Chapter 340 – Peace Talks? Mu Lin Isn't Worthy

“Do not provoke him, he is a slumbering dragon.”

“Moreover, the fact that he did not take the field for such a long time before shows he holds goodwill toward us. Under these circumstances, we can certainly win him over rather than push him into becoming an enemy.”

In the hall where the prodigies of the Northern Wastelands had gathered, everyone was discussing how to deal with Mu Lin. Among them, the first to speak was Lingxu Zi.

Yes, the same Lingxu Zi who had collaborated with Scarlet Son – Nest in the Grave Lord’s Tomb.

For reasons unknown, he had appeared among the gathering of Northern Wasteland scholars.

He had once faced the Evil God Scion – Nest, but despite cooperating with over a dozen others, he was utterly defeated by Nest. In contrast, Mu Lin, relying solely on his own strength, managed to kill Nest.

This stark comparison made Lingxu Zi keenly aware of Mu Lin’s formidable power and his capacity for explosive force under the right conditions. Therefore, he believed that Mu Lin should not be made an enemy but rather befriended as much as possible.

His argument held some merit. Had it been when they first arrived in the southern lands, the Northern Aristocracy might have accepted it. But now, having won battle after battle, they were at the peak of their confidence, unwilling to yield to anyone.

Thus, unsurprisingly, Lingxu Zi’s words were refuted.

“A slumbering dragon? Hah, even if he were a real dragon, so what? Our Northern heroes have slain dragons before!”

“Remember one thing, Lingxu Zi: we never fear enemies. It is others who fear becoming our enemies.”

“He is mine. I want to fight him and see whether his slumbering dragon is stronger or my three-headed evil dragon is mightier. Heheh…”

Their string of victories had made them arrogant. No one feared Mu Lin; instead, they all thought of battle and slaughter.

This scene caused Lingxu Zi’s brow to furrow deeply.

What made his expression even more unpleasant was that some members of the Northern Aristocracy not only attacked Mu Lin but also targeted him.

“Southern scholars are truly a bunch of cowards, thinking of surrender before even fighting.”

“If not for that, why would he have defected to us as soon as we arrived…”

Crack…

Lingxu Zi’s defection was not outright surrender; he had come with a mission to build closer ties with the Northern Aristocracy.

However, a certain prince likely never anticipated that the Northern Aristocracy would be so strong and terrifying, capable of crushing the south without needing to cooperate with him.

Under such circumstances, Lingxu Zi, who had defected early, naturally received little regard.

Fortunately, though inwardly furious, Lingxu Zi possessed exceptional mental fortitude. He did not erupt in anger but instead turned his gaze toward a few individuals on the central high platform. Those were the true core of the Northern Aristocracy, the ones who determined its decisions.

There were seven of them in total—some youths, some young men. At that moment, one young man spoke calmly, “Although we are strong and have been winning continuously, Lingxu Zi is right about one thing: we cannot push everyone into becoming our enemies.”

Hearing this, a domineering young man among the group frowned.

“Qing, are you suggesting we do nothing and let him insult us like this?”

This made the young man who had spoken first smile.

“Iron Tower, don’t be hasty. I never said we should surrender without a fight. We need friends, but we must also demonstrate our own strength.”

“Qing is right. Friends are important, but our honor must not be tarnished. We must show the Southern Aristocracy our strength. Only then will they fear us and allow us to obtain more resources.”

These words sank Lingxu Zi’s heart. Whether it was genuine fear of Mu Lin or a sense of his own pitiful situation, he did not remain silent this time. Instead, he snorted coldly and said, “You have no idea how terrifying Mu Lin truly is. Opposing him will only lead to regret.”

Iron Tower retorted, “No, he will be the one regretting ever crossing us. If he had remained silent, we could have ignored him. But since he dared to step forward, he must be prepared for defeat!”

Qing added, “Lingxu Zi, don’t be upset. We are not targeting him, nor are we targeting you. If possible, I would like to befriend him. But the North needs resources and dominance. Therefore, we must defeat Mu Lin, and we must do so decisively.”

“Only in this way can we avoid giving the Southern Aristocracy an excuse to claim they were not truly defeated.”

There was some logic to this. The Northern Aristocracy, having arrived with such force, indeed needed a decisive victory. Only then could they make the South recognize reality and extract more resources from them.

However, Lingxu Zi saw deeper into the matter.

He understood clearly that if Mu Lin did not provoke them, they had ways to cover up the situation. While this would cost them some prestige, it would not be significant, as Mu Lin had neither directly challenged them nor openly clashed with them. At present, they had the ability to resolve this peacefully.

Yet, in the end, the Northern Aristocracy chose not to take this path. While there were many reasons for this, the most crucial one was simple—they looked down on the Southern scholars and despised Mu Lin. Deep down, they believed Mu Lin posed little threat to them.

Without fear, these individuals acted recklessly, making their current decision unsurprising.

