Chapter 90: Breaking the Formation
Chapter 90: Breaking the Formation
As Tong Baotao saw the body flying towards him, he showed no mercy and forcefully pushed it aside with his steel rod, sending it flying to the side. With unwavering courage, he took a bold step forward, gripping his weapon tightly.
Standing by the door, Tong Qianjiang suddenly raised his hand, aiming his gun at Chen Chuan's head. Although he didn't pull the trigger, an unspoken sense of intimidation filled the air.
This was the unspoken understanding between the two brothers—one would attack while the other provided cover.
Up on the fortress, Spider Lao Qi was crawling back and forth, intentionally making rustling noises to assert his presence and wait for the right moment to strike.
Chen Chuan took in the entire scene with his heightened senses. As Tong Baotao's figure loomed larger in his vision, he stepped forward, his long sword rising from below to slash diagonally upwards.
To guard against the distant pistol and the threat from behind, he didn't unleash his full speed, making the trajectory of his slash clearly visible. However, within his body, the altered tissue propelled a force that transferred to the blade.
Tong Baotao hurriedly pressed down on his steel rods, attempting to block the sword. Although he managed to intercept it, an explosive force beyond his belief surged through the blade, causing him to lose his grip. One rod flew out of his hand, while the other was severed with a crisp 'clang.'
The sword's gleam didn't stop; it continued its path towards his chest. In an instant, a deep sword scar appeared on his shell armor, exposing the inner shell tissue and cavity wall beneath.
If this strike penetrated further, it could severely wound him, if not kill him outright. Just then, Chen Chuan sensed a disturbance behind him. He swiftly retracted his sword, wrapping it around his head to deflect a flying needle aimed at the back of his head. Simultaneously, he took a quick step forward, and his sword slashed diagonally!
As he stepped forward, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet grazed past his head, even tugging at a strand of his hair. Yet, his expression remained unmoved.
Tong Baotao, who had just been jolted by the force, was forced to raise his hands and lean back. As he struggled to recover, the sword slashed across his ribs.
However, the blade, which should have easily sliced through him, met a layered and constricting force after breaking through the tough outer shell. It was as if countless layers of contracting muscles with incredible biting force had ensnared the blade, preventing it from advancing further and trapping it within.
Chen Chuan's eyes flashed with realization. He understood that this wasn't merely the effect of an implant but a force that blocked and neutralized the penetrating power of the blade!
A cunning glint appeared in Tong Baotao's eyes. He clamped down with his raised arms, locking the sword in place with the help of his constricting muscles.
Despite his imposing physique and brute strength, he wasn't as reckless as he appeared. He had just played a subtle trick, realizing that Chen Chuan's Snow Lady Sword posed the greatest threat. So, he chose to injure himself to control this weapon first.
Having a sword made all the difference. With it, they dared not approach him, but without it, the boy would be helpless against them and their implants.
Chen Chuan's gaze remained calm. Most people in this situation would be at a disadvantage without their weapon, but he was different.
He loosened his grip on the sword and took a step forward, propelled by a force technique. His body moved with the force, and he thrust his palm towards Tong Baotao's face.
Although the palm strike seemed slow, Tong Baotao's eyes widened as the hand loomed larger in his vision, sensing an immense danger.
Tong Baotao grunted, and suddenly, the clothes on his back ripped, revealing two deformed long arms that emerged to block the incoming strike.
Chen Chuan remained unfazed by this bizarre scene. His hand continued to press forward, and upon contact, a soft force pushed both arms towards Tong Baotao's face.
At that moment, Chen Chuan's altered tissue propelled a force that, if landed, would temporarily incapacitate Tong Baotao, even if it didn't shatter his head.
Just as the strike was about to land, Chen Chuan sensed something and turned his head aside. A poison needle shot down from above, grazing his shoulder and bouncing off his protective armor.
Tong Baotao seized this opportunity. The two deformed arms on his back grabbed Chen Chuan's arms, while his normal arms wrapped around Chen Chuan's waist, pulling him closer.
Chen Chuan ignored the penetrating force of the embrace. He raised his knee to block his own forward momentum, then turned his head and leaned back slightly, creating space as a gunshot rang out from Tong Qianjiang's direction. A bullet whizzed past his face, and he used this moment to stomp down on Tong Baotao's ankle joint with his raised foot.
Tong Baotao's face contorted in pain, and his grip on Chen Chuan weakened.
As Chen Chuan's body descended, he twisted at the waist, using the momentum to lift Tong Baotao's robust frame into the air and slamming him onto the ground. Tong Baotao nearly lost consciousness from the impact, and Chen Chuan seized the opportunity to grasp the hilt of Xue Jun's sword. With a swift outward motion, he disarmed Tong Baotao, and then, with a powerful inward jerk, he pried the sword free.
