Chapter 673: Hymn of Light
While the other fronts were still locked in stalemates, the battle between Deng Shentong and Phoenixin Ren had already begun.
Everyone knew—this was the fight that would decide the outcome of the entire war.
Nishijumu Satoru quickly evacuated Takeuchi Mayumi from the battlefield.
A battle at this level wasn’t something they had any right to get close to.
From here on, it was all up to Phoenixin Ren.
Once his two teammates had retreated, Phoenixin Ren fixed his gaze on Deng Shentong with a smile, vicious glints flashing under the brim of his newsboy cap.
“As long as I take you out here, I think the old men in the Jiangnan District will finally wake the h*ll up!”
Deng Shentong, on the other hand, simply grinned and beckoned at him.
Phoenixin Ren dropped his smile.
From the center of his forehead, a vivid red mark began to surface, spreading outward along both cheeks and gradually forming a striking pattern across his face.
It was a brilliant, multicolored red—deep, bright, and dazzling—sparkling with flecks of starlight like the scattered shine of a galactic river flowing beneath his skin.
The blood-red markings spread down to his neck, his hands, and eventually covered his entire body.
A suffocatingly powerful aura surged around him.
He may not have looked tall or muscular, but now just clenching his fists made it feel like he could punch a hole through the sky.
Leader of Moon of Corrosion, Phoenixin Ren.
An Enhancement Type ability user.
Scarlet blood energy swirled around Phoenixin Ren’s body, rapidly raising the temperature of the surrounding space. Large swaths of ice and snow began to melt instantly.
He didn’t rush in. Instead, he locked eyes with his opponent across the field.
“Come on. Let me see what you've got!”
Deng Shentong smiled and nodded lightly.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he spread his arms wide like the wings of an angel.
In the next instant, a burst of magnificent, divine radiance exploded from him, surging outward in all directions!
Inside Phoenixin Ren’s pupils, all color suddenly vanished.
Even the black of his irises turned white.
He felt as if he were in a completely blank world—everything gone.
Even his own body was nowhere to be seen.
Captain of Celestial Squad, Deng Shentong.
An Enhancement Type ability user.
Code name: Hymn of Light.
His ability… was Light.
He could grant light to others—or take it away.
Under this move, Null World, everyone except Deng Shentong would lose their sight.
All they'd see was a vast white void, nothing more.
Phoenixin Ren stood not far away—but he could no longer see him.
Deng Shentong's lips curled upward. He stepped forward—and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Phoenixin Ren.
He launched a punch straight at his head!
Although Phoenixin Ren had lost his sight, his combat instincts were still intact. His sharp sixth sense warned him of the incoming attack.
As the punch cut through the air, he raised his arms to block.
But he was still half a beat slower than Deng Shentong.
In a duel at this level, even a split-second delay could be fatal.
Still—despite being blind—Phoenixin Ren was able to block Deng Shentong’s strikes with remarkable precision!
That surprised Deng Shentong a little.
With the Phoenix power coursing through him, Phoenixin Ren was trading blow for blow.
The glowing blood marks pulsing across his body had given his strength and speed an enormous boost.
The smile at Deng Shentong’s lips deepened.
But even so… so what?
White hexagrams gleamed in his eyes—platinum stars that shone like heavenly light.
A white holy glow enveloped his body, making him appear even more radiant and imposing, like a god walking the earth.
This was his ability—Sacred Form Enhancement!
It coated his entire body in divine radiance and made him an unstoppable force in close-quarters combat.
The Light power clashed with the Phoenix power at point-blank range. Deng Shentong’s speed kept accelerating, and his strength grew more terrifying.
At first, Phoenixin Ren could still react on instinct and defend against Deng’s strikes.
But soon, even when he could detect the attack—his body couldn’t keep up.
And even when his body reacted—he was completely overpowered.
The battlefield was flooded with holy white light.
Neither the Operations Command Center, nor the rest of Moon of Corrosion, could see what was happening.
That’s why no one truly knew what Deng Shentong’s ability was.
Except Zhu Zheng, who had absolute faith in Deng Shentong.
After all, Deng Shentong was the greatest masterpiece to come out of the collaboration between the Jiangnan District and the Deng Corporation.
From his powers, to his mind, to his equipment—everything was at the peak of excellence.
He was the idol Jiangnan had created, a god-like figure who gave its people hope.
Since the apocalypse began, Celestial Squad had never failed a single mission.
And in one-on-one combat—Deng Shentong had never lost.
No one could see how the fight was progressing.
Only the constant, deafening booms gave any clue—like the sound of a war drum struck by flesh and bone.
Deng Shentong’s punch broke through Phoenixin Ren’s guard, blasted past his arms, and slammed into his chest!
His chest immediately caved in, a clear fist imprint left behind.
Deng’s smile remained as he grabbed Phoenixin Ren’s shoulder with his left hand and drove another devastating punch right into the wound with his right.
Phoenixin Ren struggled desperately, but the heavy injury to his chest robbed him of all strength.
This time, Deng Shentong’s punch tore through Phoenixin Ren’s chest—bursting out his back!
His pristine white combat suit was still dazzling, even with blood staining it—it looked like plum blossoms blooming on snow.
But Deng Shentong’s smile slowly faded.
The leader of Moon of Corrosion… was this weak?
He couldn’t believe it.
But the sensations in his hand were real—he could feel the frantic rhythm of Phoenixin Ren’s organs.
And just then, Phoenixin Ren slowly raised his head and gave him a blood-soaked smile.
In the next instant—his body erupted in flames!
He clamped tightly onto Deng Shentong’s arm, refusing to let go.
The red flames blazed with searing heat—even Deng Shentong furrowed his brow.
His combat suit had been made with the finest tech in Blizzard City, far superior to those of the Six Investigation Teams.
But even so, the fire ignited by Phoenixin Ren’s self-immolation sent a chilling warning of danger through him.