Chapter 674 25: Radiant Sun

Nakagami Hiroshi was now left with only the short blade in his hand. He stared at Chen Chuan, his chest heaving slightly, his eyes a contradictory mix of shock and excitement.

He was nervous about his opponent's strength, yet at the same time, he eagerly anticipated such a challenge. Spinning the short blade in his hand, he solemnly assumed a stance.

Chen Chuan tore off the tattered half of his sleeve and strode forward. Thanks to his Horizontal Heart Strength Training, his entire body was almost without an opening. As he advanced, the pressure he exuded was immense.

As Chen Chuan approached, Nakagami Hiroshi's breathing grew ragged. Blood surged through his veins, his nostrils flared, and his pupils dilated.

Once he was close enough, he suddenly lunged forward. A sharp, white mist flashed from the tip of his blade, which reached Chen Chuan's face in an instant.

Chen Chuan tilted his head aside, simultaneously reaching out to grab his wrist.

Having suffered in their previous close-quarters exchange, Nakagami Hiroshi was much more cautious this time. He immediately pulled back, retreating diagonally while jabbing with his short blade to maintain distance.

The recent series of exchanges had greatly stimulated his mind, accelerating the fusion between the parasitic Spiritual Power and his own body. As a result, his movements were now noticeably faster than before.

However, he still couldn't turn the unfavorable situation around. Faced with Chen Chuan's relentless advance, all he could do was dodge and retreat. Once Chen Chuan's Horizontal Heart Strength Training was circulating smoothly, he was virtually fearless of the blade. Combined with his Capture Technique, Nakagami Hiroshi found it impossible to mount an effective counterattack.

This inevitably made him agitated. 'If this continues, I'll definitely lose,' he thought. 'I need more power to defeat him.'

With this conviction, everything else became secondary to his immediate need. Physical damage, the consumption of his Life Force—none of it mattered anymore.

As he let go of these concerns, a valve of instinctual resistance within him seemed to burst open. A few breaths later, his eyes turned a deeper red, and tiny pores opened up all over his skin, seeping wisps of red mist.

Almost instantaneously, his strength and speed surged. His movements became fierce, and he began to unleash a flurry of techniques.

Chen Chuan could feel it now. Every time they drew close and he came into contact with the red mist, a stinging pain pricked his skin.

Meanwhile, Shigen Hachi was propped up on his sword, half-kneeling on the ground.

The dizziness still kept him from standing, but it didn't prevent him from watching the fight.

He realized their exchange was becoming so fast that he could no longer distinguish their individual moves. But he could see the red mist emanating from Nakagami Hiroshi, which left ethereal red ribbons in its wake as he moved, spreading outward.

He was shocked. "Is that... Moonlight?"

The Moonlight technique was comparable to Heart Practice. In combat, the user's Mutated Organization would emit a special substance that constantly eroded an opponent's spirit within its area of effect.

It forced an opponent to be on constant guard, but the substance was insidious, invading at the slightest lapse in concentration. Once it entered the body, it would affect a portion of the Mutated Organization, causing it to become sluggish. If not dealt with promptly, the damage would become irreversible.

However, this technique required one's physical cultivation to reach a certain level. As far as he knew, none of the disciples at Anyao Hall had mastered it. But recalling the aura, which bore some resemblance to his master's, he guessed the cause. 'It must be the parasitic Spiritual Power at work.'

While fending off the waves of spiritual assault, Chen Chuan could also feel his opponent's speed and power steadily increasing. There was no end in sight; if this continued, Nakagami would soon be able to overwhelm him.

Given the circumstances, Chen Chuan no longer held back. He took a deep breath, and his aura instantly became scorching hot as wisps of white mist began to rise from his body.

The moment he activated the Furnace Breathing Method, he surged forward on the offensive. This time, he didn't use his Capture Technique, but unleashed his Scattering Hand at extreme speed. For a moment, a storm of powerful fists and feet rained down on his opponent.

The red mist around Nakagami Hiroshi grew denser as he continuously parried and deflected Chen Chuan's attacks. The Spiritual Power at his back continued to support him, pushing his strength and speed even higher. His execution of Power Techniques also improved, and his once-unfamiliar Heart Force became more refined.

This, however, only invigorated Chen Chuan. Faced with his opponent's incoming Power, he met every blow head-on, using the clashes to constantly adjust and temper his own Heart Force.

Their collisions set off a continuous series of explosions within the space, making the entire creature's interior tremble violently.

Shigen Hachi, fearing he would be caught in the crossfire, struggled to retreat further back. He couldn't spare a thought for the others on the ground—he didn't have the strength to help them anyway. Fortunately, they were all lying near the entrance, outside the primary combat zone.

