Chapter 386: The Pursuit
Chapter 386: The Pursuit
After being thrown out, Xu Xianwen slithered across the ground like a snake and quickly moved away from his original position. A barrage of bullets rained down where he had just been, kicking up sand and stones.
The Mo Tie Mountain security team was highly skilled, their marksmanship was exceptional, and they had all activated their implant secretions and internal drug injections, which temporarily enhanced their physical abilities. This allowed them to barely keep up with the fleeting figure ahead and continuously adjust their aim.
However, Xu Xianwen was just too fast, and the fog further hindered their line of sight, making it difficult to track him.
This didn't affect Chen Chuan at all. He could clearly perceive the other's position through his life field, and during combat and high-speed movement, there was no chance to conceal his abilities. So, he accurately leaped towards the location of his opponent.
After breaking free from the gunfire, Xu Xianwen didn't linger at the scene or turn back to continue fighting with Chen Chuan. Instead, he quickly retreated outwards.
When the Mo Tie Mountain security team arrived, the third-limit combatant from the Processing Bureau would also join in, and even the Bureau itself would dispatch personnel upon receiving the news to participate in the encirclement and suppression operation.
This meant there was a possibility of trapping Xu Xianwen here. Fortunately, it was a foggy day, which prevented the small airships above from having a clear view, otherwise, he might not have been able to escape.
As for the team members, since Lao Han was dead, the others were likely gone as well. Xu Xianwen had put considerable effort into assembling this team, and he felt a bit regretful that they had perished.
But at least the funds were still in the account, and as long as the employer could continue to provide resources, he could find a way to rebuild the team.
This failure might disappoint the employer, but he was also their trusted enforcer, and they couldn't afford to lose him now. On the contrary, it was precisely at times like this that they needed to find a way to appease him.
As he sprinted, he could sense Chen Chuan closely pursuing him from behind, which made him feel somewhat uneasy. He decided to wait until they were outside before taking action.
At this moment, he lifted his hand, having noticed earlier that his arm felt soft and weak, lacking strength. It seemed to have lost some vitality.
This was because after Chen Chuan had killed three of Xu Xianwen's team members, he had effectively offered three sacrifices. One of the ritual's effects was that those who had come into close contact with him would have their life force continuously drained.
This included the field domain contact, but Xu Xianwen's life force was exceptionally robust, so the field's absorption had minimal effect on him, and even he himself hadn't noticed it. It was only after their physical contact that the effect became apparent.
Xu Xianwen, having come from the Serpent Sect, took one look and roughly understood the cause. He scoffed and released the essence blood stored in his heart, then clenched his fist, and his arm quickly regained its former vitality.
His body leaned forward, and his speed increased even more. As he passed through, a gust of wind seemed to sweep through, causing dry leaves and branches to swirl into the air. Smaller plants and trees in his path were directly knocked aside, as if he were plowing a path through the forest.
Chen Chuan fixed his gaze on his opponent's field domain, closely pursuing from behind.
He wasn't too concerned about the estate's defenses because the appearance of the Mo Tie Mountain security team meant that Wu Bei had already contacted the Processing Bureau and the estate's security system. The third-limit combatant from the estate would immediately join the pursuit.
As long as Meng Shu remained hidden in the underground room, which was like a fortress, and didn't encounter any powerful external explosions, there wouldn't be any issues for the time being.
Furthermore, when he had formulated the plan, he had already decided that as long as he didn't return, the internal defenses should not be deactivated, and no one should come out.
At this moment, the boundary vessel on his ear suddenly became noisy, and then various clear sounds resumed, indicating that he had left the shielded area, and communication was restored.
Almost at that instant, an emergency call from within the Processing Bureau began flashing on the holographic screen, and a voice asked, "Executor Chen, where are you?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I'm currently pursuing Xu Xianwen."
The person on the other end became noticeably tense, "Executor Chen, can you handle this alone?"
Although Chen Chuan had the record of defeating a Wei Wusheng single-handedly, Xu Xianwen's strength and destructive power far surpassed his, and the two were not on the same level.
Chen Chuan said, "His speed is very fast. We can talk later." With that, he ended the call.
At the Processing Bureau, the resonator immediately reported to the higher-ups. The person in charge, Captain Guan, immediately instructed, "Immediately track Executor Chen's boundary vessel and locate his position!"
"Confirmed and tracked to the location," the resonator said. He immediately displayed Chen Chuan's position on the Processing Bureau's large holographic screen. It was near Mo Tie Mountain, and a light dot was rapidly moving.
Guan looked at the screen and exclaimed in surprise, "He's too fast! At this rate, he'll be out of Mo Tie Mountain's range within three minutes!"
Guan studied the route, which mostly followed the forest and undulating hills. The terrain was complex, and the vegetation was dense, making it inaccessible for regular vehicles and extremely difficult for ordinary people to navigate. However, he glanced at the direction they were heading and noticed a particular spot, thinking, "Is it there?"
"I'm Guan Ziyang, requesting the dispatch of executioners from Districts 25 and 23 to assist in the encirclement near Lulan Lake," he immediately communicated through his Boundary Vessel.
