Chapter 358

Chapter 358: The Hellish Ukiyo-e

As the ruler of dominion, Yama was never alone.

The civil and military judges served as his primary subordinates.

Below them were numerous ghost officials.

These ghost officials had strong auras and numbered three thousand, each wielding chains containing traces of spiritual weapon energy.

The mere presence of these ghost officials and their chains made it clear they could match a Transformation cultivator.

Having previously witnessed three Transformation manifestations, the crowd found the ghost officials impressive yet not extraordinary.

Their true shock came from sensing more Transformation-level auras within and around the hall.

The chains inside were treasures.

—Artifacts could also manifest as manifestations.

However, Mu Lin’s artifacts differed; they were spiritual weapons.

Since spiritual weapons require wielders to unleash full power, the Infinite Chains merely functioned as premium magic items in Yan Yunyu’s hands, but displayed Transformation-level might when wielded by Mu Lin.

Yama, the civil and military judges, Infinite Chains, and countless Yin soldiers and ghost officials combined gave the Yama Hall nearly five Transformation-level combat forces.

The surrounding city matched this grandeur.

"Splash…"

Lidu City’s outermost barrier was a moat with dark, shimmering waters where shadowy black jiao of Transformation-level energy swam.

West of the hall lay a filthy blood pool infested with crimson demonic creatures, Asuras, and a nine-headed blood dragon.

At the pool’s center stood a slaughterous long knife radiating Transformation energy.

To the north stretched an eerie sea of blooming Manjusaka flowers – hundreds of thousands of them.

Their combined power reached the Transformation realm.

Within Fengdu City, squads of Beiwai Army soldiers patrolled endlessly…

The civil and military judges, Infinite Chains, Ink Dragon, the River Lord, Other Shore Flower sea, hellish blood pool, Slaughtering Blade – along with thousands of ghost officials, tens of thousands of Yin soldiers, and hordes of Asuras – revealed the True Spirit Domain Chart’s full display as a living hellscape.

Every Transformation entity and spectral soldier now fixed their gaze on Luo Chen.

The concentrated stares brimming with fighting spirit and malice pressed him like mountains, forcing him back a step.

Yet the mental burden outweighed the physical.

Facing countless Transformation auras and legions of underworld forces, he felt trapped in a nightmare.

"Impossible!

How could you sustain so many Transformation manifestations? Your power shouldn’t support this!"

His shattered worldview left him unwilling to believe any of this.

And he was not the only one who felt everything before his eyes resembled an illusion.

"This much Transformation energy… I must be dreaming."

"Is it the Other Shore Flower sea? These flowers do create fantastical illusions."

Thinking this, some cultivators trapped within Lidu City instinctively formed hand seals and channeled their magic, attempting to shatter the ‘illusion’. Naturally, this did not work – everything Mu Lin summoned was real. The sight left everyone utterly speechless.

Above them, Luo Chen tried multiple techniques to break Mu Lin’s illusion. Yet the more spells he cast, the heavier his heart grew. Eventually, he had to admit the truth – this was no illusion.

For a moment, Luo Chen wanted to surrender completely.

‘This is impossible! That bastard Mu Lin is cheating! How can he summon multiple Transformation manifestations before finishing Condensing Essence?’

‘Have you no shame? Who cultivates like this?!’

Weary despair washed over him. Then he recalled the northern aristocrats’ expectations and his own vow to end the northern calamities. This reignited his heart of the Dao.

Instead of yielding, Luo Chen shouted defiantly:

"Numbers mean nothing, Mu Lin! A thousand sheep can’t stop a wolf pack!"

"Fire Calamity!"

BOOM!

All his calamity energy transformed into destructive flames, turning storm clouds into roaring fire. Luo Chen’s hundred-meter frame swelled into a two-hundred-meter fiery giant. The colossal being wrenched a magma-coated long sword from the earth and swung it at Yama Hall.

