Chapter 273
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Chapter 273: I Am Mu Lin; When You Read This Letter, I’ll Already Be Dead
Though hunted demon cultivators, Qi Practitioners never remain solitary after reaching the holy son stage.
Seeking powerful beings to follow remains universal human behavior.
These followers not only obey the demon sect’s divine children but also offer counsel.
At this moment, someone questioned the Heavenly Buddha Sect’s Buddha Child: "Master, should we truly oppose Ping An Ancient City’s Lin Qiu for mere reputation? This feels unwise…"
Before the follower could finish, Heavenly Buddha Sect’s Fa Yan cut him off.
"Reputation matters. It makes others fear and respect me. Didn’t you all gather here because of my fame?"
"Eh?"
Fa Yan’s follower froze, unable to refute.
Fame indeed attracts benefits – even hollow notoriety brings profit, as seen in past-world social trends. Here, reputation is earned through deeds and holds greater value.
Had Mu Lin been present, he’d recognize this world’s fame mirrors feudal-era prestige. Scholars built renown to enter governance directly. Some cultivated reputations for decades before becoming chancellors overnight.
Such stakes explain why even demon sect’s divine children chase fame.
Fa Yan’s follower lacked Mu Lin’s insight. While acknowledging fame’s importance, he prioritized demonstrating loyalty.
Other demon sect divine children voiced their own views:
"Fame brings more than resources. Sufficient renown earns favor from paths of Heaven and Humanity, smoothing cultivation journeys."
This came from Ghost Sect’s Ghost Shadow. Though an assassin, he flaunted his deeds – leaving tokens at crime scenes and sending death prophecies to targets. These theatrics boosted his infamy.
While reckless, this approach accelerated his growth. One skill even reached master-level advancement through this method.
Now he eyed Mu Lin.
"Heaven’s gifts unclaimed become curses. I’ll claim everything you possess!"
Given fame’s critical role, demon children targeting Mu Lin seemed inevitable. Competition for ordinary fame pales against struggles for titles like "Top Talent" or "World’s First" – blood-soaked contests guaranteeing humanity’s favor.
Such heights remain beyond current Mu Lin’s reach.
Unknown to ordinary people, the demon sect’s divine children chose confrontation not just for fame, but because they deemed Mu Lin nonthreatening.
This wasn’t a random assumption but a judgment formed after observing Ping An Ancient City.
"A forbidden city, a city of death—such grand titles made me expect real dangers inside. Yet all I see are Other Shore Flowers… Did Lin Qiu truly use their illusions to annihilate nearly a thousand demon cultivators?"
After some thought, most of the demon children agreed this was the case.
They knew illusions were a deadly tool against a disorganized mob, making them turn on each other.
But they also understood illusions worked best on weaklings. Against true powerful beings, their effectiveness dwindled.
For illusions to take hold, the target’s will or spirit had to waver.
Ordinary practitioners, with fragile resolve, fell easily.
But those who rose to power through relentless Killing—whether righteous or demonic—had ironclad wills.
Only those unshaken in their path could become powerful. Such individuals were nearly immune to illusions, which was why the demon sect’s divine children doubted Lin Qiu’s tricks could touch them.
Beyond willpower, many divine children believed their own abilities countered illusions.
Fa Yan, for example, trusted his celestial vision to pierce through any illusion.
Ghost Shadow of the Ghost Sect relied on his tracking skills to avoid being misled.
As for Jiang Yingying of the Yin-Yang Harmony Sect—a master of illusions herself—she strode into Ping An Ancient City upon discovering Mu Lin’s use of Manjusaka.
"In illusions, the Yin-Yang Harmony Sect reigns supreme. The rest of you merely scavenge crumbs."
"Affect me with illusions? The Qing Xu Sect’s Void Realm might barely manage, but Manjusaka? It’s lucky if *I* don’t control *it*!"
Jiang Yingying’s confidence stemmed from this belief.
By common logic, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Without the Other Shore or River of Forgetting, this world’s Other Shore Flowers were merely Earth-level spirit flowers—no threat to her or the divine children.
Earth-level might impress ordinary folk, but elite demon cultivators wielded Heavenly-level cultivation methods.
