The artificial Saintess’s shell had been pierced by Irene’s ray. At her side abdomen, a fist-sized hole emitted wisps of curling smoke. Inside the opening, a strange liquid metal writhed urgently, as if alive, trying desperately to repair the damaged area.

These murderous machines crafted by Holy Revere Hermitage had incredibly powerful defenses. Their external armor could easily withstand conventional “high temperatures.” But evidently, Irene’s peculiar ray carried something beyond mere heat—it held a corrosive or decomposing property that evaporated the metal instantly, leaving the steel doll severely scarred.

Yet, Irene seemed dissatisfied with her attack.

“Aw, I thought I’d blast right through,” the little doll muttered from Yu Sheng’s shoulder, steam gently rising from her arm, wrist to shoulder. “But it only went through the first layer.”

Clack.

A sharp tap of metallic heels echoed from nearby, interrupting Irene’s grumbling. The artificial Saintess straightened her stance again, swiftly adopting a combat-ready posture.

The ghastly wound seemed to have done little to hinder her. She exhibited no pain, no hesitation.

Yu Sheng, momentarily relieved by Irene’s success, now felt his heart tighten again. At the very same instant, he felt the iron doll’s “gaze” fall directly upon him.

Though her pale metal mask displayed no emotions, Yu Sheng sensed through subtle shifts and the faint link of blood between them an unmistakable trace of surprise and confusion.

She was staring straight at him, clearly puzzled why this familiar enemy was still alive—remembering the wound from their previous encounter. A wound that should have meant death for any ordinary human.

Even if it wasn’t fatal, no normal person could’ve recovered this quickly to fight again.

Yu Sheng gripped his Tetanus Staff tighter, adjusting into a stance prepared for immediate counterattack. He taunted the tall, slender figure with his gaze: “Surprised? It’s me again—once stained by my blood, you’re cursed for life~!”

Before his voice faded, his vision blurred as the artificial Saintess surged forward, a shadow slicing through the air in an elegant curve, lunging mercilessly toward him!

Simultaneously, the remaining Bronze Knights renewed their assault, raising swords and warhammers, attacking from every direction!

[Dammit, they’re all together after all!]

Yu Sheng cursed silently, meeting head-on a Bronze Knight’s falling sword. As he raised his weapon to block, he glimpsed the iron doll’s swiftly approaching blade—this steel creature had previously cut off her own arm, yet was now whole again, clearly having undergone repairs. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Yu Sheng felt this enemy’s attacks had grown even deadlier than before—as if she had reviewed their previous battle and was now exploiting all his habits and weaknesses.

Harsh metallic crashes filled his ears, brilliant sparks erupting midair. Yu Sheng’s reflexes, far beyond normal humans, allowed him to dodge the first strike from the artificial Saintess. He blocked two rapid stabs and one vicious kick, swiftly retreating past two Bronze Knights attempting to trap him.

Then a flash crossed his vision, and a sea of black threads filled the air once more.

Irene’s Spiderweb again enveloped everything around Yu Sheng. Alive, it twisted, weaving itself tighter, binding Bronze Knights midair, constricting the artificial Saintess’s movements. Yet the iron doll moved like an apparition, maneuvering through the gaps in these webs with unbelievable grace and agility, repeatedly approaching Yu Sheng.

Despite a body of steel, her movements flowed like a gust of wind no net could ensnare.

“Ugh, this is driving me nuts! How is some C-type Buckle so annoyingly agile!” Irene shouted in frustration, finally managing to slightly limit the doll’s dance. Without careful aiming, another of her bodies raised an arm, firing off bursts of brilliant rays.

Carrying Fox Fire’s strange destructive power, the “Irene rays” hissed through the air, tracing a cunning path through the Spiderweb to strike their target. But this time, the artificial Saintess was ready. Anticipating the deadly beams, she dodged preemptively, weaving into a seemingly impossible blind spot among the threads.

Yu Sheng’s eyes had finally adjusted to her speed, and he now clearly saw the doll’s secret: each of her joints appeared capable of snapping and reshaping at will. Even her limbs could bend unnaturally or soften and twist abruptly at any moment.

