Chapter 395 – Third Encirclement Fails: Offense and Defense Reversed

“At this moment, you must be joking.”

Reconciliation… this was naturally impossible.

Mu Lin’s primary purpose in coming here was to strike the East Sea King so hard that everyone would know that offending him recklessly came at a price.

A price so severe it would make them tremble in body and mind, deterring them from easily taking action against Mu Lin.

He intended to strike one decisive blow to prevent a hundred more.

With this mindset, Mu Lin would never relent before achieving his goal.

Thus, as expected, Ji Zheng died.

Burned alive by the vengeful wraith formed from millions of wronged souls.

In his final moments, he continuously hurled curses at Mu Lin, which stirred some reflection in Mu Lin’s heart.

“Indeed, Earth Immortals who rely on external forces ultimately lack the proper temperament.”

After this reflection, Mu Lin turned his gaze to the vengeful wraith.

After the fierce battle, the vengeful wraith had shrunk considerably, with many echoes of soul fragments destroyed by Ji Zheng.

However, this vengeful wraith was now back under Mu Lin’s control.

“In this land, there are many who have died unjustly or wrongfully. It would not be an exaggeration to say the Mortal Realm is like a prison, filled with resentment. I can gather this resentment to create vengeful wraiths.”

“But I cannot let them converge into one again. The resentment would be too overwhelming for me to control.”

“The best approach is to use a hundred Substitute Paper Figures to separately control these vengeful wraiths.”

…

While Mu Lin was contemplating how to strengthen his forces, the impact of the two Earth Immortals’ deaths gradually manifested in the outside world.

As powerful beings whose bodies and minds resonate with the world, the deaths of Earth Immortals are not silent.

When Ji Zheng and the other Earth Immortal perished, the heavens and earth let out a mournful cry, and a peculiar ripple swept out in all directions.

This ripple reached Jin Haoran, who was not too far away, causing his body to stiffen and his heart to chill.

“This aura… an Earth Immortal has fallen?”

“From the sensation, it’s Ji Zheng and that elder from the Ji family who have passed, but how is that possible!”

“Mu Lin shouldn’t be a match for an Earth Immortal!”

Jin Haoran had once clashed with Mu Lin, and precisely because he had faced him directly, he knew that although Mu Lin was strong and his methods were Anomalies, he was no true match for an Earth Immortal.

Thus, he couldn’t comprehend how Ji Zheng and another Earth Immortal had died at Mu Lin’s hands.

“Even if our strength diminishes when we leave the Blessed Land, Mu Lin still shouldn’t have the ability to slay Earth Immortals.”

Thinking this, Jin Haoran’s gaze shifted sharply to the old man confronting him.

“Was this your doing? Has Prince Liang’s Manor aided Mu Lin and torn relations with the East Sea King?”

These words snapped Uncle Fu out of his daze—the deaths of the two Earth Immortals from the East Sea King’s Manor had also left him deeply astonished.

Although he had faith in Mu Lin’s future and had facilitated the relationship between Ji Lingsha and Mu Lin, his confidence lay in Mu Lin’s potential, not his present capabilities.

Therefore, he too felt some confusion and disbelief that Mu Lin could slay Earth Immortals.

Unlike Jin Haoran, Uncle Fu clearly knew that there were no other forces around Mu Lin; he had relied solely on his own power to kill the two Earth Immortals.

This was even more terrifying.

“A Mortal Shedding cultivator achieving this level is truly an incredible young man… Fortunately, Young Master Mu Lin has a close enough relationship with our Prince Liang’s Manor. His future and accomplishments will also bring glory to our Prince Liang’s Manor.”

Though inwardly moved, Uncle Fu showed no outward sign of it. Nor did he answer Jin Haoran’s inquiry, merely stating indifferently: “Who knows? Outside Prince Liang’s Manor, the Yan-Chu Families are also on good terms with Mu Lin, as are the Northern Aristocracy and the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty. Any of them could have intervened.”

“Besides, it’s also possible that those two Earth Immortals were killed by Mu Lin himself. There are too many possibilities—this old man doesn’t know either.”

At this point, Uncle Fu looked at Jin Haoran and chuckled: “Moreover, you don’t have time to ponder these things now, do you? The battle over there just ended—aren’t you going over? If you go now, you might catch Young Master Mu off guard and kill him.”