Having understood all this, Lingxu Zi shook his head and ceased his attempts at persuasion. He merely uttered a cold remark: “Confidence is good, but overconfidence is not. I hope you do not regret today’s decision.”

With that, Lingxu Zi left the Northern gathering.

His departure drew sneers from some, their faces filled with disdain.

“Regret? My only regret is not coming here sooner.”

“Hahaha… well said, Brother Shan. This place is rich in resources, abundant in Spiritual Energy, and filled with beauties—all of which should be ours to enjoy…”

Amidst the laughter, Iron Tower turned his gaze to Qing, his expression curious. “It’s strange that you didn’t urge us to prioritize the greater good this time but instead supported us.”

Qing replied, “There’s nothing strange about it. Maintaining the Northern Aristocracy’s fighting spirit is the greater good. As for Mu Lin, no matter how powerful he is, he is only one man. Even if he wins a few battles, it will not affect the overall situation.”

Clearly, Lingxu Zi’s speculation was correct. Even Qing, a moderate among the Northern Aristocracy, did not believe Mu Lin was worthy of being compared to the morale of the Northern Aristocracy.

As for the others, they were even more convinced of their advantage.

“Win? He won’t win a single battle. With so many of us, we will surely find a way to counter him. This time, we will crush Mu Lin decisively and shatter their delusions.”

“Well said, Iron Tower. Let’s go challenge Mu Lin right now.”

“No, don’t rush. Set the time for three days from now.”

“Ah, why? Do we have to let him be arrogant for so many more days?”

Iron Tower: “It’s fine. He can only be arrogant for these few days. As for why it has to be three days later… we need to give the Southern Aristocracy some time to gather their people. That way, defeating him in front of everyone will best intimidate the Southern Aristocracy.”

“Hehe, boss is wise.”

“Exactly. I wonder what excuses those Southern cowards will come up with if Mu Lin loses.”

Upon learning that everyone was going to deal with Mu Lin, the Northern Aristocracy was not afraid; instead, they erupted into a frenzy of celebration.

Amidst this fervent atmosphere, Qing inexplicably felt a chill in his heart.

However, this chill soon faded away. At the same time, he shook his head and said, “There’s nothing to fear. We have many people and a great advantage. Even if we fail once or twice, we can always fight back.”

Looking at the hundred or so Prodigies unleashing their auras in the hall, Qing’s worries completely vanished.

“No matter how strong you are, can you fight one against a hundred? In this battle, the advantage is ours!”

…

Mu Lin soon learned of the Northern Aristocracy’s decision.

Although they planned to challenge him at his doorstep three days later, the reason for the delay was to defeat Mu Lin in front of everyone and completely shatter the Southern Aristocracy’s delusions.

To achieve this goal, they naturally did not wait idly. After making the decision, they began spreading the word.

Through their efforts and the tacit consent of the Southern Aristocracy, news of the Northern Aristocracy’s impending challenge to Mu Lin quickly spread far and wide.

Such a grand commotion naturally did not escape Yan Yunyu’s notice. She was the first to know, and soon after, Mu Lin also learned of the Northern Aristocracy’s decision.

“A direct challenge, a head-on confrontation… they made the worst possible decision.”

“What a pity. I originally didn’t want to take action.”

As Mu Lin sighed, Xue Ying beside him also shook her head and said, “They didn’t even consider negotiating. Mu Lin, they really look down on you. Otherwise, they would have at least tried to talk.”

These words made Mu Lin’s expression grow even darker.

Beside them, Yan Yunyu looked at Xue Ying with a strange expression.

Yan Yunyu had naturally thought of the same thing.

However, saying such things was insulting to Mu Lin and could upset him, so Yan Yunyu naturally dared not speak openly.

She hadn’t expected Xue Ying to be so bold as to say it to his face.

While surprised, she also felt relieved.

‘Such a straightforward personality is not suited for palace intrigues. She is not my enemy.’

Yan Yunyu was thinking about winning favor, while Xue Ying’s thoughts were much simpler.

“I was once defeated by the Northern Aristocracy and humiliated harshly with their words. Mu Lin, for the battle three days from now, I want to take the field first.”

Sensing Xue Ying’s fighting spirit and eagerness, and recalling that although she lacked sword intent, she possessed blade intent—which could be honed in battle…

Thinking this far, Mu Lin naturally had no reason to refuse.

“Alright.”

But he also made one request.

“I simply do not wish to fail. Even though you are my subordinate, I still do not wish to fail. Therefore, in the coming days, I want you to cultivate diligently, preferably advancing to Sha Refinement and completing it.”

Such a demand left Xue Ying stunned. Soon after, she shook her head and said, “Since joining your command, I have already advanced to Sha Refinement. But completing it within three days—I cannot do that.”

“No matter, I will help you.”

“Huh?!”

“Wait, you can help with that too?”

(End of Chapter)