Chapter 363 – Just Because It's Always Been This Way, Does That Make It Right?

“How dare you do this?”

At this moment, Mu Lin was utterly incredulous.

No matter where, assassination was an act that severely violated the rules and was more likely to forge an irreconcilable feud with others.

Previously, the conflict between Mu Lin and the Lu Family had merely involved disputes over interests, not matters of life and death. This also meant they could resolve issues peacefully through negotiation.

At most, the Lu Family would have to pay some resources.

It was just like how he had fought with the Northern Aristocracy, yet that did not prevent Mu Lin from continuing to cooperate with them after the battle ended.

But once assassination was employed, the nature of the matter changed entirely.

This was no different from an assassination attempt suddenly occurring during a presidential election in the Beacon Country—it escalated the situation.

No rational person would ever make such a choice.

Mu Lin simply could not understand how the Lu Family dared to do this.

‘Or perhaps, this wasn’t the Lu Family’s doing?’

Just as Mu Lin was lost in thought, a “swish!” sound echoed. The elderly cultivator had already closed in on Mu Lin, and at the same time, a serpent-like curved flying sword viciously stabbed toward Mu Lin’s heart.

“Boom!”

Naturally, Mu Lin would not remain passive in the face of such an attack.

Immediately, he unleashed his aura, transforming the profound Central Wuji Sha into a wisp of radiant mist that draped over his body like a robe.

However, such defense… was useless.

Although the cultivator sent to assassinate Mu Lin appeared old, frail, and nearing the end of his life, his cultivation level was undeniably at the Mortal Shedding Pinnacle.

What made Mu Lin narrow his eyes even more was that the old man before him had clearly consumed some potent elixirs or employed secret techniques to stimulate his potential.

This elevated his cultivation level beyond the Mortal Shedding Pinnacle, reaching the level of a Quasi-Earth Immortal.

Such methods of stimulating potential were extremely taxing on oneself. The Black-Robed Elder, already old and frail, would likely die on the spot after this battle.

Yet, though he had no future, having burned everything, he was truly formidable.

His attack was like a towering mountain crashing down. Even with Mu Lin’s solid foundation, he could not withstand it.

With a “pfft!” sound, in just one strike, Mu Lin’s radiant robe shattered, and the serpent flying sword plunged straight into his heart.

However, striking Mu Lin did not bring the old man joy. Instead, his expression turned grim.

“…As expected, I knew you wouldn’t die so easily.”

The reason for his words was that the moment the serpent flying sword pierced Mu Lin, his body transformed into a paper figure and shattered.

The body Mu Lin had displayed was merely a decoy.

What made the old man’s expression even more unpleasant was that the moment he unleashed his aura and revealed his killing intent, furious shouts and explosive auras erupted one after another in the surroundings.

“Who goes there!”

“How dare you!”

“Daring to kill a prodigy of our Human Race, you are courting death…”

Just as Mu Lin had anticipated, while some might wish for his death, with the Doomsday Calamity approaching, more powerful figures of the Human Race hoped for Mu Lin’s survival to preserve humanity’s vitality.

Thus, in the face of an assassination attempt, as long as Mu Lin could hold out for a while and not be killed instantly, someone would come to his rescue.

At this moment, members of the Yan and Chu families, people from Prince Liang’s Manor, Ji Hongyu from the Demon Suppression Division, and even the Northern Aristocracy all had powerful figures riding clouds and mist, rushing toward Mu Lin’s location.

This scene allowed Mu Lin to finally set his heart at ease.

While his main body remained hidden, one of Mu Lin’s other clones stepped forward.

Without attacking, Mu Lin’s clone merely looked at the old man before him and spoke indifferently, “Your assassination has failed. Tell me, who sent you?”

“Failed? Heh, no, I haven’t failed.”

“You are the one who should die.”

As he spoke, seeing numerous powerful figures already soaring toward his position—and even flying swords hurtling toward him at extreme speed—the old man, who seemed halfway into his coffin, immediately gripped his serpent flying sword and drew a vertical figure-eight in the air.

