Extreme Spirit Chaos Technique

As a Dark Attribute Martial Artist, he possessed keen senses. How could he fail to see it? Mu Chen’s suit of pitch-black armor was a truly deadly weapon. Retracting the Steel Blades when he struck Sun Yong with his Steel Tail, pulling back the Steel Claws when he attacked Wu Lei and Wang Jie, and finally, using the flat of his Wing Body instead of his Wing Blades to swat them away—all of it was a show of mercy.

If this had been in the Outer Realm, the fight would have been over in an instant. This guy, Mu Chen... he was just too strong. Unconscionably strong! Unacceptably strong!

"Heh. You know when to bend and when to stand firm. You remind me of a friend of mine. No wonder they say that aside from Poison Cauldron Masters, Dark Attribute Martial Artists are the last people you should ever cross. Seeing you now, I can understand why. You people are just too calm and collected."

As his voice fell, Mu Chen said, "Leave your crystals behind. As for your companions, aside from you—the Fire Attribute Martial Artist—the other two will probably be laid up in bed for half a month. Go get their crystals for me."

Yang Fan gave a wry smile, sighed, and nodded. It was the first time he had ever been ordered around like this, and the other party did it so naturally that he was left with no room to argue.

A short while later, Yang Fan handed a total of thirty-five crystals to Mu Chen. Mu Chen didn’t even bother counting them. He never suspected Yang Fan would try to hide one. When one’s Martial Arts Realm reached their level, there was simply no need for such petty acts. It would be an insult to their pride.

Accepting the crystals from Yang Fan, Mu Chen gave them a casual glance and saw that aside from five white crystals, the other thirty were all black. This meant that thirty students from the Black Camp had been eliminated at the hands of these five.

Seeing Yang Fan still standing there, Mu Chen waved a dismissive hand at him. "You can go. Take those unconscious guys with you."

With that, Mu Chen glanced at Shenlin, who was hovering in the distance. He spread his Steel Wings, turned, and flew toward the Shattered Star Lock Chain. Meanwhile, Shenlin and Yang Fan found Sun Yong, Wu Lei, and Wang Jie, using their Primordial Power to levitate the three of them toward the exit. After all, they had now been eliminated by Mu Chen.

"Little Spirit, come back."

As Mu Chen called out softly, the Shattered Star Lock Chain shot up from the ground with a WHOOSH. In the blink of an eye, it coiled around his arm, transforming into the Star-Shattering Seal. Stroking the seal on his arm, Mu Chen sighed. ’For some reason, ever since I signed the Illusion Spirit Contract with Xiaohai, my Profound Dragon Arm and Nether Bone Arm seem to be suppressed whenever I use Illusion Spirit Fusion, rendering them unusable. Still, thinking about the power I have now, it seems even greater than what the Profound Dragon Arm and Nether Bone Arm could offer.’

With the chain retracted, the small figures of Lei Yun’Er and Lei Yue’er were revealed. A small smile appeared on his face. Mu Chen was surprised to find that the stiff muscles of his face had relaxed considerably upon seeing the two girls. At least, twitching the corners of his mouth was no longer a problem. ’It seems that with each use of Illusion Spirit Fusion, my body and Xiaohai’s are synchronizing more and more.’

"What’s wrong? In a daze?"

Seeing them both staring at him with blank expressions, Mu Chen waved a hand in front of their faces in exasperation, trying to snap them out of it. It worked, but when Lei Yun’Er came to her senses, she let out a cry of surprise and leaped up from the ground. She grabbed Mu Chen’s hand and began patting him all over—first his chest, then his Steel Tail, then moving on to his wings. This made Mu Chen break out in a cold sweat, but he could understand a young girl’s curiosity, so he stood still and let her.

But just then, Mu Chen suddenly felt a pair of small hands land on his butt. The corner of his mouth twitched violently, and he gritted his teeth. "I say, Yun’Er, that’s enough—"

However, before he could finish, Lei Yun’Er exclaimed in surprise again, "So weird! It looks like metal armor, but it still feels so soft here."

A vein bulged on Mu Chen’s forehead. He made a fist and gave Lei Yun’Er a light knock on the head, causing her eyes to well up with tears.

"Why’d you hit me?" Lei Yun’Er asked, aggrieved.

Mu Chen retorted, exasperated, "Are you even a girl? Have some decency! Who just goes around grabbing people’s butts?!"

As he spoke, Mu Chen took out the thirty-five crystals he had collected. He handed eleven to each of the girls. He gave the two that were left over to Lei Yun’Er for the time being, figuring he could get more later and even things out then.

"Brother Mu Chen, why are you still in this form? Can’t you change back?" Lei Yue’er asked, looking at Mu Chen curiously. She felt that his appearance gave off a slight pressure, but it wasn’t overwhelming.

Mu Chen rubbed his nose in embarrassment. ’Of course, it’s not that I don’t want to change back. It’s just that my clothes were destroyed during the fusion. If I reverted to my original form now, I’d be completely naked. This is the camp battle, and who knows if the screens in the grand hall outside are currently displaying my feed.’

’If they are, wouldn’t my naked body be seen by everyone who’s been eliminated? I could maybe live with that, but more importantly, there are two young girls right in front of me.’

Breaking out in a bit of a cold sweat, Mu Chen said, "It’s not that I can’t change back. Just wait for me here a moment."

