Chapter 177: Stuck by the neck! ?

The Bat bomb exploded almost point-blank, causing nearly full damage. 

A burst of unscientific light and heat erupted from the small device, quickly expanding into a blazing fireball. Li Changcheng, floating on the Tis Shield, instantly lost his balance. He was violently hurled out of the flames like a black dagger slicing through the fireball, plummeting headfirst toward the square below. 

His burning descent cut through the night, and he crashed into the asphalt, shattering it and leaving a fiery crater in the road. A nearby car swerved, barely avoiding the pit, but the vehicle behind didn't react fast enough, slamming into it. The impact caused the second car to flip over, sparking as it dragged across the road. 

In the next moment, a mass of dark matter erupted from the crater, flipping the wrecked car once more. A hand emerged, gripping the edge of the hole. 

Li Changcheng looked worse for wear. 

The Tis Shield had instinctively responded to the explosion, its liquid-like substance seeping out to cover his skin in the blast's direction. But the bomb detonated too quickly, before the shield fully formed. Now, his body was charred, his clothes shredded, and bright red wounds were slowly healing thanks to his strange physique. 

Just before impact, another part of the Tis Shield spread from his back, cushioning his fall. It wasn't fully hardened, but it absorbed enough shock to prevent a worse injury. Without it, he might not have been able to stand.

Coughing up blood, Li Changcheng forced himself upright. The colorful city lights blurred before his eyes, and the harsh landing left him with a ringing in his ears.

Careless.

He should've known better. That Bat wasn't just strong—he had a bunch of tricky gadgets and, more importantly, a mind full of sneaky and underhanded tactics. Leng Ji had been outsmarted by him before, blown up by his tricks.

He should've been more cautious.

But it's not a big issue. He still has complete confidence in the Tis shield inside him. As long as he's cautious, he can easily...

As he was thinking, his expression shifted slightly, sensing something. The Tis shield released instantly, turning into a soft sand-like substance, covering his entire body and pulling him back quickly, putting several feet between him and his original spot.

Just a second after he backed away, a human-shaped figure dropped from the sky, crashing down right where Li Changcheng had been standing.

The road erupted as if hit by an explosion, creating a huge crater in the middle of the poor street, with dust and debris spreading everywhere from the shockwave.

This wasn't some skill or special move—it was the sheer impact of a free fall. Something had embraced Earth's gravity from a great height, crashing down like a meteorite striking the ground.

After retreating, Li Changcheng crouched. The black substance formed a barrier just in time, as the Tis shield's automatic defense blocked the stones and impact. Dust filled the air, reducing visibility to almost nothing. Li Changcheng frowned, looking at the deep pit, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

What was this? A human missile?

Yes, he saw it clearly—the falling object was shaped like a person.

But considering the impact, even something strange should have been shattered to pieces, right? A suicide attack?

But apparently not.

The figure climbed out of the crater quickly, walking out as if nothing had happened. Its movements were casual and confident, showing no signs of injury or trouble.

It was a man.

The man had a strong build, not very tall, but with a fierce, animalistic look. A full beard, eyes that warned not to mess with him, wearing a white tank top and dark blue jeans. He looked ordinary, except for his rough appearance.

Wolverine.

"The material they're calling 'Tis Shield' is extremely hard. The Batman suit's power and the high heat from the bomb explosion aren't enough to break through it," Friday said.

"Very good," Chu Cheng smiled. "Perfect timing; let's see how tough it really is."

Absolute defense? That's what we're here to test.

Time to try out a new hero.

Bang!

Li Changcheng saw the bearded man clench his fists, and two sets of six sharp claws popped out between his knuckles.

Some kind of metal claw, as white as paper, gleamed with a metallic shine, reflecting the city lights.

Wolverine pushed off with his feet, launching himself through the air like a predator. His sharp claws sliced through the air, aimed straight for Li Changcheng's head.

Even though he didn't know exactly what the method was, Li Changcheng resumed his "move half an inch and I lose" stance with the confidence of a master.

A hero he hadn't encountered before, but it didn't matter. The defense of the Tis shield was absolute. Made from the material that formed the body of an ancient demon, not of this world. It was true "absolute defense."

Sure enough, the Tis shield activated, quickly hardening from its liquid form and standing like a wall in front of him. Li Changcheng put his hands behind his back and looked at Wolverine with amusement in his eyes.

Then he saw...

His "absolute defense" crack.

The three steel-like claws, powered by the bearded man's strong arms, made contact with the black Tis shield. But they weren't stopped as Li Changcheng had expected. Instead, the sharp blades sliced through the dark shield like a hot knife through butter, and with Wolverine's beast-like roar, the claws tore right through the supposedly invincible Tis shield, continuing toward Li Changcheng's face.

The playful smile on Li Changcheng's face froze in a split second.

In that instant, with almost no time to think, Li Changcheng quickly dodged. The white light from the claws grazed his body, and blood flew.

As he leaped back, his face still showed shock and disbelief.

The invincible Tis shield cracked?

How could this be!?

That was made from the core material of an ancient being, the absolute defense beyond any creature or material in the world. Whether high temperatures or explosions, it could withstand direct hits from heavy weapons.

The result is that this invincible shield actually cracked?

By... claws???

Obviously, Director Li wouldn't have heard of Adamantium from next door. But this stuff is synonymous with toughness in the M-house next door. Even the physical body of a cosmic god, without powers or divine protection, gets damaged by it.

And the metal in Wolverine's body is the strongest grade of Adamantium alloy. Even Captain America's unbreakable shield has been pierced by Wolverine's claws, which shows just how sharp it is.

Something's wrong!

Li Changcheng quickly pulled back, and as he opened his palm, a mass of darkness was immediately released from his body. The Tis Shield transformed into a sword-like shape in a split second, held in Li Changcheng's hand, cutting a dark arc towards Wolverine's neck.

The saying goes, "longer weapon, stronger advantage." While Wolverine made the first move, his claws are limited in length. Li Changcheng's weapon had the reach advantage, and his sword slashed across the path of Wolverine's attack. That way, before Wolverine's claws could swing, Li's sword would definitely cut his head off first.

The Tis Shield is made of the strongest material. As a shield, it's unbreakable, and as a sword, it cuts through anything like butter.

But Wolverine didn't care, roaring like a wild beast and swinging his claws as if he was willing to trade blows.

Li Changcheng was shocked.

Is he crazy?

Not afraid of losing his head?

The brief hesitation caused Li to miss the chance to switch tactics. The sword, formed by the Tis Shield, pierced Wolverine's neck, but after just a bit of penetration, it met unbreakable resistance with a loud "clang."

Li Changcheng was stunned inside.

The unbreakable blade of his Tis Shield... got stuck?

By... his neck???