“Wait…”

Soon, Mu Lin realized that rather than drawing the number eight, the old man was actually sketching the infinite symbol ∞, representing the Ouroboros.

And in the next moment, Mu Lin discovered the power of this infinite ∞ symbol.

“Whoosh!”

“Boom!”

Attacks from Mortal Shedding and Earth Immortal cultivators were swift. In the brief moment Mu Lin conversed with the black-robed elder, flying swords and thunder had already struck toward the old man.

Yet, something strange occurred.

As the numerous attacks neared the old man, instead of hitting him directly, they eerily curved in an arc, skirting around him.

This was true for the flying swords, as well as the blinding lightning and thunder… even flames veered away from the old man.

Witnessing this, Mu Lin immediately understood the power contained within the serpent flying sword.

The ∞ symbol had expanded into an infinite looping domain centered on the old man. Any attack would be guided by the power of ∞, sliding past the edges of the domain.

“Infinite loop…”

This scene left Mu Lin feeling troubled.

Si Ye, Dongfang Ya, the Yan Family Clan Elder, and Ji Hongyu, who had rushed over first, all furrowed their brows tightly.

“Mu Lin, hold on! We’ll rescue you soon!”

“Don’t attack, and don’t come out. Just evade!”

“Leave this old ghost to us!”

“You old bastard, stop right now! Daring to attack a Prodigy of our Human Race—not only will you die, but your family will also suffer. If you don’t want your descendants to face calamity, cease this at once!”

“Boom!”

Given Mu Lin’s exceptionally monstrous talent, he was quite well-liked.

Whether out of a desire to befriend him or for the sake of the Human Race’s greater cause, none wanted Mu Lin to die here.

Coupled with the Yan and Chu families, who were deeply connected to Mu Lin, over a dozen people were now attacking desperately.

“Boom! Rumble!”

Fierce assaults shook the heavens and earth, causing the air to tremble. The entire night sky was illuminated brilliantly by various spells.

However, the more they attacked, the deeper the chill and foreboding grew in the hearts of Si Ye, Ji Hongyu, and the others.

The infinite domain of the serpent flying sword was too powerful. Moreover, the old assassin had prepared thoroughly.

Not only had he taken pills in advance and used secret techniques to ignite all his potential, granting him quasi-Earth Master cultivation, but the spirit tool—the serpent flying sword—also stored Earth Immortal-level mana.

Such Mana fully activated the characteristics of this Spirit Tool. “Boom…” No matter how ferocious the attacks from Si Ye, Meng Rui, and Ji Hongyu were, they could do nothing against this seemingly infinite Domain.

All attacks were deflected and redirected. The distance between them and the old man appeared close enough to touch, yet was as vast as the ends of the earth.

“Bastard! Which scum is behind this? At a time like this, you’re still assassinating the Prodigies of our Human Race. You deserve to die!”

“Don’t let me catch you, or I’ll definitely kill you!”

Unable to land a single blow, the hot-tempered Ji Hongyu immediately roared in frustration.

Soon, something even more unsettling unfolded before them.

After stabbing Mu Lin’s Paper Figure, the aged and decaying old man did not flee.

Well, this was not surprising.

Although this Cultivator possessed a high Cultivation Level, he was nearing the end of his lifespan, with only a few years left to live.

Now, having burned everything to come here, he was determined to die, intending to perish together with Mu Lin.

So, it was normal for him not to flee.

What unsettled Ji Hongyu and the others was that not only did the old man not flee, but after his first assassination attempt failed, he did not search for or pursue Mu Lin’s Main Body. Instead, he guided the aura of the Paper Figure to attach itself to the serpentine Longsword.

The next moment, he even held the serpentine Longsword and performed a peculiar ritual in an eerie and inexplicable manner.

Watching the ritual gradually complete and the Forbidden Power begin to spread, the sense of foreboding in the hearts of Ji Hongyu, Si Ye, and the others grew heavier and heavier.

They had a feeling that once this ritual was complete, the old man’s attack would inevitably reach Mu Lin, even to the point of utterly killing him.

