"An hour… still too short. These demons probably won't be enough to bury them, right, Mr. Dai?"
Chen Jun gazed into the distance.
It was night. Visibility was poor—especially deep within the forest.
But if one could see clearly—
they would notice that Li Qiancheng and his group were completely surrounded.
Layer upon layer.
A suffocating sea of monsters.
Yes—
these were all demonized creatures created from the blood of Mr. Dai and Chen Jun.
"And their strength isn't that impressive either. Holding Li Qiancheng and the others back… won't be easy."
Chen Jun spoke with some concern.
Although West Ridge Mountain was a nest of monsters, most were weak.
Low-tier creatures made up the majority.
And the time they had—
was far too short.
Their blood simply couldn't compare to Mammon's.
They could turn monsters into demons—
but to increase efficiency, those creatures didn't gain much strength from the transformation.
"We only need to stall them."
Mr. Dai replied calmly.
"Our lord's order is just that."
Defeating Li Qiancheng and Li Shiqian—
top-tier elites of Yang City—
was impossible for the two of them.
But in an environment like this—
they could maximize their advantage.
Using disposable monsters to delay?
That was more than enough.
"Keep creating more demons. Cause as much trouble for them as possible."
Mr. Dai turned and prepared to hunt for more monsters.
Their mission was clear:
Do not let Li Qiancheng's group advance.
Meanwhile—
on Li Qiancheng's side—
"Fire Arrows!"
His eyes darkened with fury.
Several bursts of flame ignited, forming blazing arrows that shot through the air and struck the charging lesser demons.
These creatures—
were supposed to be the low-level monsters from the Abyss Realm.
Small, oval-shaped, bluish-purple lumps of flesh with sharp teeth.
That was how Li Qiancheng remembered them.
But these…
were different.
Much larger.
With limbs.
Twisted.
And most importantly—
"What the hell—why is it still moving after being cut in half?!"
A blade-wielding ability user cursed as he hacked a lesser demon into dozens of pieces.
Yet—
even in fragments—
it continued crawling toward him.
The grotesque sight shook even this battle-hardened fighter.
"They won't die unless completely destroyed."
Li Shiqian smashed a jackal-like monster into pieces with a golden-glowing punch, his voice heavy.
"They all possess terrifying regeneration… and pseudo-immortality."
This—
reminded him of something.
That humanoid creature from the school incident.
The resemblance was undeniable.
Different form—
but the same savage aura.
The same madness.
The same greedy, evil gaze.
These were originally the monsters of West Ridge Mountain.
But now—
they had been altered.
Mutated.
Controlled.
"Someone is behind this!"
Li Qiancheng's face turned grim.
There was no such coincidence.
Just as they were about to act—
they were swarmed?
Impossible.
"Someone is controlling them."
Li Shiqian's expression darkened.
If this was true—
then the creature that attacked his children before…
was also controlled.
Someone dared to scheme against the Li family.
And now—
ambush them?
But even with that realization—
they couldn't leave.
There were simply too many monsters.
And their regenerative ability made things far worse.
Clearing them all—
would take time.
"They've started."
From afar, Mammon sensed it.
As the progenitor demon, he could feel the presence of his kind even from a great distance.
The continuous disappearance of those demonized creatures—
told him everything.
"It's time to finish this."
Mammon shifted his gaze toward the battlefield.
The Deathland Rampage Insect—
and the Blackwater Giant Python—
were both exhausted.
Wounded.
Barely holding on.
They even seemed…
ready to disengage.
Mammon leapt down from the hillside.
His body shot forward—
straight toward the insect.
He had waited long enough.
There was no way he would let them escape now.
"What a delightful scent…"
The closer he got—
the brighter the crimson glow in his eyes became.
The battlefield—
was drenched in blood.
And every drop—
made his entire being tremble with excitement.
A-class monster blood—
was exquisite.
"ROAR!"
Even while confronting the python—
the insect noticed him.
A deep, furious roar erupted.
Foolish creature.
Did it think it could take advantage of its injuries?
The insect turned—
its massive forelimbs stabbing toward Mammon.
"Too slow."
Mammon's pupils narrowed into beast-like slits.
His body leapt effortlessly into the air.
At the same time—
he raised his right hand.
Black substance spread wildly across his arm—
transforming into countless thorn-covered tendrils—
surging toward the insect.
Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Thorns!