Though Lin Luo wasn't absolutely certain of his guess, the fact that Eiyashu Eirin had said the same thing significantly boosted its credibility. Of course, no one could guarantee the truth of the matter; after all, a conjecture remained just that until proven, and no matter how close it seemed, it couldn't be equated with fact.

Lin Luo felt a throbbing headache. Whether his guess was right or wrong, the Demon King's "immortality" was practically a given. This meant killing him was indeed highly improbable; even someone far stronger than him couldn't touch him unless every single one of his bodies was annihilated.

At the same time, Lin Luo couldn't help but be grateful that he was encountering the Demon King in Gensokyo, with the aid of numerous top-tier experts. In any other world, his demise would have been certain.

"This is truly a bit troublesome now…" Lin Luo muttered to himself, glancing sideways to find Eiyashu Eirin looking equally grave. She must have realized that even with her abilities, completely destroying the Demon King was out of the question. Facing such an opponent, neither dared to be careless, especially Lin Luo, as the Demon King's target was him. To obtain Kaguya's World Heart, the Demon King would relentlessly pursue him at any cost.

Since killing the Demon King was impossible, there was only one path left: force him out of Gensokyo!

Shhhwip!

In that almost inaudible sound, the space rippled slightly once more. This time, the Demon King didn't resort to a sneak attack but boldly stepped out from the higher-dimensional space. Clad in black armor, wielding a demonic spear, his spirit was high. Facing the hostile gazes of Lin Luo and Eiyashu Eirin, a hint of proud disdain crossed his face.

"I told you, no matter how strong you are, killing me is impossible. But conversely, I only need one successful strike to declare victory…" As he spoke, the Demon King spun his spear and pointed it at Eiyashu Eirin. "Woman, how many times can you protect him? In my endless assault, can you miss even once?"

The Demon King's words clearly didn't hold Lin Luo in high regard, and he didn't seem to take Eiyashu Eirin too seriously either. His arrogance was utterly boundless. However, based on the strength he had previously displayed, he indeed had the grounds for such arrogance. At least to Lin Luo's ears, this wasn't boastful pride, but absolute self-assurance in his own power—he was incomparable to the Wanderers Lin Luo had fought before.

Despite being treated with such contempt, Lin Luo showed no displeasure. With his current state of mind, if such words could still incite his anger, he wouldn't be worth anything.

Eiyashu Eirin, however, stepped forward, saying coldly, "You are welcome to try."

"As you wish!" The Demon King sneered, and the Demon Slaying Spear erupted once more with a terrifying surge of demonic energy, instantly sweeping across heaven and earth. The moment the spear thrust out, a spatial storm whipped up the demonic energy into a massive spiral, accompanied by sounds of cracking thunder, like lightning and rolling clouds.

Eiyashu Eirin’s expression remained unchanged. She shifted her body to the right, positioning herself in front of Lin Luo. She extended her left hand forward, and an ultra-compressed black hole instantly formed. Although this black hole was only palm-sized, the energy it contained was far stronger than the previous ones.

Clearly, Eiyashu Eirin had escalated her power. For her, defeating the enemy wasn't the primary objective; protecting Lin Luo was paramount. If Lin Luo died, Kaguya would be doomed as well.

Boom!

Amidst the violent collision, a visible shockwave scattered outwards, where one could faintly see even the air being ruthlessly sliced apart. Eiyashu Eirin and the Demon King did not retreat; instead, they instantly charged forward, engaging in a fierce battle within the unstable space.

Lin Luo remained stationary, observing the evolving situation calmly. While being protected by a woman didn't align with his style, facing the Demon King's inscrutable tactics with the power he could currently muster carried too many risks. Until it was absolutely necessary, using minimal risk to achieve a great victory was what he should prioritize, especially since he was now responsible for more than just his own life.

On the surface, Eirin seemed to have the absolute upper hand in her battle with the Demon King. In every exchange, the Demon King was forced back, giving the impression that he was far inferior to Eirin, possessing only defensive capability with no power to counterattack. Yet, Lin Luo vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

It was a fact that the Demon King was weaker than Eirin in absolute power, but the disparity shouldn't be this vast.

What exactly was he planning? Lin Luo’s thoughts raced. From the moment he first engaged the Demon King, he knew the opponent wasn't merely a brute; his cunning should not be underestimated.

Looking at the full-scale war in Gensokyo, the Demon King had used all his subordinates as pawns to tie down most of the forces, even seizing Gensokyo's momentum to prevent Yakumo Yukari, Reimu, and others from interfering quickly. He then took the opportunity to charge into the Eientei... Had Kaguya not known enough, his success rate would have been over seventy percent.

