Chapter Eighty-Two: The Wind Demon

No one paid attention to Richard’s foul language. Staring at the black silhouette within the whirlwind, a name flashed through Gu Zhongyan’s mind.

Wind Fiend.

In "Ghost Rider," the greatest villain was undoubtedly the lord of Hell, Mephisto, but the main antagonist in the movie’s plot was Blackheart. Aside from these two demons, Blackheart’s underlings included three lackeys: Wind Fiend, Earth Fiend, and Water Fiend.

A thousand years ago, they had come to Earth because of the war between Heaven and Hell, and for various reasons, remained here. To avoid detection by the sorcerers of the Sanctum, who might kill or banish them back to Hell, the three demons each fused themselves into a natural element and lay hidden. Only a millennium later, when Blackheart attempted to overthrow Mephisto and summoned them, did they reveal themselves.

In the film, the three demons were little more than cannon fodder. Aside from one being able to fly and another able to merge with water, there was little to suggest any real power. Their only role was to be defeated by Ghost Rider one after another, with no other highlights.

Watching the Wind Fiend concealed within the cyclone, Gu Zhongyan furrowed his brow. By rights, the three demons should still be hidden within the earth, awaiting Blackheart’s call—why had one appeared now? Could it be that he’d arrived too late, the plot already begun, and Blackheart already here? But even if that were so, Wind Fiend should be at Blackheart’s side, not here, and judging from his posture, he was clearly hostile.

“I sense it, it’s you, it’s you, I want you!”

As Gu Zhongyan pondered Wind Fiend’s unexpected appearance, the demon’s face twisted with ferocity within the whirlwind, his eyes blazing as he stared at Su Yan inside the car—like a starving tiger suddenly spotting a plump prey.

Whoosh!

The howling wind intensified. In a flash, Wind Fiend transformed into a raging cyclone, sweeping violently toward the red Ford.

There was no time to think. Gu Zhongyan’s dragonbone wand traced a streak of dazzling lightning and he hurled it with force.

“Lightning Storm!”

Silvery thunderbolts split the sky, a torrent of crackling electricity surging like a silver dragon, unleashing terrifying power as it crashed toward the onrushing Wind Fiend.

Though Wind Fiend had seemed unimpressive in the film, as someone who had absorbed the power of demons, Gu Zhongyan knew well how strong these hellish beings truly were. Wind Fiend’s weakness was only relative to Ghost Rider—and also a result of the film’s limited special effects, unable to capture the demon’s might.

If he really underestimated his opponent as a mere lackey, he’d only be courting disaster.

That’s why, if he struck at all, it would be with a spell as fearsome as Lightning Storm.

Crackling thunder laced with overwhelming force instantly tore the cyclone apart, shredding the whirling winds to tatters.

Yet, Gu Zhongyan’s expression did not ease in the slightest. In the instant the Lightning Storm struck, he noticed Wind Fiend vanish within the gale—not by means of stealth or concealment, but truly dissolving into the very air, becoming a wisp of breeze, without shadow or form, without substance or trace.

The mighty Lightning Storm passed straight through the whirlwind, inflicting not the slightest harm.

Whoosh, whoosh!

The instant the lightning faded, Su Yan suddenly cried out, “Behind you, Gu!”

A sharp whistle of wind sounded at Gu Zhongyan’s back. Wind Fiend materialized, hair whipping wildly like a nest of vipers, and a fierce cyclone swept up sand and dust like the gaping maw of an abyss, snapping at Gu Zhongyan.

With a subtle turn, Gu Zhongyan remained calm. As the hurricane tore at him, his wand spun silently in his hand.

“Apparition!”

Boom!

The wild wind scoured the ground, every gust as sharp as a steel blade, gouging chunks from the solid earth. When the storm had passed, the yellowed plain was left shattered and barren, not a blade of grass remaining.

Fortunately, before the cyclone struck, Gu Zhongyan had already vanished from where he stood.

Swish!

A second later, Gu Zhongyan landed atop the red Ford, raising his wand.

“Protego Maxima, Impenetrable Shield!”

Transparent energy shot from the tip of his wand, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the red Ford, holding it securely at the center.

This spell was the strongest defensive charm passed down through a thousand years at Hogwarts. In the Battle of Hogwarts, hundreds of wizards cast it together to forge the school’s final line of defense. Though Voldemort eventually broke through, the spell’s power was undeniable.

Wind Fiend’s strength had far exceeded Gu Zhongyan’s expectations; defeating him would not be easy. To prevent Su Yan and Richard from being harmed during the fight, he could only protect them first with this spell.

Crash!

Seeing Gu Zhongyan’s actions, Wind Fiend attacked again. The hurricane, spinning at high speed, became a barrage of invisible blades, hacking madly at the barrier.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Like rain drumming on banana leaves, the shield rang out under the onslaught of wind blades, spiderweb cracks spreading across its surface as if about to collapse.

Richard, witnessing this, was utterly stunned. The Wind Fiend hidden within the tempest, Gu Zhongyan effortlessly wielding diverse spells, and Su Yan’s superhuman strength pinning him in place—all of it shattered the worldview Richard had built over decades.

Now, as the barrier continued to fracture, he shouted in panic.

“Sh-Sh-Sh-Shawn, it’s, it’s gonna—gonna—break!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that easy,” Gu Zhongyan replied, unperturbed.

Protego Maxima, as the strongest protective magic at Hogwarts, was not so easily broken. Though crack after crack appeared, they vanished just as quickly, as though they had never existed. Self-repair: that was the true genius of this barrier.

Unless Wind Fiend’s power was enough to shatter it instantly, or his attacks outpaced the shield’s regeneration, he could attack until exhaustion and still not break the defense.

“Take care of yourselves,” Gu Zhongyan instructed. Stepping beyond the barrier, he swung his wand again.

“Barrage!”

With a whistling rush, a hailstorm of energy bolts shot forth, like scattered pearls pounding toward Wind Fiend.

Faced with such a dense assault, Wind Fiend had no choice but to avoid it, once more dissolving into the formless wind and vanishing from sight.

The barrage lost its target, exploding pointlessly in the air.

“Heh… heh…” Wind Fiend laughed mockingly, reappearing. After a greedy glance at Su Yan, his gaze settled hungrily on Gu Zhongyan.

[End of Chapter 82: Wind Fiend]