Chapter 406 – I Wonder: Can I Alone Kill All of You?

Sudden, powerful, and an attack directly targeting him—all of this filled Ao Yi with terror.

When he couldn’t even locate the enemy, his fear deepened, driving him to cry out for help.

His pitiful state and desperate cries left the surrounding onlookers wide-eyed.

“???”

“What’s going on?”

“Is this the evenly matched battle you mentioned, one that could push Mu Lin to reveal most of his strength?”

Some were speechless, while others felt deep apprehension—they, too, couldn’t discern how Ao Yi was being attacked.

Fortunately, among the spectators were powerful individuals. Some Earth Immortal-level experts or Cultivators with profound insights into space sensed the spatial disturbance.

But unlike before, while they detected it, they couldn’t enter that space.

The phantom of the Ouroboros, head connected to tail, isolated Mu Lin’s Netherworld from the Yang World.

—During this period, Mu Lin had been constantly busy, but his cultivation never ceased.

Through his understanding of the Ouroboros, Mu Lin realized that while he couldn’t yet make his body grow limitlessly (∞, infinite), his comprehension of spatial isolation and creating a self-contained realm was deepening.

Now, as long as Mu Lin willed it, the Netherworld he created would be completely isolated from the Yang World. Ordinary people couldn’t enter the Netherworld Palace at all, embodying the principle that “Humans and Ghosts Take Different Paths.”

Of course, by blocking others’ prying eyes, Mu Lin couldn’t form their Soul Reflections within the Netherworld. In that case, he wouldn’t be able to attack people in the present world from within the Netherworld.

“When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. For me, when I reflect others’ souls in the Netherworld, they… also gain the potential to harm me.”

While this ability had its limitations, it wasn’t useless.

With it, Mu Lin could drag his enemies into the Netherworld one by one and eliminate them slowly.

At the same time, complete isolation provided Mu Lin with a secure defense—few could attack him across worlds.

…

“Ah!”

While Mu Lin was contemplating his abilities, Ao Yi continued to be relentlessly slashed by the Blade of Slaughter.

It must be said that Ao Yi indeed possessed a treasure.

The Blade of Slaughter was a Spirit Tool, and one aligned with the path of slaughter. To enhance its power, Mu Lin had even enchanted it with a layer of Vengeance Flames.

Moreover, not being an Earth Immortal, Ao Yi initially failed to detect his own Soul Reflection or sense the spatial anomaly.

His overwhelming rage even dulled most of his Sudden Premonition.

This meant Mu Lin walked up to him unimpeded, knife in hand, and plunged it directly into Ao Yi’s head.

“Sssshhh…”

An ordinary person, or even a Mortal Shedding Cultivator, struck by such a terrifying blade to the head, would immediately have their Soul Scattered and Spirit Dispersed.

The offensive power of the Blade of Slaughter was no joke.

But Ao Yi didn’t die instantly. Not only did he survive, but he also retained the ability to struggle and wail.

A special Spirit Elixir enveloped his Soul Reflection, making his Divine Soul as resilient as rubber and as cohesive as flowing mercury, allowing it to continuously reassemble.

This enabled Ao Yi to withstand over a dozen strikes from Mu Lin without perishing.

Of course, the Spirit Elixir ultimately had its limits. After more than a dozen slashes, Mu Lin hadn’t killed him, but he had left Ao Yi’s soul shattered and on the verge of collapse.

Just two or three more strikes, and Mu Lin could end him outright.

However, seeing his own kin in such a wretched state, Ao Huan, who had been trailing behind, could no longer hold back.

“Stop!”

With a furious roar, he flew directly to Ao Yi’s side, intending to shield him.

Unfortunately, it was futile. Mu Lin’s attacks were taking place in the Netherworld, targeting Ao Yi’s Soul Reflection. Unable to enter the Netherworld, Ao Huan had no way to assist Ao Yi.

“Shhhrrk!”

Just as Ao Huan flew over, Mu Lin delivered another slash to Ao Yi’s body, eliciting another agonized scream.

Simultaneously, the injuries inflicted on the Soul Reflection manifested on Ao Yi’s Dragon Body.

By now, his entire form was riddled with wounds, on the verge of being torn apart.

At this point, Ao Huan was utterly frantic.

“I said stop!”

With a furious roar, leveraging an Earth Immortal’s Sensing of space, he condensed a bolt of Thunder and struck it fiercely against the barrier between the Netherworld and the mortal realm.

“Boom!”

This Thunder was immense, like a divine punishment from the heavens, carrying the power to annihilate everything.

Yet, it was useless.

Mu Lin’s Netherworld was indeed not invincible. If an enemy’s strength was great enough, they could shatter the barrier between the Yang World and the Netherworld and directly enter it.

This was the principle of Overwhelming Force Subdues All Techniques.

However, even though Mu Lin was only at the Mortal Shedding stage, his Netherworld was not so easily breached.

First, there was the Ouroboros. With its power of transference, it could disperse a single-point attack across the entire Netherworld—unless the entire Netherworld was shattered, Mu Lin could ignore such assaults.

