Chapter 1196: One Against Many

Chapter 1196: One Against Many

As soon as I returned, I was faced with a swarm of cultivators charging at me. If it were just one or two, perhaps I could evade and fall back, but now, retreating was not an option.

I had no choice but to confront them head-on.

“Master, they’re really here!”

One disciple shouted, pointing towards Lin Nuo, as if he had just discovered a new continent.

“Hmm. It’s time to settle this with them.”

In front of the cultivators, Zhang Yuanxu declared, now able to mobilize a massive number of Xuanyun Sect’s disciples, even having enlisted help from other sects and Daoist schools to surround Lin Nuo and the others.

This was a necessary grudge to resolve, as Lin Nuo and his comrades posed a significant threat.

Moreover, there was a key figure among Lin Nuo’s side—Mu Yiting.

If he could capture this woman named Mu, then Zhang Yuanxu would reap huge rewards with minimal effort.

These so-called righteous sects had already turned topsy-turvy, with internal power struggles. The most notable case was Xuanyun Sect, where the leadership had been taken over by Zhang Yuanxu.

Now, Zhang Yuanxu incited various sects, claiming that the chaos in the barrier was caused by Lin Nuo and his group, insisting that they must be eradicated.

However, they seemed to have overlooked one crucial detail: the Sword Saint was present.

Since he was already here, there was no thought of retreat.

“The Sword Saint is actually here…”

Those from the Sword Tomb were greatly astonished to see the Sword Saint, especially since all were trained sword cultivators who were well aware of his reputation.

Not just them; everyone recognized the weight of the Sword Saint’s name. After over ten years of fame, he was more renowned than Lin Nuo.

Of course, Lin Nuo didn’t desire such notoriety.

Before long, that group of cultivators had surrounded Lin Nuo and his companions, making escape exceedingly difficult.

“Sword Saint. No, you’re not worthy of that title; I should call you by your real name, Li Sheng. Do you even know what you’re doing? That Lin Nuo has betrayed us, delving into the demonic path, and you still assist him in his wrongdoing!”

The Deputy Master of the Sword Tomb reprimanded the Sword Saint, asserting that while the world called him Sword Saint, only a few remembered his true name, Li Sheng.

This way, Ruo’er didn’t need to change her surname, as she could continue to use the Li surname.

The Sword Saint had always disregarded these seemingly grandiloquent accusations. Ever since he left the Sword Tomb, he had been on his own path, indifferent to what others said.

Regardless, Lin Nuo was, after all, the son-in-law he recognized; it didn’t matter if he was human or demon, as long as he treated his daughter well.

Although his state was not yet at full capacity for combating demons, he was determined to protect those important to him—his family.

He didn’t respond directly to the accusations from the Sword Tomb but instead threw his Spirit Sword into the sky, transforming it into multiple swords that swiftly surrounded them.

The Sword Protection Formation, activate.

This protection formation was a defensive sword formation meant to protect Ruo’er and the others. After all, with family involved, he couldn’t unleash his full strength in battle.

“They will find it difficult to break through my sword formation in a short time.”

The Sword Saint commented confidently to Lin Nuo, implying that he would defend while Lin Nuo took the offensive role, and since he entrusted his sword techniques to Lin Nuo, he should step up to the task.

“Just don’t drop dead mid-fight.”

Lin Nuo quipped, clearly not wishing for the Sword Saint to collapse suddenly; if he did, it wouldn’t bode well.

“Lin Nuo, you are obstinately walking the path to damnation. Before you commit an irreversible mistake, you still have a chance to turn back.”

Zhang Yuanxu feigned righteousness, trying to persuade Lin Nuo to repent.

“Zhang, spare me the faux compassion. I know exactly what you’re like. Your disciples are blindly loyal to you, but you’re the one who violates the cultivation taboos, creating demonic souls to pin the blame on others. How can you pretend to be innocent here? Oh, by the way, what happened to that Master Zhao? Is he still alive, or has he already kicked the bucket?”

“Impudent! How dare you slander the Master!”

One disciple, Xie Yu, could no longer tolerate Lin Nuo’s scorn towards Zhang Yuanxu and instantly began to berate him.

“What a joke! Without your elderly cronies as backup, you’re nothing, Xie. You were only hailed as the most promising young male cultivator because there were no seniors in the mountains.”

Lin Nuo mocked, clearly rattling Xie Yu’s nerves.

“You?! Ha, a dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory! A demon-lover like you is the epitome of evil!”

“Just scram. You lot just came here to watch; do you think you can get in on the action? Laughable.”

Lin Nuo disdainfully retorted. Seriously, if a fight broke out, what could these rookie disciples even do?

With Zhang Yuanxu bringing a whole bunch of disciples, it seemed he intended to use them as fodder. Truly, disciples’ lives meant nothing to this old man; his heart was as dark as can be.

They certainly wouldn’t believe in the sinister side behind Zhang Yuanxu, having succumbed to personal worship. The once-great Xuanyun Sect had fallen to such lowly depths.

“Master, I’m willing to risk my life for you!”

Ling Meng declared resolutely, ready to plunge into the flames without hesitation.

“No need for that; you stay within this sword formation. If anyone dares to force their way through, just give them a single magical attack. Remember, don’t leave the formation.”

Lin Nuo instructed Ling Meng before stepping out of the sword formation, opting out of the Sword Saint’s protection.

He could only trust the Sword Saint now; if the Sword Saint fell, he too would be restrained.

He quickly put into practice the sword techniques he had just learned from the old Sword Saint, not fully grasped yet, but it was time to use them.

Let’s do this!

Without further ado, Lin Nuo launched into action, throwing a sword, which transformed into countless swords, unleashing a wave of swords.

“This is the sword technique from the Sword Tomb. Li Sheng, it seems you’re deeply involved in this impending disaster.”

The Sword Tomb disciples fumed, appalled that a demon was wielding their sword techniques, a grand humiliation for their clan!

But before they could prepare, Lin Nuo charged right into their ranks, the many Spirit Swords rapidly spinning around him, creating a whirlwind of lethal force.

Sword Blade Storm! This was all about group combat, charging into the center like a whirlpool. The multitude of cultivators found themselves ensnared, dizzy and overwhelmed, as if the heavens were about to collapse.

“Looks like you’re more troublesome than anticipated.”

Zhang Yuanxu refused to let Lin Nuo freely savagely attack his disciples. He quickly coordinated with the other elders to disrupt this Sword Blade Storm.

The storm was indeed halted by them, as several elders attempted to subdue Lin Nuo, but once the storm dissipated, only Lin Nuo’s afterimage remained.

Where was his real body?

Before they knew it, like the wind, Lin Nuo reappeared, showcasing the sword techniques he had just acquired from the Sword Saint.

With just a fresh learning experience, his level hadn’t even risen yet, and now he was up against a major BOSS. This was no small challenge.

Multiple Demonic Blades, Thousand Slices!

In an instant, the numerous Spirit Swords scattered into fragments, weaving through the crowd, then swiftly reconstituted into a sharp sword that struck the cultivators, rendering them utterly defenseless.

“Everyone, fall back! Lock the target on the sword formation!”

Zhang Yuanxu immediately commanded, establishing a strategy; he needed to keep Lin Nuo busy while all others focused on attacking the sword formation. That way, Lin Nuo would have no choice but to defend, thus getting restrained.

However, Ling Meng and Mu Yiting still fought valiantly. Breaking the sword formation was no easy feat, and those who approached the formation were swiftly blasted back by them.