Chapter 203: Advantage
Chapter 203: Advantage
Chen Chuan's movements were straightforward and efficient, favoring simple and direct attacks without any fancy techniques.
Instead of engaging in a direct confrontation, Luo Qi opted for a sudden change in strategy, but he soon found himself at a disadvantage. As he watched the blade swiftly approaching, his muscles tensed, and his body twisted and retreated, barely managing to redirect his longsword to block Chen Chuan's incoming strike.
In such a close-quarters battle, the most challenging part was that the opponent always seemed to strike first, forcing him to react and defend. With each move, the opponent gained a slight advantage, and often, the outcome could be decided within just a few exchanges.
Chen Chuan, seizing the momentum, swiftly delivered two powerful slashes. Although both were blocked, the force on Luo Qi's sword weakened with each parry, and his defenses grew more feeble with each attempt.
By the fourth strike, under normal circumstances, it should have connected with the opponent. However, Luo Qi managed to maintain his balance, and if he could avoid the vital points, he might survive with injuries.
Just as Chen Chuan's blade was about to make contact with Luo Qi's body, an unexpected event occurred. At the last moment, Luo Qi's body suddenly jerked, and in an instant, he appeared several meters away, leaving Chen Chuan's blade to slice through only air.
Chen Chuan's strike missed, and the momentum that should have propelled his body forward was abruptly halted. Despite this, his exceptional coordination and the altered organs throughout his body allowed him to regain control, albeit momentarily disrupting his fluid offense.
Meanwhile, at a slightly more distant location, Old Feng had been observing since Chen Chuan approached. After only a brief exchange of words, both men drew their weapons, and in a flash, they disappeared from sight, leaving behind a continuous clashing of blades.
The concrete beneath where they had stood cracked, and clumps of dirt and dust exploded into the air, creating a chaotic scene.
In the blink of an eye, the two figures reappeared, but they were no longer in their original positions. Their clothing was tightly pressed against their bodies due to the high-speed movement, only relaxing after a brief moment.
Chen Chuan turned his gaze towards Luo Qi, who had just made that sudden movement. The force behind it was not what the records indicated, and it was likely not his natural ability but the result of some kind of implant.
Luo Qi, also keenly aware of the implants, had been cautious in his modifications, limiting them to his waist, back, and legs, perfectly complementing his altered organs.
The effects were evident, as demonstrated by his improved speed compared to before.
However, continuous use within a short period would place a significant burden on his body, making it impossible to sustain such rapid and uninterrupted movements. Additionally, his reaction speed and coordination couldn't keep up with such swift and consecutive displacements. Therefore, as he had shown, these techniques were only useful for surprise attacks and evasive maneuvers.
In that brief moment, he had executed the technique twice, causing his muscles to feel slightly swollen.
Chen Chuan rotated his longsword, his mind contemplating his next move. He had originally planned to finish Luo Qi quickly, but it seemed that the latter was fearless, possibly due to brainwashing by the Bureau of Administration.
Chen Chuan had no intention of dying with his opponent; he wanted to enjoy the benefits of his position. Therefore, he decided to slow down the pace of the fight.
He could either wait for the drug's effects to wear off or until the person they had agreed to meet arrived. He had something the other party was interested in and urgently needed, so they wouldn't give up on him.
Chen Chuan glanced at Luo Qi's adjusted stance and sword posture, immediately understanding his intention to prolong the fight.
Luo Qi could create distance at any time, which was indeed a significant test for Chen Chuan. It meant that even if he managed to seize an opportunity to attack, his opponent could still evade at the last moment, ensuring he wouldn't lose. As the fight progressed, Luo Qi's condition gradually improved, making it more challenging to defeat him.
Under these circumstances, Chen Chuan couldn't afford to prolong the fight any further. He had to set aside all concerns and aim for a swift resolution.
Raising his hand, Chen Chuan grabbed the protective mask covering his face and initiated the Furnace Breathing Technique, synchronizing his inner and external breathing.
It had been only a few days since he defeated Tan Wang, and the energy he had accumulated within himself was limited. Therefore, he primarily relied on the substantial drug power he had consumed and stored within his body.
The drug he had taken beforehand was enough to kill an ordinary fighter, and his Second Self had already entered a state of pseudo-transformation. Now, with the breathing technique, he released all that power in an instant! His body temperature rose, and his black windbreaker emitted wisps of white steam as he slowly raised his longsword, pointing it forward.
Chen Chuan had already tested it—Tan Wang and Luo Qi didn't differ fundamentally. Once their speed increased, if Tan Wang couldn't keep up, Luo Qi wouldn't be able to either.
Luo Qi, seeing Chen Chuan about to launch another attack, quickly focused his full attention. To his surprise, Chen Chuan suddenly disappeared from his line of sight.
Luo Qi was shocked, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. Instinctively, his body retreated, creating distance between them. This temporary delay was only effective until Chen Chuan's attack and position could be determined.
Chen Chuan appeared before him, and in the midst of his rapid movement, the short scarf tied behind his back came loose, fluttering in the air. The longsword he had placed behind him, driven by his forward momentum, carved a powerful and graceful arc, slicing towards Luo Qi's location!
