My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 314 Showdown
The first stop for the Holy Master Xia Lin to spread his teachings throughout the world was a small, inconspicuous, and unknown town.

——Baishan City.

Baishan City was established a few months ago, and the reason for its construction is simple.

A Tai Sui mine with an astonishing output has appeared nearby.

Money moves people's hearts.

Countless gold prospectors flocked to the city, and with the help of magical arts, Baishan City sprang up overnight and is now quite well-established.

Just a few days ago, a strange object appeared in Baishan City.

It was a perfectly round cylinder.

Its whole body seems to be cast in iron, but it is difficult to be damaged by weapons, and it is not infected by rust disease and transformed into Tai Sui.

Cultivators even discovered that practicing the Black Iron Mystic Technique near this strange object could greatly increase cultivation speed.

The world believes that the reason why the Holy Master Xia Lin chose this place as the first stop for spreading his teachings is probably because of this strange object.

……

The area around Baishan City is surrounded by mountains. Due to the rich metal minerals in the mountains, these mountains have gradually mutated into a structure that is half stone and half Tai Sui (a type of mineral) due to the pollution caused by rust disease.

Looking down from this vantage point, one can see that Baishan City truly lives up to its name.

The surrounding mountains are all white.

Early in the morning, a celestial chariot flew in from afar.

Nine dragons pulled the chariot, and precious light burst forth, making the entire celestial carriage as dazzling as a star.

Ahead, immortals cleared the way, Taoist boys guided the way, and a holy master was on his way—what a grand spectacle!

Meanwhile, in the city, those who had received advance notice had been waiting for a long time.

……

The Tianxia Restaurant branch in Baishan City has been booked out.

The formation has been activated. It looks like a simple soundproof formation, but no one can tell that it contains the techniques of a Celestial King.

At this moment, the Black Martial Alliance members had arrived, led by Xing Jie, and numbering in the dozens of high-level martial artists.

The Black Martial Alliance certainly didn't just send this few people.

More people dispersed throughout Baishan City, preparing for Xia Lin's arrival.

Xiao Feng, Bao Bowen, and others were also mixed in.

Besides the Black Martial Alliance members, there was another group of people in the Tianxia Restaurant.

They were dressed in black robes, with gray hair showing, and there were only ten of them, but each one of them was a master!
The leader was none other than Zheng Li, the sect master of the Ancient Demon Sect and a giant of the demonic path!
Sitting opposite Xing Jie, Zheng Li had already removed his hood, revealing his true face.

He sipped his spiritual tea while glancing at Xing Jie, his eyes also scanning everyone else present with wariness and suspicion.

"Have you noticed that the world has become a little strange lately?"

Zheng Li spoke slowly, but only he and Xing Jie could hear his voice.

This startled Xing Jie, who honestly said, "What you're saying isn't right. You mean... Tai Sui?"

Zheng Li shook his head slightly: "It's not just Tai Sui, but also that Black Iron Profound Technique. My disciples, and even the nine protectors, have all cultivated the Black Iron Profound Technique."

"Although I didn't see any suspicious points or problems in this manual, I always felt that my disciples and followers had become somewhat unfamiliar to me."

Zheng Li, as an eleventh-level Immortal King, is stronger than Xing Jie, and his understanding of the Immortal Path is also much greater than that of Xing Jie, a martial artist.

His character is far more astute and intelligent than Xing Jie's.

Even without any concrete evidence, Zheng Li still sensed something was amiss...

Xing Jie shook his head blankly: "I don't know, I don't understand... I've been in seclusion for a while, and I haven't noticed anything wrong."

The price of being possessed by Black Star is not small.

Black Star itself will bear part of the cost, and Punishment will also bear part of the cost.

Ever since the last time Black Star possessed him, Xing Jie immediately announced his seclusion after leaving the Primal Secret Realm, all in order to resolve this consequence.

Having just emerged from seclusion, Xingjie received a new mission from Black Star, which meant he didn't fully grasp the changes in the outside world.

Seeing this simpleton display a kind of beauty born of brainstem deficiency, Zheng Li sighed deeply and had nothing more to say.

