Chapter Thirty-Three: The God of War

Chu Feng’s hand settled on the hilt of his sword at his waist. “Chen Chong, leave this place. Take the brothers and get as far away as you can.” This time, there was not a hint of jest on Chu Feng’s face. Chen Chong had wanted to say something more, but seeing Chu Feng’s expression, he merely nodded, turned, and departed, deftly avoiding Ace who stood a short distance away.

Watching his teammate leave, Chu Feng glanced at the disappearing aircraft on the horizon. He couldn’t tell whether it belonged to the Doom Squad or the Gale Team.

“Are you looking for your teammates?” Ace suddenly spoke. “Unfortunate for you, someone named ‘Hurricane’ has already run into my friends. He should be well on his way to the graveyard by now.” Chu Feng’s eyes flickered. Hurricane was the vice-captain of the Gale Team, leader for this mission, with level eight wind manipulation. Even if he wasn’t an equal match, few could stop him if he wanted to escape. Yet from Ace’s tone, the man was already dead.

“Did you kill him?” Chu Feng sneered. Ace didn’t answer, simply shook his head. Chu Feng went on, “But you’re so confident? Think you can kill me? I’m not that guy.” Chu Feng turned, his right hand gripping the sword’s hilt.

“Find out for yourself,” Ace replied, bending his knees slightly, his hand resting on his knife hilt. “I’ve always liked the blood of the strong.”

“So have I.” Chu Feng smiled faintly. In the next instant, he moved. Sword light flashed, sixfold temporal acceleration activated. He shot forward, launching himself before the tiles beneath his feet could shatter, closing the dozen-meter gap between them in a heartbeat.

A clear clang echoed across the rooftop as their blades met. At that moment, centered on the two, a blast of air spiraled outward, causing an explosion that toppled the railings from the roof.

“Oh? That was a fine strike.” Ace nodded approvingly. Chu Feng’s face was less than thirty centimeters from his, their swords pressed tightly together. “A sword powered by wind energy, not bad at all.” Ace glanced at Chu Feng’s blade, then swept his hand, hurling Chu Feng backward. “Come, let’s try again.” Ace lifted his hand, blocking Chu Feng’s sword, knife rising with a cold gleam.

The atmosphere grew tense. Chu Feng realized he had met his match. That earlier strike, though he hadn’t gone all out, had been easily parried. He smiled slightly, “I don’t want to destroy this place. Space-time seal!” Chu Feng raised his hand, pointing skyward, unleashing invisible ripples. “This sealed space has a diameter of ten kilometers—plenty of room for us to fight freely.”

“You’re thorough, but ten kilometers is excessive…” Before Ace finished his sentence, he appeared before Chu Feng. “So fast!” The thought flashed through Chu Feng’s mind as Ace’s knife slashed down.

Chu Feng reversed his grip, blocking the blow. His body trembled, the ground beneath his feet cracking. He was startled—in catching the strike, he felt a surge of immense power down his arm, nearly crushing him. Chu Feng snorted, sword flicking away Ace’s knife, body spinning out and launching. Two sword lights flashed simultaneously—one thrust at Ace’s face, the other slashed at his abdomen.

Ace dismissed both sword lights with ease, then his hand moved, knife slashing at Chu Feng faster than the eye could see. Chu Feng rolled away, dodging, landing only to vanish, leaving behind shattered flooring.

Ace slowly looked up, his knife flipping in his hand as he swung upward, a half-moon blade aura shot skyward, streaking across the sky faster than light. Chu Feng appeared in midair, the blade aura perfectly blocking his descent. Chu Feng snorted, gripped his sword in both hands, wind swirling around him. From his sword tip, wind energy flowed, and with a shout, he slashed down, the arc of blade energy snapping in two with a sharp crack, the fragments flying out to either side before fading into the sky.

As Chu Feng landed, Ace retreated slightly. His long knife flicked out, tapping at the air. Chu Feng’s shadow, ghostlike, dodged several taps, then brought his sword down. Ace gave a small grunt, leaping back as Chu Feng’s sword energy smashed into the ground, shattering everything before him to rubble.

“Put away your toy knife.” Chu Feng rose slowly, looking at Ace, now ten meters away. He casually flicked debris from his blade, pointing at Ace. Ace looked down to see his Japanese-style knife twisted like a corkscrew, unable to withstand his power and speed. In just a few exchanges, it had become scrap metal. Ace sneered, tossing the ruined knife aside, then snapped his fingers. In the void, countless fragments gathered, forming a slender blade. Chu Feng frowned, “Material Dataification Technology—has your Special Alliance mastered it?”

