Chapter 302

Chapter 302: Entering the Formation Core, the Chaos Begins

A million grave mounds, a million Yin soldiers, the Eighteen Layers of Hell, and the Yin river transporting Yin soldiers worldwide—these would all come later.

Right now, Mu Lin cared most about the formation core.

“Splash…”

Water splashed as the city god’s manifestation, guided by Ink Dragon, the River Lord, reached the formation core.

Once it arrived, Mu Lin began refining the formation core.

“Boom!”

“I control all. I command all!”

He started with the willing heart fire.

This flame of dominion, fueled by arrogance, allowed Mu Lin to master anything—the perfect refinement tool.

But this time, he didn’t brute-force it.

Using his knowledge of formations, he targeted only the core components.

“Boom!”

At his command, the raging willing heart fire engulfed the massive copper pillars.

Meanwhile, outside in the City of Heart’s Prison, the refining of the divine blood heart reached its most critical moment.

“Thud… thud… thud…”

The phantom divine blood heart pulsed, its intoxicating fragrance spreading through the air.

The scent energized every nearby cultivator’s body.

‘This heart could push me straight into Transformation!’

Their greed erupted. So did the battle.

“Now!”

“Boom… roar!”

The Jade Daoist struck first. Though driven back earlier, he’d sneaked back into the city. Blue Yuqing divine thunder crashed down toward the descendants of evil gods—Crimson.

“Boom!”

The thunder’s fury shook the air. Crimson didn’t flinch.

But from his shadow rose a three-headed serpent.

“Hiss…”

One head lunged at the falling thunder.

“Boom!”

The serpent’s head exploded—but so did the thunder’s power.

The remaining two heads spat fire and venom at the Jade Daoist.

"Hmph, a futile move!"

Facing the incoming attack, the Jade Daoist didn’t dodge. Instead, a majestic sacred figure emerged from his body.

This saintly figure started small but rapidly absorbed endless spiritual energy from the surrounding air.

"Hum!"

After devouring the energy, the figure swiftly expanded from normal humanoid size to thirty meters tall, becoming a golden-armored giant.

More terrifyingly, the giant’s mere presence distorted the skies, summoning dark clouds from all directions.

"Ha!"

With the golden-armored giant’s roar, those clouds instantly morphed into crackling thunderclouds.

"Boom… roar…"

【Divine Lord’s Summoning of True Resolve】

Had Mu Lin been present, he’d have recognized this as the exact Heavenly Technique stored at Yuhu Academy – the same Divine Lord’s Summoning of True Resolve he’d studied.

The Jade Daoist had achieved Master Level in this technique. Only such mastery could conjure this overwhelmingly powerful Golden-armored Giant Spirit.

Yet differences existed between Mu Lin’s and the Jade Daoist’s methods.

Mu Lin’s Zhong Kui manifestation was self-forged through personal cultivation.

The Jade Daoist’s golden giant, however, channeled a guardian spirit worshipped by the Yuqing Sect.

This guardian’s spiritual thoughts made mastering the technique 100 times easier for the Jade Daoist than for Mu Lin. Worse, the guardian’s full support not only simplified the process but boosted the technique’s power.

This demonstrated how major sects like Yuqing outclassed ordinary free cultivators.

But shortcuts came with costs – by borrowing the guardian’s power, the Jade Daoist’s Divine Lord’s Summoning of True Resolve became permanently capped at that guardian’s current strength. Unless the guardian itself advanced, the Jade Daoist could never surpass this limit.

Mu Lin faced no such restrictions. His Zhong Kui manifestation could evolve freely. Should Zhong Kui’s rank prove inadequate, Mu Lin could even elevate higher entities like the King of Hell, Emperor of Lidu, or Lord of Mount Tai as his Divine Lords.

…

"Boom… roar!"

The Jade Daoist’s current power peaked through three factors: a Heavenly Technique, Master Level proficiency, and cultivation energy from the combining Essence and Evil realm. This combination let him trade blows with High Mastery of Transformation experts.

Yet while the Jade Daoist played his trump card, so did the descendants of evil gods—Crimson.

"Splash…"

Facing the golden giant and divine thunder, Crimson produced a dark-golden cup from his body. Tilting it released a stinking river of blood that poured endlessly from the vessel.

"Roar!"

“Roar!”

Even more terrifyingly, as the Crimson Blood River unfurled, the howls of countless demons erupted from its depths.

Within moments, nearly a hundred demons surged from the Blood River, charging at the Golden-armored Giant Spirit and Jade Daoist.

“Divine thunder purges evil, cleave!”

“Boom!”

The Golden-armored Giant Spirit swung its blade, splitting a hundred-meter-long fissure across the City of Heart’s Prison. Nearly a hundred demons perished under the thunderous strike.

