Chapter 158 – Injuries Fully Healed: Students Shocked

One meter, two meters, three meters… nine meters, ten meters, fifteen meters…

Like a dragon returning to the sea, a tiger released into the mountains.

Relying on the Jiao Dragon Body’s resistance to thunder, Mu Lin felt no discomfort while walking through the Thunder Pool; instead, he experienced a sense of comfort akin to returning home.

It must be said that the Jiao Dragon Body was truly formidable. What felt like a hellish ordeal to others was gentle and tame for Mu Lin.

Unfortunately, Mu Lin’s comfort lasted only until around fifteen meters.

By eighteen meters, the power within the Majestic Thunder Pool surged dramatically. At this point, the electric currents entering his body not only brought a tingling numbness but also a faint, stinging pain.

Sensing this, Mu Lin immediately understood that from here on, he would be subjected to the baptism of the raging thunder.

“Whoosh…”

Upon realizing this, Mu Lin felt neither fear nor dread. Instead, he continued forward.

“Crackle, pop…”

As he advanced, the violent thunder and electric currents surged toward him like tidal waves, crashing against him one after another.

Under the relentless assault of the thunder and currents, Mu Lin involuntarily shifted into a half-Jiao Dragon, half-human form. A single horn extended from his forehead, and dark scales, like armor, enveloped and protected him.

Simultaneously, his eyes transformed into vertical, ink-black pupils.

After transforming into the Jiao Dragon form, Mu Lin’s resistance skyrocketed. However, the onslaught of thunder grew even more terrifying and unceasing.

Under the continuous stimulation of the electric currents, countless sparks erupted around Mu Lin.

“Crackle, pop…”

The lightning was blinding, the thunder explosive.

The violent currents lashed at Mu Lin like whips, striking his body repeatedly.

Under the relentless lashing, the dark scales on Mu Lin’s body gradually developed scorch marks and cracks.

He was injured.

“But I can still endure it!”

Clenching his teeth and enduring the electric strikes, Mu Lin pressed onward into the depths of the Majestic Thunder Pool.

Thus, enduring the damage, Mu Lin advanced another twelve meters, reaching the thirty-meter mark.

Upon arriving here, before Mu Lin could even catch his breath—

“Boom!” A bolt of thunder descended from the sky, striking Mu Lin squarely on the head.

The blinding lightning, like a heavenly spear, stunned Mu Lin completely.

The powerful impact and force knocked the unprepared Mu Lin to the ground.

“Brother Mu…”

This scene startled Chu Lingluo greatly. Instinctively, she wanted to rush into the Thunder Pool to rescue Mu Lin.

Naturally, she was stopped by the overseer guarding the Thunder Pool.

“Don’t worry, he’s not dead yet. When he truly faces danger, I will intervene.”

These words somewhat reassured Chu Lingluo.

At the same time, Mu Lin’s fall relieved Hua Xingyu, while Lin Qi sighed softly.

“What a pity. His physical strength is quite decent. If he had been prepared, he wouldn’t have stopped at thirty meters.”

“But he fell.”

“…You’re right.”

More than one person noticed Mu Lin’s fall. Assuming he had reached his limit, someone immediately laughed mockingly.

“Knocked down at just thirty meters? With results like this, he still wants to leave his name on the Majestic Light Stele? Is he trying to make me laugh?”

“Indeed, ignorance breeds fearlessness…”

“The fun is over…”

“It is said that while still at his own Dao Academy, this fellow boldly declared his intention to strive for a top-three finish in the upcoming Southeast Region Grand Examination. Upon hearing this, the teachers at our Dao Palace even held a special meeting to prepare for him. Now it seems we were all deceived!”

The feeling of being deceived was not limited to ordinary students. High above, Dongfang Ya and the teacher who had received her had not left but were observing Mu Lin, who had entered the Jade Lake Dao Academy.

