Chapter 181 – Bastard, You've Angered Me

“Be careful!”

“Your Highness, you must leave, don’t worry about us.”

The terrifying Blood Hand filled Baili Xiuling with concern, but soon, she could no longer spare any thought for Mu Lin.

Unable to reach Mu Lin in the air, the Corpse Monster’s Main Body did not remain idle. Instead, it charged toward the Merfolk formation.

Its approach placed immense pressure on the Merfolk, forcing them to halt their rain-summoning ritual. As a result, the range of Mu Lin’s wind and rain control suddenly shrank by half.

With the dark clouds diminishing, a chain reaction ensued. The crimson handprint surged forward at incredible speed, reaching Mu Lin and gripping him tightly.

Of course, Mu Lin remained unharmed despite being seized.

“Crackle, pop…”

Endless Thunder erupted from within Mu Lin’s body. Bathed in lightning, his form swelled once more, transforming into a towering Dragonkin standing about 2.7 meters tall.

Simultaneously, empowered by the Thunder, his hands strained against the tightening crimson handprint.

The two were now locked in a contest of strength. Mu Lin channeled Thunder, seeking to shatter the crimson handprint, while the handprint attempted to crush him to death.

However, Mu Lin possessed a Jiao Dragon Body and commanded the supremely rigid and yang-aligned Thunder, whereas the crimson handprint drew upon the power of the Spirit Sea. Neither could gain the upper hand over the other.

As the struggle persisted, Mu Lin continued unleashing Thunder, but the crimson handprint wielded a broader array of abilities.

Beyond its corrosive, Corpse Fluid, and contaminating forces of ill omen, numerous eyes and mouths sprouted across the Blood Hand, launching psychic assaults at Mu Lin.

The eyes unleashed illusions—horrifying scenes flooding Mu Lin’s mind, attempting to instill fear and despair.

Naturally, this proved futile. Mu Lin’s transcendent Divine Soul allowed him to instantly discern truth from falsehood in the illusions, while his indomitable will rendered him impervious to terror.

Compared to the eyes, the Corpse Monster’s mouths proved far more effective. They whispered incessantly, seeking to stir the negative emotions within Mu Lin’s heart.

Under normal circumstances, such attacks would also be ineffective, as Mu Lin’s exalted state granted him immunity to such effects.

But what if Mu Lin already harbored rage within?

The invincible conviction of the Vow-Power Heart Lamp indeed endowed Mu Lin with commanding prowess, yet it also instilled in him an arrogance that looked down upon all things.

This arrogance made the Corpse Monster’s resistance seem like an act of disrespect in Mu Lin’s eyes.

That he had failed to subdue the Corpse Monster after several attempts would be seen as entirely reasonable by most—after all, Mu Lin was at the Spirit Pool stage confronting a Spirit Sea opponent, and an early Spirit Pool at that against a mid-stage Spirit Sea. Failure was inevitable; mere escape would be considered commendable, and holding his own would mark him as a Prodigy.

As for achieving victory? That would be monstrous.

No one would blame Mu Lin for being unable to triumph.

But Mu Lin himself did not see it that way. Looking down upon all creation, he viewed himself as superior and the Corpse Monster as worthless trash.

Yet here he was, this superior being, having made multiple moves without subduing this rebellious trash. Instead, the trash had left him in a sorry state. This situation fueled a growing fury within Mu Lin.

And just as his rage reached its peak, the Corpse Monster’s ceaseless whispers began.

“Trash, trash, trash…”

“Die, die, die…”

“You worthless trash, no one can save you…”

“Why won’t you just die…”

“Kill him, why not kill him? All who look down on me must die…”

“Your friends will die, your loved ones will perish, you can save no one, protect no one…”

Nearly a hundred overlapping whispers imbued with a special curse power echoed, capable of fully igniting the darkest corners of one’s heart, driving one to madness and corruption.

Though Mu Lin was not driven to such extremes, these incessant whispers still irritated him somewhat. This irritation, layered upon his already overflowing rage, caused him to erupt completely.

“Enough!”

“Boom!”

After a furious roar, the Lightning Heart within Mu Lin’s chest suddenly unleashed a violent surge of power.

This power greatly enhanced Mu Lin’s strength for a short time. Using this newfound might, he forcefully broke free from the restraints of the Blood Hand imprint.

