Apocalypse: My Tattoos are Ten Yama Kings-Chapter 279 - 273: Return to the Real World

Lin Yuan reported the World Honored One’s name, and, just for good measure, casually crushed a few Tier Five Evil Spirits lurking nearby.

Immediately, those evil spirits who’d been sneaking peeks were scared off.

Lin Yuan held his head high and puffed out his chest, striding away with swagger and bravado.

After leaving far behind, making sure there were no evil spirits watching him, Lin Yuan opened a teleportation gate and returned to the real world.

Iron Back Mountain.

After walking for a long time and confirming the area was safe, only then did the evil spirits who’d been spying from the shadows finally gather together.

"World Honored One’s people are so overbearing—those fellows just glanced a few times and got pinched to death on the spot."

"Iron-Back Daoist never leaves Iron Back Mountain; what grudge could he have with the World Honored One?"

"Iron-Back Daoist is a mighty Tier Four, and yet, just like that, he was killed?"

"The World Honored One is too much—killing as he pleases, treats us as mere ants."

...

...

The gathered evil spirits all denounced the World Honored One’s cruelty.

At that moment, a voice trembling with fear and sporting a deer’s head reminded, "You all better stop. If the World Honored One finds out we’re gossiping about him, I fear we’ll end up just like them."

As soon as those words fell, the denouncing voices instantly died off.

The World Honored One was a superpower in the Mysterious World; who knew whether he could overhear these conversations?

If the World Honored One did hear what they were discussing now, he’d probably send minions to slaughter them too.

At this thought, the evil spirits present couldn’t help but shudder.

The Iron-Back Daoist, as a Tier Four powerhouse, had been the strongest evil spirit for thousands of miles around.

Even he was killed by the World Honored One’s people; if the World Honored One wanted them dead, they’d be utterly powerless to resist.

Some of the braver evil spirits were left only with burning resentment, but didn’t dare utter another word.

The more timid ones even started backing away, muttering under their breath, "I went to bed early today, I never came to Iron Back Mountain, never came..."

Before they’d even finished their sentences, those skittish evil spirits had bolted in a flash.

The Iron-Back Daoist was dead, Iron Back Mountain had been blown to dust—nothing left to see here.

Soon, the evil spirits gathered around scattered in all directions.

With their departure, news that the World Honored One’s people had slaughtered Iron-Back Daoist for no reason spread across the entire Mysterious World.

The more widely a story spreads, the stranger it becomes.

Countless versions now circulated as to why the World Honored One killed Iron-Back Daoist.

Some said the World Honored One wanted to make Iron-Back Daoist a Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast, but Iron-Back Daoist refused, so the World Honored One had him killed in anger.

Some claimed the World Honored One needed a rare ingredient for alchemy and sent men to kill Iron-Back Daoist to extract his poison sac for a potion.

There were even more far-fetched tales, like the World Honored One wanting to cultivate the Joyous Zen, having taken a fancy to Iron-Back Daoist’s woman, so that’s why he killed him.

....

...

Those were the three most common versions; besides them, a jumble of other rumors—dozens, messy and scattered—were in circulation.

In short, Lin Yuan had firmly dumped this bucket of filth onto the World Honored One—no way he’d ever wash it clean, not even if he dove into the Yellow River.

But really, whatever rumors were circulating in the Mysterious World had nothing to do with Lin Yuan anymore.

At this point, Lin Yuan was already back in the real world.

He’d successfully hunted the Iron-Back Daoist and obtained the Power of Rules the Daoist commanded.

This Power of Rules could be handed to the Director, who would use it as ink to inscribe one of the Ten Yama Kings onto his soul.

Ever since Bai Ling’Er was taken back to Qingqiu Mountain, Lin Yuan constantly longed to ascend the mountain and bring her back.

So, he was desperate to advance his strength as soon as possible.

After returning to the real world, Lin Yuan didn’t even turn back to Peng City, instead heading straight to Emperor Dragon City to look for the Director.

Only by turning Iron-Back Daoist’s Power of Rules into a Yama tattoo etched onto his soul could Lin Yuan truly rest easy.

Strength!

Right now, he needed it more than anything!

...

...

Walking down Emperor Dragon City’s streets, Lin Yuan spoke to the fish tank in his hand: "Liuyu Heaven, looks like you’ve finally turned over a new leaf!"

"Who’d have thought you’d actually give me a hand for real? You really dug up the perfect opponent for me."

"That Iron-Back Daoist was Tier Four as well, but I totally countered him. I bet he died feeling absolutely stifled!"

In the fish tank, Liuyu Heaven’s eight octopus tentacles simultaneously blocked his own eyes and ears, as if to say: not listening, not listening, like a turtle tuning out a sermon.

In that moment, Liuyu Heaven thought, "Iron-Back Daoist was stifled?"

"Isn’t it possible that I’m the most stifled one here?"

"Please, I beg you, stop talking, just stop...."

Liuyu Heaven felt that his entanglement with Lin Yuan was a truly uncanny karmic tie.

He’d clearly meant for Iron-Back Daoist’s poison to finish Lin Yuan off, and yet, by some cruel twist of fate, he’d wound up doing Lin Yuan a huge favor.

Trying to be encouraging, Lin Yuan said, "Me, I always reward merit and punish mistakes."

"Since you’ve helped me a great deal this time, I plan to reward you properly. What would you like as a prize?"

Before Lin Yuan could even finish, Liuyu Heaven whipped his tentacles away from his ears and said eagerly, "A reward...."

"I don’t want anything else—just let me go back to the Silent Sea. You’re Tier Four now, I pose no threat to you like this."

"Just treat me like a fart and let me go!"

Liuyu Heaven, suddenly seeing hope for freedom, shed his previous cold shoulder and pleaded desperately.

"Let you go?"

"Definitely not, don’t even think about it!" Lin Yuan rejected him mercilessly, then, looking magnanimous, added, "I’ve decided to reward you with a bigger fish tank."

Liuyu Heaven: "?????"

"Lin Yuan, for fuck’s sake, have a little humanity!"

"For a moment there, I honestly couldn’t tell which one of us was the real evil spirit!" Liuyu Heaven gritted his teeth.

After sparring verbally with Liuyu Heaven for a bit, Lin Yuan finally made it to the Research Institute.

Research Institute.

The Director, upon seeing Lin Yuan, looked obviously surprised.

Apparently, wise as he was, even the Director hadn’t expected Lin Yuan to make it back from the Mysterious World this quickly.

"Your speed’s far beyond what I imagined!" The Director smiled as he spoke to Lin Yuan.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan replied modestly, "Just luck, pure luck!"

As he spoke, Lin Yuan took out the Iron-Back Daoist’s Power of Rules.

Seeing it, and sensing the energy contained within, the Director couldn’t help nodding in appreciation, "Luck is just another aspect of strength."