Chapter 415 – The Northern Wastelands Crack; The Western Desert Vanishes

For the safety of themselves and their families, both the North-South Clans and the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty were doing their utmost to win over Mu Lin, hoping he would side with them.

Their invitations were sincere and full of goodwill.

However, by the time they made their efforts, it was already too late.

“When I was in the East Sea Kingdom, I had already made an agreement with a Celestial Master from the Northern Wastelands. He would protect me from being bullied by powerful figures, and in return, I would do my utmost to help him defend the Northern Wastelands.”

“Excellent! Mu Lin, we will certainly not treat you unfairly.”

Upon hearing Mu Lin’s words, the Northern Aristocracy immediately erupted in cheers and excitement.

The leader among them even kept patting Mu Lin’s shoulder, repeatedly saying “good”—in these perilous times, every additional bit of combat strength was a boon for them.

As for the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty and the clans of the Southeast Region, they were filled with regret and frustration.

Especially the clans of the Southeast Region—after all, Mu Lin had grown up in this very area.

“Alas, it’s too late now… We should have made a decision earlier,” someone sighed, while others wore expressions of anger.

“Even earlier, you wouldn’t have been able to make a decision… Without a strong leader, each acting on their own, you drag your feet on every single matter. Moreover, the decisiveness and courage of your Southeast Region clans have long been worn away by the gentle, watery landscapes of the southeast.”

“Hmph! In this calamity, even though you are located inland, in my view, you are actually the weakest and the most likely to be overrun!”

The one who spoke angrily was Ji Hongyu. As the deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Army and a red-armored general fighting on the front lines, she understood the situation in the Southeast Region better than anyone and was well aware of the pressure faced by the Demon Suppression Division there.

Because of this, she was also the most eager to keep Mu Lin.

After all, with a powerful ally assisting them, countless comrades could be spared.

Unfortunately, while she saw potential in Mu Lin and wanted to firmly support him, the other clans of the Southeast Region were indecisive or unwilling to commit until they saw tangible results—they refused to place their bets before the outcome of Mu Lin’s conflict with the East Sea Kingdom was clear.

And by the time they wanted to place their bets, it was already too late.

…

Mu Lin was unaware of Ji Hongyu’s frustration. At that moment, he was having Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, and Dongfang Ya gather information about the Northern Wastelands.

Whether to fulfill his agreement with the old Celestial Master Zhang Hetian or to continue his own development, he had to head north—only there was there enough space and territory for Mu Lin to continue growing.

However, while Mu Lin was preparing to go, the information collected by Yan Yunyu and Si Ye made him frown.

“The situation in the north isn’t looking too good.”

The situation in the north could no longer be described as merely “not good”—it was downright terrible.

The information Dongfang Ya and the others collected wasn’t limited to the north; it covered the entire Xuanling Realm. As a result, Mu Lin gained a general understanding of the overall situation in this world.

According to Yan Yunyu, the core landmass of the entire Xuanling Realm was undoubtedly the Xuanling Continent, where Mu Lin currently resided.

The most fertile and central heartland of this continent was occupied by the Human Race, who had divided it into nineteen provinces for governance.

To the east of the human territories lay an endless expanse of ocean, which was occupied by the Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe.

The southern borderlands were occupied by the Hundred Races—non-human races—and the Demon Race.

Unlike the Human Race, most of the Demon Race exist in beast-like forms, causing minimal environmental changes. Coupled with the mountainous terrain, abundant swamps, and frequent rainfall in the south, the Southern Frontier remains an endless expanse of hills and forests to this day, teeming with countless poisonous insects and venomous creatures.

Then there is the Northern Wastelands, where winters are bitterly cold.

Due to the harsh environment, the region has always been sparsely populated.

But that is not the most troubling issue. What surprised Mu Lin was that the sky over the Northern Wastelands… had cracked.

Indeed, for unknown reasons, the spatial barrier in the north is extremely fragile, with countless rifts between worlds.

As a result, every year, a large number of meteors or visitors from Alien Realms descend upon the Northern Wastelands, causing waves of chaos.

To address this, the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty has stationed a massive army there to prevent those Alien Realm demonic monsters and Evil Spirits from invading the territory of the Human Race.

In the past, the northern armies performed this duty well.

However, recently, due to the appearance of Evil God followers and supernatural Evil Spirits, the number of demons and monsters in the Northern Wastelands has been increasing, making it difficult for the region to hold its ground.

Especially since, not long ago, an Evil God invaded the Northern Wastelands and engaged in a fierce battle with the Human Race’s powerful cultivators.

In that battle, although the Evil God was repelled and severely wounded, several Celestial Masters from the Human Race perished, and others were gravely injured, worsening the situation on the front lines.

Fortunately, not all in the central authority of the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty are fools.

