Chapter 256 – The Six Desires Demoness

The formation of the City God Seal proceeded quite smoothly.

The Battle Flag of the Beiwei Army had gathered an immense amount of the Human Race’s fortune, allowing the seal to condense effortlessly.

And this was despite Mu Lin obtaining only a damaged battle flag, not the primary sacrificial artifact. Otherwise, given the enduring prestige of the Beiwei Army, not to mention the Manifest Blessing Earl (County City God),

even the Lingyou Marquis or the Weiling Duke—Mu Lin would have had a chance to attain those ranks.

…

After the City God Seal was formed, the reappearance of the Beiwei Army also occurred without any disturbance.

To the Spring Terrace I go, summoning old comrades;

With banners numbering a hundred thousand, we shall slay the Yama.

Relying on the advanced Nether Communication – Heroic Soul Summoning and using the damaged battle flag as a relic, Mu Lin effortlessly summoned one hundred Shadow Spirits·Beiwei Army.

Incidentally, what Mu Lin summoned were not truly deceased shadow spirits.

This world lacked concepts like the Netherworld or reincarnation. Except for some powerful individuals, when humans died, it was like a lamp extinguished—their soul spirits would easily dissipate.

What Mu Lin summoned were the imprints these human heroes left upon the world.

The so-called Heavenly Dao is the collective embodiment of all spiritual essence within the world.

And the so-called Human Dao is the collective embodiment of human civilization, history, and spiritual essence.

Where there is existence, there are traces. The Heavenly Dao and Human Dao are the great concepts that record all such traces.

Thus, even if people in this world died and were forgotten, the two Daos would still record them.

—This is also why Deities are so difficult to kill.

Having achieved Dao Fusion, they have imprinted themselves upon the two Daos. This Dao Integration Imprint, combined with their Immortal Divine Soul, makes them nearly impossible to annihilate.

Even if dead for ten thousand years, as long as there are believers, there remains the possibility of pulling them back into the Mortal Realm.

…

The Beiwei Army had once existed in the world, so both the Heavenly Dao and the Human Dao bore their traces and imprints.

However, what Mu Lin summoned was not the Primordial Imprint.

Over a millennium of legacy, out of admiration and respect for tragic heroes, countless humans, while endlessly recounting their tales, would subconsciously embellish them.

This embellishment would make them even stronger and more exaggerated than they originally were.

Just like Xiang Yu, Lu Bu, and Marquis Zhuge.

They might have been powerful, but certainly not to an inhuman degree. Yet, people’s admiration and embellishment gradually rendered them extraordinary.

Marquis Zhuge’s wisdom bordering on the divine, Xiang Yu and Lu Bu’s ability to rout thousands of troops—these are manifestations of such embellishment.

Such perceptions would distort and overwrite their original traces.

—This was not entirely a good thing.

Human faith in heroic souls, ancestors, and Deities carries personal emotions.

The perception of one individual is insignificant, but that of thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of millions is different.

Such a vast force of faith can empower heroic souls and Deities while also distorting their temperaments.

Regardless of the original temperament of a Deity or heroic soul, over time, they would ultimately be twisted into the form imagined by humans.

This distortion, akin to an irreversible meme, is also why practitioners say “Incense Offerings Are Poisonous” and why immortals are considered superior to gods.

‘When one’s temperament is distorted, and I am no longer myself, what use is gaining great power?’

…

Temperament becoming distorted under the influence of faith power is detrimental for Divine Path Practitioners. However, Mu Lin was not primarily cultivating the Divine Path now; he was summoning heroic souls, concerned only with combat strength.

Thus, the Beiwei Army was beautified by faith and admiration, and for Mu Lin, there was no downside, only pleasant surprises.

“Hum!”

In Mu Lin’s perception, the Beiwei Army in the present world was composed of individuals with formidable strength and astonishing killing intent.

Especially since they came equipped with their own armor and weapons.

In legends and stories, people firmly believed that each soldier of the Beiwei Army wore a ghost mask, was fully armored, and possessed overwhelming strength. Demonic monsters would scatter and flee at the mere sight of them.

This faith empowered the Beiwei Army, truly transforming them into an ironclad, formidable force.

