At this moment, the man wielding the great sword had already broken through the barrier net woven by Mu Lin’s Yuan force and launched an attack directly at Mu Lin. The fireballs, water swords, wind blades, and ice daggers launched by the others also converged on Mu Lin at the same time, putting him in grave danger.
Since his debut, Mu Lin had never encountered such a perilous situation. Now, after the enemy had brought out several magical treasures, he found himself in danger. Until now, Mu Lin had never encountered any cultivators or foreign powerhouses, so deep in his subconscious, he always believed there was no one in the world who could rival him. Driven by complacency and laziness, he had never bothered to refine any magical treasures for himself. Thus, when confronted with these previously unseen magical treasures, he was caught completely off guard.
Helplessly, he pulled out his self-crafted silver needles, flicking his wrist to launch four of them. Not aiming for a decisive strike, but simply to block, he targeted the bearded swordsman’s wrist, hoping to slow the opponent’s attack speed. With his other hand, he wielded a silver needle charged with Yuan force to parry the enemy’s great sword. At the same time, he swiftly dodged the incoming fireballs, water swords, wind blades, and ice daggers.
With a whistle, the enemy’s great sword sliced through Mu Lin’s silver needle, sliding past his body and cutting his clothes with the wind pressure alone. However, the four silver needles Mu Lin had launched to delay the attack immediately struck the swordsman’s wrist. The bearded man’s hands went limp, and the great sword clattered onto the deck.
Yet among the incoming attacks, although Mu Lin managed to evade the fireballs and water swords, the wind blades and ice daggers still slashed several deep cuts across his body, even if not very deep. Blood streamed down his clothes.
Seeing the great sword fall to the ground, Mu Lin ignored his wounds—this was the first injury he had sustained since his debut. But that great sword in the enemy’s hands was a magical treasure he had never seen before. In a flash, Mu Lin snatched the sword and felt its immense energy, something he had never encountered before. No wonder it had easily severed his silver needle filled with Yuan force.
But there was no time now to examine the sword further. Mu Lin casually shoved the sword into his ring. The several figures on the other side cried out in horror when they saw the great sword fall into Mu Lin’s hands. They wanted to rush forward and retrieve their weapon, but they were not as fast as Mu Lin. Seeing the sword suddenly disappear from Mu Lin’s hands, their faces turned pale with fear.
“Heaven! Sir Anguis, this demon has destroyed our Sword of Light! What should we do?” One of the men cried out in alarm when he saw the sword vanish, assuming Mu Lin had destroyed it.
“What else can we do? We must fight this demon to the death! Even if we all die here today, we cannot let this demon escape again. You all know, this demon not only disgraced our monarchy and government, but also brought suffering to our people!
This demon sabotaged our currency system, forcing our country out of the European Monetary System. This demon even spread the mad cow disease virus in our nation. Tell me, can we let this demon seize our warship again and escape into the distance, bringing further shame to our Royal Navy worldwide?” The bearded holy knight Anguis shouted, his face filled with determination.
Before Anguis’s words had fully faded, a blinding light pierced through the submarine’s porthole, followed by several deafening explosions. The sub shook violently from the shockwaves.
The expressions on everyone’s faces changed again in panic. Before they could recover from the shock, the submarine experienced several more violent tremors, followed by even brighter flashes of firelight through the porthole, and then even louder explosions.
Then came the shockwave from the explosion and the massive waves it generated. This time, the waves seemed even more violent than before, causing the submarine to rock violently.
Before the submarine had even stabilized, Anguis’s scream pierced everyone’s eardrums once again. “Heaven! My God! How is this possible! Our four frigates! You demon, look at what you’ve done! Our four frigates have all been sunk by our own submarine! There were nearly 800 people on those ships! All destroyed by you, you demon! You murderer! I swear to God, you will go to hell for this!”
Screaming, he charged forward like a rabid dog, but was quickly restrained by the others. Soon, Anguis disappeared among them, beginning to discuss their next move. Mu Lin, seeing their expressions, realized they had resolved to fight to the death. However, their magical treasures seemed to block his Yuan force detection, so he couldn’t hear their conversation.
Mu Lin assumed they were probably planning how to deploy their forces against him. He could no longer afford to be careless with these enemies who could actually harm him. Since he couldn’t hear their conversation, he decided to simply prepare for whatever came next.
He casually pressed a few points on his body to stop the bleeding, then pulled out a small vial of poison from his ring. This was a new poison he had refined over the past two months. It was colorless and odorless, and a single breath would render the opponent immobile.
As his Yuan force surged, a faint, invisible gas began to seep from the vial in his hand, spreading toward the enemy ranks. After putting the vial away, Mu Lin took out several protective talismans, holding them in one hand while preparing to attack with his silver needles in the other.
