Demonic Blessing

The Blood Sacrifice Begins.

This was a special kind of ritual, offering flesh and blood to the powerful entities in the Abyss. No one knew what kind of attention such a sacrifice would attract.

The beings that existed in the Abyss were beyond imagination.

In addition to the well-known demons, other races also dwelled in that world: gnolls, lizardmen, goblins, and the dark dwarves, who were masters of craftsmanship.

Even some liches, who were obsessed with magic, would choose to settle in the Abyss in search of seclusion.

Liches are spellcasters who use magic to achieve immortality. Through black magic and necromancy, they transform themselves into undead beings, storing their souls in a phylactery. Unless this phylactery is destroyed, these creatures are, in a sense, immortal.

The prolonged existence often causes liches to forget their former humanity.

They are strange and eerie beings.

Creatures entirely devoid of sensory perception and emotion.

The blood sacrifice was a gamble. Any powerful being wandering the Abyss could be the one to answer this summons.

Chen Feng's expression was solemn.

As the prayer chant echoed, a scarlet landscape appeared in Chen Feng's mind—a land of endless slaughter, where various monsters flashed before his eyes.

Ghouls, skeleton soldiers, corpse demons, dretches, imps, succubi, orcs...

These monsters, too, sensed Chen Feng's call. The scent of a living human intrigued the Abyssal creatures...

Roar!

The creatures seemed to go mad, smelling Chen Feng's presence. Their first instinct was to devour this rare human body.

Chen Feng's body began to tremble!

An overwhelming pressure suddenly descended.

A powerful entity had accepted the blood sacrifice.

In an instant, the surrounding temperature soared by several degrees. Even the Dark Elf, standing several meters away, couldn't help but twitch her ears as she, too, felt a sudden wave of heat.

Rumble!

Terrifying flames ignited.

The surrounding corpses burst into flames— not just the insects, but even the human bodies were instantly consumed by spontaneous combustion.

On the other side, the corpses of the Demon Spider and the Broodmother began to emit smoke. A small flicker of fire spread across them, and within seconds, these two monstrous beings turned into massive fireballs, burning entirely.

Smoke billowed around them.

Blood, flames, thick smoke.

Boom!

A muscular arm, tipped with sharp claws, gradually emerged from the smoke of the burning corpses. This wasn't a physical body, but a powerful spectral figure.

A surge of demonic power erupted.

The flames on the corpses began to converge like a tornado, with countless flames swirling toward the center. As the intense heat spread, a giant, terrifying creature engulfed in flames appeared before Chen Feng.

Strange demonic tattoos covered its chest, and a pair of devilish horns, resembling those of a bull, jutted from the sides of its head. Its back bore tattered wings, marked with scratches, cuts, and bite marks—scars that seemed like badges of honor etched into its wings.

Balrog (Balor Demon)

Chaotic Evil.

Balors are demons who relish fighting with swords and whips. They possess the ability to control flames, and when they enter battle, they often summon a volcano, transforming the battlefield into an environment that suits them.

Absolute Evil.

Their flames consume everything. Once a volcano is successfully summoned, magma and fire will engulf the entire battlefield. The appearance of such a demon often heralds massive casualties.

This was not the true form of the Balor, but merely a spectral projection.

Yet, even this spectral form created a scene of utter terror. Clearly, the power of the Balor was beyond anything ordinary people could comprehend.

A Legendary Being.

This demon had existed for countless years, its life having undergone many transformations through endless slaughter. A being of legendary strength, surpassing the Gold rank, it held a position of great authority even within the Abyss.

With its legendary power, it controlled entire regions, making it a demon lord.

The Abyss is a world of strict hierarchy.

Some low-level creatures have no freedom at all; their existence is solely to serve higher beings. Unlike humans, who commit the atrocity of cannibalism only when corrupted, in the Abyss, the act of devouring each other is entirely normal.

The Balor noticed Chen Feng and was slightly surprised to find that it had been summoned by a human.

Bronze.

