Captured

Xiao Feng stared in stunned disbelief as the radiant wave swept swiftly across his body, its velocity too swift for even him to react.

With a heavy thud, the enhanced Black Angel slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground—its formidable weight now a burden too great for him to lift.

Tugu turned toward him, eyes wide with concern. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Xiao Feng's gaze grew vacant; the unthinkable had transpired. He stared numbly at his hands, attempting to summon his other abilities, but all proved futile.

At that moment, Ares appeared before him, laughing heartily as he raised his fist. "You little bastard, this is the end for you."

With brutal force, Ares' fist swung toward Xiao Feng's cheek, but Xiao Feng remained motionless, as if paralyzed, failing even to flinch.

Fortunately, Tugu was close by—he seized Ares' fist and executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw, sending the god hurtling away.

Without hesitation, Tugu hoisted Xiao Feng onto his back, ready to flee. In such dire circumstances, staying was a recipe for disaster.

Yet Ares was not alone. Poseidon instantly froze Tugu in place, while Hades—his back a gruesome sight from Tugu's earlier assault—charged forward and kicked at him. "Damn it! Do you know how much it cost me to get this human skin?"

Tugu raised his arms, blocking the kick. Suddenly, a rapidly spinning serrated blade extended from his right arm, slashing toward Hades' face. Sparks flew as it carved a deep gash across Hades' visage.

Enraged, Hades swung a punch at Tugu's face.

But a protective shield snapped down over Tugu's head, absorbing the blow. The armor encasing Tugu was forged from metal even tougher than Hades', leaving the strike ineffectual.

From Tugu's shoulders, two compact submachine guns emerged, unleashing a barrage of bullets into Hades. The relentless firestorm pushed Hades backward several paces.

Two missiles streaked forward next, detonating against Hades' chest and blasting him away.

Seizing the fallen Black Angel rifle from the ground where Xiao Feng had dropped it, Tugu spun and rained a hail of bullets on the rising Ares.

Standing his ground with commanding presence, Tugu held the Black Angel firmly, fingers ceaselessly squeezing the trigger. Bullets tore through Ares' chest, nearly shredding him. Finally, Ares collapsed to his knees.

As Tugu shifted his aim toward Poseidon, a beam struck, deflecting the Black Angel's fire. Poseidon retaliated with a relentless spray of ice crystals, engulfing Tugu in a storm that froze him solid.

The temple warriors staggered forward, their approach slow and unsteady.

Xiao Feng, now utterly drained of all powers, stood cold and defeated—like a lamb awaiting slaughter.

For a man, few things are more terrifying than losing his strength.

Zeus bypassed Xiao Feng, approaching Ares' prone, breathless form. Hovering his hands above the fallen god, he summoned a pure white light that enveloped Ares' body. With a soft hum, the glow vanished.

Slowly, Ares' wounds disappeared as if they had never been, yet a lingering pain remained—an unbearable throb beneath the surface.

This was Zeus' unique ability. Much like the Emissary's purification powers, it was not a combat skill, but its effects were unparalleled—granting revival to those dead for only a few hours. This was why Zeus was revered as the leader of the Seven Gods, for he bestowed upon them endless life, rendering them effectively immortal.

Yet, apart from Zeus' presence, this immortality was precarious at best.

Rubbing his scorched chest, Ares approached the frozen Tugu and kicked the icy statue aside with brute force.

Turning toward Xiao Feng, he grasped him roughly and sneered with disdain and anger, "Thought you were so formidable—now look at you."

Xiao Feng met Ares' gaze with resignation. "Do what you will… kill or scrape me off…"

His thoughts drifted to Ivy, and a faint smile crossed his lips. Meeting her in heaven, if such a place existed, might be a consolation—though he harbored no certainty of ever reaching it.

At that moment, Zeus stepped forward and spoke to Ares, "He cannot be killed yet. We still don't know where Athena is hidden."

Ares nodded and gently lowered Xiao Feng to the ground. "So, boss, you want me to interrogate him and find out where Athena is?"

Zeus agreed. "We leave now—take Xiao Feng with you. If we waste any more time, reinforcements from Black Whale City will arrive, and that will be a real problem."

"Understood," Ares replied.

Zeus glanced at the other gods and waved his hand. "Let's go."

Suddenly, the vanished Black Dragon surged from the shadows and swiftly departed with the other gods.

Hades, still disheveled and beaten, eyed the Black Dragon suspiciously. "Where the hell were you during the fight?"

The Black Dragon chuckled, "Just took a quick break."

Hades grabbed the Black Dragon by the collar. "Listen, we hate deserters the most. Next time you run, I'm the first to kill you."

Zeus intervened calmly, "Enough. The Black Dragon helped us find Ares. Besides, we never expected much from him."

Hades shoved the Black Dragon away. "Stay away from me."

When Ares appeared carrying Xiao Feng, the waiting soldiers of the X Legion were stunned. They had not expected Xiao Feng to be defeated. One by one, their fighting spirit crumbled as they watched their comrade taken away.

As they raised their guns to fire, Apollo unleashed beams of light, striking their arms and felling another wave of soldiers.

Finally, Apollo climbed aboard their waiting aircraft with a triumphant air. The plane ascended vertically and sped away.

The soldiers left behind on the ground, slaughtered in an instant, stood frozen in shock.

Minutes later, several fighter jets roared into the No. 64 Safe Zone. Parachutes deployed, and figures landed across the area.

Old White surveyed the grim scene before him and asked with concern, "Where's Xiao Feng?"