Chapter 661: Hunting Plan

The blood and flesh essence of the Baro Flame Demon!

Asina's eyes were blank; she didn't immediately react, wondering how this thing could be used to ascend the Saint Rank. She then sprang up, scrutinizing Yizite, assuming he was a minion of the Abyss.

Nowadays few know the Demonic Hunter, and among giants even fewer.

"Asina, don't misunderstand; Yizite is a Demonic Hunter," Reslin explained calmly.

Now it was Yizite who was surprised. The darkened face of the Zhuo'er elf froze, his eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "You actually know?"

"Hehe…" Reslin gave a noncommittal laugh.

Yizite's expression became quite vivid.

He had lived on the surface for decades, constantly masquerading as a wanderer to interact and fight alongside people; only two or three closest, trustworthy friends knew he was a Demonic Hunter. He had intended to reveal his plan first, then explain the secret to those two.

He hadn't expected Reslin to have already seen through it.

This made Yizite secretly alarmed, unable to tell whether his disguise had flaws or Reslin's perception far exceeded the ordinary.

Nevertheless, the stronger Reslin is, the more it helps his own plan.

"Demonic Hunter?" Asina asked, uncertain.

The female giant grew up in the Storm Sanctuary, having read many books, but the giants' library only mentioned the Demonic Hunter in a few lines; giants also cared little about elf affairs, so her knowledge of the Demonic Hunter was limited to a superficial awareness.

Yizite explained, "Back then I fled Mosuobulai, and while wandering the dark regions I encountered a high elf. He saved my life, taught me combat techniques, and guided me to become a Demonic Hunter, walking the path of faith in Ai Lunya."

"I spent several years with the teacher; without his guidance I couldn't have survived in the dark regions, let alone made it to the surface."

"What a pity…"

The dark elf's mood sank, sorrow evident in his eyes, "I met the teacher too late; after only a few years with him, his lifelong demon hunting left many old wounds that never healed, even his soul was scarred, and he exhausted his lifespan and died."

"I am very sorry," Asina whispered.

Reslin's face remained expressionless.

"It's fine; the teacher was Ai Lunya's most devout follower, protecting countless people all his life, slaying innumerable demons, and surely has ascended to the goddess's divine realm. Perhaps I will have a chance to see him again," Yizite said, not wallowing in grief but feeling a hint of reverence.

What a sentimental elf, Reslin thought to himself.

"Tell me your plan."

"Alright."

Yizite straightened, speaking earnestly, "I've been stuck at the Legendary Peak for twenty years; I need a Demon Lord's blood and flesh essence to break the bottleneck. For that, I searched for seven years and finally found a suitable target—a Baro Flame Demon in Danmofu."

"Danmofu?"

Asina recalled, "Isn't that in the interior of the New Continent?"

"Miss Asina, you are correct," Yizite smiled, "The easiest place to find a Demon Lord is, of course, entering the Abyss. But hunting a Demon Lord inside the Abyss is too dangerous; I wouldn't dare go deep alone, so I can only search on the New Continent."

Reslin had already opened the New Continent map on his device.

Danmofu lies in the south-central region of the New Continent, slightly to the west, about one‑third of the way across; it is separated from Albert Bay by two mountain ranges, roughly three thousand li apart.

The New Continent's overall terrain runs northwest to southeast: the north is a vast frozen wasteland; the west is covered with mountainous plateaus, higher in elevation; the southeast is a flat plain, fertile and endless.

During the Third Epoch, dwarves and elves jointly ruled the New Continent. Dwarves, who favored living among high, perilous peaks, landed on the western coast and occupied roughly the western third of the interior, while the remaining eastern plains belonged to the elves.

The mountains and plains formed a natural boundary between the two races.

Danmofu sits right on this boundary, at the foot of the north‑south‑spanning "Luokeqisi Mountains," where dwarves once built a city.

In the mid‑Third Epoch, after relations between the two races eased slightly, Danmofu's advantageous location on a major transport route turned it into a trade hub, gradually becoming one of the dwarves' most prosperous cities on the New Continent, ranking among the top five in population and economy.

At the end of the epoch, the Abyss invaded.

Danmofu was among the first cities destroyed by the demon army, almost entirely razed by war, with few residents managing to escape alive. Later, during the "Great Earthquake," Danmofu lay close to the epicenter; the whole city's ruins sank underground, disappearing from history thereafter.

Today, Danmofu is merely a geographical term, referring to the once‑prosperous plateau region.

After the Great Earthquake, the New Continent fell entirely into demon territory.

One Abyssal Gate after another rose from the ground, endless corrupt energy spewing from the Abyss, polluting the land and darkening the sky.

