After completing the blood ritual, the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor had only recovered roughly twenty to thirty percent of his power, owing to the absence of Wei Xing'er—that critical link.
However, even at twenty to thirty percent, the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor's strength was terrifying. His overwhelming imperial might instantly flooded the inner reaches of the Bengyun Mountain Range.
"The Cuihua Pavilion Master's aura has vanished... Could he have fallen?" Though the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor had only just broken free of his seal, his spiritual consciousness was perfectly clear.
Otherwise, he could never have persuaded the Cuihua Pavilion Master to defect to the Blood Demon Clan, nor duped him into setting up this multi-year scheme.
The Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor transformed into a mass of blood clouds, rampaging from the altar area all the way to the Fog Sea region. By the time he arrived, the Fog Sea region was nothing but ruins.
The blood food the Cuihua Pavilion Master had prepared for him had long since vanished. All that remained was the grim aftermath of battle.
"Argh!" Upon seeing this scene, how could the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor not realize his carefully laid plans had crumbled? In that moment, he was driven nearly to madness.
He had gone to such lengths to set up a flawless scheme, only to have it fall apart at the most critical juncture? To have it fail at the very last step?
The imperfect blood ritual had already left the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor's power far from full recovery, and now his prepared sacrifices had disappeared as well.
How could he not be consumed with frustration over these consecutive setbacks?
"That Cuihua Pavilion Master... his fate was ultimately insufficient? He couldn't bear the weight of my Demon Race's great revival? It seems I chose the wrong person after all!"
The Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor seethed with frustration, his eyes blazing crimson, thick with killing intent.
"Just who was it!? Who dared to sabotage my, the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor's, great plan? No matter who you are, I will devour you alive!"
Having only just re-entered the world, only to face such repeated sabotage—this had thoroughly unleashed the savage fury of a demon emperor.
Swoosh!
The mass of blood clouds streaked like a swath of red mist, moving at speeds nearly impossible for the naked eye to track. In a flash, it burst through the earth's surface.
The Demon Emperor's formidable spiritual consciousness instantly spread across dozens of li, searching for the culprit who had ruined his plans.
Now that the Cuihua Pavilion Master was dead, the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor had no way to glean any information. But he understood clearly that given how perfect this setup had been, whoever had interfered could not have gone far.
The battle in the Fog Sea region had only just ended. The aftershocks still rippled through the area, not yet dissipated.
The moment the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor erupted from underground, Jiang Chen sensed that tyrannical Demon Emperor's pressure from far away. A chill ran through him. "Even at less than peak strength, this Demon Emperor's pressure is already this domineering. As expected of an ancient Demon Emperor! If he were allowed to recover to his peak state, forget the Red Cauldron Central Domain—even in the Upper Eight Domains, how many could stand against him in open combat?"
For a moment, Jiang Chen grew solemn, his mind racing for a countermeasure.
He knew the best option now was to turn tail and flee. But Jiang Chen understood his responsibility.
If he left now and gave the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor enough time to recover, that demon emperor would inevitably leave the Bengyun Mountain Range and wreak havoc upon the outside world.
When the Demon Race emerged, the land would be drenched in blood and suffering.
Even if the Demon Calamity was destined to erupt eventually, Jiang Chen hoped that day would not come so soon. At the very least, the human territories were nowhere near prepared.
Jiang Chen's feet never stopped as he shot toward the outer perimeter.
The Earth Attribute Source Pearl that had sustained the earth's pulse had already been taken by him. The outer formations were therefore largely rendered useless.
Jiang Chen hoped that even if he had to face the Demon Emperor, it would be away from this eerie region.
Engaging the demon emperor within this area would be far from a wise choice.
While weaving through the terrain, Jiang Chen spotted Elder Zhang trudging slowly below. Elder Zhang had been corroded by the blood mist and lacked the strength to move quickly, creeping along like a snail.
At that pace, he was slower than an ordinary person, let alone anyone trying to escape.
Jiang Chen sighed softly, dove down, and snatched up Elder Zhang with a low command: "Stay still. I'll get you out."
He pushed the Heavenly Kun Flowing Light Escape to its limit. Carrying another person, Jiang Chen's speed was barely affected as he hurtled toward the mountain range's outer edge.
On a mountain road at the perimeter, Jiang Chen's sharp eyes immediately spotted Silver Sand Guest lingering nearby.
"Silver Sand Guest! The Demon Emperor has descended! Leave the Bengyun Mountain Range immediately!"
Upon seeing this, Jiang Chen called out a warning.
Silver Sand Guest was startled to hear Jiang Chen's voice. He looked up and saw a streak of light hurtling toward the outskirts like a bolt of lightning.
Silver Sand Guest shouted: "Friend, what's the situation in there?"
"Everyone's dead. Leave now—the Demon Emperor has arrived. If you don't go, you'll become his blood food and fuel his power recovery."
Jiang Chen knew that for someone like Silver Sand Guest, telling him to leave outright might not convince him. But if you laid out the stakes clearly, he would still be able to tell what was best for himself.