Luke Cage was left in nothing but his boxer briefs, his shirt shredded as if it had been run through a meat grinder.
Though Matt and Frank excelled in close-quarters combat, even they had been cut a few times by the desperate, suicidal assaults of the ninjas.
“Well, at least the floor is cleared,” Jessica said, wrapping her tattered jacket around her waist with a stretch.
“Let me head inside, wipe out those remaining vampires, call it a day, and go home to sleep.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
Lu Xiaofeng’s gaze was sharp as nails, fixed firmly on the dark, far end of the dock.
“I smell a familiar scent.”
*Clap, clap, clap.*
From the depths of the shadows, Bai Yifei emerged at a leisurely pace, clad in a blood-red robe.
He clapped his hands softly, a slight smile on his face.
“Little Chick Lu, after all these years, your instincts are as sharp as ever.”
[Shock points from Daredevil Matt Murdock +400]
[Shock points from Luke Cage +400]
[Shock points from Jessica Jones +500]
[Shock points from The Punisher Frank Castle +300]
…
With every step the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe took, an ice lotus infused with bone-chilling cold bloomed beneath his feet.
Matt and the others instantly felt the air freeze, a biting chill penetrating to their bones.
Worse still, a heavy, suffocating pressure slammed into them head-on.
Strong!
This man was monstrously strong!
Matt had deduced this almost the instant the man appeared.
His extraordinary hearing allowed him to tell if someone was lying merely by the rhythm of their heart.
Yet in his sensory world, the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s heart beat fewer than thirty times per minute—and every single throb was as steady and powerful as a war drum, possessing force far beyond the limits of an ordinary human.
This was by no means the physiological state of a healthy, living person.
*Gulp.*
Jessica’s focus, however, was completely off track.
She quietly swallowed her spit and lowered her voice.
“Lu Xiaofeng, do all you Mount Shu disciples look like this? How about introducing me to one sometime?”
*Lady, your priorities couldn’t be more twisted!*
Lu Xiaofeng’s lip twitched; he nearly broke character, barely maintaining his solemn posture.
Frank and Luke Cage also snapped their heads around, their eyes filled with utter bewilderment and speechlessness.
“Haha!” Jessica gave a dry laugh.
“Just kidding! Just a joke! What I actually wanted to ask is: why is the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe showing up here right now of all times?”
*Because I notified him, of course,* Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself.
Only clash creates shock!
If he didn’t stir up a major scene, where would he farm shock points?
Realizing Jessica had a playful streak at her core, Lu Xiaofeng didn’t bother replying to her joke.
He took a few steps forward, folded his arms across his chest, and stared directly at the figure atop the icy spires.
He laughed aloud and said, “Bai Yifei, long time no see!”
“Little Chick Lu, what is Mount Shu hoping to achieve by sending you here?”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe stood with his hands behind his back, his brow grim and cold.
“Out of respect for our old acquaintance, retreat now, and I will spare your life.”
“Still the same as ever—arrogant beyond belief!”
Lu Xiaofeng sneered and raised his chin.
“You know full well why I came. Regardless of why you betrayed Mount Shu, I am seeing this matter through.”
“A fool’s errand!”
Bai Yifei sneered and curled his fingers into a loose fist.
Frosty air instantly surged wildly.
*Rumble!*
Over a hundred sharp ice spikes dozens of meters tall erupted from the ground, encasing Lu Xiaofeng and The Defenders.
The surrounding temperature plunged off a cliff, filling the air with biting frost and intense murder intent.
[Shock points from Daredevil Matt Murdock +600]
[Shock points from Luke Cage +600]
[Shock points from Jessica Jones +700]
[Shock points from The Punisher Frank Castle +600]
…
He really was strong!
The Defenders’ expressions hardened in unison.
Frank’s eyes glinted slightly as he asked in a low voice, “Lu Xiaofeng, does he have any weaknesses?”
“Does liking to show off count?”
Lu Xiaofeng shrugged, quickly distributing Vajra Talismans to them, his tone turning serious.
“Stay sharp, everyone. Bai Yifei is faster than me and can manipulate ice. Lose focus for even a second, and you’ll end up frozen into an ice sculpture.”
“I figured that much out already.”
Jessica rubbed her arms, slapped the talisman paper onto her chest, and sighed.
“Ah, what a pity. It’s been so long since anyone made my heart race.”
