Chapter 878: Bounty Ambush

Chapter 878: Bounty Ambush

Being on the run wasn’t anything new; when you’re the villain, it’s odd not to be pursued.

Before, it was always those righteous sect cultivators who pounced at him on sight. Naturally, he didn’t back down either. If they dared to come, he would fight back, leaving no survivors.

But now, those approaching weren’t from any righteous sect; the air was filled with Demon Qi, and it was coming from quite the formidable bunch.

Lin Nuo had a good idea of what was happening.

He recalled the scouts previously sent to gather intelligence. A bounty notice had emerged over at the Refining Demon Sect, and he had become the top target with the highest bounty. Naturally, he’d become the prey of many hunters.

Here they came.

He could feel them lurking, waiting for the chance to strike.

The subtle menace of their ambush didn’t faze him. After all, deceiving with sneak attacks was his forte. Wasn’t that showing off in front of the master?

There were quite a few of them.

With so many eyes on him, Lin Nuo chose not to fly on his sword through the sky. He had already landed. Approaching the capital, the number of people was bound to increase. If he flew up, one of those little geniuses might unleash a grand move against him. It might not knock him down, but it wouldn’t feel great either.

Flying became increasingly perilous; being in the air felt like being a target—everyone could see him, and from every direction, there would be assailants. To put it bluntly, he was like a rat crossing the street, hunted by all.

Not a big deal; he was used to it.

The Demon Qi was drawing nearer. Although the others were intentionally suppressing their aura, it was still impossible to hide from Lin Nuo’s senses.

He wove through the forest, purposely slowing down. It was easy to shake them off, but he chose not to.

“Quick, catch up! Take him down and claim the bounty!”

These pursuers were optimistic, believing they could corner Lin Nuo. They thought his pace suggested he lacked any real power.

Besides, they hadn’t sensed his true strength at all.

Little did they know, it was concealed by him.

There were plenty of spies near the Refining Demon Sect, especially in remote areas, making it easy to spot someone.

In no time, Lin Nuo found himself surrounded.

Among them were various demon practitioners wielding a range of weapons: magic blades, staffs, axes—each one a seasoned killer of wanted targets, having come rushing upon discovering Lin Nuo’s trail.

However, they all had their own schemes and interests, not acting as a single group. With so many surrounding Lin Nuo, each wanted the prize for themselves, and under such circumstances, it quickly led to bickering.

“Hey, I spotted him first! Back off!”

“What do you mean, you spotted him first? We fought hard to get here! We were the first to find him!”

“Step back! This is our territory; you lot better stay clear or we won’t be polite!”

…

The arguing escalated, and Lin Nuo was holding back, almost bursting into laughter.

So this is what demon practitioners are like? Here to complete a bounty, and before they’ve even started, they’re already at each other’s throats?

You guys are a real treat, making my skin crawl. A flock of鳳 and a bunch of wise dragons, with you lot at the Refining Demon Sect, you could truly bring peace to the world!

“I have to say, you guys are going a bit overboard, aren’t you? What merit do I have to gather so many of you for a joint ambush?”

Lin Nuo chuckled, mockingly taunting them.

“Lin Nuo! With death upon you, and you still dare to be arrogant!” roared a demon practitioner wielding a massive axe, his muscles bulging and voice booming.

“Yeah, I’m on the brink of death. So, who among you plans to take my life? My head is right here.”

Lin Nuo continued to provoke, loving to stir up their hatred and anger, letting these dogs fight it out amongst themselves.

Now it was a matter of unequal distribution. With just Lin Nuo to capture, who would take him down?

Whatever, charge! Whoever has the guts, take him!

“Die!”

The muscular giant swung his axe down decisively, aiming for Lin Nuo.

The axe was heavy, seemingly capable of splitting mountains, crashing straight down towards Lin Nuo.

Did it succeed?

It appeared the axe had struck true, but not a drop of blood escaped, as it merely passed through his form.

An illusion! He had cleaved only air.

In an instant, another Lin Nuo appeared—one real and one an illusion.

Where the axe landed, it created a massive crater, shaking the ground, but with brute force alone, it couldn’t take down the target.

“Get out of the way! What level is this? Can’t even hit him!”

Another demon practitioner lunged, not as sturdy as the giant but quick on his feet, he zipped right past.

Swing.

He struck true.

Yet again, the blade sliced through Lin Nuo’s figure without drawing blood, revealing yet another copy of him.

“Damn it!”

Angered, that practitioner was about to take another swing, but others couldn’t just stand by. Like hungry wolves over meat, they surged forward to claim a kill.

However, none were successful. The more they tried to chop him down, the more shadows emerged, leaving them confused.

Lin Nuo simply stood back, letting a flood of shadows confuse them.

“What is this guy? What’s with all these clones?”

They were utterly bewildered, feeling as if they had stepped into some surreal realm, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.

“Step back! I’ll handle him!”

“Move! I’m coming!”

Their frustration only grew. This guy was right in front of them; they just couldn’t land a hit, and now they felt humiliated, they couldn’t help but pounce on each other.

“Fine, let’s do this!”

“Who attacked? What’s all this noise?!”

“I’ve been uneasy with you for ages! Time to settle this!”

In an instant, the group descended into chaos, fighting one another. The scene erupted into uproar, yet Lin Nuo’s blood remained unshed while theirs began to spill.

Taking the opportunity, Lin Nuo retreated and watched his own show of canines turning against canines.

What a spectacle! They were really going at it.

Now, let’s set off an explosion.

Shadow explosion.

The shadows mingled within their ranks, Lin Nuo snapped his fingers, resulting in a thunderous boom.

Boom!

Flames erupted, sending smoke billowing up, transforming it into a slaughter fest.

Very nice.

He relished the chaos. They should get a taste of their own medicine.

Playing with them, observing, then shadow explosions took down a group in no time.

Lin Nuo didn’t let his guard down; he sensed more were approaching.

The Black Shadow, lurking and swiftly closing in.