He knew the enemy relied on a protective magical treasure, and having seen his attacks fail, they had grown confident. Mu Lin knew that no matter how strong a defense was, it could not withstand continuous attacks indefinitely. This depended on both the treasure’s function and the user’s strength.
“Hmph, these guys probably think that’s all I’ve got, huh? Looks like I need to show them who the real boss is,” Mu Lin muttered. He channeled his Yuan force into his right hand, gripping a silver needle, and launched a punch directly at the protective barrier formed by the enemy’s cross-shaped treasure.
With a thunderous boom, his fist collided with the barrier’s energy. Though it did not break through, the silver needle in his hand tore a small slit in the barrier. The toxic gas and calming talismans surrounding the barrier drifted through the opening toward the enemy within. As Mu Lin pulled his fist back, the barrier’s energy sealed the gap completely. But his goal had already been achieved.
Inside the barrier, the group suddenly realized something was wrong—they found themselves unable to move at all. They had fallen for the trick. As their bodies collapsed, more soldiers behind them began to fall too, all armed with heavy weapons.
But by then, it was too late. If they had fought Mu Lin head-on, they might not have fallen so quickly, but they certainly wouldn’t have been so easily ambushed. In a state of panic, one of them desperately shouted into his radio, “This is Anguis! We’ve lost mobility! Initiate Plan B immediately! Immediately!”
Mu Lin continued pounding the barrier with his fists. Though he couldn’t hear what they were shouting, it was certainly nothing good. This was the first time he had been injured in battle, and the thought made him grind his teeth in fury. Moreover, he had encountered magical treasures unlike any he had seen in the Central Plains. No matter the reason, he had no intention of letting them go. And only by breaking through this barrier could he use his mental senses to scan the entire ship and discover what schemes they were plotting.
Under Mu Lin’s relentless assault, the energy of the barrier finally shattered. The cross-shaped treasure held by the priest cracked slightly. Mu Lin quickly rushed forward, snatching the cross and immediately stuffing it into his ring without even bothering to examine it.
Looking closely at the faces of the fallen enemies, Mu Lin noticed no signs of panic—only calm and peaceful expressions. The priest was murmuring prayers of comfort, the kind used to send souls to heaven upon death. This eerie sight sent chills down Mu Lin’s spine, and a sense of foreboding grew stronger in his heart.
Without the barrier obstructing him, Mu Lin’s mental senses spread like mercury throughout the entire submarine. He discovered that all the crew members were already dressed in full uniform, standing calmly at their posts with expressions of calm acceptance.
In the captain’s cabin, the captain stood in place, facing a countdown timer on the self-destruct mechanism of the submarine. The numbers ticked down: 10, 9, 8, 7…
It was over. Mu Lin hadn’t expected them to go so far as to destroy themselves along with him. These two “Swift”-class SSN nuclear attack submarines were the most advanced joint-developed nuclear-powered subs from the U and Y nations. Due to the ongoing Cold War, to prevent capture by enemies, the submarines were equipped with self-destruct mechanisms designed primarily to protect the nuclear systems. The explosion would be equivalent to a small atomic bomb. Such a command was never issued lightly.
Now, there was no time to dismantle the self-destruct device. Once activated, the countdown could only be stopped by a new code issued from the Y nation’s Naval Headquarters.
At this moment, the man wielding the greatsword had already broken through the barrier of spiritual energy woven by Mu Lin and attacked him head-on, swinging the greatsword fiercely toward Mu Lin’s body. Fireballs, water blades, wind blades, and ice daggers launched by the others also struck Mu Lin simultaneously, instantly placing him in grave danger.
Since his debut, Mu Lin had never encountered such peril. Now, with his opponents unleashing several magical artifacts, he found himself in a dire situation. Until now, Mu Lin had never faced cultivators or foreign powerhouses. Subconsciously, he had always believed that no one in this world could rival him. Driven by complacency and laziness, he had neglected to refine proper defensive artifacts for himself. Now, confronted with unfamiliar magical weapons, he was caught off guard.
With no other choice, Mu Lin drew the silver needles he had refined. With a flick of his wrist, he sent four needles flying—not to attack, but to defend, aiming for the bearded swordsman’s wrists in hopes of slowing his assault. Meanwhile, he used another needle infused with spiritual energy to parry the greatsword. Simultaneously, he dodged the incoming fireballs, water blades, wind blades, and ice daggers with swift movements.
*Whoosh!* The greatsword sliced through Mu Lin’s needle and grazed past his body, the sheer force of the blade tearing his clothes. However, the four needles Mu Lin had launched struck true, embedding themselves in the swordsman’s wrists. The bearded man’s grip weakened, and the greatsword clattered onto the deck.
Yet, while Mu Lin managed to evade the fireballs and water blades, the wind blades and ice daggers still found their mark. Despite channeling his full spiritual energy into defense, several deep gashes opened on his body. Though not fatal, blood seeped through his clothes.
