The newcomer was none other than Chen Xuzhi!
"Old man, you..." Grandpa Max was stunned. He thought Chen Xuzhi had already escaped.
Chen Xuzhi didn't answer. His expression remained calm, neither joyful nor sorrowful. Even as he faced the ferocious Yeti, his eyes stayed steady, without the slightest trace of fear.
"&￥&@"
He began murmuring something under his breath, chanting what sounded like an ancient incantation. The words were strange and indecipherable—Grandpa Max had never heard anything like them.
"Roar!"
By then, the hulking Yeti had already charged in close.
It raised its dagger-like claw, still smeared with bits of flesh, and brought it down in a vicious arc, aiming to crush Chen Xuzhi's skull.
"Old man, get out of the way!" Grandpa Max shouted, panic rising in his chest.
By all logic, Chen Xuzhi couldn't possibly be a match for that monster. He and Phil were already as good as dead. Letting the old man escape would at least mean someone might survive—and maybe later, bring their bodies home.
"Young man, don't panic." Chen Xuzhi laughed, his voice steady and fearless.
Buzz!
In the next instant, brilliant golden light burst from the folds of his robe, flooding the air and reflecting in the Yeti's pupils.
"Roar!"
The creature bellowed, squinting against the searing light. Still, it pressed forward, bringing its claw down to smash Chen Xuzhi into pulp.
Chen Xuzhi let out a sharp cry, pressing his palms together. From his body, a golden bell-shaped barrier materialized, gleaming like solid bronze, strong as a fortress wall. It met the Yeti's blow head-on and held firm.
"My god! That's... that's impossible!"
Even the battle-hardened Grandpa Max was dumbfounded. What he was seeing defied everything he thought he knew about humans.
"Roar! Roar!" The Yeti's eyes flared crimson as it went berserk.
That an Earthling could block its attack enraged it beyond reason. It threw punch after punch, each one heavier than the last, determined to smash Chen Xuzhi's defense to pieces.
Buzz! Buzz!
Under the relentless assault, the golden barrier began to tremble and flicker, its glow wavering like a candle in the storm—threatening to vanish at any second.
Chen Xuzhi's face had gone pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Old man, fight back!" Grandpa Max yelled anxiously. If Chen Xuzhi could withstand the blows, why wasn't he counterattacking?
He would only learn later that the technique—known as the Golden Bell Shield—was purely defensive. It couldn't strike back. Like a turtle retreating into its shell, it could only endure.
"Go... I can't hold on much longer," Chen Xuzhi said through gritted teeth, blood staining his beard red.
The enraged Yeti clenched its massive fists and pounded the barrier again and again. Cracks spread across the golden surface like spiderwebs, threatening to break apart completely.
"I'm not leaving!" Grandpa Max shouted, stubborn as ever. He would rather die fighting than run away.
And even if he tried to flee now, he wouldn't make it far. Once Chen Xuzhi fell, the Yeti would chase him down in seconds. There was no escaping death.
Driven by sheer will, Grandpa Max forced his battered body to move. Every bone screamed in pain as he crawled toward the fallen laser rifle.
Boom!
The golden bell barrier finally gave out under the Yeti's furious assault. It exploded into countless shards of light that scattered across the snow before fading away into the air.
"Pfft!"
Chen Xuzhi let out a choking sound, spitting up a mouthful of blood as his body fell backward.
The Yeti, sensing victory, lunged forward, his massive black claws reaching out to crush Chen Xuzhi's frail body.
Just as those razor-sharp claws were about to strike, a sudden flash erupted—
A piercing blue laser shot in from the side, streaking through the air like lightning and drilling straight into the Yeti's eye.
"Roarrr!" The creature screamed in agony, staggering back while clutching its right eye.
A few seconds later, its movements froze. Blood streamed down from its ruined eye as its massive body toppled stiffly to the ground, lifeless.
That single shot had destroyed its brain. No matter how strong the Yeti's body was, it couldn't withstand that kind of damage.
Grandpa Max lay flat on the ground, rifle in hand, still locked in the same aiming posture as before.
Watching the creature collapse, he exhaled deeply. "Phew... finally done."
Still wary, he fired a few more shots into the fallen Yeti before slowly pushing himself up and hurrying over to check on Chen Xuzhi.
"Wait a sec!" Ben suddenly interrupted.
