Chapter 357

Chapter 357: The Manifestation is Strong? You’re Right, But I Have One Too

“Incredible power!”

Luo Chen’s manifested form resembled a coalescence of calamities. Merely hovering midair, he radiated overwhelming pressure.

Even the cultivators who dared gaze upon Luo Chen’s embodiment of calamity found their vision blurring and bodies aching—a testament to its forbidden, unviewable might.

This display made the crowd anxious for Mu Lin’s safety.

Yan Yunyu, most worried of all, felt her chest tighten at Luo Chen’s terrifying presence.

“Stay safe, Mu brother,” she whispered. “Losing to a Transformation cultivator isn’t shameful… Just come back unharmed. That’s all that matters.”

Her prayers focused solely on Mu Lin’s survival.

Blood Cherry, however, showed no fear—only blazing fighting spirit as she faced the calamitous form. She alone seemed unconcerned.

“You’re all underestimating Mu Lin.”

…

Neither the envy of common cultivators nor the awe of lesser prodigies moved Luo Chen’s expression. His entire focus rested on the man who’d once crushed his pride.

Now ascended through Transformation, Luo Chen burned to repay that humiliation.

“Witness true power, Mu Lin. This is what lies beyond humanity.”

“Wither!”

His voice emerged distorted—a thousand crows’ rasp layered with discordant echoes. The soul-shaking timbre amplified his curse’s potency.

As clawed fingers thrust downward, the blasphemous command unleashed calamity energy upon Mu Lin.

*Hummm!*

Central Earth Evil stirred automatically, its protective glow rippling violently under the assault. For the first time, the impenetrable defense showed vulnerability.

Mu Lin frowned at the shimmering barrier. ‘Evil energy alone isn’t enough. I need proper defensive cultivation methods… My training list keeps growing.’

Unseen by him, Luo Chen and the observing High Mastery of Transformation experts gaped in shock.

“He’s blocking a manifestation’s strike?!”

“Not only that, Luo Chen had exceptional talent. He’d achieved Transformation advancement and condensed his manifestation. Even newly formed, its tier was remarkably high. Yet he still couldn’t subdue Mu Lin… The evil energy Mu Lin had Refined exceeded all expectations.”

“Is Mu Lin actually resisting the manifestation’s power to defeat Luo Chen?”

“If true, that’d be incredible.”

“Unlikely. Compared to high-level resources, a Transformation manifestation’s advantages are overwhelming. Spell power multiplies, it harnesses the forces of nature, and its endurance dwarfs high-level resources… In prolonged combat, Mu Lin can’t outlast him.”

As the High Masters of Transformation observed, manifestations dominated in every aspect.

The failed attack didn’t discourage Luo Chen. He pointed at Mu Lin, hurling calamity curses:

“Shatter. Sicken. Age. Burn. Freeze. Starve…”

His voice fractured into countless echoes after becoming the Calamity King. Using 【Rapid Chanting】 and 【Overlapping Chanting】, he unleashed over a hundred curses in moments.

The blasphemous onslaught disrupted the protective light around Mu Lin. After enduring countless strikes, his defenses finally cracked.

*Hiss!*

Calamities poured into Mu Lin’s body—agony, weakness, blade wounds, even phantom executions by dismemberment and beheading.

Luo Chen smirked, locking eyes with his rival. “I warned you. You can’t—”

He expected despair, but the words died in his throat.

Bleeding and broken, Mu Lin wore a feral grin instead of defeat.

“Strong. Good.”

“Heh. Now I can fight… unrestrained.”

“What drivel—”

Luo Chen’s retort choked off as Mu Lin’s aura detonated.

*BOOM!*

The explosive surge reached combining Essence and Evil—and kept rising. Gasps erupted.

“Has Mu Lin achieved Transformation?!”

“Impossible!”

“His essence cultivation was incomplete!”

The crowd stared, bewildered, as Mu Lin’s Cultivation defied all logic.

However, Mu Lin remained calm about the changes in himself, fully understanding his condition.

…

Complete Transformation? Though Mu Lin hadn’t achieved full advancement, his current cultivation defied conventional judgment.

By the weakest-link theory, his cultivation stood at Condensing Essence since his essence hadn’t been fully refined. Yet he could equally claim the combining Essence and Evil realm.

His cultivation methods had long peaked, and the foundational True Spirit Domain Chart within him overflowed with vibrant energies. As he refined essence, his evil energy continuously fused with it, endlessly generating Xuan Huang’s energy through the merging of yin and yang.

Mu Lin simultaneously progressed through both Condensing Essence and combining Essence and Evil stages. His immense foundation meant even his initial progress surpassed others’ end results – thirty-six fused portions from his three hundred sixty-five units of high-level resources dwarfed the commoners’ three or even geniuses’ nine.

With such might, none could dispute his claim to the combining Essence and Evil realm. But this wasn’t his limit. His extraordinary talent had already birthed the framework of his manifestation – Yama, sovereign of Life and Death.

Though incomplete due to Mu Lin’s grand ambitions, this Yama manifestation still outshone ordinary ones through sheer foundational strength.

…

Possessing both realm-representing manifestation and fused Xuan Huang’s energy, Mu Lin could wield Transformation Realm power, rightfully claiming the title of High Mastery of Transformation. Spanning three cultivation stages in one body, he stood peerless in history.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Mu Lin unleashed his full power, summoning the Yama manifestation.

"Hum!"

Unlike typical manifestations, this Yama retained human proportions but wore regal black draconic robes and a seven-crest crown – marks of its unfinished state. A complete version would don true dragon imperial robes with twelve-crest crown.

Though human-sized, the manifestation inspired primal dread in all observers. Merely glimpsing it made people feel their Life and Death hung in Yama’s balance – such absolute authority brooked no disrespect.

The manifestation’s arrival triggered greater changes. A majestic palace and sprawling city materialized, engulfing the fighting arena and spectator stands within the City God Realm.

Yet this wasn’t its full potential – with unrefined essence and incomplete energy fusion, the manifestation could only cover partial city grounds. Had Mu Lin completed cultivation, entire towns would fall under Yama’s domain.

Such city-subduing power exceeded normal Transformation cultivators’ capabilities, but made perfect sense for Mu Lin – three hundred sixty-five units’ worth of effort couldn’t yield mediocre results. If after such cultivation he only affected miles like ordinary High Mastery practitioners, he’d deserve to hang himself with rope.

…

The enveloping City God Realm subjected all within to Yama’s rules. But true terror lay in the realm’s contents.

Upon the palace throne sat Yama, flanked left by a frail scholar clutching the ledger of Life and Death – another Transformation manifestation. Before the crowd’s shock faded, they noticed the right-side figure: a towering swordsman with red wine gourd – yet another Transformation manifestation.

Three supreme manifestations within the palace alone shattered observers’ comprehension. Then they detected more Transformation-level energy ripples throughout the city, utterly crushing their heart of the Dao.

"…"

"This… what madness is this?!"