Countless beasts, spirits, and races mutated after being tainted by the corrupt energy, becoming monsters.

Places where monsters gather and breed form monster nests.

Monster nests litter the New Continent; the deeper one goes into the interior, the more numerous and dense the monsters become. They are merely minions of the demon army; the nests, centered on Abyssal Gates, form a corrupt energy network covering the New Continent, ultimately aiming to transform it into a layer of the Abyss.

Each Abyssal Gate is surrounded by a multitude of demons.

Higher‑level Abyssal Gates have more and stronger guarding demons.

Hundreds of years ago, someone infiltrated Danmofu and discovered a large Abyssal Gate, its destination within the Abyss unknown.

Such large Abyssal Gates are each guarded by a Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord, together with his demon army and monsters, controls a vast area around the Abyssal Gate, essentially his domain.

Unsurprisingly, the Baro Flame Demon Yizite selected is the guardian of that Abyssal Gate.

Reslin slowly shook his head.

"Hunting a Demon Lord on the New Continent isn't as dangerous as in the Abyss, but this is a Baro Flame Demon—the strongest demon in the Inferno, the pinnacle of burning demon evolution. Not only is its power formidable, it also wields many spells; with only the three of us, the risk is too great,"

"Moreover," Reslin said lightly, "you are merely guiding us through the dark regions; it's not worth the huge risk for us to risk for you."

Asina also nodded cautiously.

She indeed came out to adventure, but not to seek death.

Who hasn't heard of the Baro Flame Demon? This terrifying demon has been around since appearing in Ai Lun E Si, and over tens of thousands of years has caused incalculable slaughter.

They were born on the fire element plane, originally just an elemental creature—the Flame Demon.

Legend says that tens of thousands of years ago, the Lord of Darkness coveted the Flame Demons, captured them into the Abyss, and with unimaginable power transformed them into the first Baro Flame Demons, becoming His most loyal and powerful minions.

Any Baro Flame Demon possesses Saint Rank power; several layers of Abyssal Lords are Baro Flame Demons, and the elite among them have lived for tens of thousands of years, their ferocity overwhelming, strength surpassing demigods, even comparable to slightly weaker deities.

Moreover, Baro Flame Demons never act alone; they are accompanied by a massive demon legion.

Reslin glanced at Asina, silently praising himself.

She was cooperating with him to bargain.

Yizite was not in a hurry, and said calmly, "If we successfully hunt down this Baro Flame Demon, I am confident I can advance to Saint Rank. Then, whatever your purpose in the Spirit‑absorbing Monster's city, besides guiding you, I also promise to guarantee your safety."

Lei Si's eyes flickered; it was a good promise.

If Yizite's words are true, there are Saint Rank casters among the Spirit‑absorbing Monsters, and we alone, even with Axina, cannot handle them. We could ask the teacher for help, or our own body could risk a try, but those are inferior options and bring many troubles.

But he did not respond immediately.

Yizite continued, "I only need the Baro Flame Demon's flesh and blood; its demon soul can be your loot. However, the Demons I kill have souls that shatter, with some soul fragments remaining fused in the corpse, causing the extracted demon soul to be incomplete."

"I understand."

Reslin nodded and began thinking.

Demons cannot be killed outside the Abyss; their souls return to the Abyss to revive.

The New Continent has been fallen for over three thousand years; even with Demonic Hunters and humans constantly clearing demon nests and destroying the evil‑energy network, it is only a drop in the bucket, and most of the New Continent remains polluted and transformed by evil energy.

These places are called Abyss Wastelands, where only monsters can survive long‑term.

The Abyss Wastelands are already part of the Abyss, belonging to its interior; within them one can truly kill Demons and harvest their souls.

If Yizite's plan succeeds, extracting the Baro Flame Demon's soul is not a problem.

The issue is that it becomes soul fragments.

Soul fragments are important resources for Demonic Hunters and Demon Hunters, used to boost power, craft alchemical bombs or demonic pills, and in critical moments can consume Demon soul fragments to greatly increase combat ability.

When he previously exterminated a vampire nest with Luo Jue, he had already witnessed it.

These incomplete souls lose some Elements, and the contained soul power is far weaker than a complete demon soul, so transcendents generally do not choose to fuse them, greatly reducing their value. Of course, Demonic Hunters and Demon Hunters can also opt not to use "soul‑fragment" attacks, keeping the Demon soul intact, but this raises combat difficulty.

The only ones unaffected are Law Seal school wizards.

Law Seal wizards originally must strip the secret Arcane Elements from demon souls, forge them into Law Seals, and then merge them into their own souls.

As long as the required Arcane Elements remain in the incomplete demon soul, it works.