“Not so easily, but moving a small item or two isn’t a problem.” Ace smiled coolly, raising his hand to grasp the blade that emerged from nothing. “Its name is ‘Dark Null.’ Please, after you.” Ace gripped the hilt. “Special Alliance S-Class Operative—Draw Blade!”

“S-Class!” Chu Feng felt a sharp pang within, then saw a jet-black blade drawn, murderous intent radiating. Chu Feng recoiled, staring at the long knife in Ace’s hand, shrouded by black mist, its true form obscured. “The Special Alliance has only one S-Class operative—is that you?”

Ace didn’t answer, only let a faint curve show at the corner of his mouth, then he moved. In less than half a second, he crossed the ten or so meters, bringing the shape-shrouded blade and black mist sweeping toward Chu Feng. The chill of the blade was bone-deep. Chu Feng leapt backward, several successive jumps bringing him to the edge of the building.

“Looks like your situation isn’t great.” Ace followed at a measured pace. Chu Feng sneered, “If you’re not afraid to die, come after me!” With that, he leapt from the skyscraper. Ace said nothing, becoming a blur as he followed Chu Feng down.

Chu Feng ran swiftly—yes, running down the vertical glass face of the building. Seeing Ace closing in behind, he sneered, drew his laser pistol, and fired two shots back. Ace sidestepped both. Chu Feng turned, stabbed his sword into the glass to slow his fall. Seeing Ace rushing down, Chu Feng shouted, pulled out the sword, and swung at Ace’s face.

Sword light, knife light, and laser beams flashed across the vertical skyscraper. The two seemed like gods descending from the heavens; wherever they passed, glass shattered to dust.

The battle atop the skyscraper moved swiftly, soon reaching halfway down. Chu Feng laughed coldly, shooting two steel cables from his waist to hook the opposite building’s edge. He forced Ace back with a sword strike, then launched himself out, using the cables’ tension to bounce back up.

Ace was not surprised. Forced back by a sword, he snorted, his left hand morphing into a claw, crushing reinforced glass as he descended, shattering three floors’ worth before stopping.

Dangling in midair, Ace looked up at Chu Feng, who swung between the skyscrapers like Spider-Man. Ace’s gaze followed Chu Feng’s movements, finally catching his trajectory. He bent his knees, glass around him exploded from the recoil, and Ace shot upward like a shell, reaching Chu Feng in the blink of an eye.

“Are you even human?” Chu Feng exclaimed, seeing Ace appear before him in an instant. The next moment, Ace struck, blade slashing upward in a reverse arc toward Chu Feng.

Frightened, Chu Feng blocked with his sword, but the force was overwhelming. He felt his body no longer his own, flung by the immense power.

“Hold on!” Chu Feng yelled. The cables hooked the walls, but he heard them snap. Steel wires whipped through the air, becoming deadly weapons. As his belt contracted, the remaining wires recoiled like a giant whale swallowing water, nearly tearing Chu Feng apart.

In that moment of crisis, Chu Feng discarded his mobility belt. He was still shooting skyward—Ace’s blow far exceeded his expectations. As he let go of the belt, he crashed into the edge of the building behind.

With a thunderous crash, the building’s corner shattered. Chu Feng’s body, uncontrolled, flew with the debris to the rooftop, bouncing seven or eight meters high, then rolling five or six meters before finally stopping.

“Cough, cough…” Chu Feng struggled, pushing himself up with both hands, coughing blood. Seeing Ace fall, Chu Feng cursed, “What a monster!” Watching Ace drop, Chu Feng let out a sigh of relief. Without special equipment, even a monster couldn’t get up here now.

Ace had sensed Chu Feng wasn’t dead. Frowning, he landed on a lower rooftop, looked up at the shattered edge above, tapped his toe, then crouched. With a grunt, the ground beneath him collapsed, and he shot skyward.

Chu Feng had just stood when he felt a bad omen. His handsome face showed alarm as he retreated, but it was too late. The ground before him, like paper, was swept skyward by a fierce wind. Chu Feng saw a V-shaped scar spread from his feet, then half the rooftop exploded, blown back by a hurricane. Amid flying debris, Ace rose with the stones onto the rooftop. Chu Feng’s pupils contracted as he gazed at the godlike figure before him, swallowing hard. “What are you?”

“Invincibility is a kind of loneliness—I thought you’d understand.” Ace landed before him, shaking his head at the battered Chu Feng.

Chu Feng gritted his teeth, barely able to stand, yet still struggling. “Don’t think you’re invincible. In the city, there are level ten supernaturals who make you look ordinary.”

