Chapter 413

Chapter 413: Will of Dominance, Black Sun Mark

It wasn’t just the Heart Lamp of Will that advanced—Mu Lin’s very mindset had shifted.

Before, Mu Lin believed the Attribute Panel guaranteed his rise to become the world’s supreme expert.

But after today’s battle, his perspective broadened. He now carried the unshakable conviction of being "peerless in this era."

Even if this "era" only included the younger generation—excluding heavenly masters, True Lords, and ancient Earth Immortals—such invincibility still forged an ironclad resolve.

For others, this belief might merely strengthen their will.

But Mu Lin practiced the cultivation method "Heart Lamp of Will," a technique fueled by the burning arrogance in one’s heart.

Paired with his newfound status as the undisputed top talent of his generation, the lamp erupted into a raging inferno.

“Boom!”

The blazing flames transformed his Mind Image world, as though a second great sun now hung in its skies.

This great sun radiated such oppressive might that one couldn’t bear to gaze upon it directly—a physical manifestation of Mu Lin’s indomitable dominance.

[Willing Heart Fire: Arrogance, Divine Grade, Sixth Level of Mastery (3137/33,000,000), Traits: Domination, Transcendence, Domain of Sovereignty, Will of Dominance, Mind Triumphs over Matter I]

“Sixth Level of Mastery… and upgraded to Divine Grade. This leap is staggering, but fitting. To stand unrivaled among your peers, the undisputed first among humans—this is arrogance perfected. Such a Heart Lamp of Will deserves its Divine Grade.”

“If I shed the ‘younger generation’ limitation and achieve true peerlessness across all humanity, this technique might even surpass Divine Grade and reach the Superlative Level.”

Sighing, Mu Lin examined further.

The required experience points for the next advancement—33 million—made his chest tighten.

Yet after consideration, he conceded the number was justified.

Most cultivators could only reach Grandmaster-level proficiency in their techniques through normal practice. Even that required one-in-a-hundred-thousand talent.

Transcending Grandmaster to reach Mastery? That was a miracle. The Seventh Level? A miracle among miracles. Worse, many cultivation methods lacked defined paths beyond certain stages, forcing pioneers to carve their own.

“At least this gives me a clear road forward,” Mu Lin muttered. “Better than those stuck at ‘perfected’ Grandmaster realms with nowhere left to go.”

Beyond rankings, he discovered two new traits from reaching Sixth-Level Mastery:

Will of Dominance—common among cultivators, especially sword practitioners who grasped combat essences early. Even noble heirs often mastered domineering auras.

But Mu Lin’s Will of Dominance differed. His title as “peerless among the younger generation” wasn’t self-proclaimed. It was earned through bloodied triumphs—crushing the North and South Aristocrats, humbling the East Sea Kingdom, and forcing acknowledgment from the Dragon Palace water tribe, monsters, and evil spirits alike.

This wasn’t mere arrogance. It was dominance etched into reality, recognized not just by Mu Lin himself, but by the human race, water tribes, and every vanquished foe.

The power of thoughts held strength. The acknowledgment, fear, worship, and praise from countless beings acted like fuel, feeding Mu Lin’s Heart Lamp of Will.

Just as many hands make a fire burn brighter, their recognition transformed Mu Lin’s Will of Dominance into something entirely different from ordinary mental force. It crossed boundaries, entering the realm of spiritual thoughts.

“The Will of Dominance has many uses. One is releasing an Oppressive Aura during combat to make opponents feel intimidated before the fight even began.”

Cultivators struggled to stay calm when facing masters, elders, or powerful foes. Qin Wuyang hadn’t dared to raise a hand against the Qin King, for instance.

This dominating pressure worked well against enemies. Now, Mu Lin’s Will of Dominance had progressed even further. Those who acknowledged his supremacy could barely muster thirty percent of their strength when fighting him. Against others, Mu Lin could harness the collective will of millions to crush resistance.

“Ah, this is the seed of dominance—another application of the Will of Dominance.”

Beyond pressuring enemies mid-battle, Mu Lin realized he could imprint this seed onto defeated foes’ minds. The branded cultivator would live in constant fear, unwilling to challenge him. Even if forced to fight, they’d only manage ten to twenty percent of their true power.

“A fine method for controlling subordinates.”

