Chapter Seventy-Six: Tears of an Iron Man

Soft warmth filled his embrace. Tang Tian, misjudging his strength, found Sai Lei sitting face-to-face before him. There was just enough space for two on the back of the bronze mechanical ostrich, but Sai Lei’s tossed hair blocked Tang Tian’s view. In a moment of panic, he gave a quick tug, pulling Sai Lei into his arms.

Sai Lei had no time to protest—her balance vanished, and she tumbled headlong into his chest. The wind whipped her hair up, and Tang Tian, gritting his teeth, didn’t hesitate. He pressed her head down forcefully, shouting, “Get down!”

A jolt of force struck the back of Sai Lei’s head and—smack—her face was buried...

“Mmm! Mmm!” Sai Lei felt her face pressed so deep into something that she could barely breathe. She tried to speak, but only muffled sounds escaped.

Suddenly, her whole body went rigid.

Wait!

This place... this place...

This was... this was...

Sai Lei’s mind went utterly blank; a burning flush shot across her cheeks. In his urgency, Tang Tian had used the full force of his grip, pinning her down. Fearing more movement, he pressed her head even tighter to keep his view clear.

Panic overwhelmed Sai Lei.

Tang Tian, utterly unaware of what he had done, was fully immersed in battle mode. His gauntlets blazed with blue fire, peacock blue shimmered elegantly, the feathered armor pulsing like waves, and his eyes glowed with a crimson flame.

“Little Ostrich—attack!”

With a furious roar, Tang Tian hunched down again. The bronze mechanical ostrich thundered forward toward White Panda!

A shadow flashed from the flank—a black figure, silent and swift: Black Panda. His gaunt face radiated killing intent, a chilling frost in his gaze. In each hand, knives appeared as if conjured from thin air. With a flick of his wrists, the blades flew.

The strange whistle of the throwing knives filled the air, their speed electrifying, each one traced with a faint glimmer, darting unpredictably through the sky.

But Tang Tian sensed the danger the instant Black Panda released the knives. His reflexes, honed by brutal training, were razor sharp. Without turning, he thrust his wrist backward.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Several streaks of black shot from his sleeve.

Constellation Treasure of the Arrow—Black Iron Sleeve Darts!

The sleeve darts shot out at lightning speed. Black Panda’s eyes flashed coldly; he halted, two butterfly daggers appearing in his hands, blades fluttering with dazzling precision.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks danced as Black Panda staggered back, alarmed.

At the same moment, the throwing knives closed in behind Tang Tian—each one, with surgical precision, blocked every escape. No matter which way Tang Tian might dodge, a knife would find him.

Just then, Tang Tian shouted, “Peacock Blue!”

At once, a phantom shimmered on his armor. Clang! Clang! Clang! Several feathers sprang upright, tore free, and shot out, streaking blue across the sky. Each blue flash struck a knife dead on; not a single one missed.

Black Panda’s expression turned ashen. This interloper’s strength was mediocre, but the treasures he carried seemed endless. With them alone, Tang Tian had forced Black Panda back—his frustration was palpable.

Tang Tian burst out laughing, his gaze locked on White Panda ahead.

White Panda, now wielding a copper staff, stood stout and unflinching before the charging bronze ostrich. His round, plump face showed no hint of fear.

The distance between them shrank rapidly. Suddenly, White Panda roared, his stocky frame sinking low. Both hands gripped his staff—he swept it wide in a mighty arc.

A faint, earthen-yellow glow shimmered—a fierce, wild panda’s face seemed to roar from the light.

The staff’s sound was a deep, bestial growl.

Fifth-tier true power surged to its peak, the staff’s aura so strong it took form—a spectacle reserved for masters.

Black Panda’s cold face betrayed a hint of anticipation. Few knew that within White Panda’s squat frame lay monstrous strength. Coupled with his exceptional earth affinity, his Panda Staff Technique, at its zenith, could overcome any direct confrontation—he had never lost a head-on clash.

Tang Tian was startled by the force, but a sly smile crept across his lips.

The bronze ostrich’s thick legs suddenly bent.

Black Panda’s pupils shrank. He cried out in shock: “He’s going to—”

Boom!

A surge of raw power exploded from the ostrich’s legs. The bronze mechanical ostrich leapt into the air.

The terrifying staff sweep grazed Tang Tian—he shuddered, stunned by the force that seemed to pierce his very flesh. Such power in a single blow!

Crash!

A gaping hole burst through the warehouse roof as the pair and their bird soared skyward.

White Panda and Black Panda rushed to the hole, staring up in disbelief.

The ostrich’s leap propelled them to sixty meters in the air. But as its momentum faded, it reached its apex and began to fall.

Below, White Panda and Black Panda shifted positions, eyes gleaming with murderous intent, ready to strike as Tang Tian fell.