“Excellent!”

Such overwhelming strength brought a constant smile to Mu Lin’s face.

What pleased him even more was that summoning this ironclad army into the present world required minimal energy expenditure—legends in this world claimed they had never truly died but instead transformed into malevolent ghosts, continuing their campaigns.

As is well known, in this world, thoughts and faith possess power. People’s unwavering belief made it seem as though the Beiwei Army was always meant to manifest.

This force of conviction sustained the existence of the Beiwei Army.

However, legends remain just that—not everyone believed in them. In fact, skeptics likely outnumbered believers.

Therefore, Mu Lin still had to contribute some of his own power to manifest the Beiwei Army.

“But only for now. Once the City God is in place, I will seize the local Spirit Veins and the power of faith. Then, I won’t need to expend my own energy; instead, I can use the local Spirit Veins and humanity’s faith to sustain this ironclad army.”

“At that time, I might even expand this imperial guard to eight hundred soldiers.”

“Or, if I become a Province City God, expanding the Beiwei Army to three thousand, or even ten thousand, wouldn’t be impossible.”

Borrowing the power of heaven and earth and the faith of humanity to greatly enhance one’s combat strength—this is the advantage gods hold over immortals.

“Immortals pursue transcendence, remaining outside the cycle of reincarnation, but as a result, they are not particularly favored by heaven and earth.”

“Gods are different. As Avatars of rules and extensions of both heavenly and Human Dao, righteous gods of heaven and earth receive immense blessings within the world… Well, only within the world.”

While contemplating the differences between heavenly and Human Dao, Mu Lin grew increasingly eager to establish the City God Domain.

However, in the end, he restrained his excitement and did not act immediately. Instead, he had Yan Yunyu continuously liaise with the Demon Suppression Division, urging them to grant him the opportunity to undergo trials in Ping’an Ancient County.

……

  Mu Lin’s request was relayed upward by Yan Yunyu.

Unbeknownst to him, his request passed through multiple layers of transmission and eventually reached the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppression Division’s Southeast Region.

This was a man who appeared somewhat effeminate. Upon receiving the message, he understood Mu Lin’s intentions with just a glance.

“Wants to go to Ping’an Ancient County. Interested in the Grave Lord’s legacy, I see. Well, it is one of the strongest legacies of the Yin Eight Gates school.”

He chuckled lightly. Beside him, a woman who seemed rather brash frowned.

“Graves, malevolent spirits, specters, zombies… Why must such an ominous legacy emerge?”

Hearing this, the effeminate Commander-in-Chief, Chu Xuezhen, smiled and said, “Power is merely a blade; it holds no inherent evil. It all depends on how the wielder uses it.”

His words earned him an eye-roll from the brash woman.

“You can fool others with that, but don’t try to bluff me… Just by killing some weaklings, you can rapidly enhance your own strength and achieve longevity, even eternity. I don’t believe anyone could resist such a shortcut.”

“Can’t we just suppress this inheritance completely?”

Chu Xuezhen: “Impossible. There are many eyes coveting this inheritance. Our Demon Suppression Division’s capabilities are limited; we cannot forcefully suppress it… Moreover, the world is growing increasingly chaotic, and we need this power.”

“Although the Grave Lord’s power carries a hint of inauspiciousness and taboo, it is precisely because of this that it has remarkable effectiveness against anomalies and evil gods. It is the power we need most.”

Ji Hongyu: “You’re right, but our Demon Suppression Division finds it difficult to control this power. The Demonic Sect, the Yin Eight Gates, even that fierce tiger from the Ten Thousand Mountains—they all have a better chance than we do.”

At this point, Ji Hongyu paused and asked curiously, “Judging by your expression, you seem confident about controlling this inheritance. Whose intelligence are you looking at?”

“Mu Lin. Top scorer in this year’s Jade Lake Dao Academy examination, a disciple of the Yin Eight Gates Paper Artisan Lineage, also a rogue cultivator. He intends to join our Demon Suppression Division, and he also has designs on the Grave Lord Inheritance.”

After hearing this information, the usually bold and straightforward Ji Hongyu first nodded, then shook her head.

