"Swish..."
The Evil King was fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was a hundredzhang away.
This speed was already the limit of his integrated realm clone.
Bai Zihe trailed far behind, following at a leisurely pace, curious to see where he was going and what he intended to do.
"Whoosh..."
A moment later, a city appeared in their sight.
At first glance...
This was the second largest city in Miao Jiang—South Miao City!
"Where is the Governor of South Miao City?"
Upon arriving, the Evil King immediately shouted with authority.
With his integrated realm strength, the sound instantly reverberated throughout South Miao City, echoing continuously and startling countless birds.
At this moment.
As long as the governor was still in South Miao City, he would surely appear before the Evil King as soon as possible upon hearing this voice.
Indeed.
Not long after the Evil King shouted.
A carriage, speeding from afar, stopped a hundred meters in front of the Evil King. A person alighted and ran quickly towards them.
This demonstrated.
How high the Evil King's prestige was in this city.
Bai Zihe frowned slightly, unsure of what this fellow was up to, but it seemed he was about to do something significant.
"Evil King!"
Upon seeing the Evil King, the governor immediately bowed, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.
"Hmm..."
The Evil King nodded with a semblance of authority and then said nonchalantly, "Go and announce to the entire South Miao City that at eight o'clock tonight, I will choose one person from the grandest hotel here to be my disciple."
"Go."
The governor's expression shifted dramatically.
The Evil King taking a disciple was a momentous occasion!
After all.
The last time the Evil King revealed his strength, he was able to fly in the sky. The people of Miao Jiang already considered him enlightened and immortal, revering him as a deity.
His status in Miao Jiang...
Was equivalent to Bai Zihe's status in Su Hang City, and equivalent to Zhuge Sheng's status in Shang Jing.
He wanted to take a disciple...
Let alone acquiring profound skills, merely the identity of the Evil King's disciple was enough to make countless people clamor for it.
"Okay!"
The governor gulped frantically and immediately went to carry out the task.
Following this, the Evil King proceeded to the hotel, revealed his identity, and was immediately ushered into the most luxurious private room.
"Tonight at eight..."
While savoring the finest wine, the Evil King smiled sinisterly.
Killing was an art form.
Especially killing the most people in the shortest amount of time, that was a masterpiece among masterpieces, requiring careful planning.
He believed.
The lure of being the Evil King's disciple would be enough to drive the people of South Miao City into a frenzy.
Even people from countless surrounding cities would arrive at the scene immediately, all in hopes of becoming his disciple.
He estimated.
The number of people at the scene would exceed a hundred thousand, possibly even hundreds of thousands!
If he could kill all these people and absorb their vital essence, his strength would surely soar to a new level!
And after the news spread, or after the massacre...
Even if Bai Zihe rushed over upon hearing the news and killed this clone, he would lose nothing. At most, it would be just a substitute Gu.
This thing...
With his current strength, he could have as many as he wanted!
Moreover, if Bai Zihe truly came, it would divert his attention, making his true hiding place even safer!
It was, indeed, killing two birds with one stone!
"A massacre..."
Bai Zihe sensed his murderous intent, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
What Senior Sister Eight had said was true.
Once one was infected by the darkness and anomalies, they would inevitably become extremely bloodthirsty and wicked. The Evil King was already on that path.
However, Bai Zihe did not reveal himself immediately to slay the Evil King.
Because.
He sensed that on the way back, while the governor was spreading the word, he was also instructing someone to retrieve something from a safe.
Clearly, he intended to present this item to the Evil King as a token of his favor.
And Bai Zihe detected an extremely dense wood element aura from this item!
Upon discovering this.
Bai Zihe immediately thought of what Little Pagoda had told him.
To awaken the Wood Saint Body, one needed a treasure in Miao Jiang that could help achieve this!
It was just that...
Although the wood element aura from the item was rich, Bai Zihe felt that it was unlikely to help him awaken the Wood Saint Body.
However, perhaps he could obtain some clues from this governor.
Ten minutes later.
The governor returned, holding the treasure in his hands, and knocked on the door of the private room where the Evil King was resting.
"Venerable Evil King..."
The governor's smile was exceedingly fawning, and he presented the treasure with both hands: "This is a treasure I chanced upon. One can feel a very strong aura just by being near it."
"It's just that..."
"My eyes are not sharp enough to discern its identity, so I have specially brought it to present to you, Venerable Evil King."
The Evil King's eyes narrowed slightly.
With his current strength, he had long lost interest in many so-called treasures.
After all.
A single palm strike from him was more effective than most worldly treasures.
But upon seeing the item, he could no longer tear his gaze away, staring intently at it and swallowing hard.
The next moment.
With a wave of his hand, the item appeared in his palm.
The Evil King's eyes widened in boundless surprise: "It's actually the Heart of a Hundred-Year-Old Willow! This is a true treasure!"
Heart of a Hundred-Year-Old Willow!
Bai Zihe's heart also stirred.
Willow heart was a type of medicinal ingredient, extremely precious, but also very absorbent. It only appeared in places with exceptionally abundant spiritual energy and no pollution.
As for the Heart of a Hundred-Year-Old Willow...
It did not refer to a willow tree that had grown for a hundred years, but rather the heart of the willow wood that had grown for a hundred years, indicating its rarity.
"Excellent, excellent."
The Evil King held the item in his hand, a smile appearing on his face.
"Evil King..."
The governor said with a sycophantic smile, "I wonder... could you, in consideration of the Heart of a Hundred-Year-Old Willow, grant me a disciple spot?"
This was his true intention.
In Miao Jiang...
The Evil King was the uncrowned king. His words carried far more weight than those of the emperor in Shang Jing, thousands of miles away.
Therefore, he wanted to curry favor with the Evil King.
With the Evil King's connection, his position as governor would be as stable as a rock.
Even further advancement to become a provincial governor of Miao Jiang would not be out of the question.
"Disciple?"
The Evil King remained noncommittal and only asked, "How is the matter I asked you to handle proceeding?"
"It has been handled!"
The governor immediately replied with a smile, "I have already published this news online, and then spread the word through various channels."
"According to my knowledge..."
"This news has quickly stirred up a huge wave online, with views exceeding five million, and over a hundred thousand people are already on their way."
"Of course..."
"I have also arranged for many staff members to begin setting up temporary venues below the hotel, ensuring that tonight's event will proceed flawlessly!"
It had to be said.
As a governor, he was extremely considerate.
He had thought of all aspects, and his capabilities were undeniable.
"Since that is the case..."
"Then I agree to grant you a disciple spot."
The Evil King promised with a smile.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you, Lord Evil King!"
The governor was overjoyed and kowtowed in gratitude.
"You are thanking the wrong person."
At this moment, a mocking voice echoed throughout the private room.