CRASH!

The fiery colossus struck with meteor force. While Luo Chen’s Transformation advancement boosted his power – now his casual strikes matched full-powered high-level resource stage attacks – it wasn’t enough.

"Impudent fool!" Civil judge Cui Yu’s voice thundered as he gripped the ledger of life and death. "For insulting Yama and disrupting the underworld, suffer the Sentence of a Thousand Cuts!"

Countless blades materialized, slicing the fire giant to shreds. Yet:

"Futile! I AM calamity! Ordinary blades can’t harm me. Even weapon disasters feed my power – REFINE!"

The scattered flames coalesced anew. Half the blades dissolved into calamity energy, absorbed by the reforming giant.

This scene also drew admiration from Mu Lin, who had transformed into Yama.

"Indeed, you aren’t easy to handle."

Luo Chen remained the most exceptional genius among millions in the North Wilderness, the Destined One favored by the heavenly Dao.

His manifested Calamity King stood as a pinnacle existence.

In solo combat, neither civil judge Cui Yu nor martial judge Zhong Kui could reliably defeat him—after all, Mu Lin’s judges weren’t the actual mythical figures, merely imitations lacking their legendary might.

Yet while single combat proved ineffective, Luo Chen now faced a ruthless gang-up.

As civil judge Cui Yu sliced Luo Chen’s body apart, Zhong Kui acted too. His waist-mounted gourd merged with his form.

"Boom!"

The fusion caused Zhong Kui’s frame to balloon instantly, transforming from ordinary human size into a hundred-meter colossus.

The towering figure inhaled deeply towards the scattered calamity flames.

"Slurp…"

"Whoosh!"

Flames streamed into Zhong Kui like baby birds returning to nest.

"Dare swallow my calamity fire? You court death."

Luo Chen initially felt pleased—calamity fire consumed nothing easily, instead burning most substances.

His confidence lasted mere breaths before crumbling.

"Impossible! How can you digest this?"

Baffled Luo Chen contrasted with Mu Lin’s absolute faith in Zhong Kui.

The Heavenly Level Formation’s Cycle of Life and Death.

The Chaos Origin Essence eroding all matter.

Zhong Kui’s magical gourd, enhanced by Central Earth Evil, gained Unchanging durability—its defenses impregnable.

Combined with the formation and essence, even tenfold-stronger Luo Chen couldn’t escape. This was Zhong Kui’s ultimate ghost-devouring ability.

Yet without proper cultivation methods, swallowing Luo Chen remained challenging.

Sensing danger, Luo Chen willed the severed flames into calamity crows fleeing Zhong Kui’s maw.

They immediately collided with the 360-meter Ink Dragon, the River Lord—its full power unleashed through the True Spirit Domain Chart. The leviathan’s charge extinguished swarms of crows.

Luo Chen’s plight worsened.

"Clang!"

At Mu Lin’s command, Infinite Chains multiplied into thousands, weaving an enormous aerial cage that descended to trap and silence him.

"Wind!" roared Luo Chen.

Calamity crows morphed into ash-black gales fleeing outward. Yet mid-flight, a third recoiled into the Heavenly Lock Realm’s silencing field. Another third vanished into Zhong Kui’s gullet and the Ink Dragon’s bulk.

The Other Shore Flower sea’s subtle illusions caused this reversal. Though unspectacular, its mental influence had seeped into Luo Chen’s consciousness.

Within moments, the "invincible" Luo Chen’s manifestation shrank by two-thirds, leaving a mere thirty-three-meter figure.

"…"

Spectators murmured in stunned silence. Some cultivators winced at the pitiful sight.

"Too brutal."

"I can’t watch—he’s charging blindly into death."

"One against multiple Transformation-level fighters? Mu Lin’s roster includes silence chains, a devouring guardian god, a forbidden-water dragon, and memory-altering flowers… Luo Chen should surrender. Losing to this monster brings no shame."