They understand the principle of “when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.” Moreover, beyond the Northern Wastelands lies the territory of the imperial family. Unwilling to be affected themselves, the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty called upon heroes from across the land to fight in the north as soon as the crisis in the Northern Wastelands emerged.

At the same time, abundant rewards and supplies were continuously sent to the Northern Wastelands.

“The Northern Wastelands are in dire straits, and since the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty lies directly behind it, they naturally feel the urgency.”

“But the Southeast Region is different. They are further back and cannot feel the crisis on the front lines, so they are not in a hurry.”

Thinking of this, Mu Lin also recalled the previous conflict between the North-South Clans. Consequently, he summoned Si Ye and Yan Yunyu to inquire about the final outcome of that confrontation.

To Mu Lin’s great surprise, the Southern Aristocracy… had actually conceded.

“Why? Don’t tell me the Southern Aristocracy suddenly grew a conscience?”

Recalling the suffocating maneuvers on the land of China during the late Ming Dynasty, Mu Lin did not believe that humans would immediately unite in the face of an invasion by Foreign Races.

And Si Ye’s subsequent words made Mu Lin understand that the Southeast Region did not support the Northern Aristocracy out of goodwill—they were forced into it.

“After you left, the Southern Aristocracy remained unyielding, while the Northern Aristocracy, having suffered heavy losses, grew somewhat desperate. One of their legions withdrew its defenses and relocated its base.”

Hearing this, Mu Lin grew even more curious.

As far as he knew, forcing the Northern Aristocracy to abandon large tracts of land and contract their defenses had always been the demand of the Southeast Aristocracy. Now, it seemed the Southern Aristocracy had won, so why would they suddenly concede?

“Wait, could it be…”

Seeing that Mu Lin had thought of something, Si Ye nodded and said, “Yes, just as you imagined, the Azure Wolf Legion, which was supposed to be contracting its defenses, did not abandon large areas of territory as the Southern Aristocracy had hoped, nor did they retreat to a city in the north to hold their ground. Instead, they simply gave up—they crossed the river and headed south, clashing severely with one of the Southern Aristocratic families.”

How could the conflict not be severe? The world’s resources are finite; if you take more, others get less.

This was precisely the situation in the Southeast Region, where every area had its owner.

Previously, with Mu Lin alone, it was manageable—he could earn resources to support himself.

But an entire legion, along with countless followers, could not be satisfied with just a little.

The Northern Aristocracy, with their formidable martial prowess, would not humble themselves upon arriving in the south.

These people did not believe in the principle of “first come, first served.” Instead, they held that might makes right.

Thus, the arrival of the Azure Wolf Legion was bound to encroach upon the resources of other aristocratic families.

The families whose territories were seized would naturally not take it lying down and were certain to engage in fierce conflict with the Northern Aristocracy.

Once two great families clashed, regardless of the outcome, both sides would suffer.

No one wanted to see such a situation.

Of course, if the Southern Aristocracy united, they could drive the Azure Wolf Legion out.

But the Southern Aristocracy had allies, and so did the Northern Aristocracy. If the Northern Aristocracy all marched south, the Southern Aristocracy would be in dire straits.

Similarly, the Great Spirit Imperial Family would also be in trouble—without the Northern Aristocracy as a barrier, they would have to face the Alien Realm’s Evil God and the demons and monsters directly.

This was something the Great Spirit Imperial Family absolutely did not want to see. Although the Doomsday Calamity was unavoidable, delaying it even a little would allow them to accumulate more strength and increase their chances of survival.

As a result, the Northern Aristocracy’s intention to cross the river and head south frightened both the Southern Aristocracy and the Great Spirit Imperial Family.

To prevent them from moving south, both the Great Spirit Imperial Family and the Southern Aristocracy offered vast resources to placate the north.

What? You say the tax rate was already as high as eighty percent and there was no more profit to be squeezed from the south?

Hah, you don’t understand. Profit is like a sponge—squeeze it, and there’s always more.

With a slight crackdown by the major aristocratic families of the south, half of the taxes were squeezed out.

If that wasn’t enough, there were still wealthy merchants—these fattened pigs.

And if even that wasn’t sufficient, the accumulated wealth of the aristocratic families over countless years could also be tapped for emergencies.

In short, to prevent the Northern Aristocracy from marching south en masse, the Great Spirit Imperial Family and the Southern Aristocracy jointly pressured them, indeed squeezing out a great deal.

This nearly made Mu Lin laugh out loud.

“Indeed, people are quite despicable. They won’t listen to reason, but once a knife is at their throats, everything becomes negotiable.”

…

The resources provided by the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty and the Southern Aristocracy, along with the heroes who answered the call, did alleviate some of the pressure on the Northern Aristocracy.

But there were too many Evil Gods, and the various demonic monsters were too powerful. The situation in the Northern Wastelands remained extremely perilous.

