Chapter 192 – The Sinister Stage Fully Erupts

By relying on resonance to sense the true essence of the Anomalies, then using brush, ink, and pigments to imbue this essence into a Paper Figure, and finally allowing the Paper Figure to resonate with the Anomaly, becoming its vessel, and seizing the opportunity to fully control it—Mu Lin believed this method was feasible.

Once the Anomaly was controlled, the Paper Figure would become Mu Lin’s true trump card.

Thinking of this, Mu Lin immediately began implementing it with excitement.

He did not attempt to control the Eerie Stage, as Chu Hongxuan and the others were watching intently not far away. Mu Lin had no chance to seize control of this Anomaly.

The Anomaly Mu Lin set his sights on was a patch of Black Mist.

The reason for choosing it was that Mu Lin possessed the bloodline of the Ink Jiao Dragon, which granted him an innate ability to control clouds and mist. Using his own blood as pigment to “make up” the Paper Figure would imbue it with a trace of the Jiao Dragon’s divine might. This would make it much easier for the Paper Figure to control the gray mist.

Unlike Mu Lin’s mist, which was mostly empty, the Eerie Black Mist was filled with flickering shadows, as if figures were everywhere.

An ordinary person walking through the Black Mist would undoubtedly be scared half to death, and even if they weren’t, the spirits and ghosts within the mist would not spare them.

Fortunately, Mu Lin’s Paper Figure was not a living person.

Moreover, after observing with his eyes for a while, the Paper Figure Mu Lin created even contained the inexplicable essence of the Black Mist Anomaly. This allowed the Paper Figure to step into the gray mist without triggering the Black Mist’s killing mechanism or being attacked by it. Instead, the special resonance caused the Black Mist to seep into the Paper Figure’s body.

“Hum…”

The infusion of Black Mist made the Paper Figure appear somewhat illusory, transforming from a human-like form into something resembling a reflection.

While absorbing the Black Mist and being altered by it, the Paper Figure also gained some of the Black Mist’s mystical properties.

“The core ability is fear, it seems. The reflection can absorb the fear emotions emitted by others and then transform into what they fear most. Not bad.”

“Unfortunately, only those with weak wills are affected by such fear. For those with a strong mindset, the effect is limited.”

As Mu Lin analyzed the abilities of the Black Mist and the reflection, just as he had anticipated, the infusion of Jiao Dragon blood greatly enhanced the Paper Figure’s resistance.

The Paper Figure on the Eerie Stage, having occupied the role of a martial performer, dared not absorb any more of the Eerie Stage’s power.

But this time, the Ink Jiao Dragon Paper Figure’s capacity was over ten times that of an ordinary Paper Figure.

However, in the end, Mu Lin still failed.

It wasn’t due to any flaw in his plan, but rather because even with a tenfold increase in capacity, the Paper Figure could not control the full power of the Black Mist. In fact, it couldn’t even fully control half, or even one-third, of its power.

“Thinking about it now, human potential is truly remarkable. Even ordinary people, under extremely fortunate circumstances, have a certain chance of controlling Anomalies, whereas my Paper Figure cannot.”

After this reflection, Mu Lin also noticed that the Paper Figure, which had failed to control the Anomaly and was instead corrupted by it, had completely become a part of the Black Mist.

Moreover, the Black Mist’s corrupting power was even seeping into Mu Lin’s Divine Soul through the soul link between him and the Paper Figure.

This, of course, did not succeed, but Mu Lin did not sever the connection between the Paper Figure and himself. Instead, he placed the Vow-Power Heart Lamp in front of the channel. As soon as the Black Mist approached, it would be burned, refined, and controlled by the Vow-Power Heart Lamp.

He intended to use this method to gradually gain control over the Anomaly.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been doing the same with Sky Burial City. If I keep refining it like this, could there come a day when I completely command Sky Burial City?”

Here, Mu Lin was lost in wild thoughts.

As he pondered while refining the Black Mist, at a certain moment, the aimlessly drifting Black Mist and the shadowy figures within it all suddenly froze.

Then, numerous gazes turned toward Mu Lin.

Though silent, the link through the Divine Soul inexplicably made him understand their meaning:

“Found you!”

A moment later, the Black Mist, which had been rigidly still, surged toward Mu Lin all at once.

“…”

This scene left Mu Lin speechless, and he couldn’t help but sigh.

“I knew controlling Anomalies wouldn’t be easy.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve been constantly stealing power from Sky Burial City. Could it one day come after me too?”

Here, Mu Lin was locked in a battle of wits with the Black Mist, pondering how to control it.

Meanwhile, after a long standoff outside the Eerie Stage, Chu Hongxuan and the others also made a decision—to fight.

They had no choice but to fight.

Although Mu Lin’s Main Body was wrestling with the Black Mist, his Substitute Paper Figure’s actions never ceased.

While Chu Hongxuan and the others were clearing away Mu Lin’s Paper Figures, the Substitute Paper Figure continued guiding the Cursed Paper Figures in performing the ritual.