A creature as insignificant as an ant.

Chen Feng felt a deep terror welling up from his soul, as if his heart was being crushed in someone's grip. His entire body stiffened, even his scalp went numb.

Just one glance from the spectral figure almost caused Chen Feng's heart to stop.

In the face of such overwhelming power, so-called courage vanished into thin air. This fear was a primal instinct.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. The vast world around them was eerily silent, as if all sound had been extinguished, leaving only the scent of burning corpses lingering in the air.

A battle had just occurred here. The smell of blood in the air was so sweet that the Balor sniffed it, a sinister smile of satisfaction spreading across its cold face.

Demons hate all living creatures, and the act of killing is not something they conceptualize—they simply enjoy it.

If the Balor had encountered Chen Feng anywhere else, it would have killed him without hesitation. But here, the power of the contract could not be broken. Not even a legendary being could break a contract without paying a severe price.

The Balor had accepted the blood sacrifice and was obliged to bestow some benefits upon Chen Feng.

"Zar'kath d'rez, ulthor'naz gath'za..."

The obscure demonic language echoed from the Balor's mouth. Suddenly, flames engulfed Chen Feng's body. Everything happened so quickly that Chen Feng had no idea what was happening before he was wrapped in fire.

Chen Feng was engulfed in flames, the intense heat incinerating his clothes in an instant. His once slender frame gradually became more muscular, his fingernails sharpening into claws, each resembling a miniature dagger. The most striking transformation was on his chest, where a sinister demon sigil emerged—a design resembling a blooming poppy, exuding a twisted and alluring beauty.

Blessing.

The Balor had granted Chen Feng a portion of the power from the blood sacrifice.

Pain, torment, scorching heat.

Chen Feng's body felt like burning embers, as the demon's power slowly fused into his internal organs through the sigil on his chest. Then came the even more horrifying pain—not just his skin, but his very organs began to feel as if they were being scorched. His blood evaporated, bones melted, and his veins were torn apart, piece by piece.

It was a long and agonizing process.

Chen Feng had no idea how much time had passed until he finally regained control of his body. When he took a step forward, the ground beneath his feet turned pitch black.

His entire being radiated a searing heat, his eyes flickering with two flames. He let out a soft hum, and even his breath came out as scorching hot air.

The temperature in his palm began to rise.

Chen Feng extended his right hand, and the surrounding flames began to gather in his palm, forming into a sharp sword.

Flaming Sword.

The sword was about a meter long. Though entirely made of fire, it seemed as solid as steel. He pressed it down lightly, and the sword sunk into the ground, piercing through rocks and soil with no resistance.

The grass around the sword started to burn. Clearly, in battle, this weapon would burn anything it cut.

Terrifying!

Had Chen Feng become a demon?

At that moment, wrapped in flames, Chen Feng was like a weakened version of the Balor.

Chen Feng closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling. The burning sensation faded, the flames on his body extinguished completely, and his nails returned to their normal length. Everything seemed to have returned to normal, except for the sigil on his chest, which had shrunk to the size of a palm.

The Sigil hadn't disappeared.

Could it be...

Chen Feng focused his will on the sigil, with a single thought.

The sigil expanded, his nails grew long again, and the flame sword reappeared in his hand. In just one second, he had transformed back into a weakened version of the Balor.

Transformation!

The demon's blessing had granted Chen Feng the ability to transform.

Unlike a summoning spell, this meant that from now on, Chen Feng also had the ability to fight in close combat.

Demonic Transformation.

This power was comparable to that of a flame-based professional.

And not only that...

Chen Feng's physical strength had been enhanced, and the flame sword in his hand remained lifelike. If he had still been at the Bronze level, he wouldn't have been able to maintain it for so long.

Chen Feng's body shuddered, a wave of excitement flashing in his eyes. He clenched his fists, and a powerful force suddenly erupted from within him. In that instant, he felt something he had never experienced before.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

Chen Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Before he realized it, he had...

Advanced to Silver!