Yet the dark golden cup kept pouring, its blood flowing ceaselessly. Slain demons revived from the Blood River moments later.

Between the thunderous giant and the endless blood tide, neither side gained ground.

Meanwhile, Zui Xiaoyao clashed with the descendants of evil gods—Shadow.

Like Jade Daoist and descendants of evil gods—Crimson, both combatants revealed hidden cards.

The shadow-cloaked descendant hissed as his cloak billowed. A phantom shadow realm materialized, letting him teleport freely while shadow servants swarmed around him.

Zui Xiaoyao raised his wine gourd.

An ordinary cultivator before, he suddenly surged in power after drinking. Mist-like Sword Intent erupted from his body.

“Flowers intoxicate three thousand guests; frostblade chills fourteen provinces—DIE!”

“Hiss!”

Though his figure blurred drunkenly, his sixth sense sharpened to prophetic clarity. Every shadow strike met instant parry.

“Boom… roar!”

Divine thunder crashed as blood beasts roared. Sword energy clashed with shadow tendrils, turning City of Heart’s Prison into a warzone.

All four fighters stood at the combining Essence and Evil realm, yet their trump cards mimicked pseudo-Transcendence power. Only the city’s ancient seals prevented total destruction.

Outside observers gaped in awe.

“This strength…!”

“Is combining Essence and Evil this superior to Refining the Evil?”

“Fool! Normal combiners defeat ten Condensing Essence users, not raze cities! These sect elites wield realm-breaking treasures—they’d slaughter ten peers barehanded!”

“More like a hundred against me,” another muttered.

Even scions from powerful clans burned with envy. Few possessed trump cards like Jade Daoist’s golden cup or Zui Xiaoyao’s mystic gourd.

Amid the crowd, someone sighed:

“I thought Mu Lin might rival these sect geniuses. Now I see I was a frog in a well.”

Many nodded, though others argued:

"In terms of pure talent, Mu Lin was actually slightly superior to the Jade Daoist and others… Zui Xiaoyao and his peers could reach the combining Essence and Evil realm at such a young age largely due to their sects’ backing and precious treasures. Mu Lin, however, relied solely on himself. That he managed to barely match the Jade Daoist in Cultivation under these circumstances already proved his exceptional gifts. But worldly affairs never depend on talent alone—how could major sects abandon advantages accumulated over thousands of years? Once such advantages came into play, Mu Lin stood no chance."

"How could he possibly compete? That Divine Lord’s will possessed Earth Immortal-level power. Zui Xiaoyao’s wine gourd was a spiritual weapon—a treasure even High Mastery of Transformation experts rarely obtained. Though Mu Lin’s Cultivation matched theirs, what could this poor cultivator use to counter such inherited advantages?"

…

Young observers of Mu Lin’s generation focused on the combat prowess displayed by treasure-wielding experts like the Jade Daoist and Zui Xiaoyao. Meanwhile, the experienced clan elders from powerful clans already knew core disciples from great sects far surpassed ordinary folk. The Jade Daoist’s impressive performance therefore caused no surprise.

"Of course they possess divine treasures—it’s precisely these that accelerated their growth."

Currently, the clan elders and Prince Liang paid attention only to the battle’s outcome. Some frowned while others relaxed upon observing the stalemate. The frowns came because despite their strength, the Jade Daoist and Zui Xiaoyao failed to defeat the two descendants of evil gods after prolonged combat—their opponents also wielded sacred artifacts like the shadow cloak and dark gold chalice, equivalent to immortal path spiritual weapons. When both sides possessed such treasures, a deadlock became inevitable.

Those who relaxed realized neither side could gain decisive advantage. As the struggle continued, an impatient descendant of evil gods—Shadow shouted at Wandering Bug’s group: "Attack together! Eliminate them first!"

Previously, they’d only repelled the Jade Daoist and Zui Xiaoyao through combined efforts. Now Shadow attempted the same tactic, but received no response. All remaining powerful beings—Wandering Bug, Spirit Void Master, minor tyrants, and the black fierce tiger—fixed their gazes on the divine blood heart.

"Bastards! Never trust humans!"

Shadow cursed furiously at being ignored, while Crimson remained calm. "Why rage? We foresaw this betrayal and prepared accordingly."

As Crimson stepped toward the divine blood heart, four pairs of eyes instantly locked onto him—minor tyrants, Wandering Bug, Spirit Void Master, and the black fierce tiger radiating murderous intent. Be they from demon sects, Daoist orders, or monster factions, all resolved to prevent the evil god descendants from touching the first divine blood drop. There would be no "afterwards"—both factions had secretly agreed to annihilate these two once the first blood drop condensed.

Crimson knew these schemes well. Facing certain doom, he smiled. "Your defenses are admirable… but too late. Greed doomed you the moment you let me refine that first blood drop."

"!!!!"