Chapter 281: Life and Death, Abyssal Phantom Demon
The fog thickened, impairing Lin Moyu’s vision and blurring the surroundings. The Flame Demon King’s projection vanished, concealed within the mist. The skeletal warriors had become invisible long ago, their soul flames barely discernible amidst the haze. Soon, even those flames disappeared, leaving only a clicking sound in Lin Moyu’s ears as the skeletons dispersed in all directions.
Despite the obstructed view, Lin Moyu’s connection with the Skeleton Warriors allowed him to glean information about their surroundings. "The boundary spans approximately one kilometer," he assessed. "There are no monsters within, only pervasive fog with no blind spots." However, Lin Moyu couldn’t fathom the Flame Demon King’s intentions. What purpose did trapping him serve? Could one truly perish within such confines?
Upon Lin Moyu’s command, the Skeleton Warriors launched an assault on the boundary, but it remained impervious to their attacks. Even when Lin Moyu attempted to employ burst skills, the boundary merely rippled slightly, resilient against their efforts. The Flame Demon King had erected a formidable barrier that defied penetration.
Pondering his options, Lin Moyu wondered if the Strong Soldier skill could breach the barrier. As he breathed, the mist infiltrated his body, seeping through his skin without any reaction from the skeleton armor. Assured of its safety, Lin Moyu allowed more mist to envelop him, sensing the laughter of the Flame Demon King.
Gradually, his surroundings transformed, displaying vivid recollections of past experiences: battles against demons, vanquishing bosses, participating in professional competitions, exploring various dungeons, and traversing the Meta Battlefield. Yet, as quickly as they appeared, these memories dissipated, leaving Lin Moyu disoriented.
Suddenly, he found himself back in school, surrounded by familiar voices. Confusion clouded his mind as he questioned his presence there. Wasn’t he supposed to have completed his transfer already? Despite the nagging feeling of something amiss, Lin Moyu proceeded with the transfer, propelled by uncertainty.
As the spell activated, a shadowy wind enveloped him, conjuring a vision of a mage clad in arcane robes amidst a vast army of skeletons. The scene seemed vaguely familiar to Lin Moyu. Beyond, countless skeletons clashed in a monumental battle, numbering in the billions, both on the ground and in the air.
Observing the spectacle, Lin Moyu marveled at its scale, surpassing any previous visions. Suddenly, the necromancer in the vision raised his hand, gesturing towards the sky. A ball of flame erupted in Lin Moyu’s line of sight, accompanied by crisp sounds echoing in the distance.
The image in front of Lin Moyu’s eyes suddenly fragmented. Lin Moyu snapped out of it. He found himself standing on the earth of the ancient battlefield, and what he had just experienced felt like a dream. In the dream world, all is forgotten, and memories fade fast. If he continued to follow each step without clarity, he would really become an idiot or a fool.
"What happened?" Lin Moyu wondered aloud.
Fire blazed in front of his eyes. He realized that he was burning. It didn’t hurt; it felt warm. It wasn’t just the surface that was burning, it was his entire body. Thumps and thuds continued to ring out, accompanied by screams. A large number of unidentified objects were burning inside his body.
"It’s soul fire," he realized. "What I just saw was an illusion...."
Lin Moyu recalled the knowledge he had once read in a book. Among the Abyssal Demons, there is a strange, mysterious, and dangerous kind of demon called Abyssal Phantom Demons. These demons are a hundred times smaller than a hairline and exist in swarms, with a tiny clump containing trillions of them. In terms of numbers alone, they could be considered one of the most numerous of the Abyssal Demons.
This demon can burrow into the body, create illusions, erode the soul, erase memories, and even control the host. Once they succeed, the host becomes an idiot, loses their sense of self, and eventually becomes a puppet of the phantom demons. A wave of fear ran through Lin Moyu’s mind.
The Phantom Demon was too small and bizarre to have any offensive capabilities of its own until it invaded the body, and even his skeleton armor didn’t react much. Fortunately, Lin Moyu was surrounded by soul flames. The phantom demons that entered his body were all burned to ashes by the soul fire. It was the first time Lin Moyu had cast soul flames on himself, and he had never expected it to have such a magical effect.
Then, with a movement of his mind, the skill Soul Flame erupted. A bright flame rose from Lin Moyu’s palm, then exploded into a huge ball of fire. From the mist came numerous screams as the abyssal phantom demons hidden in the mist were burned to death without resistance. Soul flames were their nemesis.
"Huh! I can’t believe you found out. What kind of fire is this? Why can it burn the Illusion Demon?" A soft voice came from the air, followed by a loud growl.
Lin Moyu spoke with fury, his killing intent unprecedentedly strong, "Extinguish your fire!"
The Flame Demon King laughed out loud, "I am the Flame Demon King, born with a mastery of flames. For you to play with fire in front of me is laughable and ridiculous."
"One try and you’ll see."
He almost got himself caught in the crossfire, and chaos ensued. Fortunately, at the last minute, that mysterious being pulled him back. Firelight pulsed in his palm, aiming at the Flame Demon King’s projection in the air. Even if it was just a projection, Lin Moyu was going to try. The soul flame locked onto the Flame Demon King’s projection, and then through a meditative connection, a spark fell into the head of the Flame Demon King, who was far away in the Abyssal World.
The screams resounded through the Abyssal World. Severe pain swept through his soul, and the Flame Demon King was screaming as its palace roared and shook. The projection located in the Ancient Battlefield disappeared with a bang, and a black gemstone fell from the air. Lin Moyu held the gem in his hands and could feel the strong power of the abyss emanating from it.
He remembered that the Phantom King used this same black gem when he projected over.
[Devil’s Gem] [A jewel condensed from the power of the Demon King of the Abyss, which contains the power of the Demon King.]
Lin Moyu looked at it and didn’t find anything particularly special or useful. He put it away for now. The soul flames grew further and burned the abyssal phantom demons in the air. Lin Moyu didn’t know how many Abyssal Phantom Demons the Flame Demon King had this time, but he planned to burn them all within the boundary. A small number of Abyssal Phantom Demons aren’t scary, and they don’t have a long survival cycle. But in large numbers, they are a rather terrifying existence. Silently, they can kill.
In the Abyssal World, the miserable screams of the Flame Demon King finally stopped. Lin Moyu followed the connection of the projection and the attack directly locked onto the Flame Demon King’s soul. He sent the skill three times in a row within one second. To the Flame Demon King, Lin Moyu’s attack wasn’t particularly powerful, but it was too painful to bear. He rolled off the Demon King’s throne in agony, frightening several other demons in the palace.
"Lord Demon King, are you alright?" A few demons rushed over.
The Flame Demon King waved his hand, and with several thumps, the demons that rushed over were burned to ashes instantly. "This king’s disgrace cannot be known by others." The Flame Demon King covered his head and returned to his throne. Along with the Demon King’s throne, it was on fire. The more the flame flourished, the more intense it represented his anger. Killing intent raged, and the Flame Demon King said coldly, "Lin Moyu, this king vows to kill you! Don’t come out of the Ancient Battlefield for the rest of your life if you dare. Men, pass on the King’s orders..."