Chapter 906: Clash

Chapter 906: Exchange of Strikes

In the vastness of space, force fields could continuously apply acceleration to objects—this was Emrys’s ideal battlefield. Force field abilities were naturally inclined toward defense and control, but in Emrys’s hands, they became overwhelmingly powerful.

Under the influence of the force field, Longtan’s speed surged, its massive bulk equivalent to an enormous area-of-effect attack. If left to accelerate without restraint, it would become increasingly difficult to dodge, and its power would escalate relentlessly.

Yet Longtan was still too slow in Han Xiao’s eyes, moving as sluggishly as a turtle. He had over a dozen techniques at his disposal to evade this strike of Longtan’s, and the mech’s high mobility alone would let him sidestep the incoming blow before it even reached him.

But Emrys was no mere bricklayer. His eyes blazed with dark light, releasing a force field that restrained Han Xiao’s form, spinning him around and dragging him toward Longtan.

Force Field: Dragon’s Gaze!

The air thickened with force fields that seemed solid, pressing against Han Xiao with immense weight. Every movement he made met with suffocating resistance, while a pulling force hurled him forward.

“This technique I once used…” Han Xiao twitched his lips.

With his current abilities, he could easily tear through the force field restraining him. But he had no intention of dodging this Longtan strike—he wanted to test its power, gather combat data, and assess the upgraded blood-blue conversion skill in action.

Longtan drew nearer, its form expanding in his field of vision until he could make out the terrain beneath its feet.

A crushing pressure slammed into him, and he felt a “danger” flare above his head.

Han Xiao steadied himself, lifting his arms. Nanoparticle streams crawled across the mech’s surface, coalescing at his fists and transforming into shield generators. A flash of blue light, and layer upon layer of void-energy shields materialized before him, forming a defense.

In the next instant, Longtan crashed down, its massive inertia slamming into the shields. Han Xiao was sent flying, propelled away by the impact.

Emrys’s palm twisted, sending Longtan arcing through the air on a curved trajectory toward the gas giant beside them, aiming to slam it into Han Xiao.

Meanwhile, You Zu led a mechanical army closing in on Emrys, firing void-energy particle cannons at him from a distance, one after another.

Emrys’s ten satellite-grade bricks weren’t idle. Six orbited him in different directions, encircling him, their surfaces shielded by energy mantles and protective force fields. Together, they formed an aura of defense, deflecting the vast majority of the void-energy cannons. The gaps in this barrier were filled by force fields, leaving no vulnerabilities. The incoming shots shattered into fragments of light.

The other four bricks, under Emrys’s command, rained down upon the mechanical army, disrupting their formation.

The mechanical troops didn’t treat the satellites kindly. Void-energy cannons bombarded them repeatedly, carving craters into their surfaces, scattering metallic fragments that swirled into a metallic storm under Emrys’s control. These fragments sliced through the ranks, etching deep gashes into the mechanical soldiers’ armor.

The angelic infantry ignored the assault, surging forward to breach Emrys’s defense. You Zu swung his halberd, unleashing an energy wave that struck the force field, triggering a violent explosion and creating a gap.

In an instant, a new force field sealed the breach. You Zu readied another strike, but Emrys flicked his fingers. An invisible force field ensnared the advancing angels, flinging them aside. A wider force field erupted, splitting the mechanical army’s advance like the parting of the Red Sea. One by one, the soldiers were hurled aside, their control abilities laid bare.

Force fields excelled at large-scale control, a tactic that countered mass infantry assaults.

Just then, a flash of light erupted behind Emrys. Kang Tian Hui, the Void Predator, teleported, appearing behind her with an open maw revealing high-frequency vibrating alloy teeth, sinking his jaws into her waist.

His jaws clenched shut—but struck nothing but air.

A long, pale finger struck the mechanical beast’s head. Emrys was yanked backward, his body flipping over, his face etched with the mark of void bloodlines. He’d used void teleportation to evade the ambush. Since receiving the evolutionary block, his mobility had skyrocketed.

A surge of force field energy coursed along the finger, flooding into Kang Tian Hui’s body.

Force Field: Finger Shockwave!

Cracks spiderwebbed across Kang Tian Hui’s form. Dozens of components were crushed and compressed, his chassis severely damaged. He fled, teleporting away to escape Emrys.

The closer one drew to the force field’s source, the greater its power.

Suddenly, Emrys sensed a disturbance in the void dimension. Glancing upward, he saw Han Xiao had vanished, having teleported out of Longtan’s impact zone.

Han Xiao shook his slightly numb arms, checked the battle data, and muttered under his breath.

“So he’s capable of dealing damage on par with Hebi—only someone like him could crush Longtan with his head.”

Though the damage was high, Han Xiao cared little. Emrys’s area-of-effect attacks were limited. His regeneration rate was now extraordinary. As long as the enemy’s burst damage didn’t reach a critical threshold—or lacked a [Severe Injury] effect—his core body remained unharmed.

