Chapter 179: The Limit
Chapter 179: The Limit
As Jing Lin hovered in the air, one hand rested on his cheek while the other extended straight forward.
As the distance rapidly closed in, the outstretched hand seemed to be a fair distance from Chen Chuan, but suddenly, the arm muscles twitched, and it abruptly extended further, reaching directly in front of Chen Chuan's face, about to touch his collar in the next moment.
Just then, Chen Chuan's figure darted forward, dodging the hand in the nick of time. In a blink, he appeared right before Jing Lin, his timing and rhythm impeccably precise.
Jing Lin's face broke into a smug smile. As Chen Chuan approached, he suddenly ripped his mouth open, tearing it all the way to his ear, revealing sharp teeth within. He lunged forward, ready to bite Chen Chuan.
But before he could complete this move, a powerful fist slammed into his abdomen, sending a burst of force through his body.
Jing Lin grunted, his body arching backward from the impact. His feet and hands stretched forward, and even his snake-like tongue shot out.
Chen Chuan raised his hand again, grabbing Jing Lin's head and disdainfully flinging him to the side. Jing Lin went flying, crashing to the ground and rolling over several times before coming to a stop in a twisted position, his eyes rolled back, mouth agape, already unconscious.
Chen Chuan merely glanced at him casually before turning his attention back to the front. From start to finish, his focus had never truly been on Jing Lin, nor did he pay much attention to what the man was saying. His attention remained fixed on the vehicle behind, for he knew that was where today's real challenge lay.
Tan Wang sat in the car, watching ahead. On his way back, he had brought Jing Lin along for some modifications. Although they were low-grade implants about to be disposed of and not well-suited to him, they still significantly enhanced his combat abilities compared to before.
He had hoped that Jing Lin could take care of Chen Chuan, sparing him the trouble. Even if Jing Lin failed, he could at least enjoy the show. But he hadn't expected the fight to be over in a single exchange. It seemed the information wasn't exaggerated after all.
Looks like he'd have to take care of things himself.
After all, Jing Lin was just a fighter who hadn't yet crossed the threshold.
He pushed the door open, stepped out of the car, straightened his imported formal wear, closed the door, and slowly walked towards Chen Chuan.
When he reached Chen Chuan, he stopped and glanced at the defeated Jing Lin on the ground. He stroked his chin, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice as he said, "You broke my toy. There should be some compensation, right?"
Chen Chuan looked at him calmly and said, "Teacher Tan, I know why you're here."
"Oh... so you do."
Tan Wang suddenly found the situation uninteresting. "Why did you have to say that? It's so boring. You could have lived a little longer."
Chen Chuan stabbed his sword into the ground and unbuttoned his collar, saying, "I'm actually quite happy to see you, Teacher Tan."
"Oh?"
Tan Wang was intrigued by Chen Chuan's words. He found Chen Chuan's behavior interesting and decided to play along. "Why is that?"
Chen Chuan unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and flung it to the side. Then, he reached for the sword's hilt, his hair and shirt collar fluttering in the wind. "Because you carry significant weight. You're an indispensable piece of the puzzle."
At that moment, dark clouds gathered overhead, casting a gloom over the land. The wind picked up, causing countless reeds to dance in the air. A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a deep rumble of thunder that seemed to roll right past them.
Tan Wang's narrow eyes narrowed further, seemingly displeased with Chen Chuan's tone.
But he also found it odd. Usually, no matter how his prey reacted, he only felt curiosity and interest, not this current sense of aversion.
He looked up at the sky, attributing his feelings to the weather.
With his hands in his pockets, he said, "It's about to rain. I don't want my new clothes to get wet, so I'm sorry, but you'll have to die quickly."
As he spoke, his body leaned forward, and as he took a step, the dancing reeds, swirling branches, and tiny raindrops around him seemed to slow down.
Upon reaching the third limit, a fighter's nerve response speed and physical coordination surpass their previous limits. Actions taken by fighters below this limit appear in slow motion to them, making it impossible to keep up with their movements and speed.
Moreover, he had implanted enhancements, which most fighters only used to enhance a specific aspect of their bodies. This inevitably led to imbalances, like a limping giant.
But with these implants, he could compensate for many shortcomings, gaining a more comprehensive ability. Thus, he could withstand greater intensity and maintain this state for longer periods.
Facing Chen Chuan, he felt more like a cat toying with a mouse.
As he approached Chen Chuan, he noticed the latter's seemingly immobile figure and smirked. He extended a hand, reaching for Chen Chuan's face.
Chen Chuan had been keeping a close eye on Tan Wang, but in his line of sight, the figure suddenly disappeared, yet he didn't panic. As another flash of lightning lit up the sky, his second self, who had been standing beside him, suddenly vanished, and in that moment, they merged into one!
