Chapter 369 - 200: Breaking Through the Gate and Slaying the General

Chapter 369: Chapter 200: Breaking Through the Gate and Slaying the General

To Pei Ze’s surprise, only one demon appeared this time.

This demon had deep red skin, clawed hands, and the head of a wolf held high, its mouth filled with razor-sharp fangs.

It stood a full four to five meters tall, gripping a giant axe carved with intersecting, mystical symbols, its pommel embedded with a Ruby.

Even more eye-catching was the twisted snake’s head growing from one side of the demon’s neck, coiled and emitting a piercing hiss.

The same type of demon appeared almost simultaneously in the plazas where Pei Ze, Fei Xian, Wen Huachun, and Ye Sinan were located.

The expressions of all four changed drastically.

A Wolf Snake Demon!

This was a powerful demon on par with a Balrog Flame Demon. They served as tyrannical and savage enforcers for many Demon Lords, and even their fellow demons feared them deeply.

More importantly, the Wolf Snake Demon was a level-four demon!

A powerful being capable of rivaling an Elemental Mage!

No one had expected that the opponent in the final wave of the third floor would be a level-four Wolf Snake Demon!

’How are we supposed to fight this?’

Although the four of them were far stronger than ordinary Level 3 Crystalized Wizards, they ultimately hadn’t broken past the third level.

Even Pei Ze didn’t think he had the strength to defeat a level-four being.

However, the four of them soon sensed something was wrong. The aura of the Wolf Snake Demon before them didn’t seem as powerful as they had anticipated.

’Could it be...?’

A thought struck Pei Ze. He immediately used the Eye of Omniscience to investigate, and the amount of Spiritual Power consumed by the feedback instantly confirmed his suspicion.

’Looks like it’s an anomaly from a failed evolution.’

Pei Ze breathed a sigh of relief.

Demons were a race that relied on slaughter to evolve and advance in rank. Each time they evolved, their form would change and their power would increase drastically.

But there were exceptions.

For example, if they hadn’t accumulated enough energy to evolve into a High-Tier form but were forced to evolve due to danger, they would choose to strengthen into an elite form—for instance, a Giant Bull Demon strengthening into an elite Giant Bull Demon.

Their power would still be enhanced, but the increase would be weaker and insufficient to cross into the next level.

There was also another possibility: a failed evolution.

In this scenario, the demon would successfully take on the appearance of a High-Tier Demon, but its power increase would be incomplete, making it an inferior individual that was all form and no substance.

Just like the Wolf Snake Demon before him.

Although it had the exact same appearance as a Wolf Snake Demon, it actually only possessed the power of a level-three being.

Even so, this evolutionarily-failed Wolf Snake Demon still possessed power far exceeding that of an ordinary level-three demon, but it was undoubtedly much easier to deal with than a true level-four demon.

Fei Xian and the others also secretly sighed in relief.

’It made sense, though. The Tower of the Holy Ring wouldn’t set up an unwinnable trial; otherwise, the test would be meaningless.’

ROAR!

A volley of ferocious roars snapped everyone to attention as the four Wolf Snake Demons lunged at their respective targets.

Pei Ze’s expression turned serious as he raised his hand and cast a Petrification Technique.

A hazy gray light instantly shot across a hundred meters, striking the Wolf Snake Demon with precision.

The Magic, which was powerful enough to completely petrify an Iron Cavalry Demon, only managed to turn a palm-sized patch of the Wolf Snake Demon’s skin to stone. The petrified patch then cracked and flaked off as the demon thrashed about.

’Such strong Magic resistance.’

Pei Ze clicked his tongue. He pointed into the void, and two more ancient runes instantly materialized, sinking into his Silver Star.

Instantly, the metal spikes surrounding him erupted with brilliant lightning. They swept toward the Wolf Snake Demon like a torrential waterfall, and the resounding, thunder-like sonic booms nearly echoed throughout the entire plaza!

Ferocious as it was, the Wolf Snake Demon’s eyes revealed a look of terror at the sight. It hurriedly swung its giant axe, stirring up a torrent of blood-red energy as it slashed forward.

BOOM!

Crimson and blue-white light collided violently in the center of the plaza, unleashing a furious shockwave and a deafening roar!

The Wolf Snake Demon let out a wretched howl as it was sent flying backward, and the swarm of metal spikes recoiled.

’Even five ancient runes weren’t enough to stop it?’

Pei Ze marveled inwardly.

Five ancient runes were roughly equivalent to thirteen or fourteen hundred Lightning Runes.

Without ancient runes, he estimated this was the maximum number of Lightning Runes he could currently use to empower his Magic.

Against a Wolf Snake Demon, he’d probably have to activate his Alchemy Engravings just to cope.

The thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Without hesitation, Pei Ze added another ancient rune.

The lightning coiling around the metal spikes grew even more dazzling and intense. The accompanying aura became more astonishing as well, bearing down on the Wolf Snake Demon with the force of an avalanche.

Facing the Silver Star, now empowered by six ancient runes, the Wolf Snake Demon could no longer contend with it head-on. It was blasted backward again and again by the metallic torrent, retreating all the way to the edge of the plaza where it slammed into an invisible barrier. With nowhere left to run, it was engulfed by the countless metal spikes in the blink of an eye.

A dozen seconds later, with a final, unwilling wail, the blood-soaked Wolf Snake Demon collapsed. Starting from its neck and shoulders, its body disintegrated piece by piece, turning to ash that scattered into the air.

SWISH!

The metal spikes flew back to Pei Ze’s side as if drawn to him, vanishing into his body.

At that very moment, in the other three plazas, the battles of Fei Xian, Wen Huachun, and Ye Sinan were still not over.

Although all three had the upper hand, it looked as though their fights wouldn’t be ending anytime soon.

When Fei Xian and the other two caught sight of Pei Ze already having killed his Wolf Snake Demon, they were all stunned.

Gong Quanhai’s eyes, in particular, nearly popped out of his head.

Even if it was an inferior Wolf Snake Demon that had failed to evolve, it was still a powerful demon approaching the fourth level.

’If it were me,’ he thought, ’I might not have been able to win even if I’d given it my all.’