Chapter 481: The Anomaly
Chapter 481: The Anomaly
Chen Chuan glanced at Ding Mai. The upper half of his body was particularly muscular, making his relatively slender legs seem out of proportion.
Most of the fighters he encountered had well-balanced physiques, appearing harmonious at first glance. Usually, such a situation would indicate an overdeveloped aberration in a specific body part, implying exceptional abilities in certain combat styles.
Moreover, this person possessed aura manipulation skills. At this moment, he could feel a thick aura, but the specifics were not apparent until he moved.
He mentioned that Iron Demon was originally his responsibility, and it might not be just talk. Moreover, dealing with Iron Demon never meant a one-on-one fight.
He did not refuse this person's challenge, especially when sparring with skilled fighters like this could improve his skills, let alone in a situation like this where he would never back down.
He looked at the person's shoulder patch and said, "If Ding Executioner is up for it, let's give it a try."
The people around them, seeing that the two were about to engage in a fight, revealed excited expressions. They immediately stepped back, clearing a large space for them.
Some who didn't know Chen Chuan asked those nearby about him.
Most of those present were from the Convergence Zone's military, and they weren't very familiar with Chen Chuan's past. They only knew that Chen Chuan had defeated Iron Demon, indicating that he was a formidable opponent.
"Can Old Ding win this time?"
"It's hard to say. You've all heard how troublesome Iron Demon is, right? If this person can defeat Iron Demon, even with the help of squad members, it's no simple feat."
"So young, and already a captain."
Someone sighed, their tone filled with admiration but no envy. They were frontline soldiers themselves and understood that fighters on the frontlines might not have high ranks, but those with high ranks were never weak. Anyone weak would have been eliminated by the enemy long ago.
Although Ding Mai was closer to them, they valued actual achievements. Talking about it a thousand times wasn't as impressive as demonstrating strength once.
As they spoke, the young man also moved to the side, his eyes fixed on the scene. There was a hint of anticipation in his gaze.
A tall young man stepped forward and said, "Captain Chen, Ding Executioner, I'm Fang Zhixin, the temporary manager of this training hall and an assistant of Teacher Chen. Since you're going to spar, let me be the referee and ensure fairness."
He suggested, "Since you're both core defenders, I think you should spar without weapons. It's better to avoid injuries. How about some unarmed sparring?"
Ding Mai tilted his neck, loosening it, and said, "I'm fine with that."
Chen Chuan smiled and agreed, "Alright."
The two moved to the side, took off their tops, and then stepped into the arena.
Fang Zhixin looked at both of them and said, "Since you're both ready, let's begin." As he spoke, the low murmurs around them ceased, and everyone's attention focused on the arena.
Chen Chuan looked at Ding Mai. He could confirm that the other party had not trained in mental power, but that didn't mean their combat strength was low. Fighters' performance depended on various factors.
Seeing that Chen Chuan wasn't moving, Ding Mai didn't hesitate. He raised his hands, positioning them in front of his body. He stepped forward, leaning slightly, his gaze fixed on Chen Chuan. After a moment, his entire body charged towards Chen Chuan.
At the same time, the muscles in the upper half of his body seemed to inflate, and his skin subtly changed to a different color, as if covered in a layer of silver-gray iron.
As he charged forward, the impact of his feet on the floor created a powerful boom, an awe-inspiring sound.
While running, his eyes, through the gap between his arms, locked onto Chen Chuan's figure.
He specialized in aberration, concentrating all his advantages at the front. Once he charged, it was almost impossible to stop him. If Iron Demon were here, he was confident he could knock him down.
Most opponents would instinctively choose to dodge at first, regardless of fear. When facing a fierce offensive, they would subconsciously avoid it and then look for weaknesses and gaps to attack.
But this was precisely what Ding Mai wanted to see. The real killing move wasn't here. Due to the unique force, once he charged and changed direction in the middle, his speed and strength would suddenly double, making it impossible to dodge. They could only face his charge head-on.
Almost everyone who encountered this move for the first time would get hit.
The onlookers, seeing Ding Mai charge, eagerly awaited the next scene. They were curious to see how Chen Chuan would handle the impact after dodging.
After observing Ding Mai's actions, Chen Chuan made a move contrary to everyone's expectations. He stepped back, pressing his center of gravity forward, extending his hand, and pressing it onto Ding Mai's arm that was swinging horizontally in front of him!
He chose to confront the charge head-on.
At this moment, the two fighters' qi clashed inevitably, and Ding Mai's momentum suddenly stopped.
