Chapter 291: The Flame Demon Lord (part 3)

The Flame Demon Lord’s massive body slammed directly into the cave, blocking their escape.

The next moment, it swung its enormous scythe-like claws, launching relentless attacks at Nina and Wu Qingsong. Nina held Wu Qingsong tightly. She leaped across the ground to evade. The intense movements made it nearly impossible for Wu Qingsong to focus. Fortunately, the Flame Demon Lord’s spiritual power was not as overwhelming as the Crimson Demon Lord’s. Moreover, dividing its attention to launch physical attacks lessened the force of its mental assault, though it still kept Wu Qingsong suppressed and unable to command his undead forces or counterattack.

Without leadership, the majority of the undead were annihilated. Those that remained weren’t spared by benevolence but simply happened to be too close to the Flame Demon Lord for the other insectoids to dare approach and attack.

The Flame Demon Lord had already killed thousands of insectoids while pursuing Nina and Wu Qingsong, yet it appeared entirely unconcerned. To it, the deaths of these insectoids seemed utterly insignificant.

With her weapon lost, Nina focused solely on evading with Wu Qingsong.

The Flame Demon Lord’s enormous size ironically became their best chance for survival. On multiple occasions, they narrowly slipped through the gaps between its colossal legs, inciting furious roars from the giant creature.

Abruptly, it stopped its rampage. Seizing the opportunity, Nina carried Wu Qingsong toward another cave. 

But just then, the beetle-like warriors among the swarm ignited with the same dark red flames as the Flame Demon Lord. They surged toward them from all directions.

Nina collided mid-air with one of the beetle warriors. It was no match for her but had enough strength to delay her. After she smashed it away with a single punch, several others pounced on them.

“Sorry!” Nina shouted.

With no weapon in hand and unwilling to let go of Wu Qingsong, she grabbed his arm and swung his body with all her strength. Though Wu Qingsong’s body lacked weight and hardness, his unyielding resilience made him as effective as the toughest whip. The mutated beetle warriors around them were sent flying by the impact. Nina immediately seized the opening to dash into the cave with Wu Qingsong.

“Sorry! Sorry!” she repeated frantically.

Before Wu Qingsong could respond, over a dozen beetle warriors engulfed in dark red flames stormed into the cave after them.

In the narrow confines of the cave, Nina no longer had to worry about being surrounded or dealing with the Flame Demon Lord’s massive attacks. One-on-one, these insectoid warriors were no match for her, but they poured in endlessly. Soon, their numbers began to overwhelm her ability to eliminate them.

“Nina, hold them off!” 

Wu Qingsong finally regained a sliver of focus, but at that moment, the Flame Demon Lord’s spiritual assault intensified dramatically. With no opportunity for physical attacks, it was now concentrating all its efforts on mental warfare.

Nina didn’t respond verbally. Instead, the Silver Moonlight enveloping her body grew brighter and more concentrated. 

In the next moment, she extended her hands forward and unleashed a violent surge of power, pouring it out like a torrential flood. The beetle warriors closest to her were instantly reduced to ashes in the blinding white light. The blast of energy continued forward. It struck the cave ceiling and caused the entrance to collapse in a violent tremor, burying the swarming beetle warriors beneath the rubble.

Suddenly, everything fell silent.

But Wu Qingsong had no time to care about the situation outside. His battle with the Flame Demon Lord had reached a fever pitch.

Though the Flame Demon Lord’s spiritual power was far inferior to the Crimson Demon Lord’s, Wu Qingsong’s initial unpreparedness left him at a disadvantage. Still, he clung on, locking the Flame Demon Lord in a stalemate.

Like a steadfast reef enduring wave after wave of crashing tides, he held his ground against the Flame Demon Lord’s onslaught. Whenever its attacks ebbed slightly, he struck back with fierce determination, snatching fragments of spiritual energy and retreating to a safe corner to rapidly absorb and merge with the stolen power.

This tactic, honed during his battle with the Crimson Demon Lord, proved effective once again. The violent memories and energies he absorbed from the Flame Demon Lord’s soul inflicted excruciating pain, yet they failed to deal any lasting damage. Instead, as he devoured these fragments, his strength steadily grew.

The Flame Demon Lord’s spiritual assaults grew increasingly ferocious, each wave stronger than the last, yet it still couldn’t break through Wu Qingsong’s defenses. Just as he prepared to use this method to gradually wear down the Flame Demon Lord, the overwhelming spiritual force suddenly receded, retreating like a tide from his mind.

“You’ve earned my respect, Tagraedi of Orgrimmar,” the Flame Demon Lord’s voice resounded in his mind. “Let us end this conflict. Continuing is pointless.”

“What do you want?” Wu Qingsong cautiously constructed a new mental barrier before replying.

“I admire you,” the Flame Demon Lord said. “Pledge your allegiance to me with a soul contract, and I will grant you the title of Abyssal Lord.”

“That’s impossible,” Wu Qingsong responded immediately, remaining on high alert.

After the earlier ambush, he could no longer trust the Flame Demon Lord. Besides, the so-called title of Abyssal Lord held no value for him.

“Tell me the way to the surface, and we’ll leave each other in peace, Flame Demon Lord. Otherwise, I swear I will destroy your lands and turn this plain into a desolate wasteland.”

The Flame Demon Lord burst into wild laughter.

“I can’t defeat you, but you can’t destroy me either, let alone catch me,” Wu Qingsong countered. “Flame Demon Lord, I will wander your lands, kill your people at every opportunity, and turn every creature I see into undead. I know you don’t care about the lives of these insectoids, so let’s see who wins. Your queens giving birth faster, or me killing faster. When this plain is emptied of life, I’m sure you’ll stay indifferent, won’t you?”

A violent surge of spiritual power lashed out again, but this time, Wu Qingsong was prepared. The attack failed to penetrate his mind.

It was thanks to the Flame Demon Lord’s earlier ambush that Wu Qingsong had learned to defend himself this way—and he succeeded.

“Think it over, Flame Demon Lord,” Wu Qingsong said. “The next time I return, things won’t end as simply as they did today.”