Chapter 560: Duty
Chapter 560: Duty
Chen Chuan stood at the edge of the rift, holding a knife. After a while, he saw three mounted samurai riding their horses up to the top of the mountain. Once they reached the other side of the rift, they dismounted and approached on foot.
The first one, fully armored and wearing a face mask, held a white pearl spear in his hand, clearly a highly skilled duty samurai.
This person's rank might be similar to the Iron Demon Chen Chuan had encountered before, but the threat he exuded through his psychic powers seemed even stronger. The two behind him were attendant samurai.
After entering the rift, the duty samurai immediately spotted Chen Chuan. His eyes, visible through the face mask, narrowed slightly, and without hesitation, he underwent a transformation. White, altered tissue tendrils sprouted from his body.
This was not an ambush; this person had come to deal with the problem on the mountain, so he held nothing back and immediately entered his peak state.
Chen Chuan, also holding a knife, stepped forward. His strides were calm and composed, as if he wasn't concerned about the opponent's transformation at all.
Just as the psychic powers were about to transform and merge with the original body, Chen Chuan's eyes flashed, and he unleashed the "Earthshaking Hammer" technique, striking directly at the opponent! Previously, he might have needed a weapon to use this technique, but now he could attack from a distance.
The duty samurai's mind was momentarily shaken by the impact.
In that instant, Chen Chuan, swift and steady, reached the opponent and slashed diagonally with his knife. A flash of blade light passed, and the tall, robust figure before him was split in two, armor and all.
His entire set of movements was clear and graceful, exuding a sense of composure and beauty.
To the two mounted soldiers behind, it seemed like Chen Chuan had simply walked up, made a simple slash, and their commander's spear and upper body flew away.
Before the severed body could even hit the ground, Chen Chuan's blade flashed again, and the head, still attached to the upper half, flew off.
Chen Chuan maintained his final knife stance, and a gust of wind swept through the rift, causing his hair and clothing to flutter. A head rolled out in the distance.
The two duty samurai were shocked. They hadn't expected their commander to be defeated in just one move. The opponent they faced far exceeded their capabilities.
Under the old imperial court's military system, they, as attendant samurai, shared their commander's fate. There was no chance of escape.
If they died alongside their commander, their families would be well taken care of. If they fled, not only would they face military punishment, but their families would also be implicated. So, at this moment, with no way out, they charged forward with red eyes, spears raised.
Chen Chuan didn't care about their intentions. As enemies, he wouldn't hold back. He stepped forward, and with two flashes of blade light, he swiftly killed both of them.
After finishing off the three, Chen Chuan shook his knife and straightened his body.
A sense of emotion welled up within him. If this had happened before the convergence ground, facing these three enemies alone would have been a tough battle. But now, it was over in the blink of an eye.
Not only had he mastered more techniques, but his strength had also significantly increased.
He looked at the weapons of the fallen warriors. Aside from the duty samurai's sword, which seemed valuable, the others held no interest.
Slightly disappointed, he went forward, took the sword, and returned to where Chen Bitong was still sitting.
"Mr. Chen, they won't come up for a while. We can continue our talk."
Chen Bitong looked up at him. "Captain Chen, what else do you want to know?"
Chen Chuan said, "I want to know how you knew the rift would open here and why the old imperial court's army happened to be on the other side of the convergence ground. Is there any connection?"
Chen Bitong didn't hide anything and answered directly, "To find a place with 'pure substance,' the split body must expand the rift to a certain extent.
The naturally occurring rift after the spider mother's split is very unstable.
But if there's someone on the other side of the rift working with us, guiding it, we can try to stabilize it.
So this time, we took advantage of the old imperial court's desire to break into the central city during the spider mother's split. We communicated with them beforehand and, at the right moment, simultaneously activated the Iron Cloak Jade Pillar from the same cultivation cave, thus guiding and stabilizing the rift."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said slowly, "So, Mr. Chen, you had prior contact with the old imperial court?"