Those with sharp eyes could see strands of qi accompanying the ripples on Ding Mai's clothes, rising from his calves like ripples, and moving upward in circles, eventually converging at the point of impact.
Even by just looking, one could sense the immense power emanating from within.
But Chen Chuan blocked it with a single hand, causing the floor beneath him to barely sink, as if it didn't bear the brunt of the force.
This was because his Aberration absorbed and dissipated the incoming force internally, preventing most of it from being transmitted downward.
However, the most crucial aspect wasn't this; it was that through the connection of their spirits and auras during contact, he clearly perceived the aura information that Ding Mai had concealed earlier. Through this, he understood the latter's flow and direction of power.
If it had been anyone else, even if they had seen this, they might have been able to withstand the force, but they would have inevitably been pushed backward or had their feet sink into the ground. Yet, under the influence of mental power, their thoughts and bodies achieved a high level of coordination, allowing them to allocate and adjust to every ounce of the opponent's strength reasonably.
Moreover, not only was he dissipating the opponent's impact, but he was also accumulating counterattacking power simultaneously.
When Ding Mai's power reached its peak, Chen Chuan's eyes flashed, and he grabbed the hand in front of him with his five fingers. Then, with a lift of his arm, he lifted Ding Mai into the air, holding him there for a moment before turning around and slamming him onto the ground with a powerful force!
A loud boom reverberated, and the training ground's floor shook, sending ripples outward. The onlookers standing at a distance felt as if the ground beneath them was undulating.
Despite the force of the impact, Ding Mai didn't seem to have suffered any significant injury. He instinctively shrank back, still trying to struggle to his feet, but at that moment, a fist came smashing into his forehead, causing the back of his head to hit the floor with another loud thud.
The impact itself wasn't severe, but the force that accompanied the fist struck his brain, causing him to suddenly go dark before his eyes, and his body went limp, his limbs slackening. He stared blankly upward.
Chen Chuan stood up and said, "Executive Ding, I apologize for my victory."
The arena fell silent, and the spectators watched in astonishment at the outcome. They had expected the sparring session to end quickly, but they never imagined it would be over so swiftly, with the victor decided in just one move.
The scenario they had envisioned didn't happen at all.
At that moment, they heard a cracking sound and looked over in surprise. The sound was coming from a puppet that Chen Chuan had just struck. The puppet's body began to emit cracking and shattering noises from within, and then it broke apart piece by piece until it shattered completely, falling to the ground with a clatter.
This was because Chen Chuan's previous attack had already cracked its structure and every joint, and the intense vibrations from the fight caused it to break apart entirely.
The onlookers were somewhat puzzled, but the young man was shocked. He clenched his fists, looked up at Chen Chuan, and his face was filled with admiration.
Fang Zhixin also reacted and immediately announced, "Captain Chen has won." He quickly went to help Ding Mai dissipate the force, trying to help him recover as soon as possible.
He had thought this was a minor issue, as he had dealt with similar situations before, but after trying, he found that Ding Mai remained motionless, only able to move his eyes to look at the crowd. He couldn't speak.
Seeing this, several others immediately came forward to try, but to no avail. Some even used Recovery Medicines to help him, but he still couldn't stand up.
This made everyone feel that something was wrong.
Ding Mai was a Third Limit Combat Solver; even if he had been hit by a hammer, let alone a punch, as long as his head wasn't blown up or his brain shattered, he should have been able to recover quickly. They couldn't understand the situation before them.
Fang Zhixin knew he had to find the right person. He approached Chen Chuan and sincerely said, "Captain Chen, please show mercy."
Chen Chuan hadn't expected this situation. He thought for a moment and realized that in his previous strike, not only was there physical force, but there was also a mental power mixed in. It was an instinctive move, and he hadn't thought much about it beforehand.
Could this be the reason?
He walked over, and the crowd parted, allowing him to reach Ding Mai. He saw that Ding Mai could only look at him, and only his eyes could move. So, he reached out and touched his forehead, sensing that this was indeed the reason.
Ding Mai's Aberration, interfered with by Chen Chuan's mental power, couldn't accept the consciousness from its original owner, as if it were being jammed. This prevented him from self-recovery, leaving him unable to move.
This was also because Ding Mai had briefly lost consciousness when he was slammed to the ground, leading to this situation. Normally, the Aberration and the original consciousness would be in harmony, making it less susceptible to such an attack. It was a fortunate coincidence.
Chen Chuan didn't explain; he dissipated the mental power, and as the interference vanished, Ding Mai immediately returned to normal, and his body began rapid repairs.
Chen Chuan stood up amidst the crowd's questioning gazes and slightly awe-filled eyes, saying, "He's fine now."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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