Chapter 55

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Chapter 55: The Overpowering Yaksha

Envy and jealousy caused many to sneer as Mu Lin arrived.

Some began betting on how many levels he’d clear.

“How far do you think Mu Lin will get?”

“I’d say he can’t clear the first level, but with Miss Chu Lingluo, that’s no problem. Maybe he’ll luck out on the second level—but the third? Impossible.”

“I disagree. Miss Chu Lingluo excels at support and trapping enemies, not offense. With proper teammates, she could reach the third or even fourth level. But paired with a deadweight like Mu Lin? She’ll struggle to pass the second.”

“What if Miss Chu clears the second level while Mu Lin gets killed by evil spirits in the chaos?”

“…That’s plausible.”

“A dragon doesn’t dwell with snakes. Without strength, even good allies can’t save him.”

Most concluded the second level was their limit, the third unthinkable—a view shared by Yan Yunyu.

Glancing at Chu Lingluo, pity flickered in her eyes.

‘Sorry, Lingluo. First place will be mine.’

Unaware of the whispers, Mu Lin didn’t realize his grim expression was mistaken for fear. To his amusement, Chu Lingluo also misread it.

“Young Master Mu, don’t fret. Even if your first challenge goes poorly…”

She blushed, adding softly,

“No matter what…I’ll stay with you.”

Her words warmed him. He smiled. “Just a minor issue. It won’t hinder us.”

Closing his eyes, Mu Lin focused on his Mind Image world.

The Western-style castle still clashed with the Eastern estate, but that wasn’t the problem.

His consciousness shifted to a chamber where a hulking azure figure loomed—the Yaksha of Burial, visualized from the Mighty One’s Demon-Subduing Map.

Unlike ordinary yakshas, this one bore twisted patterns across its body, coalescing into an archaic “Burial” character on its chest. The glyph radiated deathly dread.

This yaksha troubled Mu Lin—not because it rebelled. The Refined power of Heaven’s Funeral ensured control. No, the issue was its overwhelming strength.

By Mu Lin’s estimate, it rivaled cultivators at the Spring Fountain Realm, surpassing the awakening phase. Its ominous aura made it formidable even among Spring Fountain experts.

Normally, such power would delight him—summoning it could bulldoze through the Tower of Illusions’ fourth level.

In fact, if he could summon it, Mu Lin would have been overjoyed.

But what troubled him was his inability to do so!

—Whether from the paper folder lineage or other summoning practitioners, materializing a visualized creature required not only soul power but also ample magical cultivation.

For Mu Lin, this meant needing abundant vitality of the living—which he lacked.

Though he had Successfully Awakened through the Great Yin Living Scripture, his awakening relied on a shortcut. While others naturally accumulated magical power to fill their meridians, Mu Lin had forcibly spread his diluted power across his body using his formidable soul power.

This trick allowed his Successfully Awakened status, but his vitality of the living remained below the Awakened Realm.

Despite relentless Hard Practice since his awakening and Chu Lingluo providing silver fish laurel soup to boost his daytime cultivation, only ten days had passed—with the soup consumed for mere three to five days.

As a Level 3 Spiritual Root cultivator, his magical cultivation stagnated at the peak of drawing in energy, far below the Spring Fountain Realm strength of his visualized Yaksha of Burial.

The gap between Awakened Realm (Taoist Child) and Spring Fountain Realm (A-level cultivator) was monumental. Mu Lin’s visualization succeeded, but his inadequate magical power rendered summoning impossible.

“This ‘improvement’ might as well not exist.”

“If only my magical cultivation reached the Awakened Realm. Even then, the gap would remain, but with Grandmaster-level Paper folding skills, master-level arts, and Soul Resonance, I could force the Yaksha of Burial into this world briefly—still a usable trump card.”

But reality offered no such concessions. His cultivation stayed short of Awakened, leaving him to covet the Yaksha’s power helplessly.

Thankfully, another card remained.

“Without the Yaksha, there’s still the little girl who sells matches.”

Unlike the Yaksha, her abilities leaned toward the eerie and soul-oriented, demanding soul power rather than vitality of the living. And soul power was Mu Lin’s forte. Even as a Spring Fountain Realm entity, he could summon her.

“This battle rests on you.”

Gazing at the little girl, Mu Lin mused. The land of Heaven’s Funeral held perils but also promise, hardening his resolve to explore it—later.

“First, the tower.”

“Let’s go, Lingluo. Time to challenge.”

“Okay.”