Chapter 137
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 137: Steel Creations and Paper Figures
Mu Lin had originally intended to stay out of trouble today—attend the competition, claim his reward, then leave. But Meng Rui’s insult toward Dongfang Ya forced him to abandon that plan and act boldly.
Glancing at Meng Rui’s students, he muttered under his breath with pity, “Don’t blame me when you lose miserably later.”
…
After his exchange with Meng Rui, Mu Lin returned to his spot to await the competition’s start. Their conversation left Luo Shan, Qiao Huihui, and the others flushed with rage.
While Mu Lin fumed over the insult to Dongfang Ya, Luo Shan’s group bristled at his overconfident, dismissive attitude. Their hostility sharpened as they glared at him.
Qiao Huihui strode up to Mu Lin and hissed coldly, “When will you step onto the stage? Don’t tell me you plan to slink up there secretly. I’ll be watching—you can’t hide.”
Mu Lin ignored her. Unflinching, he walked straight onto the stage.
His decisive move softened Qiao Huihui’s disdain slightly, earning a flicker of respect.
“You’re arrogant and foolish, but at least not a coward.”
“Good. I’ll crush that arrogance of yours. You’ll learn Puppet Masters aren’t to be underestimated!”
She shoved past her furious classmates and leaped onto the stage, facing Mu Lin.
And so, Master Meng Rui’s competition began with Mu Lin and Qiao Huihui.
*Bang!*
Qiao Huihui immediately summoned her puppet from her storage bag—not a humanoid, but a hulking steel spider. A winged flying snake materialized beside it, hovering midair.
Mu Lin studied her steel-and-jade constructs, then glanced at his own paper figure. Now he understood Master Meng Rui’s confidence.
The difference lay in materials. Qiao Huihui’s puppets radiated sturdiness, forged from spirit-infused steel and jade. Even an ordinary person swinging swords would break their blades before scratching those puppets.
His paper figure, meanwhile, fluttered weakly in his grip—so fragile a breeze might tear it.
No wonder Master Meng Rui hadn’t bothered hiding her contempt.
Unbeknownst to Mu Lin, Master Meng Rui was lecturing the watching noble families:
“Puppets demand vast Spirit Stones—stronger ones cost more. But expense is their only flaw. Otherwise, they’re perfect…”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
“Master Meng Rui, cost isn’t the puppet’s flaw—it’s the pauper’s! We lack safety, not Spirit Stones!”
“Exactly! We’ll gladly pay if they protect us faithfully.”
“Good,” Meng Rui chuckled.
As the spectators bantered, Mu Lin acted. He raised his paper figure, drew a deep breath, and blew sharply across it.
“Whoosh…”
As the vitality of the living and the Mind Image were infused, the paper figure in Mu Lin’s hands rapidly expanded before his eyes.
Soon, a green-faced, fanged shadow of an evil ghost materialized—wielding a spear and clad in armor.
The Judge, the Night Demon!
Not wanting to risk defeat, Mu Lin immediately summoned one of his trump cards.
This Night Demon looked different from before.
Its dark-green body bore intricate patterns and tattoos.
At first glance, the tattoos resembled mystical cloud-script, but closer inspection revealed a coiled, clawed evil dragon.
The dragon’s presence wrapped around the Night Demon, giving it a more imposing and terrifying aura.
“Actually,” Mu Lin mused, “this should be called a Sea Patrol Night Demon now, not a Flying Night Demon.”
While he reflected, Qiao Huihui didn’t attack. Instead, she shouted, “Summon all your paper figures!”
“???”
Her demand left Mu Lin bewildered. Before he could react, she sneered, “I’ll let you use everything you’ve got. That way, you’ll accept your loss without excuses.”
Tilting her chin up, she added, “How dare you look down on us? Even at full strength, you’re still no match for me!”
“…You’ve got guts.”
Mu Lin didn’t summon all his paper figures, but he did pull out another ordinary one. As vitality flowed into it, the paper swelled into a humanoid shape.
With a mental command, the figure roared, “Spirit of the Formation—no retreat, no surrender!”
With a spirited shout, the paper figure charged like a dragon at Qiao Huihui’s puppet.
Instead of being impressed, Qiao Huihui huffed. “I said go all out… Fine! Mountain King! Winged One! Destroy it!”
“Once my puppet shreds that scrap of paper, let’s see how calm you stay—”
*Crash!*
Qiao Huihui’s smug muttering froze as the clash unfolded. All her resentment evaporated in an instant.
The paper figure collided head-on with her puppet.
One was flimsy paper; the other, an indestructible war machine forged from steel and jade.
One was hastily folded; the other, a masterpiece crafted with endless resources and effort.
By all logic, they shouldn’t have been comparable.
Yet the result defied all expectations.
*Bang!*
*Clang!*
With a loud bang, the Mountain King that first collided with the paper figure got smashed flying by Mu Lin’s paper figure.
When the Mountain King’s ton-heavy body hit the ground, it created a thunderous noise and shattered the earth beneath.
All this proved the Mountain King’s true terror – it wasn’t some empty paper tiger.
But precisely because the Mountain King was terrifying, the paper figure Yin soldier that knocked it flying became even more shocking.
"This can’t be!"
"What hell? Mountain King weighs several tons!"
"How?!"
…
Bystanders gaped at the spear strike. Qiao Huihui, the Mountain King’s master who knew all its specs, found it hardest to believe.
She soon had no time for doubts.
The winged flying snake in midair clashed with the Yin soldier.
After smashing the Mountain King away, the paper figure didn’t stop. It stomped hard and jumped dozens of meters high, thrusting its spear at the flying snake.
Qiao Huihui panicked and shouted commands.
"Winged, float acceleration…"
"Buzz!"
Blue light suddenly erupted from the hovering serpent.
With this glow, the snake’s speed saw a rising value instantly, narrowly dodging the attack.
Immediately after, the snake flapped its wings to shoot sharp wind blades at the paper figure.
"Slash…"
The unprepared Yin soldier got hit.
This made Mu Lin raise an eyebrow.
"Not bad puppets."
The winged snake proved agile and hard to catch.
The Mountain King, despite being knocked flying earlier, only had a dent – its earthy yellow glow soon connected with the ground, boosting its rock-like defenses further.
One attacking, one defending – Qiao Huihui’s puppets impressed Mu Lin.
But while he admired them, Qiao Huihui couldn’t understand.
"Bang!" "Clang!"
Each earth-shaking collision between Mountain King and paper figure deepened her confusion.
"My Mountain King combines mystic essence with heaven’s copper, uses golden essence reinforcement and a fire Energy Core for unstoppable strength! How can your flimsy paper figure compete?"
"It’s just thin paper!"
