Boom!
With a deafening roar, the ground of the hill was torn apart as if by an infinite force from beneath, shattering into a circular concave pit over ten meters deep.
At the same time, cracks resembling spiderwebs or fire lines extended further, scaring the spellcasters into quickly erecting magical barriers and retreating behind the sturdy arms of the warriors.
Within the deep pit, a dense abyssal aura permeated, which, without being directed, spontaneously encroached upon the Plane, corroding its environment and life.
In many worlds invaded by demon legions, permanent, unhealing scars were left, not only due to the demons' destruction but also the Abyss's active erosion.
"Your sacrifices, though quite good, did not truly satisfy me,"
Amidst the dense abyssal aura, an exceptionally strong abyssal monster slowly rose from the deep pit.
This Demon Lord, summoned by the spellcaster legion according to specific spells and magical items recorded in "The Book of Filth," "Aham's Dark Scroll," and "Iggwilv's Demonomicon," should, in theory, obey the summoner's will upon being summoned.
However, this Demon Lord, while not losing control or resisting, did not immediately attack the enemy slumbering in the nest as per the summoner's wishes.
This surprised many spellcasters, who looked at the towering abyssal monster.
This abyssal Demon Lord was clearly a type of ancient demon from the Abyss, a kind of Tanar'ri demon, known in demon lore as a Soul Reaper Demon or Soul Binder Demon.
This Soul Reaper Demon was over eight meters tall, covered in purple skin, with every feature of his body appearing exceptionally robust, and two pairs of thick, long, blade-like bone horns growing backward from his ugly, ferocious head.
His feet had three toes, like a cloven-hoofed animal, but his fingers were extremely short, replaced by very thick and long blade-like bone claws.
Even on the upper side of this demon's forearms, two pairs of bone blades and a pair of small bone spurs grew.
His entire body exuded a ferocious demeanor, with only the short, stubby tail behind his butt appearing somewhat comical.
These Soul Reaper Demons, known as "Long-Horned Demons," have always been regarded as ponderous, muscular demons. They are widespread slave masters in the Abyss, sometimes serving as captains of the guard for some powerful Demon Lords.
Their name comes from their ability to hunt and enslave souls. As slave masters, these demons particularly enjoy selling their captured spoils and sacrifices to any wealthy creature.
However, this particular demon did not seem like the traditionally brawny, simple-minded brute. Especially compared to his robust body, his eyes, which appeared only the size of a mung bean, gleamed as he looked down upon the many spellcasters.
"But given your promise of future offerings to me, the great Demon Lord Bartos has decided to answer your summons,"
This Soul Reaper Demon Lord named Bartos, though emanating a chaotic abyssal aura, his mind seemed less chaotic. As a not-so-powerful Soul Reaper Demon, surviving until now and becoming a minor lord required a bit of wisdom and luck.
"But for me to serve you, I have one not-unreasonable request," the Soul Reaper Demon Lord Bartos's voice carried the unique timbre of his demon race. He turned his head to look at the two beings standing atop the hill.
One was a tall, unusually strong but empty-handed Troll, Zuga, and the other was the impressively sharp Lizardman, Reili, with two long blades strapped to his back.
The Soul Reaper Demon Lord Bartos's gaze finally settled on the Troll Zuga. He spoke, "Hey, little one, you must be the leader of these people. If you agree to my request, I will act for you once."
The Dragonkin Troll Overseer Zuga's draconic features were not very obvious; the scales on his body were covered by a simple armor. He nodded slightly, glancing at the impassive Reili.
Then he said loudly, "Powerful Demon Lord Bartos, please state your request. As long as it is possible, we will do our best to satisfy you."
"That Nine-Headed Serpent Lizard has occupied the nest of our large tribe and demands tribute of our kinsmen's flesh and souls. Relying on her strength, she enslaves us. No matter how great the cost, we must eliminate her."
