Chapter 350 – Mu Lin: You Blocked My Basic Attack and You're This Proud?

In the area where demon beasts gathered, Black Fiend Tiger watched Mu Lin’s performance, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably, while a wave of nausea churned within him. Even he felt his scalp tingle at the sight of such an ability.

Moreover, he knew full well that with this very ability, Mu Lin had managed to exhaust an Evil God Scion to death.

Thinking of this, he sneered coldly at the surrounding members of the Demon Race and said:

“Now you understand the trouble with Mu Lin, don’t you? Untouchable, unreachable—no matter what kind of injury you inflict on him, it will be reflected back onto yourself.”

“And with a hundred lives to spare, how many times can you withstand it?”

These words caused many Prodigies of the Demon Race to furrow their brows.

Youth is always spirited and bold, and there is a saying that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.

Before seeing Mu Lin, even though they had heard many claims about his strength, their confidence in their own abilities left them with a lingering sense of defiance toward him.

A black bull demon and a blazing war ape among the demon beast clans even believed they were unmatched in strength and martial arts, eagerly itching for a fight with Mu Lin.

However, now that Mu Lin’s performance on the battlefield had been revealed, they despairingly realized that Mu Lin no longer relied on strength or martial arts—instead, he wielded rule-based abilities, leaving them utterly helpless.

At this moment, Tu Su, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, felt a wave of regret gnawing at her heart like a venomous snake.

As a well-traveled princess of the Qingqiu Kingdom, she did not believe Mu Lin’s rule-based ability was unique, nor did she consider it invincible.

“Mu Lin’s rule-based ability should be related to causality. If sword intent is elevated to its peak, it can directly sever these threads of causality. If my Illusion Art is elevated to its limit, it can also distort these threads of causality, or conceptually transform another person or object into myself, then grafting this thread of causality onto them…”

Easily, Tu Su found several ways to counter the reflective damage and life-substitution ability, but all these methods shared one prerequisite—sword intent or transformation ability elevated to its peak.

In other words, elevated to the Grandmaster Level.

When facing opponents of the same realm, Mu Lin’s reflective damage and life-substitution would no longer be an overwhelming advantage but would depend on individual performance.

However, reaching the Grandmaster Level—while easy to say—was incredibly difficult to achieve.

After all, even the Master Level could not be attained through effort alone; it required opportunity and insight, let alone the Grandmaster Level, which demanded the assimilation of countless schools of thought and the forging of one’s own path.

That was a talent that emerged only once among millions.

What shocked Tu Su even more was Mu Lin’s age.

Why did the image that came to mind whenever people mentioned a Grandmaster always seem to be one of profound stability and mature dignity?

Naturally, this was because becoming a Grandmaster generally required extensive study of others’ methods, gathering wisdom from all sides and integrating the essence of countless schools to create one’s own laws and path.

This process inevitably consumed vast amounts of time.

Thus, Grandmasters were often perceived as mature, steady, and dignified middle-aged figures or elderly beings with an immortal aura.

But Mu Lin had broken this convention, achieving Grandmaster accomplishments while still in his youth.

Such insight and talent were truly terrifying.

“If he already possesses Grandmaster-level insights now, with his talent, after a few more years of growth… Hiss, could he possibly reach the Earth Immortal realm before the age of thirty-three?”

At this moment, Tu Su truly regretted the decisions made by the Qingqiu Fox Clan in the past.

In a world where individual power could determine everything, even without influence, numerous subordinates, or territory, as long as Mu Lin achieved the rank of Earth Master, he would inevitably occupy a high position.

If he became a Celestial Master, he could even determine the rise and fall of an entire state or even a medium-sized race.

Such status and potential were already higher than those of most princes of the Human Race.

“What a pity…”

…

Having reassessed Mu Lin’s potential, Tu Su was filled with regret.

The other members of the Demon Race, meanwhile, were frowning and racking their brains, contemplating how to counter Mu Lin’s abilities so they could swiftly eliminate him in future confrontations.

As for the Northern Aristocracy, they had already clashed with Mu Lin and had little time to ponder. Facing him, they were the most distressed.

“Tao Bin is going to lose. He can’t withstand that petrifying power…”

Serpentman Tao Bin naturally couldn’t withstand it. The quality of the Central Wuji Sha was exceptionally high, and its unyielding, unchanging nature made it nearly invincible in defense.

When this characteristic ran rampant, the petrification of the body also carried the unyielding, unchanging trait—something that couldn’t be undone by ordinary means. This was also why refining top-tier Gang Sha was so difficult; injuries inflicted by such Gang Sha were hard to recover from.

Of course, none of the above was what terrified Tao Bin the most. What truly filled him with despair was that Mu Lin’s Central Wuji Sha seemed as boundless as a vast ocean, endless and inexhaustible.

“Hum!”