Luo Qi's eyes widened, and relying on his instincts and skills, he raised his longsword to parry, deflecting the force of Chen Chuan's blade while retreating with the assistance of his enhanced tendons.
(End)
No matter how fast he retreated, Chen Chuan always managed to catch up in the next instant. As long as his speed increased by a fraction, the advantage he gained in combat was immense. Furthermore, due to the overlap of his second self, he could fully adapt to the current speed and seamlessly coordinate every movement of his body without any gaps.
Luo Qi, on the other hand, was at a complete disadvantage due to the short-range movement limitations of his implants. He could only rely on his muscular instincts to parry the attacks and desperately retreated.
Chen Chuan didn't need to guess that Luo Qi might have used some means to unleash his potential. Although he also had the ability to do so, it required adjustment and couldn't be activated instantly.
He couldn't help but curse these fanatics brainwashed by the Administration Bureau. How much money could they make by risking their lives like this? If they lost their lives, what would be the point of it all? In this life-and-death situation, he had no choice but to seek self-preservation. As an experienced person, he quickly came up with a countermeasure. If this continued, he wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Since he couldn't avoid being slashed, he could try to keep it within an acceptable range for himself, and perhaps he would have a chance to counter-attack a few times.
Once Chen Chuan entered this state, he wouldn't think about anything else and would only focus on his current target. As his advantage accumulated, he found an opening after just five or six slashes, or perhaps it was an opportunity deliberately given by Luo Qi.
If he let this chance pass, he might have to wait for another opportunity later.
But he didn't hesitate.
He thrust his sword, piercing directly through Luo Qi's left abdomen. With the force of the sword, the uniform and the protective gear underneath were easily penetrated, and the altered fascia didn't provide any resistance at all, as if they were mere paper.
Luo Qi had already prepared for this, and this strike didn't damage any vital organs. Such an injury wasn't enough to be fatal, and due to his altered internal organs, it didn't even count as a severe injury. His combat strength remained largely intact, so he grabbed the sword to prevent the wound from expanding, and simultaneously swung his own sword towards Chen Chuan.
At this moment, Chen Chuan made a move that surprised Luo Qi. He abandoned his sword and lunged forward, sticking close to Luo Qi's chest, causing a powerful impact that made Luo Qi lean back. Luo Qi tried to stabilize his body, but his next step caused him to stumble and realize that he was already at the riverbank.
With the impact of the collision, they couldn't stop their momentum and both fell into the river. They were both tall and carried a lot of equipment, causing them to sink quickly.
As soon as Chen Chuan entered the water, he naturally switched to inner breathing. With his agility, he moved behind Luo Qi and grabbed his neck from behind.
In the 16th and 19th books, there are no mistakes in the version!
Luo Qi was startled, but as a fighter, he wasn't an ordinary person. With just a bit of force on his arm, he didn't need to exert himself to choke; he could easily break his opponent's neck.
He quickly braced his arm to avoid his relatively weak neck from facing the full force of Chen Chuan's arm. At the same time, he desperately tried to break free from Chen Chuan's grip on his other limbs, even ignoring the abdominal wound.
However, not only was the ground slippery here, but every time he exerted force, Chen Chuan would easily sway, causing his movements to become distorted.
The most challenging part was that he didn't have Chen Chuan's inner breathing technique. He could only hold his breath, but without a constant supply of oxygen, this continuous exertion of force became a significant burden.
Chen Chuan had trained in the water for a month and was well-adapted to this environment. He knew how to exert force in this situation and how to utilize the water flow to increase his advantage.
This was his home turf.
He wasn't worried about Luo Qi's struggles; he just needed to make a slightly threatening move, and Luo Qi would have to treat it with the utmost seriousness.
In this situation, Luo Qi soon couldn't hold on any longer. His movements quickly became weak and powerless. After spotting the right opportunity, Chen Chuan grabbed Luo Qi's neck and tightened his grip slightly, feeling something in his arm snap.
On the riverbank, Old Feng was running over. He had just seen the sudden splash and noticed that the two had fallen into the water. He grabbed his pistol and rushed over, standing at the edge of the dock, aiming downwards. However, the ripples in the water quickly subsided.
After staring for a while, he suddenly noticed something else. He turned to look at the other side and saw a hand breaking the water's surface and grabbing onto the iron ladder on the shore. Chen Chuan emerged from the water and climbed up, steam rising from his body as the hot water vaporized on his skin.
His other hand held Luo Qi's collar, whose head was hanging limply, and his limbs were dangling powerlessly, showing no signs of life.
When Old Feng saw this scene, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. A smile appeared on his face, and he quickly ran over, reaching out to grab Chen Chuan's arm and pulling him up.
Once Chen Chuan was fully ashore, he looked at Luo Qi's lifeless body being dragged up. Even though he had known that Chen Chuan could handle Luo Qi, seeing Luo Qi dead before him still made him feel a bit unreal.
Chen Chuan stepped forward, drew the Snow Empress Blade from Luo Qi's body, and swung it once. "Agent Feng, do you need to take the body back?"
Old Feng holstered his gun and said, "It's best to take it back. Old Cao might still have a use for it, and we can't forget those materials. Let's take them together."
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Chapter end
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