Chapter 161 – Central Ziwei Power in the Sky-Scraping Spell

After summoning and possessing the Evil Jiao’s soul imprint, in the blink of an eye, Mu Lin’s aura surged from the Gushing Spring Late Stage to the Spirit Pool Late Stage, leaping an entire major realm.

And this was still due to Mu Lin’s insufficient mana.

He could sense that at the time of its death, the Evil Jiao’s strength was at the Transformation Stage, beyond Condensing Gang and Refining Sha—a level that could already be called Adept.

Although Mu Lin had summoned the Evil Jiao’s soul imprint rather than its main body, causing its strength to diminish somewhat, normally, the Evil Jiao could still support Mu Lin up to the stages of Gang Condensation, Sha Refinement, or even Gang Sha Unity.

Unfortunately, due to insufficient mana and a narrow channel, Mu Lin could only elevate himself to the Spirit Pool Late Stage.

“What a pity…”

On his side, Mu Lin felt some regret, but he was the only one who felt that way.

Seeing Mu Lin’s aura skyrocket wildly after a single prayer, all the way to the Spirit Pool Late Stage, the surrounding spectators were utterly dumbfounded.

“This… this…”

“How is this possible!”

“First a substitute, then a sudden surge in strength—are the Prodigies of the outer courtyard really this powerful?”

“Everyone, I actually think this guy… Mu Lin really has the strength to compete for the top three!”

“As much as I don’t want to believe it, it seems he really does…”

“Impossible! Our Dao Palace’s Chu Hongxuan and Yan Zhanpeng are stronger. It’s said they still have hidden trump cards, all prepared to make a stunning debut in this joint exam.”

Hearing this, the one who favored Mu Lin wasn’t encouraged; instead, he smiled bitterly and said, “I know Yan Zhanpeng and the others have trump cards, but are you sure what Mu Lin has shown now is the full extent of his abilities?”

“…”

This left many people speechless.

And among the crowd, the one who had no idea what to say was—Lin Qi.

Seeing Mu Lin’s strength surge by an entire stage, he was completely stunned.

It took him a long while to regain his senses, and he turned his gaze toward Hua Xingyu’s direction.

“Ahem, Brother Hua, didn’t you say your boss had the idea of using Mu Lin as a scout? A gentleman doesn’t take what others cherish—I agree with your proposal…”

As soon as these words were spoken, Hua Xingyu was startled and quickly waved his hands, saying:

“No, no, no! Dealing with Mu Lin was something your boss Yuan Ce personally said and got the teacher’s approval for. This is your achievement; we shouldn’t take what others cherish.”

“…Damn it!”

Hua Xingyu’s refusal to take responsibility made Lin Qi flip him off with a middle finger.

Hua Xingyu wasn’t angered by this; instead, he felt somewhat relieved.

“Thank goodness Lin Qi came, and thank goodness he won the bet earlier… Who would have thought Mu Lin’s strength was actually this formidable! Everything he said wasn’t just boasting—he really has the confidence to challenge for the top three.”

After this reflection, to prevent Lin Qi and the others from giving up, Hua Xingyu even encouraged him, saying, “Don’t worry too much. Mu Lin’s aura has indeed surged, but this might just be a flashy facade. His actual strength might not have reached the Spirit Pool Late Stage; it might just be his aura. Besides, your boss is exceptionally talented—maybe he can fight above his level.”

These words did give Lin Qi a glimmer of hope, but it was quickly extinguished.

After summoning and possessing the Evil Jiao’s soul imprint, Mu Lin’s physical attributes received a comprehensive boost.

And this enhancement wasn’t limited to strength and defense—it also included the ability to manipulate wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

With the Jiao Dragon’s mastery over thunder, Mu Lin even managed to tame the lightning that surged into his body, making it somewhat more docile.

Under these circumstances, not only did Mu Lin absorb the lightning more smoothly, but he also easily surpassed the limits of 49 and even 50 meters, charging beyond the 50-meter mark.

Fifty-three, fifty-five, fifty-eight, fifty-nine…

Possessed by the Evil Jiao Soul Imprint, Mu Lin surged all the way to 59 meters, a full ten meters farther than Yuan Ce.