The Will of Dominance also amplified Mu Lin’s attacks, making his techniques feel unstoppable. This tied into Mind Triumphs over Matter—the concept that mental power could override physical reality, turning thoughts into actuality.

At its peak, this ability could let him create worlds like Azathoth or Brahman. But reaching that level required Mind Triumphs over Matter at stage nine. Currently at stage one, Mu Lin could only slightly bend reality—boosting attack power by thirty percent or making wounds harder to heal.

“My strikes already leave lasting damage. Combined with Mind Triumphs over Matter and the regenerative Ouroboros, injuries I cause become permanent…”

“Even better, I can now target an enemy’s true form through their energy signature.” This gave Mu Lin tools against so-called immortal foes.

“Your world’s rules grant you immortality? Fine. But my will transcends matter. When I decree your death, neither heaven’s laws nor anything else can save you!”

Of course, that particular boast required at least stage six power. At stage one, such claims remained pure fantasy.

…

The battle’s end brought the Heart Lamp of Will’s advancement. But Mu Lin gained more than that. He’d acquired followers and repurposed the dead—like Golden Crow Haoyang, whose resentful corpse now bore dominion over Flames of Revenge.

As the incarnation of the sun and progenitor of all flames, its capacity to endure the Flames of Revenge proved extraordinary.

Through continuous infusion, Mu Lin discovered with astonishment that even Earth Immortal-level Flames of Revenge could be contained. Moreover, the ceaseless flow of vengeful flames interacting with Golden Crow Haoyang’s lifeless body triggered some strange reactions – a fresh consciousness actually began emerging from the dead golden crow’s remains.

"???"

"Is this how Naturally Holy Beings work? Their bodies truly are miraculous."

Truthfully, Mu Lin felt genuinely shocked. He knew golden crows possessed great innate talents, but never imagined their corpses could spawn such aberrations after death.

Beyond his surprise, Mu Lin adopted a permissive attitude towards this new consciousness. Though aware the reborn Death Golden Crow (Vengeful Spirit Golden Crow) retained hatred for him, he allowed its Rebirth.

This wasn’t self-sabotage, but faith in the seed of dominance’s power. The moment the Vengeful Spirit Golden Crow emerged, Mu Lin had implanted this seed within its True Spirit. Now the seed grew alongside the creature’s development.

"Caw!"

"Kill, kill, kill…"

"Everything must perish!"

This wasn’t Haoyang reborn, but a new consciousness born from his corpse. The revenge flames Mu Lin injected carried millions’ resentment, further overwriting Golden Crow Haoyang’s original consciousness. What ultimately emerged was a murderous wraith consumed by destructive fury.

This vengeful spirit radiated intense killing intent towards both Mu Lin and Chongming Bird.

"Boom!"

Predictably, before fully maturing, it roared at Mu Lin and attacked. But as its cry echoed and hostility manifested, "Boom!" – the seed of dominance erupted like thunder in its newborn sea of consciousness.

"CRACK!"

The violent impact shattered the wraith’s spirit. After lengthy recovery, it returned only to roar again.

"CRACK!"

Again the seed struck like lightning before the roar completed.

"CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!…"

Each defiant roar met thunderous retribution. Mu Lin trained this nascent consciousness like a disobedient hound. With every punishment, his dominating will etched deeper into the Death Golden Crow’s True Spirit – until Mu Lin’s image became mountainous and godlike in its mind, inviolable and supreme.

Ten… thirty… fifty… three hundred strikes.

After the 366th rebuke, taming succeeded. Though still murderous towards others, the creature now froze its killing intent at Mu Lin’s glance.

Seizing this, Mu Lin began channeling endless frustration and aura of death into it. The feudal era’s suffering masses – averaging under thirty lifespans, children perishing from hunger, disease, cold, and traffickers – had filled this world with oceanic resentment.

To the Vengeful Spirit Golden Crow, this became paradise. Flooded with accumulated grievances and empowered by its holy crow physiology, Mu Lin forcibly elevated it to Earth Immortal rank.

"BOOM!"

At Earth Immortal ascension, transformation occurred. It materialized as a black sun hovering over Yin Soil’s skies. The True Spirit Domain Chart gradually revealed a dark solar imprint.

"My first Earth Immortal subordinate… emerged like this?"