Chapter 310 – The God-Slaying Battle: Refinement

His body restored to its original state, Mu Lin immediately roared in anger.

“Daring to slay a City God, your crimes are heinous! You shall suffer the torments of Avici Hell, never to be reborn for all eternity!”

With Mu Lin’s pronouncement, a power that sealed the senses suddenly acted upon Scarlet Son’s consciousness. This was meant to bind his soul completely in a darkness devoid of all sound and sensation, to make him sink into eternal darkness.

Naturally, this did not succeed. The judgment of a City God is not guaranteed to succeed upon pronouncement alone; it also requires the power to enforce it.

In the myths of the previous life’s Netherworld, Hell held an overwhelming advantage over the Mortal Realm. Hence, there was a saying in the mortal world: “If King Yama wants you dead by the third watch, who dares keep you until the fifth?”

But compared to the Celestial Court, Hell had no such overwhelming power, which is why immortals could live forever without dying.

At this moment, Scarlet Son’s Divine Soul was of an extremely high rank, making it very difficult for Mu Lin to seal his Divine Soul in eternal darkness.

Fortunately, Mu Lin dared to impose such a punishment because he had his own trump card.

“Whoosh…”

As Mu Lin finished speaking, a vast number of Other Shore Flowers formed a sea of blossoms around him. Now, the Illusion Ability of this magnificent flower sea surged toward Scarlet Son’s mind, seeking to seal his five senses.

Moreover, because Mu Lin had pronounced judgment in his capacity as a City God, the surrounding natural forces also empowered the Other Shore Flower Sea, further enhancing its power.

The combined force of the natural energy and the Other Shore Flower Sea actually succeeded in plunging the bewildered Scarlet Son’s eyes into darkness and silencing his ears…

“Swish…”

Although his senses were gradually being sealed, this did not hinder his attacks. The moment he discovered Mu Lin was not dead, he swung his arm, unleashing a storm of blades.

Under this terrifying onslaught, Mu Lin’s body was instantly sliced into a thousand pieces, dying once again.

Yet, in the next moment, as the character ‘Stabilize’ on Mu Lin’s forehead shone brightly, the ‘he’ who had died returned once more.

Simultaneously, Scarlet Son’s sense of touch was also sealed.

Paying no heed to this, Scarlet Son raised his blade and swung at Mu Lin again. This time, a blood-red glint that sent shivers down the spine flashed on his blade.

“…This is a soul attack. Whoosh…”

His eyes narrowing sharply, Mu Lin found a pool of black water beneath his feet, though he did not know when it had appeared. His figure quickly sank into the Blackwater, vanishing from his original spot and reappearing in another location.

“Hum!”

However, even by teleporting, Mu Lin could not escape. With a flap of its cicada-like wings, the opponent caught up to him and swung at his head once more.

“Transcendence!”

Realizing he could not dodge, Mu Lin’s eyes immediately turned sharp, and his entire aura became lofty and vast.

【Trait: Transcendence】

This was an attempt to elevate his Divine Soul beyond the mundane, thereby evading Scarlet Son’s soul attack.

Unfortunately, this strike carried Scarlet Son’s will. In the end, Mu Lin still could not completely avoid it and was struck.

Thankfully, Transcendence created distance between Mu Lin and the mortal world, preventing his Divine Soul from being cleaved in two. He only suffered some injuries.

And in the moment after being injured, the ability of the character ‘Stabilize’ activated, stabilizing Mu Lin’s wounds.

“Whoosh…”

In the state of Transcendence, Mu Lin was supremely rational. Thus, even though the injury to his Divine Soul brought him excruciating pain, it did not cause him to falter. Once again, he shifted his position using the Black River Water.

This time, Mu Lin directly transported himself into the Black River.

“Boom…”

Not long after Mu Lin entered the Black River Water, Scarlet Son caught up and once again swung his blade at Mu Lin.

This time, he finally failed.

“Roar!”

Upon entering the Black River, Mu Lin immediately summoned Ink Jiao – Hebo to his side for protection.

Now that Scarlet Son had entered the Black River, he was immediately obstructed by Ink Jiao – Hebo, who commanded the Black River Water to block him—this was also related to the fact that the three-headed, six-armed Asura was a land creature, making it difficult for him to exert his full power within the Black River.

But Mu Lin paid no heed to this. In the next moment, Ink Jiao – Hebo manipulated the Black River Water, transforming it into a massive vortex that swept Scarlet Son into its depths.

Simultaneously, the Black River Water, which corroded all things, continuously eroded and dissolved Scarlet Son’s body and power.

“Die!”

“Hiss…”

Unable to fully utilize his Asura form within the Black River, Scarlet Son was initially in a sorry state.

However, in the next moment, as a flash of red light enveloped him, his body transformed from humanoid into an elongated shape.

Soon, another Ink Jiao appeared within the Black River, engaging in a fierce battle with Mu Lin’s Ink Jiao – Hebo.

“Boom!”

