244: The only chance of survival is for the Lord of Gambling to descend first!

In the deepest part of the Demon Den, atop the altar.

Dark red Evil Energy, thick as blood, twisted and writhed on the surface of the altar like a living thing.

It outlined countless complex and eerie runes.

These runes shimmered with an ominous light.

They continuously drew energy from the Void Realm, funneling it into the increasingly solid, giant phantom at the center of the altar.

The phantom stood thirty meters tall, its outline blurred, yet it radiated a terrifying pressure that made the Soul tremble.

This was the Descending Body that the Crimson Flame Demon Lord was condensing!

Around the altar, dozens of high-level Demonic Evils of various forms, all possessing exceptionally powerful auras, sat cross-legged in a circle.

They were all the most core and loyal kin and Demon Generals under the Crimson Flame Demon Lord's command.

Even the weakest among them was at the Peak of the sixth rank, and there were several terrifying existences with unfathomable auras, comparable to the Peak of the seventh rank or even touching the threshold of the eighth rank!

At this moment, they all held their breath and concentrated, unreservedly pouring their pure Evil Energy into the altar while chanting ancient and obscure abyssal incantations.

Below the altar, dozens of Demonic Evils led by the Unicorn Evil Spirit, the Lava Carapace Evil Spirit, and the Old Staff Demon shouted in unison, their eyes erupting with a look of determination.

They knew they had reached a critical moment of life and death.

"Abyssal Blood Sacrifice, Ten Thousand Souls Return to the Void, we welcome our Lord's true body to descend!"

The Unicorn Evil Spirit was the first to let out a sharp shriek, abruptly raising its black-scaled claws and thrusting them fiercely into its own chest!

"Puchi—!"

Dark golden Essence Blood of the Demonic Evil, carrying a searing high temperature.

It sprayed out like a fountain, precisely injecting into the twisted and hideous abyssal runes at the base of the altar.

"Heart of Lava, burn my broken body, knock open the Heavenly Gate!"

The Lava Carapace Evil Spirit let out a low, thunderous growl.

On the surface of its massive nine-meter-tall body, the dark red lava carapace cracked inch by inch.

Searing hot lava gurgled from the cracks, turning into torrents of crimson energy that flowed into the altar.

"Ten Thousand Bones Form a Bridge, Souls Lead the Way Back, the Demon Lord Graces the World!"

The Old Staff Demon's voice was dry and aged, yet it carried an eerie piercing quality.

It slammed the pale white bone staff in its hand onto the ground.

The Evil Energy throughout its body, as if being pulled, continuously poured into the altar.

As the three strongest Demonic Evils pushed their Origins regardless of the cost, all the other Demonic Evils in the cavern followed suit.

They either severed limbs to spray Essence Blood, burned Soul Fires to sacrifice their Souls, or channeled Evil Energy to infuse the runes.

For a moment, the evil light in the cavern soared into the sky.

Various eerie and wicked energies, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, surged frantically into the massive altar.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—!!!"

The altar shook violently as if it were overwhelmed.

The light from the abyssal runes at the base became intensely bright, almost illuminating the entire cavern like daylight.

The aura of the Crimson Flame Demon Lord's Consciousness Projection began to expand at an astonishing speed!

The previously somewhat blurred figure rapidly became solid.

Dark red flames condensed into a hideous phantom armor around him, and the curved demon horns on his head emitted a heart-palpitating eerie light.

In those massive flaming pupils, the will of destruction and tyranny almost materialized and gushed out!

The terrifying pressure, like a physical tsunami, swept through the entire cavern in wave after powerful wave!

And it continued to climb, faintly surging toward an even higher threshold!

"The Demon Lord's aura... is so strong!"

"The descent ritual is working! The Demon Lord's true body is crossing through space!"

"Soon! Almost there! Once the Demon Lord's true body descends, that human outside will surely die!"

Feeling the Crimson Flame Demon Lord's steadily rising and increasingly terrifying pressure.

Under extreme fear and pressure, the crowd of Demonic Evils in the cavern was instead stimulated into a sliver of morbid fanaticism and hope.

They seemed to see light at the end of the darkness, the future where that terrifying human would be torn to pieces and ground to dust!

While maintaining the output of Essence Blood, the Unicorn Evil Spirit roared sharply to encourage its companions:

"Everyone, stay steady! Full output! Do not be stingy with your Origins!"

"Once the Demon Lord's true body descends, he can suppress that arrogant fellow outside with a flip of his hand!"

"Our sacrifices today will be rewarded a hundredfold! The glory of the Abyss shall reappear in this world!"

The Lava Carapace Evil Spirit also let out a muffled roar:

"For the glory of Lord Annihilator! For the Demon Lord! Everyone, hold on!"

Eerie fires flickered in the Old Staff Demon's eyes, its voice carrying a seductive quality: "The passage is stabilizing! I can feel the Demon Lord's power surging forth! Victory belongs to the Abyss!"

Under the encouragement of their leaders, the Demonic Evils felt as if they had been injected with a stimulant.

They squeezed themselves even more frantically, pouring all their energy into the ritual.

The light of the altar grew more intense, and the Crimson Flame Demon Lord's aura drew closer and closer to that critical point... Hope seemed to be right before their eyes!

However, just at that moment—

"Boom—!!!!!"

A terrifying explosion, far more violent than any before and sounding as if it were right next to them, suddenly erupted from the direction of the altar's entrance!

The entire cavern shook, and stones and dust from the ceiling fell rustling down, shattering upon hitting the ground.

The aftershock of the explosion, mixed with a domineering and destructive energy impact, swept in along the passage like a hurricane.

It instantly dispersed some of the condensed Evil Energy within the cavern, causing the altar's light to dim!

"What's happening?!"

"Has that guy already fought his way outside?!"

"How could it be so fast?! There were clearly so many guards outside!"

The Demonic Evils were struck with terror, turning their heads toward the entrance one after another, the fanaticism and hope that had just risen on their faces instantly replaced by panic.

They could feel that terrifying pressure that made the Soul tremble was already right outside the door!

"Silence!" the Unicorn Evil Spirit barked sharply, forcibly suppressing a trace of an ominous premonition in its heart.

"Do not be distracted! Continue maintaining the ritual! There are multiple Demon Generals guarding the outside; it will surely be foolproof!"

"Moreover, there are the final three Barriers at the entrance of the altar, each containing the Demon Lord's power. He cannot possibly break through easily!"

"We only need to hold on for a moment longer! The Demon Lord's true body is about to descend! Once successful, it will be his time to die!"

The Lava Carapace Evil Spirit also roared:

"Exactly, don't panic!"

"The Demon Lord's descent is imminent; we must not let our previous efforts go to waste! Speed up the ritual! This is our only way to survive!"

The Old Staff Demon waved its bone staff, and a wave of energy that soothed the Soul spread out:

"Everything must prioritize the ritual!"

"As long as the Demon Lord successfully descends, that human is nothing more than a slightly stronger ant!"

Under the repeated roars and soothing from Spells by the leaders, the Demonic Evils barely suppressed the urge to flee immediately.

"Right, the lords are correct!"

"We can't panic, continue the ritual!"

"For the Demon Lord! For the Abyss!"

They also knew that fleeing now would only result in a faster death.

The only chance of survival was betting that the Demon Lord would descend first!