Chapter 117

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Chapter 117: What Have I Done to Earn Your Disrespect?

Sealing the Seven Spirits was Mu Lin’s deadly curse technique. As a Curse Master, he no longer required a target’s true name, blood, birth date, clothing, or hair to cast curses. A single wisp of their aura sufficed.

Earlier, while his paper figures lured and sealed evil ghosts across the city, Mu Lin had secretly gathered traces of the mastermind’s aura. Controlling evil ghosts inevitably left traces of the puppeteer’s presence—just as his paper figures carried traces of him.

Though the mastermind triggered the souls’ restraints to scatter the evil spirits, their lingering auras remained. With these, Mu Lin could curse freely.

“A mere wisp of aura to curse from afar… No wonder people fear Curse Masters. Wait—no, they fear Curse *Grandmasters*. Not everyone ascends as swiftly as I…”

[Paper Figure Curse, 4th Level Master (713/33000)]

[Traits]

① Demand Reduction: Curse others using only a wisp of aura. More Information strengthens the link between paper figures and targets.

② Deepened Connection: Against equals or weaker foes, 50-80% of the curse’s effects rebound on them. Stronger enemies may resist via magic, defenses, or purification methods.

③ Sealing the Seven Spirits: Target the Seven Spirits—Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Sparrow Yin, Thief Swallower, Non-Toxin, Purge Filth, Stinking Lung. Each pinned spirit weakens the enemy; sealing all seven destroys their body. Locating and binding each spirit requires time and renewed effort.

Powerful curses demanded complexity, much like the twenty-one-day Nail Head Seven Arrow ritual. Such methods countered formidable foes shielded by soul armor, flawless bodies, all-cutting Sword Intent, purification, Existence and Nothingness—or even retaliation through the curse itself. To breach these defenses, curses targeted primal elements like the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, necessitating elaborate rituals.

Mu Lin’s Sealing the Seven Spirits fit this mold. Notably, his proficiency panel listed only the trait names—Demand Reduction, Deepened Connection, Sealing the Seven Spirits—while the detailed explanations came from his own experiments.

……

Ritual constraints and the enemy’s higher cultivation meant Mu Lin needed two hours to seal each spirit. Sustaining the curse drained his magic and spirit, but he delegated this labor to a Substitute Paper Figure, freeing himself to observe Wan Yangyu at Spring Fountain Tavern.

Wan Yangyu’s group grew uneasy. Initially believing Mu Lin’s claim of remote cursing, they now realized sitting idle would let him succeed. Desperate to intervene, one stood to leave—prompting Mu Lin’s smirk.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Since you don’t need guarding, Brother Mu, we’ll hunt evil ghosts elsewhere.”

Mu Lin did not outright refuse. He nodded and said, "Go ahead, but stay cautious. Spring Fountain City’s waters run deep."

"I’ll be careful."

"Good. Miss Xiaolu, watch your step on the stairs – they’re slippery."

The girl named Xiaolu’s face darkened.

"Save your warnings. I’m a Qi Practitioner. Falling from slippery floors? That could never happen to me…" *Thud.*

Believing Mu Lin looked down on her, Xiaolu snapped back angrily. Mid-retort, she missed a step while turning to face him and crashed to the floor.

"?!!"

"Xiaolu?"

Her teammates froze briefly before rushing to help. Some shot accusatory glances at Mu Lin.

"Your doing?"

Wan Yangyu’s question drew a shrug. "Don’t blame the innocent. I warned about the slippery floor."

"Bastard! Xiaolu wouldn’t fall randomly. She’s a cultivator, not some fragile…ARGH!"

The angry shout became muffled yelps as the speaker clutched his mouth. Mu Lin’s eyes turned frosty.

"Seems Cai Tian’s punishment wasn’t thorough enough. Or perhaps I’ve been too soft, letting your disrespect continue."

"…We meant no disrespect, but you attacked first."

Wan Yangyu’s restrained anger drew a humorless laugh.

"You Qianyang Taoist Palace prodigies entered the Tower of Illusions’ Fifth Floor specifically to obstruct me. I offered mercy – stay at Spring Fountain Tavern and I’d forget this. Yet you spat on my goodwill, choosing enmity. Now you dare claim I struck first?"

Mu Lin’s voice dropped dangerously.

"Are you certain of that?"

Silence answered. Wan Yangyu finally realized their decision to follow Mu Lin into the tower itself constituted the first hostile act.

"You’re right. I miscalculated."

Wan Yangyu shifted into combat stance, resolve hardening. Before he could strike, a graceful voice interrupted.

"Master Wan, if I were you, I wouldn’t act rashly. Your girlfriend’s in agony right now."

"And we might not even be enemies."

The sudden voice made Wan Yangyu turn his head. He saw Yan Yunyu speaking.

But Wan Yangyu didn’t accept her words.

