Chapter 547: Application
Chapter 547: Application
After being knocked away, Yu Lie rolled on the ground, finally managing to dissipate the powerful force. When he got up, he witnessed an astonishing scene ahead.
He was shocked, having personally experienced the power of this bug, whose altered tissues and sheer mass made it impossible to resist when it charged. Yet, this person effortlessly sliced it in half with a simple wave of the hand, displaying incredible strength.
But then, a thought excited him. The newcomer was from the Special Operations Group, and to be honest, Chen Bitong had put him under immense pressure. Now, with the group's members possessing such capabilities, they had a chance against Chen Bitong.
He composed himself, noting that this person hadn't exposed his identity. Perhaps they didn't know, or they had other plans, so he could only remain undercover.
Beside him, Fang Zhixin showed a hint of tension. Having spent the most time with Chen Bitong, he had the most experience and recognized the origin of that strike: "This is... Fragmentation Force... and more..."
Fragmentation Force was a relatively challenging technique in the military, rarely demonstrating such power in ordinary people. This strike likely combined spiritual and physical strength, resulting in such devastating force.
This person was an opponent on par with Teacher Chen.
Lao Hu, after delivering that strike, ignored the bug split in two, keeping his eyes fixed on Chen Bitong.
Yu Lie and Fang Zhixin both witnessed his astonishing strike, but they were more wary of Chen Bitong's silent evasion of the beetle's attack.
Yu Lie was certain Chen Bitong hadn't moved.
He surmised that Chen Bitong had likely established a connection between his spiritual power and the rift, momentarily entering its gap, preventing the beetle from hitting him.
Achieving this level required not only spiritual power cultivation to perfection but also unique skills and talents.
However, Yu Lie had never seen similar abilities from Chen Bitong before.
Had he mastered this within the last five years, or...?
Regardless of the reason, Yu Lie needed to reassess Chen Bitong's strength.
In a hoarse voice, he spoke, "Chen Bitong, among your former teammates, only I survived, while the rest died or were crippled. Yet, only you were hailed as a hero.
Is this reputation truly yours alone? I've never agreed with that, but after today, you'll no longer be anyone's hero."
Chen Bitong replied calmly, "I've never thought of myself that way."
Lao Hu scoffed, "That's what I hate most about you. You've gained so much, yet you act as if it's nothing."
His eyes flashed dangerously, "So, let's end this talk here..."
As he slowly raised his hand, his posture lowered, ready to strike. Simultaneously, a sense of danger and invisible pressure emanated from him.
Behind them, Yu Lie and Fang Zhixin tensed, feeling the pressure despite their distance. It made breathing difficult.
In contrast, nothing could be sensed from Chen Bitong, as if he didn't exist.
Just as the two were about to clash, lightning flashed within the rift, and sounds emerged. Fang Zhixin and Yu Lie exchanged glances and immediately turned back to the rift.
Several shadows emerged from the rift, growing larger. With a loud boom, a row of cavalrymen charged out at incredible speed.
Leading them were three Third Limit Duty Samurai, forming a line, each five meters apart. From the side, their horses' chests created a horizontal line, connected by traction ropes, maintaining a synchronized rhythm even at high speeds. Their long spears were raised, aimed forward.
Yu Lie and Fang Zhixin's expressions changed, not just from the overwhelming pressure but also from the coordinated auras of the three, their forces almost merged by the traction ropes. This wasn't a force they could confront head-on, so they quickly dodged to the sides.
Following this row of cavalry, another row charged out, consisting of Third Limit cavalrymen.
Row after row emerged. This was the Former Imperial Court's "One-Nine Formation," with a row of Duty Samurai at the forefront, followed by multiple rows of ordinary cavalrymen, from one to nine without a fixed number. One formation would charge, then another, repeatedly, breaking through even the most solid formations on ancient battlefields.
Fang Zhixin and Yu Lie, having dodged, noticed a weakness in the formation's flanks. They tried to intercept the cavalry before they all emerged.
But they soon realized it wasn't that simple. The riders on the left and right sides untied their traction ropes, splitting to the sides and circling behind, presenting a flanking attack.
If there were more skilled fighters within the rift, they could attack from the front and rear, killing them within the formation in an instant.
Thus, they had to abandon this idea and withdraw from the flanking range.
