I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 181 - 115: New Divine Power, Shadow Wearing Clothes

The Changbai Temple Master glanced at the man in black. "So, why have you come looking for me today?"

The man in black said slowly, "Shen Bai is my enemy, and he is your enemy. He is also the enemy of the Wild Buddhas. Since he is our common enemy, and I’ve made a new discovery, it was only natural to come and discuss it with you."

The Changbai Temple Master raised an eyebrow. "What new discovery?"

The man in black tapped his fingers on the table and said flatly, "I’ve been hiding in the shadows, observing the Dark Hall assassins. Before they made their move, a very peculiar Deceit appeared. It was pitch-black from head to toe, as thin as paper, and wore clothes woven from straw. I imagine you understand what that implies, don’t you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Changbai Temple Master tightened his grip on the teacup he was holding, and it turned to ash in his hand.

"You said it wore clothes woven from straw and the Deceit was as black as a shadow... Is that a Clothed Shadow?" the Changbai Temple Master asked in astonishment.

The man in black nodded. "That’s right. A Clothed Shadow."

"What does the appearance of a Deceit have to do with me? I only want to kill Shen Bai."

The Changbai Temple Master flicked his sleeve, brushing the teacup ashes to the floor.

As his sleeve swung, the ashes on the floor gathered themselves into a small pile and flew into a corner not far away.

The man in black smiled. "How could it not be related? Once Shen Bai is dead, your Qingyun Cloud Temple will belong to my Wild Taoist Sect. We will be of the same branch."

The Changbai Temple Master shook his head. "But you haven’t killed Shen Bai yet."

"It’s only a matter of time." The man in black leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly at ease.

"To be honest, I’ve never quite understood why you’re so desperate to kill Shen Bai. I know you lost a disciple, and it does seem likely that Shen Bai was responsible, but given his current status, Qingyun Cloud Temple is no match for him."

At the mention of Master Xuanqing, a cold glint flashed in the Changbai Temple Master’s eyes. "What if that disciple was my illegitimate son?"

The moment he spoke, the man in black shot upright, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

"The rules of Qingyun Cloud Temple forbid having children. It seems you planned for this son of yours to inherit the temple."

The iciness in the Changbai Temple Master’s eyes gradually faded, his expression growing placid once more. "The founding masters of Qingyun Cloud Temple left an ancestral precept: anyone who violates the temple’s rules will be cast out, the Temple Master included. That is why I always hid his identity."

"But do you have any idea what it feels like to finally have a son in your old age, only to have him murdered?"

The man in black nodded. "In that case, you have all the more reason to cooperate with us."

The Changbai Temple Master shook his head. "I will cooperate, that’s certain. But you have to tell me how this Deceit, this Clothed Shadow, can possibly kill Shen Bai."

"Fenglin State’s annual celebration is in a few days. I have my methods," the man in black said flatly. "For now, all you need to do is cooperate."

The Changbai Temple Master shook his head. "If you don’t explain now, I won’t cooperate. Killing Shen Bai is important, of course, but I must also proceed with caution."

The man in black fell silent. They stared at each other for a long moment before the man in black took a book from within his robes and placed it on the table in front of the Changbai Temple Master.

"Read this, and you’ll understand."

The Changbai Temple Master frowned, picking up the book and leafing through it. As he read, a look of profound shock slowly gathered in his eyes.

Then, he set the book back down.

"The Devouring Deceit Skill... You dare to give me this Wild Daoist Technique?"

The man in black said flatly, "The Wild Taoist Sect helps you kill Shen Bai, so naturally, you must pay a price. If you don’t learn a single Wild Daoist Technique, how can I trust you? If you betray us afterward, you’ll still be the Temple Master of Qingyun Cloud Temple, while we will have suffered a devastating loss."

"This Wild Daoist Technique doesn’t have any major side effects. It just requires a small price, and that price is merely the lives of some common folk."

"The Clothed Shadow is perfectly suited for the Devouring Deceit Skill, and it’s extremely difficult to detect. That’s why giving this to you is the most appropriate choice."

The Changbai Temple Master pondered for a long moment before picking the book up again and tucking it into his robes. "Fine. I will learn this Wild Daoist Technique."

The man in black chuckled. "Even after joining the Wild Taoist Sect, you will remain the Temple Master of Qingyun Cloud Temple. From this day forward, you will gradually become the greatest power in Fenglin State. At that point, you’ll have fulfilled another of your dreams, I suppose."

With that, the man in black lingered no longer, turning to walk out the door.

The room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Changbai Temple Master watched the smoke curling up from the sandalwood incense. After a long moment of contemplation, the vicious glint in his eyes grew steadily stronger.

"Shen Bai, you are a dead man. You ended my line; I will have you torn to pieces."

The Changbai Temple Master’s icy voice rang out in the quiet room.

...

「The next day.」

As the morning arrived, Shen Bai stretched lazily, set the half-finished hammer aside, and slid Cold Moon back into the sheath at his waist.

A line of text appeared before his eyes.

The words, formed from wisps of smoke, swirled with an air of mystery and wonder.

[Casting Technique Level 2 (Casting +2, Fault Tolerance +2): 1000/1000]

All night long, Shen Bai had been grinding his Casting Technique, finally reaching the stage of Second Level Perfection.

However, since he lacked Evil Qi, Shen Bai hadn’t undergone its first qualitative transformation.

After reaching Level 2, the Casting Technique gained an additional Attribute: Fault Tolerance.

This Attribute reduced Shen Bai’s margin for error during the smithing process.

The higher the Attribute, the stronger the Fault Tolerance.

When others forged a weapon, it was very likely they would make a mistake that ruined the final product.

But as long as Shen Bai stayed within that margin, he would not fail.

He had gained a new Attribute and a new Divine Power, and now the time for Dianmao had arrived.

Shen Bai considered for a moment, then turned and left, heading toward the Observatory.

In his right hand, he carried the straw garment from the night before.

’I’ll go ask Elder Mu and see what this thing really is.’

Shen Bai thought to himself as he walked.