Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

At the foot of a secluded, steep cliff deep in the canyon.

Jin Wanquan was thrown to the ground, his body limp. He looked up at the two figures in black in front of him, his teeth chattering.

"Who...who are you? What do you want?"

Shen Zhenglan's gaze was cold and stern, his voice still hoarse:

"How much 'spiritual dust liquid' did you give to the heretics four years ago?"

Jin Wanquan shuddered, his eyes darting away:

"I...I don't know what you're talking about..."

Shen Zhen stepped forward, her voice suppressed.

"Feng Xun wants to kill you to silence you. What do you think we saved you for?"

"It was him! It was all his orders!" Mentioning Feng Xun, Jin Wanquan's mental defenses crumbled instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, crying out:

"Back then, I was just a minor manager at a branch warehouse in a neighboring county. Feng Xun sent someone to find me, saying he wanted to make a deal with someone."

He didn't say exactly where it would be used! I know nothing. They promised to transfer me to the main temple's treasury of divine grace afterward...

"I'm just a gofer, please spare me!" He made no mention of his own greed.

"Didn't you say?" Shen Zhen leaned down, staring into his eyes.

"Lord Lin of Zhennian Hall sacrificed himself four years ago while suppressing a mutated monster disaster!"

"You're Shen Zhen?!" Jin Wanquan instantly realized, then shook his head vigorously, his face covered in snot and tears.

I don't know! I really don't know!

I was only responsible for delivering the goods. The people I dealt with were all masked, and I didn't even know what they looked like.

Feng Xun is the mastermind; go find him!

Shen Zhenglan slowly walked up to Jin Wanquan:

"Did Feng Xun give you any token when he asked you to make the transaction?"

Or have you noticed any other connection between him and heretics?

Jin Wanquan tried hard to recall, his brows furrowed, and after a long while, he shook his head:

"There is no token!"

His people always notified me of the time and place for each transaction.

I only needed to deliver the Spirit Dust Liquid to the designated location. I don't know why I had to make a deal with heretics; they never told me these things!

"Useless!" Shen Zhen couldn't help but growl.

He thought that by capturing Jin Wanquan, he could uncover the truth about his mother's sacrifice.

Unexpectedly, the other party was merely a pawn pushed to the forefront by Feng Xun, and knew nothing of any core information.

The immense disappointment was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head, extinguishing my anger but igniting a deeper sense of anxiety and despair.

Did my mother really die so mysteriously?

An unusual emotion quietly began to grow within Shen Zhen.

It wasn't anger, it wasn't grief, but a profound sense of powerlessness that seeped into my very bones.

Knowing the murderer is right in front of them, they are bound by layers of identity and evidence; knowing the truth is hidden behind the fog, not even a ray of light can penetrate.

This emotion grew stronger and stronger, wrapping around his heart like vines, almost suffocating him.

The mental energy around him gradually turned grayish-black.

At first, it was just a faint lingering presence, but then it suddenly surged, transforming into distorted streams of air that swirled and churned.

This mental energy exuded an extreme chill, as if it could seep into one's very soul, causing even the temperature in the canyon to plummet.

Shen Zhenglan sensed something was wrong, turned to look at his son, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Zhen'er, calm down!"

Shen Zhen's eyes had become empty and cold, and her voice was terrifyingly calm:

"You don't know the truth, but you participated, so you have to pay the price."

Tell me, how do you want to die?

Jin Wanquan sensed the approach of death. He struggled to retreat, crying out:

"No, have mercy!"

I'm a victim too!

Feng Xun is the mastermind; go find him!

Shen Zhen ignored his cries.

"Then I will grant you a death of despair!"

He raised his right hand, palm facing Jin Wanquan. The twisted gray-black mental energy seemed to come alive, surging towards Jin Wanquan through his palm.

This pure psychic penetration, without any physical impact, is more terrifying than any physical impact.

The gray-black psychic power, like a malignant tumor clinging to the bone, instantly enveloped every inch of Jin Wanquan's flesh and blood.

