Chapter 166 – A Storm Rises: Anticipating the Grandmaster-Level Substitute Paper Figure

“Th-thirty times? Lin, Lin Qi, what, what do you mean…”

The exaggerated number left even Yuan Ce, with his Pure Yang Body, stammering in excitement. At the same time, his Qi and Blood surged, his entire body flushed red—a sign of losing control over his own Qi and Blood.

The others weren’t much better off, their faces twisted and expressions filled with shock. Clearly, this number had terrified them as well.

Lin Qi didn’t mock them for this; instead, he felt a sense of nostalgia and reflection. When he first heard about this, his own reaction hadn’t been much better than his companions’.

While reminiscing, Lin Qi also shared the information he had obtained.

“Have you forgotten about our Dao Palace’s Time Secret Realm? Due to the difference in Time Flow Rate, it’s extremely inefficient for our Main Bodies to enter, but Clones don’t have this limitation. Six Clones combined with a fivefold Time Flow Rate—that’s exactly a thirtyfold difference in cultivation.”

“Huff, huff, huff…”

Hearing this, Yuan Ce fell silent at first, then began taking deep breaths, trying to suppress the excitement and greed in his heart.

However, despite his efforts, he couldn’t quell the curiosity within him. Instead, his eyes turned red.

Just as he was on the verge of losing control, an even more maddening statement emerged.

“It’s not thirty times!”

“What?”

The sudden remark made everyone turn their heads, only to find that the speaker was the woman who had seemed quiet and elegant just moments before.

Only now, she had lost all traces of elegance. Like Yuan Ce, her expression bordered on madness.

“I said Clone cultivation isn’t thirty times—it’s… ninety!”

“If I’m not mistaken, Clones can also use elixirs.”

“Elixirs carry toxins. With only a Main Body, no matter how many resources we have, we can’t consume many elixirs. But with Clones, it’s different. The Main Body plus Clones, combined with the Time Tower…”

By the end, the once quiet and elegant woman was left speechless.

A ninetyfold cultivation rate with minimal drawbacks—such a thing was utterly insane.

Almost without hesitation, Yuan Ce turned his attention to Mu Lin.

This wasn’t because he was inherently evil, but because no one could resist such temptation.

After all, if there’s a 100% profit, humans dare to take risks; if there’s a 200% profit, humans will defy the law; if there’s a 300% profit, all laws in the world will be trampled underfoot.

Now, this wasn’t just 300%—it was 9,000%.

More importantly, an increase in Cultivation Level didn’t just represent Spirit Stones; it also meant power, status, and even lifespan.

With so much at stake, unless one was a saint, no one could resist.

Just as Yuan Ce was thinking about how to mobilize his family and spare no effort to obtain the Clone Cultivation Technique for himself, Lin Qi spoke up.

“Using elixirs to reach ninety times… I hadn’t considered something so exaggerated, but thinking about it carefully, it really is possible.”

“His talent is so extraordinary, which is why I said we should try to win him over…”

The flying dagger youth: “What’s the use of winning him over? He won’t just give us the Cultivation Method.”

These words gave Lin Qi a strange expression. “Of course he won’t give it away, but Mu Lin is willing to sell the Clone Cultivation True Intent Diagram.”

“Sell? He’s insane!!”

  ”Impossible!”

“This is a cultivation method that can be passed down as a family heirloom—how could he possibly be willing to sell it!”

Everyone in the room doubted Lin Qi’s words. Putting themselves in his shoes, they believed that if they possessed such a secret technique, they would absolutely keep it hidden, not daring to reveal it even to their own family or parents.

Given this, when Lin Qi said that Mu Lin intended to sell the cultivation method, they didn’t believe it at all, suspecting a trick instead.

In response, Lin Qi shrugged and said, “I know it sounds unbelievable, but Mu Lin really plans to sell it, and he’s even set a price. As for his reason, according to him, he has the mindset of a true powerhouse—he aims to become the strongest, the one who holds all victories.”

“With such a mindset, he fears no challenge! Instead, he welcomes the growth of prodigies.”

“That’s a lie.”

Clearly, the people in the room didn’t believe Mu Lin possessed such so-called heroic courage.

However, although they didn’t believe Mu Lin was so selfless, the woman who called it all a lie, after careful consideration, actually agreed with the idea of Mu Lin selling the secret technique.

“But even if it’s a lie, he might still sell the secret technique in his possession?”

This piqued everyone’s curiosity.

“Why?”

“Because of resources… A ninetyfold cultivation speed is indeed exaggerated, but with seven people cultivating together, plus the time flow rate difference in the Time Tower, the resources Mu Lin needs are dozens of times greater than an ordinary person’s. That’s an astronomical amount of resources—he definitely can’t gather them alone.”

“Besides, there’s also safety. Unless he never uses it, he absolutely can’t keep this secret hidden or protect it. If those powerful clans and great families find out about this, they’ll tear him apart. Not even Dongfang Ya, who has always favored him, nor Anping Dao Palace, nor even our Jade Lake Dao Academy, could protect him.”

“But now it’s different. Since he’s willing to sell the secret technique, as long as he has some protection, those aristocratic families will be willing to exchange Spirit Stones and resources for the chance to learn the technique. This way, they get what they want and also build goodwill with Mu Lin. All it costs them is some Spirit Stones and resources—things the clans and families have in abundance… That Mu Lin is very clever…”

The young woman’s analysis was sound, but soon she couldn’t continue—her captain, Yuan Ce, had already grabbed Lin Qi and dashed toward Mu Lin’s direction halfway through her speech.

Clearly, he wanted to learn this secret technique as quickly as possible.

—In fact, the moment Lin Qi mentioned that Mu Lin intended to sell the Clone Cultivation True Intent Diagram, Yuan Ce had wanted to go buy it. It was only his worry that it might be a trick that held back his excitement.

Now, knowing it wasn’t a trick but a reasonable move, how could he possibly hold back?

While Lin Qi and Yuan Ce were rushing, Hua Xingyu was even faster in gathering funds.

Mu Lin, who had just arrived at Jade Lake Dao Academy, was already stirring up some ripples.

…

The storm had begun, but unfortunately, Mu Lin was unaware of all this. At the moment, he was agonizing over which cultivation method to practice using the Time Chamber.

“The Time Chamber plus the Clone—this counts as my stroke of luck, allowing me to raise my cultivation method’s level in the shortest time possible. But which cultivation method should I practice? Mindscape – Sky Burial City, Taiyin Life-Nurturing Scripture, Big Dipper Seven Stars Purple Tenuity Array, or the Life Death Illusion Twilight Array?”

This dilemma did not trouble Mu Lin for long. Soon, he knew what to cultivate—the Substitute Paper Figure.

“Although it isn’t my core Cultivation Method, it is still worthy of being a secondary core. More importantly, it is an excellent tool that can accelerate my cultivation.”

“As the saying goes, ‘A craftsman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well.’ Since that’s the case, I’ll prioritize improving it first.”

“…I wonder what abilities this Mystical Art will gain once it reaches the Grandmaster Level?”

(End of Chapter)