“You old scum! Do you know what you’re doing? You’re destroying humanity’s hope! Son of a bitch! If you have even a shred of human honor, stop this!”

Overwhelmed by rage, Ji Hongyu had already begun cursing.

Unfortunately, her words did nothing to sway the old man’s resolve.

And when someone recognized the method the old man was using, their hearts sank completely.

“This is… Ouroboros. It’s over. How could such Forbidden Power be unleashed?”

The terrified words made everyone even more anxious. Some even turned to the speaker, asking what Ouroboros was.

Of course, they weren’t asking for themselves, but on behalf of Mu Lin.

Yan Yunyu: “What is Ouroboros? How can it be defended against or avoided?”

“It cannot be defended against. Ouroboros is also called the self-devouring snake or the tail-devouring snake. It continuously consumes its own body, creating a cycle of power.”

“The terrifying aspect of this ability is that once the snake’s power enters another’s body, it can never be completely expelled. It is a Forbidden Power with infinite characteristics.”

“Moreover, once tainted by the aura of Ouroboros, a Cultivator’s power will be continuously devoured… As the person’s power diminishes, the snake’s power grows. One day, the Ouroboros will burst forth from the person’s body.”

“Is there no way to eradicate it completely?” In her desperation, tears welled up in Yan Yunyu’s eyes.

“No, although cultivators can seek out some Forbidden Power to temporarily sever part of the snake’s strength, due to its infinite nature, this power can never be eradicated. Moreover, the temporarily severed strength is also what the snake devoured from the cultivator. When the snake’s power is severed, the cultivator’s Cultivation Level will also decline.”

“Once entangled by this power, cultivators will only grow weaker and weaker… Alas, what a pity.”

“Bastard, for doing such a thing, no Human Race anywhere will tolerate you. We will definitely tear you to pieces and grind your bones to dust!”

In her fury, Si Ye also cursed.

Faced with such rage, the old man showed no fear. Instead, he laughed and said, “No need for you to act. After this battle, I myself will burn out and die completely.”

After speaking, the old man turned his gaze toward Mu Lin (Substitute Paper Figure), a hint of pleasure in his eyes at having snuffed out a Prodigy.

“Kid, die with me… If you must resent anyone, resent yourself for being too arrogant and offending those you shouldn’t have.”

“Resentment? I do have some, but compared to resentment, my killing intent is greater. Daring to deal with me like this—you and those behind you will all die.”

Contrary to the old man’s expectations, faced with such a ‘hopeless situation,’ Mu Lin showed no fear. His tone remained utterly calm.

However, Mu Lin’s words made the Black-Robed Elder burst into wild laughter.

“Hahaha…”

“Make those behind me die? Kid, you truly are foolish. Even now, you still don’t understand your situation? The Ouroboros’s Forbidden Power cannot be cleansed. Once entangled, your life is ruined forever.”

“You won’t be able to kill anyone. You’ll only fall from the clouds into the dust.”

Mu Lin: “The Ouroboros cannot be cleansed? Hah, I don’t quite believe there are absolute things in this world.”

“Hmph, ignorant. No one has ever cleansed it before…”

“Just because it has always been so, does that make it right? I am stronger than all of them. Others may not be able to cleanse it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.”

From beginning to end, Mu Lin’s words were calm and indifferent.

Before, the Black-Robed Elder thought Mu Lin was putting on an act with this calm tone.

But now, hearing his confident words, the old man fell silent.

Thinking of the many incredible things Mu Lin had done before, for the first time, he lost confidence in the Ouroboros.

Not only did he doubt the Ouroboros’s effectiveness, but outside, the cultivator who had been sighing, the furious Ji Hongyu, and the sorrowful Yan Yunyu… all froze in surprise.

Then, their expressions relaxed, and joy stirred in their hearts.

“That’s right, others may not be able to, but that doesn’t mean Mu Lin can’t… They also can’t summon several Mortal Shedding Dharma Images at the Gang Sha stage.”

“Hah… Others also can’t cultivate over three hundred portions of Gang and Sha Qi at the Gang Sha stage!”

(End of Chapter)