In the Realm of Gods and Mysteries: Eternal Life Through Paper Art Secrets

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Chapter 195: Mu Lin: Surround and Kill? No, Now I’ll Surround You All

The black fog swallowed everything, making people unable to see their own outstretched hands. Flickering shadows of monsters loomed within the mist, and this suffocating darkness alone could awaken primal fear in anyone’s heart.

What’s worse, the fog carried a corrupting power that amplified hidden fears.

An ordinary person would collapse within three minutes here, their broken mental defenses allowing monsters to materialize.

But Qi Practitioners were different. With calming spells and protective techniques, they should have resisted fear more effectively.

Yet these fearless Qi Practitioners now faced worse circumstances than any commoner.

—The moment Chu Hongxuan’s group entered the fog, monsters instantly materialized and ambushed them without warning.

This unnatural phenomenon had one explanation.

Mu Lin had seized control of the black fog.

Ever since his paper figure resonated with the anomaly and stole its power, Mu Lin had sought to fully claim the anomaly’s strength for his paper figure.

His experiments didn’t achieve complete success.

The paper figure’s limited endurance made permanent control impossible—worse odds than an ordinary person’s, for while humans might appear weak, their potential remained boundless.

Through testing, Mu Lin found temporary control instead.

"If the paper figure’s capacity is limited, let’s enhance it. First trial: dragon blood augmentation…"

"Endurance improved slightly, but still insufficient… Next attempt: Substitute Paper Figure takes charge. Add another layer—Sky-High Technique Spell: City God status!"

Combining the Substitute Paper Figure, dragon blood, and divine spell finally let the creation withstand the fog’s erosion.

Yet endurance alone couldn’t dominate the anomaly. Resonance proved crucial.

As a True Meaning Artist, Mu Lin effortlessly channeled the anomaly’s essence of Domination through brushstrokes onto the paper figure, fulfilling all prerequisites.

…

With perfect compatibility, the paper figure required no guidance. The black fog actively corrupted it while pouring its power into the vessel.

Mu Lin greedily absorbed everything.

His efforts revealed the fog’s true sources of strangeness—several drops of Black Water.

This unknown liquid exuded sinister power, its vapors forming the deadly fog. After sealing the Black Water within the paper figure, Mu Lin commanded the fog.

But victory came at cost—the corrosive liquid steadily ate through the paper figure.

Any observer would’ve seen dark stains spreading across the paper body. Complete saturation would invert control, letting the fog claim its puppet.

"Temporary control suffices."

Through resonance, Mu Lin grasped the fog’s core ability: materializing monsters by exploiting victims’ fears.

Better yet, countless fog-born monsters lingered from past killings.

Mu Lin had just unleashed these remnants against Chu Hongxuan’s group.

"Boom!"

"Shhh…"

The sudden ambush caused inevitable panic. The chaos stirred faint fear among Chu Hongxuan’s subordinates, further empowering the black fog monsters.

This vicious cycle, if unchecked, could allow the eerie black fog to consume everything.

Yet Chu Hongxuan’s group was no pushover. The black fog alone couldn’t defeat them.

At that moment, Yuance’s body blazed with Pure Yang Flames, vaporizing massive patches of black fog. The shadow monsters within couldn’t resist this power—being derivative evil spirits, they burned to ash under the flames.

Yuance’s dominance made Fox Demon Bai Zhi’s shining eyes widen in awe.

"Just as I thought," she whispered. "Lord Yuance destroys all strange evil spirits."

With his Pure Yang Body suppressing supernatural threats, Yuance could likely breach the fog alone. Chu Hongxuan’s team contained five such formidable cultivators, while the remaining dozen trailed only slightly behind. This overwhelming strength explained why outsiders doubted Mu Lin’s chances.

Yet instead of fear, a smile crept across Mu Lin’s face.

"Impressive power," he murmured. "Now I can unleash my full strength. Let’s see how long you last."

Rather than battling the fog creatures, Yuance’s group charged toward Mu Lin’s paper figure clone, guided by the Fox Immortal’s directions.

Yuance didn’t strike immediately. "Surrender, Mu Lin," he declared. "You can’t win or escape."

Mu Lin chuckled. "Escape? You misunderstand. I’m not running—I’m hunting you."

‘Delusional fool…’ Bai Zhi smirked nearby, clearly unconvinced.

Yuhu Academy students scoffed:

"Surround us? You? Impossible!"

"Enough talk—crush him!"

"He’s wasted enough time…"

Before they could attack, Mu Lin clapped his hands sharply.

"Lord of Mount Tai, awaken!"

"Communicating with Spirits, commence!"

A guttural moan echoed as eerie energy pulsed from Mu Lin. His paper figure turned ashen-gray, ancient decay momentarily flickering across its surface.

Black Water began dripping from the figure.

Drip.

The droplets pooled beneath him, spreading rapidly.

Yuance’s pupils contracted. "Danger! Stop him now!"

