Chapter 740: Intercept

Narcissus slammed hard into the ground. Debris flew everywhere, and a large spiderweb of cracks appeared on the once-solid floor.

However, Yang Ling herself didn’t feel much pain. The tough outer shell provided the Consciousness Body with extreme protection, and any minor damage was quickly repaired by the body’s powerful regenerative abilities.

But now, she was caught. Sensing a great threat in her consciousness, she instantly entered a stress response, frantically drawing on all the Energy stored within her body to escape the crisis. With a flick of the long, flexible tail behind her, the stinger at its tip shot toward the person behind her.

Chen Chuan watched the tail strike at him and simply tilted his head to dodge. But the tail was extremely flexible; after missing, it whipped around again, trying to strike the back of his head. Before it could complete the turn and exert its full force, its body was lifted and slammed hard onto the ground once more. The tail instantly lost its strength, managing only a weak brush against his Protective Cloak.

Just then, two dull whooshes cut through the air. Raptor and Eel had seen Narcissus pinned down and had thrown two Throwing Sticks at Chen Chuan.

But while they were still mid-flight, a sharp CLANG! CLANG! rang out. The two Throwing Sticks were deflected by a long staff and a long spear, respectively.

Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque had been prepared. They were wary of the two from the very beginning and gave them no chance to attack or interfere with Chen Chuan.

But at that moment, a figure flashed, and the female assistant rushed toward Chen Chuan at an incredible speed.

As she ran, the administrative uniform she wore couldn’t withstand the explosive Power erupting from her and was forcibly torn apart, revealing the form-fitting Protective Clothing underneath.

She was actually a Fighter with Implants that were highly compatible with her body, a fact she had kept completely hidden until now.

This was because she had removed all the Implants from her body before entering Central City, placing them in a special culture dish. After entering the city, she had them re-implanted, only regaining her full abilities after a period of recovery. This was how she had managed to truly conceal her combat strength.

Su Wei was not here at the moment; he was following Chen Chuan’s orders to protect an important official. The other gunmen had their attention focused on the other Fighters, overlooking the “administrative staff member” standing at the front. Thus, for a brief moment, she was completely unobstructed and charged right up to Chen Chuan’s side.

A crystalline blade with an incredibly sharp edge slid into her hand. This special company-made weapon was capable of slicing through Protective Clothing and tough muscle and bone.

The angle she chose was very deliberate, timed precisely for the moment Chen Chuan was grabbing Narcissus and swinging it down for a slam.

Chen Chuan glanced at her and simply shifted his body slightly. The movement seemed small, but it caused his shoulder to preemptively collide with the stabbing blade. The moment the blade met the Power cloaking his body, it shattered into pieces.

The assistant was clearly well-trained and didn’t stop her attack. She quickly let go of the broken blade and extended the fingers of both hands. Veins bulged on the backs of her hands as sharp claws emerged from her fingertips, reaching for Chen Chuan’s neck and shoulder.

But she was only halfway through the motion when a wave of weakness washed over her. Her strength receded like a falling tide.

In that brief moment of contact, Chen Chuan’s Power had already been transmitted through the Crystal Blade. Although the blade’s design had dissipated some of the force, the Power of Heart Force could be transmitted even without direct contact, let alone through it.

At this moment, a Soft Force was rampaging through her body. The re-grown Mutated Organization implants were being shaken apart and destroyed. So, when her fingers landed on Chen Chuan’s shoulder and back, they instantly snapped, lacking their internal support.

Her forward momentum remained, however, propelling her entire body into Chen Chuan. The impact was like rotten wood striking solid steel. A series of sickening cracks echoed as her bones fractured.

Chen Chuan didn’t spare her a single glance. He swung Narcissus by the leg to the other side with an explosive BANG. The assistant was flung away by his spin, slamming hard against the corridor wall before collapsing into a heap, like a pile of wet mud.

After Narcissus, the active Consciousness Body, slammed into the ground once more, Chen Chuan suddenly felt a violent struggle in his grip. A slippery fluid seemed to be secreted from the surface he was holding. It now felt like he was trying to hold on to a fish desperately writhing after being pulled from the water.

At the same time, a surge of Power was actually transmitted from within it.

Chen Chuan was slightly surprised. He had witnessed an active consciousness fight before—Wu Qi, for example—but even someone as strong as Wu Qi couldn’t wield Power.

This was because wielding Power required a complete system and methodology for using Mutated Organizations, one that Fighters had gradually created and refined through generations of inheritance and integration. Creatures from the Merging Land, while possessing Mutated Organizations, did not know how to use Power; they relied purely on instinct.