“Yet danger is also opportunity. Precisely because it is dangerous there, I can act without restraint.”

After observing the Northern Wastelands, Mu Lin turned his gaze to the Western Desert.

Then, his silence deepened even further.

The Northern Wastelands were merely desolate, but the Western Desert could be described as a dead zone.

According to the information collected by Dongfang Ya and her team, many areas in the Western Desert were spiritless dead zones, and the places with spirit energy were even more dangerous—most of the forbidden zones in the Profound Spirit World were located in the Western Desert.

It was a place even the minions of Evil Gods, and the Evil Gods themselves, were unwilling to go.

“Northern Wastelands with sky rifts, Western Desert with severed spirit… It feels like the Profound Spirit Continent was once very lively.”

…

In the Southeast Region, while observing the general situation of the Profound Spirit World, Mu Lin was also preparing for his journey to the Northern Wastelands.

Meanwhile, in Tianwu City, the core stronghold of the Northern Wastelands, banners fluttered and generals gathered.

They had come to plead poverty and demand resources.

The Northern Wastelands were vast. Although humans had set up many arrays based on natural barriers across the Northern Wastelands, there were still numerous locations that required human garrisons.

Centered around Tianwu City, the thirteen legions of the Northern Wastelands had to garrison thirty-three towns and cities.

And these were only the major cities. Below the towns, there were many mines and Spirit Fields that also required personnel to guard.

This was unavoidable. After all, although the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty and the Southern Aristocracy were willing to support the north, they could not provide all the necessary supplies. Often, the legions of the Northern Wastelands had to reclaim land locally, mine ore veins, or cultivate Spirit Fields to compensate for the army’s losses.

However, with so many places to garrison, each of the thirteen legions found their manpower stretched thin.

Coupled with combat losses and resource consumption, representatives from these legions came to Tianwu City every day to plead poverty and demand resources.

This matter gave the Grand Marshal of the Northern Legions, the Heavenly Martial True Lord, quite a headache.

Fortunately, in recent days, they had managed to extract a significant amount of resources from the Southern Aristocracy, which could barely provide some relief to the thirteen legions of the north.

As a result, the envoys from these legions competed even more fiercely.

They had no choice but to compete. The military inherently valued camaraderie.

Generals, marshals, and soldiers, fighting side by side, developed even deeper bonds.

This was the camaraderie of comrades who had shouldered arms together.

No general wanted their soldiers to die.

Securing more resources meant a higher chance of survival for their brothers. Under such circumstances, how could the thirteen legions possibly yield?

Even intense confrontations occurred within the Grand Marshal’s mansion.

“Old Jin, the place I guard is the most critical. If Tianyuan City falls, the entire Northern Wastelands will be finished!”

“Get lost! Your Tianyuan City is important, but is my Futu Pass any less important? Behind us lies the largest mineral deposit in the Northern Wastelands, the source of most of our weapons and armor.”

“Brothers, have pity on our Black Prison Army. We’re so poor we can’t even afford to eat…”

“Get out of my way! These resources are mine. Whoever dares to compete with me, I’ll fight them to the death.”

Some pleaded their hardships, others emphasized the importance of the strategic passes they defended, while still others showed their ferocity to intimidate the rest.

In the Grand Marshal Tianwu’s Mansion, envoys from various legions engaged in constant disputes.

Fortunately, as they were all part of the Northern Legions and with the Heavenly Martial Grand Marshal overseeing them from above, the disputes remained just that—they did not escalate into outright bloodshed.

While engaged in the conflict, they also divided their attention to examine the various resources sent by the Southern Aristocracy and the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty, as well as who had been conscripted.

As they looked, some of the leaders of the military legions were astonished to discover that Mu Lin’s name was also on the conscription list.

This caused the eyes of many legion envoys to light up.

Even though he was in the Northern Wastelands, due to the scale of Mu Lin’s actions, he had still been noticed by many legions.

Everyone knew that Mu Lin was a once-in-ten-thousand-years Prodigy, with exceptional combat prowess. He alone had subdued the East Sea Kingdom, slain the True Dragon Descendant of the Dragon Palace Aquatic Tribe, and defeated countless prodigies among the Demons and Monsters.

If someone like him joined their own faction, it would undoubtedly greatly boost their army’s morale and significantly enhance their combat strength.

Therefore, everyone had considered trying to win Mu Lin over.

However, before they could voice their invitations, after reading the information about Mu Lin, their expressions all twisted in disbelief.

“Wait, the weight of seven Earth Immortals? If Mu Lin is conscripted and agrees to go, that legion would essentially receive resources equivalent to seven Earth Immortals. That’s absurd!”

“Marshal, this is too exaggerated. Surely you didn’t make a mistake, old sir?”

(End of Chapter)