Wave after wave of petrifying force, with its overwhelming magnitude, easily shattered all his defenses.

Even the forbidden poison he feared and dreaded was petrified and sealed within this seemingly infinite petrifying power.

Thus, unsurprisingly, he was defeated.

Fortunately, the Northern Aristocracy was exceptionally valiant and had always been on the front lines, resisting the Demonic Monsters and Alien Races for humanity. For these people, Mu Lin held some goodwill and respect.

As a result, he only petrified Tao Bin and did not kill him.

‘So, why provoke me in the first place?’

Sighing inwardly, Mu Lin calmly spoke:

“Next.”

He held goodwill toward the Northern Aristocracy, but he wouldn’t sacrifice his own interests or reputation for others. Therefore, while Mu Lin would spare the lives of the young prodigies of the Northern Aristocracy, he still intended to follow his original plan and defeat them all.

On his side, Mu Lin had his own thoughts, while the young prodigies from the north, seeing that Tao Bin was still alive, breathed a sigh of relief.

However, immediately afterward, as they gazed at Mu Lin standing tall on the arena, they were filled with despair.

Mu Lin’s ability to reflect damage and substitute death was far too overpowered at this stage.

No matter what kind of attack came his way, Mu Lin could endure it with his physical body, transfer it using Paper Figures, and reflect the damage back at his opponent.

What made it even more despairing was that Mu Lin could do this over a hundred times.

In contrast, they could hardly withstand one or two fatal injuries, making it impossible for them to fight effectively.

However, this battle represented not only themselves but also the hundreds of millions of people of the Northern Wastelands.

Thus, they could not afford to lose, nor could they accept defeat.

For this reason, despite Mu Lin’s overwhelming strength, these individuals still stepped forward, giving their all to fight him with everything they had.

At the same time, they weren’t acting recklessly but were using various abilities to probe the limits of Mu Lin’s power.

“I refuse to believe your ability is invincible.”

As he spoke, the person who jumped onto the arena this time was rather clever—he did not attack directly but instead summoned a large number of wolf spirits and eagle spirits, letting these totemic spirits launch the assault.

“Using summoned creatures to attack and transferring the karmic backlash to them? That’s a clever approach…”

The probing move by the Northern Aristocracy also caught the attention of the Tiger Demon Clan.

They possessed an innate ability—”Acting as a Tiger’s Accomplice”—which allowed them to transform humans or demonic monsters they devoured into ghostly minions. If the Northern Aristocracy could use summoned creatures to attack Mu Lin, they too could employ ghostly minions to confront him…

Before their hopeful thoughts could fully form, they sighed in disappointment.

The Cultivator had failed.

Even when summoned creatures attacked Mu Lin, his ability to reflect damage could still affect the summoner.

…

Some used summoning techniques, others layered themselves with numerous defensive spells, and still others transformed themselves into elemental forms, hoping to reduce their vulnerabilities and avoid being harmed by Mu Lin’s reflective ability.

Unfortunately, all these experiments ended in failure… No matter how they attacked, they would inevitably suffer the backlash from Mu Lin’s ability. This sight left many in despair.

Even the demonic monsters and alien races began to regard Mu Lin with awe and fear.

“He reflects all attacks. Even if he harms himself, the damage is inflicted upon us. Damn it! How can such an ability exist in this world?”

“This ability isn’t all that remarkable. Mutual destruction isn’t uncommon in this world. What’s truly terrifying about Mu Lin is his immortality. Without the ability to cheat death a hundred times, he wouldn’t dare use such a mutually destructive ability recklessly.”

“It’s over. With Mu Lin around, our days ahead won’t be easy.”

The alien races were not foolish. They clearly understood that even though the Southern Human Race had invited them this time to jointly oppose the Northerners, if the Southern Aristocracy grew powerful, they too would suffer. This realization filled them with anxiety.

Of course, there were also optimistic demonic monsters and alien races.

“Don’t worry too much. Mu Lin’s mutual destruction combined with his ability to cheat death is indeed difficult for us to deal with, but our Elders are not afraid of this move.”

“Fool! The Elders can easily annihilate Mu Lin, but do you really think Mu Lin’s strength will remain the same forever? This monster’s greatest strength has never been his current abilities but his growth rate… Don’t forget, he’s only seventeen and has been cultivating for just a year!”

“…”

Mu Lin’s overwhelming power caused many alien races to grow concerned. Some Elders among them even had a cold glint in their eyes, contemplating eliminating Mu Lin in advance.

Of course, those who harbored such thoughts were ultimately in the minority. These Earth Immortal-level experts certainly possessed the capability to kill Mu Lin, but due to his hundredfold ability to cheat death, eliminating him would not be an easy task and would require considerable time.

Moreover, Mu Lin was not universally despised within the Human Race. He had powerful backers—whether it was the Chu Family, the Yan Family, or the Demon Suppression Division, none would stand idly by and watch him die.

