https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1093-Profound-Power-of-Purity-and-Clarity/13274592/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1095-Summit-of-the-Kingdom-s-Destiny/13274600/
Chapter 1094: The Confrontation at the Mountain Pass
Chapter 1094: The Confrontation at the Mountain Pass
The man who approached was tall and robust, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, appearing to be in his forties. His expression was resolute, but his knitted brows indicated a certain sternness, suggesting he was not an easy person to deal with.
After glancing at Chen Chuan, he surveyed the surroundings, seemingly noticing something that made him slightly surprised.
Just then, he sensed something and pointed towards the distance. A streak of light flashed rapidly, and on the other side, the leader of the Blood Hunter Cavalry, who had been observing from afar, was still looking over when he was suddenly engulfed by a burst of light.
A thunderous explosion rocked the mountain peak, and amidst the flashes, it erupted with high-temperature debris and ash. The shattered rocks and pebbles flew into the sky, tumbling and falling back down. After the dust settled, nothing remained there.
The man turned his gaze back to Chen Chuan and said, "Director Chen, I'm Fan Zhentong."
Chen Chuan had already guessed the man's identity when he appeared. He replied, "Greetings, Vice-Commander Fan."
Fan Zhentong was a martial artist accompanying the first delegation from Daxun. His cultivation had already reached the Dongxuan Realm.
Fan Zhentong spoke sternly, "Director Chen, I have a question for you. Since you received the telegraph, why didn't you withdraw? Do you know how dangerous this is?"
Chen Chuan said, "Thank you for your concern, Vice-Commander Fan. But I have my duties, and there are things I must do."
Fan Zhentong's expression remained serious, but the sharp light in his eyes softened a bit. He glanced around and asked, "Is it taken care of?"
Chen Chuan nodded, "Yes, it's done."
Fan Zhentong looked at him. Although he had already guessed the outcome, hearing it confirmed by Chen Chuan himself still made him feel a hint of incredulity.
While both Dongxuan Realm and Zhangsheng Realm were within the realm of Zai Xuanji, each hurdle within this realm represented a significant leap. Just as martial artists who had recently broken through to the Dongxuan Realm couldn't be compared to those in the Zhangsheng Realm, the gap would only widen with each ascending level.
Even a portion of the Dongxuan Realm's power, under normal circumstances, was not something martial artists below this realm could contend with.
Moreover, judging by the situation at the scene, the battle should have ended swiftly. Chen Chuan appeared completely unharmed, which only added to Fan Zhentong's surprise.
After a moment of silence, Fan Zhentong spoke again, "It seems that both the domestic side and the delegation have underestimated you, Director Chen. But, Director Chen..."
He spoke sternly, "I must remind you that Dongxuan Realm martial artists are not that simple. Today, only a part of the body came, and if I allocate more, you might not pass. You shouldn't have this lucky mindset anymore."
Chen Chuan nodded, responding with equal gravity, "Vice-Commander Fan, thank you for the reminder. Please trust that my decision is well-considered and not a rash impulse."
Although Chen Chuan hadn't directly fought with martial artists from the Dongxuan Realm in their prime, he had clashed with the shell of Yu Wen Xuanqi. And while reading the 'Outline,' he encountered martial artists of this realm, and they often discussed the mysteries of this realm. So, he wasn't completely ignorant of this realm's intricacies.
To say he was entirely confident would be an overstatement. In martial combat, the stakes were life and death, and there was never a hundred percent guarantee. Moreover, this person was clearly targeting him. Even if he left, it wouldn't necessarily ensure his safety. Eventually, he would have to face this challenge. He couldn't rely on someone like Fan Zhentong to come to his aid at every turn.
It could be said that he had reached a point where many things were unavoidable. Only by facing them head-on could he resolve the subsequent troubles. Therefore, this battle was one he had to fight!
Fan Zhentong clearly didn't fully agree with Chen Chuan's reasoning. He shook his head and said, "Director Chen, the lives of the First People can't be compared to us Daxun citizens. And compared to a martial artist like you, they are not worth mentioning.
You are a talent cultivated by Daxun. There's no need to be so dedicated to matters unrelated to core interests. Some things, once lost, are lost. Only by protecting yourself can you better safeguard Daxun's interests."
Chen Chuan met his gaze, "Vice-Commander Fan, I appreciate your support this time. But regarding the handling of affairs, I have my own judgment."
Fan Zhentong looked at him and didn't continue. He said, "Since there's no issue here, I'll take my leave. This time, they probably won't come again. But, Director Chen, you should still be cautious."
