Gale's true face was revealed, drawing curious looks from everyone.
Not just Qi Wu.
Even Jiang Qingyue, Iron Buddha, and the others were surprised.
"Huh? Gale's a girl?!"
Jiang Qingyue's beautiful eyes went wide with astonishment.
Iron Buddha rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.
"So that battle maniac Gale is a woman. I honestly never saw that coming..."
They all looked at Gale strangely.
The atmosphere on the battlefield grew awkward.
And Qi Wu's sudden wisecrack made the tense, deadly atmosphere even stranger.
Gale sat on the grass, her lovely face blank and bewildered.
With her hood thrown back, the appearance she had always wanted to hide was exposed. Her cheeks, already flushed from pain and fright, instantly turned even redder, all the way to her ears.
A flicker of panic crossed Gale's eyes.
She abruptly turned her face away, trying to cover it with her still-mobile right hand. Her voice carried a barely perceptible tremor, yet she still tried to sound composed:
"C-Captain! We're facing a powerful enemy... please take this seriously!"
Beside her, Jiang Qingyue was still marveling that the always-serious Gale was a girl when Qi Wu's joke suddenly made her laugh.
The corners of Iron Buddha's mouth twitched so hard he nearly failed to maintain his solemn golden arhat form.
This Salvation Team really was an odd bunch!
[Annoyance points +150 (Gale feels embarrassed and indignant and thinks you are being very unserious)]
"Oh, come on. It was just a joke to lighten the mood."
Gale had suffered a minor injury to her lower leg.
As Qi Wu spoke, he extended his palm and used Reverse Cursed Technique to heal her.
But at the very moment this rather comical interlude unfolded, the Hellhound in the deep crater felt utterly humiliated!
A divine servant, an Eighth Rank Demon, had its desperate attack treated like fireworks—and that hateful human even had time to tease his teammate?!
An unspeakable humiliation!
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
The Hellhound let out a frenzied roar!
Its mouths opened as wide as they could, an unnerving dark red light shining deep within its throats!
This time, three terrifying streams of breath shot out simultaneously.
"Watch out!"
Iron Buddha cried out and quickly dodged.
Qi Wu did not even turn his head.
"Seriously... how many more times are you going to try..."
"Your ability is completely useless against me."
As he spoke, the hand healing Gale never stopped.
With his other hand, he casually reached toward the raging torrent of destructive energy behind him, as though shooing away a fly, and gave
a gentle wave.
The Hellhound's breath attacks were instantly dispersed.
Iron Buddha's pupils abruptly contracted.
"He blocked it that easily?"
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Qi Wu withdrew his gaze and turned back toward the Hellhound, which had descended into utter despair and frenzy after its final attack failed. His eyes instantly turned cold.
"All right. Time for the curtain call."
In an instant, Qi Wu used Teleportation to appear in front of the Hellhound's heads.
Giving the dying beast no further chance, he raised a hand and loosely curled his fingers.
"Red!"
Point-blank range!
Annihilating energy of the utmost intensity collided head-on with its three heads!
BOOM!!
The explosive impact slammed into the Hellhound.
A series of sharp cracks rang out as its skulls fractured.
Blood gushed from the eye sockets and mouths of all three Hellhound heads.
The once-imposing Hellhound swayed and crashed heavily to the ground.
Qi Wu had knocked it unconscious with a single strike!
"That's a move Qi Wu didn't use in his duel with Gale. To think it's this powerful..."
Seeing Qi Wu knock out an Eighth Rank Hellhound with one attack, Iron Buddha was stunned, and his estimation of Qi Wu rose even further.
Qi Wu landed lightly on the ground. A glint flashed through his azure eyes as he looked at the fallen beast.
"Oh? It didn't die outright? I only knocked it out?"
He rubbed his chin. Rather than looking disappointed, he seemed even more interested.
"It's tougher than I expected."
He had intended to annihilate it outright with that strike of "Red."
He had not expected the Hellhound's vitality and defenses to be so formidable.
Even after taking "Red" at point-blank range, it was merely gravely injured and unconscious.
But this...
was actually a pretty good outcome!
Qi Wu immediately turned toward Jiang Qingyue, who had just recovered from the shock of seeing Gale's true face. A hint of excitement entered his voice:
"Qingyue! This is our chance! Quick! Use your Demon God Curse Mark!"
Jiang Qingyue paused at his words, then immediately understood his intention. Her gaze sharpened, and she nodded firmly:
"Understood!"
She hurried forward to the unconscious Hellhound. Taking a deep breath, she swiftly summoned a complex magic circle with both hands.
As she moved, the Demon God Curse Mark on the back of her hand began to emit a deep glow.
"In my name, I summon your power-Demon-Binding Chains!"
With a clear shout, Jiang Qingyue thrust both hands into the empty air.
Whoosh!
A blood-red magic circle suddenly spread outward from her hands.
The next moment!
Clatter!
Countless chains shot out of the magic circle!
They were covered in mysterious runes and radiated a terrifying aura capable of suppressing anything!
Like living black pythons, they rapidly coiled around the Hellhound's massive body!
"Whine... whine..."
The unconscious Hellhound let out a faint, involuntary whimper, its body twitching instinctively.
More chains poured from the magic circle, reinforcing the bindings layer by layer until it was wrapped in a gigantic cocoon, with only its three damaged heads exposed.
The next moment, the magic circle expanded rapidly and dragged the Hellhound's entire enormous body inside.
Once it was done, Jiang Qingyue panted softly, fine beads of sweat forming at her temples.
Clearly, subduing an Eighth Rank Demon had taken a tremendous toll on her. The glow of the Curse Mark on the back of her hand gradually faded.
"It worked!"
She looked at Qi Wu, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion, but even more exhilaration at her success.
"Nicely done!"
He stepped forward and patted Jiang Qingyue's shoulder, using Reverse Cursed Technique to transfer a stream of pure cursed energy into her and ease her fatigue.
"That was a divine servant, you know. Take a good look at what ability you gained."
Jiang Qingyue dipped her delicate chin in a nod. After briefly examining her newly acquired ability, her bright eyes lit up, and she smiled sweetly.
"Mr. Wu, I gained the [Hellfire] ability."
"And I've thought of a way to combine it with my Earth Ability."
Jiang Qingyue pressed her palms together, then opened them after a moment.
A clay bird lay in her hands.
"Mr. Wu, watch closely."
Jiang Qingyue tossed the bird into the distance.
The little clay bird flew several dozen meters before touching the ground.
Suddenly.
An explosion of flames erupted, blasting a deep crater into the distant ground.
At the sight, Qi Wu tilted his head.
Why did the combined ability Jiang Qingyue had developed feel a little familiar?
Before you continue