After a long time, Chu Hongxuan and the others had cleaned up Mu Lin’s Paper Figures, but in turn, Mu Lin had finally linked the Paper Figures of Chu Hongxuan, Yan Zhanpeng, and others to their Main Bodies.

At this point, things became simple.

After summoning the Coffin Nail, Mu Lin drove it into the Cursed Paper Figures without hesitation.

—An unexpected development occurred here.

Initially, Mu Lin intended to pin down the Corpse Dog Po of Yan Zhanpeng and the others.

This Po governs mental state and alertness; sealing it would lower their vigilance, making them more vulnerable to ambushes.

But to his surprise:

“What the hell? Your Corpse Dog Po is already sealed?”

“Who did this?”

“Is there someone among the Dao Palace Disciples sent for the assessment who excels in Curse Art?”

“If so, why aren’t you all chasing after them instead of coming after me?”

Upon noticing the anomaly with Chu Hongxuan and the others, Mu Lin’s first suspicion was that someone else had intervened. After all, he was certain he hadn’t targeted Chu Hongxuan and the others before.

Even with his vivid imagination, he never would have guessed that Chu Hongxuan and the others, underestimating Curse Art, had voluntarily replicated Hua Meng’s curse on themselves.

This situation was too bizarre, so it was no wonder Mu Lin misunderstood.

…

The situation with Yan Zhanpeng and the others was unexpected, but fortunately, it worked in Mu Lin’s favor. Thus, he didn’t dwell on it and instead took out the Coffin Nail, stabbing it into the Devouring Thief Po position of Yuan Ce and the others.

This Po is primarily responsible for clearing harmful substances from the body, equivalent to the human immune system.

Once this Po was sealed, terrifying changes immediately manifested on Yan Zhanpeng and the others.

The erosion and corruption of the Eerie Stage began to affect them.

When the Devouring Thief was not sealed, even just standing there, the aura they emitted rendered the martial performer’s contamination ineffective against them.

But now, peculiar makeup and theatrical costumes gradually began to appear on them.

Although, with the profound Mana within their bodies, they could still hold out for quite some time before being completely corrupted by the anomalous power of the Eerie Stage.

Yet this was an ominous sign, making Yan Zhanpeng and the others realize they had no retreat left.

“We can’t hesitate any longer, everyone!”

“This city is filled with pollution and Evil Spirits. If we don’t kill Mu Lin and lift the curse on us, we won’t be able to take a single step forward!”

Some feared the changes in their bodies, while others dreaded Mu Lin’s next moves.

“This is just the present situation. If all Seven Po are nailed down, even if we survive by relying on certain abilities, we’ll only be clinging to life. If we don’t want to be eliminated, we must kill him, and quickly!”

“You’re right. Mu Lin must die!”

“Let’s go, attack together!”

Once the decision was made, Yan Zhanpeng and the others no longer hesitated, instead launching a full-force assault.

  Relying on the martial artist hidden within the Eerie Stage, Mu Lin also witnessed the formidable strength of Yuan Ce and the others.

Of course, in the face of Chu Hongxuan and his companions charging in, the first to react was none other than the Eerie Stage itself.

“Yee~ yah!”

Due to the urgency of the situation and their disregard for caution, Yuan Ce and his group barged directly into the Sinister Theater Domain. Their forceful intrusion instantly triggered numerous killing rules of the Eerie Stage, causing it to activate fully.

Then, strange and inexplicable changes began to manifest within the Eerie Stage.

First came the weeping—mournful cries echoing across the Theater Stage, plunging hearts into depression and sorrow, bringing tears to the eyes and stirring impulses of self-destruction.

Next came the role-playing.

Costumes and theatrical attire, with dozens of times the intensity of Mu Lin’s martial artist, began to corrupt Yuan Ce and the others, aiming to dress them up as generals, foot soldiers… on the stage.

Finally, there was the reenactment of the drama and the empowerment of the Eerie Stage.

Fully activated, the Eerie Stage began performing a grand play—a war drama.

Since Mu Lin had no interest in theater and had never studied it, he didn’t know the specific scene being enacted.

But through his identity as a martial artist, Mu Lin understood one thing.

He and the other anomalous performers were cast as… the evil side, receiving the empowerment of a general’s strength.

Well, from a normal perspective, this was a bewildering scene, as most people believe that evil cannot triumph over good.

However, the drama performed by the Eerie Stage was not written by humans but by Anomalies. Thus, there was no “evil cannot triumph over good” here—only slaughter.

Mu Lin and the others were cast as bandits, a brutal army, invaders.

And Yuan Ce and his group, who had barged in, were not soldiers but… refugees.

Refugees who were old, weak, orphaned, and widowed.

Assigned the identity of frail refugees, Yuan Ce and the others were subjected to various debuffs—thirst, hunger, physical weakness, illness… all sorts of negative conditions were imposed upon them.

Moreover, these debuffs weren’t limited to strength alone; they even entangled with luck.

