Chapter 675 26: Utter Depletion

Chen Chuan seemed to expect this outcome, so after a single touch of his finger, he ignored the man and turned his gaze to Nakagami Hiroshi.

If the power he had just channeled was Fierce Strength, then what he was using now was Soft Force. This was a type of Power derived from the String Void Force taught to him by Chen Bitong.

In his estimation, this Power was meant to be used with Capture and Scattering Hand techniques. It was more covert than Fierce Strength, and he had already used it once on Uteco.

Once the Power struck an opponent, it would accumulate and lie dormant within their body. If the opponent subsequently activated their Mutated Organization, the Power would erupt in an instant, injuring or killing them.

Nakagami Hiroshi stared at him, the red mist around his body growing incredibly dense. In just a few moments, it had spread throughout the entire space, enveloping everyone. The closer it was to his body, the richer and more brilliant its color, as if a blazing sun were at its core.

Shigen Hachi's eyes were completely bloodshot as he suppressed the power within his body. He knew that to charge in now would be suicide; it would do nothing to change the course of the fight between the two men.

'He was sure Nakagami Hiroshi understood this as well, so why...'

He forced his head up to look at Nakagami Hiroshi. When he saw the man's eyes, his body shuddered involuntarily. They were filled with hatred and madness.

He understood at once. His senior brother was a vessel for their master's spirit and normally had no free will. Now, he was being used as a mere tool. So, he wanted them—his fellow disciples who *were* usually free—to suffer the same torment. It was his way of getting revenge on their master.

This was likely his senior brother's deepest desire, normally suppressed and unable to be released. Now, under this spiritual duress, it had been unleashed without a shred of restraint.

But even though he had guessed the reason, there was nothing he could do to change it. Indeed, just a few breaths after their comrade fell, he and another disciple rose to their feet, drew their blades, and charged at Chen Chuan.

The last thing he saw was a finger aimed at the spot between his eyes.

With two thuds, Shigen Hachi and the other disciple fell to the ground. Their attack had been completely useless, at most buying a sliver of time.

Chen Chuan looked at Nakagami Hiroshi. 'He didn't send these men to their deaths just for that,' he thought.

At that moment, as the fallen disciples' blood pooled on the floor, the sounds from Nakagami Hiroshi's mouth grew louder. The entire space began to tremble faintly.

Sensing something, Chen Chuan glanced to the side. Near the ceiling, a phantasm had appeared—the very same one he had seen before. As soon as it materialized, it began to demonstrate a series of movements, while the part within it representing the Mutated Organization flickered without pause.

Ecstasy flashed in Nakagami Hiroshi's eyes.

'This is it!'

Anyao Hall's Fighting Skills were incomplete. The flaw wasn't in the training method itself, but in their understanding of it. Every practitioner could sense a certain incompleteness.

It was like a solar or lunar eclipse; the whole was there, but a part of it was obscured. What they had always chased was the means to restore that missing half—and that was the Secret Transmission of Single Stream Hall.

What had just appeared was exactly what he needed.

He didn't need to practice it formally. Sometimes, just knowing a particular secret or gaining a specific insight was enough to complete what he lacked.

But this required a sacrifice of some kind. Originally, he had planned to use members of Single Stream Hall. Then, seeing Chen Chuan, he'd intended to use him instead. But he quickly discovered that Chen Chuan was a tough nut to crack; it would be impossible. That left only his own people.

In truth, while Nakagami Hiroshi certainly had the idea of sending his comrades to their deaths, it was also the will of the spirit possessing him.

Chen Chuan saw through his plan but didn't try to stop him. Instead, he reached up, loosened his collar, shrugged off his tattered jacket, and tossed it aside before limbering up.

'Techniques can be improved and Power can be enhanced,' he thought, 'but ultimately, it all comes down to the body. As long as that doesn't change on a fundamental level, the strength one can exert remains limited.'

Besides, he was more than willing to face more advanced Fighting Skills.

Nakagami Hiroshi watched for a moment, and a look of understanding dawned on him. The Mutated Organization within his body shifted in response, proliferating slightly. It was only a minor adjustment, but it made his internal structure far more efficient and coordinated.

A moment later, he let out a long breath, tossed the short blade in his hand to the ground, and looked at Chen Chuan once more.

The moment his eyes locked onto Chen Chuan, his figure blurred. He left an afterimage in his place as he reappeared in front of Chen Chuan, his hand striking toward his head.

Chen Chuan saw that the speed of this attack far surpassed his previous one. He raised a hand to parry, blocking it precisely. A tyrannical Penetration Force washed over him, followed immediately by a powerful shoving force. Though his feet didn't move, he was thrown back more than ten meters, carving a long trench in the resilient floor.