"The great way requires struggle. The top spots in the Southeast League Examination are limited. You won’t back down, and neither will we. Battle is inevitable."

"Giggle…"

Yan Yunyu chuckled at this. She raised a jade-like finger and wagged it gently.

"You’re mistaken, Master Wan. While the great way does demand competition and exam spots are scarce, we’re different."

Her tone suddenly turned proud.

"You fight for the top five. We aim for the top three!"

"?!?"

"Top three!"

"You dare challenge Yuhu Academy?!"

The moment "top three" left Yan Yunyu’s lips, Wan Yangyu’s group froze in shock.

Even Taoist Palace instructors Dongfang Ya and Qi Qiu stared wide-eyed.

After a long pause, Qi Qiu finally recovered. His expression turned complicated as he looked at Dongfang Ya.

"I underestimated you. Never thought you’d aim so high, Teacher Dongfang Ya. Top three… heh…"

This was the first time Dongfang Ya heard about Mu Lin’s (or rather Yan Yunyu’s) ambition too. Like Qi Qiu, she was stunned.

Though confused, she instinctively retorted at Qi Qiu’s mocking tone:

"What’s wrong with targeting top three? You think Mu Lin’s team has no chance?"

"…"

Qi Qiu fell silent.

Having observed through projections for hours, even while disliking Mu Lin, he had to admit the boy’s abilities were bizarre and unpredictable.

Such skills could truly compete for top three.

Mu Lin’s repeated displays had already won the observing teacher’s approval.

If even outsiders acknowledged this, Wan Yangyu’s group – as Mu Lin’s main rivals – understood the terror better.

Strange powers. Sudden ambushes. Crushing spiritual pressure. Fighting Mu Lin made Wan Yangyu feel like he was sinking into endless Deep Sea.

The pressure choked him like ocean depths. Constant attacks left him feeling hunted by dark predators, never relaxing for a heartbeat.

Opposing Mu Lin felt like carrying mountain-weight pressure.

Hearing Mu Lin aim for top three, Wan Yangyu’s first reaction wasn’t mockery – but relief.

"Hah…"

After involuntarily exhaling, Wan Yangyu froze momentarily, then realized with bitter amusement he’d lost all will to oppose Mu Lin.

"You’re right. Top-three contenders like you only rival Yuhu Academy. We’re not enemies."

"Giggling, it seems Young Master Wan’s come around. Please wait here then. Don’t fret – our strength benefits you too… Together we might not snatch food from Yuhu’s plate, but crushing Longyou and Heshan Academy? That’s easy. Then neither your Anping nor our Qianyang will end up last."

Through swift negotiation, Yan Yunyu dissolved Wan Yangyu’s hostility and recruited his group as allies. Watching underground, Mu Lin marveled.

"Never expected such skill… No, this is typical of you, isn’t it?"

Suddenly recalling Yan Yunyu wasn’t just his follower – perhaps cunning rather than kind, yet undeniably capable. Without his sudden rise and those fateful events, her resources and schemes could’ve made her a class leader rivaling Ji Xue.

Yan Yunyu dismissed the praise. Proud before Wan Yangyu, she turned kittenish with Mu Lin. Clinging to his arm, she murmured shyly:

"Brother Mu Lin, don’t mock me. Words are powerless – your might conquered them, not my chatter."

"This humble one merely built them an exit staircase."

The flattery pleased Mu Lin briefly. His focus shifted when the second hour arrived for driving another coffin nail. Instead of targeting the mastermind’s second spirit (Hidden Arrow), he pierced the fourth – Thief Swallower.

*Thunk!*

The paper figure’s deep connection to Spring Fountain City’s mastermind made driving the nail feel like penetrating flesh. Resistance surged as the old man struggled – but Mu Lin’s coffin nail, a premium magic item’s projection, pierced through with 10-20% power despite incomplete replication.

*Thud.*

The Thief Swallower spirit got pinned. Mu Lin grimaced – opposing energies scattered the paper figure’s aura, forcing him to reinforce their connection through curse rituals. With Seven Spirits buried deep and demonic energy resisting, relocating them would take another hour.

Meanwhile, the distant mastermind’s headache spiked. That phantom nail-pounding sound returned, bringing fresh agony.

*Hsss…*

Physical pain was tolerable. Worse was the creeping debilitation – Thief Swallower governed immunity. Nailed shut, his defenses crumbled. Even weak poisons could now fell him – the horror of Seven Spirits manipulation.

Mu Lin’s choice held deeper purpose. Demonic/Yin energies corrode, but long exposure breeds resistance. Some even weaponize this – like Hundred Poisons Golden Body cultivation using toxins to strengthen immunity.

But what if a demon cultivator’s adapted body suddenly lost immunity?

*Cough!* Blood sprayed from the old man’s mouth moments later, shock twisting his features.

"My energy’s raging… No – my flesh can’t contain it anymore…"