Chapter 420 – Mu Lin: I Will Protect My Agricultural Militia!

Mu Lin had established the Northern Wastelands as his main base, and for this reason, he brought all his assets with him on this trip.

He had even unfurled the True Spirit Karma Diagram in the Northern Wastelands.

This made Mu Lin’s Netherworld quite terrifying.

First, there was a black sun formed from the convergence of the Flame of Retribution, filled with resentment and Death Qi.

It hung high in the sky, illuminating the entire Netherworld.

However, since it was not a normal sun but rather the Fire of Vengeance, the flames it emitted gave off a dark and gloomy feeling.

Such light would seem abnormal in the mortal world, but in the Netherworld Palace, it was perfectly fitting.

Nether Sun · Wu Chen—this was the name Mu Lin had bestowed upon it.

In the True Spirit Karma Diagram, it ranked on the fifth tier, a powerful Deity second only to King Yama.

Its divine duties were Retribution and the Nether Sun.

The sky was dominated by Nether Sun · Wu Chen, and below it lay Fengdu City.

—The reason it was Fengdu City and not a projection of Tianshi City from the Yang World was because Mu Lin had unfurled the True Spirit Karma Diagram, and Fengdu City from the Secret Realm of the Karma Diagram had replaced Tianshi City.

This city was grand and vast, spanning dozens of miles. On its walls and streets, the Beiwei Army, with ghost masks covering their faces and clad in black armor, patrolled ceaselessly.

As Mu Lin’s strength grew and numerous Earth Veins provided spiritual energy support, he could now muster thirty thousand Beiwei soldiers—an incredibly powerful force.

Their strict military presence alone was enough to instill a sense of dread.

And when each of these Beiwei soldiers wielded Soul-Reaping Chains, their strength was further enhanced, making them the natural enemies of malevolent ghosts and spirits.

Fengdu City was not only home to the imposing Beiwei Army; the rows of houses were no longer empty but instead held captive the souls of malevolent spirits, ghosts, and demonic monsters.

These ghosts and monsters were also under Mu Lin’s control, and he had implanted seeds of the Overlord Divine Intent within them.

This ensured they would forever be subservient to Mu Lin, providing him with various forms of power.

Beyond the houses, further inward, stood a tall Altar.

This was the Mount Tai Lord Altar, which also served as Mu Lin’s Spirit Foundation.

In the past, the Altar had always been empty, but now, a majestic and imposing Mountain River Great Cauldron, as massive as a mountain, stood upon it, fused with the Altar.

After merging with the Altar, the Fortune Treasure · Mountain River Great Cauldron also enhanced Mu Lin’s foundation.

The cauldron currently stored an immense amount of spiritual energy, granting Mu Lin limitless power.

In addition to providing him with an endless supply of Mana, the great cauldron also protected Mu Lin’s body, soul, and even the entire Netherworld and the Cycle of Despair.

“This treasure is among the finest of Spirit Tools, second only to the Dao Treasures used by True Lords… If the one who possessed this treasure had not been the dying Clan Elder of the Ji family but another Earth Immortal like Ji Zheng, it would have been difficult for me to win.”

Thinking this, Mu Lin did not consider his victory a mere stroke of luck.

“Precisely because it is so powerful, the East Sea King dared not entrust this treasure to Ji Zheng… A dying Clan Elder was one thing, but Ji Zheng, in the prime of his life, might not have returned the Mountain River Great Cauldron to the East Sea King after obtaining it.”

Even the famously benevolent Emperor Zhaolie, Uncle Liu, never returned Jingzhou after borrowing it. The likelihood of Ji Zheng returning it was even lower.

“Not wanting his position threatened, this treasure would either be used by the East Sea King himself or given to a dying Clan Elder. Ji Zheng could forget about ever laying hands on it.”

“At that time, the East Sea King likely believed that with the Clan Elder wielding the Great Cauldron, the situation was secure. Unfortunately, while the Great Cauldron could indeed withstand my various attacks, it could not protect that Earth Immortal whose lifespan was already on the brink of exhaustion…”

…

The Mount Tai Lord Altar, paired with the Mountain River Great Cauldron, possessed the power to suppress all things.

Yet, this altar and cauldron were still not the core of Fengdu City. Behind the altar square stood a magnificent hall—King Yama’s Hall.

From within this great hall emanated waves of heart-palpitating auras.

The Civil and Military Judges, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and seated high upon the Divine Position, wearing the twelve-beaded crown—King Yama.

As the avatar of Mu Lin and the current ruler of the Netherworld, merely gazing upon Him, Earth Immortals Sheng Cang and Zhang Hemiao felt the illusion that their very lives and deaths were beyond their control.

“Hiss, so strong. This so-called King Yama is definitely at the Earth Immortal level of combat power, capable of threatening me… no, He can kill me.”

“That black great sun, it too is absolutely Earth Immortal-level in strength, and in realm as well… it gives me a very ominous feeling.”

“What I find most terrifying is the Mountain River Great Cauldron. It possesses the power to suppress everything…”

Entering the Netherworld and witnessing these various formidable powers, Sheng Cang and Zhang Hemiao, beyond the feeling that their lives and deaths were not their own, felt even more a profound reverence for Mu Lin’s strength and a sense of awe.

“With such power, you say he is at Mortal Shedding?”

“First among the young Prodigies? No, even among Earth Immortals, he is a powerhouse!”

“We’ve hit the jackpot. Indeed, Great-Grandfather cares about the Agricultural Militia. The Mu Lin he invited at great cost will absolutely ensure our safety… no, this might even restore the prestige of the Agricultural Militia.”

Seeing Mu Lin’s overwhelmingly powerful strength, Sheng Cang and the others were thrilled.