Jin Wanquan's cries came to an abrupt halt.

His body stiffened, his eyes instantly became empty, and the fear on his face was gradually replaced by a deeper despair.

He saw the hallucination of his greatest fear—

He saw the men of Fengxun kill his wife and children, their blood staining his familiar home.

He saw himself captured by heretics, tortured, and die;

Seeing Lin Wanru standing in front of him covered in blood, her eyes cold and silent, filled him with endless guilt and fear.

These illusions did not appear out of thin air.

Rather, it was Shen Zhen's desperate mental power that amplified the things he feared most and was most unwilling to face deep in his heart, forcibly imprinting them on his mental level.

Jin Wanquan's lips began to twitch, and his face showed an extremely painful expression, but he could not make a sound.

He tried to struggle, tried to close his eyes, but he couldn't control his body and thoughts at all, and could only let despair devour his spirit little by little.

Gradually, his eyes lost all their light, his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, no longer breathing.

His face had no visible wounds, only an expression of extreme pain, as if he had endured the most horrific torment in the final moments of his life.

The gray-black mental energy around Shen Zhen gradually subsided, and a trace of light returned to his empty eyes.

He stood there, his body trembling slightly. This was the first time he had actively unleashed such power, and it had taken a huge toll on his mental energy.

This power is terrifying, yet also very useful. It can kill enemies in despair, without shedding blood, but more thoroughly than any other form of slaughter.

"Zhen'er." Shen Zhenglan walked to Shen Zhen's side, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, worry, and a hint of indescribable scrutiny.

"What you just did..."

"I've got it under control," Shen Zhen whispered, her voice tinged with shock and delight.

"This is the true power of the power of despair."

He remembered Wang Juan's reminder, and now that his father knew, he decided not to hide it anymore.

Shen Zhenglan remained silent for a moment, then finally just sighed:

"This power is too dangerous; it can easily backfire on you. You were almost swallowed by despair just now."

Shen Zhen nodded silently; the unspoken understanding between father and son was evident.

"Father, don't worry, I'll definitely be able to control it!"

He could feel the restlessness of the power within him, as if it had its own consciousness and could go out of control at any moment.

But he had no choice; for the sake of the truth about his mother, he had to acquire this power.

"Although Jin Wanquan is dead, the trail hasn't gone cold," Shen Zhenglan said in a deep voice.

"Feng Xun's eagerness to kill him to silence him indicates that there must be a huge conspiracy behind this."

Shen Zhen raised her head:

"You mean, there are others on Fengxun?"

"That's possible." Shen Zhenglan nodded.

Shen Zhen clenched his fist, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:

"No matter who's behind this, I will seek justice for my mother."

Looking at his son's resolute expression, Shen Zhenglan couldn't help but change his tone:

"Ultimately, it's all my fault. Your mother was all alone and helpless four years ago, and I was out of town at the time..." He paused when he mentioned his wife, his expression turning somewhat sad.

"I wish I had come back sooner."

Shen Zhen felt a tremor in his heart. He vividly remembered that when he rushed to the scene back then, his mother was already on the verge of death.

Therefore, he will never forget the scene of his mother's sacrifice on that rainy day.

"We can't make any moves against Feng Xun for the time being." Shen Zhenglan composed himself.

"He is the crown prince of the empire. Without solid evidence, the temple cannot easily touch him."

But we can start from other places; I'm sure there will be clues.

Shen Zhen clenched her fist: "I understand."

He looked at Jin Wanquan's corpse, then recalled Feng Xun's gentle face, and silently murmured that name in his heart.

"Let's go back to Shen Du first," Shen Zhenglan said.

"The news of Jin Wanquan's death will spread quickly, so we need to keep things calm first."

Also, you should avoid using your despairing mental power unless absolutely necessary.

Shen Zhen nodded.

He knew his father meant well; this power was too special, and once exposed, it would inevitably attract countless covetous eyes and suspicions.

The two did not linger and soon disappeared into the canyon, leaving behind only Jin Wanquan's cold corpse and the lingering aura of despair.