The fallen Longtan didn’t continue toward the gas giant. It arced around, slamming back toward Han Xiao. Its massive form churned the planet’s atmosphere, creating a swirling vortex visible from orbit.

From afar, Emrys unleashed Dragon’s Gaze again. Han Xiao felt the restraining force field approach—but this time, he didn’t brace for it. His hands slammed together.

A humming sound filled the air. The mech trembled, continuously expelling repulsion force, generating a field of repulsion within a few meters. Its surface bristled with repulsive energy, while chaotic repulsion currents churned within.

This “field” deflected most of Emrys’s force fields. The few that breached the surface were disrupted by the internal chaos, their strength drastically diminished. Dragon’s Gaze nearly failed.

This was Han Xiao’s “Anti-Dragon Device,” a shield formed by layering repulsive energy rings to neutralize incoming force fields, drastically reducing their impact.

But being mechanical, it had limits. Emrys’s force field strength could stack endlessly, giving her time to break through the shield. Han Xiao wouldn’t approach her. Instead, he stayed at a distance, playing a game of tag with Longtan, while commanding the mechanical army to harass and assault.

Seeing Han Xiao refuse to close in, Emrys began moving proactively, handling the mechanical army before flying toward him.

Han Xiao retreated, maintaining distance. Once free of the force field’s control, Longtan couldn’t catch him. His mobility clearly surpassed Emrys’s, firmly securing the initiative.

Unable to subdue Han Xiao, Emrys claws extended, gripping a satellite-grade brick positioned to strike the mechanical army’s formation.

The brick froze mid-air, as if anchored. Layer upon layer of force fields compressed around it, pressure mounting relentlessly. The metal crunched inward, density increasing.

Emrys’s arm retracted, force fields compressing, building immense spring-like tension. His eyes blazed brighter, fists clenching. Like drawing a bowstring, he released it—all the accumulated force exploded from the brick in an instant!

The satellite-grade brick erupted into motion, its acceleration defying even high-caliber projectiles, streaking toward Han Xiao!

Force Field: Satellite Gatling Cannon!

The terrifying acceleration stripped away a layer of its metal casing, nearly disintegrating the artificial satellite.

The brick struck Han Xiao, his eyes flashing—but he didn’t flinch or dodge.

At that moment, a glint in the distance transformed. It morphed into a War Star Cannon’s barrel, firing a single massive shot directly at the satellite brick.

A thick silver beam preceded the projectile, striking the brick precisely. The silver beam pierced it like a knife through a meatball.

In the next heartbeat, the metallic satellite expanded outward, erupting in a blazing crimson explosion before Han Xiao—akin to a grenade of molten orange.

The satellite’s metal had been melted through in an instant by the War Star Cannon’s heat, all fragments becoming red-hot slag, splattering like orange juice.

A massive artificial satellite exploded in his vicinity, and Han Xiao casually dodged the molten debris.

It was a signal. More satellite bricks would soon reach their limits, annihilated by the mechanical army’s concentrated fire.

Emrys’s remaining six satellite bricks were battered and bruised, their structural integrity compromised, on the brink of collapse.

From afar, Han Xiao watched calmly, speaking softly to himself:

“What will she do next?”

Emrys’s attacks were fierce, yet inflicted little damage on Han Xiao. Reinforced mechanical soldiers were far from fragile, no longer susceptible to force field destruction. Though Emrys seemed to hold the advantage, Han Xiao remained in complete control, dictating the battle’s rhythm.

Emrys sensed this. She squinted.

“My attacks have no effect on him—they’re all neutralized…”

She saw Han Xiao favoring defense, showing little aggression, clearly holding back.

But even so, she had no counter.

“Has he grown this powerful…?”

Emrys squinted, finally experiencing Han Xiao’s strength firsthand. The gap between them was vast—Black Star was far stronger.

Yet her emotions remained steady. The fight wasn’t over. She wouldn’t abandon it midway.

Emrys snatched a chunk of the gas giant’s ring, a swarm of asteroid fragments pulled by force fields into her grasp—striking the mechanical army like a barrage of meteor fists, crushing them entirely.

Force Field: Dragon’s Breath Meteor Punch!

That ring of asteroids was her vast arsenal.

"How peculiar. That's why you chose this place for the battlefield," Han Xiao said, nodding in the shadows.

The planetary ring's meteors continuously transformed into Emmett's weapons, hurling toward the mechanical army, which repeatedly shattered the incoming meteor swarms. Under Han Xiao's command, the battle inevitably devolved into a grueling war of attrition.

…

While the two clashed amid the desolate planet, a fleet hovered at the battlefield's distant horizon—indeed, the armada of Longtan.

Since their base had been seized by the eldest brother to wage war, these vessels couldn't remain in Longtan, so they had to watch from afar.

