Di let out a cold, derisive laugh. "Attack..." he commanded, bringing his hands together. Suddenly, a dazzling radiance burst forth, coalescing rapidly. In his grip appeared an exquisitely brilliant longsword, shimmering with the luster of diamonds.
Xiao Feng's eyes fixed on the unfamiliar blade—a radiant longsword unlike his own dark, shadow-forged dagger. Whereas Xiao Feng's weapon was wrought from his shadowy supernatural power, Di's sword seemed to be born of radiant light.
Di charged at Xiao Feng with newfound swiftness, his movements sharp and lethal. Xiao Feng furrowed his brow; moments ago, Di's speed was nowhere near this level. Now, their velocities matched perfectly. Before Xiao Feng could react, Di stood before him, sword flashing brilliantly as he swung a devastating strike.
Instinctively, Xiao Feng raised his twin daggers to block.
Clang—clang.
Both of Xiao Feng's blades shattered under the blow.
He was stunned beyond belief; Di's radiant longsword had effortlessly destroyed his daggers—daggers capable of piercing a B-rank demon beast's skull. Xiao Feng found this reality unbearable.
Di followed with a horizontal slash. Xiao Feng narrowly retreated, evading the strike by a hair's breadth; a delay of mere milliseconds would have split his chest open.
Tightening his brow, Xiao Feng feigned an attack with his right hand. "Try this, brat..." he sneered, releasing a blazing bolt of electricity. Its speed rivaled Di's glowing sword, nearly impossible to evade.
Yet Di did not flinch. He charged directly into the electric lance, which pierced through him harmlessly.
"Don't think stealing Sister Athena's powers will let you harm me," Di taunted, laughter echoing. "I have long since acquired Athena's abilities myself."
His left hand mimicked Xiao Feng's gesture, unleashing an equally fierce electric surge toward him.
Xiao Feng stared in astonishment, letting the bolt pass through unscathed. Fortuitously, his own electric powers rendered the attack ineffective.
His brow furrowed further, perplexed by the multitude of powers residing within Di.
Hera, detached from the fray, understood clearly—Di's vast arsenal stemmed from inheriting the full spectrum of abilities from Zeus and Hera, especially Hera's evolved power-copying talent, capable of instantaneously mimicking any supernatural skill, including those harbored within Xiao Feng.
Moreover, Di possessed powers unknown even to Xiao Feng.
This revelation explained the terrifying magnitude of Di's might. Beneath that once fragile boy lay a hidden powerhouse, whose combat potential was unparalleled.
At last, Di's evolved strength surged. A crushing fist smashed into Xiao Feng's jaw, hoisting him skyward. With his right hand, the glowing longsword slashed fiercely, aiming to bisect Xiao Feng.
Yet at that critical moment, Qin Tian appeared suddenly behind Di, his murderous aura palpable. Only Di had dared strike Xiao Feng with such ferocity.
However, Di had failed to replicate Qin Tian's invisibility—the unique tattooed abilities were fundamentally different, beyond Di's copying prowess unless he acquired Xiao Feng's fused powers.
Qin Tian's sudden emergence startled Di. He sensed an intruder within his body but was powerless to halt his strike. The sword still slashed toward Xiao Feng.
Smiling, Xiao Feng twisted midair, evading the deadly blow. Inside him stirred another potent power—the psychic ability of the Sleeping Mind. Instantly responding with mental prowess, he lifted himself, narrowly dodging Di's slash.
Di froze, dumbfounded.
Hera and Hei Tong exchanged stunned glances as Di stiffened. Behind him, Qin Tian stood ominously, hand plunged into Di's chest.
With a wicked grin, Qin Tian hissed, "Don't move. One more twitch and your heart will explode. Believe it."
Di scowled, feeling Qin Tian's arm inside him. "There's something I don't understand. Are you foolish—or do you simply misunderstand me? You dare use such a tactic?"
Then Di's body rapidly began to petrify—his other formidable skill, enabling him to harden instantly like stone. Though Xiao Feng had witnessed this before, Di's sudden use startled him anew.
Qin Tian's grip on Di's heart hardened as if made of stone. A foreboding chill surged through him as his form vanished in place, replaced moments later by a flash of light piercing his translucent silhouette.
Qin Tian reappeared afar, heart pounding with relief—Di had nearly landed the fatal blow.
Before he could catch his breath, Hei Tong entangled him. Several smaller but incredibly swift demon beasts launched a furious assault.
Cunning Hei Tong had rapidly discerned Qin Tian's weakness: though Qin Tian's invisibility and intangibility were formidable, they were limited by time. Hei Tong's calculation of this temporal constraint revealed a method to counter him.
Di's powers continued to escalate, deepening Xiao Feng and Qin Tian's concern. Xiao Feng's mind raced for solutions—then suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck.
The idea was an old figure: the Envoy. Yet the Envoy's powers were...
With his advantage secure, Di grew reckless, mocking Xiao Feng. "The soul of the X Legion is nothing more."
He launched a straightforward assault—raw strength and speed combined.
Youthful and prideful, Di was easily intoxicated by early success. Against other supernatural foes, he might have overwhelmed them, but today he faced Xiao Feng—
The soul of the X Legion, a man who could forge miracles at any moment.
Xiao Feng feigned an attack with both hands, releasing a beam of emerald light.
Hera gasped, "Be careful, child!"
But sound could never outrun light. Di failed to react, struck by the verdant beam, halting in stunned silence.
He watched, incredulous, as the longsword in his grasp abruptly vanished.
He could hardly accept the surreal scene. Di had seen such green light before—an ability to purify all, possessed only by the Envoy. Though he had copied it once, he failed to master it fully, so he never worried much.
Yet now, the unexpected had unfolded.
Xiao Feng approached slowly, placing a hand on Di's head. "Feeling strange? Without your power, doesn't it feel strangely liberating? Remember this, child: there are always those stronger—beyond what you can imagine."
With that, Xiao Feng cast Di aside, no longer bothering with him. Despite Di's danger, Xiao Feng had no desire to kill the boy.
Hera, witnessing Xiao Feng's direct purification of Di's powers, nearly fainted. Yet Xiao Feng's restraint brought her joy. She rushed to Di's side, embracing his frail form.
"It's all right, it's all right..."
Di stared blankly as Xiao Feng turned toward Hei Tong, overwhelmed by the bitterness of being disregarded and utterly broken by the loss of power.
Meanwhile, Qin Tian was fiercely besieged by a dozen demon beasts.
Xiao Feng moved to the battlefield's edge. Hei Tong's gaze immediately locked on him, then flicked to Di, who stood forlorn, as if robbed of a precious treasure.
The sly Hei Tong instantly surmised the cause—Di's defeat.
An icy murderous intent flashed in Hei Tong's eyes. If he engaged Xiao Feng now, only one outcome awaited. He deliberated between fighting or fleeing.
Xiao Feng paid Hei Tong no heed, regarding him as no threat, and feigned attacks toward the encroaching demon horde.
Hei Tong stared baffled—he could not fathom Xiao Feng's intent.
Hei Tong, Hera, Di, and Qin Tian all failed to anticipate Xiao Feng's devastating counter.
From Xiao Feng's hands burst twin beams of green light, sweeping in a fan-shaped arc that swept across the beasts.
Qin Tian, watching the creatures struck, could not help but exclaim, "Damn... this is just insane..."