He simply looked around.

Everything is as usual...

The same subordinates.

No matter how closely Zheng Li observed, he could not find anything unusual.

However, within the immortal soul, there was always a strange premonition, which made alarm bells ring in Zhengli's heart, yet he did not know where the danger would come from.

A sense of unease began to rise, and Zheng Li took a deep breath and drank the cup of spiritual tea in one gulp.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."

"Let's deal with Xia Lin's problem first."

"Let's make this clear beforehand: Xia Lin's life is yours, but Qu Yiyi's daughter, Qu Tianhe, is mine!"

Xing Jie laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Don't worry, I won't fight you for it."

Zheng Li came here to obey Black Star's orders, which was a small matter, but to eliminate Qu Tianhe completely was a big matter.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the restaurant.

Everyone turned to look and saw that the man named Xia Lin had already left the carriage and entered the city.

Surrounded by thousands of people.

……

When the noise outside the window started, Wenrou also turned her head to look at the street.

She saw that familiar, handsome figure.

Today, Xia Lin was dressed in a Xuan Tian Sect sword uniform, clean, neat, and well-fitting. Combined with his roguish yet handsome face, he exuded a carefree and chivalrous air.

"The Holy Master..."

Thinking of Xia Lin's nickname, a look of amusement and exasperation appeared in Wenrou's eyes.

She knew perfectly well that this kid had absolutely nothing to do with the title of "Holy Master".

Just then, Bao Bowen, who was sitting next to him, slowly spoke up.

"Observe more, listen more, do less."

"This is our strategy for this operation."

The voice drew Wenrou's head, and she looked at her teammates at the same table.

Xiao Feng was in charge, with Bao Bowen as his assistant.

However, Xu Haonan and NO.259, who had been following Bao Bowen all this time, have disappeared without a trace—it is said that the two seem to have other matters to attend to, which are related to Lin Xiantian and NO.259.

Ignoring such a trivial matter, she looked gently at Bao Bowen and heard him speak quickly in the team's voice chat.

"The confrontation between Xia Lin and Hei Xing has been established. Both of them are stubborn and neither will back down even half a step."

"In this situation, our choices become very important."

"This time, the Black Martial Alliance and the Ancient Demon Sect joined forces, with one level 11 Immortal King and another level 10 or higher, but below level 11, who could attract the attention of a level 12 consciousness projection warrior at any time."

At this point, Bao Bowen looked at Xia Lin, who was walking past the window.

"If Xia Lin has the means to weather this storm on his own, we might as well lend him a hand and help him escape from Black Star's clutches."

Bao Bowen's words drew nods of agreement from his teammates.

If Xia Lin can weather this storm on his own, then his potential is worth betting on.

Befriending such a person is arguably no less important than bringing Black Star out of the Ember Zone.

Kong Youwu sighed from the side.

"Who would have thought this kid had so many tricks up his sleeve?"

Kong Youwu certainly hadn't anticipated this.

Wenrou listened absentmindedly to her teammates' chatter, and in a daze, she seemed to recall the scene when she parted ways with Bao Bowen and Xia Lin at the start of the Ember Zone event.

Although the conversation had already been discussed in the Primal Realm, things had come to this point, and Wenrou couldn't help but think this way:

If I had gone with Xia Lin instead of Bao Bowen back then, would it have been more advantageous for me?
While pondering, Wenrou suddenly smiled and shook her head.

Makes no sense.

Putting aside his own faction and stance, Xia Lin has offended Black Star and is barely able to protect himself. Following him would likely mean suffering greatly and gaining little benefit.

Then he thought of Xing Fanwu and the Clown, who had temporarily teamed up with Xia Lin in this burnt-out area.

In the past year, we've heard very little about these two.

But it doesn't matter...

Xia Lin has gotten into big trouble, and the two of them are powerless to help. They are probably hiding somewhere, passively waiting for this ash zone to end.

Then he thought about all the benefits and rare treasures he had gained by following the organization in this ash-covered area.

