Chapter 440

Chapter 440: Mu Lin: I Shall Ascend to Earth Immortal Upon the Bones of Countless Monsters and Evil Spirits!

Through the miraculous Holy Salt, Mu Lin gained an entire city of followers during a single mission to Black Mountain Ridge.

The Black Sha Legion who fought alongside him also became devout believers, praying daily to receive his blessings again.

Mu Lin showed generosity to these loyal warriors.

He granted the positions of Yin soldiers and ghost officials to talented soldiers who worshipped him, planting the Other Shore Flower in their minds to protect their souls.

He armed them with Soul Binding Chains, while some even gained control over the flame of revenge.

These gifts deepened their devotion to Mu Lin.

Though Mu Lin departed from Black Mountain Ridge, his influence continued growing in both the ridge and Thunder City, strengthening with each passing day.

Recognizing this, Mu Lin carefully nurtured his followers.

Meanwhile, Yan Yunyu and Ji Ling Sha teamed up to deliver Mu Lin an unexpected boon.

Loading the Sky Ferry with Holy Salt, these proactive women journeyed to distant lands to spread his influence.

The salt’s wonders helped them establish footholds in two legions, expanding Mu Lin’s reach.

Delighted, Mu Lin devoted an entire day to "rewarding" them thoroughly.

Yet their efforts faced obstacles.

While Holy Salt brought miraculous benefits to ordinary civilians, its acceptance inevitably boosted Mu Lin’s influence while weakening military authority.

Some celestial masters tolerated this tradeoff, valuing the salt’s life-saving properties above political concerns.

But other leaders resented their diminished control.

Of the four legions approached by the Sky Ferry, only two accepted the Holy Salt.

One legion barred Yan Yunyu completely, while another took the salt while secretly persecuting Mu Lin’s devotees.

"Everlasting Heaven and Witch Army… I’ll remember them."

Nestled against Mu Lin, Yan Yunyu asked softly, "Mu brother, how should we respond? Issue condemnations?"

"Unnecessary. Simply ensure not one grain of Holy Salt ever reaches them again."

Ice edged Mu Lin’s voice as he continued,

"Let them learn this truth – they need me, not I them."

Mu Lin harbored no saintly ideals of self-sacrifice.

If others refused to pay the price, he saw no reason to offer protection.

In addition, the spread of faith in the other two legions was merely a pleasant surprise for Mu Lin.

This matter did not interfere with his grand scheme.

After ten more days passed, believing his influence and preparations were sufficient, Mu Lin summoned Zhang Hemiao, Sheng Cang, and the others. He also reached out to the leaders of the Black Sha Legion and Thunder Legion.

When all had gathered, Mu Lin dropped a bombshell.

"I propose our three legions unite to launch a massive campaign. We’ll eradicate all strange evil spirits, monsters, evil ghosts, and foul beings from our lands. Our territories will be cleansed of external threats, purified completely!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Silence gripped the room.

Even Mo Feng, the invited guest, hadn’t anticipated such boldness—neither had Zhang Hemiao or Sheng Cang. A joint operation of this scale meant total war.

The cautious Sheng Cang spoke first:

"Mu Lin, we know your heart’s in the right place, but rushing isn’t wise. We’re still too weak—"

"I’m strong enough now," Mu Lin cut in. "These abominations can’t withstand me."

No one challenged this claim. They’d all seen his power firsthand. Yet doubts remained.

Zhang Hemiao frowned. "You’re mighty, yes. But even a hundred clones couldn’t cover every battlefield."

Mu Lin grinned. "Alone, I can’t. Your armies alone can’t either." His gaze shifted to Mo Feng and Jing Zhe. "But during our recent drills… What if my clones fought alongside your troops?"

"…"

Mo Feng and Jing Zhe froze, words dying on their lips.

After a long hour of meditation, Mo Feng finally broke the silence.

"A hundred clones… reinforcing our forces… It might work."

Jing Zhe nodded slowly. "Madness. But possible."

The doubt on their faces melted away, replaced by fierce anticipation.

They were naturally excited. These people had lost much of their land to the monsters and evil spirits, with many family members and friends killed by them. Their hatred and killing intent toward those evil ghosts and spirits burned fiercely – they dreamed of wiping them all out. In the past, they hadn’t acted not because they didn’t want to, but because they lacked the strength. But Mu Lin’s cooperation showed them real hope.

When this concrete hope appeared before them, Mo Feng and Jing Zhe became even more enthusiastic than Mu Lin himself. Without needing further prompting, the two began planning where to start cleansing and which troops to deploy where.

"Ghost Fog Mountain can be our responsibility…"

"Echo Valley – our Thunder Legion’s war drums will shatter that place."

"Corpse Poison Swamp… your Agricultural and Martial Corps can handle that, yes?"

Mo Feng and Jing Zhe were brimming with energy. Though their discussion with Mu Lin was just a preliminary meeting, the real campaign would require approval from the Black Sha Legion and Thunder Legion commanders. After some planning, the excited duo returned to their respective legions to convince their commanders.

Before leaving, they gave Mu Lin their assurances:

"At Black Mountain Ridge, every soldier from commander to footman loathes these evil spirits. We’ve proposed purges before, but lacked strength. With your help now, the commanders won’t refuse."

Jing Zhe added: "Same with Thunder Legion. Truth is, after receiving your Holy Salt ten days ago, our commander and deputy commander already wanted to strike at nearby evils – though we originally planned smaller operations. With you joining, the commander will approve full-scale war."

As the two left in high spirits, Sheng Cang stopped Mu Lin. Though eager to purge the evils, Sheng Cang’s Agricultural and Martial Corps lacked the protection of a heavenly master. He urged Mu Lin to wait until achieving Earth Immortal status before launching the campaign.

"Monsters aren’t weak. They only fought each other before, letting us survive. Once we attack, they’ll unite against us – maybe even send assassins. Black Sha and Thunder Legions have strong masters who can survive failure, but our elders…" Sheng Cang sighed. "Launch the campaign after your advancement."

Mu Lin agreed with Sheng Cang’s caution – when fighting lions, one must go all out. He’d never show mercy to stronger foes. Yet he insisted on starting now:

"You’re right, Elder Sheng. It would be safer after my advancement. But know this – my preparations are complete. I could become Earth Immortal anytime. This campaign is my ascension ritual."

Sheng Cang stared in confusion as Mu Lin continued, gazing at the sinking great sun: "I’ll claim my Earth Immortal throne atop mountains of monster bones… and become the true King of Hell."