Chapter 353 – The Final Battle: Mu Lin Gets Serious

Mu Lin did not hear Luo Chen’s words “He will win,” but the subsequent battles concluded swiftly.

Thanks to Yan Yunyu’s preparations, Mu Lin had already learned the true names, information, and abilities of the young prodigies from the Northern Aristocracy in advance.

Yan Yunyu and Si Ye had even managed to obtain the mana auras of some of these northern prodigies beforehand.

Using the Book of Life and Death to gather this information, Mu Lin easily deduced the remaining details based on the connections between true names, auras, and individuals.

“But it’s still not enough. Most of the cultivators I’m dealing with now are at the Gang Sha Realm or Mortal Shedding Realm. Their information is easy to find and they haven’t hidden it using various methods. However, if I were to face true Earth Immortals or even Deity-level experts, their information wouldn’t be so easily gathered. Having lived for so many years, they would inevitably have countless contingencies prepared and use abilities to conceal themselves.”

“In that case, relying solely on the deduction ability inherent in the Book of Life and Death, I wouldn’t be able to glimpse their capabilities… Should I find a cultivation method for reasoning or divination to study and integrate into the Book of Life and Death?”

At this moment, Mu Lin hesitated:

“It should be useful, but I already have enough cultivation methods to learn, including techniques for the forces of existence and nothingness. If I add a deduction-type method, will I be able to handle it all?”

“Moreover, Heaven-Rank Techniques for deduction are hard to find. Can I even locate one?”

While pondering, Mu Lin used the Book of Life and Death to judge the fates of the young prodigies from the Northern Aristocracy.

In the end, Mu Lin hadn’t yet decided whether to learn another cultivation method, but he had defeated nearly all of the northern young prodigies.

Now, only one prodigy remained undefeated by Mu Lin.

When this prodigy first stepped onto the arena, Mu Lin didn’t pay much attention, only wanting to finish the fight quickly so he could return to refining Gang Qi or ask Si Ye and the others if they could find a deduction-type cultivation method.

“I’ll think about learning it later. First, let’s see if I can find one… Hmm?”

But soon, Mu Lin’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

Unlike the previous opponents who had been hesitant and afraid to attack, this final cultivator launched an assault immediately upon entering the arena. Moreover, his method of attack was quite peculiar.

“Boom!”

Standing in place, Mu Lin was instantly engulfed in flames.

“Boom! Boom! Boom…”

The flames roared fiercely, pouring into Mu Lin’s seven orifices and quickly charring most of his body.

As expected, the moment Luo Chen attacked, the Substitute Death Counterattack ability activated, inflicting the same injuries upon Luo Chen.

Then, something even more astonishing happened to Mu Lin.

These injuries had no effect on Luo Chen whatsoever.

—The moment the injuries appeared, they were inexplicably absorbed by him.

Furthermore, the power Mu Lin reflected back was refined by Luo Chen, transforming into a strange force that amplified his mana.

“This is…”

The scene before him slightly surprised Mu Lin, and for the first time, he became serious.

“Swish!”

As Mu Lin focused, his injuries were instantly transferred to a Paper Figure placed in the distance.

Once the injuries vanished, Mu Lin, for the first time, channeled his mana to resist the flames burning him.

“Hum!!”

With Mu Lin’s surge of power, a mountainous and majestic aura suddenly erupted from his body.

This profound energy transformed into an earthen-yellow crystalline shield, enveloping and protecting Mu Lin.

“Boom!”

“Thud…”

Though Mu Lin wished to avoid injury, Luo Chen on the opposing side had no intention of obliging. He, too, stirred his mana and unleashed his special ability, causing endless heavenly flames to engulf Mu Lin’s surroundings.

“Boom…”

“Thud!!”

It must be said that the cultivator before them was formidable. His strength had reached the peak of Gang Sha Unity, just one step away from advancing to the Mortal Shedding Stage.

Beyond his cultivation level, his abilities were even more terrifying.

Relying on his unique talent and considerable cultivation, the flames he summoned covered an area of eight hundred meters in radius.

“Boom!!”

The scorching flames distorted the air, cracked the earth, and melted the ground… The cultivators around the arena could hardly endure the ferocious heat and collectively retreated a great distance.