“I’ve heard of this child Mu Lin. He has strong talent, even better comprehension, and knows when to advance or retreat. If he were to control the Grave Lord Inheritance, he indeed wouldn’t act recklessly.”

“However, he’s too young and has cultivated for too short a time. The Grave Lord Inheritance allows entry for anyone under eighteen, but I’m not optimistic about his chances of victory.”

Chu Xuezhen: “That doesn’t matter. Receiving the Grave Lord Inheritance isn’t that easy. This is just the initial assessment, giving them the opportunity to enter Sky Burial City. Later, they’ll still have to compete for the position of Sky Burial City Lord. By then, Mu Lin’s cultivation level will have improved.”

“Moreover, we don’t have just Mu Lin as a backup candidate.”

“Oh?”

This piqued Ji Hongyu’s curiosity: “Who else is cooperating with us?”

“Heh…”

Chu Xuezhen chuckled but didn’t answer, which made Ji Hongyu purse her lips.

“You can’t even tell me?”

“I promised that person I wouldn’t reveal his information.”

After glancing at Chu Xuezhen a few times, Ji Hongyu snorted coldly and said:

“Hmph, fine. Since you don’t want to say, then don’t. But what about this Mu Lin? Since he has no chance, should we approve his proposal or not?”

After a moment of thought, Chu Xuezhen nodded and said:

“Let him be. Since he wants to go, we shouldn’t stop him. For a young person, suffering a setback isn’t entirely a bad thing.”

“Also, go warn those who are coming. Tell them that since this is an inheritance, let the youngsters fight for it themselves. We adults shouldn’t interfere.”

This was meant to restrict the conflict to the younger generation.

Most of those attracted by the Grave Lord Inheritance are heretics and evil cultivators, and such people won’t obediently follow orders.

However, upon hearing this command, Ji Hongyu showed no fear on her face; instead, a fierce grin appeared.

“Make them obey obediently? Hahaha, that’s exactly what I want to do.”

With that, without waiting for Chu Xuezhen to give further instructions, Ji Hongyu rushed toward Ping’an Ancient County.

Seeing this, Chu Xuezhen smiled and shook his head: “Indeed, assigning this task to you was the most appropriate choice.”

After laughing, Chu Xuezhen suddenly turned to the side.

There, an indistinct, flickering shadow had appeared at some unknown time.

If Mu Lin were here, he would have realized that this shadow was none other than the leader of the Savior Organization.

Yes, the very one who orchestrated the Jade Lake Dao Academy incident and was heavily wanted by the Demon Suppression Division.

Looking at her, Chu Xuezhen said with a calm expression, “This is the second time. Don’t disappoint me again.”

The leader of the Savior Organization replied, “It won’t happen. Mu Lin was just an accident last time. This time, the ones who will obtain the Grave Lord Inheritance will only be the Six Desires Demoness, the Black Fiend Fierce Tiger, the Son of the Crow… all seven of them.”

“Although the Six Desires Demoness acts erratically, she is also the most ‘human’ and the most suitable for cooperating with us.”

Hearing this, Chu Xuezhen said indifferently, “Since you insist, I’ll give you another chance…”

Halfway through his words, he thought of something and asked with slight curiosity, “What about Mu Lin? Last time, he disrupted your plans. This time, he’s going too.”

“I know. I was the one who informed him of the news. But this time is different from the previous small-scale skirmishes. There are true Prodigies participating. Although Mu Lin is talented, his years of cultivation are ultimately too short.”

…

The Demon Suppression Division was collaborating with the Savior Organization and plotting something, a fact that Mu Lin remained completely unaware of.

Having prepared everything, he was only waiting for his official appointment from the Demon Suppression Division to go to Ping’an Ancient County and establish the City God Domain.

At the same time, Mu Lin did not plan to send his true self there. Only his Avatar·City God Seal and Dharma Image – Zhong Kui would go first.

This way, even if something unexpected happened, his true self would remain safe and sound, with the opportunity to start over.

However, just as Mu Lin was meticulously planning everything, the arrival of one matter slightly disrupted his plans.

His grandfather… had come.

(End of Chapter)