After speaking, he turned and walked away. After a few steps, he reached the edge of the cliff. Suddenly, his entire body seemed to crumble like a collapsing sandpile, turning into a pool of vibrant, eye-catching blood. This blood, like the palm he had seen earlier, quickly disintegrated into countless fragments and pebbles, soon disappearing without a trace.
Chen Chuan stood atop the mountain peak, watching the scattering dust.
Upon entering the Dongxuan Realm, martial artists could be said to have undergone a complete transformation. Even after Yu Wen Xuanqi's death, his body could still reassemble itself. What Chen Chuan witnessed today was that a portion of the body, seemingly capable of forming a complete individual, could engage in combat alone. This made him more intuitively grasp the power of this realm.
In the initial outline, the emphasis was on the significant boost in self-existence strength that martial artists would experience within this realm. Now, it seems that this claim holds true, as evidenced by the recent battle.
The greatest pressure he faced during the fight wasn't the direct confrontation but rather the immense spiritual pressure that was exerted upon him from the very beginning.
This force significantly hindered his combat effectiveness, affecting both his actions and his punches, as if he carried a heavy burden in battle.
Accordingly to the outline's description, this should be a special spiritual pressure resulting from the enhancement of one's life layer. If it were an ordinary Zhangsheng Realm martial artist, they might be immobilized or lose normal physical abilities under such pressure. The opponent could easily defeat them with a single punch, leaving no room for further action.
However, the opponent may not have anticipated that his spiritual strength could counteract their pressure, and he retained normal physical abilities.
It's worth acknowledging that even if the opponent had only sent a small portion of their limb, it fully demonstrated the strength of Dongxuan martial artists. If they had come with their entire body, it would likely require the Second Self Coalescence to engage in battle with them. Perhaps they would even need to employ the Xuan Kong Fire. In truth, he had already decided that when faced with a genuine life-and-death crisis, he wouldn't hesitate to use it.
Although this encounter was somewhat risky, the gains were substantial. He tested himself against the enemy, gaining a clearer understanding of his own weaknesses and strengths for future battles.
He looked towards the distant horizon, his gaze sharpening. Indeed, it was only through exchanging blows with a sufficiently strong opponent that one could identify one's own flaws and vulnerabilities.
Even though his combat power no longer regressed, many things couldn't be learned through isolated experimentation. It was through fighting and sparring with enemies that one could refine and perfect oneself.
He turned around and, after a few steps, pulled out the Xuejun Knife that was stuck in the ground and walked back towards the cave entrance.
The entire mountain's terrain had been altered during the previous battle, but the power of the Ritual remained intact, protecting the entrance, which was relatively intact due to the Ritual's power.
Although the Ritual was ultimately not used, since it had been set up, leaving it there was not a bad idea.
However, the Lost Artifact couldn't be left here. He gestured with his hand, capturing the object and placing it in his Zao Yi before entering the cave entrance. He nodded at Gui Zihang, who was waiting there, and then proceeded back into the depths of the Ritual.
At this moment, the team members were all waiting there. Seeing his safe return, they were overjoyed. He looked at them and said, "The invading enemy has been repelled. The alert is temporarily lifted. You can all go back to your tasks now."
Fan Zhentong said that the enemy wouldn't come again, and this intelligence was likely accurate. The Dongxuan martial artists from the Zhangsheng Realm wouldn't have sent just a part of their limb unless there was a significant reason behind it.
Upon hearing his words, the team members' hearts, which had been hanging, finally relaxed. Especially the Mystery Group and the Technical Expert Group, were delighted, as they could now continue their previous research.
After paying their respects to him, they all left.
Chen Chuan returned to his tent, where Zhaoming had been waiting for him. He chirped upon seeing him and then hopped onto his head. Chen Chuan sat back on the cushion and took out a cloth to wipe the dust off the Xuejun Knife.
As he wiped the blade, he contemplated. He had initially felt that using the Xuejun Knife was inappropriate, thinking that the opponent's spiritual pressure might affect the mutated tissue within the knife. However, in reality, as long as he held the blade and connected with his spirit, the opponent couldn't influence it.
So, it wasn't this reason.
As he carefully thought about it, the sense of inappropriateness was likely because using the knife might expose its uniqueness.
The Xuejun Knife contained something unknown, but its ability to split the Lie Xi indicated that it wasn't ordinary. Perhaps it was even related to some higher-level secrets.
He wasn't sure if the half-limb had any connection with the main body or if it could convey information back to the main body about the battle just now. Using less could reduce exposure, so this choice was undoubtedly correct.
After wiping the knife clean, he placed it aside.
He didn't know how long it would take for Lie Feng Zhanglao to control the Ritual, but during this time, he could only wait here and, at the same time, take the opportunity to quietly cultivate.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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