text.

This trip had been quite fruitful for Shen Bai.

A full two wisps of Evil Qi. Shen Bai, who had just used up his supply, was rich again.

Shen Bai’s plan was simple: upgrade the Purifying Heart Spell to Level 3 for its qualitative evolution, and use the remaining wisp of Evil Qi to appraise the glowing Buddha Beads.

With this in mind, Shen Bai didn’t hesitate. After a moment of thought, he used the Evil Qi.

Before his eyes, the Evil Qi vanished.

The text for the Purifying Heart Spell twisted, filled with an ancient and mysterious aura.

A moment later, new text appeared before Shen Bai.

Shen Bai felt a mysterious, illusory figure appear in his mind.

The figure sat enthroned upon a layer of clouds, enveloped by countless white wisps that gave it an otherworldly feel.

A faint, ethereal voice emanated from around the figure.

Invisible characters rippled outwards, causing the surrounding clouds to dissipate.

Countless evil spirits and defilements fled in terror from the characters, turning to ash with bloodcurdling shrieks.

A moment later, everything vanished as if it had never been there.

"The Mystic Heart’s blessing, forcing all evil to retreat."

Shen Bai opened his eyes, a hint of excitement gleaming within them.

"Good stuff, this is great stuff!"

After its evolution into the Mystic Heart Spell, not only had the original attributes doubled, but the new attribute that appeared was also extremely powerful.

Blessing. As the name implied, it could be used to cast the Mystic Heart Spell’s blessing upon a Divine Power.

The blessed Divine Power would receive a multiplicative boost.

And the specific multiplier was the "+4" that followed.

Shen Bai took a deep breath and circulated the Qi within his body.

In the next moment, the Vajra Demon Subduing Fist manifested in his left hand, the Blood Sword Dance in his right, and the white light of the Bright Jade Evil Body erupted from him.

The various Divine Powers, with their eye-catching visual effects, made Shen Bai look utterly terrifying.

But that wasn’t the main point. The most important thing was that Shen Bai slowly opened his mouth...

Ancient characters spilled from his lips, and in the next instant, all of his Divine Powers began to transform.