Chapter 256
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Chapter 256: Six Desires Demoness
The formation of the City God’s Law seal proceeded smoothly.
The Beiwai Army’s battle flag contained massive human race fortune, effortlessly enabling the seal’s creation.
But this was only because Mu Lin’s damaged battle flag wasn’t the primary ritual artifact. Had it been intact, the Beiwai Army’s fame alone could’ve elevated Mu Lin beyond a mere County City God like the Manifesting Earl—he might’ve even qualified for titles like Spirit-Guardian Marquis or Mighty Duke.
…
No disturbances occurred when the Beiwai Army reappeared after the seal’s completion.
“From the spring terrace I summon old comrades,
A hundred thousand banners to strike down the King of Hell.”
Using the upgraded Communicating with Spirits and Soul Summoning technique and the tattered battle flag as a relic, Mu Lin easily summoned one hundred Beiwai Army spectral soldiers.
These weren’t actual dead spirits.
This world lacked concepts like an underworld or reincarnation. Most souls vanished completely upon death like snuffed flames.
Instead, Mu Lin summoned imprints left by these heroes upon existence itself.
The Heavenly path embodies all spiritual energy in the world.
The Human path represents the collective essence of human civilization, history, and spirit.
Both paths preserve traces of everything that ever existed. Even forgotten humans remain recorded in these cosmic ledgers.
This explains why deities prove nearly indestructible.
Those aligned with the path etch their imprints onto both Heavenly and Human paths. Combined with immortal souls, this dual anchoring makes them virtually unerasable.
Even after millennia, sufficient belief could resurrect them.
…
Though the Beiwai Army’s original imprints existed in both paths, Mu Lin didn’t summon those.
Over centuries, humanity’s romanticized retellings had warped the army’s legacy. Tragic heroes inevitably get exaggerated through collective memory—think Xiang Yu’s peerless strength or Zhuge Liang’s near-divine wisdom in folklore compared to their historical reality.
Such mass perception distorts original imprints.
This collective belief holds double-edged power.
While empowering spirits and deities through worship, it also reshapes their very nature. Individual sentiments mean little, but when multiplied by millions, they forge an irresistible force—enhancing legends while twisting their core identities.
No matter their original nature, deities and heroic spirits would eventually twist into forms molded by human imagination over time.
This irreversible distortion, like a relentless curse, explained why cultivators warned of faith’s toxicity and prioritized immortality over godhood.
"If my essence warps until I become unrecognizable, what value lies in gaining power?"
…
While such corruption posed risks for divine practice cultivators, Mu Lin cared little—he sought only combat power through summoning heroic spirits.
The Beiwai Army’s glorification through faith and admiration thus brought him pure advantage.
"Hmm!"
To Mu Lin’s senses, the manifested Beiwai Army radiated formidable strength and bone-chilling ferocity.
Most remarkably, they materialized fully armored.
Legends depicted them as ghost-masked warriors whose mere presence routed evil ghosts—beliefs that now forged them into an unstoppable iron legion.
"Perfect!"
Mu Lin grinned at their might.
Greater still was his joy at their minimal energy cost: widespread tales claimed these soldiers never died, but persisted as spectral warriors.
Since faith shaped reality here, collective belief eased their manifestation.
Yet doubters outnumbered believers, forcing Mu Lin to expend some personal energy.
"Temporary measures. Once I establish the City God Realm, local spiritual veins and Power of Belief will sustain them instead."
"Then I’ll expand this force to eight hundred."
"Or three thousand—ten thousand, if I become State City God."
This harnessing of nature’s forces and human belief marked gods’ advantage over immortals.
"Immortals transcend worldly cycles, forfeiting heaven’s favor."
"Gods embody cosmic rules—magnified within their domains, yet bound to them."
Though itching to deploy the City God Realm, Mu Lin restrained himself. He directed Yan Yunyu to lobby the Demon Exorcism Division for a trial mission to Ping An Ancient County.
…
Yan Yunyu relayed the request upward. Unbeknownst to Mu Lin, it reached the Southeast Province commander of Demon Exorcism Division—a sharp-eyed man radiating sly grace.
"Grave Lord’s inheritance in Ping An Ancient County? Ambitious. It ranks among Yin Eight Sect’s mightiest legacies." His chuckle drew a frown from the brash woman beside him.
“Graves, vengeful spirits, ghosts, zombies… How did this ill-omened inheritance come to light?”
Hearing this, the soft-spoken commander Chu Xuezhen smiled and said, “Power is merely a sword—neither good nor evil. What matters is how the wielder uses it.”
The carefree woman rolled her eyes at this.
“Save that line for others. Killing the weak to grow stronger and gain immortality? No one could resist such a shortcut.”
“Can’t we just destroy this inheritance?”
Chu Xuezhen shook her head. “Too many factions covet it. Our Demon Exorcism Division lacks the strength to suppress it… and these chaotic times demand we use every resource. The Grave Lord’s power, though forbidden, works exceptionally well against evil gods and aberrations—exactly what we need.”
Ji Hongyu snorted. “True, but the demon sects, Yin Eight Sect, even that Black Fiend Fierce Tiger from Ten Thousand Mountains all have better claims than us.” She paused, studying Chu Xuezhen. “You look confident. Whose report are you reading?”
“Mu Lin. Top graduate from Yuhu Academy’s latest class. A paper-folding disciple of Yin Eight Sect, unaffiliated cultivator, wants to join us—and he’s interested in the Grave Lord inheritance.”
Ji Hongyu nodded slowly. “I’ve heard of the boy. Gifted, clever, knows his limits. He’d handle the inheritance responsibly.” Her face darkened. “But he’s too young. The Grave Lord’s trial accepts anyone under eighteen—I doubt he’ll survive.”
“This is merely the preliminary test for entering City of Heaven’s Funeral,” Chu Xuezhen countered. “The real struggle comes when they vie for lordship of the city. By then, Mu Lin’s cultivation will have grown. Besides, he’s not our only candidate.”
“Oh?” Ji Hongyu leaned forward. “Who else works with us?”
Chu Xuezhen’s silence drew an exasperated huff. “Not even me?”
“I gave my word.”
“Fine.” Ji Hongyu crossed her arms. “What about Mu Lin’s request?”
“Let him go. Youth should taste failure early.” Chu Xuezhen’s tone hardened. “Warn all participants—this contest stays between the young. No adult interference.”
Ji Hongyu’s grin turned feral. “Making troublemakers behave? My favorite.” She vanished toward Ping An Ancient County before Chu Xuezhen could reply.
“Always rushing…” The commander sighed fondly before whirling toward a shimmering silhouette—the wanted leader of Savior Organization.
“Second assessment,” Chu Xuezhen stated coldly. “Fail again, and we’re done.”
“Mu Lin was a fluke,” the figure rasped. “This time, true talents like Six Desires Demoness and Black Fiend Fierce Tiger will claim the inheritance. The boy’s cultivation is still shallow.”
……
Unaware of these machinations, Mu Lin finalized plans to deploy his City God’s Law seal avatar and Zhong Kui manifestation to establish the City God Realm. A backup body waited safely elsewhere—until urgent news arrived.
His grandfather had come.