Leaving them with those words, Mu Chen’s figure dissolved into countless specks of black starlight with a WHOOSH and vanished from before the two girls using Void Walking. Watching his disappearing figure, the teary-eyed expression on Lei Yun’Er’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a deep sense of happiness. This was the first time someone—someone like a father, but even more like an older brother—had stood before them, shielding them with his back when they were about to be bullied.

It was precisely because she had never experienced it before that she was all the more sensitive to it. She could feel the anxiety radiating from Mu Chen when Sun Yong had charged at them, and she could feel even more keenly the anger on his face as he fought for their sake.

’How wonderful would it be if he were really our brother.’

But as soon as the thought appeared, the image of a man with a cold gaze, a frigid expression, and scathing words surfaced in their minds. A flicker of pain appeared in both their eyes. However, just as the pain threatened to spread, the man’s figure slowly blurred and was replaced by another, clearer one. And that clear figure was Mu Chen.

...

At that moment, Mu Chen’s figure appeared at the base of a mountain range. He found a random cave, retracted the massive Steel Wings into his back, then released the small amount of Dark Attribute Elemental Power left in his body, wrapping himself in it securely. Only then did he silently will the fusion to release.

Compared to the Illusion Spirit Fusion itself, the process of de-fusing was much quieter. The ball of fire at the center of his brow gradually extinguished, and the black armor on his body faded away like melting snow. Mu Chen’s fair-skinned body was exposed to the air. He didn’t have bulging muscles, but like a cheetah, his frame gave off a sense of immense explosive power. His long, deep-purple hair slowly shortened until it reached his waist, its color returning to the original purplish-red. The blue light in his eyes slowly faded, replaced once again by a faint purple hue, and that demonic, bewitching aura of his returned.

A strange golden Rune seeped out from Mu Chen’s chest, imprinted itself on his wrist, flickered once, and then fell still. He knew it was because he still couldn’t fully control Illusion Spirit Fusion. That was why every time he fought, the Illusion Spirit Contract would first consume Xiaohai’s Primordial Power. Only after Xiaohai’s Primordial Power was completely depleted would it begin to use his own to maintain the fusion. Thus, the moment the fusion was released, Xiaohai was forced to return to the Summoning Space to hibernate, its own Primordial Power completely drained. Judging by Xiaohai’s current deep sleep, Mu Chen wouldn’t be able to use Illusion Spirit Fusion again for at least a month.

’I’m still too weak. To truly master Illusion Spirit Fusion, I need to reach a higher Martial Arts Realm. Otherwise, forcing Xiaohai to bear this burden every time is hard on me, too. After all, Xiaohai is still in its Juvenile Stage. Constantly forcing it into hibernation isn’t good for its growth.’

’One year. I will surpass the Emperor Realm!’

Having secretly set a goal for himself, Mu Chen found a set of black clothes in his Storage Ring and quickly put them on. Only then did he disperse the surrounding Dark Attribute Elemental Power.

「In the Outer Realm, inside the grand hall...」

Everyone watched the screen as Mu Chen, now in a fresh set of clothes, walked out. After his one-on-one victories against Shan Tianyu and Fang Bin, Mu Chen had once again shattered everyone’s expectations. Defeating five experts at the peak of the Nine-Ring Emperor Realm all by himself in under two minutes! Possessing an unknown Magical Beast that could fuse with him! The camera zoomed in on Mu Chen’s face, searing his image into the mind of every single person watching.

This time, the hall wasn’t filled with boisterous noise or cries of alarm, only silent reverence. Whether they were from the Black Camp or the White Camp, a new look had appeared in their eyes: one of pure veneration.

"Lord Dilaka was right. He really is a miracle. I still underestimated him," Chu Aoqing said to Mu Junwu with a wry smile. "I’m starting to feel a little inadequate now. It seems that the more he grows, the more I feel like I don’t have what it takes to pursue him... that I’m not worthy of him."

Mu Junwu smiled faintly. "In that case, I guess that just makes things easier for me."

Chu Aoqing was taken aback for a moment, but then she understood what Mu Junwu meant and smiled as well. "You’re right. If I gave up, that would make things easier for a lot of people. So, of course, I’m not giving up."

’Besides, Mu Chen had already left an indelible mark on her heart. Everything that happened that night had never once faded from her mind.’

...

Just as Lei Yun’Er and Lei Yue’er were lost in their thoughts, Mu Chen, now back to his original form, teased them, "I swear, how do you two manage to zone out so much? You can do it under any circumstances. Are you two professional daydreamers or something?"

Lei Yun’Er snapped out of it at the sound of his voice and retorted irritably, "You’re the daydreamer! We’re being profound. It’s called being understated, elegant, and full of substance. Only heartless people go through the day without a single deep thought."

Mu Chen laughed, then very naturally grabbed Lei Yun’Er’s and Lei Yue’er’s hands, pulling them up from the ground. He glanced at the flowerbeds, which were cracked and littered with the remnants of battle, and shook his head. "Such a beautiful place, ruined by a fight. It should return to normal soon, though. Let’s go."

"Where to?"

"To keep collecting crystals, of course. Even though we’ve pretty much secured first place, we still have these two unassigned crystals. I have a thing about neatness."

"..."