Thus, as long as he could hold out for a while, human experts would inevitably come to his rescue.

“He cannot be killed. Unless a top-tier powerhouse at the level of a Demon Emperor or Celestial Master takes action, there is absolutely no way to eliminate Mu Lin in a short time. Furthermore, whether it’s an Earth Immortal or a Celestial Master, once such experts make a move, it would signify a complete breakdown of relations and trigger a full-scale war between races. No one dares to do that.”

Unable to kill Mu Lin and incapable of halting his growth, the demonic monsters and alien races had no choice but to start considering the future.

In the end, they realized that to avoid a worse future, their best choice was to learn from the human Aristocratic Families and befriend Mu Lin while he was still weak.

“With this friendship, even if Mu Lin becomes powerful, he won’t easily turn against us.”

At this thought, the eyes of many Demonic Monsters and Alien Races lit up as they pondered ways to build goodwill.

They didn’t ponder for long, and many Demonic Monsters and Alien Races independently arrived at the same method—marriage alliances.

It was no surprise they thought this way. Although marriage alliances were ancient and common, the fact that they had been passed down through the ages proved they were the most reliable method.

With this in mind, many Foreign Races swiftly took action.

For instance, someone from the Feather Clan urged Tian Yun to stay in closer contact with Mu Lin.

Similarly, someone from the Tiger Demon Clan asked White Tiger Li Jingjing about her opinion of Mu Lin.

“Huh? What about Mu Lin? He’s strong, but I won’t lose. Once I grow up, I definitely won’t be weaker than him.”

…

Mu Lin’s formidable strength made many feel they couldn’t oppose him. However, the Northern Aristocracy had not been completely defeated and persisted in battling him.

It must be said that these people’s combat awareness was truly outstanding. After a series of duels, although they suffered consecutive defeats, they actually managed to find a way to counter Mu Lin’s Substitute Death Counterattack from these numerous failures.

“Causality. Mu Lin’s substitute death isn’t unconditional. One must be connected to him through causality to become a substitute.”

The speaker was Qing, a scholar from the Northern Aristocracy. Recalling the previous battles, his eyes brightened as he said:

“Because we attacked first before, we naturally became connected to him through causality, which is why we suffered counterattacks. But if we don’t attack, Mu Lin’s substitute death ability won’t involve us.”

These words indeed boosted the morale of many Northern Cultivators.

However, someone soon worried, “If we don’t attack, how can we win?”

“Exactly, we can’t just let him attack without fighting back, can we?”

Hearing these doubts, Qing smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Mu Lin’s understanding of the Dao of Causality is definitely not that profound.”

“Although I don’t know how he became connected to causality at this stage, it’s well known that causality is mysterious and unpredictable, extremely difficult to master. Even a Celestial Master can only scratch the surface of the Dao of Causality.”

“Therefore, I conclude that he cannot freely manipulate the threads of causality. If we don’t attack and he attacks first, even if the threads of causality can connect to us, the connection won’t be deep.”

“At that point, we can attack freely.”

Qing’s reasoning… was correct.

If Mu Lin attacked first and the enemy counterattacked, the effectiveness of his substitute death characteristic would indeed be greatly diminished.

By then, even if Mu Lin self-harmed to death, the enemy might only suffer superficial injuries.

Thus, even if Mu Lin could die three or five hundred times, he would be unable to defeat his opponent.

…

Finding a method greatly boosted the morale of the young men on the other side.

The next person to jump onto the Arena stood confidently before Mu Lin, showing no intention of attacking at all.

This behavior made Mu Lin raise an eyebrow as he asked, “You’re not going to attack?”

Mu Lin’s question, rather than an immediate attack, further strengthened the young man’s confidence.

“Indeed, our speculation was correct. Your Substitute Death Counterattack requires us to make the first move.”

“Hahaha, the weakness of your secret technique has been discovered by us. As long as I don’t take the initiative to attack, you can do nothing to me!”

These words made Mu Lin glance at the other party, and he calmly replied, “You are right about one thing. My Substitute Death Counterattack does require you to attack first to establish causality. However…”

At this point, Mu Lin’s expression turned somewhat peculiar as he continued, “However, there’s one thing I don’t quite understand. Why do you think that by countering my Substitute Death Counterattack, I can do nothing to you? This move isn’t my trump card—it’s just a very ordinary technique.”

“Huh?!”

“Or… ordinary technique?”

“That can’t be right. Such an unstoppable ability, and you call it ordinary? I don’t believe it!”

The Northern Aristocracy had uncovered the weakness of Mu Lin’s Substitute Death ability, which excited many. Yet Mu Lin’s words threw the scene into chaos.

They refused to believe that Mu Lin’s nearly invincible Substitute Death ability was merely a common Basic Attack.

(End of Chapter)