Spellcasting Gods

Zhang Cheng's actions finally made these demons, who originally thought they were the source of all evil, understand what true cold-bloodedness and cruelty really meant.

Looking at the demons kneeling on the ground, not daring to move, Warrent suddenly asked, "Your so-called plan to conquer Hell isn't going to be accomplished by modifying so few demons, is it?"

"What? You, who can foresee the future, don't know my next plans?" Zhang Cheng asked meaningfully.

“Damn it! I told you, the power of fate can only accurately predict all possibilities when I focus my attention on a certain point in time. And in order to avoid being killed by you, I set a rule for myself long ago: I will never predict what you will do next without your permission.” Warren shrugged innocently.

"Really? Do you think I would believe that?" Zhang Cheng remained completely unmoved.

To be precise, although the relationship between the two could be described as that of the closest allies, he always regarded Warrent as one of the most dangerous potential enemies, even more so than the sleeping gods.

"Whether you believe it or not is your business, but I'll follow my own rules. After all, you're an extremely dangerous guy, and I don't want to get caught red-handed and die at your hands one day." With that, Warrent pulled out a rolled-up "tobacco" from his pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and soon began to grin happily.

Due to a lack of relevant information, it is almost impossible to determine whether his current hedonistic lifestyle is his true nature or a deliberate act to impress others.

Zhang Cheng didn't dwell on this issue for too long. He directly took out the modified "Grimoire of Domination," closed his eyes, and communicated with the souls of thousands of Burning Legion demons inside, especially those high-ranking commanders with illustrious battle achievements, such as the Eredar, the Dreadlords, the Pit Lords, and Sylvanas, etc.

When he opened his eyes again, he immediately chanted loudly in the ancient demonic language: "Rise! Powerful beings from the ends of another universe! You were born on the edge of order and distorted spacetime, born destroyers and destroyers! Your name is the Burning Legion! Today, I will lead you to conquer this world..."

As the last word slipped out!

Suddenly, a huge black hole appeared out of thin air in the "Grimoire of Domination," from which millions of demon souls of various shapes and sizes flew out in a continuous stream of complaints!

They were like a pack of hungry beasts, constantly circling above the enormous palace, as if waiting for something important.

Clearly, these beings need souls, and a massive number of souls at that, to reshape their bodies and complete the most crucial step in their resurrection.

Having anticipated this, Zhang Cheng didn't hesitate and immediately opened his magic pouch, unleashing tens of millions of soul fragments, which the Burning Legion's demon souls fought over and even killed each other.

In just five minutes, the first Abyss Lord had snatched enough fragments. Its massive body gradually began to materialize, and the moment the green fel flame above its head was ignited, it stomped the ground and let out a roar filled with rage and savagery: "Ah!!!! The great Brotavis has returned! Tremble, enemies of the Legion! I will crush you!"

Before he could even raise the massive weapon in his hand to do anything, he heard an icy voice echo in his ears: "Fool! Shut your stinking mouth! Then kneel before me!"

thump!

The Abyss Lord's thick knees were completely out of his control, bending straight down and kneeling on the ground, unable to move at all, not even able to lift his head to look ahead.

With the first example set, the resurrected Burning Legion demons all knelt on one knee, patiently awaiting orders from their new master.

Chapter 0811 Expansion

What is most important for a legion?

Some people think it's about quantity, since a large number of people means greater strength, and scale can sometimes bring unimaginable strategic advantages.

Others believe it's weapons and equipment, arguing that a group of guys wielding wooden sticks would be almost no match for an opponent wielding a sword.

However, anyone with even a basic understanding of military affairs knows that while both of these points have some merit, neither is the decisive factor.

The true source of a legion's strength lies in the middle and lower-ranking officers responsible for conveying the supreme commander's intentions to the soldiers. As long as they are not scattered, the legion can recover in a very short time, no matter how great the damage it suffers.

Soldiers, to put it bluntly, are a resource, a renewable consumable.

If we compare an army to a person, then soldiers are the skin and muscles, lower and middle-ranking officers are the skeleton and nervous system, logistics are the blood, upper-ranking officers are the brain, and scouts are the eyes and ears.

Generally speaking, if the skin and muscles are damaged, as long as it is not too serious, the body's self-repair ability can basically restore them to their original state.

However, if there are problems with the skeletal and nerve conduction systems, even if the person survives by chance, they will become completely disabled.

As for the most important brain, once it is destroyed, the entire legion is pretty much finished, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were completely annihilated by the enemy.

Although Zhang Cheng was not a qualified legion commander in the strict sense, he understood the importance of organizational structure and system, so he chose the Burning Legion, which had conquered and destroyed countless worlds, to launch a war that swept across Hell and Heaven.

After all, they were not only powerful, but also very experienced. Even the lowest-ranking soldiers had participated in at least ten large-scale battles.

