Chapter 879: Torment

Chapter 879: Torment

After a chaotic explosion, the scene was a disaster; the Demon Practitioners were all wailing in agony, their cries deafening as the aftermath revealed a sea of flames.

Is this the end? Clearly not.

Aside from this lot, there were others lurking about. In fact, these guys were merely a prelude; what was coming next were the real powerhouses.

Typically, those who can hide within a Black Shadow are no pushovers, and now they swiftly approached Lin Nuo, closing in like a speeding bullet.

The speed was astonishing, almost in the blink of an eye they were at Lin Nuo’s side.

This Black Shadow was stronger than the ones encountered previously; it could very well be the exclusive demon assassin from the highest family of the Refining Demon Sect, the Chen family.

The Chen family boasted a plethora of talents, including demon masters and assassins of every kind.

Truly, that dog raised by the Chen family is quite impressive.

Lin Nuo felt that this single Black Shadow could annihilate this group of Demon Practitioners, one person standing firm against thousands—capable of challenging an entire division.

No joke, this was Lin Nuo’s own assessment.

If those esteemed elders from the Xuanyun Sect happened to show up, they might find themselves in quite the pickle.

And then it happened.

In an instant, out of the Black Shadow emerged a figure clad in dark purple, face concealed by a black mask; the outfit was extremely professional, unmistakably one belonging to the trade.

The assassin struck swiftly and decisively. To the onlookers, the dagger vanished into thin air—its swiftness astonishing, their heads severed before they even realized what happened.

But Lin Nuo was a joyous wind guy; there was no blade he couldn’t see through in this world.

When it came to speed, he was unmatched. However, back then, he had been accidentally injured by Su Kexin’s formidable powers, leading to his demise at her hands.

With the assassin’s swift blade aiming to claim him, Lin Nuo reacted just as quickly, sidestepping to avoid the strike.

This assassin was dispatched by the sect leader of the Refining Demon Sect—named Du Qun; agile and with reflexes and combat prowess among the top tier of demon assassins, he was no joke. He had yet to fail a mission.

After all, his previous assassination attempts weren’t absurd; to target Su Kexin or Luo Yi—harming one’s own kind was an uncertain gamble.

But now, as he targeted Lin Nuo, the moment the mission began, the outcome was very much determined.

Du Qun, emboldened by his initial success, swung his blade once more, slashing at Lin Nuo. The speed made it seem as if thousands of blades were slicing through the air, each slash imbued with demon soul power and lethal toxins. Each strike was powerful, even evoking a claw-like blade spirit lunging at Lin Nuo, attempting to pierce him to shreds.

A miss! Then another! And another—none of the attacks found their mark.

As an excellent villain, it would be too easy to dispatch the opponent so quickly.

To truly torment him, he needed to mentally wear Lin Nuo down, trapping him in a cycle of wanting to kill but being unable to do so—this was indeed a tortuous grind for an assassin.

But Du Qun, being a seasoned assassin, needed to maintain his composure. Losing control was the greatest taboo for an assassin.

Staying calm, he continued to strike, swinging his blade, even employing demon hands; each demon hand wielded a sharp edge, all aimed to hit Lin Nuo.

Meanwhile, Lin Nuo dodged continuously, rapidly creating multiple shadows. But high-tier assassins weren’t afraid of shadows; they could distinguish the real body.

Continuing to strike, disregarding the shadows, Du Qun remained oblivious to the growing encirclement.

Yes, Lin Nuo could switch among the shadows endlessly, creating an effect akin to instantaneous movement.

This tactic was terrifying—so realistic that distinguishing fake shadows from the real body was nearly impossible.

To break this tactic, one must first destroy the shadows, but assassins were known for their single-target strikes and rarely demonstrated powerful demon powers to obliterate shadows.

Strike! Hit!

Or rather, a hit—but it was merely an illusion, which promptly vanished.

The switch was made.

Du Qun was shocked; what was going on? He had clearly identified the real body only for it to slip away.

This was unacceptable.

Quickly, he reevaluated and re-identified Lin Nuo’s real body.

Right beside him—blending with the shadows.

When did that happen?

Unclear and with no time to ponder, he swung his blade again.

Out.

And again, the same result: nothing hit, all a miss.

Such repeated failures had Du Qun feeling like he was stabbing at shadows, questioning his own existence.

Having been a demon assassin for so long, he had encountered shadows, but never in this situation; previously, he had always pinpointed the real body.

But now…

Faced with a formidable foe, he realized why this kid held the highest bounty in the Refining Demon Sect.

His strength indeed warranted it.

As a demon assassin, he hadn’t reached that level yet; encountering someone not even that powerful yet capable of such feats was disheartening.

With no way out, he could only keep fighting.

Kill.

Lin Nuo had noticed Du Qun’s growing agitation; just the effect he wanted—making a demon assassin anxious was pure entertainment.

Suddenly, Du Qun was surrounded by wind; being someone who practiced wind techniques, this gust aided his speed—he was serious about this.

A raging wind?

Then let him face the tempest.

Lin Nuo conjured a wind of his own, enhancing himself with a layer of wind Buff—not just any wind, but a full-blown hurricane.

As Lin Nuo rapidly circled around Du Qun, the assassin couldn’t keep up with his rhythm, and soon a dark purple tornado formed around him, incredibly fierce.

Trapped within, Du Qun saw Lin Nuo’s shadow darting about as if ensnared in a nightmarish maze with no exit.

This put Du Qun on edge, feeling like he was being toyed with. His speed burst was useless, as he now faced Lin Nuo’s torrent—a dark hurricane turned him from hunter to prey.

With no escape in sight, it appeared the tornado was an impenetrable barrier. He thought to charge through, only to collide with Lin Nuo’s swiftly moving figure, feeling as though he were struck by a mighty punch, sending him spiraling back into the heart of the whirlwind.

Countless fallen leaves whirled into the air, all caught within the vortex, creating a spectacular scene.

Du Qun gritted his teeth, pondering how to break free.

To escape, he mustn’t charge against the whirlwind.

The shadows—even those attempting to slink away—were ensnared by the tornado, unable to break free.

As he lunged through the swirling chaos, the shadow was swept up entirely, whirling like a spin cycle in a washing machine, spiraling until he was dizzy, ultimately collapsing to the ground.

With a flicker of consciousness, he clenched his teeth, refusing to yield and still yearning for a way out.

But Lin Nuo had already closed the distance, extending his palm towards him.

A dark dragon soul widened its massive jaws, lunging to devour him whole.