Tong Baotao let out a piercing scream, and gunshots erupted from behind, but none of them hit Chen Chuan. It was evident that Tong Qianjiang, his partner, was growing desperate.
Chen Chuan withdrew Xue Jun's sword, gripped the hilt, and raised it high, seemingly poised to decapitate Tong Baotao below.
Fang Dawei, still under the influence of the drug, had been immobile until now, but he could no longer restrain himself. He rushed forward and kicked Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan deftly twisted his wrist, and the sword blade glided along, intending to sever Fang Dawei's leg. However, upon contact, it felt like touching something incredibly slippery and supple, causing the blade to slide off effortlessly.
Chen Chuan, realizing this, twisted his wrist again, turning the blade inward, and with the hilt facing outward, he pressed it against Fang Dawei's chest. Then, with a forward lean of his shoulder, he shoved Fang Dawei away.
Chen Chuan's movements were fluid; he harnessed the power from his waist to swing the sword backward, sending a flash of blade light toward Tong Baotao, who had just risen.
Tong Baotao, in sheer terror, scrambled backward with all four limbs, barely escaping the blade's edge. Even so, the sword grazed his clavicle, leaving another gash.
Chen Chuan's assault didn't end there. He harnessed the momentum from the sword swing, moving with the blade, and grasped the hilt with both hands, pointing the tip toward Tong Baotao's throat.
Tong Qianjiang, witnessing this, shouted and grabbed a broken side panel from a nearby shattered box, hurling it at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan watched indifferently, unconcerned. As the altered tissue pushed forward, his entire body seemed to emanate a cohesive force. He took a bow stance, and with a swift motion, he thrust the blade forward, as if piercing through something resilient.
When the side panel reached his shoulder, it seemed to encounter an invisible force, shattering into countless fragments with a crisp 'pa' sound.
As the shattered wood pieces fell, the group of bandits saw Tong Baotao, with his four limbs propped behind, half-sitting on the ground, his head slightly tilted back. A long sword, shimmering with cold light, had pierced through his throat and emerged from the back of his head. His eyes rolled up, and a gurgling sound escaped his mouth as his limbs and body convulsed uncontrollably.
Tong Qianjiang's eyes reddened at the sight, and he let out a crazed scream, no longer concerned with guarding the entrance. He raised his gun and fired all his bullets at Chen Chuan in one go, then grabbed a sword and charged towards him.
Chen Chuan didn't wait to be attacked; as soon as Tong Qianjiang started shooting, he drew his sword, and by the time the blood splattered, he had already retreated to the rear.
Fang Dawei also charged towards Chen Chuan, and the two men converged from opposite directions, sandwiching him.
Chen Chuan eyed the remaining two men, then swung his sword and lightly shifted his feet, retreating a few steps towards an area littered with debris.
The debris consisted of remnants from the broken wooden boxes—empty cans, ropes, scattered tools, and even fragments of limbs and implanted shells. Fang Dawei and his group had tried to clear some of it earlier to facilitate combat, but in such a short time, it was impossible to tidy up completely.
This hindered the two men's advance, causing them to stumble and slow down.
Tong Qianjiang, in particular, was in agony, having witnessed Tong Baotao's death. He desperately wanted to rush forward and kill Chen Chuan but was impeded by the debris. In his fury, he kicked and shoved the obstacles towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan, however, remained calm. He effortlessly swept away the debris with Xue Jun's sword and turned his attention to Tong Qianjiang, who had rushed forward and was brandishing his sword with murderous intent. With a gentle lift of Xue Jun's sword, Chen Chuan tapped Tong Qianjiang's blade with the back of his own, causing it to crack.
Chen Chuan then swiftly spun his wrist, transforming the sword's stance into a gun-like posture. As he deflected Tong Qianjiang's sword, he sidestepped, expanding his shoulders and back. With a single-handed grip on the sword, he thrust it forward, and with a 'zhi' sound, it pierced through Tong Qianjiang's protective suit, penetrating deep into his abdomen.
Tong Qianjiang froze, his back arching involuntarily. Fang Dawei, witnessing this, hesitated and stood rooted to the spot.
At this moment, Chen Chuan slightly raised his wrist and took a step forward, causing Tong Qianjiang to grasp the sword blade in desperation. He rose onto his toes and retreated backward, taking about ten steps before almost returning to the fort's entrance.
Chen Chuan then abruptly drew his sword, pulling the hilt close to his body. With a shout, he held the sword with both hands and, in a swift spin, slashed upward, severing Tong Qianjiang's head from his body with a 'zhi' sound. Tong Qianjiang's head flew through the air, passing through the fort's entrance and landing in the outer courtyard, while his headless body staggered and collapsed to the ground.
...
(Chapter End)
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