Of course, the only downside is that these guys are all a bit unruly, especially the Dreadlord, who always says one thing in public and another in private. Who knows when they might unite and launch a rebellion?

It's important to understand that Zhang Cheng is not Sargeras. He possesses unparalleled power, and even the Legion's two lieutenants, Kil'jaeden the Deceiver and Archimonde the Defiler, cannot challenge the Dark Titan's absolute dominance.

Fortunately, he now has another force that can restrain him, namely Warrent.

I believe that even if it's just for my own sake, this old guy will diligently monitor the Dreadlords' private activities, otherwise he'll be the first to die if a rebellion breaks out.

……

After consuming over 40 million souls, a million demons of the Burning Legion finally completely occupied the city of Valar. They began to systematically build war machines with limited resources, while also sending out 10,000-strong teams to launch probing attacks on the surrounding areas.

In just about a week, those weaker territories fell one after another, and a large number of prisoners were incorporated as servants and cannon fodder to launch a new round of attacks.

Under the Burning Legion's strategic guidance of sustaining its war through war and undermining the enemy from within, it rapidly grew in strength through a snowballing process.

The Abyss Lords and Eredar were responsible for the frontal assault, while the Nathrezim Dreadlords used their innate ability to disguise themselves to infiltrate the enemy ranks and create chaos and suspicion.

Not long after, they captured and occupied another important city to the west—Clydescompe.

Its fall means that the easternmost region of Hell has completely fallen under the control of the Legion.

From then on, this land, which was more than 10,000 square kilometers larger than before, and the tens of millions of demons living on it, became the capital to launch the next phase of the attack.

Before that, we need to stop and make some minor adjustments, especially to integrate resources, expand the number of legions, and transform more hell demons into mindless killing machines.

Standing on the top floor of the spire-like palace in Clydiscompe, Zhang Cheng stood by the window, admiring the scene of slave laborers busily forging various weapons outside. Without turning his head, he asked, "What do you think my chances of winning the next battle now are?"

"No more than forty percent. You must understand, our adversaries have already felt threatened and have secretly formed a massive alliance. What you're going to deal with next isn't a scattered mob, but a truly organized hellish legion," Warrent stated his prediction bluntly.

"Forty percent? Are those selfish demon lords really that powerful?" Zhang Cheng turned around, his tone revealing strong doubt.

Warren shook his head and explained, "No! It's because you've been too pushy, which has created a strong sense of crisis in them, so they've temporarily set aside their grudges. I guarantee that if you can tone it down a little, this alliance will crumble from within before long. Also, you'd better be careful from now on. I guarantee that those high and mighty demon lords have noticed what's going on here."

"Demon King? Since that great war in ancient times, is there anyone in Hell who deserves to be called a Demon King?" Zhang Cheng smiled disdainfully.

“Never underestimate Hell! Never underestimate the demons this land breeds! They are far more dangerous than you imagine,” Warren warned solemnly.

Zhang Cheng raised a finger and shook it gently: "No, you didn't understand what I meant. I never said that the demons of hell aren't dangerous. I was referring to thousands of years of peace, which has made Heaven, Hell, and the human world incredibly dull. They've forgotten that peace is always temporary, a prelude to an even more brutal war. Besides, this isn't true peace at all; it's merely a ceasefire agreement. It only takes a little friction and hatred to easily reignite the flames of war."

“Damn it! You don’t mean to…” Warrent’s eyes widened in horror.

“That’s right! If our actions have already attracted the attention of the higher-ups in Hell, why not expand the scope of the war and drag those self-proclaimed kind and righteous angels from Heaven into it? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind taking this opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to the chaotic Hell. I’m curious, if a war breaks out between Heaven and Hell, will those so-called demon kings still have the energy to pay attention to us?”

After saying this, Zhang Cheng curled up the corners of his mouth, revealing an extremely sinister sneer.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend; this saying will never be outdated.

Moreover, he still had a trump card up his sleeve: an army of tens of thousands of dragons.

These rapidly growing little creatures have already grown to a point where they inspire awe, and once they join the battle, they will instantly leave an indelible psychological shadow on the enemy.

“Understood! I will inform the Dreadlords to cause some trouble at the border between Hell and Heaven.” Warrent placed one hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and then turned and disappeared into the dark corridor.

He had barely left for a minute when the succubus Reines deactivated her invisibility, wrapped her arms around Zhang Cheng's neck from behind, and asked in a seductive voice, "Great and evil master, are you sure this guy is trustworthy?"

Chapter 0812 Non-existent Trust

"Trust? What gave you and me the illusion that we trust him?"

Zhang Cheng smiled meaningfully and shook his head.

"No, the word 'trust' has long been removed from my dictionary."

In my view, all subordinates or allies, including yourself, fall into only three categories.