With a hissing whisper, Irene’s concentrated barrage of beams swept across the artificial Saintess, scorching frightening wounds into the black alloy armor on her thighs and back.

Yet, enduring these injuries, the iron Doll managed to wrench herself free from the web of black Spiderweb. With a nimble flip, she landed several meters away.

But before she could even steady herself, a white blur shot toward her like lightning.

It was Foxy, who had been patiently waiting for just the right moment to strike. The memory of Yu Sheng being stabbed full of holes last time still haunted her, fueling her resolve. This time, Foxy didn’t bother with her ineffective Fox Fire. Instead, she surged forward with Nine Tail Acceleration, throwing herself at the enemy in a fierce Rocket Headbutt.

The iron Doll, already weakened by Irene’s beams and barely stable from her landing, couldn’t gracefully dodge as before. She could only awkwardly twist her damaged leg, releasing a harsh metallic shriek as Foxy crashed straight into her chest with a resounding Fox Radish Headbutt.

A thunderous boom erupted from the collision, rippling outward like visible waves through the air. Yu Sheng clearly saw the artificial Saintess fold at a bizarre angle, hurtling away as though struck by a cannonball.

Foxy stood still, shaking her head briefly before releasing a deep growl. Without hesitation, she lunged again, pinning the struggling iron Doll to the ground and raining heavy blows upon her foe.

Irene stared from the sidelines, dumbfounded. She had never imagined Foxy fighting in such a savage manner. Her eyes widened in amazement:

[“Does this dumb fox seriously have a head harder than starship armor?!”]

Yu Sheng was equally stunned, but before he could speak, he noticed one of the artificial Saintess’s arms twisting unnaturally. Defying Foxy’s hold, it raised upward, sharp blades gleaming coldly, poised to strike the Demon Fox Maiden’s back.

“Foxy, watch out!”

But Foxy had already sensed the danger. Before Yu Sheng finished his warning, she swiftly released her grip, darting forward on all fours. Several blades sliced only through a few strands of her silver-white tail fur.

At this moment, Xuan Che stepped forward boldly.

The artificial Saintess staggered to her feet. Her once graceful movements had slowed considerably after enduring successive blows. Noticing Xuan Che approaching, she was no longer able to glide elegantly away. With visible effort, she raised her blade-tipped arm, ready to confront the enemy directly.

Her pale steel mask remained frozen in its beautiful yet hollow smile, betraying no tension, fear, or anger.

Xuan Che casually waved his icy sword once, returning it neatly behind his back. Then, stepping forward firmly and lowering his center of gravity, he delivered a straightforward, utterly simple… punch.

It seemed devoid of skill, yet effortlessly avoided every razor-sharp blade, landing squarely on the artificial Saintess’s arm.

A brief, deep hum resonated through the air.

Yu Sheng saw dense, layered patterns suddenly emerge on the Doll’s arm. Countless runes and strange lines flared brightly, seeping through the black alloy armor. A potent force clashed against Xuan Che’s fist—this must be the Anti Magic Secret Art embedded in the Doll by Holy Revere Hermitage.

Clearly, Xuan Che’s cultivation surpassed that of ordinary Monks. Although his fighting style differed greatly from Yu Sheng’s expectations, this simple punch carried immense force. After a brief stalemate, the protective enchantments within the iron Doll shattered under his overwhelming strength.

Intricate runes collapsed, and strange, explosive crackles erupted inside her body. The Doll’s arm fractured piece by piece, exploding into countless shards and scattering across the ground.

Even the nearby Brass Knights, caught in the aftermath of the punch, toppled helplessly.

Yet just as Yu Sheng believed that the fearsome artificial Saintess had finally been vanquished, he spotted strange ripples shimmering across her damaged form.

Before either he or Xuan Che could react, the iron Doll’s figure flickered several times rapidly in the air—and vanished without a trace.

Losing resistance, Xuan Che’s residual force exploded forward unchecked, silently pulverizing everything within a hundred meters into fine dust.

Slowly, Xuan Che turned around, meeting Yu Sheng’s bewildered gaze with confusion of his own.