The Soul Reaper Demon Lord Bartos's mung bean-sized eyes rolled around, then he stepped out of the magic summoning circle in the deep pit and approached the Troll Zuga.
Hundreds of warriors along the way all avoided the demon's body, lest they be contaminated by the abyssal aura surrounding the Soul Reaper Demon.
"My request is not much. If you agree to dedicate your souls to me, it can be halved, or replaced by the souls of other creatures,"
"However, I demand that your tribe establish a cult dedicated to me, elevate me as the supreme deity within the cult, and offer your faith to me."
The Soul Reaper Demon Bartos looked down at the Troll Zuga, his immense voice carrying the menacing aura of a demon, causing the Troll Zuga's expression to change awkwardly.
"If you can agree to this condition, I will not only kill this Nine-Headed Serpent Lizard for you and throw her head at your feet for you to use as a urinal, but in times of future danger, you can also invoke my name and summon my power to descend."
The Soul Reaper Demon Lord Bartos exhaled two plumes of black smoke from his nostrils, and he said with a ferocious grin, "How about that? Pretty generous, right?"
Although trading with these evil demons carried many risks, there were still many creatures in the mortal world who coveted demonic power.
Mortals would exchange magic or other boons with demons through transactions, while Demon Lords would manipulate their mortal servants to execute their vast evil plans, but demons only viewed these mortals as tools, disposable pawns, eventually harvesting their souls into the Abyss.
However, this Soul Reaper Demon was somewhat different from other Demon Lords.
This Soul Reaper Demon Lord named Bartos clearly knew some knowledge that should not be known at his level. His goal was similar to that of certain quasi-divine beings: to make a name for himself through mortals and to trick praise and worship from the creatures beneath him.
This fellow knew how to convert fame into raw power; the more people knew him, the more likely he was to advance further.
Moreover, Bartos's ambition was immense; he had not yet become a powerful, quasi-divine being, but he was already trying to learn from those powerful Demon Lords, beginning to imitate and learn from gods.
This was thanks to the successful examples of several powerful Demon Lords, such as Baphomet, the Lord of Minotaurs, and Demogorgon, the great Abyssal Lord known as the Prince of Demons, as well as Jubilex, the Abyssal Lord known as the Faceless One.
And the King of Gnolls, the Demon Lord of all Gnolls in the world, Yeenoghu. These few special beings all achieved true divinity through similar methods.
The lost undead deity whose name has been erased from all records in the Abyss was also like this.
These Abyssal Lords used their evil ways and willpower to create their own places in the multiverse.
Although the Dragonkin Troll Overseer Zuga was unaware of all this, no matter what exorbitant conditions the other party offered, he would nod in agreement after a moment of feigned hesitation.
So the Troll Zuga used all the acting skills and strength he had accumulated in the first half of his life, desperately twitching the muscles of his face, contorting his expression to the point where even Reili, standing aside, couldn't bear to watch, and after two low coughs, the Troll finally nodded heavily.
"I said, no matter the cost, I will save my tribe," the Troll Zuga's eyes flickered, and he said in a heavy tone, "As long as you defeat or kill that Nine-Headed Serpent as promised, our Bloodclaw Tribe will fulfill this promise."
"Very good. I will let you know how powerful and benevolent the god and lord you serve will be," the Soul Reaper Demon Lord Bartos received a satisfactory answer and stepped towards the dark nest, which constantly exuded poison gas.
"Come out, my good dog," Bartos grinned menacingly, releasing the soul he had enslaved. It was also a demon from the Abyss, but a Bulezau demon, known for its melee prowess.
These demons were the heavy infantry of the Abyss, powerful melee experts who reveled in cleaving flesh and spilling blood. Perhaps this particular demon had once been an enemy who failed to compete with this Soul Reaper Demon Bartos for the position of a minor lord.
This demon soul appeared as it did in life, its body festering and swollen, with patches of short mane decorating its gaunt skeleton.
