Chapter 311

Chapter 311: Harvest, Echo of Blood

“Buzz!”

As the Cycle of Life and Death unfolded, the sky darkened.

Under the pitch-black shroud, the Beiwai Army formed battle arrays, the Other Shore Flower sea burst into full bloom, and black river water wove through formations.

Mu Lin channeled these diverse forces into coalescing as a massive yin and yang millstone.

This great millstone resonated with the smaller one inside Zhong Kui’s bright red wine gourd, their mutual amplification culminating in a deity-refining formation unleashed by Mu Lin.

“Crack… crack…”

Beneath the yin and yang millstone, the Crimson Child’s power disintegrated first.

Though having achieved Transformation, its energy shattered completely under the grinding force – spiritual will, magic-infused flesh, all reduced to dust.

The millstone’s rotation then separated essence from dross. Pure aspects ascended as clear energy while useless residues sank to the gourd’s base, awaiting disposal.

This mirrored Pangu’s primordial act of creation – clear qi rising, turbid qi descending.

“Should this magical gourd evolve into a spirit treasure or even a Taoist Treasure, it might truly birth its own realm.”

As legends tell of sleeves containing cosmos and gourds holding suns and moons… vessels often conceal worlds.

But forging this merit gourd into a miniature universe remained future work. Presently, Mu Lin focused on annihilating the Crimson Ruler.

While the millstone easily crushed the Crimson Child, the Crimson Ruler proved different.

“Crack… crack…”

Its superior nature resisted destruction. Even Mu Lin’s relentless cycling of yin and yang through the Cycle of Life and Death failed to pulverize it.

The lowest-tier divine blood proved similarly stubborn – not unbreakable, but endlessly reforming. Yin and yang forces couldn’t permanently disperse the liquid essence.

Worse, the Ruler’s divinity shone untouched by the grinding cycles, luminous and impervious.

Yet salvation came through mortal frailty. Though divinity itself endured eternal, the consciousness within proved vulnerable.

“Gods undergo succession – fallen deities leave vacant divine positions and qualities for new inheritors.”

“Thus while divine authorities persist with the world itself, the minds wielding them remain mortal. This explains incense’s toxicity – while unable to taint divine qualities, it warps their bearers’ consciousness.”

When core identity alters… does the "I" remain? Hence wise beings shunned incense’s corrupting influence.

Such philosophical heights concerned Mu Lin little now. His immediate hope rested in whether the Cycle could erode divine consciousness.

Relief came gradually. Though agonizingly slow, the millstone’s rotations did chip away at the Crimson Ruler’s awareness within the radiant divinity.

Hmm… this was also related to the main consciousness of the Crimson Ruler being sealed by the Grave Lord.

What Mu Lin destroyed was just a single strand of the Crimson Ruler’s consciousness.

With only this strand remaining, after revival, the Crimson Ruler often became confused and acted purely on instinct.

“You couldn’t use your full strength. Your defeat feels unfair, but your misfortune is my greatest luck… I’ll take everything you have.”

Thinking this, after making sure the consciousness in the divine blood was completely erased with no hidden dangers, Mu Lin… burned it again using willing heart fire and the Flame of Arrogance.

To add, having the courage to kill a god and actually succeeding made Mu Lin’s actions the ultimate blasphemy and “arrogant” act in human eyes.

This act also fed his Flame of Arrogance endlessly.

Even though the flame had recently reached a new level, it was already close to advancing again.

“Among all my Heavenly Techniques, this one might reach mastery first.”

Sighing, Mu Lin used the Flame of Arrogance to burn the Crimson Ruler’s divine blood, trying to control and Refine it to remove risks.

Then he discovered actual danger in the blood—a hair-thin strand of the Crimson Ruler’s consciousness clinging to it.

If fused and allowed to grow, this consciousness would strengthen alongside the blood.

“No wonder the nest changed from Crimson Child to Crimson Ruler mid-battle… Gods have too many revival tricks.”

Though unsettling, the nearly Heavenly-level willing heart fire didn’t fail him.

After burning it fiercely for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, that weak consciousness was finally Refined away.

Then came an unexpected reward.