Second, there was the Yang World. The Netherworld was deeply connected to the Yang World, serving as its reflection. Attacks on the Netherworld barrier would be partially absorbed by the Yang World.

As in this moment, Ao Huan’s attack caused tremors even in Water Moon City in the Yang World.

And finally, there was the Mountain River Great Cauldron.

At this moment, the great cauldron stood like a pillar supporting the heavens, anchoring the very center of the Netherworld. It upheld the entire thickness and weight of the Netherworld.

“The Mountain River Great Cauldron alone is not something an ordinary Earth Immortal can breach. With all three combined, I could withstand even a Celestial Master’s attack or two. Thinking of killing me or saving someone? Dream on!”

In the Netherworld, Mu Lin glanced at the formidable attack before turning his attention back to Ao Yi before him, driving his blade straight into his heart.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, the enraged Ao Huan… was intercepted.

The moment he took action, several Earth Immortals blocked his path, unleashing their auras and locking him down completely.

The overwhelming pressure made Ao Huan feel as if he were crushed beneath several mountains, rendering him unable to act.

“Bastards! Do you intend to sever all ties with the Dragon Palace?”

Such threats meant nothing to the Earth Immortals confronting him.

“It is you who seek to sever ties… It was you who came ashore, breaking the tacit understanding between the Human Race and the Dragon Race. And now, you even dare to bully a Prodigy of our Human Race, using your seniority to oppress the young. What, do you look down on our Human Race so much that you think we can only endure your humiliation?”

This rebuttal silenced Ao Huan. Indeed, in this matter, their Dragon Clan was in the wrong—well, it was also because the Human Race was strong. Otherwise, what did being in the wrong matter? It wasn’t the first or second time they had acted unreasonably.

They were the overlords of the seas, and humanity was the overlord of the land. When it came to humans, they couldn’t act with reckless abandon.

Left with no choice, Ao Huan could only relent:

“…I never intended to kill Mu Lin. I only wanted to save my nephew.”

“If you truly had your nephew’s best interests at heart, you should have intervened earlier. Now, it’s too late. Since the fight has begun, life and death are left to fate, and wealth to heaven!”

“This matter was indeed our fault. I am willing to have Ao Yi apologize to Mu Lin, but Ao Yi cannot die. Our Dragon Clan has few descendants, and each one is precious…”

He wanted to say more, but his words only made Mu Lin laugh—a bitter, angry laugh.

“Hah, so Ao Yi cannot die, but I can, is that it? Do you think… you’re just too full of yourselves!”

“Remember this: In my eyes, my life is ten thousand times more precious than any of yours in the Dragon Clan!”

“Thud!”

As his words fell, Mu Lin reversed his grip on the blade and drove it fiercely into Ao Yi’s Divine Soul.

“…Save… me…”

That strike shattered Ao Yi’s Divine Soul beyond recovery. He was killed by Mu Lin.

And in the next moment, the fragments of his soul were completely devoured by the Blade of Slaughter.

Thus, Ao Yi met his end.

Filled with rage and endless regret, he died at Mu Lin’s hands.

His death left Ao Huan stunned.

For a long moment, he stood motionless. Clearly, he had never imagined that his nephew could die.

Only after a long pause did Ao Huan snap back to reality, his blood-red eyes sweeping over the surrounding Earth Immortals and the hidden Mu Lin.

At the same time, words brimming with boundless hatred roared from his lips:

“Killing one of my kin—this matter will not end so easily. Mu Lin, and all you Earth Immortals, every one of you will pay the price!”

“…”

The endless hatred and killing intent in Ao Huan’s voice sent shivers down the spines of those present.

Some, intimidated by his murderous aura and draconic might, grew fearful, sensing impending disaster.

Yet, just as panic began to spread, a light chuckle echoed through the heavens and earth.

“You’re right. This matter will not end so easily. Daring to offend me—your Dragon Palace, and even the entire Aquatic Tribe, will pay the price!”

“Come, then. I am right here, waiting for your challenge in Water Moon City. Let me see what your Dragon Palace, what your Aquatic Tribe, can possibly use to make me pay!”

“I will accept all challenges from the younger generation of your Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe!”

“I want to see if I alone can slaughter every last one of your Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe’s younger generation!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

After Mu Lin’s words fell, silence enveloped the world.

Everyone was stunned by the meaning behind his words.

The aristocracy of the Southeast Region was dumbfounded; the Northern Aristocracy was equally stupefied. Even the court officials of the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty felt a pang of unease.

As for Ao Huan, brimming with fury and hatred, he too was left speechless.

‘Slaughter every last one of our Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe’s younger generation…’

Hearing this, he wanted to sneer—to mock Mu Lin’s arrogance and ignorance of his own limits.

“You have no idea how many prodigies there are among the younger generation of the Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe. It’s not a handful, not hundreds, not even thousands—under the Dragon Palace’s command, there are tens of thousands of prodigies!”

Tens of thousands of Aquatic Tribe prodigies, each with unique abilities—this was the Dragon Palace’s foundation, and it made Ao Huan believe that the younger generation of his Dragon Palace feared no one.

He had intended to use this to mock and sneer at Mu Lin, but in the end, he found himself… unable to laugh.

(End of Chapter)