In the center of the fray, Chen Chuan and Nakagami Hiroshi traded blows for three or four minutes straight. A duel between ordinary Fighters typically ends within minutes, to say nothing of a high-intensity slugfest like this, which was immensely draining on a Fighter's stamina and spirit.

But both men had something to draw on. Instead of weakening from the fierce struggle, their auras only grew more potent. Two mists, one white and one red, collided and tumbled in the chamber, swirling and churning together.

Chen Chuan felt utterly exhilarated. He had rarely met an opponent who would clash head-on without yielding an inch. With every exchange, he could feel his Heart Force being tempered, and his mind grew increasingly clear.

Several more minutes passed. Then, at a certain moment, he seemed to sense something. A light gleamed in his eyes as he abruptly threw a punch.

As he threw the punch, his entire arm was enveloped in a layer of blasting white mist.

Even before Chen Chuan threw the punch, Nakagami Hiroshi seemed to sense something on a spiritual level. His pupils contracted sharply, and instead of blocking head-on as before, he dodged to the side.

In that instant, the fist grazed past his body. A bloody mist burst from the skin on his side. Where the fist had passed, a jet of white mist shot forth, accompanied by a series of deep, rolling rumbles like thunder.

The hair on his body stood on end. Under this extreme stimulation, the spirit within him sublimated once more. A faint, sharp light glinted in his eyes, and the red mist emanating from him abruptly thickened.

Just then, one of the Third Limit disciples from Anyao Hall, who had been half-kneeling on the ground, suddenly looked up. He darted forward, drew his sword, and thrust it at Chen Chuan's flank.

With his level of strength, he shouldn't have been able to track their movements, yet the angle of his thrust was perfect.

Chen Chuan glanced at the newcomer and casually threw a punch back, striking the man's blade. A white mist instantly spread from the sword to its wielder. First, the blade shattered, section by section. Then, the man's hands and arms exploded, followed by the Mutated Organization and muscles used to power his attack.

A mangled mess of flesh and blood, he was sent flying backward. By the time he landed, he was unrecognizable.

Chen Chuan clenched his fist, and wisps of white mist seeped from between his knuckles.

This was the Heart Force he had just grasped. It not only incorporated the Bursting Power that Chen Bitong had taught him, but also some techniques from the Cloud-Breaking Fist Power.

Most importantly, he had perfectly integrated his own spirit into the circulation of his Power, allowing him to unleash an immense and pure Impact Force in an instant.

If Nakagami Hiroshi had taken that punch head-on instead of dodging, the point of impact would have been blasted apart. If he couldn't dispel the residual Power in time, his entire body would have been torn asunder by it, just like the man before him.

While Chen Chuan dealt with his disciple, Nakagami Hiroshi used the opportunity to retreat to a safe distance. Wary of the Power Chen Chuan had just displayed, he didn't press the attack. Instead, he crossed his hands and uttered a strange sound.

At the same time, Shigen Hachi and the other two remaining Third Limit Fighters suddenly felt that they were losing control of their bodies.

One of the disciples immediately leaped up and charged toward Chen Chuan. As he ran, beads of blood seeped from his skin, a sign that he was ruthlessly drawing on his body's potential and Life Force.

Shigen Hachi had already started to move, but perhaps due to his deeper cultivation, his face flushed red as he forcibly held himself in place, fighting against the power moving his body. The other disciple also seemed to sense the danger and was resisting as well, but it looked as if he couldn't last much longer.

Chen Chuan saw that this man's condition was identical to the one before. He glanced at Nakagami Hiroshi and recalled what Tarlu had told him. 'Great Radiance Day...?' he thought.

Anyao Hall placed great emphasis on the use of a spiritual Domain. Once a Fighter reached a certain level, they could master a Secret Transmission known as "Great Radiance Day."

When activated, the user would emanate an invisible Domain that could affect an opponent's Mutated Organization. This was somewhat similar to Single Stream Hall's Double Force, but it didn't require physical contact.

Under the influence of this Domain and Spiritual Power, the more the victim's Mutated Organization resisted, the more pressure it would suffer, leading to rapid necrosis. Although a Fighter could recover quickly by expending Essence Blood, it was a purely reactive measure.

Another side effect of this Secret Transmission was its ability to influence Fighters from the same school. Once triggered by Great Radiance Day, even if they were unconscious, their Mutated Organization could be compelled into action, turning them into the user's puppets.

Seeing the man charge at him, Chen Chuan suddenly raised a finger and tapped him between the eyebrows. The man shuddered and stumbled back several steps.

This time, however, he didn't seem to use the same Power as before; his movement appeared quite casual.

The Anyao Hall disciple didn't seem badly injured. After retreating a few steps, he tried to charge forward again, but he only managed two steps before a series of snaps echoed from within his body. He convulsed and collapsed to the ground.

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