Chapter 1316: United Front

Chapter 1316: United Front

“Hm, you’re back.”

Lin Nuo took the chance to hug Ruo’er too. It had been so long since their last meeting; he missed her dearly. Her fluffy, fox-like ears were just the remedy his heart needed.

“Junior Martial Brother, you finally returned! They said you stayed in the Demon Realm, that your life or death was uncertain, and we hadn’t heard from you in days. I’ve been so restless…”

Liu Shuqin was equally overwhelmed, rushing to embrace Lin Nuo. Reunions like this, especially after escaping death, naturally stirred emotions.

After all, from what Luo Xiaoxue and the others said, Lin Nuo had been in fierce combat against Aike, the leader of the Handa Alliance, in the Demon Realm. It was hard to imagine what kind of disasters Lin Nuo had faced.

Fortunately, he had returned safely. Truly, he must be the chosen one.

Luo Xiaoxue also excitedly ran over to hug Lin Nuo, filling the air around him with girls, making him feel like he had fallen into a flowerbed.

“Once we’ve settled all our matters, we can celebrate. I heard that the moment I went to the Demon Realm, Qin Dao and the others started causing chaos. So what’s the current situation? Senior Sister, please tell us.”

“Understood.”

Liu Shuqin offered a slight bow. Although they were close, she still showed respect to Lin Nuo.

“It seems Qin Dao and Liang Zhao had their plans ready. Just when you went to the Demon Realm, they launched a large-scale offensive. Since you left, they’ve been unstoppable, sweeping through all obstacles, and many sects have fallen, including the Xuanyun Sect.”

“The Xuanyun Sect has long been leaderless; it’s just a shell now. Any random Demon Sect could wipe them out.”

Even as Lin Nuo said that, he felt a pang of sorrow thinking about the Xuanyun Sect’s downfall. If it weren’t for Su Kexin’s protection, who knows how low they would have sunk?

“Continue,” Lin Nuo urged.

“Yes. They were fully prepared for the attack, even the Refining Demon Sect has fallen under their control. Moreover, Liang Zhao has called upon the power of the Demon Star once again.”

“The Demon Star? No wonder it felt like it was awakening when I came back.”

“Exactly. It had seemingly exhausted its energy, but Liang Zhao somehow restored its power. This allowed their forces to quickly swell, and most cultivators from the sects it devoured have become demons.”

Liu Shuqin spoke patiently, making Lin Nuo feel the situation was getting tricky. Liang Zhao was clearly avoiding him while creating such a mess.

The Demon Star was a double-edged sword. It had once granted him immense power, and now its energy was restored. If this endowed some demon with great strength, that would make things challenging.

The real issue was Liang Zhao’s entity. It would be difficult to annihilate all their forces; finding the entity and striking it down might be a path forward.

“Where are Qin Shili and the others?” Lin Nuo asked.

“Zifeng Valley repels demons, and they didn’t want to stay here. A teleportation array appeared twenty miles east, and a massive influx of demons and demon practitioners came through, which is why the demons and beasts continue to appear. The demon qi there can harm even cultivators, so they went to break the array.”

“How did you come over? These immortals harbor prejudice against demons. Would they believe you?”

Lin Nuo inquired, after all, Liu Shuqin was one of them now, making her a natural antagonist to the immortals.

“I had some previous interactions with the seniors here, and Ruo’er and the Sword Saint were involved, which is why I was allowed to stay. Besides, I promised Junior Martial Brother to take care of Ruo’er in your absence, so I had to be here with her.”

Liu Shuqin replied. At this moment, the demons outside began to retreat, and the immortals of Zifeng Valley finally sighed in relief.

“They’re retreating.”

“Finally retreating! I’ve never killed so many demons in my life.”

“This time we only defended, yet the casualties were severe. If we had attacked, we might have perished completely.”

Given their heavy losses in this battle, if the demons continued to attack, the remaining immortals probably wouldn’t last long.

“Junior Martial Brother, they’re retreating! It’s great! It must be because you’re here. They’re scared, so they withdrew. Your mere presence is worth more than a thousand troops!”

Liu Shuqin became animated again, feeling Lin Nuo was like a savior. Just showing up could intimidate countless armies.

“It’s likely because Qin Shili and the others broke the magic array, cutting off their support, which forced them to withdraw. They wouldn’t retreat just because of me; after all, I wiped out their demons.”

Lin Nuo replied. It was good that they were pulling back; otherwise, he’d wear himself out.

While he wasn’t quite willing, he would need to cooperate with these immortals today.

“Lin Nuo.”

Just then, Ruo’er’s former master, Dong Xiyan, returned from the front line. She admired Lin Nuo, yet felt resentment over a young cultivator with a brilliant future who had ultimately taken the path of darkness.

But with Lin Nuo stepping in to relieve their pressure, her opinion of him had shifted slightly.

“First, I want to thank you for helping Zifeng Valley resist this attack. But I don’t understand—what is your intention? You are a demon now; your stance shouldn’t be on our side. Even if you disagree with Liang Zhao, you could easily benefit from our downfall without lifting a finger.”

Dong Xiyan stated, believing Lin Nuo would not help them without ulterior motives.

Lin Nuo answered:

“You’re right; I wouldn’t help you for no reason. The main reason I came is that they came to assist you, so I followed. My stance will never align with yours. I’ve even considered wiping you all out. So don’t hold too many expectations of me. Sitting back to reap benefits is no longer an option. If you were all wiped out, you might end up as demons and boost their strength. For now, we can only temporarily stand on the same front. Though I’m reluctant, we need to cooperate.”

“How do we cooperate? As you can see, we’ve suffered heavy losses and are always on guard for demon attacks. I doubt we can provide you much help,” Dong Xiyan said.

“Enough! A single spark can start a prairie fire.”

Recalling what he had done in the Demon Realm, perhaps he could replicate it in the human realm.

……

……

Demon Palace.

“Reporting to Lord Liang, Lin Nuo has returned to the human realm.”

A demon conveyed the message to Liang Zhao, who stroked his long beard in disbelief.

“Are you sure? Who among you saw it with your own eyes?”

“None. It was just word from Zifeng Valley.”

“If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, don’t spout nonsense.”

Still, Liang Zhao had to stay cautious; Lin Nuo was a troublesome character.

Once his subordinates left, Liang Zhao faced the statue of the Demon God, muttering to himself:

“I disrupted the boundaries between the three realms. Even if Lin Nuo isn’t dead, he can’t return to the human realm. If he truly comes back, through what means?”