(￣ェ￣;)
The rest rolled their eyes in unison, too bothered to reply. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
They affixed their talismans and formed a back-to-back formation, keeping their eyes locked on the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe standing atop the icy peak.
“Life, like a flower, fades so easily.”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe held his sword horizontally.
The blade glowed with a dark, eerie red, his eyes as cold as an ancient glacial pool.
“You could have lived a little longer, yet you chose not to treasure it.”
Before his voice had even faded, his body flickered like a phantom to Frank’s side, swinging his longsword down in a fluid arc!
Too fast!
Matt’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.
He shoved Frank aside with all his strength while swinging his baton to block.
*Clang!*
The short baton made of specialized high-grade alloy was as brittle as thin ice under the blood-red blade, snapping cleanly into two pieces.
Worse still, the sword strike’s momentum remained unabated, its residual force aiming straight for Matt’s throat!
At the critical instant!
Lu Xiaofeng dashed forward like lightning.
Before his afterimages even faded, the index and middle fingers of his right hand were already clamping the tip of the blade firm and steady.
“The Lingxi Finger?”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe chuckled softly.
“Little Chick Lu, you can catch the blade, but can you catch the frost?”
“Oh no!”
Lu Xiaofeng’s face paled abruptly.
He released his grip and retreated frantically, his body drifting like a willow leaf in a gale, floating backward over ten meters.
Yet it was too late.
The icy chill upon the sword had already invaded his meridians.
Frost spread rapidly from his fingertips, completely freezing his entire right arm in a heartbeat.
“Damn it!”
Seeing Lu Xiaofeng severely wounded in the blink of an eye, the faces of The Defenders turned as grim as iron.
Jessica stopped joking, clenched her fists, and launched herself into the air, smashing a heavy fist wrapped in howling winds straight at the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe!
*Boom!
Boom!!*
The force of the punch exploded, tearing through the air with sonic thuds.
Yet facing this thunderous strike, the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe remained motionless, merely raising the blood-red sword in his hand slowly.
A flash of sword light blazed out—
A throat-slashing counter strike!
*Clang!!*
Golden light burst forth.
The Vajra Talisman activated just in time, blocking the fatal blow for her.
However, the recoil force was immense.
Jessica flew backward like a broken kite for dozens of meters before crashing heavily into an ice spire, sending shattered ice cascading down.
“Dammit!!”
Seeing Jessica defeated in an instant, Matt’s brow furrowed tightly as he exchanged a quick glance with Frank.
He and Luke Cage lunged forward simultaneously.
Luke came from the streets and lacked formal martial arts training.
Relying on his impenetrable bronze skin and iron bones, he spread his arms wide and attempted a bear hug to lock the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s waist, creating an opening for Matt to strike.
While this tactic worked against brute thugs, against the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe—whose martial skill was at the pinnacle—it was nowhere near enough.
Tapping his toes lightly against the ground,
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe launched into the air and pushed off directly with a kick onto Luke’s shiny forehead.
*Thud!*
Luke slammed face-first into the ground, his eyebrows and eyelashes instantly coated in a layer of white frost.
Borrowing the momentum of that kick, his body fluttered like airborne catkins, the tip of his sword thrusting straight for Matt’s chest!
Matt did not dodge.
He merely turned his body slightly to avoid a direct strike to his heart, letting the blood-red sword pierce straight through his shoulder.
“Frank, NOW!!”
Spitting a mouthful of fresh blood from the excruciating pain, he gritted his teeth and locked the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe in a death grip.
Clenching the Vajra Talisman in his left hand, he roared hoarsely at the waiting Punisher.
Frank gave a silent nod and pulled the trigger.
A dense rain of bullets poured forth, engulfing both of them.
“Heh, you think a few bullets can send me to my grave?”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe curled his lips slightly.
The frigid energy around him surged, coalescing in an instant into several thick ice walls that formed a seamless shield before him.
The barrage shattered the first ice wall and pierced through the second…
By the time the bullets reached the third, their kinetic energy was exhausted, trapped firmly inside the thick, bone-chilling ice.
Frank’s face remained solemn as water.
He swiftly switched to an M320 grenade launcher and fired another round.
*Boom!*
The third ice wall exploded.
Holding Matt—whose entire body was glowing with golden light—in his left hand, he moved like a spectral phantom.
