The Confrontation with the Emissary

Through the Black Angel's scope, Xiao Feng caught sight of the fissure spreading across the luminous shield and let out a low, satisfied chuckle. Without patience to wait for Tugu to fully shatter the barrier, he squeezed the trigger once more.

The corpses of their fallen comrades in the X Legion had barely cooled—this vendetta demanded immediate retribution. Delays were simply not in Xiao Feng's nature.

With a thunderous crack, three bullets whirled out again, striking precisely at the weakened spot. A sharp snap followed as the shield shattered completely at that very point.

Xiao Feng's lips curved into a victorious smile, and without hesitation, he fired again.

But in that instant, a brilliant beam shot forth from within the shield, racing toward Xiao Feng with a speed surpassing that of any bullet.

Before his projectiles could even make contact with the shield, the searing beam struck his shoulder. Reacting swiftly, Xiao Feng barely managed to evade a fatal blow; had he been a fraction slower, the beam would have pierced his chest.

Clutching his shoulder, the pain was sharp and numbing, the wound charred by the scorching light—yet strangely, not a drop of blood appeared. The fiery beam had burned away muscle tissue instantaneously.

Fortunately, Xiao Feng's regenerative abilities sprang to life. Seeing no bleeding, he dismissed the injury and once more raised his enhanced Black Angel rifle, voice dripping with defiance: "Don't think laser weapons belong to you alone. Damn it—I've got one too."

He activated the fourth barrel of the Black Angel—the laser cannon—with a resonant hum.

Without mercy, Xiao Feng unleashed a blazing beam. After each shot, he rapidly recharged the weapon, firing again and again.

The crimson laser sliced through the fissure, piercing into the shield's interior.

Apollo, struggling to mend the breach, was slowed by the immense energy required to sustain such a shield. Daily, he could only conjure two or three defenses of such magnitude, making his repairs laborious and slow.

Xiao Feng's red beam, cutting through the breach, struck Hades squarely between the eyes with a sharp zing.

Hades frowned, unaware that smoke curled from his forehead. When he glanced upward, a second beam blasted his brow once more, leaving twin scorch marks no more than two centimeters apart—giving him the eerie semblance of four eyes.

After two laser strikes, Hades dropped to a crouch, cursing bitterly: "Damn it! Why does misfortune always fall on me? That damned Xiao Feng's aim is too damn accurate!"

Posiedon chuckled beside him, "Lucky it was you who took the hits—had it been any of us, we'd have been wiped out instantly."

Before Posiedon's mocking could continue, a missile hurtled toward the breach. At that moment, Ares lunged, intercepting Hades and pressing him against the gap.

Thanks to Ares' swift intervention, the missile was stopped before it could penetrate the shield. Had it exploded inside, only Hades might have survived the devastation.

Hades glared at Ares, the shockwave rattling his frame, and spat, "Damn you, Ares! If we hadn't come to save you, I wouldn't be here—betraying me by using me as a shield!"

Ares snapped back, "Enough chatter! Focus on these two troublesome foes. There are five of us temple guards here today—are we really going to be pinned down by Xiao Feng with no counterattack? That would be utterly humiliating."

From afar, Xiao Feng watched as a figure blocked the breach, then steadied his Black Angel. "I'm eager to see if you, Death God Ares, can truly kill me."

He fired again; the red beam seared through the air.

Hades' back, stripped of flesh by the earlier missile blast, now revealed glinting vertebrae and ribs shielding him.

Tugu's eyes widened in surprise as he observed the red beam threading through the gap between two ribs, striking Ares' shoulder. A searing line burned across the flesh.

Yet Ares gritted his teeth, refusing to relent. Such a wound was no more than a minor annoyance, not enough to force him to release Hades.

Hades stared, stunned, as a charred hole blossomed on his chest, followed swiftly by another laser piercing through.

The relentless assault of fiery beams carved into his torso, a terrifying ordeal indeed.

Zeus watched the laser strikes with concern, whispering to Apollo and Posiedon, "Xiao Feng wields an electric ability that rapidly recharges his laser gun. This complicates matters—being pinned here is disgraceful. If word spreads…"

Posiedon grinned, "If we want to break free, we must charge out. With you leading us, death holds no fear. As long as you survive, we can come back from this. Have Hades hold the line while the rest of us push forward—most importantly, escort the Emissary to Xiao Feng. Otherwise, we stand no chance against this brat."

Zeus nodded. "Agreed. On my count—Apollo, drop the shield. Then we all surge out together."

"I understand," Apollo replied.

"One… two… three!"

The radiant shield vanished abruptly. Posiedon and Apollo sprinted off in opposite directions.

Ares, bearing the Emissary, dashed forward. Among the Seven Gods of the Alliance, Ares was the fastest and strongest—perfect for such a burden.

The three charged out simultaneously from different flanks.

Ares led the way, barreling toward Xiao Feng. Apollo fired beams while retreating, but Tugu, noting this sudden tactic, unleashed all his armor's weapons with a grin: "Heh, if it's a fight you want, then I'll give you one hell of a game."

Countless missiles emerged from beneath his armor, each locked onto the trio with terrifying precision.

The missiles streaked like fiery meteors, converging rapidly on their targets.

Apollo raised a small shield to protect himself alone; Posiedon conjured a thick watery barrier.

Ares, carrying the Emissary, had no defense—he gritted his teeth and sped up, dodging the explosions that pounded behind him.

The Emissary urged, "Get closer—within twenty meters. I guarantee one strike can strip Xiao Feng of all his powers."

Ares nodded sharply.

Though Tugu's missiles couldn't keep pace with Ares' speed, Xiao Feng remained a threat. Holding his Black Angel rifle, he aimed at a spot just right of Ares' trajectory and fired.

This was no blind shot—Xiao Feng had predicted Ares' next move and struck his chest with devastating precision.

Ares froze, disbelief etched across his face. Despite his rapid pace, Xiao Feng's shot tore a bloody hole through his chest, obliterating his heart.

The searing pain nearly knocked him unconscious, but summoning his last ounce of strength, Ares hurled the Emissary forward.

He collapsed onto the ground with a resounding thud, crimson flowing swiftly from the massive wound.

The Emissary, tossed clear, was filled with dread—one more bullet from Xiao Feng, and his fate would be sealed. Yet thanks to Ares' might, he landed safely within twenty meters, releasing a green wave of energy from his hand.

Xiao Feng froze, recalling K's warning to beware the old man's green light. The encounter jolted his memory.

He furrowed his brow and leapt to evade the blast—only to find his feet immobilized, encased in ice conjured by Posiedon.

"Damn it…" Xiao Feng cursed silently, just as the sweeping green energy engulfed him.