“Level ten?” Ace’s gaze grew contemplative. “I haven’t met one. I look forward to it—the legendary level ten.” He turned his gaze to Chu Feng. “Now, what should I do with you?”

Unexpectedly, Chu Feng laughed. “You really think you’ve won?” Ace raised an eyebrow, then spotted a group of people standing atop a distant aircraft kilometers away. “I’m not fighting alone.”

Chu Feng laughed loudly. In that moment, countless abilities surged into him: “Strength Enhancement, Neural Boost, Speed Amplification, Insight, Metal Resonance, Rapid Recovery…” Chu Feng rattled off a dozen enhancements. Ace’s gaze grew surprised, but he merely tilted his head, waiting for Chu Feng to finish.

“Come, let’s fight again!” Chu Feng was filled with confidence. “With my teammates, I’m invincible!”

“Good, now I’m interested—interested in killing you.” Ace spoke with indifference, as if it mattered nothing to him. Chu Feng stood, sword pointing forward. “Soon, you won’t even be able to cry!” He raised his hand, detonated a blast, and charged at Ace. Ace calmly lifted his hand, pinching Chu Feng’s sword blade between thumb and forefinger.

It couldn’t budge an inch!

“This is impossible!” Chu Feng’s eyes widened in horror.

“With your current power, even with superhuman augmentation, you’re only fifteen times the normal human limit. You have temporal acceleration, but you can’t fundamentally change your own stats.” Ace looked at the stunned Chu Feng. “My base stats are sixty times the human limit.”

“I don’t believe it!” Chu Feng shouted, yanking his sword free. Ace sneered, reversed Dark Null, and chopped down. Chu Feng rolled to dodge, but before he could stand, the floor began to tilt.

“What’s going on?” Chu Feng exclaimed, glimpsing the building’s corner, sliced off by Ace’s earlier blow, the cut smooth as glass. Now, that corner was slipping away!

“Supernaturals—nothing special.” Ace spoke softly, and Chu Feng heard, furious. “You’re the one who’s nothing special!” He leapt up, sword raised, plunging down toward Ace.

Ace simply stepped back. Chu Feng’s thrust missed, stabbing into the ground as if into tofu. Ace surveyed the rooftop, now missing two chunks. “Since we’re breaking things, let’s break them completely.” He clenched his free hand into a fist, and with a grunt, punched the ground.

There was no sound. Chu Feng hesitated, then saw cracks spreading everywhere. His brows twitched—he understood, but had no time to escape. In that instant, the upper half of the skyscraper wailed, and from top to bottom, shattered to fragments!

“Ahhhhhh!” Chu Feng screamed, falling through the air as countless stones crashed down, poised to crush him. Chu Feng’s hair bristled with rage—he swung his sword, leaping from stone to stone, slashing the falling debris, nearly crazed.

Amid the rain of stones, Chu Feng fought upward against the rubble, breaking apart each block. “Where are you? Where are you? I’ll kill you!” he roared. The stones nearly blocked out the sky, dimming his vision.

“Here.” Ace’s voice came suddenly. Chu Feng turned, just as a massive stone was split in two, Ace’s blade thrusting forth. Chu Feng met him, his sword flashing into countless shadows. The two fought their way upward, leaping from falling stones!

“Ahhhhhh!” Chu Feng battled in frenzy, his sword growing faster, nearly suppressing Ace!

“An outburst in desperation?” Ace’s eyes remained calm as deep water. “Let me grant you despair.” He vanished, and Chu Feng lost his target. Before he could react, pain erupted in his abdomen—Ace had appeared at his side, kicking his stomach and breaking three ribs!

Chu Feng felt like a ball tossed into the sky, powerless to control his body. As he fell, Dark Null pierced through the black mist, its blade appearing as countless shadows, stabbing his shoulders, joints—every place that could move.

Chu Feng fell again, landing among rubble, as half the skyscraper collapsed. Endless stones found their resting place. Chu Feng lay on a relatively flat spot, all limbs pierced, coughing blood. He looked up at the unscathed Ace, managed a bitter smile, “I lost. You really are a monster.”

Ace stood over Chu Feng, silent for a long time. In the sealed space, there was no wind. Ace stood, as still as a statue. “Kill me, but remember—the city’s strong will avenge me.”

“Let them come. I am the Alliance’s God of War. I am invincible.” Ace spoke softly, then sheathed Dark Null and turned away. Chu Feng was stunned. “You’re not going to kill me?”

“You’re not worthy…” Ace’s voice faded as he left, vanishing into the horizon after a few leaps. Only Chu Feng remained, lying on the ground, half laughing, half crying, “Not worthy… Not worthy… Not worthy…”