Do not think this distance is short. In the Majestic Thunder Pool, every meter forward increases the power of the thunder by a small step. The Divine Thunder Soul Shock ability forces the Disciples attempting the Majestic Thunder Pool to advance step by step, daring not to rush recklessly—doing so would be suicidal, risking the collapse of their Divine Souls.

In such an environment, surpassing Yuan Ce by ten meters already indicated that Mu Lin’s peak combat prowess far exceeded his.

Watching Mu Lin reach the 59-meter mark, Yuan Ce’s subordinates were already in despair.

But Mu Lin was still unsatisfied.

“Sixty-six… Only by surpassing 66 meters can one earn the right to leave a name on the Stone Tablet. This trial is indeed quite difficult.”

After this reflection, Mu Lin did not continue forward.

This was not because he had reached his limit—he still had abilities he had not yet used. He stopped now because he realized that his Jiao Dragon Body, having endured the baptism of thunder and absorbed a vast amount of Thunder Creation Power, had reached its limit and was ready for its first Molting.

Upon realizing this, Mu Lin did not hesitate. He immediately halted where he was and began his Molting.

“Boom! Rumble!”

Thunder fell like rain, continuously striking Mu Lin’s body, shattering and charring his scales.

Yet, within destruction lay the seeds of rebirth. As the old scales shattered, new ones immediately grew from within Mu Lin’s body. Moreover, these newborn scales, having been tempered by the Thunder Creation Power, were harder, smoother, and even bore natural patterns that allowed electricity to flow through them seamlessly.

“This is… a new trait taking shape…”

Sensing his body undergoing destruction and rebirth, with a new talent about to emerge, Mu Lin grew excited.

At the same time, he actively turned his body, allowing the thunder to strike areas that were previously unreachable.

This bombardment continued for three minutes until, finally, Mu Lin’s old scales had completely shed, and newborn scales covered his entire body.

Beyond the scales, Mu Lin also discovered that this transformation was not limited to his skin. His muscles, bones, and even internal organs, having been permeated by the power of lightning and baptized by thunder, had also undergone significant enhancement. Mysterious patterns even appeared on his bones.

“Sixty percent!”

“With one Molting, my strength, defense, and mastery over wind, rain, and thunder have all increased by about sixty percent.”

“It’s just a pity that the patterns on my scales and bones are incomplete, and the new talent has not fully manifested.”

“It will take two more times to complete the patterns… I wonder if it’s because the newly emerging trait is too powerful, or if a Jiao Dragon must undergo three transformations to gain a talent?”

Although his innate talent had not yet awakened, the enhanced defense and control over thunder still allowed Mu Lin to break through the sixty-meter barrier, entering the latter half of the Majestic Thunder Pool.

By this point, the power of the thunder had intensified once more, carrying a hint of heavenly tribulation.

The surging force forced Mu Lin to stop after walking only three meters.

The explosive punishment from the heavens was something even Mu Lin struggled to withstand.

However, just as he was on the verge of giving in, he swiftly retrieved a talisman from his chest and affixed it to his body.

This talisman was none other than the Sky-Scraping Spell – Purple Tenuity Emperor Star Power!

“Hum!”

As the talisman activated, Mu Lin’s entire aura instantly became lofty and sacred.

In the distance, the Jade Lake Dao Academy disciples observing him even felt an impulse to kneel and bow.

Although, as Mu Lin did not intentionally target them, they ultimately suppressed this urge, the noble and exalted presence still made them subconsciously abandon any disrespectful thoughts toward him.

In fact, they even felt somewhat unable to look directly at him.

The Purple Tenuity Emperor Star Power affected not only the Jade Lake Dao Academy disciples but also Dongfang Ya, who was flying high in the sky, and the teachers of the academy.

Moreover, due to their higher cultivation levels and broader exposure and knowledge, they could clearly perceive the essence of Mu Lin’s power. Yet, precisely because of this, both Dongfang Ya and the teachers of Jade Lake Dao Academy were startled.

“!!!”

“Ziwei Qi, Emperor’s Fate!”

(End of Chapter)