Chen Bitong explained, "The spider mother's split and reproduction time is roughly known. After the world ring's appearance, the old imperial court will definitely take advantage of the opportunity to break through.
It's better to set a specific location beforehand, allowing for control and blocking them at the rift's entrance."
Chen Chuan understood. They had used the old imperial court, and this entire plan wasn't something Chen Bitong could have accomplished alone. Someone must have been working with him.
Chen Bitong spoke solemnly, "Captain Chen, I won't let these people rush through this rift. From the moment the rift opens, I'll stand guard here until it closes."
Chen Chuan knew he wasn't boasting. If it weren't for the martial artist's intervention, this man could indeed fulfill his promise.
Before the rift, this person could perform evasive maneuvers and even manipulate mental forces, making him a formidable opponent even for those of similar caliber.
At the very least, they couldn't counter the Flying Dragon Fist Technique he unleashed before the rift.
"It's not just me," Chen Bitong's gaze shifted outside, "What about the people who followed me out there?"
"They were all once my subordinates. Each of them suffered severe disabilities, so they voluntarily underwent body modifications. Today, everyone who came with me here has no intention of returning alive."
"Then what about Assistant Fang?" Chen Chuan asked.
"His father was my comrade-in-arms," Chen Bitong explained, "He died from the same infection. I advised him not to come, but he insisted and hoped to make this change with me."
Chen Chuan nodded, then asked, "I have one more question. Even if the rift can control its position, how did you know the split body would fall here, Teacher Chen? As far as I know, the appearance of split bodies is mostly random, and even the defense department struggles to pinpoint their locations after the initial wave."
Chen Bitong shook his head, "I didn'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. Over a month, this connection deepened."
"Although it didn't affect the Spider Mother directly, when it split, the probability of giving birth to split bodies with this thing increased significantly."
"And if the split bodies don't appear nearby, as long as there's a stable rift here, it's easier to attract them to this location."
Chen Chuan now understood. So, at that time, this person had already started preparing.
He turned to Chen Bitong and said slowly, "Then, the last question. When we fought earlier, what was happening to you?"
Chen Bitong raised his eyes and spoke gravely, "Captain Chen, I know what you want to ask. I haven't made any deals with that existence. This is my bottom line."
"Captain Chen, remember this: never make any deals with that existence, no matter how beneficial it seems on the surface. There's always an unbearable price to pay."
Pausing, he continued, "This time, although I'm confident in defeating many, I know my current strength might not be enough to execute the plan flawlessly. I may not last till the end, so I made another choice."
"Remember when I told you about the 'Ink Painter'?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
"I told you that the Ink Painter infiltrates people's consciousness and changes them. But what I didn't tell you is that for those with strong willpower, especially those with stable psychic power, they can actively infect and utilize its strength for themselves."
"However, the Ink Painter isn't a solitary being. It's connected to a higher existence, and its power comes from there. So, by doing this, it's like borrowing power from that existence."
"But it will always come to reclaim its power. So, when I drew power from another world through the rift, it was attracted to this place. If I can't suppress the Ink Painter's strength, I'll become another person."
His voice lowered, "Although my obsession drives me, and our goals may still align, it won't be me anymore. I don't know what I might do next, so I'd rather someone stop me before it's too late."
At this point, he pushed himself up from the ground, his injuries barely noticeable.
Looking at Chen Chuan, he said calmly, "We prepared a catalyst in advance. As soon as the split bodies enter the rift, they'll seek out the existence with 'pure substance.' When the rift expanded just now, if all went well, the tear in the pure substance should have opened."
"Captain Chen, I've done what I needed to. How you choose to deal with me is up to you, but..."
He glanced at the rift, his back straight as a board.
"I've guarded the World Ring my entire life, never letting a single enemy I could handle slip through. Even if the World Ring is breached, I hope you'll give me a chance to fulfill my last duty."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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