Seeing Mu Lin knocked down at the thirty-meter mark of the Majestic Thunder Pool, the instructor from Jade Lake Dao Academy couldn’t help but hold his forehead.

‘To be so weak… I was indeed overly cautious back then.’

…

Mu Lin’s fall led many to believe that his strength ended right there.

And that point was reachable by most people.

Consequently, the students of Jade Lake Dao Academy no longer held any fear toward Mu Lin.

In fact, many began to think that Mu Lin entering Jade Lake Dao Academy was like a child carrying gold through a bustling market—an easy target.

The so-called “gold,” of course, referred to Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo.

Immediately, some approached the two young women.

This wasn’t to bully them—being able to casually spend ten thousand Academy Points made it clear that both women came from extraordinary backgrounds.

They approached hoping to attract the women’s attention by showcasing themselves.

At that moment, a man stepped forward courteously and said to Chu Lingluo, “Miss Chu, there’s no need to worry too much. Although the Majestic Thunder Pool is fearsome, that applies mainly to its middle and later sections. The thirty-meter mark is still in the early stage, where the Thunder’s harm to people isn’t that severe.”

By saying this, the man aimed both to ease Chu Lingluo’s anxiety and to imply that Mu Lin, being knocked down in the early stage, was quite weak.

Not wanting to lose favor, he phrased it very tactfully.

Yet even so, Chu Lingluo frowned delicately and took a step back.

She was indeed innocent and pure, but alongside that innocence, she possessed a childlike heart, making it difficult for others with ulterior motives to approach her.

At the same time, she regarded Mu Lin as her one and only, which meant her childlike heart also worked in his favor—when others harbored malice toward Mu Lin, Chu Lingluo could sense it.

Thus, the man before her was seen as a bad person in her eyes.

Her retreat left the man momentarily stunned.

Before he could say anything, a cold voice rang out beside them.

“Get lost!”

It was Yan Yunyu who spoke. While Chu Lingluo had retreated, Yan Yunyu had not. Not only did she not retreat, she stepped forward and coldly rebuked the man.

Her icy words and sharp reprimand, delivered in front of everyone, left the man, driven by his Desires, utterly embarrassed.

“You…”

He wanted to say something, but before he could finish, Yan Yunyu cut him off.

—She was never someone to be trifled with. She might lower her head before Mu Lin, but that didn’t mean she would do the same in front of others.

Of course, Yan Yunyu had no intention of arguing with the man. She simply turned to her maid, Xiao Xue, and said, “Note down his name. Have the Yan Family and the Chu Family take action. Tell them this person has provoked me and Lingluo, attempting to tarnish our reputations.”

“Yes, miss.”

Their conversation terrified the approaching man, sending chills down his spine.

He was well aware of the prestige of the Yan Family and the Chu Family—the third and fourth-ranked families in the Jade Lake Dao Academy were none other than the Yan and Chu Families.

The thought of these two families joining forces against him filled him with fear and dread.

“It’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding, I meant no harm…”

He still wanted to explain, but unfortunately, Yan Yunyu, her face cold and stern, had no intention of listening.

She was determined to make an example of him.

This very demeanor was one of the reasons Mu Lin admired her.

While her methods could be ruthless at times, she was clever, never acted foolishly, and never caused trouble for Mu Lin.

Since deciding to align herself with Mu Lin, she had never wavered in her loyalty. Not only did she avoid letting other men get close to her, but she also went out of her way to please Mu Lin and resolve his troubles.

Such unwavering devotion made it difficult for anyone to dislike her.

…

Her sharp demeanor and aloof attitude made it clear to everyone that Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo were not naive, easily deceived girls, but noble young ladies from prestigious families who should not be approached or offended lightly.

Realizing this, the young men who had hoped to win the favor of the two girls and thus save themselves decades of struggle immediately halted their advances.

They knew they stood no chance, and rashly provoking them might even invite a joint retaliation from the Yan-Chu Families.