Though Longtan's real estate prices were low due to risk factors, people still purchased property there. Now, watching their investments turned into battlegrounds, many crew members' eyelids fluttered restlessly. Every collision in Longtan sent their spirits soaring or crashing.

On the flagship, a group of Longtan officials observed the fight. Seeing their leader gradually yielding, their faces darkened.

Black Star were allies, yet as Longtan members, they naturally hoped Emmett would prevail.

Beyond the officials, two remote projectors lingered in the crowd: Hela and Orura, their eyes fixed on the battlefield without wavering.

A private agreement to battle required no secrecy—Verna had informed Hela and Orura, and as Emmett's students, they had every right to know.

"Teacher isn't Black Star's opponent," Orura said, her face twisted in turmoil.

Hela's gaze was complex, nodding slowly.

Their identities were awkward—both Black Star officials and Longtan students, close to people on both sides, unsure whom to support.

Hela had studied under Emmett for a decade, intimately understanding his strength, holding deep respect for him. Yet seeing their beloved teacher pressured by Black Star stirred complex emotions within her.

The aftershocks of a Super A-level duel also revealed to her that this wasn't a battle she could intervene in—not yet at her level. Despite Hela's strong will, doubt crept in.

Super A-level opponents were terrifying—their battles reduced planets to toys. Could she truly wield such overwhelming power?

…

Countless meteor fragments and mechanical parts drifted through the battlefield as the two engaged in their relentless exchange.

Extended manipulation of force fields drained Emmett's stamina and energy, her forehead slick with fine sweat, her condition clearly waning. The force field's intensity and range diminished.

Meanwhile, Han Xiao remained vibrant. His [Efficient Energy Absorption] allowed him to regenerate energy far quicker than Emmett.

With ample energy reserves, he continuously deployed [Advanced Mech Generation] and [Scrap Refits] to resurrect fallen mechanical soldiers, suffering minimal losses.

As Emmett's strength faltered, Han Xiao's dominance grew. Her protective force field was breached by the Angel's weapons, allowing them to close in. Overwhelmed by multiple Angelic weapons entangling her, Emmett could no longer strike Han Xiao directly.

Yazu hissed a spear toward Emmett's abdomen. She twisted her waist, evading the thrust. Yazu's spear grazed her protective field, scattering fractured light.

Another Angelic weapon, Golden Supreme, struck from the side. His fists were blocked by the force field.

Emmett lifted her leg, like a whip, delivering a powerful kick enhanced by the force field, tearing a massive wound in Golden Supreme's chest armor. She then slapped him away, scattering parts.

Suddenly, another Angelic weapon fired a Void Cannon at her back, shattering her force field and striking her body. Emmett furrowed her brow, feeling pain.

At the sight, Han Xiao's eyes flickered.

"Her energy's nearly depleted."

At that moment, Emmett suddenly glanced at Han Xiao lounging in the distance, then pulled her hands inward with a sudden, powerful suction, drawing all Angelic weapons and mechanical soldiers toward herself.

Caught off guard, the mechanical soldiers piled up around her.

Han Xiao's perception suddenly stirred, sensing dimensional disturbances.

Without hesitation, he spun around, raising his arm. His leg, swathed in a vast force field, was blocked by Han Xiao's strike—the Void Leap behind Emmett.

"How dare you approach me… Did you gamble everything?"

Han Xiao's eyes flashed. He grabbed Emmett's calf and yanked her toward himself, his other fist striking her abdomen.

Boom!

Emmett braced against the blow with her force field, then raised her palm, compressing the field into a sharp, invisible blade, slashing at Han Xiao's neck.

But before her palm could complete its arc, Han Xiao gripped her thigh and clenched her throat, his rear thrusters roaring at full power, slamming her into a meteor.

The meteor shattered on impact. Unrelenting, Han Xiao drove her into the planetary ring's meteor swarm, crushing one after another.

Their forms became a streak of light, circling the planet, unbeknownst to how many meteors they'd crushed. Han Xiao felt her force field growing weaker, nearly vanished.

He slowed, colliding with another meteor, this time embedding her into it, halting their struggle.

Mechanical systems inflated an oxygen bubble around them. Han Xiao removed his helmet, shook his head:

"Your energy's nearly exhausted. You've lost."

Emmett furrowed her brow, enduring pain, her black dress torn and stained, pale skin exposed, her elegant neck gripped roughly by Han Xiao's hand, her leg pinned by his arm, struggling but unable to break free.

Hearing this, Emmett forced a smile, "N-no… I still have one final move."

Han Xiao squinted, calmly saying, "Alright, show me what you've got."

Under his gaze, Emmett slowly lifted her arm, bent her fingers… and gently tapped his forehead.

No force at all.

Han Xiao's brow twitched, his expression slightly surprised.

Emmett withdrew her hand, dissipating her nearly vanished force field, her tense body relaxing, pouting softly.

"Well… I've used up my last bit of energy. You win."

Han Xiao released his grip on her throat, ruefully patting his forehead.

"Tricky."