At this moment, all living beings are only permitted to flee; they cannot directly gaze upon the majesty of the True Demon!

When Yan Qing snapped back to reality, the puppet before them had already fallen, with two burning trails on the ground, and the green bricks scorched into molten form. The sight made his scalp tingle; though already at quite a distance from the True Demon, they were still struck by two Wraiths. The puppet, with over ten thousand health, died instantly, indicating that one Wraith’s damage must be close to ten thousand, and just now, the True Demon unleashed thousands!

The Demon Dragon’s Fierce Flame ignited once more, and the three of them cast their gaze upon the battlefield, gasping in shock.

The Baibao Guards were no more.

Yan Qing could even see humanoid traces on the ground, imprinted there by Wraiths, while further away, only the armor remained with the people inside having been burnt away.

They had too many numbers, and thus bore the brunt of the Wraiths. Just a hundred would deal a million damage, and even with three hundred people, each one had to absorb over three thousand damage, enough to shatter even a Heart-Protecting Mirror.

Although Yan Qing had guessed the True Demon could attack on a grand scale, the devastation was still unforeseen. The Baibao Guards, who once rampaged through the Demon Gathering Land, and were a threat even to Yan Qing, melted away in a musical requiem and a dance, not having time even for a sigh.

But Yan Qing had no time to lament the Baibao Guards, as he had a bigger problem to solve... potentially two problems merging into one.

"Souls, consumed by me!"

The True Demon declared in a chant-like voice. The Wraiths, which had fled from it, returned, passing through Yan Qing and the others without causing harm. The Wraiths merged into the True Demon, causing its shadowy form to thicken and the internal magma to blaze again. It transformed into a crown filled with flame, the surrounding terrain turning into lava. It had entered the second stage, as the ruler of the inferno!

If Yan Qing wasn’t mistaken, the returning Wraiths would replenish its health based on the number of kills. One strike to massacre the masses, another to heal itself, and entering a stronger new form... One can imagine how hopeless players would feel in such a scenario; entering the second stage is one thing, but the excessive healing was too much, making the previous efforts seem in vain.

Ying Rushi clung tightly to Yan Qing’s arm, ready to flee at the slightest disturbance. Murong Hui watched the True Demon with longing, showing Yan Qing and Ying Rushi the same expression—a pure, childlike desire to protect what she cherished most.

Yet Yan Qing wasn’t too worried; with the Baibao Guards and assassins gone, he had completed the crucial task. If they couldn’t defeat the True Demon today, he could just have Ye Si finish the job. The Divine Techniques could still be attained, the profoundness and imagery accepted.

Moreover, if the True Demon’s second stage is tied to the kill count, perhaps... he still held the advantage!

The puppet’s declining health was telling: True Demon grew stronger, but not excessively so, with ordinary attack damage only rising to fifteen thousand. It surely regained health, but how much could it have gained from slaughtering three hundred Baibao? It was intended to release thousands of attacks, expecting several hundred successful ones, equating to at most one to two thousand kills.

Now with only three hundred people, it was like turning a grand feast into mere instant noodles. It had barely eaten, nowhere near sated. Sure enough, the True Demon’s body weakened again, visibly, while Yan Qing’s puppet also neared its limits, each having withstood numerous Wraith attacks due to their proximity.

The Cloned Qiongqi was the first to fall.

"Time to gather new collectibles!"

The True Demon laughed madly, devouring the Cloned Qiongqi’s soul, regaining some strength. Yan Qing thought how disgusting this BOSS could be, fighting to feed itself, meaning players can’t just be strong; they must prevent the weak from feeding it, lest it grows stronger.

Now, with only Yan Qing challenging, they inadvertently countered its strongest perk.

The Ascended Six-Eared was the second to fall.

Yan Qing took a step back, Murong Hui grabbing his other arm. No one suggested moving; they lacked the qualification to partake in this battle but were obliged to witness their puppet fighting to the end.

As Qiongqi charged, the True Demon’s body wavered, extinguishing the magma in its chest. Yan Qing and his companions held their breath, awaiting a historic moment.

He suddenly thought, in the many years that the Demon Gathering Land existed, was he the only player? Wouldn’t there have been others daring to challenge the True Demon before? Over the years, had it ever longed for a worthy opponent?

"Fading," the True Demon’s voice was low and forlorn, "Far away."

The flames burned its shadow, transforming into a colossal torch, nearly illuminating the entire Demon Gathering Land. In the shocked eyes of Yan Qing and his companions, time reversed in a way that left only them unaffected, rubble forming back into structures, lava retreating underground, even the dead demons reappearing, with the True Demon Torch rising high, granting undying radiance!

Yan Qing lifted the Flesh Cage Bracelet, finding three new lines of information:

"Under the True Demon Flame, the refresh time of all demons is ten times faster, and high-level puppets now spawn everywhere."

"In player battles, the victor gains a random puppet from the loser."

"Now, acquiring three identical puppet cards allows for puppet ascension."

The doubts lingering in Yan Qing’s mind were answered at that moment.

He had previously wondered, while setting the True Demon as a BOSS lured players, what after its demise? Wouldn’t they feel empty in a fifteen-day group event? That design seemed problematic.

Now he understood: once the True Demon is slain, the Demon Gathering Land enters a second stage, speeding development, encouraging PVP, and simplifying puppet ascension.

Before the True Demon’s death, players aimed to slay it; afterward, their target was to conquer the Demon Gathering Land to become the strongest!

The last day in the Demon Gathering Land would be a chaotic scene beyond imagination, millions of bodies everywhere; without hundreds of millions, one would remain insignificant.

These thoughts flashed through Yan Qing’s mind, his attention captured by a newly appearing, blood-red, dazzling change card, causing his shoulder to tremble slightly—

"Transform at Will: Master a Profound Mysterious Divine Technique"

Use!

Three golden cards shimmered above the bracelet, radiant and dazzling!

[Life Strings], [Tombstone Inscription], [Rain Weaving Net]!