Chapter 612 - 351: Breaking the Machine

Xiang Tiancheng noticed Chen Chuan’s attire and stroked his chin. "The Processing Bureau? Someone from the government? This is going to be tricky."

Fighters could assess one another, and even without the contact of a Domain, they could roughly judge their opponent’s level of skill based on experience.

Now, facing Chen Chuan, the look on his face was nowhere near as relaxed as it had been with Che Gaoyi, because he could sense a clear signal of danger from him.

Only someone of the same caliber could give him such a feeling.

’Looks like the briefcase really does contain what I thought. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have drawn such serious attention from both the company and the government, compelling them to send such powerful backup.’

’I have to get it back.’

Besides, why should he bust his ass only for someone else to swoop in and reap the rewards? The very thought of it was infuriating.

He fixed his gaze on Chen Chuan, slowly widened his stance, and gradually opened his hands.

However, just as Power began to circulate through his body and he lifted his heels, ready to strike, a tremor suddenly ran through the ground in the distance. A quick glance revealed No. 9 charging in their direction. Judging by its trajectory, it was heading straight for Chen Chuan.

It was clearly drawn to the briefcase in Chen Chuan’s hand.

He let out a "heh," halting his advance and staying put.

Chen Chuan also saw No. 9 rushing over. He plunged the Snow Monarch Blade into the ground beside him, freeing one hand, and stood perfectly still.

No. 9’s charge was incredibly fast. Combined with its burly physique, its approach generated a powerful gust of wind that slammed into them. Broken twigs and blades of grass were kicked up in its wake, forming a rolling cloud of dust.

Chen Chuan lowered his center of gravity slightly. As it drew near, his hand shot out and seized No. 9’s outstretched wrist with incredible precision. He then used its momentum to spin around and fling it far into the distance.

This throw didn’t just utilize No. 9’s own momentum; Chen Chuan had added his own flinging Power. No. 9 flew through the air, snapping several trees in a row and carving a long trench in the ground as it tumbled, before finally crashing into a dirt mound with a loud BANG, sending up a large cloud of dust.

After a moment, the biological fiber skeleton within No. 9’s body rapidly snapped its dislocated arm back into place. The impact wounds and abrasions on its body also healed quickly. Then, it stood up as if nothing had happened.

But after getting up, it took just one step forward before freezing in place.

When Chen Chuan had thrown it, he had not only infused the attack with Capturing Force but had also delivered it as Heart Force.

This type of Power would linger within the target’s body. If not immediately neutralized, it would cause even greater internal damage. As a result, No. 9 was now hit by a second wave of harm—one even more destructive than the initial impact—that left it temporarily paralyzed.

The very instant Chen Chuan threw No. 9, Xiang Tiancheng moved.

He had no interest in a fair fight. The resistance front was openly hostile to the government, so there was no reason not to seize such a perfect opportunity.

The two were already standing close to each other. Xiang Tiancheng closed the remaining distance in an instant, lashing out with a powerful kick.

Chen Chuan raised his arm just in time to block. Their limbs collided, producing a concussive BANG that sent dirt and weeds blasting outward from the point of impact.

Chen Chuan’s gaze deepened. ’Heart Force...’

Seeing his kick so solidly blocked, Xiang Tiancheng’s eyes narrowed. ’Heart Force?’

His nonchalant expression vanished. A Fighter who could use Heart Force was in a completely different league from the other two. Normally, unless one had practiced Horizontal Training, a single blow from such an opponent could end the fight.

However, he was an exception. His Vortex Force could redirect Power to a certain degree, so even if his opponent’s strength was immense, he didn’t need to be overly concerned.

He twisted his body, kicked again, and followed up with a continuous barrage of punches and kicks. Seizing the momentary opening while Chen Chuan was still recovering from throwing No. 9, he launched a relentless offensive.

This aggressive offense was his favorite style. It allowed him to constantly pressure his opponent. Unaware of the true nature of his Power, his opponents typically wouldn’t risk a hasty counterattack. Instead, they would focus on a solid defense, waiting for his momentum to falter before trying to strike back.

He was well-versed in this pattern. His opponent, after getting their bearings, would inevitably unleash their own Bursting Power in retaliation. They wouldn’t know that this was playing right into his hands.

He would use that exact moment to redirect the force of their attack back at them with his Vortex Force. Even if it didn’t inflict a serious injury, it was enough to crush their burgeoning momentum.

And based on past experience, after a few such exchanges, his opponents would lose their rhythm, allowing him to seize complete control of the fight.

Chen Chuan steadily blocked every incoming attack, but he noticed a peculiar detail. After their Heart Forces clashed, his opponent didn’t dodge but instead charged forward without the slightest hesitation.

Every subsequent attack was a direct, head-on collision, as if he were completely unconcerned by the threat of Chen Chuan’s Power.

This was definitely not normal behavior between two Fighters who could both use Heart Force.

Most Fighters couldn’t guarantee they would emerge unscathed from a direct clash of Heart Force, making it a tactic where the risks far outweighed the rewards.

’So, for him to fight this way, he either has absolute confidence in his own Power, or his Power has some unique quality, like Nie Guanshan’s, that makes him unafraid of clashing head-on with me.’