And soon, these people discovered that everything within Fengdu City was not the entirety of Mu Lin’s power.

Outside the city, a colossal serpent coiled, as grand and vast as a mountain range, its imposing aura also at the Earth Immortal level.

To the east of the city lay a black lake permeated with an ominous aura, upon which rested a massive dragon ship.

The myriad great cannons on the dragon ship left no doubt about the vessel’s terrifying might.

Mirroring the black lake was a Blood Pool. In the center of this Blood Pool stood the phantom of a Long Saber. Beneath the saber’s shadow, the figure of a woman sat in meditation, with countless demonic creatures serving by her side.

And within the Blood Pool surrounding her, demonic creatures were continuously being born…

Beyond these grand and colossal entities, the entire Netherworld was also covered in the enchanting and beautiful Other Shore Flower Sea.

And it was these Other Shore Flowers that dealt with the Parasitic Worms.

In the Yang World, Parasitic Worms hide within the human body, making them difficult to detect.

But the Netherworld is different. All things bear Yin and embrace Yang.

As the opposite of the Yang World, as long as Mu Lin imposed no restrictions, the Soul Reflections of all living beings would appear in the Netherworld.

Furthermore, because ordinary souls are weak, they manifest only as some blurred light and shadow.

Even the souls of some sickly or weak humans cannot maintain a blurred human form, appearing instead as faint spheres of light—soul orbs.

Without the concealment of flesh, only souls remained, allowing Mu Lin and the others to see through human bodies at a glance without needing detection skills, understanding their condition.

In the Netherworld, the souls of normal humans were a faint white.

Those afflicted by illness and misfortune had gray-black auras clinging to them.

As for those who were parasitized, their bodies contained worm-like specks of light.

These specks mostly displayed ominous hues like gray-black, scarlet, and sickly green, making them easy to spot.

If these were normal malevolent spirits or ghosts, the Beiwei Army would have been dispatched. Armed with Soul-Binding Chains, they could easily capture such Malevolent Ghosts.

But now, with the Parasitic Worms fused with humans, and unwilling to harm the people, Mu Lin employed the Other Shore Flower Sea.

Possessing the Life-Death Illusion-Destruction Ability and knowing exactly who was infected by the Parasitic Worms, the Other Shore Flower could easily bewitch the consciousness of these worms.

From there, everything became simple. After luring the consciousness of the Parasitic Worms, Mu Lin merely simulated the will of the Nest, commanding them to exit the human bodies and self-destruct, thus completely resolving the Parasitic Worm issue.

Hmm… one more thing to mention: once the method was found, what followed was tedious, repetitive work. Mu Lin had neither the mood nor the time for such tasks.

Therefore, he handed the matter over to Chu Lingluo.

As the master of the Other Shore Flower Sea, it was Chu Lingluo who busied herself on the land outside Fengdu City, cleansing the Parasitic Worms from the Cultivators and common folk within Tianshi City.

Moreover, with her innocent and kind-hearted nature, she felt pained to see the people suffer such calamities.

Thus, while cleansing the Parasitic Worms, she also used the power of the Other Shore Flower Sea to influence the minds and Divine Souls of those ordinary people and Cultivators.

Of course, she did not intend any harm by doing so. She was weaving beautiful dreams, allowing the ordinary people and Cultivators in Tianshi City, who were plagued by disasters and constant worry, to enjoy a moment of peace and relieve their mental fatigue.

“I’m sorry, my power is too weak to do much for you… I can only let you rest peacefully in your dreams for a little while.”

With her hands clasped together, Chu Lingluo, like an elven fairy, wove a fairy-tale dreamscape using the power of the Other Shore Flower Sea.

To be honest, this fairy-tale dreamscape was utterly out of place in the Netherworld. Yet, Mu Lin did not stop her; instead, he felt somewhat gratified.

“When I was weak, you helped me greatly. Now that I have grown strong, I can protect you, allowing you to remain forever pure and kind.”

…

The sentiment and gratification in Mu Lin’s heart lasted only a moment. Soon, he refocused his attention and addressed the main matter.

“I have a way to deal with the Parasitic Worms. However, my Netherworld currently only extends near Tianshi City. Cultivators from other places who wish to resolve their Parasitic Worm issues will still need to come to Tianshi City.”

Hearing this, Zhang Hemiao quickly nodded and said, “That is only reasonable.”

As she spoke, she also bowed deeply to Mu Lin, thanking him for resolving Tianshi City’s crisis.

To this, Mu Lin did not accept the gesture. He calmly stated, “No need for such formality. Since I have returned with you all, I am also a member of the Agricultural Militia. Helping them is only right.”

Helping others for free was something Mu Lin was unwilling to do—he was no saint.

However, in Tianwu City, people said that Mu Lin was being groomed by Zhang Hetian as the successor to the Agricultural Militia commander. This was… correct.

That old Celestial Master did indeed have such intentions.

As for Mu Lin, his impression of the Agricultural Militia was quite favorable, especially after learning that most of its members were commoners or children of humble families. This pleased him even more.

He had already prepared to accept the position of commander.

Thus, Mu Lin’s assistance was no longer merely helping the Agricultural Militia—it transformed into: “I must protect my Agricultural Militia!”

Aside from protection, another reason Mu Lin helped the people of Tianshi City resolve the crisis was:

“I see you intend to spread this matter to boost the morale of the Agricultural Militia. That’s good, but I hope that when you spread it, you don’t mention my name directly. Just say that all of this was done by King Yama… and the Dream Lord under His command.”

“King Yama? Dream Lord?”

Upon hearing this, both Zhang Hemiao and Sheng Cang looked solemn, their expressions growing even more serious.

“Young Master Mu, are you planning to practice… the Divine Path Method?”

(End of Chapter)