'Single Stream Hall's Second Stage Power...?' he thought. But he quickly deduced that it also contained Anyao Hall's Penetration Force. The attack possessed both types of Power; it seemed Nakagami had truly fused them.

Nakagami Hiroshi, still in his palm-thrusting posture, cracked a grin and lunged forward once more.

Chen Chuan wasn't too concerned about the change in Nakagami Hiroshi's Power. What mattered was that his opponent's physical attributes had improved again, now surpassing his own.

'The Spiritual Power backing him must be providing constant support.'

But he knew full well that a stronger body could house a stronger spirit. By the same token, a powerful spirit required an even more powerful physique to contain it. Once an imbalance occurred, and the spirit's power completely overwhelmed what the body could bear, collapse was inevitable.

With that in mind, he made a decision. Instantly releasing the suppression on his own Mutated Organization, he met the incoming charge, pushing off his toes and rushing forward.

The moment their fists swung toward each other, Nakagami Hiroshi seemed to sense something was wrong. He changed his movements, raising one hand to block Chen Chuan's arm while his other hand shot down to deflect the punch aimed at his abdomen.

But even with the protection of his Heart Force, the point of impact couldn't withstand the force transmitted from the blow. His flesh burst open instantly, and his fingers showed signs of twisting unnaturally.

His pupils constricted. He knew he couldn't let that Power invade his body. His Mutated Organization writhed continuously, then suddenly unleashed a burst of force that shoved Chen Chuan away. As he slid back, his heart pumped out Essence Blood, and with the sound of grinding bone, his twisted fingers rapidly healed.

But after pausing for only a moment, he kicked off the ground and shot toward Chen Chuan again like a cannonball.

Chen Chuan saw his speed was now much greater than before. As expected, under the constant strain, he had once again used the Spiritual Power to enhance himself.

But Chen Chuan could see the blood beneath the man's skin glowing hot. This was likely due to the rapid activation of his Mutated Organization. It was a sign that he was nearing his physical limit.

His gaze fixed on his opponent. This time, he didn't use Fierce Strength for a direct assault. Instead, he once again employed Capture and Wrestling Takedown techniques to parry and counter. After a short while, Nakagami Hiroshi sensed something was wrong and tried to disengage, but Chen Chuan gave him no chance to recover, immediately pressing his advantage and tangling with him in close combat.

This forced Nakagami Hiroshi to match his intensity and rhythm. If he wanted to break free, his only option was to increase his strength and speed even further.

After only half a minute, blood began to seep from Nakagami Hiroshi's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. The mist surrounding him started to reek of blood.

At this, Chen Chuan picked up the pace even more, completely ignoring the attacks coming his way and actively seeking to trade injuries with Nakagami Hiroshi.

He was protected by his Horizontal Heart Strength Training; even taking a hit was merely a form of tempering for his own Power. His opponent, however, would suffer grievous injury wherever Chen Chuan's blows landed.

Under such relentless pressure, Nakagami Hiroshi began to gasp for breath. His muscles started to twitch erratically, and faint, crack-like lines of blood slowly appeared on parts of his body.

His cheeks and his exposed upper body were all covered in these fine cracks, from which blood oozed.

Nakagami Hiroshi realized what was happening, yet he couldn't stop in the face of Chen Chuan's onslaught. To shake him off would require even greater strength and speed, but doing so would only hasten his body's collapse.

After several more minutes of fighting, with a sickening pop, a bloody hole erupted in Nakagami Hiroshi's shoulder. A few breaths later, another chunk of his back burst open, and this wound showed no signs of healing.

A strange expression appeared on Nakagami Hiroshi's face. One half seemed terrified, while the other looked unnervingly somber.

One part of his consciousness seemed to be resisting, wanting to speak but unable to form the words. The other part was urging him on, forcing him to continue.

This conflict caused the cracks on his body to widen further as bloody holes burst open one after another. Yet his spirit grew exceptionally focused, as if gathering for some final purpose. The frightened half of his expression slowly faded, until his entire face became a mask of that somber look.

Chen Chuan, however, seemed oblivious to these changes, maintaining his relentless assault.

And just as that power reached its zenith, Nakagami Hiroshi let out a savage roar and suddenly threw a punch.

This punch seemed to incinerate everything within his body, fusing all of his life force into it and transforming it into an absolute power. Its speed was so great as to be inescapable.

In Chen Chuan's Spiritual Sensing, a colossal fist appeared before him, threatening to engulf him completely. It was almost impossible to dodge.

Yet Chen Chuan had no intention of dodging. He threw a punch of his own!

The two fists collided in an instant.

BOOM! The entire space shook. In that same instant, Nakagami Hiroshi's body exploded, disintegrating into a cloud of pulverized flesh and blood that splattered across the walls.

Chen Chuan, meanwhile, stood motionless, his arm still extended in a punch. A faint light flickered over the surface of his fist.

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