’I believe it’s the latter. In a direct clash, his Power seems completely unremarkable, which is a clear sign that there’s some Profound Mystery at play.’

But this didn’t make him wary. He continued to follow his own rhythm, blocking over a dozen consecutive strikes. He had used the defensive exchange to fully readjust himself and keenly sensed that his opponent’s offensive momentum was starting to wane. Without hesitation, he threw a punch, driving it straight into an opening.

Xiang Tiancheng’s eyes lit up. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He met the punch with his palm, instantly drawing the powerfully condensed Power into his body. Then, he launched a kick, channeling that captured Power along with his own strength and sending it all back.

Chen Chuan raised his hand and blocked the kick. Both streams of Power surged into his body, yet his expression remained completely unchanged. He even had enough strength left over to jab forward with one finger.

Xiang Tiancheng was stunned that his counterattack hadn’t had the intended effect. Though his judgment had been wrong, his body reacted correctly a split second before his mind, twisting hastily to evade and raising his elbow to parry.

Chen Chuan’s two fingers instantly struck his arm. Because Xiang Tiancheng’s parry had been rushed and his Force Application insufficient, he couldn’t withstand the Heart Force attack. The skin and flesh at the point of contact split open with a sharp CRACKLE. As the Power penetrated, the bones in his arm began to fracture, and the force continued to seep from there toward his torso.

If he let the Power continue its rampage, a single blow would leave him seriously injured. But at that moment, Xiang Tiancheng finally recovered.

He could activate his Vortex Force from any part of his body. In the brief moment his arm provided cover, the Mutated Organization within him twisted in unison, dispersing the invading Power to other parts of his body and preventing further damage.

He didn’t dare shift it to his feet, as that would cause the ground beneath him to collapse and throw him off balance. In a heated battle, he would rather his body take the damage than have his footwork restricted.

But even though he had averted a fatal crisis, he had still lost the exchange.

Chen Chuan’s follow-up attack came swiftly. His fingers spread wide and clamped down on Xiang Tiancheng’s arm, instantly switching from Scattering Force to Capturing Force.

Against Che Gaoyi, Xiang Tiancheng had been able to redirect Power with ease, but facing Chen Chuan, he found himself powerless to do the same.

At this moment, the Mutated Organization throughout his body had switched entirely into a Defensive state. It couldn’t exert any control over the invading force, to say nothing of the fact that this was a Capturing Heart Force. The instant it entered him, half of his body went numb, and the Mutated Organization in that area became unresponsive. The sensation was now spreading rapidly through the rest of his body.

Xiang Tiancheng cursed inwardly. ’I’m done for.’

In a duel between experts, a single misjudgment could mean the difference between life and death. He was now trapped in a fatal predicament.

But at that very moment, there was a rush of wind and a shadow fell over them. No. 9 was charging again, this time aiming to crash directly into both of them.

A glint flashed in Chen Chuan’s eyes as he kicked out. A powerful force exploded on No. 9’s neck. With a loud CRACK, its head was knocked sideways, and its entire body was thrown aside.

For Xiang Tiancheng, this was like grasping a life-saving straw. The Mutated Organization in the numb half of his body immediately seized the opportunity to twist and dissipate the Capturing Force. Simultaneously, he slapped a palm toward Chen Chuan’s face.

Chen Chuan felt his own Power being led away into nothingness. He abandoned his attempt to capture his opponent, releasing his fingers and raising his hand to block. Xiang Tiancheng’s palm struck his arm, but instead of unleashing an impact, he used the force of the contact to push himself backward, creating distance between them.

Once he landed safely at a distance, the injuries on his arm and the numbness in his body began to rapidly fade. He looked at Chen Chuan. ’This guy is the real deal. Looks like I’ve run into a tough one today.’

’But I won’t make the same mistake next time.’

’This fight is far from over.’

Chen Chuan glanced at him, then turned his gaze back to No. 9. He saw that in just that short time, the creature’s broken neck had already healed, and it was rising from the ground.

He understood the situation now. The creature’s Resistance to Impact was incredibly high. It seemed that unless he destroyed it completely in one go, it would continue to interfere with his fight. He took a deep breath, and wisps of white steam began to rise from his body.

A sudden chill ran down Xiang Tiancheng’s spine. Forgetting all thoughts of attacking, he took a large leap backward.

No. 9 had no such perception. Its consciousness contained only one thing: the mission objective. As long as the item remained in Chen Chuan’s possession, it would continue to attack him. And so, it charged forward once more.

Chen Chuan’s gaze was deep and distant. His figure suddenly vanished. In that same instant, a sound like a clap of thunder exploded across the clearing, followed by a deafening BOOM. A massive cloud of dust erupted into the air.

Xiang Tiancheng looked over, his eyelids twitching involuntarily.

Within the dust cloud, Chen Chuan held a posture with one palm pressed forward, wisps of steam rising from his outstretched fingers.

And opposite him, No. 9 lay on its back. Its entire upper body and head had been blown apart from the inside out. The artificial Mutated Organization within was still attempting to writhe and repair the damage, but it was so extensive that the tendrils could only twitch feebly.

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