It had a huge, pale ram's head with curved horns, cold eyes, and stringy drool dripping from its protruding, needle-like teeth.
Its serpent-like tail twitched, ending in a twisted mass of metallic spikes. Though slender, this beast-like Demon Lord wielded a trident disproportionately large for his frame with an unsettling elegance, silently slipping into the dark lair.
Roar!
Just a moment later, a beast's roar and cries of pain echoed from the dark cave. A thick, poisonous mist rushed out of the cave, and the Soul Reaper Demon, carrying his trident, floated out unhurriedly.
Rumble!
The sound of a colossal creature stirring within the entire hillside lair rumbled forth. One by one, enormous heads emerged from the cave. Nine heads, like giant serpents, with greenish-blue skin and cold vertical pupils, resembled wild beasts.
Only the central head was tinged with a faint golden hue, appearing exceptionally majestic.
"You… you dare disturb me, Hydra's, nap? You truly deserve to die," a chilling voice accompanied by hissing.
Behind the nine heads was a massive body, twenty meters long, a considerably large size even among serpents.
"You… you dare betray me?" The rage in the eyes of this Nine-Headed Serpent Lizard variant, named Hydra, made her cold snake pupils glow. She then turned her head to face Demon LordBartos.
Amidst hissing, she caught the strong scent of the Abyss, which intensified the Nine-Headed Serpent Lizard's fury. "Get back to your Abyss! This is not where you belong, Demon Lord! Do you intend to claim my kin?"
"Heh heh, an immature pureblood Hydra is rare even across many Planes," Demon Lord Bartos revealed a strange look.
He sneered, "Surrender now, and it's not too late. Otherwise, killing a pureblood Hydra, even for a Demon Lord, would be a pity. You should become the guardian of my home."
Hiss! Hiss!
The enraged Hydra was provoked by the Demon Lord's words. Her nine heads spat out black swamp venom and acid. All of these spewed substances were highly toxic.
It is said that the Hydra's blood and flesh contain some of the most potent toxins in the world, capable of easily poisoning any fierce beast.
Unfortunately, no spellcaster in the world ever fights unprepared, just like a certain old bat-man who likes to walk in the night.
These spellcasters, upon learning that the deity worshipped by the Bloodclaw Tribe was a highly venomous Hydra, chose to summon the Demon Lord Soul Reaper Demon. This type of Demon Lord possesses near-immunity to poison and electricity, making them naturally unafraid of the Hydra's breath.
"Hahahaha, you audacious fool!" Demon Lord Bartos slammed his massive arm against his muscular chest.
At this moment, his body suddenly surged, transforming into a fourteen-meter-tall giant, rippling with muscles and bulging veins. A dense aura swirled around his blade-like claws as he directly charged through the Hydra's poisonous breath.
The Soul Reaper Demon, soaring through the air using its soul characteristics, also plunged its massive trident into the Hydra's back neck at this moment. Although the Soul Reaper Demon's physical body had vanished, under this soul-driven command, its attack was enough to harm the enemy's soul.
"Roar!"
Demon Lord Bartos's expanded body directly crashed through the heads spewing poisonous breath. The massive bone blade in his hand directly severed two of the Hydra's heads. Thick, poisonous blood gushed from the severed points, splashing onto the ground.
The intense toxins were even capable of corroding the soil, causing it to become dry and shriveled.
The Soul Reaper Demon's trident also harmed the Hydra's soul, causing this careless Hydra to suffer a great loss upon their first encounter.
But the Hydra's golden central head let out a furious roar at this moment. Visible sound waves and shockwaves churned the ground, instantly spreading out.
And from the severed necks of the decapitated heads, layers of wriggling flesh were rapidly growing, as if a new head was about to be reborn.
Demon Lord Bartos, facing the sound waves head-on, bled from his eyes, nose, and mouth. The Soul Reaper Demon behind him was even more shaken, its soul fluctuating, and its hands and feet, which had been in front of the sound waves, were instantly pulverized into nothingness.
