Chapter 291: The Decisive Strike
Chapter 291: The Decisive Strike
Chen Chuan Neng sensed the breathing of the Shadow Walker, which, despite being relatively steady, had a slight irregularity. As a fighter, this indicated that his injuries were more severe than they appeared, and it was likely that the altered tissue inside his body had also been affected.
Based on his experience, he could tell that the injury had occurred no more than half an hour ago, yet there were no signs of a struggle here. Unless the person had a self-harming tendency, it was highly probable that this was related to the haunting tale.
It seemed that his successful resistance against the haunting tale was causing this person trouble at the moment.
However, Chen Chuan Neng could help him get rid of these effects.
He looked at the long staff pointing at him, thrust the Snow Lady Sword into the ground, gripped the hilt, and walked forward. As the sword scraped against the ground, he slowly drew it out.
Before the sword was fully unsheathed, the Shadow Walker pushed off with his supporting leg, causing his body to surge forward. With a push from his rear hand, the staff was thrust towards Chen Chuan Neng.
Chen Chuan Neng deflected the staff with his sword, horizontally blocking it. With a loud clang, he felt a powerful force pushing towards him, and the layers of force first traveled along the sword and then seeped into his arm, making him feel as if he were being pushed and unable to move.
If it weren't for his mastery of unloading techniques and his ability to instinctively use the altered tissue to eliminate these forces, he might have lost control of the sword in this situation without the aid of his second self.
A technique-based opponent?
He couldn't help but recall Teacher Zheng's words; this type of opponent was his most despised kind, and he knew he had to finish them off quickly.
The Shadow Walker, with one hand on the end of the staff, maintained a steady forward-pushing stance and muttered, "You've taken the medications."
This was just a test; if they hadn't taken the medications, a fighter below the third limit wouldn't even be able to keep up with his previous move, and a single staff strike could kill them.
Although the effects of the medications usually didn't last long, he could wait for them to wear off and then take them down with less effort. But at this moment, he dared not delay.
Since this person had come alone, they must have prepared, and there might be reinforcements on the way. Moreover, this place was clearly exposed, so he needed to finish them off quickly and leave.
Chen Chuan Neng stared ahead. Although Teacher Zheng's words were correct, he didn't possess Teacher Zheng's techniques, and this was a rare opponent. He wanted to use this person to hone his skills.
Previously, the high state after the second self's overlap had a time limit, but now his original body could reach this state, and the second self could withstand various assaults. He didn't need to rush for results.
After all, finding sparring partners wasn't easy.
With a slight exertion of force, the Snow Lady Sword was fully drawn out with a clang. He slowly raised the sword, pointing it forward.
From a certain distance, the tips of the two weapons slowly approached each other. Both maintained their stances, breathing evenly, and just as the two weapons were about to touch, they moved simultaneously.
With a loud clang, the weapons collided. On the Shadow Walker's side, as the staff knocked the sword aside, the tip of the staff also slightly veered outward.
At this moment, his upper arm remained still, but his center of gravity sank and then rose. His wrist followed suit, and a rotational force emerged from below, gathering layer by layer until it reached the staff.
In that instant, the staff, which had been slightly bent outward, suddenly straightened. He took half a step forward and pushed the staff forward, rapidly concentrating all the force at the tip. Once again, it thrust towards Chen Chuan Neng's head.
Chen Chuan Neng unloaded the impact force that had entered the sword during the collision, then raised the sword and blocked the staff's path. Although he successfully deflected the staff, the force on the staff rubbed against the sword, causing it to vibrate. Subtle forces continuously penetrated his body, and even as he tried to reduce them, he felt a prickly sensation.
The tip of the staff, which had been thrust forward, pierced the rain curtain, exposing it to the rain falling behind. The rain seemed to explode outward, indicating the strength of the force.
The Shadow Walker, with a backward sweep, changed the thrust into a sweep, horizontally striking towards Chen Chuan Neng. Chen Chuan Neng dodged by bending forward, intending to raise his sword and close in. But as he did so, the staff swept back again. He stepped back, and a gust of wind from the sweep passed in front of his face, even stirring the rain curtain.
By now, Chen Chuan Neng had reached the rain curtain and took several large steps back, retreating to outside the eaves.
The Shadow Walker followed, maintaining the distance where the tip of the staff just barely reached him. After they exited, the Shadow Walker quickened his pace, and with another diagonal strike, Chen Chuan Neng seized the opportunity as his opponent passed through the door, making it inconvenient for him to wield the staff. Chen Chuan Neng took a quick step forward, using his sword to block the staff and attempting to initiate his sword techniques within the inner circle.
As the force met the staff, it shook the staff, unloading the force. Simultaneously, the staff pressed downward, instantly pinning the raised sword. There was a sticky force on the staff, and Chen Chuan Neng couldn't break free. The long sword was twisted around the staff twice, and the staff suddenly swept outward.
This move, after two preparatory moves, could have disarmed the long sword with a single release of full force, or even thrown the entire person. But the Shadow Walker's altered tissue was damaged, and his force wasn't sufficient, so he couldn't deliver the full force.
