Chapter 68 Won?

Gong Kui was naturally one of those "spectators," eagerly anticipating the final outcome, even though it would undoubtedly end in Xia Yan's death. However, the result of this duel might differ slightly—either Noah would die here, or he would not.

Xia Yan swung his blade, the Mutating Blade wreathed in grey flames, exuding an unstoppable momentum. His physical development was infinitely close to forty percent; he feared no one, whether in terms of strength or speed.

Yet, in that very instant, Xia Yan sensed danger. The space right before him suddenly vibrated!

This was Noah's second ability.

Daring not to meet it head-on, Xia Yan retreated rapidly, but with nowhere to hide, he had to swing his blade to parry, using the recoil to push himself back.

However, the space vibration delivered an overwhelming force, instantly transmitting from the Mutating Blade into his body, inflicting severe internal damage. Had the grey flames not absorbed the brunt of the impact, his internal organs would likely have been shattered outright.

This was the might of a formidable superhuman; truly worthy of a 6-star rank. His strength was at least on par with that demonic male, Wujin Yuan. Yet this time, Xia Yan did not unleash Mad Hell.

Xia Yan suddenly realized how difficult it was to engage the opponent in close combat. A dragon-form 6-star superhuman—even if his physical development was somewhat inferior to his own, the gap was limited.

However, Noah's spatial vibration ability was the ultimate counter to his style.

Xia Yan had never forgotten one fundamental principle: whether a superhuman's ability was formidable depended entirely on their brain domain development value. If Noah were a 5-star superhuman, Xia Yan perhaps wouldn't have fallen into a disadvantage, and might have even easily defeated him.

But Noah was a 6-star superhuman. The gap of a whole star rank was simply too vast.

After trading just a few blows, Xia Yan coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling too weak to sustain the fight.

Having already suffered severe injuries, his current condition was abysmal, leaving his combat capability at less than seventy percent of his peak. Such a dismal performance was entirely understandable under the circumstances.

Many watched the scene unfold without surprise. Last time, Xia Yan had only managed to kill Wujin Yuan by using Mad Hell, and that was largely due to Wujin Yuan's stupidity. Had Wujin Yuan maintained his humanoid form throughout, Xia Yan certainly would not have emerged victorious.

This time, however, things were different. Xia Yan's enemy was not a mindless mutated creature, but a cunning, crafty Winged-man whose intelligence was unquestionably high.

This was the true power of a 6-star superhuman!

Finally, Xia Yan could endure no longer. His demonic ability completely dissipated, reverting him to his original form!

Had this battle come to an end?

Was there truly no possibility of victory left?

Xia Yan gripped the Mutating Blade tightly, though alas, this weapon could no longer bring even a sliver of hope for victory.

Had he reached his absolute limit here as well?

Would his burial ground be right here too?

Tao Lu walked slowly from behind, a look of displeasure clouding her face. She could tell that Xia Yan was about to die.

Yet Xia Yan should not have been this weak; his weapon was simply too inferior. It was true that he possessed a Tier-X live-ammunition pistol, acquired long ago when his strength was still negligible, making it immensely useful back then.

After he journeyed to the Demon clan and fought the former director of the Ai You Institution, his strength had surged rapidly, and his enemies had grown increasingly powerful. They had grown so formidable that Tier-X firearms caused damage no more tickling than a scratch.

If only he had a Tier-XX firearm, perhaps he wouldn't have been pushed into such a passive position.

Tao Lu had always firmly believed in one creed: there is no such thing as an absolutely invincible ability, only abilities that mutually counter one another. Presently, Xia Yan's close combat was completely countered by Noah, but ranged attacks were another matter entirely.

If only he possessed a Tier-XX firearm.

"Xia Yan," Tao Lu's voice sounded softly, reaching Xia Yan's ears. She raised the 707-Fatal in her hand—this weapon could grant Xia Yan the hope of victory.

Without a moment's hesitation, the girl tossed the laser pistol into the air, accompanied by five shimmering, crystalline laser bullets.

Xia Yan's speed suddenly surged. As his gaze locked with Tao Lu's, his eyes flickered with incomprehension and reproach.

She shouldn't have done this. Once she took this step, she might never be able to retreat unscathed.

Xia Yan knew this very well, and Tao Lu likely knew it too, yet she had still gone through with it. In Xia Yan's eyes, he would rather be killed by Tao Lu than let her bear the stigma of a traitor.

Tao Lu, however, did not see it that way, and Xia Yan could not control her actions.

Then, take this laser gun and use it to seize the ultimate victory.

At the very least, Noah had to be killed.

Tao Lu's ability was exceptionally unique. Without her laser pistol, her combat effectiveness would plummet drastically, suffering a loss of forty to fifty percent without exaggeration.

Xia Yan caught the laser pistol and the five rounds. As his left hand gripped the weapon, a strange, inexplicable power surged within him.