“The Sunlight Spear…”

Chu Hongxuan and the others reacted swiftly, but it was already too late.

As the puddle formed, the black fog surrounding Mu Lin erupted violently, swelling like it had been injected with stimulants.

“Hmm…”

The fog surged outward, its area doubling, tripling, quintupling—until it expanded tenfold.

Mu Lin’s figure became entirely separated from Yuance and the others by the raging black fog.

Meanwhile, the shadowy reflections within the mist multiplied, growing larger, denser, and more horrifying.

Phantom silhouettes towering dozens of meters high materialized within the dark haze.

“Woo…”

Though still mere reflections, their eerie proliferation chilled Chu Hongxuan’s group to the bone.

“Damn!”

“What did he do? Why’s the fog exploding like this?”

“Stay sharp—this is bad news.”

Neither Chu Hongxuan’s team nor the outside observers understood how Mu Lin had amplified the anomaly. Only Mu Lin wore a faint smile.

“The fog alone can’t stop you. Neither can I. But together? Different story.”

By merging his power with the black fog, Mu Lin could wield both forces. Earlier, he’d used his Lord of Mount Tai’s Spiritual Roots to activate *Communicating with Spirits · Ancestral Souls*.

But instead of summoning bloodline ancestors, he’d placed Black Water—the true source of strangeness—upon the lord’s altar. Using the ancient power of time, he’d summoned more Black Water through the void.

It worked.

Through the power of Sui Mu, Mu Lin glimpsed an endless black river during the ritual.

Mists veiled its surface, blotting out the sky. Countless ghosts and vengeful spirits drifted through the murky waters and fog. Below lay shattered ruins and bones—a drowned civilization buried beneath the currents.

“The origin of this black river water… terrifying…”

Mu Lin’s gaze drew the attention of river-dwelling evil spirits. Mere eye contact made his soul quake.

Luckily, the river itself ignored his insignificant presence. The vision lasted mere seconds—but that was enough.

*Crackle.*

His paper figure’s body became drenched in an instant, moisture spreading across its surface like a plague.

The entire paper figure resembled a waterlogged corpse, pale and wrinkled.

Fortunately, the dragon blood granted Mu Lin some water resistance, so his paper figure only wrinkled slightly and did not disintegrate.

However, the dampness covering its body meant the black fog had seized control of the paper figure.

Mu Lin remained unbothered. He’d expected this outcome when summoning Black Water through Communicating with Spirits.

"I can’t withstand or control more of these strange powers. If my true body were present, I’d never attempt this suicidal move."

"But this is just a paper clone. Let the strange powers eliminate Chu Hongxuan’s group – losing this clone is acceptable."

Trading a disposable clone for the defeat of Chu Hongxuan’s entire team proved an excellent bargain.

Soon, Mu Lin discovered an unexpected advantage.

"City God status…"

Through spiritual connection, he realized his paper body couldn’t resist the Black Water’s corruption and had become fully uncontrollable.

Yet his elevated City God status prevailed. Though the black river’s power was terrifying, the narrow Communicating with Spirits channel allowed his extraordinary City God’s Law to etch faint traces on the paper figure’s forehead.

This spiritual imprint couldn’t control the anomalies, but enabled indirect influence.

When intruders triggered the black fog’s killing rules, Mu Lin couldn’t prevent their deaths.

But he could direct the fog’s shadow monsters to focus their attacks on rule-breakers like Chu Hongxuan.

Thus Yuance’s group faced disaster.

"Wooo…"

The strange black fog expanded violently, spawning countless shadow monsters. Yuance’s team immediately sensed the threat.

Panic erupted despite their efforts.

"Stay calm! Fear attracts them… Argh!"

"Bastard! These aren’t fear-based illusions – actual monsters hunt us here!"

"Watch out…"

"Focus! Maintain composure!"

Their shouted commands and calming Spells proved futile. The supernatural black fog penetrated bodies, amplifying inherent fears.

Resisting required not just willpower but spiritual strength – something most Qi Practitioners here lacked.

As terror took root, new monsters materialized from their deepest fears.

"No!"

"Stay back! Get away!"

"Giant spider! Don’t touch me!"

"You’re dead! This can’t be real…"

The manifestations varied: colossal spiders, hundred-eyed crows, man-faced serpents, deceased relatives, evil ghosts. Born from fear, these shadow monsters specifically targeted their creators’ weaknesses.

Each attack intensified the Qi Practitioners’ terror, strengthening the monsters further.

"No…"

Chaos ensued. One practitioner fell to a monster’s strike.

This death amplified the survivors’ fear, empowering the shadow monsters exponentially.

"Control yourselves!"

"I’m not afraid! Not afraid! AAAAAH!"

Within moments, Yuance’s advantage crumbled. Chu Hongxuan’s group stared in stunned disbelief.

Spectators outside the fog gaped in astonishment.

"This… can’t be…"

"Is Mu Lin actually winning?"

"Impossible!"

"Am I dreaming?"