Free Web NovelChapter 425: Chapter 155: Profound Snake
The men at the front of the convoy all stared ahead. First, they heard the crisp crackle of footsteps crushing fallen leaves on the ground. After a moment, a figure wearing a black cloak and a mask, holding a long blade, slowly emerged from the dense fog.
There was a crimson mark on the mask, right between the eyebrows. To their horror, the man was dragging Old Han’s corpse with one hand. They could see that the latter’s head was cracked open, revealing charred tissue inside. They all instinctively recoiled, nervously raising their guns and aiming at the newcomer, but not a single one dared to fire.
Once Chen Chuan drew near, he tossed Old Han’s corpse forward. Ignoring the guns pointed at him, he looked toward a specific car in the convoy.
Xu Xianwen saw this scene through the car window. He stared intently at Chen Chuan’s figure. After a long moment, he reached for the door handle, turned it, and pushed the door open to step out.
He twirled his staff, tightened the cloak around him, and walked forward. His movements were leisurely and natural, as if he couldn’t care less about Old Han’s death.
Chen Chuan watched him. ’This must be Xu Xianwen, the leader of the Viper Corps. The man rarely fights in public; there’s almost no video footage of him. But he has, in fact, genuinely defeated many famous Fighters, some of whom are recognized as powerful experts. No wonder the Processing Bureau is being so cautious.’
Xu Xianwen seemed to have no immediate intention of making a move. He came to a stop about ten meters from Chen Chuan, planted his staff on the ground, and rested both hands on it. Looking at the mask on Chen Chuan’s face, he said,
"I know of you. I heard that long ago, before you even reached the Third Limit, you defeated Tan Wang of the Secret Snake Sect. Although someone who has strayed from the true path is only capable of so much, it is still praiseworthy.
"In fact, I’m quite impressed with you. How about it? Want to come over to my side?
"How much can your current employer possibly give you? My employer, on the other hand, is extremely generous. As long as you’re willing to work, you’ll be amply supplied with all sorts of cultivation resources. I’m never stingy with my people. If you’re willing to switch sides, kill the employer who hired you, and I’ll make the introduction. We’ll split everything we get fifty-fifty."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said in an indifferent tone, "Mr. Xu, have you ever considered that your share might end up being mine, too?"
Xu Xianwen froze for a moment. Though a polite smile remained on his lips, his gaze turned sharp.
He fiddled with the smooth top of his staff and said slowly, "It seems we can’t come to an agreement."
Chen Chuan slowly raised his blade and pointed it forward. His action was his answer. At the same time, he released his Biological Domain.
Almost instantly, he felt his own Domain make contact with one that was dark and profound. It felt like a giant snake with an incomparably tough body, one that was in constant, writhing motion.
Xu Xianwen narrowed his eyes. He sensed that Chen Chuan’s Biological Domain was merely ordinary, not nearly as stunningly powerful as his presence suggested.
But he immediately judged that it had undergone some kind of transformation. For the change to be so natural, with almost no discernible flaws, showed just how much effort the man had put into his Domain.
He slowly raised his staff, looking utterly composed. After a flick of his wrist, he looked up at Chen Chuan and gave him a smile. To the Viper Team members behind them, it was just a blur, and then his figure abruptly vanished from their sight.
In Chen Chuan’s eyes, Xu Xianwen merely took a small half-step forward, as if making a simple adjustment, yet his entire body exploded from stillness into motion, rushing straight at him.
His speed was incredible. In a flash, he was right in front of Chen Chuan. The staff, held at its base with both hands, was thrust forward, its tip aimed straight for his throat. Xu Xianwen’s peaceful expression had twisted into one of utter ferocity.
Just as Chen Chuan was about to use his blade’s superior length to block the advance, he sensed something, shifted his weight backward, and took a step back.
Just as Xu Xianwen was about to run into the tip of Chen Chuan’s blade, with a SHIING, a long sword blade suddenly shot out from the end of the staff, stabbing straight for his face. The attack was as sudden and swift as a viper striking. If he hadn’t retreated in time, he would have been hit.
Chen Chuan flicked his wrist, bringing his blade up to parry. The instant his long blade made contact with the staff sword, he felt an incredibly immense force transfer through it.
His eyes flickered. ’This is the strongest force I’ve ever faced in an enemy. Back when I first reached the Third Limit, I might not have been able to withstand it. But now...’ He bore the force steadily, his arm not wavering in the slightest as the Mutated Organization within his body calmly dissipated the incoming Power.
After extending the blade, Xu Xianwen’s Staff Sword was now no shorter than the Snow Monarch Blade. Having seized the initiative, he violently twisted his Staff Sword to unbalance the blade, then shoved forward with both hands.
Chen Chuan lowered his wrist, using his free hand to brace the blade diagonally in front of him. The sword tip merely jabbed against it, but an immense force surged through, sending him sliding backward several meters.
Xu Xianwen launched himself forward again, his expression ferocious as he gave chase. His Staff Sword was a flurry of stabs and slashes, an offensive as relentless as a sudden storm.
Faced with such a foe, Chen Chuan didn’t rush to counter-attack. Instead, he focused on a steady defense. The ground cracked and splintered wherever they passed, a testament to the force of their colliding blows.
