Chapter 301

Chapter 301: The Plan to Create the Eighteen Layers of Hell

As the refinement of the divine blood heart neared completion, the descendants of evil gods and talented members of the demon sect exchanged frequent signals, their Whispers never ceasing.

Among them, Wandering Bug communicated with Fa Yan of the Heavenly Buddha Sect through Ghost Shadow.

"Have you contacted Zui Xiaoyao and Jade Daoist from the Dao Sect?"

"We’ve located them. I can bring them in whenever needed."

"Good. Warn them—whoever gets the divine blood must seal it instantly. No Refining allowed…"

"Spare the lecture."

Zui Xiaoyao’s voice carried irritation through Ghost Shadow’s relay:

"We shouldn’t have refined that cursed blood at all! When those filth approached you, you should’ve called us to ambush those evil god spawn!"

Wandering Bug brushed off the outburst: "Same outcome now. Tracking them was no simple feat."

"They move like shadows and wield strange secret techniques. Without signing their contract and agreeing to refine the blood, they’d never show themselves."

"Better I monitor them than let them scheme unseen."

He added confidently: "Our alliance holds the upper hand. They won’t claim the divine blood—not under my watch. Even if snatched, we’ll withhold Refining. Their tricks will mean nothing."

This half-convinced Zui Xiaoyao and Jade Daoist. The latter cautioned: "Waiting until refinement completes risks surprises. Strike when success seems imminent."

"…Agreed. But the contract binds my hands until then—you must act alone beforehand."

Zui Xiaoyao growled: "Just stay out of our way."

As Wandering Bug and the minor tyrants settled terms with Dao Sect elites, the black fierce tiger conspired with evil god descendants elsewhere.

"The Dao and demon sects plot against you. You can’t match them. I’ll aid you as promised, but the first blood-drop is mine…"

Descendants of evil gods—Crimson interrupted: "The first drop will be yours."

Eager to reassure, they added: "No need to doubt us. Our ritual can produce endless divine blood once refined. Ten drops? A hundred? Easily done after success."

"Then we’re settled."

The black fierce tiger smirked inwardly.

‘Lies! The humans aren’t fools—their reinforcements are already coming. Though weaker than me, enough ants can crush a tiger. Delay brings death.’

‘No matter. Grab one drop and flee. Let humans and monsters tear each other apart…’

The demon sect swaggered in their numerical advantage. The black fierce tiger plotted its escape after a single theft. The evil god descendants smirked, certain of victory.

All three believed they had promising futures.

Just as they brimmed with confidence, Mu Lin’s eyes suddenly brightened elsewhere.

After continuous exploration and losing seventy-seven Substitute Paper Figures, he’d finally discovered a route from the underground dark river leading to the formation core of City of Heart’s Prison.

"Success!"

With excitement flashing in his eyes, Mu Lin immediately summoned Ink Dragon, the River Lord.

"Splash!"

Water pooled, teleportation activated, and in that instant, Mu Lin transported from outside City of Heart’s Prison straight to the formation core.

Before him stretched a massive underground palace. A circular river of black river water flowed through it – originally part of defensive formations connecting to the outside world, but now exploited by Mu Lin as a vulnerability.

Beyond the black river, the palace contained artificial hills resembling grave mounds, along with numerous Clay Sculptures and paper figures. Cold candlelight flickered across the ceiling.

This Place formed the palace’s defenses.

Yet these protections seemed designed against external threats only. Mu Lin didn’t face any attacks after entering.

After warily scanning his surroundings and finding nothing amiss, Mu Lin relaxed slightly and turned to the palace’s center.

There stood a pillar.

A colossal cylinder towering 133 meters high, covered in bloody forbidden runes.

This visible portion offered no clues about its full dimensions below ground – the formation core’s chamber blocked all spiritual awareness probing.

