Chapter 538: Descent

Oona had been sitting beside Kallist on the bed.

Upon seeing Luo De, she grinned and immediately vacated her spot.

"Come sit over here—I'm exhausted. Kallist insisted on watching the battlefield, and I've drained all my magic."

Luo De had no objection.

He strode over and plopped himself down right between the two girls.

He leaned slightly closer to Kallist.

So close that their thighs pressed together, their arms brushed against each other.

Warm body heat.

The elf girl's unique fragrance drifted into his nose.

It made him recall the softness of her lips when she had kissed him during her nighttime raid.

Kallist's emerald eyes narrowed slightly, her body stiffening.

Then she immediately scowled:

"Get away from me, human. Do you want to face the Elven Court?"

"Come on, I'm dead tired. After fighting two dragons, I rushed straight here and fought another battle—can't I just catch my breath?"

"Catch your breath? Go lie down on another cot, or find Xiao Ke—she's busy in Medical Zone Two. Just leave me alone."

Hearing he was tired, her tone softened slightly.

But she still insisted on speaking harshly.

Luo De ignored her entirely.

"How was it? Satisfying? I turned that bastard who hurt you into dust."

As he spoke, he leaned even closer to her.

He subtly channeled the power of the Plague Domain and the Grass Domain to heal her.

The 【Demon Hunter】 stiletto had a magical piercing effect, making the wound difficult to heal.

It would have to heal slowly.

Indeed.

Luo De could see fresh red seepage staining Kallist's abdominal bandages.

Looking upward, he caught glimpses of faintly exposed pale skin.

The wound lay just below her ribs, so when he leaned close, he could see the subtle swell of her left breast.

Hmm.

Nice.

He liked this kind of half-revealed view.

But he wasn't allowed to stare.

Kallist suddenly twisted away, glaring at him with anger.

Oona the rabbitkin hadn't noticed the small exchange.

Her legs dangled and swung, while the two soft, fluffy rabbit ears atop her head swayed gently.

"That was so badass, Luo De! So cool! You smashed that dark elf right in front of Kallist—killing him to avenge the girl! That's really attractive!"

She finished laughing and tapped the elf girl.

"Right, Kallist?"

"Hmph. Just a reckless fool."

Kallist's words were sharp, but her soft, lazy hum carried an unexpectedly tender tone.

Luo De smiled, then froze.

The detail about deliberately killing the dark elf above the wall to avenge Kallist had been a private message—Kallist wasn't the type to gossip.

How did Oona know?

He opened 【The Chain of Far-Speaking】—

Oh, he'd accidentally sent it to the "Coral Bay Strategy Group" chat.

Everyone in the forest, in Shiying Town, all the reinforcements—they'd all seen it.

Uh.

That annoying demon might be going mad with jealousy.

By the way—

Tally is still tracking Natalli, the leader of the Black Moon Clan, and her sixteen-mage squad.

After all, she's a leader-level target; directly killing her in the Blood Life Pool under the Despair Domain felt too risky.

Better to use 【The Pod of Victory】 to kill her outright.

Luo De opened Sharon's private chat, intending to ask about the pursuit of the Blood Thorn Clan's Tashaya.

Suddenly—

The air and spiritual energy around them grew thick and heavy.

A powerful, silent roar exploded in the ears of everyone present!

The four inside the medical tent all froze.

Luo De reacted fastest—he burst out of the tent.

There, above Coral Bay, a massive fissure, hundreds of meters wide, had ripped open in the sky, pouring forth rust-red flames like a tidal wave.

The surging heat spread wildly outward.

In an instant, the thick stench of sulfur enveloped even Luo De's position.

"The Infernal Duke… this is a Descent spell."

Oona the rabbitkin appeared beside him, without warning.

Her face was no longer light and carefree—it was heavy with shock.

Luo De's expression darkened.

Who else among the Infernal Dukes connected to Coral Bay could it be?

Only Asmodeirs, the Duke who had seized the Divine Blood.

Not everyone knew Asmodeirs was trying to escape the Divine Blood's influence—if some idiot ninth-rank fool followed him out onto the surface…

Coral Bay and even the Twilight Hills could become a sea of fire.

"But why… why would Asmodeirs choose to forcibly descend now?"

But why did Asmodeus choose to forcibly descend into the mortal world at this moment?

Luo De raised an eyebrow.

Could it be due to the Despair Domain's corruption?

But could his current situation really allow this Duke to personally intervene in such a matter?

But can his current situation really allow this Archduke to appear in person to handle such a matter?

That Asmodeirs had descended here specifically to deal with the aftermath of the Divine Blood?

Luo De shook his head, abandoning further speculation:

"Oona, could you please notify Lady Yulia? Don't worry about the reward afterward."

"That's no problem—the Infernal Duke's arrival on the surface is already within the Magi Control League's jurisdiction. I'm just afraid Lady Yulia won't arrive in time."

"That's no problem. The Archduke of Hell intruding upon the surface is already the Magi-Control League's affair—I'm just afraid Lady Julia won't arrive in time."

Kallist, clutching her abdominal wound, was helped over by No. 3.

She looked at Luo De and, unusually gentle, urged: "Order everyone to retreat. Coral Bay isn't worth it."

Seeing he remained unmoved,

The elf girl immediately grew anxious, grabbing his sleeve.

"Be cautious, human. Even if the dark elves survive, the ninth-ranks of the continent won't allow an Infernal Duke to dwell on the surface. Use Shiying Town's Guardian Array to buy time—we still have a chance."

