Chapter 1080: Breaking the Siege

Chapter 1080: Breaking the Siege

When the Dragon-Phoenix Dual Soul appeared, Liang Zhao furrowed his brows tightly. A single sword housed two Sword Souls; it’s said that two tigers cannot coexist on the same mountain. With such formidable dual souls, their harmonious existence commands nothing but respect.

But when it came to this boy named Lin Nuo, it somehow made sense.

It was hard to imagine someone practicing at the Xuanyun Sect being able to overpower countless demons after going rogue; he even had to avoid drawing too much attention.

If only he had encountered Lin Nuo earlier, perhaps they could have teamed up—or even taken him under his wing.

But ifs don’t exist. Back then, he was just another troubled soul, grappling with his own disappointments.

The Dragon-Phoenix Dual Soul was exceptionally ferocious. As it surged forward, the demon masters couldn’t withstand it at all. They were Sword Souls, masters at warding off specters, and they directly forced the specters out of their bodies.

Without their spectral enhancements, they reverted to being laughing stocks, completely unable to continue their assault on the lower realm.

“Hiss…”

Liang Zhao clenched his teeth. The souls in his black vortex were nearly depleted; he couldn’t continue supplying them.

“Young man, about your sword, to be honest, I initially couldn’t tell that it was a Demon Sword. Of course, it’s not entirely a Demon Sword; it can shift freely. At my age, I’ve never seen a sword like this. I can’t even tell if you’ve completely turned to darkness or if you’ve found a balance between the demonic and the righteous.”

Liang Zhao grew increasingly curious about Lin Nuo. Being old and having seen many things, he naturally paid attention to phenomena he’d never witnessed before.

“I can’t understand the nonsense you’re saying. Your tricks should be over by now.”

With the help of the Dragon-Phoenix Soul, Liang Zhao’s army of demon mages couldn’t withstand Lin Nuo’s strikes. Countless swords broke through the demon masters’ defenses, carving a bloody path.

With the momentum lost, Liang Zhao was powerless.

He wasn’t the main body; all he could do was release his soul to strengthen the demon mages.

“Retreat.”

He ordered, knowing they couldn’t stay any longer; otherwise, they’d be wiped out entirely—better to save what they could.

“Liang Zhao, if you came with your main body, the outcome would surely be different.”

The swords gathered back to Lin Nuo’s hand as he paused to gather his strength.

“Ha, you figured that out?”

“Of course. I’m just thinking about the day I get to battle your main body and unleash a puppet; that would be quite the sight.”

Lin Nuo finished gathering his strength and charged directly at Liang Zhao, as their power had waned and no one stood in his way anymore.

“There will be opportunities.”

Liang Zhao smiled and had no intention of fleeing. He just stomped his magic staff, and suddenly, his entire body radiated heat, exploding.

Boom!

The puppet self-destructed, and Lin Nuo quickly recognized the danger, slamming on the brakes and retreating out of the explosion radius.

“This old man blew up a puppet; now he dares not act so arrogantly anymore.”

Lin Nuo muttered to himself; using puppets recklessly had its downsides. Losing a puppet harmed the user as well, and the puppet couldn’t unleash its full power, making it easy to end up destroyed.

The silver lining was that he could still manage to survive.

The demon army led by Liang Zhao broke apart, scattering in a panic, but Lin Nuo wouldn’t let them escape. He threw a massive black magic sphere into the sky, which exploded and split into numerous smaller spheres raining down to the ground.

They scattered; without unity, they couldn’t hold their ground, resulting in many casualties. Yet, some skilled enough managed to escape.

However, those who fled were quickly locked onto by Lin Nuo. A swing of his sword, and they were sent to the heavens.

“Hmm? With this continuous consumption, it’s still a bit exhausting.”

Lin Nuo panted heavily. He was calm during the fight, yet immediately after, he felt breathless, as if he were completely drained.

The Dragon-Phoenix Dual Soul had also felt fatigued; it never expected to leap into action twice today. They were fierce during the battle but felt drained afterward, barely able to stay aloft.

“You two need some hardcore training; even after just two bouts, you’re already worn out.”

As Lin Nuo spoke, he found a place to sit and catch his breath. The Dragon-Phoenix Dual Soul didn’t immediately return to his sword, instead resting at his sides, keeping him company as they recuperated.

“I told you two, why not stay put in the sword instead of wandering about aimlessly?”

However, both Sword Souls emitted faint sounds, and Lin Nuo understood their intentions.

They knew he was in rough shape, so they chose to stay beside him, trying to channel some energy his way.

“Benefits only come from the source. Your energy is all used up; in the end, won’t you still need me to replenish you? Such fools.”

Lin Nuo shook his head, realizing these two Sword Souls were not the sharpest tools in the shed.

Yet, he appreciated their intent; although a bit foolish, they were looking out for him.

It felt like ages since he last spent time with them. Usually, they were dormant within the sword, only making an appearance during critical moments.

“Fine, do as you wish.”

Lin Nuo then forcefully returned them to the sword and lay back down to rest.

The sky today was quite overcast. In his past life, he loved gloomy and inclement weather. But in this life, his perspective had changed somewhat.

Cloudy days and rain made fishing hard; on sunny spring days, it was delightful to fish freely or search for frogs in the fields.

His mindset had shifted. He learned that such changes could lead to compassion, causing mistakes.

Yet, upon reflection, he also didn’t wish to lose that mindset.

After falling into darkness in his previous life, there was little to ignite his spirit—always killing and scheming, beginning to feel nice, but in the end, he grew weary and lost, wandering his thoughts in the stillness of night.

He had always adhered to the ideology of a great villain, and now it felt like an obsession.

There were reasons to hold on, but that urgency was no longer as strong.

Whatever, one step at a time.

Lin Nuo didn’t ponder too much. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, and memories rushed back into his mind.

He saw images from his past life, of being hunted down, fleeing, persecuted, and ultimately turning dark, slaughtering many—a rapid slideshow of moments, reflecting on his life’s journey.

Jumping to the end, he saw Su Kexin take his life with a single strike.

He then reopened his eyes.

“All I wanted was a breather; why do these memories keep popping up? Whatever.”

Lin Nuo stood back up and told the Dragon-Phoenix Dual Soul:

“Come back; it’s time to go.”

He raised his sword, and they complied, returning to their place within.

Back they went.

The tremors from the underground space had ceased, and Qin Shili and the others didn’t hear any more faint noises coming from outside.

“Is it over?” Qin Zhu asked.

“It should be; Lin Nuo can handle it all.” Qin Shili replied.

Soon enough, Lin Nuo’s figure reappeared before them, looking extremely fatigued, suggesting he had expended quite a bit of energy.

“Are you okay, Lin Nuo?” Qin Shili asked with concern.

“I’m fine.”