Chapter 376 – Entering the East Sea Kingdom: Revenge Begins

After the scout’s words fell, there was not a single sound in the East Sea King’s room for a long time.

These quick-witted advisors thought for a long time, racking their brains, yet they still could not understand.

“Challenging a kingdom single-handedly—how dare Mu Lin do such a thing?”

Advisor Xun said, “I can’t figure it out either. Does Mu Lin not know that we have millions of armored warriors, countless Mortal Shedding Adepts, and dozens of Earth Immortals here?”

“Exactly! No matter how talented he is, his cultivation level is right there—a mere Gang Sha Sorcerer. Crushing him would be as easy as crushing an ant.”

After the advisors finished speaking, the scout who had come to report suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, “My lords, there is another piece of news from Jade Province. It is said that Mu Lin has advanced to Mortal Shedding, and the phenomenon during his breakthrough was reportedly quite significant…”

Before the scout could finish, Advisor Xun waved his hand dismissively.

“No matter how grand the phenomenon, he has only just entered Mortal Shedding. Could he possibly transcend the Mortal Shedding realm?”

“Whether it’s a Gang Sha Sorcerer or a Mortal Shedding Adept, to our East Sea Kingdom, they are like ants—at most, the latter could be considered a slightly larger ant.”

Clearly, none of the advisors in the room recognized the severity of the situation.

They simply did not believe Mu Lin could pose any threat to the East Sea Kingdom. Even if Mu Lin had advanced to Mortal Shedding, they did not think it would change his weak position.

This underestimation of Mu Lin was not due to foolishness or arrogance but rather based on common sense—a lone individual like Mu Lin truly was no match for the East Sea Kingdom.

This was not only the view of the East Sea King’s advisors but also the shared opinion of the noble clans in the southeastern region and those in the north.

Even the Dragon Lord of the Dragon Palace did not believe Mu Lin had the qualifications to confront the entire East Sea Kingdom single-handedly.

Holding such ingrained beliefs, Advisor Xun and the others simply could not understand how Mu Lin dared to come to the East Sea Kingdom.

In the end, unable to make sense of it, the advisors could only attribute Mu Lin’s actions to the recklessness of youth and a hot-headed impulse.

“I have always heard that young prodigies tend to act rashly, are easily angered, and cannot tolerate resentment, but I have never seen anyone as impulsive as this.”

“This is no longer mere impulsiveness—it’s sheer madness… To be honest, I was quite worried about him before. After all, Mu Lin managed to defeat an Evil God Scion, so he must have some talent. If he had fled north or joined the Great Spirit Dynasty, we truly would have had a hard time dealing with him. Once he became a true powerhouse, he could have caused us some trouble. But now, it seems I was overthinking it.”

The old advisor who spoke shook his head with a wry smile, and the others relaxed as well.

Clearly, none of them believed Mu Lin could pose any real threat.

However, even though they thought Mu Lin’s journey was nothing more than a suicide mission, for Ji Yu’s safety, they still suggested that he stay indoors during this period.

The East Sea King, however, had no intention of doing so.

“Since this matter was caused by that rebellious son, let him resolve it himself… I plan to use him as bait to lure Mu Lin into a trap.”

At this point, the East Sea King paused briefly before continuing.

“Hire more cultivators. Also, what Mu Lin is sending over is likely just a Paper Figure Clone. Find cultivators capable of Thousand-Mile Soul Tracking and bring along some special magical artifacts. When Mu Lin appears, ensure he is killed with a single strike.”

“Yes, Your Highness. We will handle everything.”

…

Upon learning of Mu Lin’s impending arrival, the East Sea King’s forces began to mobilize.

Soon, Ji Yu also learned that he would serve as bait to lure Mu Lin into a trap.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yu… felt no panic. Instead, he was filled with astonishment and delight.

“That country bumpkin Mu Lin is coming to the East Sea Kingdom? Are you sure you’re not lying to me? Who gave him the audacity to come here?”

