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Chapter 265 - 264: The Inescapable Cage

Before he could answer, there was a thunderous crash from the room outside!

Then came the guests’ terrified screams.

The hearts of the four sank simultaneously.

The enemy arrived too quickly—there were a hundred puppets outside, how could they not last even two or three minutes?

The sound came from the door being shattered.

Liuli was the first to charge into the banquet hall, drawing her blade before anyone could react. The scantily clad crowd scattered in panic, but all emergency exits were sealed, leaving no other way out. The blade swept up a storm of blood, blending with the cloying scent of the air.

Chen Xuan did not stop Liuli.

This blood was her due reward.

Besides, he already knew the identities of the guests through Lin Qing—these people didn’t just collude with demons today. Their interests were deeply entwined, which is how the demons rallied these high-ranking officials to reach their current position and publicly assassinate Elorie on the streets.

In a sense, these guests were merely demons without capability.

At that moment, a group of demons rushed out from the inner room—they spread their wings like bats, shrouded in ghostly flames, as if emerged from hell! These flames ignited whatever they touched, setting the floor, the tables, and the living people fleeing inside on fire, making the scene even more chaotic!

Chen Xuan, however, didn’t make a move.

He saw clearly that while these "fire demons" were no illusions, their spiritual qi characteristics differed greatly from real demons.

Perhaps it was some sort of ability?

He stood behind Liuli, leaving the monsters to the team while watching those four distinctive spiritual qi entities, ignoring the rest.

If he were a demon, what would be the strongest trump card he’d conceive?

Undoubtedly, it would be an ability with strong rule-based properties.

Gustav, for instance, had previously used a similar forbidden card game.

Although Chen Xuan had experience dealing with such abilities, he avoided engaging in games where he had to rely on gambles to win unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, facing four demons, guessing a coin for each one was too risky.

So his strategy was simple: strike faster than the enemy. And with Liuli sparking waves of blood up front, she was clearly more likely to draw the demons’ attention.

When Liuli began to prioritize slaying those fiery creatures, a light spot finally flew out from the inner room!

The moment the light spot moved, Chen Xuan was already in divine sight mode.

The demon, fluttering its bat-like fleshy wings and enshrouded in a smoke-like dark wind, silently drifted into the hall. The raging flames and dust were his best cover. If Chen Xuan didn’t possess the Celestial Mist Skill and hadn’t been watching since entering the 55th floor, he might not have even noticed that another being had entered the hall.

The moment the figure emerged, Chen Xuan immediately recognized him.

The image of Andor police commissioner and the demon in Elorie’s memory overlapped completely!

It was him, involved in the angel’s assassination.

Since the opponent came straight at him, how could he let him go?

Chen Xuan raised his hand to seize him—

Rather than fusing the enemy into a whole mass of flesh, he fused only his hands and lower body, both to reduce the cost and capture him alive. Only living demons could understand their misdeeds.

—let the flesh and blood bear witness to revenge!

Andor didn’t intend to reveal all his cards. He realized the other three were likely planning their own moves. They remained here for the sake of those damned guests outside; if the guests all died in the Yeyue Group’s headquarters, it would deal a grave blow to their foundation and territory. Yet, no benefit outweighed a life, and once threatened, they would abandon the guests without hesitation and even their own kind.

Hence, his strategy was cautious: use soul domination to create chaos, then seize the opportunity to strike, and if unsuccessful, retreat swiftly to the inner room.

Since he took the lead, the others couldn’t just watch, could they?

The first half of the plan went smoothly; the moment Andor dashed out of the dark smoke, Liuli’s attention was still on the soul beasts. A second’s delay was enough to establish an advantage. As he extended two fingers towards Liuli, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted another person—his presence so minimal it was nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary human, yet during his rapid flight, he extended his right hand, with his palm always facing him!

The other’s position resembled a black hole, consuming all the light emitted by the flames.

Andor felt his scalp explode.

A dire premonition surged within him!

He wanted to turn back, but suddenly realized he had lost control over his body; more accurately, he couldn’t feel his hands or feet, his entire body itched as if gnawed by a thousand ants.

Andor plummeted from the air.

After a dizzying impact, he saw in horror his arms embedded in his chest, fused with the bulletproof vest, the tissues beneath all exposed, becoming his new "skin."

Andor instinctively issued a horrifying scream.

It wasn’t from pain, but unparalleled fear.

The internal tissue nerves were far less sensitive than skin; even friction with the ground barely registered, but his blood vessels, muscles, and fat couldn’t endure such abuse. Some had already turned into a pulp during the crash, yellow fat clinging to bones, broken vessels slowly leaking blood—a scene even demons would find chilling!

Andor’s screams served as the optimal warning.

The remaining three demons, unclear about the situation, saw their most battle-effective member wailing upon emerging, and their already low combat intent vanished entirely. Moreover, the guests weren’t faring well, reducing their reason to confront the enemy head-on.

"Sorry everyone, it seems we’ll each have to fend for ourselves this time."

Van Derf decisively began summoning a portal.

"What about Andor?" York asked, "Are we leaving him?"

"Go ahead if you want to save him; I’m not taking that risk!" Moni cursed, kicking the floor-to-ceiling glass window, shattering it, "Damn it, when did Paris birth such a monster? Mr. Van Derf, this is your responsibility!"

"Don’t worry, this isn’t over!" Van Derf said through gritted teeth.

"Let’s talk once we’re out." Moni instantly transformed into an owl, soaring into the air.

However, with a flash of blue light, she appeared to hit an invisible barrier, bouncing back and losing her shapeshifting ability.

"W-What just happened?" she clutched her head, shocked.

The same happened to Van Derf, who, after a pained cry, retreated two steps. The portal he was conjuring halfway through shattered into wisps of smoke.

"Impossible! My ability...interrupted?" he looked at his hands in disbelief.

Cross-space travel was Van Derf’s most powerful life-saving card, keeping him calm under any circumstances. No matter if the building was entirely controlled, and external support cut off, as long as he wanted to leave, no one could stop him. Even among demons, few possessed such spatial freedom. No matter how devastating the loss, survival meant infinite chances to regroup.

But now...the turn of events seemed beyond his imagination.

Moni, in haste, tried again, only to meet the same result—an invisible wall separating the building from the sky, rebounding any impact and disabling abilities.

What was even more baffling was that this barrier only seemed to affect them; York threw a vase from the table out the window, and it fell straight to the ground with no unusual effects.

The three exchanged glances, suffocating fear slowly creeping over them.

This building was demon territory, and their cards were countless.

Yet, now, with the core room out of contact, internal elevators and emergency passages all sealed, and no way to summon hovercars, even their renowned escape abilities were blocked.

Their once-dominion had become an inescapable prison.

How did the intruders accomplish this?