In a fraction of a second, he flashed directly to Frank’s flank.
Before Frank could even react, the sword was already raised, aiming straight for his head!
*Clang!*
A streak of golden light flared up, enveloping Frank’s entire body.
The blood-red blade collided with the golden barrier and was forcefully repelled.
Even so, the sheer impact sent Frank flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground.
A sweet, metallic taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
“Hmph. Little Chick Lu certainly is generous, giving everyone a Vajra Talisman. You really aren’t afraid of wasting them.”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe sneered, his hand tightening around Matt’s neck.
The golden glow surrounding Matt flickered violently, dimming from brilliant to feeble like a candle in the wind.
“Mortals always overestimate themselves, believing they can bring down an opponent far beyond their strength with sheer willpower. They fail to realize it’s nothing more than a self-deceptive daydream.”
He pressed harder with his palm.
*Bang!*
The golden light shattered, disintegrating into a shower of tiny glimmers.
“Now, do you feel the cold?”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe raised his lips in a sinister smile, lifting Matt—now devoid of the talisman’s protection—off the ground.
*Crack!*
Frigid air rushed over him like knives.
Frost instantly formed on Matt’s eyelashes and brows; his face turned from red to pale blue as his body temperature plummeted.
More fatally, with his throat squeezed shut, Matt couldn’t draw a breath.
Oxygen deprivation coupled with extreme cold slowed his heartbeat further and further, making it so faint it was barely audible.
At the direst moment, Luke Cage charged laterally, slamming violently toward the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe!
In the exact same moment, taking advantage of the Marquis dodging to the side, Frank drew his Browning pistol from his waist and fired a rapid succession of shots!
As a C-rank cardholder, the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s physical body was not yet strong enough to tank bullets directly.
Frowning slightly, his crimson sword whirled, deflecting and knocking away every incoming warhead.
“Die!”
Jessica launched a surprise attack right after him, punching straight for the Marquis’s face with a clear objective: save Matt!
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe curled his lips into a smile.
Matt was good material; he hadn’t intended to kill him on the spot anyway.
Taking advantage of the moment, he released Matt, caught Jessica’s wrist with a reverse grip, and slammed her downward viciously!
*Rumble!*
The ground collapsed, creating a human-shaped crater.
Jessica lay flat on her back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Despite being so badly injured, she showed no sign of despair.
Instead, her eyes lit up.
The second the Marquis released Matt, Lu Xiaofeng’s figure flashed forward, catching the falling Matt cleanly before he hit the ground.
“Can you hold on, Matt?”
Lu Xiaofeng pressed a palm against Matt’s back, quietly channeling a stream of gentle, warm internal energy into him.
“Cough… I won’t die yet.”
Matt coughed up several mouthfuls of blood mixed with ice chips, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up.
*Clap, clap, clap.*
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe clapped his hands unhurriedly, a hint of genuine praise in his tone.
“You are a rare tough nut to crack. To still be able to stand after taking such injuries.”
Matt’s face was ash-gray as he panted heavily.
“If you’re not dead yet, I won’t be falling first.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
The Marquis raised an eyebrow.
His figure turned into an afterimage as his longsword thrust out like lightning, heading straight for Matt’s heart!
“Matt, watch out!!!”
Jessica, who had just struggled up from the crater, screamed out loud.
In the distance, Frank and Luke Cage both tensed every nerve.
Frank had already raised his gun to aim, but the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe was moving far too fast—the barrel couldn’t track that blur of red.
“Bring it on.”
Matt’s expression remained unchanged, his right hand already resting on the pin of a grenade at his waist.
*Clang!*
The flash of the sword cut through the air, dazzlingly bright.
He closed his eyes and exerted force with his index finger, about to pull the ring—
When a palm suddenly rested over the back of his hand, pressing down gently.
Lu Xiaofeng smiled at him with a shake of his head.
Then, with a soft yet firm push, his palm sent Matt gliding backward several meters through the air.
“Lu Xiaofeng!!!”
Suspended in midair, Matt’s pupils shrank to pinpricks, his voice choking in his throat.
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s sword strike was filled with bone-chilling frost and razor-sharp edge.
With Matt pushed out of the way, the blade encountered no resistance at all—piercing straight through Lu Xiaofeng’s chest, skewering him heart and spine!