Thinking of this, Wenrou slowly sipped the spiritual tea.

After this area ends, the benefits she gains will be enough to increase her strength by several percentage points.

Originally, Xing Fanwu and she were not much different in strength, but after the Ash Zone ends, their strength will probably be far apart.

This is enough to prove just how correct her initial choice was.

……

"This is it."

The city lord of Baishan City pointed to the iron cylinder in front of him and respectfully addressed Xia Lin.

This also drew Xia Lin's gaze to the iron pillar.

Looking at the strange object in front of him, Xia Lin's lips unconsciously curled up.

Beside him, the voice of the City Lord of Baishan City rang out again.

"This object is not infected by the rust disease and can also accelerate the speed at which people in the vicinity cultivate the Black Iron Mystic Art. We asked a Golden Immortal to examine it before, but he could not see the origin or clues of this object."

Before the city lord could finish speaking, Xia Lin had already spoken, defining the nature of this object in a single sentence.

"This is a divine gift from heaven!"

It's not a foreign object, but a divine object, a treasure. Don't worry.

The city lord of Baishan City breathed a faint sigh of relief.

If the Holy Master speaks, then everything is settled.

He then bowed respectfully once more.

"Then please, Holy Master, bestow a name upon this object!"

Xia Lin stepped forward and gently stroked the iron cylinder in front of him.

"Let's call it County Magistrate..."

County magistrate...

The name left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment, wondering what the deeper meaning of the title "county magistrate" was.

But the words of the sage are the most profound truths.

The Holy Master calls this thing the County Magistrate, so it is the County Magistrate!

Cheers and jubilation erupted immediately.

However, before the cheers could subside, a fierce aura suddenly erupted from the Tianxia Restaurant not far away!
The breath dispersed the clouds and blocked out the sunlight.

In an instant, it seemed as if the world had turned upside down and the stars had shifted!
Daytime turned into night in an instant.

Inside the Tianxia Restaurant, a wild voice suddenly rang out, exploding in the ears of everyone in Baishan City.

"Xia Lin, your death is imminent!" It was Xing Jie's voice.

……

There was no elaborate planning or preparation.

Xing Jie didn't need to make too many preparations to deal with Xia Lin, a junior who wasn't even a True Immortal.

Locate the target and strike decisively!

Even if the fake "Qu Yiyi" were here, Xing Jie wouldn't be afraid—after all, he still had Zheng Li.

Moreover, the preliminary investigation revealed that neither Qu Yiyi nor the eleventh level of the righteous path were with Xia Lin this time.

At the very moment Xing Jie roared wildly, demonic light suddenly shone from all directions around Baishan City!

The demonic light soared into the sky, and the black demonic energy, like a black dragon, quickly wove into a huge cage, enveloping the entire White Mountain City and the surrounding area.

This is a formation that Zheng Li had set up in advance.

This formation isolates the space, ensuring that the news does not leak out and also cutting off the possibility of Xia Lin escaping or the arrival of outside help.

However, at the very moment the formation was completed...

Zheng Li's brow suddenly twitched, as if he sensed something ominous was about to happen.

He looked around, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

Because the atmosphere was off...

Faced with the unexpected turn of events, there was neither alarm nor panic in Baishan City.

At the very moment the formation was completed, the entire city of Baishan fell into an eerie silence.

……

In mid-air, Xing Jie was just about to make his move.

However, the eerie atmosphere caused Xing Jie to slow down his attack.

He looked down at the Tianxia Restaurant.

He then saw that all his men were staring intently at him with iron-colored eyes.

There was not a trace of human emotion in those eyes... but there was undisguised hostility and murderous intent.

"you……"

In a daze, Xing Jie recalled his conversation with Zheng Li.

"It's not just Tai Sui, there's also that Black Iron Mystic Technique..."

He wasn't truly stupid after all, and immediately realized the problem.

Looking up again, his senses spread far and wide, and the entire city of Baishan was taken into Xing Jie's view!
At this moment, everyone in Baishan City, regardless of their cultivation level, age, or gender, was focused on themselves and Zheng Li.

