Chapter 560: Duty
Chapter 560: Duty
Chen Chuan stood at the edge of the rift, holding a knife, and waited for a while. Soon, he saw three mounted samurai riding towards the top of the mountain. After reaching the other side of the rift, they dismounted and walked towards him.
The first one was fully armored, wearing a faceplate, and holding a white jade spear. He was clearly an elite Devoted Guard.
This person's rank might be similar to the Iron Demon he encountered before, but judging from the sense of threat emanating from his spirit, his strength might be even higher. The two behind him were Companion Guards.
After entering the rift, the Devoted Guard immediately spotted Chen Chuan, and his eyes behind the faceplate seemed to flicker with surprise. Without hesitation, he immediately underwent a transformation, and white mutated tendrils sprouted from his body.
This was not an unexpected encounter, but rather, the person had come to deal with the issue on the mountain, so he held nothing back and immediately entered his peak state.
At this moment, Chen Chuan also stepped forward with his knife. His strides were very calm, as if he didn't care about the opponent's transformation at all.
Just as the opponent's spiritual power was about to transform, but before it could fully merge with his original body, Chen Chuan's eyes flashed, and he used the 'Divine Hammer' technique to collide with him! Previously, he might have needed to rely on a medium like a weapon to use this technique, but now he was able to strike from a distance.
Upon this collision, the Devoted Guard's spirit momentarily experienced a brief distraction.
In that instant, Chen Chuan quickly and steadily advanced to his opponent's side, raised his knife, and slashed diagonally. A flash of knife light passed, and the tall and robust figure in front of him was split in half, along with his armor.
His entire set of movements was clearly visible, with a rhythmic beauty that exuded calmness throughout.
To the two mounted samurai behind, it seemed as if Chen Chuan had simply walked forward, made a simple slash, and their commander's spear and upper body flew away.
Before the severed body could even hit the ground, the knife light flashed again, and the head that was still attached to the body flew off.
Chen Chuan maintained his final knife-wielding posture, and a gust of wind swept through the rift, causing his hair and clothes to flutter. In the distance, a head rolled and tumbled.
The two Devoted Guards were greatly startled, never expecting their commander to be defeated in just one move. The opponent they faced this time was undoubtedly far beyond their ability to handle.
However, under the rules of the former imperial court, warriors like them who served alongside their commander shared the same fate—they would either win together or die together, with no chance of escape.
If they died alongside their commander, their families would be well taken care of. But if they fled, not only would they face military punishment, but their families would also suffer consequences. Therefore, at this moment, the two had no choice but to charge forward with red eyes and raised spears.
Chen Chuan, regardless of their intentions, would not hold back against enemies. He took a step forward, and with two flashes of knife light, he instantly killed the two approaching warriors.
After finishing off the three, Chen Chuan shook his knife and straightened his body once again.
A wave of emotion rose within him. If this had happened back when the Convergence Zone was active, he would have likely faced a tough battle against these three enemies. But now, it was over in the blink of an eye.
Not only had he mastered more techniques, but his own strength had also significantly increased.
At this moment, he looked at each of the fallen warriors. Aside from the sword carried by the Devoted Guard, which had some value, the rest held no interest for his collection.
Feeling slightly disappointed, he walked forward, removed the sword from its sheath, and returned to where Chen Bitong was still sitting.
"Mr. Chen, they won't be coming up for a while, so we can continue our conversation," Chen Bitong said, looking up at him.
"Mr. Chen, what else do you want to know?" Chen Bitong asked.
Chen Chuan replied, "I want to know how you knew the rift would open here, and why the Convergence Zone's former imperial troops happened to be right across? Is there something connected here?"
Chen Bitong did not hide anything and directly answered his question, "Because for the Split Body to find the location of Pure Essence, the rift must be expanded to a certain extent.
The rift that naturally forms after the Spider Mother's split is very unstable.
But if there are people on the other side of the rift working with us to guide it, then we can find a way to stabilize it.
This time, we took advantage of the former imperial court's intention to break into the Central City during the Spider Mother's split. We communicated with them in advance and, at the right moment, simultaneously activated the Iron Cloak Jade Pillar, which was cultivated from the same breeding hole, to guide and stabilize the rift."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said slowly, "So, Mr. Chen, you had already been in contact with the former imperial court?"