As both men brought more of their speed and power to bear, their field of battle expanded. A single movement could now cover tens of meters.
The Viper Team members could only hear the ceaseless clang of blade on staff echoing from the dense fog. They had no idea where the combatants were. All they could see was the ground occasionally shattering, sending stone fragments flying, as clouds of shredded crimson maple leaves were whipped into the air, spinning like flecks of blood.
As the fight raged on, Chen Chuan found that Xu Xianwen’s speed was also incredibly fast, and his method of generating power was exceptionally subtle and concealed. Often, a mere sway of his body was enough to unleash a devastating blow. Even though his opponent was only wielding a Staff Sword, every parry felt like blocking a sledgehammer.
It wasn’t just the Sword Stance; the man’s profound Domain was also trying to oppress and influence him mentally. This was an opponent who was powerful in every respect, exerting a pressure far greater than any foe he had faced before.
Yet even so, the situation had not exceeded his ability to cope. Aided by his Furnace Drying Techniques, he revealed no openings. After more than a minute of continuous parries, he had gradually adapted to and familiarized himself with his opponent’s combat rhythm. He even began to feel out his opponent’s breathing, biding his time and searching for an opportunity to counter-attack.
Furthermore, he could feel it—perhaps because he was clashing with such a powerful Fighter, the Mutated Organization in his body was gradually growing active, even excited. His strength and speed were faintly increasing.
Although he had been training diligently these past days, the lack of a true opponent meant he had not been able to fully internalize his gains and convert them into tangible combat strength. Now, however, the battle was slowly bringing it to the surface.
Xu Xianwen had been carefully observing his opponent throughout his assault. He seemed to sense the change in Chen Chuan and was slightly alarmed. ’I’ve been attacking relentlessly for so long, yet his defense is flawless. I haven’t been able to suppress him in the slightest. Now it looks like he’s getting stronger the longer we fight. If I let this continue, the tide of battle could very well be reversed.’
’In that case...’
His gaze grew profound. He suddenly lunged forward with a thrust. The move was exceptionally fast and fierce, completely abandoning any Defensive measures or follow-up moves. It had the air of an all-or-nothing gamble.
Chen Chuan’s eyes locked onto him. He knew that if he gave way now, he would be forced back onto the defensive. So, with no intention of retreating, he thrust his own blade forward in response.
As their weapons passed each other, they both struck their target at almost the exact same moment. Chen Chuan felt his blade hit its mark, but it was like plunging it into thick mud; all the power behind the thrust was swallowed in an instant.
Xu Xianwen’s thrust likewise failed to pierce Chen Chuan’s body, thanks not only to the Second Self, but also to the Mutated Organization condensed from his Essence Blood, which provided an effect similar to Horizontal Training.
Their gazes locked in mid-air. Both simultaneously exerted their strength, pushing away from each other and retreating several steps, once again creating distance between them.
Chen Chuan slowly brought his free hand over, gripping the hilt with both hands. He stared at his opponent. Based on that last blow and the fight so far, he had now figured out what Force Technique Xu Xianwen was using.
’One of the highest Secret Transmission Powers of the Secret Snake Sect... the Profound Snake Force!’
Someone who has mastered this Force Technique can unleash their full power from any point on their body, while most incoming attacks can be redirected and dispersed throughout their frame to be absorbed by the whole.
’This means that even if I go to great lengths to create an opening and land a hit, it will be incredibly difficult to seriously injure him.’
’However...’
Just then, the sound of approaching vehicles came from the distance. Soon after, the air erupted with the sound of dense gunfire. Xu Xianwen was clearly hit by several bullets.
Just over two minutes prior, Wubei had successfully used a Domain-enhanced organism to contact the Processing Bureau. The Bureau had then immediately notified the Motie Mountain security system, and the nearest armed patrol convoy had rushed over.
The moment the convoy arrived, its members began identifying the people present and opening fire. They deliberately avoided Chen Chuan due to his affiliation with the Processing Bureau. Xu Xianwen, however, had a list of wanted warrants so long it was dizzying, so they unleashed a hail of bullets on him and his subordinates.
Xu Xianwen shot a cold glance in their direction and suddenly vanished. The next moment, an armored car was flipped over, sending its security guards flying into the air. Almost simultaneously, a deep dent appeared in another armored patrol car, causing it to tumble sideways as if struck by an invisible force.
The security personnel tumbled out. Just as a fist was about to crash down on a guard lying on the ground, a hand shot out and grabbed the wrist, stopping it a hair’s breadth from the man’s forehead. Nevertheless, the pressure from the fist still distorted the guard’s face, and fine cracks even spiderwebbed across his goggles.
Xu Xianwen looked at Chen Chuan, who was gripping his arm, and said, "You can’t stop me."
Just then, Xu Xianwen tilted his head back. A gunshot rang out at point-blank range. The security guard had raised his gun and fired without hesitation.
His head slowly straightened. The bullet embedded in his forehead was squeezed out, landing on the ground with a CLINK. The wound on his forehead squirmed and healed rapidly. He gave a savage grin and said, "I told you. You can’t stop me."
The words had barely left his mouth when a fist filled his vision, smashing into his cheek with a thunderous impact that sent him flying more than ten meters.
Chen Chuan plucked his blade from the ground and walked slowly toward him. "Is that so?"
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