Xiaofeng rose painfully to his feet and glared at Gundam. "You bastard... you filthy bastard..." He had not expected Gundam's speed to be so modest, yet to be able to decipher his moves so precisely—it shocked him greatly, though it remained within the bounds of his endurance.
Gundam chuckled coldly, regarding Xiaofeng with disdain. "You're a weak child. Though I don't know where you acquired a power akin to ours, you are undoubtedly feeble—pathetically so. Ha! Unlike us, all of whom have undergone a second evolution..."
Xiaofeng frowned. The notion of 'second evolution' was clear to him. Even if Gundam had indeed evolved again, it was still something Xiaofeng could bear. His true strength did not lie in mere supernatural abilities, but in how he wielded them.
A bitter sneer curled Xiaofeng's lips. "Perhaps you still don't understand me. Give me one more minute, and you'll see your so-called 'second evolution' powers are nothing but a facade." With that, Xiaofeng sprang into action—this time forsaking his dark abilities. His body surged forward toward Gundam, right fist clenched, while simultaneously unleashing a burst of psychic energy.
Gundam sneered, preparing to slam Xiaofeng down with his staff once more. Yet as he summoned his strength, he was stunned to find his body immobile. In that brief moment of shock, Xiaofeng had already closed the distance.
Lowering his stance, Xiaofeng swung a solid, resounding punch directly into Gundam's chin. The blow landed true, catching Gundam completely off guard.
Zehong, astonished, watched Gundam lifted off his feet. Brandishing twin blades, he lunged fiercely at Xiaofeng. Yet Xiaofeng feinted with his left hand toward Zehong, releasing a fierce current of electricity that surged through Zehong's body, hurling him far away.
Gundam struggled to rise, the ache in his jaw telling him the boy before him was no mere weakling—but a formidable force. The sequence of attacks had revealed four distinct supernatural powers: dark energy, enhanced speed, brute strength, and electric discharge, leaving Gundam utterly stunned.
Wiping blood from his lips, Gundam gritted out, "You insolent brat... I didn't expect you—" Before he could finish, Xiaofeng charged again.
Offering his opponent respite was never Xiaofeng's style.
Though he could have easily incapacitated the bulky Gundam with an electric shock, Gundam's earlier mockery had sealed Xiaofeng's resolve—not to grant this arrogant giant any mercy.
Xiaofeng's fists descended like a tempest upon Gundam's form, the relentless thuds echoing through the street. But dark energy circles shimmered continuously around Gundam, absorbing the blows. These tangible manifestations of his evolved power were what kept him alive—without them, he would have long since been pulverized.
Nearby, Poseidon, Jack, and Yuan turned their gazes toward Xiaofeng.
Poseidon said coldly, "All of us—focus on Xiaofeng. Take him down."
Both Jack and Yuan had suffered harsh beatings at Xiaofeng's hands; they knew his true strength well. They understood only by combining their efforts could they hope to overcome such a fearsome adversary.
Jack moved swiftly, Yuan gripped his longsword tightly, and Poseidon conjured a torrent of water aimed directly at Xiaofeng.
With a powerful kick, Xiaofeng sent Gundam flying and charged toward the trio. Gundam, writhing futilely on the ground, was unable to rise. Zehong, already paralyzed by the fierce electric shock coursing through his body, was rendered utterly incapacitated—a numbness so profound he vowed never to endure again.
First, Xiaofeng confronted Poseidon's rushing water. Perhaps Poseidon had forgotten Xiaofeng had now inherited his own powers. Raising his hand to meet the flow, Xiaofeng's chilling aura transformed the water into razor-sharp ice shards.
Bypassing the frozen shards, Xiaofeng closed in on Jack, who struck swiftly with a punch aimed at Xiaofeng's jaw. Engaged in controlling the ice, Xiaofeng had no time to summon psychic powers to counter Jack's attack.
The punch landed solidly, tilting Xiaofeng's body and nearly sending him crashing to the ground. But as he faltered, Xiaofeng retaliated with a swift kick to Jack's midsection. Though Jack matched Xiaofeng in speed, he lacked comparable strength.
Sent reeling by the kick, Jack stumbled back. At the same moment, Yuan's longsword slashed through the air where Xiaofeng had just stood, the blades ringing sharply twice, striking only empty space.
Yuan then employed a peculiar sword technique. Though Xiaofeng retreated swiftly, Yuan's blade clung to him like a shadow, relentless and unyielding. Xiaofeng found himself unable to shake Yuan's relentless pursuit.
Yet as Xiaofeng continued withdrawing, two swords suddenly appeared at his flank, clashing twice to block Yuan's strikes. A voice whispered near Xiaofeng's ear: "Heh, sorry I'm late..."
After parrying Yuan's blows, Pandora deftly evaded his counterattack and stepped back, eyes blazing with fierce resolve. Yuan knew Pandora well—her combat prowess inspired genuine fear.
Xiaofeng glanced at Pandora, smiling wryly. "You could've waited another two minutes. By then, I would've taken him down."
Pandora chuckled. "Well then, handle it yourself. I won't interrupt."
A frown crossed Xiaofeng's brow. "You're not really that heartless, are you...?"
While Xiaofeng and Pandora exchanged words, Poseidon summoned another torrent of water. Suddenly, he spotted a towering figure wielding a massive weapon—a giant unlike any he had seen before. The sheer stature and the formidable array of individual weapon systems mounted on this giant left Poseidon utterly stunned.
The giant roared, "You lot bullying Xiaofeng like this is beyond reason. Let me show you what this can do..." With that, he pulled the trigger on his fearsome weapon—six mounted machine guns roaring to life. The fusillade of bullets erupted like a blazing dragon, surging toward Poseidon...