Chapter 996: Surprise Attack

Chapter 996: Surprise Attack

Lin Nuo’s house was blown to bits, so he thought there was no need to prepare another room—better to just spend the night outside.

It was somewhat akin to camping, but far more luxurious, conjuring a grand garden complete with soft beds for sleeping, and most importantly, a beautiful companion at hand.

This was perhaps a glimpse of fleeting peace, allowing one to momentarily forget their troubles.

Such feelings could only be found in the gentle company of Liu Shuqin.

However, their joyful moments were destined to be short-lived; they couldn’t enjoy a whole sweet night together.

In the dead of night, Lin Nuo found himself more sensitive than usual, every whisper of the wind setting off alarm bells in his nerves.

He was embracing Liu Shuqin as they gazed at the bright moon above, but in an instant, he furrowed his brows.

This caught Liu Shuqin’s attention; she too sensed something was amiss.

“What’s wrong, Junior Martial Brother? Is something the matter?” she asked in a gentle voice.

“Can you feel it?”

Lin Nuo suddenly looked around, his tone growing serious.

“Feel what? Is someone coming?” Liu Shuqin asked, confused.

“This doesn’t seem like a human presence; it feels demonic, but I can’t say for sure.”

Lin Nuo replied, loosening his embrace around Liu Shuqin and preparing to rise.

Seeing this, Liu Shuqin feared something bad was about to happen.

Ah, what a shame! Just when they finally had a beautiful night to share, trouble was knocking at the door.

Regardless, she hoped her Junior Martial Brother would handle it quickly and then they could return to sweetness.

“Where are you going, Junior Martial Brother?”

“To the cave over there. It’s the crack to the outer realms.”

“Is something happening there?”

“Possibly.”

Lin Nuo hurriedly put on his clothes, and noticing this, Liu Shuqin wasted no time donning her own attire, though her speed didn’t match Lin Nuo’s swift movements.

“Stay here; I’ll check it out.”

“Will you come back?”

“Of course.”

“Mm… alright… I’ll wait for your good news.”

A smile flickered on Liu Shuqin’s lips, yet she wasn’t truly happy—after all, their sweet time had been interrupted, leaving a hint of regret.

“I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Lin Nuo dashed out of the spiritual barrier, quickly disappearing into the woods.

“I really hope there will come a day when we can both enjoy the night sky without a care,” Liu Shuqin sighed as she gazed at the moon overhead. After Lin Nuo left, his presence gone, the mist encroached, once more shrouding the bright moon.

It was as if the beauty departed and so did the moonlight.

…

Outside the cave, a demon practitioner lay defeated, leaving only one remaining.

This practitioner bore an unusual gaze, one deep and profound—different from the others.

With no one to stop him, he stepped into the cave.

He moved swiftly, seemingly eager to inspect the crack in the Demon Realm at the cave’s end, but midway, he encountered a magical symbol Lin Nuo had placed, blocking his way.

“Must be the spell cast by that human Guardian; impressive, but still far beneath our Demon Realm’s magic.”

The practitioner began working on the magical symbol, spending some time to unravel it, eventually managing to slip inside.

Soon, he reached the end of the tunnel, standing before the crack, though it remained sealed due to Lin Nuo’s spells.

But now he intended to open it—create a passage for the demons to enter.

“You arrived quickly, but that human Guardian has temporarily sealed this place. It’ll be expiring soon; let’s work our spells together to break through.”

A voice came from beyond the crack, and the practitioner nodded repeatedly.

“Understood, my lord.”

The practitioner cast his spells on the crack, while the demon from the other side was doing the same. Despite being separated by the fissure, their Demon Soul Powers could sense each other in an attempt to interact with Lin Nuo’s formations to open the crack.

They believed the demons from the human realm and the Demon Realm were still quite different, making it easy to unravel this formation.

However, things turned out to be far more challenging than they anticipated.

“My lord, this formation is trickier than we thought.”

“Yes, that Guardian’s abilities exceeded our expectations. No matter, it just means it takes a bit longer. They should be in slumber and unaware of our plans by now.”

“So, my lord, should we continue?”

“Absolutely. Let’s focus entirely; do not let distractions arise, or we might provoke them.”

“Yes.”

The demon practitioner closed his eyes, concentrating intently alongside the demon from the other side. But soon, a youthful voice broke through:

“Pretty impressive. I look forward to seeing if you can break my formation.”

A young man emerged from the shadows. The practitioner’s surprise caused his spellcasting to falter, forcing him to stop.

“Hey, keep casting! Why have you stopped?”

Lin Nuo smirked sarcastically. The practitioner turned to face him, his expression calm, projecting confidence.

“Seems someone tipped you off,” the practitioner said.

“Not at all; anyone who could have alerted you is already unconscious. It was just your movements that caught my attention. You’re not one of my subordinates—must be a guest from the Demon Realm, right? Surely you can’t visit without a proper greeting?”

Lin Nuo summoned his Spirit Sword, which danced around him, an ethereal sight even though he was a demon.

“Since you figured it out, I won’t hide anymore. I’m a demon from the Demon Realm. I don’t wish to engage in a skirmish with you; you’re quite the talent, and our king admires you. Opening this crack would benefit us both immensely; surely the king would reward you handsomely. It’s better than being stuck here as a Guardian.”

The practitioner began to paint a pretty picture for Lin Nuo, knowing that as a human-bound demon practitioner, unleashing his true power would be quite the difficulty.

But sweet words had no effect on Lin Nuo; if anything, they repulsed him.

Lin Nuo chuckled softly:

“Let me share something with you. I’m not just any Guardian. If the human demons were to appoint a king, it would be me. So, your surprise attack today might not go as you hope.”

With a flick of his wrist, several Spirit Swords shot forth and encircled the practitioner, forming a sealing formation that ensnared him.

He felt his body bound, unable to unleash his Demon Soul Power.

“You can’t win against him; retreat now!”

A voice called from beyond the crack, and the practitioner clenched his teeth, knowing he couldn’t confront Lin Nuo head-on, forcing him to retreat.

Suddenly, a wisp of shadow leapt from the practitioner, surging toward the crack, but Lin Nuo wouldn’t let him escape that easily; the sword array was not solely for binding the body.

Soul Binding!

The wisp of shadow found itself unable to escape, like a fierce beast trapped within a cage.