"What now, doofus?" Gwen rolled her eyes. He had a habit of interrupting right at the good part.
Putting on his best detective act, Ben said solemnly, "Let me guess—Chen Xuzhi sacrificed his life to save Grandpa. The Golden Bell Shield shattered under the Yeti's blows, and he died heroically!"
"Wow, such a touching story," Gwen said dryly, pretending to wipe away tears.
"You've definitely fried your little brain," she sighed, shaking her head.
Lucian smiled and asked, "Grandpa, it didn't really happen like that, did it?"
"Not quite. The story's not that corny," Grandpa Max said, waving his hands. "Chen Xuzhi was badly hurt, but I carried him several kilometers down the mountain until we reached a local hospital. He was saved just in time."
"For a while after that, I stayed by his side to take care of him. Even after Phil left, I chose to remain."
"When Chen Xuzhi recovered, he started teaching me all kinds of strange things—herbal remedies, Chinese dishes... Oh, right! That live rice worm recipe I know? Learned it from him too," Grandpa Max chuckled.
"Grandpa, didn't he teach you any martial arts?" Gwen asked eagerly. The Golden Bell Shield sounded incredible.
"No." Grandpa Max shook his head in disappointment. "I asked, but he said it was a family secret—something passed down only to his descendants. He wouldn't teach it to outsiders, especially not foreigners."
"Oh, come on! That's so unfair! You saved his life!" Ben said, clearly annoyed.
"Ben, it's the other way around. He saved mine. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here," Grandpa Max corrected him. "Actually, he wanted to teach me, but his family's ancestral rules forbade it. He couldn't break them."
"That's weird. Even if he taught you secretly, it's not like his ancestors would ever know," Gwen said, puzzled.
"No. In China, people take those things seriously. They don't defy their ancestors' words," Grandpa Max replied firmly.
"Grandpa, do you really believe martial arts like that exist?" Ben asked, frowning. "I mean, it sounds... impossible."
Could an ordinary human really block an alien's attack with just their body?
"I'm not sure. Maybe it really does exist," Grandpa Max said after a pause. "I did a lot of research afterward but found no solid evidence. Still... my guess is that the Golden Bell Shield might have been some kind of alien ability."
"But Chen Xuzhi was human, right?" Ben blurted out.
"Maybe he was half-alien. That's just my theory, though—nothing confirmed," Grandpa Max replied with a small laugh.
"Is Chen Xuzhi still alive?" Lucian asked.
If he ever got the chance, he wanted to meet the man—maybe learn something from him.
"Unfortunately, no. Chen Xuzhi passed away more than ten years ago. I'm already old myself, and he was even older," Grandpa Max said with a weary smile.
"Oh, I see."
"But I did hear he had a grandson who became a Plumber," Grandpa Max added thoughtfully.
"So his grandson might have inherited Chen Xuzhi's Golden Bell Shield?" Lucian asked.
"Could be. I've never met his descendants, though," Grandpa Max shrugged. "Alright, kids, that's the end of the story. Grandpa's going to take a nap."
Gwen yawned and went back to her seat, opening her laptop again.
Lucian and Ben exchanged a look, then each returned to what they were doing.
Time passed quietly until Gwen's voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Ben Tennyson! Get over here." She slid her mouse angrily, glaring at the screen.
"What is it, dweeb? Another heroic moment starring yours truly?" Ben joked as he leaned in beside her.
Lucian, standing nearby, also walked over to look.
"Your friend sure knows how to stay busy," Gwen muttered, pushing the laptop toward them.
On the screen, Ripjaws was rampaging through a city street, roaring and clawing wildly as terrified pedestrians ran for their lives.
The scene shifted—Diamondhead was on a highway, smashing cars apart with his crystal powers and laughing maniacally.
"Your good buddy's been wreaking havoc all over. Wildmutt tearing through Tallahassee, Ripjaws biting up Chicago, Ghostfreak scaring people half to death in Pasadena..." Gwen listed off Kevin's crimes like an interrogator reading charges.
"I'll never forgive him!" Ben growled, clenching his fists in fury.
Just then, a large bus sped past the Rustbucket.
Its exterior was covered in black and green liquid, gleaming like fresh paint.
"It's Kevin!" Lucian said sharply, catching sight of it through the window.
"The hero's about to make his entrance!" Ben's eyes lit up as he turned toward the Omnitrix...
...
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