Rebirth of the Scumbag and the Retribution of the White Lotus

The silence in the void lingered for a long time. Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan remained standing in the ruined space. Although the oppressive feeling had dissipated, there seemed no sign of an end. A subtle tension hung in the air, and the surrounding scene remained unchanged, as if time had frozen in this moment.

"What's going on?" Lu Lingyuan frowned, his eyes full of vigilance.

Zhao Shufang gazed around, her intuition telling her that things were not as simple as she had imagined. Although the mysterious figure had been defeated, she had a vague feeling that there seemed to be a larger shadow approaching from behind.

"We succeeded, there shouldn't be any sequelae." She said in a deep voice. Although her tone was firm, the doubts in her heart had not dissipated.

"Yeah." Lu Lingyuan nodded, his gaze piercing the surrounding void, as if searching for something. "But I always feel... behind this victory, there's some unknown threat hidden."

"I feel the same way." Zhao Shufang sighed softly, "But we've already eliminated that threat. From now on, as long as we remain vigilant for a while, there shouldn't be any problems."

However, just as she finished her words, a faint sound of breaking air suddenly echoed through the space. Then, the void before them twisted, as if an invisible force was tearing the space apart. Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan's expressions suddenly changed. They subconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to meet the sudden challenge.

"What's going on?" Lu Lingyuan frowned, and his eyes became sharp in an instant.

Zhao Shufang narrowed her eyes slightly. She felt a familiar yet unfamiliar breath. There was a strong evil aura in the breath, which did not seem to be the power of human beings.

"Could it be..." Zhao Shufang's heart suddenly tightened, "There's someone else?"

Before he finished speaking, a dark shadow suddenly leaped out from the crack in space and quickly approached them. The shadow quickly expanded, like a huge net, and pounced on the two of them.

"Be careful!" Lu Lingyuan growled, and instantly swung his sword. The sword energy struck the black shadow like thunder. However, the black shadow was extremely fast, almost dodging the sword energy attack in an instant and continuing to attack them.

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhao Shufang's eyes, but she didn't panic. She quickly mobilized the spiritual power in her body, and the talisman in her hand instantly emitted a burst of light, transforming into a rune that enveloped the dark shadow in the space.

"The power of confinement!" she whispered, and the light of the talisman suddenly became more intense, tightly binding the black shadow inside.

However, to her surprise, the shadow wasn't completely restrained as she'd imagined. Instead, the energy emanating from it intensified, instantly breaking through the talisman's restraints and continuing to charge towards them.

"This is..." Zhao Shufang's expression changed, a hint of shock flashed in her eyes, "It actually has such a strong recovery ability!"

Lu Lingyuan swung his sword again, and the sword energy fiercely slashed towards the center of the black shadow. "This is impossible! We have already defeated its master, how could it have such a strong resistance?"

The shadow spun rapidly in the air, seemingly searching for a suitable opening. Finally, it gradually emerged, revealing a distorted face—a face both Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan found incredibly familiar. It was a man emanating a cold, gloomy aura, his face pale and his eyes hollow, as if he had lost all trace of humanity.

"Who are you?" Zhao Shufang asked, with a hint of wariness in her voice, but her eyes still did not leave that face.

The man sneered, his voice low and hoarse, "Have you forgotten? You have more than one enemy. I am only one of its messengers. The real power is approaching."

"Messenger?" Lu Lingyuan frowned even more tightly. "What is this 'it' you're talking about?"

The man's smile deepened, a hint of madness flickering in his eyes. "The 'mysterious figure' you defeated wasn't the strongest. It was merely a cover. The real mastermind is hiding right beside you. Your victory is meaningless."

Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan stared at each other, both feeling a sense of foreboding. That mysterious figure was just a cover, and the real threat hadn't even surfaced yet?

"What are you talking about?" Zhao Shufang asked coldly, her voice full of threats. "Who are you? What do you want to do?"

The man suddenly burst into laughter. That laughter was like an echo from hell, filled with unspeakable horror and madness. "You are doomed to be unable to escape. The gears of fate have begun to turn, and you are but an insignificant pawn within it."

The moment he finished speaking, a powerful force surged towards them again. The shadow began to accelerate, rushing towards Zhao Shufang and Lu Lingyuan. This time, its attack was even more swift and fierce, seeming to tear even the air apart.

"Stop it!" Zhao Shufang shouted and quickly threw the talisman in her hand into the air. A strong light flashed, and the distortion of the entire space became stronger and stronger. The power in the talisman almost attracted everything around it.

Lu Lingyuan swung his sword again without hesitation, but this time, his sword energy didn't seem to cut through the shadow as easily as before. Instead, it was absorbed by the shadow and disappeared in an instant.

"How is this possible..." Lu Lingyuan's expression became extremely solemn, "It can actually absorb my attack!"

"You can't possibly defeat me!" The man's laughter echoed again. "You can only watch helplessly as you sink deeper into the darkness."

Zhao Shufang's brow furrowed. Suddenly, the air pressure increased, as if an invisible hand were gripping their throats, making even breathing difficult. She knew the enemy before them was far more formidable than they had anticipated. This battle, she feared, would no longer be decided by the strength of one individual.

"We can't delay any longer," Zhao Shufang whispered. "We must find its weakness immediately."

Lu Lingyuan nodded, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes: "No matter how deeply it is hidden, we must uncover the truth."