Chen Chuan Neng felt a powerful force transmitted through the sword, as if someone had grabbed the sword and was pulling it forcefully. He stepped back with his rear foot, sinking his center of gravity. His two altered tissues simultaneously generated a sinking force, firmly holding the sword and keeping his body steady.
Just then, the water mist that had been scattered by the initial staff strike finally dispersed in the air. Water droplets carrying a chill landed on both of them, and the surrounding branches and rain curtain swayed.
You Xing swiftly swung his staff, then withdrew his hands and took a step back, slightly rebreathing.
Chen Chuan tore off his outer garment, revealing his black attire beneath. As the rain fell, it landed on his body, and faint white mist emanated from his skin under the front door light, giving him a white glow.
With his backhand, he braced the knife, supporting the knife's spine with one hand, and stared ahead at his much-anticipated opponent. Through real combat, he could also gain more insights.
You Xing's bloodshot eyes fixed on him, and behind him, a haunting tale watched. He wanted to end the fight quickly, resolve the imminent crisis, and after a quick adjustment, without any unnecessary words, he charged forward a few steps. He shifted his grip forward, then held the staff behind his back, and with a sudden spin, using rotational force, he swung the staff out. The rain in front seemed to be sliced by a sharp blade, creating a semi-circular shock wave.
Chen Chuan avoided the attack by stepping back, then seized the opportunity to block the staff's path with his knife in that direction while stepping forward, causing the ground beneath his feet to shatter. The broken pieces hadn't even landed when he swept them forward, carrying them along.
You Xing placed his front hand on the staff, then pressed down with his back hand, intentionally exposing the rear end of the staff. With precise timing, he struck the front of the knife, knocking it aside. Simultaneously, his front hand pressed down, causing the staff to spin and smash towards him.
Chen Chuan, guided by his opponent's clever force, couldn't help but lift the knife upwards, exposing a vulnerable point. However, instead of forcing it down, he went with the flow, raising his hand to face the incoming staff. He continued to step forward, lifting the long knife's handle upwards, blocking the falling staff with a clanging sound.
In the moment of collision, a force poured down the staff, shattering the ground beneath his feet, almost burying both his feet.
Chen Chuan didn't use all his altered tissue to withstand this attack; he would do so during practice. Now, he preferred to endure the impact with his muscles, keeping his altered tissue in a fully controllable state.
Chen Chuan couldn't match his opponent's skill, but he could overpower him with sheer force. This hard block was the opportunity he'd been waiting for. As he inhaled, his altered tissue tensed, and an unstoppable force erupted from the point of contact between the staff and the knife.
You Xing immediately felt the shift in force, and although he could have neutralized it, the damage to his altered tissue prevented him from making such timely and subtle adjustments. Consequently, the staff was knocked upwards, and the force above it pushed him back two steps.
Chen Chuan seized this chance and swiftly brought his knife down towards his opponent. You Xing, in retreat, spun the staff horizontally in front of him.
With a loud 'clang,' the downward force of the strike caused Chen Chuan's knees to bend, and his feet sank into the ground, his ankles buried in the mud beneath, as if nailed in place.
Chen Chuan realized his mistake; without the momentum of his body, the staff's power was significantly reduced.
Chen Chuan forced his opponent into a direct confrontation. You Xing paused, finding the rhythm of their previous training.
As Chen Chuan pressed down, he simultaneously pulled back, then twisted his wrist, executing a backhand sweep. You Xing's eyes narrowed, and he pushed the staff to the side, intending to block the knife and use the momentum to propel himself forward. However, the force transmitted through the knife was feeble, lacking the previous powerful force.
You Xing's misjudgment didn't cause him to over-exert his force, but his injuries prevented him from escaping. Chen Chuan shifted his knife, delivering another downward strike. You Xing had no choice but to block with the staff again.
Chen Chuan unleashed a series of over a dozen strikes, and although You Xing was immobilized, each block was perilously close. Relying on his solid foundation, he maintained his defense without faltering.
The force of their collision caused the shattered bricks and wood to fly outwards, and the overhead lights swayed violently, as if a vortex was expanding outward from their confrontation.
You Xing had reached his limit, and due to his limited mobility, many of his techniques were difficult to execute. In contrast, the force transmitted through Chen Chuan's knife was solid, and although he neutralized a portion of the impact with his altered tissue, each strike pushed him down a little further. Now, the mud was almost up to his calves.
Furthermore, having lost the initiative, his injured altered tissue couldn't recover without rebreathing. On the twenty-first strike, You Xing's strength failed, and the staff slipped from his hand, flying away. His chest was wide open, and a cold glow flashed. Before he could react, the knife had pierced his heart.
Looking up at Chen Chuan's calm eyes, You Xing knew what was coming next. Fear filled his gaze.
"Wait, wait, I..."
"Sorry," Chen Chuan apologized. "My apologies. Farewell." He stepped back, withdrew the knife, and with a swift motion, slashed backwards. The knife sliced through the air, and with a whoosh, You Xing's head flew off, rolling towards the cat statuette. It bounced back once before coming to a stop.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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