At the same time, their envy toward Mu Lin grew even stronger.

They couldn’t understand why those haughty noble young ladies behaved so gently and submissively in front of Mu Lin.

Even Hua Xingyu and Lin Qi couldn’t figure it out—throughout their journey, with Mu Lin present, Yan Yunyu had always appeared gentle and amiable, leading them to believe this was her true nature.

But after Mu Lin left, her attitude toward others made them realize they were wrong, terribly wrong.

‘Thank goodness I didn’t provoke them…’

While Hua Xingyu and Lin Qi felt relieved, the surrounding young men were filled with confusion.

“What does that guy have that we don’t?”

“Exactly, and he’s won the favor of two noble young ladies at once. What does he have that I lack?”

…

Mu Lin was unaware of their doubts and confusion, nor did he have the mind to pay them any attention.

At that moment, he was struggling to climb out of the Thunder Pool.

“The attack pattern actually changed!”

The sudden descent of thunder and lightning from the sky had indeed stunned Mu Lin, knocking him to the ground.

However, thanks to the Jiao Dragon Body’s resistance to thunder, Mu Lin’s injuries were not as severe as they seemed.

In fact, a significant reason for his fall was that he hadn’t focused on resisting the lightning.

Unlike others, because of his Jiao Dragon Body, Mu Lin absorbed the lightning in the Majestic Thunder Pool rather than merely using it to temper his body.

This meant he didn’t devote his full attention to defense and resistance. Instead, he deliberately lowered part of his defenses, allowing the thunder and lightning to enter his body.

With such lack of protection, combined with the sudden change in the attack pattern, his fall was no surprise.

And climbing back to his feet was only natural.

In fact, once standing, Mu Lin could continue moving forward.

Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three…

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”

After passing the thirty-meter threshold, the attack pattern of the Majestic Thunder Pool completely changed. Thunder continuously descended from the sky, striking Mu Lin’s head and causing his body to tremble violently.

Although his body suffered from the electric shocks, because he was prepared this time, Mu Lin was not knocked to the ground again.

However, the violent thunder attacks inevitably injured his body.

Now, countless of Mu Lin’s pitch-black scales had shattered, and blood seeped from his body.

Even the impact and intense heat brought by the lightning caused Mu Lin’s entire body to emit the smell of charring and cooked meat.

…

Mu Lin standing up again and even moving further inward slightly surprised the onlookers.

Yet, his wretched state also led everyone to believe that Mu Lin wouldn’t get far.

“He actually stood up again—commendable courage, but that’s about it. With his strength, he can at most pass thirty-six meters!”

“Exceeding the Dao Palace’s average? No wonder he dared to boast so boldly. But with such strength, he still dreams of competing for the top three? Pure fantasy.”

“What does this guy have? How did he win the favor of two noble ladies… Do you think he’d be willing to take disciples? I’m not greedy—I just want to win the favor of one noble lady.”

Some admired Mu Lin’s courage, others looked down on him, and there were even those who wanted to become his disciple.

But regardless of their differing opinions, one thing was unanimously agreed upon: they believed Mu Lin wouldn’t get far. Thirty-six meters would be his limit.

The steward managing the Majestic Thunder Pool thought the same and was prepared to intervene at any moment to pull Mu Lin out of the Thunder Pool.

Just as everyone held this belief, and Mu Lin stood battered and on the verge of collapse, what happened in the next moment surpassed all expectations.

“Whoosh…”

On the brink of his limit, Mu Lin pulled out an exquisite Paper Figure from his chest and casually tossed it.

“Sizzle!”

As the Paper Figure left Mu Lin’s hand and made contact with the lightning, it was instantly incinerated by the scorching electric light.

But as the Paper Figure burned to ashes, an unbelievable scene unfolded—the injuries covering Mu Lin’s body turned to ash along with the consumed Paper Figure!

“?!?”

(End of Chapter)