High temperatures, explosions, and scorching… Under Luo Chen’s control, the terrifying flames resembled thermobaric bombs, relentlessly blasting and detonating toward Mu Lin.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

The continuous bombardment even gave rise to a mushroom cloud in the sky.

At this moment, even if a mountain or a large city stood before Luo Chen, it would be incinerated and shattered by the countless flames he commanded.

Though Luo Chen could not fully display his power due to his cultivation level, he already possessed a hint of calamitous might.

It could only be said that the Northern Aristocracy had good reason to place their hopes on Luo Chen.

And yet… this seemingly all-consuming, all-destroying onslaught… was completely blocked by Mu Lin.

Previously, without protection, Mu Lin was vulnerable to injury from anyone.

But when he chose to defend, not even cultivators of the same tier, or even those a tier higher in the Mortal Shedding Stage, could harm him.

This was not due to anything else, but the Central Wuji Sha.

Now, the Central Wuji Sha, imbued with the characteristic of immutability, had been activated within Mu Lin’s body and radiated its own brilliance.

This radiance formed an earthen-yellow crystalline shield, draped over Mu Lin like a robe of light.

Clad in this radiant robe, Mu Lin appeared only slightly more noble and imposing.

Yet this thin layer of light, like towering mountains or the vast earth, blocked every attack from the outside.

“Boom!!!”

Though the flames under Luo Chen’s control were fierce and intense, no matter how violently they bombarded, they could not shake this thin robe of light in the slightest.

This sight caused Luo Chen and the observing cultivators to narrow their eyes in shock.

“Hiss…”

“Substitute Death Counterattack and the ability to judge life and death with a brush—these two techniques are already formidable enough. Who would have thought that, beyond these, Mu Lin possessed yet another ability…”

“Goodness, even a mushroom cloud was blasted out. That attack could easily obliterate a small city, yet it still couldn’t harm him… Just how strong is his defense?”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know. I only understand one thing: that is a defense I could never breach.”

“To be honest, I almost feel sorry for the Northern Aristocracy. With such extraordinary abilities, Mu Lin isn’t human—he’s a monster. Such a peerless prodigy… why would you ever provoke him?”

“Don’t underestimate him, that Luo Chen is quite strong too. Mu Lin’s Substitute Death Counterattack earlier seemed to have been directly absorbed by him. What kind of ability is that?”

…

The current battle could be considered the final match of the youth division in the North-South rivalry.

Whoever wins this battle will gain countless benefits.

Therefore, everyone is paying close attention to this fight.

Right from the start, Luo Chen neutralized Mu Lin’s Substitute Death Counterattack, and then unleashed endless heavenly flames that seemed capable of burning down a city and shattering mountains, startling everyone.

Although Mu Lin easily withstood it all, no one dared to underestimate Luo Chen anymore.

And what Luo Chen did next made them gasp in shock.

“Indeed, you have other abilities. Even after breaking your Substitute Death Counterattack, you’re not so easy to deal with.”

Saying this, after realizing the flames couldn’t harm Mu Lin, he waved his hand in reverse:

“Whoosh…”

Endless gales immediately appeared around Mu Lin.

The hurricane howled, threatening to tear Mu Lin’s body apart.

Moreover, wind and fire merged, forming two towering fire tornadoes that connected heaven and earth.

“Boom…”

Two hundred-meter-tall fire tornadoes sandwiched Mu Lin in the center, relentlessly grinding away at his power.

But wind and fire were not the end.

“Boom!”

Accompanied by a deafening roar, endless Thunder also appeared above Mu Lin’s head, bombarding him relentlessly.

After that, the earth beneath Mu Lin’s feet also trembled ceaselessly, containing a terrifying force.

A volcano was about to erupt beneath Mu Lin’s feet.

Flames, gales, Earthquake, thunder… numerous disaster-like abilities gathered and erupted around Mu Lin, forcibly creating a scene of apocalypse around him.

“Boom…”

The terrifying spectacle seemed capable of destroying everything, annihilating all, leaving many southern Cultivators pale with fear.

They were certain that if they entered this apocalyptic scene of destruction, they wouldn’t last even three breaths.

…

(End of Chapter)