Blue MAX!

Qi Wu snapped his fingers, and their surroundings changed in an instant.

The silver-white metal training room vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless desert filled with swirling yellow sand.

Scorching wind whipped grains of sand against their faces, the sensation incredibly realistic.

The "Virtual Battlefield" was the technology the Nanjiang Bureau had used to test Qi Wu's combat strength when he first arrived.

It could simulate a virtual space.

This special Training Ground, equipped with Virtual Battlefield technology, was rented out to the public whenever no events were scheduled.

The price was quite steep, too.

Ten contribution points an hour.

The thought made Qi Wu's heart ache a little.

But since it was for training Jiang Qingyue's abilities, the expense was worth it.

"Virtual Battlefield, simulate a desert environment."

"Now I want you to use the abilities you gained through devouring, and then-try to defeat me!"

Qi Wu clasped his hands behind his back, his tone calm yet commanding.

"During this training, I won't use Limitless to defend myself."

Qi Wu's voice carried clearly through the scorching desert wind, filled with unquestionable authority.

Jiang Qingyue's heart tightened, and her nerves instantly went taut.

Although she knew this was training, she dared not let her guard down against the unfathomable Mr. Wu.

"Yes, Mr. Wu!"

She took a deep breath, suppressed her nervousness, and poured everything into activating her newly acquired earth spiritual energy and the power of the Curse Mark on her wrist.

Hum-!

The sand beneath her feet seemed to come alive, swirling around her like flowing water and rising up!

In the blink of an eye, three sand golems rose from the ground with deep roars.

"Attack!"

Jiang Qingyue cried out, and the three sand golems charged toward Qi Wu from different directions with heavy strides.

Their massive fists came crashing down, howling through the air!

"Too slow!"

Qi Wu faced the three sand golems' encirclement.

True to his word, he did not use any of Limitless's absolute defense.

His figure flickered like a ghost.

Relying solely on incredible Physical Techniques and speed bordering on teleportation, he strolled leisurely through the barrage of fists and sand.

A sidestep, a backward lean, a light hop...

Every movement precisely avoided the pounding sand fists by a hair's breadth.

He even had time to reach out a finger and lightly tap the arm of a golem whose punch had missed.

Bang!

That seemingly insignificant tap carried a deft force, instantly disrupting the structural balance of the golem's arm. Its entire arm of sand and stone crumbled away.

The other two golems attacked in quick succession.

Yet Qi Wu appeared behind them as though he had used Teleportation. With a slight flick of his toe against the sand, he sent a hidden force into the ground.

Boom! Boom!

The sand beneath the two golems abruptly collapsed, making them stagger and miss their attacks again.

In just a few breaths, Qi Wu had toyed with the three seemingly ferocious sand golems using nothing but Physical Techniques and combat skills. They had not even touched the hem of his clothes.

Jiang Qingyue watched in alarm, but she did not lose heart. Her gaze sharpened, and she made an unexpected decision!

"Come out!"

"Uh... Yellow Weasel!!"

For a moment, Jiang Qingyue could not remember the Yellow Immortal's title.

Only after thinking for a little while did she call it out.

That was right.

What she wanted to summon was Yellow Weasel's soul, already imprisoned by the Curse Mark!

The Curse Mark on her wrist flashed faintly, and the blond, animal-eared girl's War Soul was summoned as well, floating beside her with a bewildered look.

This was Yellow Weasel, who had transformed into a blond, animal-eared girl after the Sealing Blessing.

"Yellow Weasel, heed my command!"

Jiang Qingyue communicated her words to Yellow Weasel through their souls.

Upon receiving the order, the animal-eared girl gave a faint whimper, then plunged headfirst into the sand beneath them and vanished!

The very next second!

The sand beneath Qi Wu's feet surged without warning!

A pair of somewhat petite yet exceptionally sturdy hands formed from sand abruptly shot out and clamped tightly around his ankles!

At the same time, more sand crawled rapidly up his calves like a living creature, trying to pin him to the ground!

It was the blond, animal-eared girl's War Soul! She had tunneled underground to launch a surprise immobilizing attack!

It worked!

Jiang Qingyue's heart leaped with delight. This sudden restraint had clearly exceeded what Qi Wu could handle using Physical Techniques alone!

Without any hesitation, almost at the same moment the animal-eared girl grabbed Qi Wu, she pressed both hands against the ground with all her strength!

Roar!!!

Eight sand golems, taller and more solid than before, burst from the sand with deafening roars and surrounded Qi Wu from every direction.

This encirclement sealed off every possible avenue of escape!

With just one more coordinated attack, Qi Wu would be defeated!

However, just as all the attacks were about to strike-

Far from showing any panic, Qi Wu, trapped by the sand, instead wore a smile... as though his plan had succeeded?

"Now that's a little more interesting."

He did not even change his stance, merely saying in a level voice:

"But the game's over."

Cursed Technique Lapse-Blue: Maximum Output!!!

Qi Wu gripped his right wrist with his left hand and raised his right palm. An enormous Gravity Sphere instantly formed in his hand.

A sand golem in front of him was immediately swept into the gravitational sphere.

"Blue MAX!!!"

Qi Wu swept his right palm outward, and the entire Gravity Sphere, carrying sand and gravel, swept around him in a circle.

The seven remaining sand golems were immediately torn apart by an irresistible force and dragged into the depths of the Gravity Sphere, where they were instantly compressed and annihilated!

In an instant, all eight sand golems Jiang Qingyue had created were destroyed.

An enormous ring-shaped trench formed around Qi Wu.

Jiang Qingyue stared, dumbfounded.

[Jiang Qingyue was shocked by your destructive power]

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Then Qi Wu compressed the Gravity Sphere into a small orb with one hand.

Like a miniature black hole, he pressed it down toward Yellow Weasel, who was gripping him from the ground.

Boom!!!

An enormous quicksand pit was blasted into the desert floor.

The blond, animal-eared girl was blasted into the sky, then plummeted from high above.

Yellow Weasel: (X_X)!!

With a burst of white mist, the animal-eared girl Jiang Qingyue had summoned was beaten back into her cage.

Qi Wu floated in midair, took a step, and used Teleportation to appear in front of Jiang Qingyue.

As Jiang Qingyue scrambled in a panic.

Qi Wu raised his palm, and his large hand was already resting on Jiang Qingyue's head.

It felt smooth.

Jiang Qingyue stared blankly at him, her mind completely empty.

A moment later, Jiang Qingyue sat in the sand with her legs splayed to either side, her lashes trembling slightly.

"I... lost..."

She had lost beyond any doubt. If Qi Wu had been fighting her for real just now.

She would have been as dead as could be.

Jiang Qingyue knew there was a large gap between her strength and Qi Wu's.

But she had never imagined it would be this enormous.

She could not help feeling dejected.

The gap... was too vast.

So vast that she could not even summon the will to resist.

A moment later, Jiang Qingyue abruptly raised her head, her eyes slightly red as she looked at him helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wu. I couldn't give you a satisfying fight!"