Wrath. Noah's eyes were filled with incomprehension and murderous intent. He shifted his gaze onto Tao Lu: "Tao Lu, am I to understand that you have betrayed the entire Winged-man race?!"

"Betrayal?" Tao Lu sneered. "Whether this lady has betrayed them or not, you are hardly qualified to babble about it. Rather than that, you'd better consider these matters after you're dead."

"Tao Lu, I'm going to kill you." Noah had completely lost his mind. Ignoring Xia Yan, who had dropped his demonic form, Noah lunged straight toward Tao Lu, determined to execute her on the spot.

His fists carried the destructive force of spatial vibrations, seemingly tearing apart the very ground where Tao Lu stood.

"What a pity, what a pity. Though my strength is inferior to yours, my knack for fleeing is not weak at all. If you want to kill me, it will take you at least half an hour." A look of disdain crossed Tao Lu's face as a layer of black substance enveloped her body, and her true form vanished into thin air.

Naturally, Noah's heavy blow struck nothing.

"Let's begin," Xia Yan murmured to himself. He tightened his grip on the 707-Fatal, pulled the trigger, and fired a single laser bullet.

"Targeted." A flash of light crossed Tao Lu's eyes as she instantly deployed Mind Control.

Noah's body stiffened. Though it lasted less than half a second, facing a high-speed laser beam, even that brief moment was fatal.

"Dodge—get out of the way!" Gritting his teeth, he forced his potential to the surface. With terrifying agility, he leaped high into the air, dodging the laser beam through sheer acrobatic evasion.

Before he could land, however, Xia Yan had already re-aimed the 707-Fatal at him.

Noah was struck with horror. When had Xia Yan reloaded the next bullet?

How could the cooldown and overheating time of this laser pistol be so short?

Xia Yan and Tao Lu shared a telepathic rapport; a single glance between them was enough to understand the other's thoughts. Operating with seamless coordination—one firing, the other casting Mind Control.

This strike was destined to kill Noah. A 6-star superhuman or not, everyone had a fatal weakness.

"Xia Yan," Gong Kui murmured, her eyes filled with perplexity. "You've weathered another minor tribulation. But while you might survive small trials, you will still die here."

She had originally believed Xia Yan was certain to die at Noah's hands, but Tao Lu's sudden defection had caused an unforeseen twist in the battle.

In truth, she had also overlooked certain factors—such as Xia Yan's marksmanship.

Many had neglected Xia Yan's skill with firearms because during his most dazzling battles, he had never relied on guns to win.

That wasn't because his marksmanship was poor, but rather because his Tier-X pistol had simply become outdated. When a Tier-XX laser pistol was placed in his hands, however, just how terrifying could he be?

This strike announced the answer to the entire world!

Everyone witnessing the scene widened their eyes, terrified of missing a single detail.

Was a 6-star superhuman ultimately going to perish beneath his marksmanship?

"What a shame." Xia Yi, a man of few words, also spoke softly. Xia Yan's value was indeed immense.

One had to remember that Xia Yan was only seventeen years old! Given another ten years to grow, what heights could he reach? He might well become the foremost figure beneath the Absolute Developers!

Yet, an uncontrollable human was better off dead early; otherwise, he would inevitably become a persistent trouble.

While Wei Wei was busy dispatching people to rebuild the houses, Xiao Qing simply remained by the small river, leisurely passing the time. Everything they did was in accordance with Emilia's wishes, so once Emilia departed, there was no longer any reason to support Xia Yan.

Perhaps there might have been a reason, but when Xia Yan discarded his optical brain, any possibility of providing support vanished entirely.

Xiao Qing no longer watched the projections, knowing that Xia Yan was destined to die anyway.

At that moment, she received another communication from Emilia, ordering her to hack into the research base and synchronize the footage of Xia Yan's battle directly onto Emilia's optical brain.

"Understood, Sister Emilia," Xiao Qing replied promptly, completing the task within five seconds.

Standing far away, Emilia cast her gaze onto the holographic projection cast by her optical brain, which displayed the battle between Xia Yan and Noah.

So what if he won? Didn't victory still mean losing in the end?

Didn't you know, Xia Yan? Losing your life means losing completely, with never a shred of possibility of victory. The value of life is the most precious thing of all.

Watching Xia Yan's combat, her eyes grew deeply dim.

"Fine," Emilia murmured softly. "Xia Yan, our perspectives have always differed. I am a leader who must grasp the bigger picture, while you stand alone. Even if I acknowledge your choices, you should at least have killed him before dying yourself, rather than being killed by him."

A fatal strike, with absolutely no possibility of evasion!

And then, the laser beam pierced straight through Noah's body!

Had the battle ended?

Xia Yan could not be certain, so he never relaxed his vigilance, as Noah's third ability had not yet been unleashed.

Xia Yan was certainly no reckless fool.

"Did we win?" Tao Lu asked, highly excited, her eyes fixed intently on Noah. With a laser beam this powerful, it was impossible for Noah to have evaded it.

And indeed, a gaping hole had been pierced straight through Noah's body.