Waves surged to the heavens, and Thunder rumbled incessantly as the two Ink Jiaos stirred up chaos within the Black River. For a time, the two were locked in a fierce struggle, neither able to gain the upper hand.

“Wait… a stalemate? His energy is running low!”

Realizing this, Mu Lin’s eyes lit up. Instead of fleeing, he focused his will and, through the Royal Crown, took control of Ink Jiao – Hebo, granting himself the ability to manipulate the Blackwater.

Then, fused with his Dharma Image, the City God, he directly shaped the Blackwater into various Torture Devices and shackles, binding the Ink Jiao that Scarlet Son had transformed into.

“You are guilty and shall suffer the punishment of iron nails piercing your flesh…”

Under Mu Lin’s judgment, layers of Torture Devices were applied to the Ink Jiao, subjecting it to various forms of torment.

Meanwhile, the Ink Jiao transformed by Scarlet Son struggled and fought with all its might.

“Roar!”

Though in dragon form, its movements were initially somewhat clumsy.

But as the battle progressed, its instincts gradually returned, and its movements grew increasingly graceful and fluid.

In the end, its movements, resembling a dragon dance, allowed the Ink Jiao to unleash three hundred percent of its body’s potential.

Such formidable power prolonged the struggle until, after a while, Mu Lin’s Ink Jiao was slain by it.

“Damn it!”

Seeing this, Mu Lin immediately used the Black River Water to teleport away once more.

As for the Ink Jiao—it dared not linger either.

This body of water was specially prepared by the Grave Lord to seal it away. Even for the Ink Jiao, being submerged in the Black River Water meant it could not replenish its energy; instead, its body was continuously eroded.

Unwilling to die here, it had no choice but to escape.

Moreover, Mu Lin gave it no chance to recover.

The moment it escaped to safety, Mu Lin began crafting a Substitute Paper Figure of Ink Jiao – Hebo. If it delayed any longer, Ink Jiao – Hebo would enter the underground dark river and engage it in battle once more.

“Roar!”

Left with no other choice, it could only surge out from the dark river. And the moment it broke through the river’s surface, the voice of judgment it loathed echoed in its ears once again.

“You are guilty…”

As long as he remained within the City God Domain, Mu Lin’s judgment was inescapable.

The power of heaven and earth would gather around him in response to his verbal commands, forming various Torture Devices to judge and punish him.

Now, he could neither escape nor had any intention of fleeing—his consciousness had not fully awakened after all.

In the end, driven by instinct, he charged toward Mu Lin once more.

“Boom!”

Thus, for a period of time, Mu Lin continuously fled while reciting words of judgment, condemning the Scarlet Son’s crimes and punishing its evil deeds.

The latter, in turn, desperately pursued Mu Lin, seeking to kill him as the source of its torment.

This was no easy task. The Beiwei Army, Substitute Paper Figures, Ink Jiao – Hebo, the sealed hundred ghosts, Manjusaka… one by one, Mu Lin summoned his various subordinates to obstruct the Scarlet Son’s advance.

At the same time, Mu Lin summoned the Jade Gate Pass of Cangshan and Sky Burial City to protect himself.

Layer upon layer of defenses and numerous subordinates made every step forward for the Scarlet Son extremely difficult.

“For the will to break the formation, there is only death, no retreat—kill!”

“Wailing…”

“Roar!”

“Boom!”

Thunder, lightning, water currents, galloping horses, weeping female ghosts… Mu Lin, employing every means at his disposal, was an army unto himself.

Yet the Scarlet Son was no less formidable. Its ever-changing form and Grandmaster-level martial prowess allowed it to charge before Mu Lin multiple times, executing decapitation strikes despite the assistance of Mu Lin’s many subordinates.

Then, a scene that would drive the Evil God’s son to despair unfolded.

Mu Lin—was unkillable.

Whether beheaded, cut in half at the waist, or sliced into a thousand pieces, in the very next moment, Mu Lin’s condition would be completely restored.

Once, twice, thrice, five times, ten times, thirty times… no matter how the Scarlet Son killed him, Mu Lin would return in the next instant.

Such a situation was enough to instill despair in even the most steadfast warrior.

Though its consciousness was not fully awakened, the Scarlet Son did not feel this despair, but its body grew weary, and its energy continued to deplete.

In the end, at the cost of dying thirty-seven times himself, Mu Lin… exhausted most of its energy.

“Die!”

“Gulp!”

As a burly, muscular man swallowed the Scarlet Son whole, this arduous battle finally came to a complete end…

“No, I cannot let my guard down yet… only when this monster is utterly destroyed will this truly be over.”

Thinking this, Mu Lin used Zhong Kui, who had swallowed the Scarlet Overlord, as the core of the array, with the remaining Beiwei Army, the Other Shore Flower Sea, and numerous Paper Figures as sources of power, to begin setting up the Twilight Illusion Life-Death Array.

He intended to use this array to completely grind down and refine the unawakened Scarlet Overlord!

(End of Chapter)