Hearing this question, Advisor Xun shrugged and said, “Third Young Master, I wouldn’t dare deceive you with lies… As for why Mu Lin dares to come, to be honest, I’ve thought about it for a long time and still can’t figure it out.”

“Hahaha, if you can’t figure it out, then don’t bother. As long as he comes, everything will be fine.”

“Hahaha, good! Good! Good! Mu Lin, you’ve done well!”

Regarding Mu Lin’s arrival, Ji Yu felt nothing but joy.

Clearly, he also did not believe that Mu Lin could assassinate him within the East Sea Kingdom.

It was precisely because of this confidence that he had dared to take action against Mu Lin in Yuzhou City.

Although that attempt had failed, this time, he felt his advantage was overwhelming, and he would not fail again under any circumstances.

“I accept the task of being bait. What do I need to do?”

Feeling secure, he eagerly accepted the mission and was itching to take action.

In response, Advisor Xun, who had planned all this, calmly said:

“You don’t need to do anything, Third Young Master. Just act as you normally would, preferably appearing natural and venting some complaints about Mu Lin…”

After Advisor Xun’s detailed instructions, Ji Yu quickly understood what he needed to do.

Thus, time passed slowly, and soon, two or three days went by.

During these days, Ji Yu went to the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion every day, acting dejected and drinking flower wine, like a spoiled young master who had been abandoned.

While he was performing, Mu Lin’s Paper Substitute also arrived in the East Sea Kingdom through various means and entered the East Sea King’s capital—Skysea City.

Upon reaching his destination, it took Mu Lin only half an hour to locate Ji Yu’s whereabouts.

Finding him so easily did not bring Mu Lin joy. Instead, it made him narrow his eyes.

“So they already know I’m coming. No doubt, wherever Ji Yu is, that’s the trap.”

Thinking this, Mu Lin felt no fear. Instead, he smiled confidently and began moving through Skysea City.

Three hours later, the sky grew dark, and the time reached the hour of Xu (around 8 or 9 p.m.).

This was the liveliest time at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

As before, Ji Yu was once again heavily intoxicated at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, cursing Mu Lin incessantly.

“Damn bastard! If it weren’t for that scoundrel, how could I have been reprimanded by Father?”

“And that Ji Lingsha—she’s a slut too! How dare she consort with a country bumpkin? That whore has completely disgraced the Great Spirit Imperial Family…”

In the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, Ji Yu continued to rage and curse. Though he had fallen from power, he was still the son of the East Sea King. Within the East Sea Kingdom, there were still those who clung to him, and thus, countless voices echoed around him in agreement.

“Your Highness, please calm your anger. It’s not worth getting upset over that wretched couple…”

“Indeed, marrying a lowborn peasant—she’ll regret it sooner or later. When that time comes, Ji Lingsha will beg you to take her in.”

“Pah! I wouldn’t want such secondhand goods… And as for Mu Lin, I’ll make sure he dies sooner or later. His family and friends—I won’t spare a single one…”

“What about my family and friends?”

Just as Ji Yu was cursing and the other scions of the Aristocratic Families were chiming in, a cold, detached voice suddenly cut through the noise.

The abrupt, questioning tone startled many.

“Who? Who’s speaking?”

While the others were taken aback, Ji Yu—who had been feigning… or rather, venting his resentment—also narrowed his eyes sharply.

“When did he…?”

He knew that Mu Lin had already entered the East Sea Kingdom, even infiltrated Skysea City.

In fact, part of his earlier cursing was genuine, but another part was deliberate—an attempt to provoke Mu Lin and lure him out.

Because he had prior knowledge, even while pretending, he had remained vigilant, scanning his surroundings—hoping to rely on his own abilities to detect any trace of Mu Lin.

But what horrified him was that despite his heightened alertness, he had no idea Mu Lin had approached until the moment he spoke.

