Chapter 57
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Chapter 57: Second Level of the Tower of Illusions
“Screech!”
The black cat’s body decayed under the corrupting power of Heaven’s Funeral, its flesh rotting and withering. With desperate urgency, it channeled dark demonic energy toward the festering wounds, attempting to halt the corruption’s spread.
But it was useless.
The black cat’s energy couldn’t withstand the overwhelming power of Heaven’s Funeral. Forced to act, it severed the rotting parts of its body to survive.
Mu Lin didn’t wait for recovery. While the human-faced black cat struggled, the bloodstained cursed sword arced through the air again.
This time, the weakened creature couldn’t dodge. The long sword bit deep into its neck.
*Thunk.*
The strike cleaved halfway through the cat’s neck—unimpressive for a sword cultivator’s blow, but the true horror lay in the decay that followed. The power of Heaven’s Funeral clung like parasites, burrowing into the wound.
Now poisoned at its vulnerable throat, the black cat stood no chance.
“Screeee—”
Its final wails echoed as corruption consumed its head. With a limp twitch, the creature died.
The illusion shattered around Mu Lin, marking his first successful tower challenge.
He blinked in disbelief.
“Done? That easily?”
The simplicity confused him, contradicting others’ warnings. Yet upon reflection, it made sense.
The human-faced black cat was formidable. The true challenge lay in tracking it. Without Chu Lingluo’s nature-based detection, even Mu Lin couldn’t have located the creature in Shishan Village by daylight.
Most cultivators had to wait for nightfall, when the cat emerged to hunt. But its small size, dark fur, and unnatural agility made it near-invisible in darkness. Dozens of paper cranes couldn’t reliably track it. Exhausted cultivators would chase shadows, vulnerable to ambushes.
Unknown to Mu Lin, the creature possessed another trick: standing still in darkness granted it invisibility. This made nighttime hunts nearly impossible. Failures piled up when villagers died or cultivators fell to surprise attacks. Only through Chu Lingluo’s aid had Mu Lin bypassed these lethal obstacles.
"So, it wasn’t that the human-faced black cat lacked strength, but rather Lingluo’s abilities proved too formidable, completely countering it."
At that moment, Mu Lin understood why everyone sought to team up with powerful beings—working with the strong made missions smoother and more manageable.
More crucially, in real missions assigned by the Demon Suppression Division, there were no second chances.
Had an ordinary team arrived at Shishan Village, they’d have faced constant attacks from the human-faced black cat, living in perpetual dread.
Failure to endure would mean certain death.
Allying with the strong allowed effortless eradication of threats, making the choice obvious for Mu Lin.
After completing the mission, Mu Lin began analyzing their performance, but before he could finish, both he and Chu Lingluo were ejected from the Tower of Illusions by a surge of white light.
"Thank you, Miss Lingluo. Without you, this mission wouldn’t have been so straightforward."
"You’re too kind, Mu Gongzi. You dealt the final blow to that creature."
Their mutual praise reflected their high spirits, which contrasted sharply with the gloomy faces of those hoping for Mu Lin’s failure.
The mission’s swift completion particularly unsettled some observers.
"They cleared the Tower’s first level so quickly… Could they reach the third level?"
"Impossible! Even with Chu Lingluo’s strength, that deadweight Mu Lin would drag her down."
"Let’s stay calm. The Tower has countless missions—they might’ve gotten an easy one."
"They’ll struggle on the second level."
"Absolutely."
Ignoring the envious whispers, Mu Lin and Chu Lingluo briefly rested before re-entering the Tower for their second assessment.
The white light’s flash transported their consciousnesses to a mountain trail.
Four constables now surrounded them, a stark contrast to their previous solo mission.
"Sir, Linjia Village lies two or three li ahead. We’ll arrive within an hour of meditation if we hasten."
"Finally some rest," murmured one constable as the group relaxed their pace.
Mu Lin’s eyes narrowed. "Halt!"
"Sir?"
"I need to relieve myself." He gestured at Chu Lingluo, who blushed before stammering, "M-me too."
They disappeared into the woods, emerging minutes later unchanged. Mu Lin immediately berated the guards: "Stay vigilant! The final stretch proves most dangerous—monsters and evil spirits strike when defenses drop. Watch your surroundings unless you fancy dying here!"
The chastised constables straightened, weapons clenching tighter. Their heightened alertness proved fortunate when, moments later, boulders crashed down as a mountain spirit drove enraged beasts toward them.
Prepared guards deftly countered the ambush. Chu Lingluo marveled, "Brother Mu, how’d you predict this?"
"The Tower escalates difficulty each level," he explained. "Our first challenge provided village aid—the Taoist Palace’s hint to collaborate locally. Since second-level monsters remain awakening-level, the test shifts to unpredictability. I reasoned they’d prevent us reaching the village entirely."
"Moreover," he added, "this teaches us real demon-hunting never follows plans. Survival demands constant wariness… Exactly how I’d design the Tower’s trials myself."