However, after breaking free, Mu Lin did not flee. Instead, with a gaze that was both imposing and savage, he fixed his eyes on the Corpse Monster’s arm and the creature below.

“Bastard, you have thoroughly enraged me!”

“Hum!”

His impatience and fury drove Mu Lin to unhesitatingly activate another energy within his body.

This energy was somewhat obscure, ominous, yet also ancient, profound, and weathered.

As this energy was unleashed, a peculiar fluctuation and an imposing aura radiated from Mu Lin.

“Boom!”

This aura immediately halted the Corpse Monster in its tracks, drawing its full attention to Mu Lin. Simultaneously, the Merfolk trembled under this pressure, and some of the weaker ones even fell to their knees.

Paying no heed to them, guided solely by his rage, Mu Lin swiftly completed his spell—Spirit Channeling – Ancestral Soul!

Using blood as a catalyst, the Lord Altar within his dantian’s Spirit Sea as the foundation, and the vitality of a living being infused with Year-End Power as energy, Mu Lin once again connected to ancient times, manifesting the soul of an Evil Jiao slain decades ago back into reality.

“Roar!”

With a dragon roar that shook heaven and earth, a phantom Jiao Dragon shadow, dozens of meters long, suddenly soared out from Mu Lin’s body.

“Boom!”

The phantom Jiao Dragon circled once in the air before swiftly returning into Mu Lin’s body.

As the Jiao Dragon shadow possessed and merged with him, Mu Lin’s power skyrocketed as if riding a rocket.

Spirit Pool Mid Stage, Spirit Pool Late Stage, Spirit Sea…

In an extremely short time, Mu Lin’s rank and strength surged dramatically, reaching the Spirit Sea Realm. After three Moltings, Mu Lin had already cultivated the Blackwater Profound Serpent Mortal Shedding Art to the Spirit Pool Realm. Therefore, this time when he used Spirit Channeling – Ancestral Soul, the power he gained was even greater than before.

“Woo woo woo…”

While Mu Lin was channeling the Ancestral Soul, the Corpse Monster’s arm had already launched its attack.

Previously, facing the assault of this arm, Mu Lin had to exert his utmost effort just to barely withstand it.

But now, with his power vastly increased, Mu Lin merely extended a single hand, firmly blocking the crimson hand imprint before him.

“Pathetic!”

“Thump!”

As his words fell, another earth-shaking sound emanated from within Mu Lin’s chest.

Following this sound, endless Thunder erupted from his chest, flooding his body and causing his form to swell once more.

Soon, Mu Lin transformed into a massive Dragonkin standing three meters and seventy centimeters tall.

At the same time, the overflowing thunder and lightning made it nearly impossible for ordinary people to see Mu Lin clearly. All they could perceive was endless lightning swirling around him, making him appear as if a Celestial Deity had descended to the mortal realm. The excessive surge of thunder and lightning even caused Mu Lin’s eyes to spew forth electric sparks.

Overlimit Thunder Burst Mode!

Previously, Mu Lin had been unable to use this ability. If he had forced it, his body would have been incinerated by the overwhelming power of thunder and lightning. Only after six Moltings could he wield it without harm.

But the past was the past, and the present was the present. With Spirit Channeling – Ancestral Soul possessing him, Mu Lin’s control over Thunder and his physical endurance had been greatly enhanced. Thus, he could now fully unleash this Overlimit Mode.

Of course, Mu Lin’s current state was ultimately a temporary burst. As a result, forcibly using the Overlimit Mode still inflicted some damage on his body.

Moreover, even without this burst mode, after summoning the Ancestral Soul, Mu Lin could still defeat the Corpse Monster.

However, barely defeating the Corpse Monster no longer aligned with Mu Lin’s intentions.

Looking down upon the world and arrogantly surveying all directions, Mu Lin, in his fury, no longer aimed merely to win. Instead, he sought to crush the vermin who dared challenge him with the most domineering and overwhelming force.

Thus, he chose the Overlimit Burst.

“Boom!”

The Jiao Dragon Body was already three times stronger than that of ordinary peers at the same level. The Ancestral Soul, at least at the Mortal Shedding Realm, further enhanced Mu Lin’s formidable physique.

Under such circumstances, with Mu Lin activating the Overlimit Burst, his power surpassed all limits.

The terrifying strength and imposing aura made the very air grow heavy.

P.S.: The protagonist will eventually notice and resolve the negative state of arrogance…

(End of Chapter)