Chapter 1761

This time, he chose to use the blade's back to defend!

This time, Ruth could no longer help Ximen Wudi resist!

Yet at this moment, Ximen Wudi retracted his fist and suddenly shifted his position!

Boom!

The blade's back slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!

Ma Erji's eyes narrowed—he saw Ximen Wudi appear at his side, holding a radium-gold staff, swinging it violently toward Ma Erji's skull!

The latter instinctively raised his arm to shield his head, but this time, Ximen Wudi's strike was no simple swipe!

The tail of his staff swept hard across Ma Erji's shoulder!

Crack!

A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out!

Ma Erji's shoulder blade had been crushed into a deep depression!

"Ahh!" He screamed in agonizing pain!

Ruth seized this opportunity, her dagger flashing like cold light straight for Ma Erji's throat!

The latter gritted his teeth, twisted, and slashed to block—but Ruth's speed was lightning-fast, and the blade cleanly severed Ma Erji's neck!

This sudden beheading operation had finally come to an end!

Ximen Wudi tossed Ma Erji's corpse aside, then patted Ruth's shoulder and said, "Thanks for your cooperation."

Ruth bit her lip and shook her head: "It's nothing. Over the years, Mr. Apollo saved me several times—each time left me overwhelmed with gratitude…"

Here, she paused, drew a deep breath, her eyes reddening: "I owe you so much."

"Don't say that—it makes me feel awkward," Ximen Wudi grinned, revealing his trademark rogue smirk: "After all, I'm a man with a wife and kids, hahaha."

This guy's skin was thick as armor.

"Let's go," Ruth said, then turned and walked away, her silhouette vanishing into the night.

Ximen Wudi squinted, staring at the pile of corpses, shaking his head and sighing: "This world is truly insane—why do you all love being idiots?"

Yet no sooner had he finished this complaint than a black shadow shot from the darkness, piercing straight for Ximen Wudi's heart!

It was a short arrow, screaming as it tore through the air!

Due to the close range, Ximen Wudi could barely dodge it!

He dropped low, evading the arrow, then punched out!

Boom!

His fist struck the arrow's shaft with full force!

The arrowhead bent under Ximen Wudi's blow and fell to the ground!

"My arrow…" a grim male voice spoke: "Apollo, that's my arrow!"

The man leapt down from a tree, holding a short bow!

Ruth had also caught up, saying: "Atlantis has its own specially crafted arrows for the Golden Family—this weapon was forged by Lemuria, capable of piercing the hardest steel and laced with deadly poison."

Hearing Ruth's explanation, Ximen Wudi recalled the crossbow arrow Kesi Dilin had once used on him.

Back then, the arrowhead had glowed with blue-purple light. Ximen Wudi didn't fully understand what it meant, but his instinct told him it was no ordinary poison—otherwise, how could Kesi Dilin have pierced it through his chest and straight into his heart?

At this moment, Ximen Wudi remembered the crossbow that had slipped from his pocket and fallen into the grass.

"I remember now—Kesi Dilin mentioned this weapon before. He said he used this arrow to kill several high-ranking Atlanteans, but those guys died too unfairly—all because they ambushed Kesi Dilin…" Ximen Wudi shook his head: "What a messy mess."

Even now, such deeds remained unforgivable.

"You're right," Ma Erji said coldly.

He clutched his shattered right ribs, blood seeping between his fingers.

The guy was tough—he'd taken two heavy blows from Ximen Wudi and still hadn't died.

And in Ximen Wudi's view, this man wasn't just skilled with a blade—his actual combat strength likely rivaled Zeus's; otherwise, how could he have wounded Lopezh?

"Who are you? Why did you come here to ambush me?" Ximen Wudi asked.

"Heh, I'm Raphael, a killer," Ma Erji wiped blood from his lips and sneered: "As for why I want to kill you—guess."

"Are you and Lopezh partners?" Ximen Wudi squinted.

In his view, Ma Erji hadn't even reached the rank of Golden Guard member—tops, he was an elite squad leader.

If he were a Golden Guard, Ximen Wudi would've fled long ago.

After all, Golden Guards were legendary figures.

Unfortunately, Ma Erji wasn't a Golden Guard—he was just an outsider.

"Raphael is Lopezh's senior brother," Ma Erji said coolly: "Today, I must kill you to avenge my fallen comrades."

"I don't believe your lies," Ximen Wudi sneered: "I've never heard this name before."

In the entire Western dark world, every renowned supreme expert had a known name and title—like Gosislin's second sister, Gosislin, and Gosislin's brother, Gosislin.

But Raphael clearly wasn't like Gosislin or Lopezh.

"For years, I've hidden in the shadows," the man said: "But if I chose to, nothing in this world could escape my grasp."

"I think your ambitions are far bigger than you let on," Ximen Wudi mocked: "And from what I know, Golden Guards are all extremely proud. Your strength is clearly high—why settle here as Lopezh's hired thug?"

Hearing Ximen Wudi's words, the man named Raphael seemed lost in memory.

A long, unfamiliar silence.

"I shouldn't even be alive—I once had countless chances to become a god, even the King of Gods—but all of it was destroyed because of Lopezh… I became this monster…" Raphael's eyes burned with intense hatred.

"I don't know what you went through, but this must be tied to your Divine Palace… no, they bear undeniable responsibility…" Ximen Wudi said: "I think you came to China seeking answers—but I'm sorry, there are no answers here for you."

Raphael stared at Ximen Wudi, letting out two cold laughs: "I admit, what you say does make sense, but you're wrong. The fact that I dared to come here proves I've long since prepared everything. Even without Lopez, I can still turn this country upside down on my own. What's more, you've come here too, which saves me a great deal of trouble."

As he spoke, both his arms suddenly rose!

Whoosh!

Another longbow appeared in his left and right hands!

This longbow was entirely silver-white, its arc incomparably graceful, and on the string were nocked two arrows!

"These two swords—I took them from some ruin. Although the material is about the same as your rhodium-gold alloy, the power is a cut above your rhodium-gold dagger! Tonight, you are doomed to die a bitter death here!" Raphael let out two cold laughs, his words sending a bone-chilling cold through everyone!

As he spoke, he suddenly drew the bow to a full moon!

Whoosh!

The two arrows suddenly erupted with a dazzling cold gleam, shooting violently toward Ximen Wudi!

This time, because of the extreme speed, the wind pressure from the arrows even blew Ximen Wudi's black robe into disarray!

Seeing this, Ximen Wudi immediately raised his foot and kicked away the railing at the edge of the terrace!

However, just as Ximen Wudi kicked open the railing, three other arrows also lined up from three directions, likewise shooting forth!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Three sprays of blood spurted up from three different spots!

All three arrows were nailed into the railing!

And the kick Ximen Wudi had just delivered happened to land on the broken section of the railing, causing it to explode apart once more!

Then, his figure used the momentum to leap up, rolling several times in succession, and plunged straight into the waves!

The seawater was icy, and Ximen Wudi's heart was equally icy.

He didn't know where this man called Raphael had appeared from, but he could clearly sense the degree of danger this man posed!

"Worthy of the Sun God Apollo indeed—your movements are truly agile. But can you escape?"

As this Raphael spoke, he too leaped into the waves!

The moment Ximen Wudi entered the sea, he swiftly submerged and swam forward along the shore.

However, at this moment, that Raphael suddenly caught up, and then several black shadows burst forth from his longbow!