Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

As Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan journeyed, they both felt a vague sense of unease. The sky gradually darkened, and the temperature grew colder as night fell. They entered a silent forest. The surrounding trees were tall and lush, seemingly blocking out all sunlight. Everything in the darkness seemed particularly mysterious.

"Do you think this place is really the 'Land of Dawn'?" Lu Lingyuan looked at the surrounding environment, frowned slightly, and there was a hint of doubt in his tone.

Zhao Shufang paused, looked around, and sighed softly. "The atmosphere here is indeed unsettling, but according to the information, this should be one of the legendary 'Dawning Lands'."

She whispered, her tone filled with uncertainty. "However, what exactly led the 'Black Robe Man' and the 'Dominator' to ambush here remains a mystery."

"We can only explore step by step." Lu Lingyuan's eyes swept around the surroundings, "But no matter what, we must find that hidden entrance as soon as possible."

Zhao Shufang nodded and continued on. After about an hour's walk, they passed through the gloomy woods and arrived at an open area. The scene here was even more unsettling: the ground was overgrown with weeds, and the air was filled with an inexplicable sense of oppression.

"What is this place?" Lu Lingyuan lowered his voice unconsciously. He could feel that the air around them seemed to suppress their every step.

Zhao Shufang's eyes grew serious as she stared ahead, where a dilapidated building loomed. "This is the ruins of an abandoned temple called 'Cliff Temple.' Rumor has it that this was once a training ground for the 'Master.' It was here that the Master's emissaries first began their plan."

"In other words, this place is related to the legend of 'God's Messenger'?" Lu Lingyuan asked in a low voice.

"That should be it," Zhao Shufang confirmed. "According to the records in the book, the 'Messenger of God' began selecting the successor to the 'Ruler' from here in the early days. If our speculation is correct, the 'Land of Dawn' may refer to this place."

The two entered the abandoned temple. The shattered roof and walls made it look desolate and dilapidated. A thick layer of dust covered the ground. Zhao Shufang stepped lightly on the dust, making a dull sound. She looked around, a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

"There's something wrong with this place..." Lu Lingyuan frowned and said in a low voice, "Have you noticed? There seems to be something around us secretly observing us."

Zhao Shufang's expression grew more serious. She closed her eyes slightly, trying to sense the surrounding atmosphere. A strange energy permeated the air, and she could vaguely sense some powerful presence lurking nearby.

"Let's be careful." She whispered, "Places like this are often full of unknown dangers."

The two continued walking, eventually arriving at the temple's main hall. On the central altar, an ancient Buddha statue still sat. Though its surface was covered in cracks from the erosion of time, its solemn aura remained undimmed. Zhao Shufang approached the statue and touched it, finding it remarkably smooth, seemingly untouched by the erosion of time.

"This isn't right." Zhao Shufang suddenly stopped and whispered, "There seems to be something hidden behind the Buddha statue."

Lu Lingyuan also noticed something was wrong. He walked over and pushed the Buddha statue hard. As a result, it moved slightly, revealing a dark passage. Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan looked at each other, and they felt alert.

"It seems our speculation is correct." Zhao Shufang whispered, "This is the entrance to the real secret."

"Let's go in." Lu Lingyuan nodded, his eyes becoming firm.

Without hesitation, the two entered the passage. As they went deeper, the air around them grew heavier. The lights in the passage were dim, and a lingering smell of decay hung in the air. The walls were covered in strange symbols and inscriptions, as if revealing some ancient secret.

After walking for about ten minutes, the passage finally ended, and the two arrived at a vast underground hall. In the center of the hall stood a massive stone tablet, engraved with countless intricate totems and symbols, exuding a mysterious aura. Zhao Shufang observed these symbols closely and found them to be very similar to the symbols of the "Dominator" she had seen before.

"This stone tablet is probably one of the symbols of the 'Master,'" she whispered. "It may be the key to deeper secrets."

"What should we do?" Lu Lingyuan asked.

Zhao Shufang approached the stone tablet and gently touched it. Suddenly, her body shook, and a strong light burst out from the stone tablet, instantly illuminating the entire underground hall. After the light gradually dissipated, Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan were stunned.

An invisible crack appeared in the center of the stone tablet, and an indescribable aura emanated from the crack, as if some forbidden power was seeping out from it.

"What is this?" Lu Lingyuan frowned.

Zhao Shufang's eyes grew more serious. "This is the true secret of the 'Dominator.' It seems we've reached a crucial point." She paused, her gaze firm. "This operation is destined to be no easy task."

Suddenly, light footsteps were heard from the darkness. The two turned around and saw a dark figure slowly walking out. It was covered in a black robe and its face was blurred.

"It seems you have finally found this place." The shadow's voice was low and cold.

Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan were startled. They had finally met their enemy.