Even though almost none of these people could possibly cause Xing Jie the slightest harm, their numb gazes still sent an uncontrollable chill through Xing Jie's heart.

"you……"

He suddenly turned his head to look at Xia Lin.

Then they saw Xia Lin already sitting on the divine object called the County Magistrate.

He swayed with his feet off the ground, giving Xing Jie and Zheng Li a strange smile.

"What's wrong with me?"

This is asking a question even though you already know the answer.

Suddenly a sound came from the Tianxia Restaurant.

Two lanes.

The first voice came from Guan Chang, the vice leader of the Black Martial Alliance, and the leader of the ten Golden Immortal Guardians of the Ancient Demon Sect, the Cold Demon Venerable!
The two voices were synchronized and exactly the same!
“Xing Jie, Zheng Li, you have opposed the Holy Master and deserve to be torn to pieces.”

It was clearly a curse, yet it lacked any intonation, as if it came from a machine.

This made Zheng Li's lips twitch as he looked at the nine Golden Immortal Protectors of the Ancient Demon Sect that he had brought with him.

They had already stood up and surrounded themselves in the center with a nine-man linked formation.

The ominous premonition came true.

However, upon closer examination, the situation inside is even more terrifying for Zhengli!
"Black Iron Profound Technique... No, this is Black Iron Demonic Technique!!"

Zheng Li gritted his teeth and looked at Xia Lin, saying this.

He thought of his only son, Zhengqun.

Zhengqun also practiced the Black Iron Mystic Technique.

After all, this is the only solution to rust disease.

Xia Lin did not deny the name of the demonic art, but listened to the second voice that rang out from Tianxia Restaurant.

That was Bao Bowen's voice.

"Just as I thought..."

After saying this with a sigh, Lao Bao raised his teacup and made a toasting gesture to Xia Lin.

He said with a smile, "I felt before that the attitude of someone who has cultivated the Black Iron Profound Technique towards you changed too quickly and too fiercely... so I vaguely guessed that your Black Iron Profound Technique might have the effect of controlling the cultivator."

"Now, after such a long period of fermentation, almost everyone in this world has cultivated the Black Iron Mystic Art... No wonder you have the confidence to say no to Black Star."

Xia Lin shrugged, not directly responding to Bao Bowen's words.

However, there was another complex gaze beside Bao Bowen, which made Xia Lin smile slightly.

That was a gentle gaze.

She looked at Xia Lin, momentarily lost in thought.

Bao Bowen roughly understood Xia Lin's move, but Wen Rou was completely unaware of it.

At this moment, Xia Lin revealed the truth: Xia Lin had quietly pulled off such a ruthless move!
"But it doesn't make any sense..."

When Bao Bowen spoke again, he revealed the true thoughts of those around him.

Old Bao glanced at Zheng Li, then at Xing Jie, and then briefly at the others in Baishan City.

The contrast between the strong and the weak is actually quite obvious.

Zheng Li and Xing Jie still hold the advantage and are not weakened by the betrayal of their subordinates.

This is the logic of the extraordinary system—once the difference in strength becomes significant, quantity becomes meaningless.

With the power of the Immortal King Zhengli, he only needs to make a simple move to turn the tide!

Thinking of this, Bao Bowen suddenly spoke up: "Join us, and we'll help you resolve Zheng Li and Xing Jie, and we can even help you deal with Black Star's troubles."

"If you agree, you won't need to fight these level 11 and 12 natives. With your current strategy, you can reap the rewards for the next few years. We don't want anything in return; all we want is for you to become one of us. Xia Lin, what do you think of this proposal?"

This time, Bao Bowen's proposal was much more sincere.

However, upon hearing this, Xia Lin sighed inexplicably.

"Then, can you handle them too?"

The moment those words were spoken, the great formation surrounding Baishan City was suddenly torn apart.

Six figures appeared outside Baishan City, looking at Xia Lin with complicated expressions.

This was led by Bai Wudao, and the eleventh level of the righteous path!

Xuan Ye's voice suddenly rang out.