At the front, the leader urged his horse forward, leading the rear cavalry with their spears aimed at the seemingly unremarkable figure of Chen Bitong, who seemed to be effortlessly dodging the onslaught. As the horse charged, it seemed to pass through a mere illusion, leaving Chen Bitong untouched.
Old Hu's eyes narrowed on Chen Bitong, and with an exasperated tone, he said, "Get out of my way." With a single hand, he struck the spear shaft, and the force of that blow sent the opposing knight and his horse flying sideways.
Old Hu then leaped forward, heading directly for Chen Bitong. As he moved, the ground beneath the charging heavy cavalry erupted, creating a massive trench, and with their bodies torn apart, one of them pointed a finger at Chen Bitong's face.
Outside this area, Li Zhuanyuan's second emergency team had arrived and positioned themselves on a high billboard, observing the situation.
One of them, a man in his forties with a goatee, deep blue tie, and a neatly pressed dark gray Government Hall uniform, was none other than Nie Guanshan from the Government Hall.
The other, a thirty-five or thirty-six-year-old man with short hair, thick lips, and narrow eyes that exuded contempt, held a cigarette in his mouth. He wore a military uniform, but his hat was worn askew, and the uniform was casually draped over his body. This was Yang Can from the Defense Department.
According to the Defense Department's assessment, both Chen Bitong and these two men were of the same rank, but Chen Bitong's reputation and prestige far surpassed theirs.
Instead of rushing in, they stopped at a distance to observe. After witnessing Chen Bitong dodging the bug's impact, they came to the same conclusion as Old Hu.
Yang Can, squinting, said, "This wasn't mentioned in the intelligence. With his skills, Chen Bitong is unlikely to lose a one-on-one fight in front of the rift."
"Even if we teamed up, it would be difficult to defeat him," Nie Guanshan agreed. With such skills, as long as the rift remains, he can rely on it. Even if they were to bombard that area, it wouldn't pose a threat to Chen Bitong.
He watched as Old Hu engaged Chen Bitong, "If we had him, it would be enough."
Yang Can flatly refused, "Impossible. The Temporary Special Action Committee won't cooperate with us. We should be grateful if they don't obstruct us."
"I still believe the previous tactic is feasible," he said. "Although the situation has changed, if we can find someone to restrain Chen Bitong when we launch our attack, it's still doable. We need to request additional help from above."
"Such a person won't be easy to find in a short time," Nie Guanshan replied.
Yang Can, unconcerned, said, "It's not our problem. Let the Defense Department figure it out. If they can't find such help, we'll refuse to engage. We don't need to fight battles we can't win."
Nie Guanshan nodded, "Since Colonel Yang has this opinion, let's make the request."
Inside the command center, Li Zhuanyuan quickly received the request from the two men, along with their reasons. He could sense from their words that they would refuse to engage if suitable personnel weren't provided.
Li Zhuanyuan frowned slightly. These two men, having participated in the upper-level plan, had a certain degree of autonomy and the right to make suggestions. They could refuse tasks they deemed inappropriate.
The best solution at the moment was to dispatch another team.
Li Zhuanyuan had Team One, which was no weaker than Team Two, but he couldn't concentrate all his powerful teams in one place. Doing so would be a waste and make control more challenging.
With the sixth and even seventh waves of splits about to arrive, he also had to consider the more dangerous situations that might arise. But if he didn't use these men, where could he find suitable replacements? He pondered for a long time before instructing his female assistant, "Connect me with Captain Chen."
At that moment, Chen Chuan stood before the rift, guiding the Spirit Illumination Reflection Technique, using his spiritual power to absorb the essence from another world while remaining vigilant.
Initially, people were approaching this area, but as time passed, their numbers gradually dwindled. Perhaps they realized the difficulty of breaching this area, or maybe they learned that the split bodies had been destroyed, making this location less significant. Naturally, the company-hired team no longer needed to focus on this area.
Even the fighters yearning to approach the Heavenly Gateway turned back after discovering the tight defense. With rifts appearing in other parts of Central City, they didn't need to persist here and could seek opportunities elsewhere.
Despite the absence of these people, various creatures continued to emerge from the other side, including some that caused significant trouble. Numerous creatures now lay defeated around Chen Chuan.
At that moment, Jie Pingli, about to make a connection, noticed a flicker of light on the other side, as if something massive was about to emerge.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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