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Chapter 987: Knowing the Enemy, Avoiding Confrontation
Chapter 987: Knowing the Enemy, Avoiding Confrontation
Zhao Zhenye's arm trembled, allowing Mr. Zuan to slip from his grasp and plummet into the sea with a loud splash, disappearing into the depths.
With these two men out of the way, their troubles were momentarily resolved.
Although he had revealed his strength, deviating from his initial plan, it wasn't too far from his intended timing. Moreover, once he...
He focused his thoughts, and the vast, ethereal mist behind him rippled, gradually condensing as he restrained the power he had unleashed, returning to his initial state. He descended from mid-air and landed steadily on the surging waves.
His eyes, obscured by his bangs, appeared indistinct, yet the deep, radiant glow beneath them still shone through faintly.
The two central cities of Jinbei Province and Haidong Province could only spare limited conventional forces beyond their defensive capabilities. Without Mr. Zuan and his companion, the remaining individuals wouldn't pose a significant threat even if they confronted him together.
Now, he no longer needed to exercise excessive caution. He could proceed to destroy the field domain information relay station ahead and cause havoc along the way until he reached the vicinity of the Haidong Province Central City.
However, he had no intention of attacking the central city directly, nor would he reveal himself there. Such actions would provoke the Great Shun Government excessively, potentially triggering a fierce response, which was not in line with his plans.
By disrupting the Horizon Line Initiative's transmissions, the internal factions within Great Shun that already opposed the project would naturally step in to hinder, delay, or even disrupt the matter. After that, he wouldn't need to intervene further.
He glanced towards the island, where the Heart-Pounding Pillar still stood. This object, when exposed, would continuously influence those around it and interfere with him, so he had no desire to deal with it.
Turning around, he gazed in a specific direction, and with a stomp of his foot, a silver-white beam of light shot forth, disappearing over the sea after a short while.
Over ten minutes later, the distant sea seemed to be split by a white line, which headed straight towards them. Upon reaching the front of the island, it abruptly halted, emitting a rumbling reverberation, causing the waves to surge violently.
Chen Chuan emerged from the churning waves, and an invisible force parted them, allowing him to step onto the shore. He immediately noticed the heavily damaged coastline, riddled with countless wounds.
His gaze shifted, and he spotted Mr. Zuan lying on the shore, leaving a trail behind him. He was clutching a hard reef, and behind him was a cavity that was open at both ends, emitting silver-white streams of light that spread out in all directions.
Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed, and he quickly approached Mr. Zuan. He found that the latter had lost consciousness. Following the trail, he surmised that Mr. Zuan had fallen into the sea and then crawled back onto the shore. The flowing blood had been washed away by the seawater, with some of it still soaking the damp sand.
Chen Chuan extended his hand, and a cluster of white-golden flames flickered, pressing down on the silver-white Spirit Flame. The beam of light proved to be exceptionally stubborn, causing Chen Chuan's eyebrows to arch in surprise. As he increased his strength, the light gradually dimmed and vanished.
Once the exposed wound was no longer visible, Chen Chuan took out some medicine from his coat pocket and sprinkled it on the injury.
He carefully inspected Mr. Zuan's body and found that his heart had been knocked out, and a large portion of his lungs was missing. Fortunately, as a fighter, such injuries were not life-threatening.
However, recovery would not be swift, as the heart was one of the vital sources of a fighter's power, and regrowing it required abundant nutrients. Mr. Zuan's body was severely depleted, lacking the necessary conditions for regeneration.
Moreover, Chen Chuan had only cleared the surface of the Spirit Flame. There were still finer traces of it that had penetrated deep into Mr. Zuan's body, clinging to the alienating tissues in various parts. These could only be gradually removed once Mr. Zuan regained consciousness, as external assistance would be challenging.
Chen Chuan considered the situation and signaled to Chao Ming, who was following him in the sky. Chao Ming, seeing his gesture, chirped and immediately turned around, flying towards the nearest island at full speed.
Chao Ming's Boundary Token contained a recording of some simple instructions from Chen Chuan, who would try to notify the people there to come to their aid.
Just then, a voice called out from a distance, "Member Chen, is that you?"
Chen Chuan looked over and saw a broken mask fragment among the rubble. He walked over, "Mr. Tang?"
The mask replied, "Yes, it's me. Oh, Member Chen, is Mr. Zuan alright?"
"He's not in immediate danger," Chen Chuan said, pausing before asking, "Is it Zhao Zhenye?"
"Yes."