Hearing this, Jin Haoran… had absolutely no intention of going over.

No matter how Mu Lin had managed it, the fact that he had killed Ji Zheng was now indisputable.

And if he could kill Ji Zheng, along with another Earth Immortal from the East Sea King’s Manor, then he could kill Jin Haoran as well.

Jin Haoran never considered himself special among Earth Immortals, nor did he believe himself stronger than Ji Zheng. With the latter fallen, he was even more likely to meet his own end.

“This old ghost is trying to lure me over, likely to ambush me… I absolutely cannot go.”

“Besides, this place isn’t safe either. That Mu Lin could come here at any moment. If he teams up with this old ghost from Prince Liang’s Manor, I might not even be able to escape.”

Thinking this, Jin Haoran—filled with apprehension—not only refrained from heading toward Mu Lin’s location in Melting Fire City, but even took a step back, flying off in the direction of another Earth Immortal.

Seeing this, Uncle Fu hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not stop him.

Thus, Jin Haoran soon rendezvoused with another Earth Immortal summoned by the East Sea King.

He was a rogue cultivator, one who practiced wood-element spiritual arts.

The moment they met, the Earth Immortal immediately questioned Jin Haoran.

“What happened? I received a distress signal and also sensed the fall of an Earth Immortal. Who died?”

Jin Haoran: “Ji Zheng, and another Clan Elder from the East Sea King’s Manor.”

“……”

This answer left the rogue Earth Immortal silent for a long while.

Only after a considerable time did a dry, incredulous voice emerge from the rogue Earth Immortal’s mouth.

“Who killed them? Don’t tell me it was Mu Lin?”

A Mortal Shedding cultivator killing an Earth Immortal—let alone two at once—was simply unbelievable. The newly arrived rogue Earth Immortal was utterly unwilling to accept it.

In truth, Jin Haoran also found it hard to believe.

Yet, no matter how incredible it seemed, Ji Zheng was indeed dead.

The ironclad fact forced him to believe, whether he wanted to or not.

“I also didn’t believe Ji Zheng could die at Mu Lin’s hands, but it really happened. Two Earth Immortals from the East Sea King’s Manor did fall at Mu Lin’s location. Of course, it might not have been Mu Lin who killed them—other forces could have intervened… When I went to rescue Ji Zheng, I was blocked by Prince Liang’s Manor’s subordinates.”

At this point, a trace of wariness flashed in Jin Haoran’s eyes: “Many factions want the East Sea King dead. If Prince Liang’s Manor’s retainers could stop me, others naturally could have helped Mu Lin kill Ji Zheng and the others.”

“However, this isn’t important to us. What we need to consider now is whether to continue forward and confront Mu Lin and the forces behind him, or return to the East Sea King’s Manor to report the current situation to the East Sea King.”

“…Let’s go back. That Mu Lin is no longer someone we can handle.”

Faced with Jin Haoran’s inquiry, the later rogue Earth Immortal, Yu Ling, answered almost without hesitation, choosing to return.

This was a normal reaction.

After all, the one with a deep-seated grudge against Mu Lin was the East Sea King, not him.

He was only helping out due to a favor owed to the East Sea King.

However, while favors are precious, one’s own life is clearly even more valuable—why risk one’s life for a mere trifle?

Thus, Yu Ling chose the answer that would preserve his life.

In fact, Yu Ling not only wanted to retreat now; ever since Mu Lin killed an Earth Immortal and he realized Mu Lin could threaten his own life, Yu Ling, who bore no personal grudge against Mu Lin, had already wanted to withdraw from the operation to encircle and kill him.

“Mu Lin holds grudges fiercely. After all, I did pursue him. Simply withdrawing verbally might not earn his forgiveness… Later, I should seek out the Yan-Chu Families and ask them to help mediate.”

“Ah, this time the losses are too great.”

Thus, due to fear of Mu Lin’s methods, Jin Haoran and Yu Ling ultimately did not go to Melting Fire City to investigate the specific details of Ji Zheng’s demise. Instead, they chose to return to Skysea City to report the current situation to the East Sea King.

Their return also meant that the East Sea King’s third attempt to encircle and eliminate Mu Lin had once again ended in failure.

And this failure was likely the last one—moreover, it marked a shift in the balance of power.

(End of Chapter)