Seeing the greatsword fall, Mu Lin ignored his wounds—his first injury since his debut. The greatsword was unlike any artifact he had encountered. In a flash, he seized it, sensing an immense, unfamiliar energy within. No wonder it had effortlessly severed his spirit-infused needles.
But there was no time to examine it further. Mu Lin swiftly stored the greatsword in his spatial ring. The enemy, witnessing this, cried out in horror. They had intended to reclaim their weapon but were too slow. Now, seeing the greatsword vanish, their faces turned ashen.
“My God! Sir Angus, this demon has destroyed our Holy Light Sword! What do we do now?” one of them shouted, mistaking the disappearance for destruction.
“What else can we do? We fight to the death! Even if we all perish here, we cannot let this demon escape! Do you not realize? This fiend has shamed our monarchy and government, brought suffering to our people, sabotaged our currency system, forced our nation out of the European Monetary Union, and even spread the mad cow disease virus across our land! How can we allow him to seize another of our vessels and humiliate the Royal Navy once more?” roared Sir Angus, his face resolute.
Before his words faded, a blinding flash erupted through the submarine’s portholes, followed by deafening explosions. The vessel rocked violently from the shockwaves.
The crew’s expressions twisted in terror as the submarine shook again. Then, an even fiercer blaze illuminated the portholes, accompanied by louder explosions. The ensuing shockwaves and towering waves tossed the submarine like a toy.
Before the vessel could stabilize, Angus’s scream nearly shattered their eardrums. “My God! How is this possible?! Our four frigates! Demon, look at what you’ve done! Our own submarine has sunk them! Eight hundred lives—gone! Murderer! I swear to God, you will burn in hell!”
He lunged forward like a mad dog but was restrained by his comrades. They huddled, whispering urgently. Mu Lin, though unable to hear them due to their artifact’s interference, knew they were plotting.
Assuming they were strategizing, Mu Lin steeled himself. These foes had wounded him—he would not underestimate them again. Unable to eavesdrop, he resolved to counter whatever came his way.
He pressed acupoints to stem his bleeding, then retrieved a vial of poison from his ring—a colorless, odorless toxin he had refined over the past two months. A single breath would paralyze its victims.
Channeling his spiritual energy, he released an imperceptible mist that drifted toward the enemy. Stowing the vial, he armed himself with defensive talismans in one hand and silver needles in the other, ready to strike.
He knew they relied on a defensive artifact, emboldened by his failed attacks. But Mu Lin understood that no defense was impregnable—its strength depended on both the artifact and its wielder’s power.
*Hmph. They think my abilities are limited. Time to teach them a lesson.* Focusing his spiritual energy into his right hand, he drove a fist—clutching a silver needle—into their protective barrier.
*BOOM!* His punch collided with the shield’s energy. Though it didn’t break, the needle tore a tiny fissure. Poison mist and paralysis talismans seeped through before the barrier resealed. But Mu Lin’s goal was achieved.
The conspirators suddenly froze, collapsing as paralysis took hold. Behind them, more armed soldiers crumpled.
It was too late. Had they fought head-on, they might have lasted longer. Now, helpless, Angus rasped into his radio, “This is Angus! We’re immobilized! Execute Plan B immediately! I repeat, execute Plan B!”
Mu Lin continued hammering the barrier. Though he couldn’t hear them, he knew nothing good was afoot. This was his first injury in battle, and it infuriated him. Moreover, these foreign artifacts intrigued him. Whatever their plan, he wouldn’t let them escape. Only by shattering the barrier could he scan the submarine with his psychic senses.
Under his relentless assault, the barrier shattered. The cross in the priest’s hand cracked. Mu Lin snatched it, stashing it in his ring without inspection.
Scanning their faces, he found no fear—only serene acceptance. The priest murmured last rites, praying for their souls. The eerie calm unsettled even the unflappable Mu Lin. A foreboding dread grew.
With the barrier gone, his psychic senses flooded the submarine. Every crew member stood at their posts, composed, ready to die.
In the captain’s quarters, the self-destruct countdown flickered: *10… 9… 8… 7…*
*Damn it!* Mu Lin hadn’t expected them to choose mutual destruction. These two *Swift*-class SSN nuclear attack submarines, jointly developed by the U.K. and U.S., were state-of-the-art. Amid Cold War tensions, they housed self-destruct mechanisms to prevent capture—equivalent to detonating a small nuclear warhead. No one activated them lightly.
Disarming it was impossible now. Once triggered, only a coded order from naval command could halt it.
Mu Lin swallowed a *Baoyuan Pill* and *Juyuan Pill*, then crushed a Water Escape Talisman. As he moved, a thunderous explosion rocked the submarine. His head and body felt crushed by a sledgehammer. Agony overwhelmed even him before darkness swallowed his consciousness.
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