Chapter 282

Chapter 282: I Have Three Hundred Lives! Can You End Me?

Mu Lin’s bold declaration of "Who can kill me?" perfectly demonstrated the overwhelming strength of his Substitute Paper Figure after reaching Grandmaster-level.

Its power had truly exceeded all his predictions.

Though the master-level paper figure previously transferred eighty percent of injuries, mimicked Mu Lin flawlessly, and aided his cultivation, it carried a critical weakness – limited numbers.

Back then, Mu Lin only possessed six Substitute Paper Figures, totaling seven including himself.

The Grandmaster-level advancement nearly erased this quantity restriction.

While still unable to create infinite copies – each required a soul Mark, an energy Mark, and a drop of vital blood – Mu Lin’s current soul power and energy reserves allowed drastic improvements.

"For cultivation purposes, I must ration soul power – thirty-three paper figures maximum. But for Injury Transfer? At least one hundred and eight!"

"Wait – my divine avatar controls spiritual veins. Channeling that energy into paper figures could offset sixty to eighty percent of Energy Cost."

"Without energy constraints and my enhanced Condensing Essence soul power? Three to five hundred paper figures!"

Three to five hundred substitutes meant near-complete Injury Transfer. Killing Mu Lin would require slaughtering him hundreds of times.

"Three to five hundred lives! Game cheats give thirty at most – I’ve surpassed them tenfold! Hah!"

"I’ve got three hundred lives! You think you can erase me instantly?!"

Manic laughter erupted from Mu Lin, years of tension bursting forth.

Since arriving in this world, danger haunted him constantly:

– Fear of exposure while living with his grandfather

– Anxiety facing powerful clans’ heirs at Anping Taoist Palace

– Dread of powerful beings at Yuhu Academy

This lawless world kept him perpetually vigilant. Three to five hundred extra lives finally offered breathing room.

Yet the laughter soon died.

"Don’t get cocky. I’m far from invincible."

"Three hundred lives mean nothing compared to the true sources of strangeness and evil gods – they’re called ‘undying’ for reason. Yet even they aren’t world rulers."

Humanity countered immortal threats through sealing – not whole containment, but fragmentation. Split an eternal entity into thousands of pieces, sever consciousness from power… endless existence became endless imprisonment.

If even unkillable horrors could be neutralized, Mu Lin’s paper figure defenses held far more vulnerabilities.

Let’s not mention other things. Just one point made Mu Lin wary of acting recklessly.

"The Substitute Paper Figure could only transfer my injuries, not fully restore my stamina, magical energy, or soul power to their peak. Thus, if I encountered a powerful enemy, even one not much stronger – just a High Mastery of Transformation cultivator could kill me three to five hundred times, even thousands."

For true powerful beings, extra lives merely let them kill to their heart’ content.

While Mu Lin’s Grandmaster-level Substitute Paper Figure seemed unbeatable against peers, it lost its edge when facing other Grandmaster-level techniques.

"Any technique undergoes transformation at Master Level, becoming thoroughly reborn at Grandmaster Level. My Substitute Paper Figure works this way, as do other spells."

This reminded Mu Lin of sword cultivators’ Sword Intent persisting for thousands of years. A strike carrying such willpower would reappear on his body unless he destroyed the enemy’s resolve – like that SABER slaying Uncle B seven times.

Certain soul-targeting curses and corruptions lingered even through Rebirth. "My Substitute Paper Figure isn’t invincible. Without its cultivation-boosting trait, it wouldn’t rank high among Grandmaster-level skills."

Surprisingly, this realization calmed Mu Lin. He felt no despair, only growing confidence for the Grave Lord inheritance trial.

"Against High Mastery cultivators or Grandmaster skill users, I’m still weak… but what’s that got to do with demon sect prodigies?"

"Even with their resources, their magical cultivation barely reaches combining Essence and Evil. As for spell mastery? Forget Grandmaster Level – mastering a single Master Level technique would be miraculous for them."

Without high-tier powers or Grandmaster skills, the demon sect’s talents found Mu Lin’s Substitute Paper Figure insurmountable. Killing him would require hundreds of attempts – and Mu Lin could outlast them through sheer attrition.

The Grandmaster advancement brought more than unlimited uses and perfect Injury Transfer. Mu Lin gained two new traits:

Energy Transfer, developed through Injury Transfer principles, Quantum Theory, and true name power studies during his breakthrough. Now he could channel energy between paper figures.

"Quantum Entanglement shows linked particles mirror each other’s movements. If paper figures transfer injuries, why not energy?"

"True names and images hold power here. Since deities project power through them, why can’t I?"

After extensive deduction, Mu Lin achieved energy sharing between figures despite distance-based losses – trivial concerns when facing demon sect elites. Crucially, the energy flow worked both ways.

Normally paper figures held minimal energy. But Mu Lin still controlled Ping An Ancient County’s spiritual veins beneath his feet.

Therefore, he could create ten Substitute Paper Figures within his City God Realm, enabling them to constantly refine and absorb energy from the spiritual veins. Whenever Mu Lin required power, he could remotely transfer it to himself through these figures.

This method granted Mu Lin a form of limitless energy!

‘They say I’m nothing without the spiritual veins and Ping An Ancient County.’

‘Hah, you’re right—but what if I bring both the county and its veins with me? How’d you handle that?’

…

With energy transfer and a stable base, Mu Lin’s magical reserves became inexhaustible.

This trait was formidable, and his next one proved equally potent.

The fourth and final ability from his advancement stemmed from Substitute Paper Figure – Others and the Paper Figure Curse—combined with Mu Lin’s understanding of karma and fate.

Its effect was straightforward: substitution.

But now, instead of paper figures dying for him, those who harmed Mu Lin would die in his stead.

*Hurt me, suffer sevenfold.*

He couldn’t yet achieve this fully.

Using the Paper Figure Curse and Substitute Paper Figures, however, Mu Lin could perform a ritual. By anchoring enemies through Substitute Paper Figure – Others via causal links formed when they harmed him, he’d initiate a curse. Once linked, any injury dealt to Mu Lin would partially rebound on the attacker—50% to 80%, based on their karmic bond.

Since Mu Lin could shift wounds to paper figures, he’d sometimes let attacks hit him or even self-inflict fatal injuries. The damage would instantly reflect on his foes. Then, while transferring his own wounds away, his enemies—lacking such power—would perish.

“Cheating? Maybe. Now only I can strike others—they can’t touch me.”

“Worse—they’ll beg me not to die.”

Limitations existed, of course. First, the causal link required others to harm or insult him. Second, foes with Grandmaster-level traits like Golden Body, Immortality, or Immunity to All Methods could nullify both the curse and counter-damage.

“But that’s future Mu Lin’s problem. Current rivals? None have such broken skills…”

Realization struck him.

“Fighting demon sect prodigies with Grandmaster-tier powers? It’s like an armed grown man thrashing toddlers.”

“And it feels *amazing*.”

As Yin Eight Sect member, Mu Lin scorned fair fights. Crushing the weak with overwhelming force? That was his style.