The surrounding warriors, protected by the magical barriers and shields jointly erected by the spellcasters, were mostly unharmed. However, the spellcasters of the spellcaster legion were all red-faced, exerting their utmost magical power to stabilize the continuously shaking magical barriers.
Demon Lord Bartos's facial features bled, but he was not severely injured. At this moment, he stomped heavily on the ground.
Spell-like ability: Greater Teleportation.
Demon Lord Bartos's figure instantly vanished, reappearing behind the Hydra. His sharp claws swung down, striking at the Hydra.
Spell-like ability: Walk on Air, Haste. After severing another head, Bartos rose into the air, dodging the Hydra's massive tail whip. Instead, a giant rock was shattered into pieces, pulverized into dust.
Spell-like ability: Greater Command.
A low-ranking Demon Lord stepped out of the abyssal demonic energy at Demon Lord Bartos's summons. This was also a Soul Reaper Demon, though only five meters tall, but its body was exceptionally strong.
As soon as this Soul Reaper Demon appeared, it charged directly at the Hydra, completely disregarding its own life. Under the summons of Greater Command, this Demon Lord was forced to submit to the summoner's will.
"Damn it, you're forcing my hand!" The small bumps on the Hydra's initially severed heads had already begun to swell. At this moment, her golden head opened its mouth and spat out a white flash of light.
As soon as this white flash of light appeared, it drew everyone's attention, for it radiated an incredibly powerful and intense aura.
Cling, cling, cling, cling!
This white flash of light, with a peculiar rhythm, instantly vibrated around Demon Lord Bartos, then its sharp tip hesitated for a moment before easily piercing into the body of the other summoned Demon Lord.
It directly pierced through the Demon Lord's heart, then remained motionless, leaving only a string of translucent white ivory chains hanging outside its body.
"Damn it! I told you to bind him, not kill that fool!" The Hydra shook her body wildly. Her massive form at this moment coiled around Demon Lord Bartos, who had been startled by the ivory chain.
Both colossal beasts roared in unison at this moment, rolling and fighting on the ground, cracking the surrounding hills and causing the ground to collapse. However, Demon Lord Bartos was temporarily unable to break free from the Hydra's most powerful restraint.
The Soul Reaper Demon's claws could sever any of the Hydra's heads, except for the central golden head and the pale golden body.
His claws could only inflict significant damage to the Hydra's pale golden body, but he also had to contend with the Hydra's constriction and the constant biting of its heads.
But even in the midst of this fierce battle, these two massive monsters simultaneously sensed an extremely deadly danger.
They both looked up in unison, gazing at the flames in the sky, rolling in like a storm.
They might not have heard the words circulating in the Golden Land: "Beware of the fire in the sky, that blazing light may not be the sun, but the sun's manifestation in the mortal world—the Golden King."
Rumble!
The explosive sound was still rolling in the distance, but before the two monsters' eyes, they saw a sun suddenly descend in the distorted air before them. Two huge, brilliant Dragon Claws extended, pressing down on the two monsters.
Crash!
Before the two monsters could react, their heads and bodies were pressed into the mud by an immense force. The sunken pit also buried their bodies.
When they lifted their heads, what they saw was a massive, unique Dragon.
And, a magic circle quietly rising from the spellcaster legion.
Although Demon Lords do not truly die outside the Abyss—even after death, they will reshape themselves from their essence at the bottom of the Abyss, and few creatures can completely kill a Demon Lord in other worlds.
However, both the knowledge left by ancient mages and the knowledge exchanged with foreign gods clearly told the Red Dragon how to seal a Demon Lord's true body and essence in a Plane.
Today's battle was merely a small experiment.
Demon Lord Bartos felt his power and connection to the Abyss with tears in his eyes. He angrily shouted, "Damn it! I answered your summons and worked hard to fulfill your contract! Not only did you not keep your promise, but you also want to completely seal me! You are the true Demons , you damned mortals!"