The sequence is too involutional, luckily I am too.

"coward?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.

It was clearly born from absorbing fear, yet it turned out to be a coward?

As the thought arose, he immediately calmed himself and probed his consciousness into the realm of the uncanny.

At the boundary between nature and pollution, a slender, timid figure could be seen.

His features resembled Gao Qiang's by seven or eight points, but he lacked Gao Qiang's former sharpness and gained a deep-seated cowardice.

[Sequence 8 (?) - Weird - Coward: Those who look directly at a coward will see their deepest fears (absorb fear to grow)]

"So it was this coward."

Lu Yan suddenly realized that this ability was similar to the other three minor strange abilities, all of which could directly affect the mental state of others.

But what does the question mark after sequence 8 mean?

[The Coward's rank surpasses that of the Ghostly Gardener; he is temporarily sealed...]

It's been sealed away?

So this coward is actually a Sequence 7?

Lu Yan clicked his tongue in amazement. From a certain perspective, Gao Qiang had truly risen to the top in one step.

[The path to promotion for the Ghostly Gardener has been discovered!]

[The Gardener's Advancement Path 1: Mastering the Three Bronze Meditation Techniques (0/3) - (Incomplete)]

[The Second Path to Advancement for the Hermit Gardener: Personally Cultivating Seven Crops Involving Emotions (1/7) - (Incomplete)]

[The Third Path to Advancement for the Hermit Gardener: Listening to the Sounds of Nature for Three Minutes - (Incomplete)]

Lu Yan's eyes lit up. After such a long delay, the Gardener of the Demonic Hermit had finally found a path to advancement.

These conditions seem a bit complicated.

Lu Yan put aside his thoughts for the moment and turned to look at the Death Priest who had already fainted.

"Stop pretending, I know you're awake."

Lu Yan chuckled and squatted down in front of the other person.

To be fair, Sequence 7 is incredibly durable; Sequence 8 would have already lost consciousness by now.

Perhaps knowing he had been exposed, the Death Priest could only open his eyes, his eyes filled with resentment.

They're both Sequence 7, and the other one even just got promoted a few days ago, so how can there be such a big difference!

"Tell me, what exactly are you plotting?"

Lu Yan had no time to consider his feelings and asked the question directly in a detached tone.

The declaration of conviction was quietly initiated, and an invisible force tore through the priest's mental defenses like a sharp blade.

At the same time, he summoned the Coward, letting the timid shadow entangle the priest's soul and constantly assault his mental barrier.

Faced with such an impact, the Death Priest only let out terrified roars and did not reveal any useful information.

"Could this guy really not know anything?"

Lu Yan's eyes twitched. He would never believe it if it were anyone else, but if it were Fang Xiu, he really could do such a thing.

With that in mind, Lu Yan wasted no more time and shattered the priest's heart and head with a series of punches with his right fist.

But at the very moment the priest died, a thick plume of black smoke suddenly surged from his body. The smoke tumbled and condensed in mid-air, gradually transforming into a blurry phantom of the Grim Reaper.

Death has become aware of your presence; it is curious about the power you possess...

He has decided to bless you in exchange for your faith in Him!

Another new evil god?

Seeing the black subtitles flashing before his eyes, Lu Yan's heart tightened, and he immediately activated the Soldier's Tomb and the Firm Will to defend himself.

But the panel was still one step ahead.

[Residual remnants of a demonic god discovered; in the process of being recovered and purified...]

[Recovery successful, gained Death Power *1]

[Power of Death: Applying it to death attribute sequences grants additional effects (limited to sequences 7 and below)]

Seeing the pop-up notification on the panel, Lu Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn't expect these evil priests to have such countermeasures after they died. Fortunately, the panel's performance was as stable as ever.

As for the power of death, it is naturally meant for the use of the Ghost Gardener.

The Ghost Gardener absorbed the power of death and unhesitatingly incorporated it into her skill, Twin Cycle.

[Fusion successful, acquired skill: Ghostly Rebirth]

[Rebirth of the Mystic Seed: Upon activation, the target can be condensed into a mystic seed. Once mature, it will be reborn, and its strength will increase to varying degrees depending on the quality of the nutrients!]

"Does this mean that as long as the resource quality is high enough, it will become stronger with each planting?"

Lu Yan nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the result.

Although the Ghost God is not a good thing, to be fair, its power is really useful, and it can transform the sequence skills every time.

[The Gardener of the Demons found the right way to advance and planted the three small saplings and three small demons without hesitation.]

To better foster the growth of the Ghost Species, the Ghost Gardener hopes you will collect as many living beings' emotions as possible.

Lu Yan understood immediately; it seemed that the Gardener of the Demonic Hermit was determined to follow this path.

I just don't know if this will change the attributes of the three little plants. If it weakens their combat power, then it would be a loss.

"The emotions of the living beings... it seems I'll have to stay in the market town for the next while."

Lu Yan stretched and walked out of the tunnel.

Suddenly, a series of subtitles popped up in front of Lu Yan, all prompting the Shepherd Gardener to collect emotions.

Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire.

Seven emotions continuously surged into the realm of the supernatural, transforming into nourishment for the six little ones.

Especially the five emotions other than joy and love, are growing at an alarming rate.

"I never imagined that the tragedy of the market town would become the driving force for my growth."

Lu Yan's expression was inscrutable. He didn't seem to be feeling sentimental or melancholic, but simply took out his phone to report to Yao Xiangyang.

Immediately, he concealed his aura and left the Black Dog Gang's base.

When he arrived with his spear, he made a great commotion, attracting many thugs who gathered around the perimeter of the camp, peering out with curiosity and apprehension in their eyes.

But when they saw Lu Yan walk out of the camp, they scattered like startled birds, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Only one group of people, upon seeing Lu Yan's figure, not only did not dodge, but instead went straight to meet him.

This group of people was completely different from the other skinny and cowardly thugs. Each of them was as strong as an ox, with surging blood and qi around their bodies, far exceeding that of ordinary people. It was obvious at a glance that they were skilled practitioners.

Some of the thugs who hadn't had time to leave looked terrified when they saw them and quickly gave way.

When the group of burly men walked up to him, they all stopped in their tracks, lowered their heads sharply, bowed deeply, and spoke with utmost respect.

"Fourth Master!"

The loud and unified shouts resounded throughout the brick and stone area, with extremely strong penetrating power.

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly somewhat surprised.

These talented people are still alive?

"Fourth Master, you're finally back!"

Upon seeing Lu Yan, these talented individuals immediately swarmed around him, their faces filled with sorrow.

"Fourth Master! We're suffering!"

"The third leader doesn't treat us like human beings, and the Red Flower Gang next door bullies us too. If you don't come back soon, the brothers really won't be able to hold on!"

Seeing the miserable appearance of the group of muscular men in front of him, Lu Yan couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye.

Even if you're going to act, at least act convincingly. After all, you're someone who has practiced breathing techniques; you can certainly protect yourself, if not more.

"Third Master, we really didn't lie to you!"

A former leader of the Black Dog Gang mustered his courage and stepped forward, crying out, "The whole town has been in complete chaos lately. Abnormal events are becoming more and more frequent, and the number of strange beasts in the surrounding area has more than doubled. They often break into the town and hurt people."

"The brothers not only have to guard against attacks from strange beasts, but also deal with the difficulties posed by the Red Flower Gang. They can't even get a decent meal, and their vital energy is almost completely depleted. They can barely maintain their cultivation..."

"You're saying there are many more strange beasts now?"

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat, and he inexplicably thought of the strange device that Chen Ye had used to scheme against him.

Perhaps he really did find a clue~