The chasm between Heavenly and Earth defied comparison, making her disdain reasonable.
Yet Jiang Yingying didn’t know Mu Lin had planted only a third of his Other Shore Flowers in Ping An Ancient County.
Nor did she know those flowers had merged with divinity of delight, ascending to divine status.
Most crucially, Manjusaka wasn’t Mu Lin’s sole strength.
The Cycle of Life and Death, the City God Realm… Combined, they unleashed the flowers’ full calamity, shrouding the entire city.
Beyond this, Mu Lin held other cards.
*Outside, my limited cultivation years and power might fail against those demon sect’s divine children. But here in Ping An Ancient Town, within my City God Realm—no one from the younger generation can challenge me.*
This certainty had driven him to prepare here early.
Silently meeting Jiang Yingying’s gaze, Mu Lin said, "Unafraid of the Other Shore Flowers? I disagree. You won’t escape this bloom."
For a moment, he considered trapping her there.
But he relented.
No killing intent radiated from her. Activating the Cycle of Life and Death for one prisoner felt wasteful.
After all, Mu Lin was indeed powerful now, but his strength stemmed from the City God Realm.
If enemies discovered Mu Lin’s full capabilities and retreated from Ping An Ancient Town, he’d be powerless against them.
So if possible, he wanted to eliminate more rivals now to secure an advantage in the upcoming Grave Lord inheritance struggle.
Mu Lin abandoned his plan to attack, while Jiang Yingying remained oblivious to her narrow escape.
Hearing Mu Lin’s words, she shook her head regretfully. "I overestimated you. I thought you were exceptional, but you’re just a frog in a well. Pity – I’d considered making you my seventh husband."
As she spoke, she rose gracefully.
A soft murmur escaped her lips: "Cherish these moments… they’re your last… Hmm!"
Her sentence hung unfinished as Jiang Yingying frowned, sensing strange energy fluctuations.
Blood-red letters rained from the sky, landing before Mu Lin and other Qi Practitioners.
The crimson notices bore a chilling declaration of Mu Lin’s impending death.
["I am Lin Qiu. By the time you read this, I’ll already be dead…"]
"Ridiculous."
Mu Lin initially scoffed at the letter.
But his expression soon darkened.
Through his curse technique expertise, he realized reading the letter had forged an unbreakable karmic bond – a death sentence slowly approaching.
Without major intervention, this curse would claim his life in three days.
"An actual prophetic death notice!"
This revelation shocked yet intrigued Mu Lin.
"Fascinating. Ghost Shadow of the Ghost Sect isn’t some hidden assassin – he kills through ritual curses."
"These notices aren’t just boasts – they’re part of the ritual itself."
"Worse yet, each successful killing strengthens his curse…"
This unexpected development erased Mu Lin’s remaining contempt toward demon cultivators. Their methods proved alarmingly unpredictable.
Yet alongside wariness grew excitement. "This technique could perfect my Cursed Paper Figures!"
…
While Mu Lin buzzed with anticipation, Jiang Yingying regarded him pityingly.
Seeing his enthusiasm, she sighed. "You truly don’t understand…"
Convinced Mu Lin missed the deeper danger, she considered killing him preemptively.
Like Mu Lin sensed, she knew Ghost Shadow’s curse gained power through sequential kills. Unchecked, even demon sect elites could fall victim.
Eliminating Mu Lin now would disrupt this momentum.
Yet after contemplation, she stayed her hand.
Though both hailed from demon sects, their philosophies differed sharply.
The Ghost Sect manipulated spirits and embraced indiscriminate slaughter. Hence Ghost Shadow attacked immediately upon assessing Mu Lin.
The Seven Killing Sect reveled in bloody duels with rivals, seeking transcendence through mortal combat.
The Yin-Yang Harmony Sect originally pursued balance through yin-yang union, though now twisted into vampiric cultivation. Still, their core philosophy favored mediation over confrontation.
Learning of Mu Lin’s talent, they sought collaboration rather than elimination – maintaining superficial balance while plotting advantage.
Similarly regarding Ghost Shadow’s growing threat, Jiang Yingying opted for indirect action.
"Direct confrontation risks too much. Let others challenge him first. When chaos erupts, I’ll mediate and claim the spoils."