Luo De turned, took her slender hand, and pushed it away.

"It's not that simple. His situation is complicated—he likely has another motive."

"What are you planning? Are you insane? He's a ninth-rank, ruler of the lower Infernal realms!"

"Asmodeirs is suffering under the torment of Mystera's Divine Blood—his condition won't be good. Someone has to step forward now. I won't let you go. Besides, someone has to cover the retreat, right?"

"Asmodeus is suffering from Mystera's divine blood—his condition won't be good. Someone has to step forward now. I can't bear to let you go again. Besides, someone has to cover your retreat, don't they?"

She grabbed his clothes firmly, refusing to let him go.

Luo De smiled: "When did you become so motherly, little Kalli?"

"I just don't want some idiot to go die."

But Luo De never listened to her—he yanked his arm free from her trembling hand.

But Luo De never listened to her much—he forcibly tore his hand away from her slightly trembling palm.

"Oona, notify everyone else to retreat. No. 3, watch your master—don't let her do anything reckless."

Without waiting for their reply,

Luo De stomped the ground, shattering it, and blasted upward with a Repulsion Technique, heading straight for the sky above Coral Bay.

The sky turned blood-red.

A massive, majestic, ancient double door appeared.

A pair of massive double doors, imposing and elegantly ancient, appeared.

With a booming roar, the heavy gate swung open.

A tall, elegant crimson figure slowly emerged from the abyssal mist within the gate.

Dark red skin.

Opulent black-and-red robes.

A scarlet scepter tipped with a ruby gem.

His face was beautiful yet cold, his crimson eyes sweeping over all with authority and absolute certainty.

His presence warped the surrounding air; flames boiled beneath his feet.

A heavy, trembling pressure engulfed the entire battlefield like a tidal wave.

Asmodeus's expression was grim and dark.

The aura around him surged violently, wildly unstable.

As the Vampire Queen Julia had said, the divine blood had left him in terrible condition.

"Great Master!"

Tashaya of the Blood Thorn Clan had somehow arrived at his side.

She was drenched in blood, disheveled yet kneeling humbly in midair.

Far behind her, the halfling Lili and the dog-man Sharon stood back cautiously, not advancing.

Both women frowned, then heard the retreat order through the 【Far-Speech Chain】, and reluctantly withdrew.

A ninth-rank Infernal Duke was no longer an opponent to be faced head-on.

"Master Asmodeus!"

Natalia of the Black Moon Clan also arrived from afar, equally respectful.

She seemed to have changed into a new outfit—exposing her chest and abdomen, strikingly sensual.

Asmodeus did not glance at either woman, and asked in a low voice:

"Where is the bloodline node?"

No sooner had he spoken.

Fff—fff—fff—

In midair.

A massive, grotesque pruning shears, unfolded into a cross shape, spun toward them from afar.

He glanced coldly and, recognizing it as pruning shears, showed a flicker of surprise.

Clearly, he recognized this weapon.

He raised his scarlet scepter to strike.

A thunderous dragon roar shattered the heavens!

A powerful spiritual wave spread instantly, scattering the crimson sulfurous clouds.

The azure sky reappeared.

【Purifying Dragon Roar】.

"Bai Long? No… a mortal."

Asmodeus saw the human charging toward him and felt a flicker of amusement.

Natalia cried out: "This man has been interfering! He's been blocking me from capturing the bloodline node!"

"Hmph."

The Infernal Duke tapped his scepter lightly.

Scorching hellfire erupted from the rift behind him.

The target was not Luo De—but the spinning pruning shears. The flames, solid as physical tendrils, immediately wrapped around it.

To Asmodeus, this unknown mortal posed less threat than the weapon.

A casual fire serpent would suffice.

He didn't even look.

Hum—

A brilliant ice-blue spiritual light flared.

An aura of ancient celestial trees, carried by a sudden icy wind, surged forward.

"Hmm?"

Asmodeus, startled, finally turned his full attention to Luo De.

He saw the human's chest swelling, his throat and eyes now frozen a deep icy blue.

The next instant.

Roar!

A massive stream of pale white cold surged forth like a silver dragon.

A column of dragonbreath two meters in diameter!

Carrying biting frost and fierce winds, it instantly froze the surrounding air.

The powerful shockwave, twisted by spiraling winds, instantly froze the fire serpent and shattered it into fragments, then engulfed Asmodeus in a blizzard of ice and wind.

The massive infernal gate behind him, the flames around him—all froze, evaporated, then froze again.

The two dark elf leaders, witnessing this, screamed like they'd seen a ghost and turned to flee.

"Ugh…"

Asmodeus grunted, his body's flames surging violently.

"Celestial Tree's blessing? How can a seventh-rank produce such power?"

Within the raging ice dragonbreath.

Asmodeus's face twisted with dark, feral fury.

He fought to suppress the wild surge of divine blood within him while resisting this dragonbreath—stronger than even an eighth-rank's.

His body, long tortured.

Showed signs of beginning to break.

"Insolence!!!"

He surged his magic violently.

The flames erupted again, overwhelming the dragonbreath's ice.

He raised his scepter and unleashed a beam of black negative energy.

The beam shot forward with terrifying speed.

Luo De frowned, tearing off both sleeves in an instant.

With a rip, his arms burst open with countless eyes, then turned molten orange like lava.

Countless 【Flame Rays】 shot out, colliding with the negative energy beam.

(End of Chapter)