Though unable to see its complete form, Mu Lin’s knowledge as a paper folder told him this wasn’t truly a pillar. It functioned as a wedge – one driven into both the secret realm’s key node and the evil god’s heart.

*Thud!*

While Mu Lin pondered, a muffled explosion sounded from his chest.

His heart had ruptured.

Self-inflicted.

The formation core’s wedge pierced the evil god’s heart itself. By approaching it, Mu Lin neared that terrible organ. Previously sealed completely, recent damage from descendants of evil gods and demon cultivators had created a tiny crack in the seal, allowing faint leakage of the evil god’s power.

The distant heartbeat echoes heard beyond City of Heart’s Prison evidenced this leakage. Naturally, proximity intensified the effect. At the formation core itself, Mu Lin’s Root Word ‘Fix’ failed to stabilize his pulse. With no protection, his heart began assimilating with the evil god’s energy.

Choosing self-destruction over corruption, Mu Lin blew apart his own heart.

"Luckily, heart destruction’s just a minor injury."

While Mu Lin was sighing, another paper figure within the City God Realm of Ping An Ancient County burned to ashes.

Due to heavy losses in a short time, only around two hundred forty paper figures remained here… no, over two hundred fifty now.

As one paper figure turned to ash, several new ones were crafted by their fellow paper figures.

This endless stream of replacements was the paper folders’ way of staying alive.

Of course, Mu Lin hadn’t shifted his consciousness here just to brood. He focused his mind on the city god’s manifestation, using Ink Dragon, the River Lord to transport it to the formation core.

—It should be noted that changes had occurred in Mu Lin’s City God Realm.

First, clusters of Yin graves materialized across the realm, manifestations of the Grave Lord’s tomb’s power.

While Mu Lin absorbed Yin energy from the Grave Lord’s secret realm, the tomb’s influence seeped into his City God Realm.

Second, a terrifying prison forged from forbidden power now occupied one corner.

This prison was crafted from the frustration of evil gods and the strange forbidden power of malevolent spirits.

—Evil gods’ frustration proved hard to refine. Even Mu Lin could only impose dominion over it through willing heart fire, unable to erase its inherent danger.

But soon, Mu Lin saw opportunity in this unending frustration.

"The Underworld isn’t kind. Its fame lies not in righteous deities of the Yin Court, but in the Eighteen Layers of Hell."

"I’d pondered how to build such a hell to terrify evildoers and wicked gods alike."

"Ordish punishments can’t intimidate powerful beings or break their immortality."

"But evil gods’ frustration and forbidden power—indestructible and deadly—are perfect. With these, my Eighteen Layers of Hell will trap even deities in eternal torment!"

This prison in his City God Realm was his first experiment. Mu Lin mused that his enemies would soon "enjoy" tools of punishment blending divine frustration and forbidden power.

…

The Yin graves marked the first change, the forbidden prison the second. The realm’s central river had also transformed.

By mixing black river water into it, Mu Lin gave this Yin spiritual vein the power to dissolve anything. Now called the Yin river, it gained teleportation abilities.

Should Mu Lin leave black river water in earthly ponds or streams, his Beiwai Army could surge through the Yin river to strike foes anywhere.

"The forbidden prison and Yin river show promise… The graves too hold potential."

The Grave Lord’s tomb offered many powers, but its essence lay in burial—the Grave Lord’s path. Through study, Mu Lin grasped two key functions:

First, sealing via Yin soil. This specially crafted earth could bury anything aberrant. Even immortal gods or strange forbidden power couldn’t escape once entombed.

Second, after modification, these graves could nurture souls—for life and death are intertwined.

"This way, my Yin soldiers and ghost soldiers will have homes. They fight when needed, rest in graves otherwise. This strengthens them while saving my energy."

Mu Lin grew convinced that graves made ideal dwellings for spirits. He dreamed of millions of grave mounds filling his realm.

"I’ll summon legions from the netherworld, ten thousand banners to overthrow Yama! Though… aren’t I Yama now?"

…