The mask sighed, "Neither Mr. Zuan nor I expected that Zhao Zhenye had already reached the Longevity Perception Realm."
Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat. "Longevity Perception Realm?"
"It's most likely correct, and he didn't just reach it recently. I suspect he might have already attained it during our last encounter, but I couldn't discern the secret technique he cultivated, so he didn't display his true power."
"Chen Chuanben, you're lucky you arrived a little late. If you had come earlier, you might have encountered him." He spoke with lingering fear.
"This person is beyond what you and I can handle. After you take Old Zuan back, inform headquarters about this situation. They should send someone over."
Chen Chuanben contemplated. Now wasn't the time to turn back. Zhao Zhenye's appearance was clearly aimed at sabotaging the relay station. As the Director of Defense and one of the main proponents of the Horizon Line Initiative, he couldn't ignore this.
But the Longevity Perception Realm...
He keenly understood the formidable strength of a fighter at such a realm. Enthusiasm alone couldn't bridge the objective gap.
Even if he were to face this person, a comprehensive plan was necessary, at least a tactical strategy with a certain chance of success, rather than rushing in on a whim.
After this thought, he said, "Mr. Tang, can you give me a detailed account of the previous battle?"
"Chen Chuanben, what are you thinking?"
Chen Chuanben glanced at Mr. Zuan lying there, then looked at the mask fragment and said, "There's something I want to try."
"But..."
"I'm the leader of the Pure Sect's Jinbei Province branch and a member of the Central City Safety Decision-Making Group. Do you think I can stay uninvolved, Mr. Tang?"
The Mask couldn't finish his sentence. "That's easy. There should be other fragments nearby. Find one."
Chen Chuanben scanned the area and soon spotted another fragment not far away. He picked it up and returned. As he approached, the two fragments seemed to pull at each other, and a mental force was transmitted to him.
He chose to accept it, and immediately, scenes flashed before his eyes—the very scenes of Mr. Zuan and his companion's recent encounter with Zhao Zhenye.
Please...collect...6...9...books...!
These were the Mask's first-person perspectives. After watching the entire process, it was as if Chen Chuanben had personally fought the opponent, and all the sensations from that battle were vividly replaying in his mind.
At this moment, the fragment in his hand turned into fine powder, scattering into the sea breeze from his fingertips.
He looked towards the Heart-Pounding Pillar, "Mr. Tang, what's that?"
Ever since arriving on the island, he had been hearing sounds from that direction from time to time. Each time, his Secondary Self would exhibit signs of fading, though not severe, so he initially ignored it.
But from the insights gained in the battle, it seemed to block certain perceptions. This must have been what Mr. Zuan and his companion brought specifically to counter Zhao Zhenye.
"This is the Heart-Pounding Pillar. It originally belonged to the Chan Sect. Old Zuan's brother left it behind, and their ancestors seemed to have some connection with the Chan Sect."
Chen Chuanben remembered the Zuan surname disciple of Grandmaster Hongfa and nodded. "How do I use this?"
The Mask was surprised. Even as just a fragment, he could express his emotions completely.
"Chen Chuanben, do you want to use this against Zhao Zhenye? This thing doesn't differentiate between friend and foe, which is why Zhao Zhenye didn't take it with him."
"I know, but I think it's useful," Chen Chuanben said.
Hearing the firmness in his voice, the Mask didn't insist further. "Fine, I'll tell you how to use it. Pick me up."
Chen Chuanben picked up the mask fragment from the ground, and it suddenly felt scorching hot. He immediately received some information from it, and the Mask's voice became faint and weak, "That's all."
Chen Chuanben nodded and walked to Mr. Zuan's side. He placed the fragment on a nearby rock and said, "Mr. Tang, I've sent Chao Ming to find nearby rescuers. You two just wait here."
"Alright, Chen Chuanben, be careful. If things don't work out, we'll leave. No need to fight to the death; as long as we're alive, we'll find a way."
Chen Chuanben acknowledged and headed towards the Heart-Pounding Pillar. He tapped the surface twice, and after another sound, he quickly tapped twice more. Finally, he placed his palm on the surface, and after a while, the vibrations on the pillar gradually ceased, leaving complete silence.
He placed the pillar in a nearby suitcase, picked it up, and said to the others, "I'll take my leave now."
After saying this, he discerned a direction and looked towards it. Despite the delay, the field information left by the opponent remained, and it hadn't been erased. All he needed to do was follow it.
White-golden light emanated from his body, and with a flash, his figure vanished from the scene. The sea roared with surging waves, and the sky and sea were filled with a continuous rumble.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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