Suddenly, the ostrich jerked to a halt in midair. Its wings—till now folded close—snapped open and began to beat furiously. The mechanical ostrich hovered, carrying its two passengers aloft.

The three below gaped in astonishment.

Tang Tian, in his triumph, forgot he was still holding Sai Lei’s head down. Sai Lei was nearly suffocating, and what mortified her more was that, with her face pressed so deeply and Tang Tian’s every jostle, she could feel—through his trousers—something firm tapping and nudging against her cheek.

Damn this man!

No matter how she struggled, Tang Tian’s hand was immovable.

Is he a beast? How is he so strong?

Her breath grew ever shorter. That thing kept prodding her—shame and fury warred within her. In desperation, she opened her mouth and bit down hard.

Tang Tian, riding high on victory, threw his head back and laughed: “Hahaha! Idiots! Don’t think an ostrich isn’t a bird—”

But his laughter was abruptly cut short, like a swan seized by the neck.

His expression froze in place, his other hand suspended in the air, his entire body rigid as stone.

Three full seconds passed before Tang Tian unleashed a scream of pure agony.

“AAAAAAHHHHH!”

A distant figure shot toward them like lightning—Bing’s eyes burned with wrath and murder.

“Tang Tian, are you hurt?” In the blink of an eye, Bing was at Tang Tian’s side.

“AAAAAAHHH...” Tang Tian could only howl, tears streaming down his face, his body curled up like a shrimp.

Sai Lei, finally able to breathe, tried to rise. Hearing Bing’s words, her face blazed with heat.

Utter humiliation!

She wished she could burrow into the earth and disappear. Only after a moment did she realize, to her horror, that her face had once again pressed down...

Tears of shame welled up. Sai Lei, for all her mature, teasing airs, was actually quite reserved in matters between men and women. How could she ever show her face again?

Seeing the tears in Tang Tian’s eyes, Bing’s fury only deepened. He knew well how tough Tang Tian was—he had never seen him cry, no matter the pain, the hardship of training, or the perils of battle. For a boy of steel like Tang Tian to weep, the injury must be unimaginably severe.

Murder blazed in Bing’s gaze. “None of them will escape!” he declared, and leapt downward.

At last, Sai Lei pried herself free and sat up, facing Tang Tian.

They stared at each other.

Sai Lei’s face was scarlet, but in a flash, it turned icy cold, brimming with murderous intent.

Tang Tian was stiff as a board, tears glimmering in his eyes.

Sai Lei, full of rage, suddenly felt a secret satisfaction at the sight of Tang Tian’s misery. Her anger faded. She reached out with long, scarlet nails, gently hooked his chin, and her petite, glistening tongue ran lightly over her pearly teeth, as if savoring the memory, as if in praise: “Not bad at all!”

But in Tang Tian’s eyes, Sai Lei was a different creature entirely.

Her two rows of white teeth looked like polished, gleaming saw blades, cold light glinting off them. Her tiny, moist tongue, in his mind, was like wet sandpaper grinding ever sharper and brighter...

It seemed to hurt even more...

Terrifying...

“AAAAAAHHHHH!”

Tang Tian’s scream was even more heart-rending than before, echoing like a hurricane through the air!

Bing was ruthlessly efficient. With his strength, the three members of the Panda Bandits were no match for him—he subdued them almost instantly. Without a word, he tied them up, determined to let Tang Tian deal with them personally to vent his anger.

Just as he finished binding them, a distant shriek reached his ears. Bing looked up at the tiny dots in the sky, his heart full of sympathy.

Is the injury even worse now...

For a boy of steel to suffer so much—such wounds must be truly dreadful.

Sai Lei, still a little flustered, burst into laughter at Tang Tian’s pitiful state, her delight growing all the more. Anyone who saw her now would be utterly captivated by her charm.

“Hey, kid, better get down. Looks like your soul general has already finished the fight,” Sai Lei teased, her eyes sparkling, her breath fragrant, her voice laden with deep allure. “Or... do you want to go another round?”

Tang Tian’s face turned ashen, shaking his head like a drum. In a panic, he hurriedly urged the ostrich downward. Still shaken, he made a mistake—the mechanical ostrich’s lift was barely enough for hovering, and with a misstep, its wings stilled.

“AAAAAAHHHH!”

The sudden drop shocked Sai Lei, who instinctively clung to Tang Tian.

The fall didn’t scare Tang Tian—but Sai Lei’s sudden embrace did. All color drained from his face.

“AAAAAAHHHH!”

Their twin screams trailed in the air as they crashed to the ground.

Bing averted his gaze, watching the rising cloud of dust. In his heart, he thought,

—He’s in so much pain he can’t even control the ostrich. This time, the boy’s spirit must be wounded. Such injuries are hard to heal...

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Such a wickedly delightful episode—aren’t these godlike youths making you want to vote? Haha!