But the active Consciousness Body before him had managed to do it.

In truth, Narcissus could use Power because this model of Consciousness Body was designed from the start for Fusion with a human body. All of its Mutated Organizations were meticulously formulated through repeated model experiments, and a complete set of practical application methods was compiled—a testament to Lianwei Zhongyu’s technology.

All this information was stored within the Consciousness Body as data. After fusing with it, Yang Ling could quickly understand and learn how to utilize these Mutated Organizations.

If she were given more time to grow accustomed to it, she could even develop her own unique form of Power. And if she could then continue to adjust and correct some of the less-than-optimal Mutated Organizations through practice, once she fully developed, not even Wu Qi would be her match.

But as it was now, this was not nearly enough to challenge Chen Chuan.

He had actually been holding back when he slammed it down. This was because Yang Ling, who was fused inside, was not acting of her own free will but was merely a controlled puppet. That was why he hadn’t used his Heart Force. Otherwise, with his Power, he could have penetrated it from the very beginning and destroyed the person and the internal structures within.

Now, he allowed its Power to shift and change, his own Power adapting in response. No matter how Narcissus writhed, it could not break free from his grasp. Meanwhile, his Spiritual Power repeatedly probed the workings and vulnerabilities of the Mutated Organizations inside.

After a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes. With a gentle shake of his hand, a surge of Power instantly permeated its body. On the outside, it looked as though a ripple, like a current of water, flowed over Narcissus’s form.

Narcissus shuddered violently and then went completely limp. In that instant, most of the Mutated Organizations and skeletal supports within its body had been shattered by the Power Chen Chuan had sent in.

Yang Ling’s vision went black. She felt her connection to the shell sever; she could no longer control it with her consciousness or perceive the outside world.

Her breathing suddenly became ragged. With Narcissus almost completely disabled, it could no longer supply her with enough oxygen. At this rate, she would suffocate to death in less than a minute.

She tried to struggle, but it was useless. She was tightly enveloped by Narcissus’s tentacles and internal soft tissues. While this had protected her from any harm during combat, it now trapped her completely. She couldn’t break free in the slightest, couldn’t even move.

Just as her consciousness began to fade, an opening was suddenly torn in front of her. A tall, upright figure stood under the light, though their face was blurry. Fresh air rushed in, and her chest heaved violently as she began to gasp for breath.

Chen Chuan glanced down and saw that her skin was showing signs of adhesion and fusion with the surrounding soft tissue.

He didn’t know how long Yang Ling had been inside this shell, but it likely hadn’t been for very long. If the fusion had continued, her entire body would have probably grown into it, becoming completely inseparable.

But that wouldn’t happen now.

Seeing that she was fine, he looked away and turned his attention back to the scene.

When the machine gun had opened fire earlier, the Lianwei Zhongyu logistics and technical staff had immediately retreated down the rear corridor. That, combined with the fact the active consciousness had deliberately moved away from the crowd and the gunners had no orders to target them, meant most were unharmed. Only a few were hit by ricocheting bullets and flying debris, but these people were all wearing Protective Clothing and were not ordinary individuals, so they weren’t seriously injured.

The gunners, however, gave special attention to the few Third Limit Fighters who had charged forward. The bullets were concentrated almost entirely on their positions. Under the crossfire, all of them were now lying on the ground.

Only the two Black Steel Level Fighters were experienced enough to have immediately engaged Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque, forcing the gunners to hold their fire for fear of hitting their allies. Although they were stronger than Qin and Yuan in terms of raw power, it wasn’t a complete landslide, so the fight had quickly settled into a stalemate.

Chen Chuan stood to the side, in no hurry to intervene. This was a rare opportunity for them to hone their skills and would be beneficial for Qin and Yuan.

Raptor and Eel saw that Chen Chuan was now free, the active Consciousness Body below was motionless, and the female assistant’s fate was unknown. They knew the operation had failed. They were no match for an Investigation Chief from the action division. There was no point in continuing the fight.

So, after parrying attacks from Qin and Yuan, they very decisively dropped their weapons, immediately knelt, and placed their hands on their heads. Their movements were textbook perfect.

“We surrender. We’re willing to cooperate with the investigation.”

Chen Chuan glanced at them. ‘These two are still useful. With sufficient evidence this time, and if handled correctly, it’ll be enough to take down the entire Lianwei Zhongyu branch.’

He said, “Clean this up. Take everyone back.”

All the members of the Processing Bureau present responded with a powerful, resonant shout: “Yes, Chief!”