Such a silent, undetectable infiltration naturally filled Ji Yu with dread.

As for Mu Lin, his expression remained utterly calm.

With the Da Luo Vast Heaven Qi, his ability to vanish from perception, and the Illusion Art of the Other Shore Flower Sea, slipping close to someone was effortless for him.

“So, what exactly do you intend to do to my family and friends?”

Mu Lin’s voice remained detached, cold, and eerie. Such a frigid tone, paired with his sudden appearance, was enough to instill fear in many.

At the very least, Ji Yu understood that in a one-on-one fight, he was no match for Mu Lin.

In fact, with that ability to erase his presence, Mu Lin could kill him without a sound.

Yet, realizing this, Ji Yu showed no fear. Instead, his face twisted into a savage, cruel smile.

“Heh, I want them all dead—not just them, but you too!”

“You actually dared to show yourself, Mu Lin. You’re far too arrogant. Today, your arrogance will be your death… No, I won’t kill you so easily. You dared to ruin my plans—I’ll imprison your soul, make you long for death but find no release!”

Ji Yu’s voice was utterly merciless.

Knowing he was no match for Mu Lin yet still arrogantly demanding his death—Ji Yu wasn’t merely making empty threats. He had his own trump card.

And soon, that trump card revealed itself.

“Hum!”

As the glow of Arrays lit up, the entire Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion was enveloped in a layer of purple formations.

At the same time, several seemingly ordinary guests rose from the corners of the pavilion.

As they stood, their auras began to surge dramatically.

Soon, nine cultivators at the Mortal Shedding Pinnacle appeared in the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

At the same time, a piece of jade on Ji Yu’s body lit up with a brilliant shield glow.

This powerful shield protected Ji Yu at its very center, and even Mu Lin felt a headache upon seeing it. He knew this was not a shield that could be broken in a short time.

Mu Lin was not surprised by this.

When he had easily obtained information about Ji Yu, Mu Lin knew that this operation would not go smoothly.

“That must be a stress-triggered shield. Even if I hadn’t spoken suddenly but attacked directly, it would have been difficult to achieve anything.”

While Mu Lin was pondering this, one of the cultivators who had stood up in the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion looked at him with a complex and strange expression.

“Although we received the message in advance, I truly never expected you would actually dare to come!”

Surrounded, Mu Lin remained utterly calm.

“If I didn’t come, how could I make the person who tried to assassinate me pay the price he deserves?”

Ji Yu: “Hmph, I won’t pay any price. On the contrary, you are doomed today.”

“No, you won’t die. I will capture your soul and torment it for eternity.”

After speaking, Ji Yu noticed that Mu Lin’s expression remained completely calm.

This only fueled Ji Yu’s rage further.

To make Mu Lin feel fear and to convince him that, with the array activated, there was no escape, Ji Yu revealed some of the East Sea King’s arrangements.

“Mu Lin, don’t think that just because you came as a clone, you’ll be safe. Damned lowlife, remember this well—for people like you, our East Sea King’s Manor has a hundred ways to deal with you.”

“What you see before you is a Soul-Binding Array. Within this array, your split soul cannot escape.”

“Even if your split soul shatters, don’t think you can get away!”

“With your split soul, we can use a Soul-Summoning Array to summon your soul directly, or through Thousand-Mile Soul Tracking, we can go straight to your main body. You cannot escape!”

The East Sea King’s Manor’s arrangements indeed had the potential to reach Mu Lin’s main body through his split soul.

Yet, upon hearing all this, Mu Lin’s expression still showed not a trace of fear. At most, he let out a sigh.

“Such arrangements shouldn’t be something you or your maternal clan could pull off alone, right? Did the East Sea King intervene? What a pity. I originally only wanted to kill you and let everything end there. That East Sea King made the worst choice.”

“No, Mu Lin, it is you who made the worst choice.”

(End of Chapter)