Chapter 668 19: Leading Them In

The moment Uteco saw Tarlu bolt, he shifted sideways to give chase. Though he was a beat late, he caught up to her in an instant, running almost shoulder-to-shoulder.

His sharp eyes were locked on Tarlu. He didn't know where she was going, but he knew he had to stop her.

The rest of his men, coordinating with him flawlessly, began running without needing any orders, their formation maintaining an encirclement around Tarlu.

Suddenly, Tarlu changed direction mid-stride.

The moment she saw Uteco's speed, she knew she couldn't shake him. A few more steps and he would surely cut her off, leaving her with no chance of escape. So, she decisively chose to break through in another direction.

She sensed that person's aura was the weakest of the six—undoubtedly the easiest point to break through.

But the man, facing the charging Tarlu, wasn't flustered at all. He immediately assumed a defensive stance.

He was indeed the weakest on the team, but even if Tarlu could instantly strike him down, the act of attacking would inevitably slow her. He just needed to hinder her for that single moment. The rest of the team would close in, trapping her within their circle. From there, it would only take a few combined attacks to capture her alive.

As Tarlu charged the man, she suddenly leveled the Long Staff in her hands and thrust it forward.

The move was swift and fierce. Since the squad member refused to retreat, he let out a great shout and grabbed the Long Staff with both hands, attempting to hold it back. However, the force he felt was not what he expected; it wasn't a forward thrust, but an upward motion.

Tarlu flicked the tip of the staff upward, lifting the man clean off his feet. With a flex of her arms, she flung him high into the air.

That brief pause was all it took for several members of the Kicking Squad to rush forward, nearly surrounding her. But what happened next was completely unexpected.

The thrown squad member was now pulling Tarlu upward with his momentum. Or rather, this had been her intention all along. Channeling her Dual Force, she used the motion to launch herself into the air.

The instant she leaped, a projectile shot toward her. Uteco had reacted with incredible speed, responding the moment he saw her jump.

Tarlu, however, ignored it, allowing the Steel Ball to strike her. The point of impact was instantly torn open, but her expression remained unchanged.

As a Third Limit Fighter, she was completely unfazed by such a minor injury. Besides, the Single Flow school was known for its practitioners' incredible resilience.

At the same time, now in mid-air, she reached out and snatched a protruding branch. With a burst of Power, she used its momentum to swing, launching herself horizontally to the side.

The Kicking Squad members on the ground immediately moved to follow her. Even the man who had been thrown into the air rejoined the chase after landing and catching his breath.

However, Tarlu had fled into a dense forest thick with branches, vines, and roots. Unfamiliar with the terrain, the squad was slightly hindered, and their pace slowed.

Tarlu, however, moved through it like a fish in water. After her initial swing, she grabbed again, using the momentum twice more before the path ahead cleared. She was out of the forest. With another leap, she clasped her hands together in mid-air—there was a zipline leading down to a cliff ledge below. Gripping it, she slid straight down.

Partway down, she released her grip, spread her arms, and dove toward the sea below. As she let go, she deliberately snapped the zipline.

The entire sequence of actions was incredibly fast, without a single pause. It was clearly a pre-planned escape route, one she had rehearsed before.

When Uteco saw her leap from the cliff, he didn't hesitate for a second. He launched himself forward, clearing the ledge and fixing his gaze on Tarlu's falling figure. She was the key to everything; she had to be captured.

The squad members behind him froze for a moment before making a few quick leaps to the edge of the cliff and jumping down after him.

However, wary of hidden reefs below, they jumped one after another, entering the water from the same spot they had seen was safe, not daring to spread out.

Tarlu hit the seawater with a SPLASH. Her body undulated like a fish as she dove directly into the deep.

The water's surface exploded behind her as Uteco landed right after. With a single rhythmic motion, he cut through the water's resistance and instantly closed the distance.

After him, his squad members landed one by one, following the trail he left in the water.

Their squad was the Kicking Squad, and they operated in the Outer Ocean. Every single one of them was an expert swimmer.

But it was night, with almost no light, and they were underwater. One wrong move and they could lose her. So Uteco released his own spirit, relying on a faint, thread-like sense to lock onto her position.

Tarlu ignored her pursuers, accelerating toward the Rift. Her objective was clear: she was going to ask Chen Chuan for help.

