Chapter 439: Fierce Battle
Chapter 439: Fierce Battle
The Iron Demon Mask's eyes, now a deep crimson, fixed on Chen Chuan as he held the broken twin spears in his hands, seemingly performing some sort of inner and outer breathing technique.
In just a moment, a reddish qi fog emerged from his skin, and the scent of blood or rust on his body intensified.
His aura became even more formidable than before, and the pressure from his biofield was almost overwhelming.
Across from him, Chen Chuan's skin grew scorching hot, and white mist rose from his body, swirling around him without dispersing.
Initially, this white mist was merely heat and moisture, but now, it also contained the aberrant breath exuded by the metamorphic organization as it exerted its full strength.
However, if the coverage of the metamorphic organization wasn't sufficient, and the foundation wasn't robust enough, without a unique breathing method, such a situation wouldn't occur.
The two stood facing each other, the qi fog above them, one white and the other red, rising upwards.
After a brief standoff, their silhouettes flickered, and they charged towards each other, followed by the clashing sound of weapons.
Amid their interweaving dodges and parries, the white mist and red fog collided, but despite the intensity of the battle, they didn't blend; instead, they remained distinctly separate, swirling together for a moment before dispersing into the air, only to converge again in the next instant.
This time, Chen Chuan's Forge Breath Technique clearly demonstrated greater strength, his power evidently surpassing that of the Iron Demon by a fine line. Although their speed remained relatively similar, in reality, Chen Chuan was slightly quicker.
Despite the initial balance between them, even this slight advantage was enough to tilt the scales.
The Iron Demon, at this moment, seemed extremely uncomfortable. Previously, he had suppressed others with his strength or speed, but now, he found himself at a disadvantage in both aspects, being pressured by his opponent.
Moreover, the opponent's strength advantage and the concern of the spear being severed again meant that the Iron Demon had to employ certain techniques to counter each of his moves.
Although his techniques were decent, the impact of the force required the metamorphic organization to absorb, and his mind had to remain highly focused, leading to the continuous rapid depletion of his essence, blood, and mental state.
After over ten minutes of back-and-forth combat, Chen Chuan could clearly sense that the Iron Demon was no longer as formidable as he had been initially.
Despite the Iron Demon's use of a breathing technique to enhance his state, the constant battle, the continuous healing of wounds, and the relentless exploitation of strength resulted in significant depletion. It seemed that he had surpassed his peak period and was now in decline.
On the contrary, due to the second self's responsibility for handling part of the damage, Chen Chuan's essence, blood, and mental state hadn't been excessively depleted, and he maintained the state he had achieved through the Forge Breath Technique.
This dynamic led to a clear outcome: the initial parity in offense and defense had gradually shifted, with the Iron Demon's attacks diminishing and his defensive moves increasing, and his counterattacks becoming less frequent.
This wasn't just a matter of state; his weapon's condition also significantly impacted his performance. The two broken spears, while seemingly functional, weren't what he was accustomed to, and many techniques couldn't be executed with their full potential.
After blocking another of Chen Chuan's saber attacks, the Iron Demon seemed to lack sufficient strength, failing to fully parry the saber, which sliced into his shoulder.
He grunted, and the metamorphic organization quickly condensed on his shoulder, blocking the saber blade. With one hand, he thrust the broken spear to parry the saber, while with the other, he lunged at Chen Chuan.
However, the saber moved swiftly, with a turn and sweep, deflecting the incoming spear. The subsequent horizontal slash was fast and powerful, relying on speed and strength to pressure the opponent.
The Iron Demon's eyes narrowed, and he hastily retreated, but his chest and abdomen felt a chill. At that moment, the gash on his shoulder, recently sliced open, hadn't fully recovered, and a deep, long gash now marred his chest and abdomen.
Chen Chuan didn't let up, continuing to pressure him. The Iron Demon repeatedly retreated, blocking and parrying, but wounds continued to accumulate on his body. Although the injuries were healing, anyone could sense that he had no chance of turning the battle around.
The Iron Demon, too, seemed to realize the unfavorable situation. His eyes hardened, and his body erupted with formidable strength, parrying the saber twice.
Chen Chuan didn't wait for him to launch an attack; instead, he chose to retreat. He was familiar with this burst of power; every time before the person unleashed it, their biofield would surge.
Holding the saber, Chen Chuan stared at the Iron Demon. Regardless of whether the latter was human or something else, as a fighter, he possessed basic combat proficiency. Through the previous battle, he should understand that without a change, threatening him would be difficult. Therefore, if he had any tricks up his sleeve, this was the moment to unveil them.