For current Mu Lin, anything related to gods was useful.

Divine blood enabled transformation, divine power worked like magic, divinity made spirits last forever, and divine quality could rocket someone to greatness.

Even a god’s image or true name could grant power through carving, copying, or chanting.

A true name alone could serve as a ritual’s key spell.

This was why people said staring at gods drove men mad—though some legends claimed such gazing brought power and knowledge.

While the blood’s consciousness had been troublesome, Refining it gave Mu Lin new knowledge:

[Echo of Blood].

“In Crimson Ruler’s teachings, blood is life’s source. Thus blood carries all, spreads all, corrupts all.”

“Using this essence, the Crimson Ruler could create bloodline descendants or turn others into blood to steal their power through consumption.”

“Blood also carries Information. By analyzing blood from holy beasts, divine beasts, or monsters, he could create Templates to reshape himself—that’s how he shifted forms endlessly in battle… Wait, this is just genetics and heredity!”

Human cells hold genes, allowing new life through Cloning.

Though lacking scientific knowledge, the Crimson Ruler used powers of life to match—even surpass—Cloning tech.

With just a blood sample, he could decode genes, make Templates, then alter his own genes to become holy beasts or divine beasts.

“Incredible power… Why bother evolving from snake to flood dragon to true dragon? One drop of true dragon’s blood could let me copy its Template directly!”

Such power was undeniably supreme.

Unfortunately, such a powerful ability required greater consciousness to sustain. The Crimson Ruler’s consciousness that Mu Lin had erased wasn’t strong enough.

Therefore, what Mu Lin obtained wasn’t the complete ability.

The so-called Echo of Blood related to human instincts.

Creatures possess instincts – fish know how to swim at birth, infants breathe naturally… Training builds muscle memory in humans.

The Crimson Ruler’s theory stated blood could carry everything. Thus, Echo of Blood could copy others’ muscle instincts through blood.

"Some use, but it’s not the higher-level Blood Memory… Echo only copies trained instincts. Any cultivation method beyond master-level needs personal understanding, which Echo can’t replicate."

"Blood Memory copies insights too, letting users experience them firsthand…"

The lack of Blood Memory disappointed Mu Lin briefly, until he remembered his proficiency panel. Through training, his Echo of Blood might evolve.

…

The deity’s fading consciousness held much information. Beyond Echo of Blood, Mu Lin learned divine blood’s uses.

What mattered most was divine blood’s role in Transformation – body activation.

Transformation required specific steps.

This world’s cultivation path began with sensing spiritual energy, channeling it to open dantians – the three Taoist Child realms.

After awakening came dantian expansion and energy storage – the three mage realms.

When dantians reached maximum capacity with refined energy, practitioners drew external essence to purify body and soul – the three high-level resource realms.

Transformation meant shedding mortal limits to become greater.

This foundation-changing stage allowed varied paths:

Some kept human forms as powerful bodies or holy bodies.

Others became elemental beings for easier manipulation.

Some transformed into divine beasts or monsters for their talents.

Others shaped themselves toward deities.

Different cultivation methods led to different Transformations.

One truth remained:

Transformation proved difficult.

Shedding mortality sounded simple, but how to transform organs?

Methods varied – infusing elemental power, absorbing monster blood, or using forbidden power.

All carried risks: burned organs, mutations, or grotesque distortions.

Failed transformations reduced strength, ruined potential, or created monsters.

Some even died during the process.

Countless practitioners stalled at this stage.

The Crimson Ruler’s divine blood eased this difficulty.

Fused with divine blood, Mu Lin’s body became moldable clay. Choosing monster transformation path let him absorb monster blood for swift evolution.

"So accumulating enough blood and fusing divine blood lets me Transform quickly… like the Crimson Child?"

This attainable Transformation excited Mu Lin. Appearance mattered little.

The Crimson Child had transformed hastily under pressure for combat power.

In safe conditions, Mu Lin could use divine blood to slowly blend monster blood – remove impurities, extract essence, and craft divine body.

"Like shaping an Ancient God – dragon head, human body, serpent earrings, back wings, patterns or third eye…"