'There's no shame in asking for help from a fellow member of the Pure Sect.' Even before Chen Chuan's arrival, she had already sent a message to the sect requesting reinforcements.

Elder Gan had told her that when Mr. Zhuan sent Chen Chuan here to train, he might have intended for him to help them. That's why she had come here without a second thought.

After they had dived several hundred meters, Tarlu's figure suddenly vanished from Uteco's Spiritual Sensing. He froze, instinctively wanting to stop, but he couldn't give up now. He pressed on without hesitation.

A moment later, he felt the water recede from his body. His feet touched solid ground. He had emerged into a space completely different from the seabed.

His expression tensed as his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Then, his face broke into a look of utter astonishment and joy.

'This is… the Rift?'

He never imagined that the very thing they had been desperately searching for would be revealed like this. Before they could even capture and interrogate her, their target had led them right to it. 'We found it this easily!'

But a moment later, a deep sense of caution returned.

'She wouldn't have led us here for no reason. There must be someone—or something—here that she thinks can deal with us.'

So he didn't rush ahead. He stood his ground and waited. As his squad members appeared one by one behind him, he warned in a low voice, "Be careful. Something's not right about this place."

The squad members behind him surveyed the area. They, too, had guessed where they were, and looks of joyful surprise appeared on their faces. But their combat instincts took over. They automatically spread out into their standard battle formation, drawing their weapons and holding them at the ready.

Then they saw Tarlu standing at the far end of the space. Not far from her, a man sat with his back to them. Light emanated from the depths of the Rift, illuminating him. A Long Blade seemed to be placed beside him.

'Who's that?'

'Is the Single Stream Hall hiding another Fighter?'

But as long as it wasn't a Fighting Master, they had nothing to fear. They had plenty of experience dealing with Fighters of their own limit.

Uteco gave a hand signal. The six of them immediately formed two rows—three in front, three behind—and advanced slowly.

Tarlu walked up behind Chen Chuan and said to his meditating form, "My apologies, Mr. Chen. I've disturbed your training."

"It's nothing. You did the right thing."

Chen Chuan opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. "This won't take long," he said, his tone casual.

With that, he turned to face them.

The light from behind still shone upon him, creating a tall, imposing silhouette, but his face remained cloaked in shadow.

Uteco narrowed his eyes. He was experienced and knew from a single glance that Chen Chuan would be difficult to deal with. He raised his hand, making a gesture.

His men understood instantly. They drew their weapons, and one of them grabbed a throwing knife and hurled it at Chen Chuan.

But in the next instant, Chen Chuan vanished from their sight. The man who had thrown the knife suddenly found a figure before him, a pair of deep, quiet eyes gazing into his.

He was startled, but before he could react, his back arched upward with the sound of his spine shattering. Chen Chuan had punched him in the gut, and the continuous force of the blow was actually lifting his entire body off the ground.

A blade flashed as a nearby squad member swung his knife in a horizontal slash. The blade passed through nothing but an afterimage.

Before he could even track where Chen Chuan had gone, a hand was already pressed against his face. His features caved in under the sudden impact, as if they would bulge out the back of his skull. The force carried him backward, straight into a punch thrown by a charging teammate.

BANG! The head exploded in the collision between two fists. One fist continued forward, unwavering, but the opposing fist shattered from the impact, the damage traveling up the forearm and into the body behind it. Before the owner of the shattered fist could even scream, his own head was exploded by a follow-up kick.

THUD. THUD. THUD. Three bodies fell to the ground, each one twisted beyond recognition, clearly shattered by immense force.

Chen Chuan slowly lowered his foot and glanced sideways at the remaining men.

Uteco stopped dead in his tracks, his pupils constricting. He knew they had run into a powerhouse.

He could hear the rapid, panicked breathing of the men behind him. He knew they were terrified, their morale shattered by their opponent's presence.

He immediately said in a low, grim voice, "Don't even think about running. They can't let news of this place get out. Now that we're here, it's a fight to the death. Stick with me, and we might have a chance."

As he spoke, grim expressions appeared on his men's faces. They knew Uteco was right. Against an enemy like this, fighting offered a slim chance of survival. Not fighting meant certain death.

...

...