Gone is the gentleness of the past, leaving only the swordsman's fierceness.

“Disciple, you’ve gone too far with this move.”

……

Bao Bowen's face stiffened, but he dared not answer Xia Lin's question directly.

With Xiao Feng's and his own strength, plus Xia Lin, and some powerful items stored in his personal space, he was confident that he could resolve Xing Jie and Zheng Li's troubles.

Even if we can't win, at least we can save Xia Lin's life.

However, after Bai Wudao and the others appeared, Bao Bowen dared not say anything more.

In this Ash Zone, there are only eight level 11 beings in the Primordial World, and all of them except Qu Yiyi have arrived.

Judging from Xuan Ye's tone, they were clearly not there to protect Xia Lin.

On the contrary, they came to demand an explanation from Xia Lin!
Upon realizing this, Bao Bowen was startled and turned to leave... However, when he saw Xia Lin's unchanged expression, he had a change of heart, stopped leaving, and instead sat back down in his original seat.

A question arose in Bao Bowen's mind.

Xia Lin's plan, while not ingenious, was enough to deceive everyone.

It was only when the cards were revealed that Zheng Li realized something was wrong... So how did these righteous level eleven people, who should have been on the same side as Xia Lin, see through this situation?

The answer is simple.

"I did it on purpose."

Xia Lin stepped down from the county magistrate's head and landed on the ground.

He quickly straightened his clothes and bowed respectfully to Xuan Ye.

"Teacher, please don't blame me or be angry with me."

“I do not want to entrust my fate to others, so I came up with this plan.”

"My intentions were good; I wanted to resolve Black Star's problems."

"Once this matter is resolved, I will release everyone back to their freedom!"

The Iron Slaves in the Virtual Ash Zone follow Scarlett Qu Yiyi's logic.

After the modification, Xia Lin couldn't take it with him. If he wanted to take it with him, he would have to spend Ember Zone Points. But Xia Lin didn't even know how to get Scarlett's 100 billion Ember Zone Points. How could he possibly use the points on someone else?
After completing the plan, Xia Lin did have the idea of ​​letting these people go – it was just a virtual Ash Zone, there was no benefit to be gained, and Xia Lin wouldn't do anything that would harm others and himself.

Xia Lin continued, “I was worried that you immortals might not understand my predicament and might obstruct my path, so I chose to tell you everything frankly at this time and place.”

After saying that, Xia Lin looked at Xuan Ye: "Master, if you trust me, you should all leave and go into seclusion for several decades, ignoring everything that is happening outside. When you all come out of seclusion, everything will be over. I guarantee that this world will not suffer too much damage."

Taking some rare and precious materials along the way is my reward for my hard work, Xia Lin. I deserve it. Besides, even if the rare and precious materials are gone, the plant can still grow.

However, before Xia Lin could finish speaking, Bai Wudao snorted coldly.

"No need to say anything more."

"What you have done is unforgivable. If I do not kill you today, my resolve will not be at peace!"

Xuan Ye had already drawn his sword, and looked at Xia Lin before speaking.

"Answer me one question: where does this rust disease originate?"

Xia Lin responded softly, "It originated from my disciple's hand."

Now that things have come to this, he has nothing to hide from admitting it.

"Then there's no need to say anything more."

A dazzling sword light descended from the sky.

The intensity of the murderous intent terrified those who still retained their willpower!
Xuan Ye doesn't play games with you.

His attack was aimed at taking Xia Lin's life!
Bai Wudao spoke up to remind them: "Capture them alive!"

Xia Lin is dead, and they have no way to deal with the troubles of the Black Iron Mystic Art and the Rust Syndrome.

However, before Xuan Ye could withdraw his power, Xia Lin sighed and said.

"As expected, none of you can understand my predicament and good intentions... In the end, I, Xia Lin, will still have to bear the infamy of murdering my master and betraying the Way."

Muttering to himself, he slapped the iron pillar next to him that belonged to the county magistrate.

"Hey, get ready, it's time to combine."

The light of skill shone brightly in an instant.

It originates from human-machine ergonomics.

(End of this chapter)