"Convergence."
"Divergence."
"What do you think will happen when you touch this void?"
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
The instant that speck of crimson energy appeared at Qi Wu's fingertip, the surrounding air began to warp.
That was "Red."
There was no earthshaking spectacle, only a deathly stillness that made souls tremble.
Sprawled on the ground, Blade of Gale's pupils widened to their limit. For the first time, the face beneath his hood showed a look of incredulous horror!
Every cell in his body screamed, frantically warning him of danger!
He couldn't withstand this attack! He would die! He really would die!
He desperately tried to muster his spiritual power to dodge or defend.
But there was no time.
With a casual flick of his finger, Qi Wu could unleash a terrifying repulsive force.
Everyone in the stands seemed to have their throats clamped shut as well. They stopped breathing, staring wide-eyed at that deadly speck of crimson.
At that critical instant-
Qi Wu's finger stopped an inch from Blade of Gale's forehead.
Like an obedient pet, the crimson energy suddenly withdrew into his body. That world-destroying pressure vanished without a trace.
He clapped his hands as though merely dusting them off, then lazily straightened up.
"All right, we have a winner."
He turned and waved at the referee and the audience, who had yet to recover.
"Call this one my win."
Silence.
A deathly silence enveloped the arena.
Several full seconds passed before an enormous roar erupted, nearly blowing the roof off the Training Ground!
"Holy shit!!! What just happened?!"
"What was that power just now?! I felt like my heart was about to stop!"
"Blade of Gale... lost?! Just like that?!"
"An instant takedown?! That was practically an instant takedown!"
"That was Blade of Gale, a peak tier-seven fighter! He even knocked the blade out of his hand!"
"Just how strong... is Qi Wu?!"
"Tier eight?! Does he have tier-eight strength?!"
Cries of shock, exclamations of admiration, and incredulous chatter swept through the entire venue like a tsunami.
Everyone looked at the young man on the platform, who still wore that same lazy expression, with eyes full of shock, awe, and fervor!
[Popularity Points +1,000!] [Popularity Points +800!] [Extreme shock and admiration from all agents present. Popularity Points rising rapidly...] [Current Satoru Gojo fusion level: 53%... 54%... 55%!]
Feeling the surging growth of power within him and his increasingly refined control over his abilities, Qi Wu's lips curled in satisfaction.
Jiang Qingyue was the first to rush onto the platform. Her small face flushed with excitement as she handed him a towel and milk tea:
"Mr. Wu! You were incredible!"
Qi Wu took the milk tea, drank a long sip, and ruffled her hair:
"No big deal."
Just then, Blade of Gale struggled to sit up on the ground.
He clutched his still-numb right arm. Beneath his hood, his gaze was complicated beyond words: shock, reluctance, but above all... submission before absolute power.
"That move of yours... what's it called...?"
His voice was somewhat hoarse.
"'Red.' It attacks using repulsive force," Qi Wu replied casually, making no attempt to hide it.
Blade of Gale murmured the technique's name a couple of times, then looked at Qi Wu with a bitter smile.
"I lost. Fair and square."
Blade of Gale personally conceded defeat, admitting he was no match for Qi Wu.
That sent the arena into an even greater uproar.
The spectators gazed at Qi Wu with burning enthusiasm.
This steadily increased his Popularity Points.
Meanwhile, in the Battle Platform viewing area at the back, several powerful agents radiating tier-seven auras stood around a bald man wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses.
Within the Nanjiang branch, those qualified to have tier-seven experts serving under them-
Aside from the S-rank team, Greedy Wolf-
Were only the captains of the four major A-rank teams.
They were the branch's true elite forces.
And the man in sunglasses watching from the rear was the captain of another A-rank team-
Iron Buddha, captain of Team Pagoda!
"Captain, what do you make of Qi Wu?"
A tier-seven member of Team Pagoda asked his captain.
The bald man in sunglasses known as Iron Buddha stood with his arms folded, his muscles stretching his leather jacket taut.
Through his sunglasses, he silently watched the relaxed, effortless Qi Wu on the platform.
In response to his teammate's question, Iron Buddha remained silent for over ten seconds. His rugged face betrayed no expression. Finally, he spoke slowly in a deep voice:
"You know Blade of Gale's strength. Peak tier seven, fast blade, unpredictable footwork. That ancestral Demon-Slaying Blade of his is especially troublesome. If he fought with his life on the line, aside from me, few people on our team would dare claim they could beat him for certain."
He paused, turning his sunglasses toward Qi Wu.
"But this Qi Wu... he never even breathed hard from start to finish. He barely used that spatial ability that supposedly provides absolute defense. With physical combat and that strange red energy alone, he crushed Blade of Gale, a peak tier-seven fighter."
"Especially that last attack..."
A trace of gravity entered Iron Buddha's voice. "That crimson energy... is extremely dangerous! It felt to me... like it could threaten even a genuine tier-eight fighter!"
At those words, the teammates beside him all sucked in a sharp breath!
Threaten tier eight?! That was an astonishingly high assessment!
Iron Buddha slowly concluded:
"Below tier eight, I doubt anyone could force him to go all out."
"You could call him 'the strongest below tier eight'!"
Iron Buddha rubbed his smooth chin, a faint, interested smile seeming to curve his lips:
"The upcoming Selection Tournament just got interesting. Looks like, besides A-rank teams like Qingqiu, we have another contender to keep a close eye on."
The members of Team Pagoda exchanged glances, committing their captain's words firmly to memory.
Especially that assessment: "the strongest below tier eight."
That placed him extraordinarily high!
It meant that even in their captain's eyes-
Qi Wu was a powerhouse second only to the branch's few tier-eight A-rank captains.
Just half a step away from the very top!
With even their captain giving him such an assessment, Qi Wu's strength had already earned recognition from the branch's highest-level experts!
Through some unknown channel, Iron Buddha's assessment soon began circulating within a small circle.
And before long, every agent in the branch knew about it.
Qi Wu's title of "the strongest below tier eight" spread far and wide.
Like oil poured onto a fire, these rumors sent Qi Wu's reputation soaring once again!
[Popularity Points +500!] [Popularity Points +400!] [Current Satoru Gojo fusion level: 58%]
That day, when Qi Wu emerged from training in the Simulation Pod, even he was startled by his soaring Popularity Points.
It was only after he saw the message Jiang Qingyue had sent to his phone-
That he learned he had become famous throughout the Nanjiang Bureau.
He remained calm and gave it no further thought. When it came to Popularity Points, the more, the better.
After finishing his training, he took a quick shower and did not linger.
Changing into a quick-drying combat T-shirt, he left the dormitory and headed straight for the mission center.
Today, an event of considerable importance to the bureau's various teams was about to begin.
Before you continue