Everything going wrong, misfortune hanging over their heads—this was the true depiction of Chu Hongxuan and the others.

In such a predicament, if their strength had been comparable, Chu Hongxuan and his companions would have been slaughtered by Mu Lin.

However, they soon showed Mu Lin what it meant to overcome all techniques with sheer force.

“Kill!”

The first to charge in was Yuan Ce. As a Body Cultivator, his fighting style resembled that of a martial artist—using himself as the spearhead, he charged forward recklessly.

However, he was stronger than a martial artist and possessed numerous protective Spells.

With a series of Spells such as Adamantine Body, Swift Travel, and Giant Transformation, Yuan Ce became an unstoppable war machine, dominating the Eerie Stage with ease.

Even the enhanced generals were no match for him, falling in a single encounter.

But for the Eerie Stage, the most terrifying aspect of Yuan Ce was not his strength, but the Pure Yang Flame that enveloped his entire body.

All Anomalies and contamination were completely incinerated upon contact with the Pure Yang Flame.

Curses of thirst, hunger, weakness, and illness—all these malevolent energies were burned away by Yuan Ce.

Any actor who tried to block him would also be consumed by the Pure Yang Flame.

Even the Eerie Stage itself was set ablaze by Yuan Ce’s Pure Yang Flame.

Fearless, invincible, unstoppable, and impervious to evil—this was Yuan Ce, the wielder of the Pure Yang Body.

In comparison, Yan Zhanpeng and Chu Hongxuan were equally formidable.

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The former’s ability was simple and brutal—wealth.

In battle, Yan Zhanpeng unleashed a total of thirteen Magical Artifacts.

Somehow, he controlled each of them as effortlessly as his own limbs, unleashing their full power.

At times, these Magical Artifacts would combine, multiplying their destructive force.

Such a versatile and seemingly limitless ability made Mu Lin deeply wary.

“Thirteen Magical Artifacts… If he can control so many Magical Artifacts, could he also wield… a Mystic Treasure!”

With a hint of apprehension, Mu Lin turned his attention to the last person. After witnessing Chu Hongxuan’s performance, Mu Lin understood why, despite Yuan Ce’s fearless invincibility and imperviousness to evil, and Yan Zhanpeng’s arsenal of Magical Artifacts and versatile abilities, it was Chu Hongxuan who ultimately secured third place.

He was too big, too powerful.

As the saying goes, bigger is stronger, and more is better.

And Chu Hongxuan perfectly embodied this.

Having planted the Sala Giant Tree, he clapped his hands together and summoned a colossal treant standing fifty-eight meters tall.

Yes, you heard that right—fifty-eight meters.

Its massive size endowed the treant with immense strength. With a single step, it could shake the earth and cause the ground to tremble.

Beyond its strength, its defense and vitality were equally astonishing.

Compared to the treant’s fifty-eight-meter frame, the actors of the Eerie Stage were like tiny beans. The overwhelming difference in size meant that even if they could harm the treant or inflict erosion and contamination, their attacks felt like mere tickles to the giant.

Even more despairing was its astonishing regenerative ability, which matched its formidable defense.

Wood-based abilities naturally excelled in recovery, and with its vast Mana reserves, the treant seemed to possess an Undying Body.

The physical damage inflicted by the actors was already minimal, and under the treant’s powerful regeneration, it would heal in an instant.

As for contamination and erosion… the Sala Giant Tree was not just tall. Its mountain-like size granted it unparalleled defense and resistance.

The fusion of these traits endowed Chu Hongxuan with formidable resistance as well.

Even now, with his Devouring Thief soul nailed down and his immunity greatly diminished, he still had a solution.

If his body was contaminated? He simply cut it away!

His massive size made it as easy as plucking a hair or peeling off a layer of skin.

Moreover, due to possessing immense vitality, the torn parts would regenerate and heal completely within a single breath.

Faced with such a Chu Hongxuan—overflowing with Mana, overwhelmingly powerful, and nearly impossible to kill—even Mu Lin couldn’t help but acknowledge him as a monster.

At the same time, he understood why Yuan Ce and Yan Zhanpeng were no match for Chu Hongxuan.

Without employing some special means, Mu Lin felt that even in a direct confrontation, he wouldn’t be Chu Hongxuan’s opponent.

That terrifying strength was something Mu Lin could hardly contend with, even when transformed into a Jiao Dragon.

As for his strongest attack, Lightning Breath, Chu Hongxuan could withstand it head-on.

Furthermore, trying to exhaust him to death was nothing but a pipe dream. Mu Lin had long known that Chu Hongxuan, fused with the Sala Giant Tree, possessed a depth of Mana far surpassing that of ordinary people.

As for relying on the speed burst from Thunder to engage in guerrilla tactics against Chu Hongxuan… one only needed to consider the hundred hands.

The numerous branches of the giant tree-man were all Chu Hongxuan’s hands, making any attempt to outmaneuver him through speed utterly futile.

(End of Chapter)