The Baro Flame Demon is a Demon Lord; its demon soul carries many powerful Elements, and the most attractive is naturally the "Flame Demon Crown"!

This legendary Element is the highest‑grade fire Affinity Element, coveted by all fire element users.

The value of a Flame Demon Crown Law Seal is incalculable.

Reslin is a mage and cannot merge Law Seals, but this does not affect using the Flame Demon Crown. He can use the Crown's Elements as primary material, set up a rune array to cast a constant spell, and imbue it onto himself in constant spell form, permanently effective.

This is the only way for a mage to obtain the Affinity effect.

Wizards can also use it, and can constantly maintain some protective spells.

The constant Affinity effect, compared to a wizard directly fusing Elements, has two drawbacks: first, the constant can fail; second, it can be dispelled.

If it fails, the material is lost, and another batch must be prepared.

Dispelling the constant has two outcomes: if suppressed by an Anti‑Magic Field or hit by an Anti‑Magic Ray, it only temporarily ceases, and once out of the field or the spell ends, the constant effect resumes; if removed by a magic dispel, a disintegration technique, or a Ruby Reverse Ray, such a dispelling cannot be restored.

The mage, not wanting the constant effect permanently removed, has another method.

The already constant effect forms its corresponding Element in a meditation space; unlike the mage's self‑built spell model, it can be solidified and stabilized by expending mana. Even after the constant effect is dispelled, as long as one pays the permanent loss of that mana, it can be instantly re‑constanted without needing material.

However, solidifying a constant effect requires a huge amount of mana, at least more than three times that needed to normally construct a spell model.

The stronger the constant effect, the more mana it consumes.

Each mage's mana has a limit, making this approach unprofitable.

A few mages choose to solidify one or two rare‑material constant effects; more would be unbearable, and only Grand Mages who have lived for millennia possess a multitude of solidified constant effects.

For young mages, this is an unsolvable dilemma, to be dealt with later.

But for Reslin, it is no problem at all.

Mana is like electricity; the New Continent is teeming with monsters, and you can have as much as you want. If one can obtain the Flame Demon Crown, one can immediately constant it on oneself and then solidify it directly.

He has mastered many fire spells, but currently only has one fire Affinity, which is rather meager.

The Flame Demon Crown must be obtained!

After pondering, Reslin decided to join Yizite's hunting plan.

He looked at the Dark Elf and said calmly, "The Baro Flame Demon's soul fragments belong to me, but with only the three of us, the risk is still too great."

"My plan certainly involves more than three people!"

Yizite was extremely pleased; Reslin's words meant his consent, and he hurriedly said, "I have already arranged with a friend whose strength is comparable to mine, and he will also join this plan."

"Four people is still not enough, right?" Reslin shook his head.

"Yes," Yizite said calmly, "When entering the Abyss Wastelands, the closer to the Abyssal Gate, the more severe the contamination; each team must have a member who can purify evil energy and dispel mental corruption, preferably also possessing healing ability."

"My friend knows some healing arts and can suppress Demons, but his specialty is hunting and tracking, so we still need to find another person."

"Too many people hinders execution; five is just right."

"Ideally a Sun Knight, Priest, or Holy Swordsman; Druids and Cultivator‑herders are also acceptable, but the first three professions are more reassuring."

The Dark Elf spoke with confidence, showing he had considered it for a long time.

Reslin gave a slight nod; this is all based on experience. In the New Continent, soul‑hunting squads and mercenary bands without healers or teammates who can dispel and purify evil energy cannot go far; they will eventually be slowly corrupted in mind and body by evil energy, ultimately becoming monsters.

Hunting the Baro Flame Demon requires at least Legendary Mid‑stage qualification, preferably Legendary High‑rank.

He had only been on the New Continent for a few days, barely knowing anyone; where could he find Sun Knights, Priests, and Holy Swordsmen above Legendary Mid‑stage?

Unless he summons the Sunwalker who is training the Gun‑wing Knight to the New Continent.

The minotaur Atomo is a Legendary Mid‑stage Sunwalker and should be capable. If still uneasy, he could inform the Sun‑Chaser tribe's chieftain Dejiko to make a trip.

However, this is the last resort.

Reslin asked, "Do you have a suitable candidate?"

"There is one," Yizite nodded, "I've been secretly observing many strong individuals in Albert Bay over the years, and found a Legendary Priest who is the best choice—powerful, experienced, but with a quirky temperament that's hard to approach. He left Albert Bay half a month ago, venturing out alone to hunt monsters."

"Half a month… shouldn't be far," Reslin considered. Transcendents from Albert Bay generally operate only on the New Continent's western coast, and at most would not cross the Rockkiss Mountains.

So he asked, "Do you know where he went?"

(End of chapter)