Chapter 252
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Chapter 252: The Strongest Ruler
The will of dominance was formidable, but after consideration, Mu Lin rejected it.
He wasn’t a warrior or sword cultivator, but a paper folder who fought through curses and paper figures from the shadows, never revealing his true form.
Such methods left few opportunities to employ the will of dominance.
The ability’s healing limitations also held little value for him.
Curse techniques and corruptive erosion were inherently difficult to cleanse anyway.
While less overtly destructive than the will of dominance, these attacks achieved comparable results.
…
Discarding the will of dominance, Mu Lin’s mind turned to another concept – the path of "Invincible Arrogance".
This time, he embraced the ruler’s way.
The connection between invincibility, arrogance, and kingship stemmed from a revelation in his previous life:
"All creatures instinctively follow those stronger than themselves – survival demands it. Those burdened by others’ faith then seek even mightier beings above them. This chain creates the strongest ruler… the god of all creation. And I am that strongest being."
"I shall acknowledge! I shall permit! I shall bear all burdens!"
This final vow represented responsibility. Believing authority must balance duty, Mu Lin claimed the right to dominion by accepting this weight.
"Buzz—"
The merging of his resolve to bear burdens and desire for dominion birthed a unique trait within his soul.
Had Mu Lin been humanity’s or the world’s strongest, this fusion might have made him a symbolic emperor like Warhammer’s Golden Throne occupant.
But he remained neither mankind’s nor the world’s pinnacle.
His burden thus became diminished, degraded through multiple layers.
Fortunately, Mu Lin possessed a strong soul, numerous subordinates, and a hundred evils sealed through Soul Sealing Technique.
Combined with his mental concept of the Strange Army at Night, his Heart Lamp of Will’s nature evolved toward this archetype.
"Eastern Isles’ Strange Army at Night isn’t mindless ghost mobs, but an organized force led by a supreme commander."
"These hundred evils don’t fight separately. They pool their power into their leader through special means, amplifying their commander…"
"…Since I’ll become the ultimate power willing to shoulder all, isn’t it natural for my subjects to lend me their strength – even die for me?"
This conviction solidified into a trait called Ruler’s Domain or Strange Army at Night.
By bearing all responsibilities, Mu Lin could concentrate his subordinates’ power within himself.
More followers meant greater might for this "king".
He could even wield some subordinates’ skills through this connection.
This confirmed the value of sealing the hundred evils.
"Channeling their collective power and skills – even at reduced effectiveness – remains formidable."
"My Strange Army at Night transforms from mere show into a dread-inspiring legend!"
…
When Mu Lin obtained the Strange Army at Night, his advancement finally concluded.
The master-level trait of the Heart Lamp of Will being so practical and powerful surprised him. Yet after careful thought, Mu Lin realized it wasn’t the Strange Army itself that held strength—it was his own power.
"With only the Strange Army at Night, this trait wouldn’t be impressive. Its true potential requires having many subordinates."
Without the Soul Sealing Technique, the Mind Image · City of Heaven’s Funeral, or the royal lord’s Sui Mu paper to seal the hundred evils and create Yin soldiers and ghost officials, this ability would be worthless. Mu Lin’s personal strength made it formidable.
Even so, the Strange Army at Night had limits. To strike iron, one must be strong; though Mu Lin could recruit countless subordinates through sealing, his own endurance remained limited.
"With over a hundred evils, my tough physique, Trait of Transcendence, and Root Word ‘Fix’ barely keep me from bursting apart. More than that would destroy me."
…
Despite these constraints, Mu Lin felt mostly thrilled about gaining the Strange Army. For days, he reveled in testing his subordinates’ abilities.
*Cough… cough…*
A rasping cough escaped Mu Lin, summoning an aura of decay, plague, and death around him. Everything nearby withered—spiritual energy dimmed, the earth crumbled, and a foul stench tainted the air.
*Cough…* "This power’s too dangerous. Walking through a city would kill everyone. Even the land would rot into plague-ridden waste if left uncleaned."
Such a devastating weapon made Mu Lin wonder if humans had intentionally brought this plague evil to the City of Heaven’s Funeral. He swiftly drew the strange aura back into his body, only to cough again.
Though refined with willing heart fire, the forbidden power still corroded his flesh each time he used it. Thankfully, his Substitute Paper Figure absorbed the damage, though it ruined the paper figure in the process.
"Unusual abilities can’t be overused," he muttered. Yet in the following days, Mu Lin still experimented with the weeping specter, door-knocking ghost, and other strange powers—partly for fun, partly to test his limits.
Through trial, he made a thrilling discovery: as their ruler, he could command not just Yin soldiers and ghost officials, but also Zhong Kui and the Refined hundred evils themselves.
Mu Lin could also borrow the abilities of Chu Lingluo and Yan Yunyu!
To be honest, when he first discovered this, Mu Lin was stunned.
“Is this possible?”
But soon, he recalled that in his previous life, the great monster general of the Eastern lands used Strange Army at Night not by borrowing summoned creatures’ power.
Instead, they sought out and defeated monsters and evil ghosts one by one.
“If they could subdue those fiends, making Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo submit isn’t strange.”
Having comprehended Strange Army at Night, Mu Lin could now borrow Yan Yunyu and Chu Lingluo’s strength, making him more invested in improving their capabilities.
Their powers were too useful.
Chu Lingluo’s Qingdi Scripture displayed shocking prowess in healing, wound recovery, and vitality enhancement.
Yan Yunyu’s situation was even more remarkable.
Attaching herself to Mu Lin brought Yan Yunyu attention and accumulated fortune.
But as a prodigy, Mu Lin’s own fortune dwarfed hers.
He’d publicly defeated numerous prodigies from Yuhu Academy, slain multiple divine servants, and even grasped the True Meaning Diagram of doppelgänger cultivation alone.
These achievements drew countless eyes and cemented his reputation as a future top-tier powerful being.
Even the Will of Humanity had blessed him multiple times.
Such circumstances gave Mu Lin exceptionally dense fortune – though previously, he couldn’t perceive or manipulate it.
Everything changed after borrowing Yan Yunyu’s power.
“Hum…”
As Yan Yunyu’s energy merged with his, white light flickered in Mu Lin’s eyes.
Looking upward, he saw a blue-tinged purple cloud above his head.
Frowning, Mu Lin complained: “Blue with a hint of purple? How weak is this fortune?”
Yan Yunyu’s expression turned complicated at his complaint. “Mu brother, this is royal heir-level fortune already.”
She then explained the fortune hierarchy:
“Mortal fortunes come in seven colors: red, orange, purple, blue, green, white, gray.
Gray – lowest – belongs to refugees, the infirm, beggars. They might die anytime.
White represents ordinary folk with meager farmland or city apprentices.
Green indicates wealthy merchants, minor officials, military Captains. Low-level warriors and Qi Practitioners usually stop here.
Most never surpass green.”
She paused.
“Blue fortune’s rare. Powerful clans’ members usually show green-blue blends. Only family heads have pure blue.
Purple appears only in royal Legitimate Sons, frontier governors, and High Mastery of Transformation experts.
You developing purple traces at your level is extraordinary.”
Yan Yunyu then revealed her deep blue fortune. The difference was clear:
Mu Lin’s cloud-like fortune hung motionless.
Hers burned like raging flames.
“Using fortune-related secret techniques?”
“Yes. The Yan family secret technique burns fortune to boost training speed or comprehension. You could too.”
Mu Lin shook his head. “My training speed’s fine. Tell me other Yan family fortune uses instead.”