As Xu Xianwen sprinted, he attempted to increase his speed and change directions several times, but Chen Chuan remained close behind.
He was well aware that as long as Chen Chuan was in pursuit, his movements would be clearly observed by the Processing Bureau through the Boundary Vessel. The only way to change that was to either kill Chen Chuan or destroy his vessel.
However, he couldn't do it within the Black Ink Mountain region, as the security forces here were robust. Once they left this area, these pursuers would have no reason to continue.
He glanced ahead and soon reached his destination.
The two of them ran through the mountainous terrain, easily overcoming the obstacles in their path. With a few vertical leaps, they ascended to higher ground, and with a single bound, they crossed a wide gorge. The complex terrain seemed nonexistent, and as they looked down through the mist, the ground and vegetation appeared to be separated by two thin lines, extending rapidly forward.
Soon, they reached a small mountain with a large, artificially maintained clearing. Behind the ancient trees, a sizable ancient temple stood, though it was in a state of severe disrepair.
Upon reaching this place, Xu Xianwen stopped and turned around instead of continuing forward. Despite the long run, he showed no signs of perspiration.
He raised the staff-sword in his hand, gripping it by the hilt, and with a backward motion, the staff extended further, transforming into a long sword. He spun it once, and with a double-handed press, the tip of the sword pointed forward, aiming directly at the approaching Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan halted and scanned the surroundings. They had been running northward, and according to the Boundary Vessel, they were now outside the boundaries of Black Ink Mountain. No specific place name could be found here.
Chen Chuan brandished his long knife but did not engage Xu Xianwen directly. Instead, he reached for the Thunderbolt Pistol concealed within his hooded jacket.
Xu Xianwen's gaze intensified, and before Chen Chuan could draw his pistol, he deflected the gun with his staff, sending the thousand-pound bronze furnace flying forward as if it were made of straw.
Chen Chuan gently deflected the furnace with his knife, causing it to fly away. However, a staff-spear followed, thrusting forward with such force that it seemed to tear through the air.
Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed, and he raised his knife to block the spear. Although he managed to parry the attack, the impact force carried by the spear still caused his body to pause momentarily. The spear tip retreated slightly, but then swiftly returned.
Chen Chuan stepped back, twisting his wrist to sink his knife and disentangle the spear. Xu Xianwen spun with the spear, and the knife and spear clashed repeatedly. Finally, with a loud clash, the weapons collided, causing a circle of dust to explode outward from the point of contact. The bricks beneath their feet cracked, and both weapons were sent flying outward. After retreating a few steps to release the force, they simultaneously raised their weapons again, pointing them at each other.
Xu Xianwen stared at Chen Chuan, recalling how their weapons had entangled, with their kinetic energies clashing continuously. No matter how much force Xu Xianwen exerted, Chen Chuan seemed to effortlessly neutralize it, not only holding his ground but also slightly increasing his strength compared to their initial contact. This both surprised and troubled Xu Xianwen.
Winning under normal circumstances would likely take more than a moment, but he didn't have the luxury of time to spare here.
He narrowed his eyes and, with a quick step backward, swiftly retreated towards the entrance of the ancient temple behind him, covering a distance of several meters in just two steps. His figure flashed, and he disappeared into the temple.
Chen Chuan had already caught up by the time Xu Xianwen entered the temple. However, in that brief moment, Xu Xianwen's Life Field had already been concealed.
Since it was still dark, the faint light from outside illuminated the ground, revealing numerous shattered roof tiles and remnants of offerings.
The temple seemed especially dark and damp, perhaps due to being surrounded by trees. A faintly white light filtered through the cracks in the roof.
Suddenly, Chen Chuan sensed something and turned his head just in time to see the staff-spear's tip silently passing by his ear. He raised his knife to block it, but Xu Xianwen swiftly retracted it, aiming for Chen Chuan's legs. As Chen Chuan's knife returned, Xu Xianwen quickly thrust it towards Chen Chuan's face. Chen Chuan quickly leaned back, and with two clangs, he blocked the stabbing attacks. Sparks flew in the dim environment.
The staff-spear advanced rapidly, and the sound of clashing filled the space, causing dust to fall from above and weaker areas to tremble.
Chen Chuan felt that Xu Xianwen's spear techniques were swift and fierce, targeting his heart and face with each move. Moreover, Chen Chuan sensed that Xu Xianwen's body seemed to twist and turn, constantly changing position, making it impossible to find a suitable opportunity to counterattack. In this dark environment, Xu Xianwen had an even greater advantage.
To avoid passivity, Chen Chuan retreated to the area beneath the roof's cracks, using the faint light to observe and match Xu Xianwen's rhythm.
In the following moments, Chen Chuan parried dozens of Xu Xianwen's spear attacks, gradually adapting to his rhythm. He could also sense his spiritual energy center, the Essence Blood, throbbing slightly.
Even though he couldn't perceive Xu Xianwen's Life Field, he seemed to be able to discern his movements through a more spiritual means, and the vertical red mark on his mask seemed to enhance this effect, as if it had become an additional eye.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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