The first type is those who have already betrayed, the second type is those who are planning to betray, and the third type is those who have no intention of betraying yet but will choose to betray at some point in the future.

Trust and loyalty have never existed in the first place. Only a fool would believe that an intelligent being with independent thinking would be willing to dedicate everything to another intelligent being.

In fact, behind every act that is regarded as loyalty, there are often many little-known secrets.

I never trust anyone, nor do I expect loyalty from anyone, because that's something only fools do. Truly wise people choose various methods to prevent betrayal.

"Since you don't trust him, why give him so much power?" Reines asked with curiosity, rather than trying to refute the assessment of him.

For a succubus, betrayal was as commonplace as eating and drinking.

Not only succubi, but many demon races in the Burning Legion do not consider betrayal a bad thing.

On the contrary, they believe that betrayal is a benign form of internal competition that allows more capable and talented villains to emerge.

The Dreadlords, in particular, are practically professional masters in this field. Although they cannot kill their own kind, they can do everything in their power to overthrow their superiors and competitors and successfully rise to power.

It can be said that the entire Nathrezim society is composed of betrayal, lies, fraud, and intimidation.

As the first faction to be incorporated by the Dark Titan Sargeras, they naturally spread this ideology throughout the Burning Legion, even after the more powerful Eredar joined.

Zhang Cheng undoubtedly knew very well what these people who outwardly submitted to him were thinking. He casually explained, "Power is not simply force; it must be attached to a social group. Otherwise, it cannot be called power. If you think that Warrent wields a lot of power, you might as well think about how he obtained his power and which groups he intends to use it on."

Reines wasn't a fool. To be precise, if she were a fool, she wouldn't have survived this long among her cruel and vicious kind. She quickly showed a look of sudden realization: "Oh—I get it! He's a human, and the seemingly enormous power he holds was entirely bestowed upon him by you. So if he dares to make even the slightest move of betrayal, neither we nor those creatures also called demons will hesitate to tear him to pieces."

"That's right! The art of ruling and balancing power lies in never granting subordinates unchecked power, but rather placing those who seem most threatening in positions most likely to incite hatred. You must understand that once the soil is removed, even the most lush tree will wither and die..."

"How pitiful. I'm suddenly starting to feel sorry for him." A gloating smile appeared on the succubus's exquisite face.

"Alright, that's enough about Warrent. All you need to know is that he's not a threat, at least not yet. Now, tell me, how's the investigation I asked you to do?" Zhang Cheng shoved away the other man's restless hands.

"I'm sorry, Master, we haven't found anything yet. After all, the things you're investigating are from a very ancient era. Most of the demons here are no more than five hundred years old, so it's difficult to find any useful information. If you don't mind, I can send people deep into the heart of the land to try and get some useful information from the old demon lords."

When it came to serious matters, Reines immediately dropped his nonchalant demeanor and gave a quick and concise report on his progress.

After spending so much time together, she clearly understood her master's personality very well and dared not do anything out of line at this moment, as that would be tantamount to courting death.

"Not even a little bit?" Zhang Cheng frowned subconsciously.

“Really, no. The only certainty is that among the demons of hell, there is a poem that is hard to define as either a story or a prophecy, but it bears a striking resemblance to what you are looking for,” the succubus replied quickly.

"Continue the investigation! At all costs! Also, inform Pollack to keep all members of the legion under control and ensure absolute silence during this period. Do not go out to provoke or cause trouble." After saying that, Zhang Cheng waved his hand, indicating that his subordinates could leave.

"As you wish, my great and wicked master." Reines placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply, completely unconcerned that a large expanse of his cleavage was exposed.

As shadow and fel energy began to spread rapidly throughout the world, she was no longer just an elite succubus, but a true succubus queen whose power was in no way inferior to that of a tyrannical abyss lord.

But for some reason, she still prefers to use underhanded methods to achieve her goals, just like before, and rarely reveals her true strength.

However, none of this concerned Zhang Cheng. After watching the succubus leave, he immediately pulled a blood-red, diamond-shaped mark from his pocket and muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear: "The tomb where the ancient demon king slept? I hope it won't disappoint me too much..."

Without a doubt, what he had Reines search for was nothing other than the entrance to a tomb.

According to Warrent's own account, this tomb hides the other side of the duality of the power of creation, which is the mystery of the power of destruction.

The problem is that, due to some unknown factor, it is impossible to accurately predict the corresponding location, and it can only use the most primitive and inefficient methods to search for it.

Of course, Zhang Cheng privately thought this was more of a clumsy excuse.

It's important to understand that the relationship between the two was one of mutual exploitation and mutual distrust from the very beginning.

Although Warrent deliberately positioned himself as vulnerable, no one knew what he was thinking, and even psychic abilities couldn't penetrate the strange protection he maintained around his body 24/7.