Chen Chuan's gaze once again captured Tan Wang's figure. He watched as Tan Wang's hand gradually approached, and with a swift spin, he drew out his blade, creating a shimmering flash of sword light!
Tan Wang immediately sensed something amiss when he saw Chen Chuan's gaze. His well-honed danger perception allowed him to react swiftly, raising his hand.
A metallic clanging sound rang out as he directly blocked the sword strike with his arm, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face. Chen Chuan's speed had suddenly increased in that instant.
Before Tan Wang could fully comprehend what had happened, the sword light flashed again, and Chen Chuan slashed towards him repeatedly. Tan Wang quickly retreated to dodge, using various parts of his body to block the sword strikes.
It was evident that Tan Wang's face and body were covered in dense scales, a result of his implanted scale armor. After merging with his altered tissue, it could withstand small-caliber firearms and various sword slashes due to the force dissipation and the highly resilient muscles beneath the skin membrane.
He didn't need additional weapons because he himself was a weapon.
After blocking over a dozen sword strikes, Tan Wang gradually recovered from the state of being on the defensive. After blocking another thrust, his leg and back muscles twitched, and he suddenly leaped backward with an unconventional posture, quickly escaping the range of the sword strikes.
He performed an aerial somersault and landed, standing firm once more.
Although he had escaped the sword strikes, the relentless slashes had turned his imported formal attire into strips of cloth.
A thunderous rumble accompanied another peal of thunder, and the long-awaited torrential rain finally fell, quickly creating a dense, splashing sound on the ground.
Holding the long sword in one hand and resting the other on the sword's spine, Chen Chuan slanted it in front of him and said, "It seems like Teacher Tan won't need to change clothes after all."
Tan Wang snorted, tearing off the tattered remnants of his clothing, revealing a body covered in grayish-green scales.
At that moment, the muscles around his eye sockets twitched, and his eyes suddenly turned into vertical pupils.
This was his altered serpent eyes, which, by expanding the pupil's range, could receive more light, enhancing visual acuity, especially suitable for combat in such dim environments.
Chen Chuan glanced at his own scales and felt that when he had struck with the sword, the force couldn't land effectively and was deflected by a resilient force. Besides the scales' inherent function, there should also be force dissipation involved.
As a higher-level fighter, Tan Wang should have extensive experience dealing with sword-like weapons, so it wasn't surprising that he could do this.
Tan Wang didn't lose out in that exchange because using force to dissipate attacks also consumed stamina. Even if he had reached the third limit, he couldn't sustain infinite force. Chen Chuan had forced him to use force to block ordinary sword strikes, which, tactically speaking, was a gain for Chen Chuan.
After merging with his second self, as long as he didn't suffer severe impact, Chen Chuan could maintain a combat state for eight hours. How long could Tan Wang, even at the third limit, continuously output force?
At this moment, Tan Wang stared at Chen Chuan for a while, his eyes no longer holding the initial ease of toying with his prey. He was astonished that Chen Chuan's speed could match his own. What drug had he used?
"Is it a new drug from 'Heavenly Herbs'?"
This was the most likely possibility. Outside the Central City, there were no such advanced implants, but various unapproved drugs were circulating, sometimes producing unique effects.
However, by doing so, Chen Chuan had essentially raised his reaction speed and agility to a level almost on par with Tan Wang's. The advantage he had over lower-limit fighters was now gone.
Fortunately, most drugs had a limited duration. Once the drug's effect wore off, Tan Wang would be left more exhausted and possibly with a severely damaged body.
Chen Chuan was a whole, and even though he had only reached the second limit, he couldn't have the physical strength of the third limit. Being forcibly enhanced by the drug didn't mean there was no damage; it was merely suppressed temporarily.
This drug was still useful. He could inquire about it after the fight and possibly make a profit to compensate for his losses.
His mind raced with thoughts as he slowly spread his legs, standing still without taking the initiative to attack. He was waiting for the drug's effect to wear off.
Chen Chuan didn't choose to confront Tan Wang directly. He wanted to force Tan Wang to engage him, maintaining constant pressure on Tan Wang to keep using force to block, continuously depleting his stamina, and gradually increasing his chances of victory.
Chen Chuan took a step forward and, with the momentum, executed a slashing strike. The sword sliced through the torrential rain, creating a perfect arc of water.
However, this action, as seen by Tan Wang, confirmed his deduction. Tan Wang snorted, took a step back, and moved backward with astonishing speed, his figure becoming blurry as if he had suddenly disappeared.
But after Chen Chuan took that step forward, his figure seemed to vanish as well, and then a series of clanging sounds of collision and impact filled the air.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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