Chen Bitong explained, "The Spider Mother's split occurs at a specific time, which the former imperial court is aware of. After the World Ring's breach, the imperial court will definitely take advantage of the opportunity.
Rather than letting them break through on their own, it's better to pre-determine a location, allowing us to control and block them at the rift gate."
Chen Chuan understood, this was a scheme involving the former Imperial Court, and it wasn't something Chen Bitong could have accomplished alone. There must be others working with him.
At this moment, Chen Bitong spoke solemnly, "Captain Chen, I will not let these people pass through this rift. From the moment the rift opened, I will stand guard here until it closes."
Chen Chuan knew he wasn't boasting. If not for the presence of a martial artist, this was indeed within his capabilities.
Before the rift, this person could perform evasion and shuttle, and even manipulate that kind of power with their mind. Even those at the same level of strength would likely not be their match.
At the very least, they couldn't counter the Dragon Ascension Fist he displayed before the rift.
"It's not just me," Chen Bitong said, his gaze shifting outside, "Have you seen those who followed me here?"
They were all once my subordinates, but each of them suffered severe disabilities. That's why they voluntarily underwent body modifications and came with me today, none of them expecting to return alive."
Chen Chuan asked, "What about Assistant Fang?"
Chen Bitong replied, "His father was once my comrade-in-arms, and he also died from that infection. I advised him not to come, but he insisted and hoped to make this change together with me."
Chen Chuan nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked, "I have one more question. Even if the rift can control the location, how did you know the split body would fall into this position? As far as I know, the appearance of split bodies is mostly random, and even the Defense Department struggles to determine their locations after the initial wave."
Chen Bitong shook his head, "Actually, I don't know either, but there's a method to guide them. Remember when I borrowed the Spider Mother's field resources during training? After borrowing the field resources, I used something to establish a connection with the Spider Mother's spirit, and this connection deepened over a month."
Although it didn't affect the Spider Mother itself, when it split, the probability of giving birth to split bodies with this thing became very high.
And if the split bodies don't appear nearby, as long as there's a relatively stable rift here, it's easier to attract them to this location."
Chen Chuan realized that this person had already started preparing back then.
At this moment, he looked at Chen Bitong and said slowly, "Then the last question. When I fought with you, what was happening with your body?"
Chen Bitong raised his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "Captain Chen, I know what you want to ask. I have not made any deals with the existence on the other side. This is my bottom line.
Captain Chen, remember this: never make any deals with the existence on the other side. Even if it seems beneficial on the surface, there's an unbearable cost behind it."
He paused, then continued, "This time, although I have the confidence to defeat many, to smoothly execute the plan, I admit that the power I currently possess is still insufficient. I may not be able to hold out until the end, so I made another choice.
Do you remember when I told you about the Ink Painter?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Chen Bitong said, "I told you that the Ink Painter can infiltrate one's consciousness and change a person. But what I didn't tell you is that for those with a firm power consciousness, especially those with a stable mental state, they can actively infect and utilize their power.
But the Ink Painter isn't a solitary existence; it's connected to a higher being, and its power comes from that source.
So, by doing this, I'm borrowing power from that being.
And it will come to reclaim its power.
Therefore, when I drew power from another world within the rift, it was attracted here. If I can't suppress the Ink Painter's power, I will become another person."
His voice deepened as he spoke, "Although my obsession may align our goals, it won't be me anymore. I don't know what I might do in the end, so I'd rather someone stop me before that."
At this point, he pushed himself up from the ground and slowly stood. By the time he straightened his body, his previous injuries were barely noticeable.
He looked at Chen Chuan and said calmly, "We prepared a certain catalyst beforehand. As soon as the split body enters the rift, it will seek out the place where 'purity' exists. Just now, during the rift expansion, if there were no surprises, the rift where purity exists should have torn open.
Captain Chen, I've done what I needed to do. What happens to me from now on is up to you to decide, but..."
He glanced at the edge of the rift, his back straight as a board.
"I've guarded the World Ring my entire life. I've never let an enemy I can handle slip past. Even if the World Ring is breached, this remains true. I hope, Captain Chen, that you'll give me one last chance to fulfill my final duty."
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(End of Chapter)
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