The Iron Demon, after pushing Chen Chuan back, emitted a deep, muffled sound from his chest, and his body suddenly inflated and contracted. Following this, a shocking scene unfolded as thin, long flesh buds and tendrils emerged from beneath his skin, spreading outward.
Chen Chuan's gaze momentarily focused, and he could identify the extension of aberrant tissue within the body.
After these tendrils emerged, some wrapped around his torso and limbs, while others condensed into several extremely tough limbs, one of which grew out from his arm and dragged on the ground, forming a whip.
Another part spread to the broken spearhead, seemingly wrapping around it, and from within, wisps of red mist emerged.
Chen Chuan witnessed this scene, recalling the entity that had previously possessed Meng Huan, sensing a resemblance between the two, yet feeling they were not quite the same. The previous entity leaned more towards the spiritual, while the one before him was more material.
But at this moment, the biofield it presented was no longer the stable and calm state it once was. Countless cracks appeared on what could still be considered a solid barrier, revealing restlessness and ferocity, as if eager to burst out from the confines.
The presence of these two distinct auras in the same field created a strong sense of contradiction.
Moreover...
Chen Chuan's brow twitched slightly, and in that instant, he seemed to see something writhing behind the Iron Demon, clinging to his body, but it was very vague and thin.
The Xue Jun Saber in his hand trembled slightly, and he glanced at it, noticing the bloodline on the blade's back, dripping with crimson, and thin wisps of light mist floating away.
He looked forward again, at the nearly aberrant entity, and at this moment, he no longer held back. With a thought, his second self instantly merged with him.
Although he hadn't yet reached his previous double strength, his power increased slightly.
He waved the longsword in his hand, and as he swung the blade outward, a natural gust of white mist arose, and he stepped forward.
The Iron Demon, at this moment, also brandished its broken spear and whip-like limbs, approaching Chen Chuan.
As they drew closer, the Iron Demon took the initiative, whipping one of its whip-like limbs towards Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan glanced at the whip's shadow and, while sidestepping, the whip cracked onto the ground, shattering the dirt into pieces. It then lashed again, sweeping towards him.
Chen Chuan took a step to the side, dodging the attack, but the Iron Demon seemed determined to keep him within its range. It stepped forward, displaying a speed that seemed even faster than Chen Chuan's current state.
Just then, Chen Chuan spun, abruptly changing direction. The Iron Demon, keeping its eyes fixed on him, also changed course, but for some reason, it seemed unable to adjust quickly, causing its body to lag slightly.
Chen Chuan's eyes flashed, and in a swift turn, he dashed forward, parrying the broken spear with his sword and then lunging forward with a punch that landed on the Iron Demon's chest and abdomen. The impact reverberated with a booming sound.
The Iron Demon, taken aback by the blow, arched its back.
Chen Chuan's strike was successful, but instead of continuing the offense, he leaped backward, quickly withdrawing.
Almost in that instant, the whip-like limb swept beneath his feet, and he could feel the power as the ground's dust and pebbles were shattered, creating a cloud of dancing sand and dust. He even heard the sound of an explosion, indicating the immense power of the attack.
But no matter the power, if it didn't hit its target, it was useless. Chen Chuan landed, lowering his center of gravity, pausing briefly before surging forward, breaking through the dust cloud with a powerful charge. His longsword clashed with the spear, meeting in a powerful impact.
The spear shaft instantly transmitted a strong force, but Chen Chuan found that although the power was greater than before, the force was not as solid as before, feeling somewhat scattered.
His body's aberrant tissue instantly dissipated the force, not requiring the second self to bear the brunt. Simultaneously, the sword blade pushed outward, unleashing a powerful force, and this strike caused the Iron Demon to retreat several steps.
Chen Chuan lunged forward, delivering a horizontal slash that instantly cut across its chest and ribs. The dense muscles blocked the blade from penetrating too deeply, but he continued to push the Iron Demon backward.
After retreating seven or eight steps, the Iron Demon's foot halted, pressing against the ground to stop its retreat. As it prepared to counter with its sword, Chen Chuan withdrew, waiting for its next move. Then, he swiftly shifted to its side, guiding the blade to slash across its skirt armor, creating a gash from which blood instantly gushed.
The Iron Demon immediately turned and pursued Chen Chuan, who then thrust his longsword forward, pressing it against the Iron Demon's shoulder. As he exerted force, the Iron Demon's center of gravity shifted, and the attack it was about to launch lost its power, forcing it to adjust again.
At this moment, the sword's glow from the front slashed again, and in a flash, it cut through the Iron Demon's chest and shoulder, severing the tendrils wrapped around it, and the bones beneath cracked.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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