Now that Kaguya was dead and her World Heart rested with him, if the Demon King could successfully kill him, he would not only eliminate a major threat but also acquire the most valuable World Heart. His most logical move should have been to avoid confronting Eirin and deal with him by surprise. But... why choose to fight Eirin head-on now, and why appear so outmatched?

"Is he intentionally hiding his strength? Why?" Lin Luo frowned inwardly, unable to decipher the logic. In this situation, the Demon King had no need to conceal his power. He certainly had enough spare bodies, and using clones to deal with Lin Luo was also impossible, as that move had already been revealed.

"Strange…" Lin Luo felt certain he was misinterpreting something and became even more vigilant, focusing his utmost attention on every movement around him.

Crack... Boom!

The space storm, entwined with demonic energy, once again collided with the miniature black hole, unleashing a power fluctuation capable of shattering everything. The Demon King finally seemed overpowered; his body trembled, the armor on his chest cracked, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He even struggled to hold his demonic spear steadily.

Seizing the chance to strike down the injured foe, Eirin naturally did not hesitate. Holding two black holes in her hands, she flashed toward him like lightning… Even if he had infinite spare bodies, eliminating one was a gain, and eventually, his vitality would be depleted.

"Too late!" Unexpectedly, the Demon King looked up and let out a cold laugh at this moment. Before Eirin’s attack could land, his figure vanished from the spot.

"Be careful!" Eirin's expression shifted dramatically, and she immediately called out a warning to Lin Luo while instantly retreating defensively.

Lin Luo had been monitoring the situation. The instant the Demon King disappeared, his Seventh Sense captured the opponent's aura. He clasped and then opened his hands, and the ultimate spear, burning with destructive black flames, materialized in his palm, fiercely stabbing towards a direction behind him.

Crack!

The moment the ultimate spear shot out, the void flickered, and the Demon King's figure emerged from it. There was an arm-sized hole in his chest, engulfed in black flames.

That’s the fourth body!

Including the one Eirin had just destroyed, this was the Demon King's fourth death. Lin Luo immediately extended his Seventh Sense to the surroundings, searching for the Demon King's fifth body. But!

Just as Lin Luo shifted his focus, the Demon King opposite him, who should have been incinerated by the black flames, miraculously recovered, his body unmarked. Wielding the Demon Slaying Spear, he thrust towards Lin Luo with unimaginable speed.

At this moment, most of Lin Luo's attention was elsewhere, and he hadn't anticipated the dead Demon King would resurrect. He couldn't react in time.

"Damn it!" Seeing this, Eirin's face changed drastically, and she accelerated abruptly. But before she could reach him, a pitch-black demonic spear shot like lightning towards her chest... It was the Demon King!

Two Demon Kings—one attacking Lin Luo, the other intercepting Eirin—their overwhelming power and demon-king-like aura told them both... these were not clones, they were both the main body!

Pfft!

Without any suspense, the Demon Slaying Spear struck Lin Luo’s chest and pierced through his back. The terrifying demonic energy instantly invaded his body. Even his monstrous constitution couldn't resist it, and in the blink of an eye, he was "polluted" beyond human semblance.

"Is this your true ability?" Lin Luo grimaced in pain, reaching out with a hand covered in black blood to grip the spear shaft, smiling bitterly… He finally understood the Demon King's real power; all previous assumptions were wrong.

"You should know, I am Chaos," the Demon King sneered coldly, thrusting the demonic spear forward again, pouring even more massive amounts of demonic energy into Lin Luo’s body.

Feeling his body about to explode, Lin Luo suddenly grinned widely, "Then let me tell you something too: you… have already lost."

Boom!

With those words, Lin Luo's body instantly shattered.

"Heavenly Dao's Sword of Right and Wrong!" At this moment, Tianzi rushed forward again, her entire being transforming into a streak of red light, advancing with invincible momentum… The Demon King, unable to retract his spear in time, was immediately sent flying. The force of the impact, even for his strength, was somewhat uncomfortable, though only just.

"Damn it, it's you again, you little bastard!" The Demon King roared in anger, his chest armor pierced by Tianzi. Mid-air, just as he was about to blast her to smithereens, a blinding golden light flashed above him.

"Ten Years of Glory... Sword of Royal Victory!" A clear, delicate shout accompanied a figure even more dazzling than the golden light—a maiden clad in white armor, holding a golden knight's longsword with both hands. The golden light, capable of illuminating the darkest night, emanated from that sword.

And within that golden light, countless phantom images of knights wielding weapons stood proudly… The maiden was the monarch, the knights were her subjects; at this moment, all the knights channeled their power into the King's sword.

This sword is Unbeaten!

This sword is Certain Kill!

The Demon King’s eyes widened in disbelief. As the golden light descended, his body was instantly split in two!

: I recommend a book, Infinite Upgrade Contract Flow, a slice-of-life anime summoning novel. If you are interested, please take a look. RO