Chapter 285

Chapter 285: Refining the Evil into the Body, Xuan Huang’s Energy

Xuan Huang signified the union of heaven and earth—heaven as Xuan and earth as Huang.

Xuan Huang represented the cosmos, covering a broad scope.

The term Xuan Huang’s Malevolence didn’t refer to a specific entity named as such, but rather to Heavenly Essence and Earth Fiends that could merge into ‘Xuan Huang’s energy.’

"When all things blend into one tide, the boundless Xuan Huang lacks form… Xuan Huang exists beyond heaven and earth, akin to chaos itself. Xuan Huang’s energy can ascend to become chaos energy."

It was known that the world emerged from chaos, making Xuan Huang’s energy the primal force capable of birthing all things.

Due to this nature, many Earth Fiends and Heavenly Essences could trace their origins back to Xuan Huang’s energy, hence the abundance of vibrant energy labeled as Xuan Huang’s Malevolence.

Examples like Dragon veins malevolence, mountain-river malevolence, and Five Virtues Earth malevolence all fell under Earthly Yellow’s Evil.

Pure celestial essence, Yuqing essence, and Thunderbolt essence—these were categorized as heavenly Xuan Essences.

Only by combining Essence and Evil could one achieve Xuan Huang’s Malevolence, or Xuan Huang’s energy.

…

Recalling the Information Yan Yunyu had shared with him in bed about Xuan Huang’s Malevolence, Mu Lin studied the evil beneath his feet.

After half an hour of meditation, he recalled its name—Central Earth Evil—and its traits.

“Yunyu said this is a celestial-grade Earth Fiend. Its main purpose is to fuse with heavenly Xuan Essences to form Xuan Huang’s energy.”

“It also grants Earth Protection, a common earth attribute effect: standing on soil continuously restores spiritual energy and stamina while doubling earth spell potency.”

Earth Protection held little value for Mu Lin, as he rarely used earth spells.

But as a celestial-grade Earth Fiend, Central Earth Evil possessed both universal traits and a unique extraordinary one: Unchanging.

“To steady the four directions, first anchor the center.” As the linchpin fixing all corners, Central Earth Evil retained its properties across millennia.

“This ‘timeless’ trait must be why the Grave Lord used it to build his inheritance path.”

Without hesitation, Mu Lin began Refining the Central Earth Evil into his magic.

Celestial-grade evils were rare, and Central Earth Evil stood among the finest.

Not only could it forge Xuan Huang’s energy, but it also enhanced his magic’s endurance.

Using ordinary Vitality of the Living, Mu Lin’s paper figures moved for the span of an incense stick’s burn.

After Refining Central Earth Evil, his magic gained the Unchanging trait.

Though imperfect, this property tripled his magic’s duration.

It also multiplied his magic’s resistance.

Corrupting influences would struggle to taint him—evident from the yellow dirt road’s endurance against the evil god’s resentment for ages. By absorbing Central Earth Evil, Mu Lin gained similar defenses.

“A celestial-grade evil indeed—near flawless.”

With this thought, Mu Lin kept absorbing the malevolence.

Because Mu Lin wanted to gain more from the Grave Lord’s tomb, his absorption grew increasingly urgent. He aimed to swiftly achieve perfection in Refining the Evil and advance to Condensing Essence.

As he absorbed faster, Mu Lin felt his body gradually hardening. This revealed the inherent danger of refining malevolence. Though these high-quality energies could enhance human capabilities, their alien origin caused various mutations when forcibly Refined.

Earth Evil refinement risked petrification.

Metal Evil brought sensations akin to the Sentence of a Thousand Cuts, threatening bodily disintegration.

Fire Evil might trigger spontaneous combustion.

Wood Evil caused plant-like rooting and sprouting.

Water Evil dissolved flesh directly.

All Evil energies posed dangers, with higher-grade varieties being deadlier. Ordinary practitioners lacking solid foundations faced petrification, dismemberment, or incineration when attempting high-grade refinement.

Mu Lin avoided these risks through his supreme-grade magical power that could withstand Central Earth Evil’s corrosion. Yet Refining the Evil remained tedious work. Despite his strong foundation, haste still caused bodily mutations.

Normally, practitioners would halt to nourish their bodies with magical power before resuming – a process consuming years or decades for ordinary cultivators. Knowing this, Mu Lin… kept refining.

"Whoosh!"

Continuous refinement worsened Mu Lin’s petrification. Hands, feet, face, and organs gradually turned to stone under Central Earth Evil’s influence, transforming him into a stone statue.

This transformation drew attention from others on the yellow dirt road and external observers. Though barred from entry, powerful beings in Ping An Ancient County monitored the Grave Lord inheritance secret realm through various means.

The clearest observers were Yuqing Sect, demon sects, Prince Liang, and East Sea King. The latter, another Great Spirit Dynasty prince, faced Prince Liang’s hostility. Despite distant kinship spanning centuries, Prince Liang fiercely guarded his Yuzhou territory.

Yet princes differed in strength. Prince Liang felt vulnerable before the impending calamity, seeking mere survival. Contrastingly, the East Sea King – enriched through maritime expansion – saw the calamity as opportunity. The vast power disparity left Prince Liang powerless to stop his rival’s incursion.

What made Prince Liang’s face darken was the East Sea King trying to drag him into his schemes.

"Seventh Brother, that must be your niece Ling Sha. Truly a natural beauty worthy of legends."

"Since ancient times, fair maidens are meant for noble men. My third son fell for Ling Sha at first sight. Would you let her go to bless this union?"

Prince Liang scoffed inwardly at the East Sea King’s words.

_’Heh. Asking for Ling Sha’s hand? You want my resources, soldiers, and my very life.’_

Seeing through the scheme, Prince Liang wanted no part in it. He meant to refuse outright, but fearing the East Sea King’s influence, he chose diplomacy.

"Fourth Brother, I’ve watched your third son grow. Binding our families would please me. But…"

Prince Liang sighed heavily.

"But Ling Sha’s too stubborn to obey me. Her heart’s already claimed. My Ling Sha isn’t fortunate enough for your son."

Any wise man would recognize this polite refusal. But the East Sea King pressed on:

"Who captured niece Ling Sha’s heart? I’d meet this remarkable man."

"Er…"

As Prince Liang faltered, sudden commotion erupted in the Grave Lord inheritance secret realm.

Ji Ling Sha stood face-to-face with Mu Lin.

"You!"

She planted hands on hips, eyes flashing. Still vexed by Prince Liang’s matchmaking, she glared at Mu Lin.

Mu Lin didn’t recognize her. His entire focus stayed on refining the malignant energy. The petrification had numbed his senses. Hearing her shout, he didn’t even glance her way – just marched past like she was air.

"???"