Most of the martial artists present were well aware that yaogui were martial artists who had undergone aberration. Although they lacked the combat awareness they had possessed in life, they still retained the physical prowess of martial artists.
For instance, the yaogui from just now had moved so quickly it was almost imperceptible, clearly possessing an advantage in speed.
Rumor had it that the former imperial house even possessed techniques to manipulate yaogui. Handled in such a way, their unleashed strength might be no weaker than when the martial artists were alive, and their lack of conscious awareness might even have been compensated for, making them formidable indeed.
Yet even such a yaogui had been pounded to pulp by Chen Chuan's external visage in a single exchange. He had done it as effortlessly as crushing a bug underfoot, something possible only when the disparity in strength was overwhelming.
Everyone couldn't help looking at Chen Chuan walking at the very front, their hearts surging with emotion. One after another, they followed him, trampling over the yaogui's remains. As Hu Kan stepped across, he made a point of stomping down hard a few extra times.
By this time, in the military camp nearest to them, a fifty-man unit of armored cavalry had finished forming up. At the beat of a drum, they charged toward them.
Though numbering only fifty, as they galloped forward, hooves thundered against the earth with a rumbling roar, kicking up rolling dust and smoke as if they possessed the momentum to sweep aside an army of thousands.
The group glanced over. This cavalry unit was undeniably courageous. Clearly knowing this was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, they still dared to come, charging forward even under the barrage of artillery from their own rear. They were unequivocally the elite of elites.
Yet the moment the horses drew close, the mask on Mr. Zhuan's face flashed with light. An invisible force radiated outward, forming a colossal circular spiritual field several kilometers in diameter. Entering it, both horses and riders lost consciousness one after another, pitching forward and tumbling across the ground carried by their momentum.
At the same time, two combat airships that had just approached overhead seemed to be affected as well, suddenly wobbling in the air.
Zhalnike and his companion picked up stones, grinning as they faced different directions. In the next instant, their figures and arms seemed to blur for a split second.
A moment later, tremendous concussive blasts erupted simultaneously across more than ten artillery positions ahead. Twisted gun barrels flew into the sky alongside mangled limbs and shattered torsos.
With a thunderous roar, several combat airships in the sky exploded in succession, plunging nose-first to slam into the earth, bursting into massive fireballs.
Only then did Zhalnike and his partner halt their throwing motions, though the air around them had already turned scorching hot.
At this moment, an infantry force of over a thousand riflemen in the rear swiftly fell into formation. Their muzzles rose in unison, aimed at Chen Chuan and his companions. Then, at a barked command, a volley of smoke erupted, while machine guns positioned on both flanks chattered into life at the exact same time.
Dense bullets rained down upon them like a downpour, but the moment they struck the field, they slowed to a crawl and dropped feebly to the ground. Chen Chuan and the others continued walking at an unhurried pace, treading across the earth carpeted with bullet heads.
The imperial officer watched them approach, terror filling his eyes, yet he still screamed hoarsely. As his saber slashed forward, another volley erupted. Rank after rank of soldiers fired and were replaced by the next, carrying out their orders mechanically and numbly.
It wasn't that they didn't know this was entirely futile, but the rigid tactical drill books and the duty resting on their shoulders compelled them to stand their ground. This was the only thing they could do—and knew how to do—on the battlefield.
Yet as Chen Chuan's group drew steadily closer, the soldiers finally wavered, and the entire battle line began to falter. The officer at the very front attempted to suppress the panic, but suddenly his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed headlong onto the ground.
Then, like falling dominoes, the soldiers toppled backward row by row. At that moment, the gunfire and artillery abruptly ceased altogether; not just that, even the distant sounds seemed to fall silent.
Chen Chuan looked up and saw a figure appear in the distant sky—long hair with bangs, clad in a combat suit, arms wrapped in hand wraps, bathed in radiating streams of silver-white light.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. Zhao Zhenye?
The man really hadn't died.
Over on Mr. Zhuan's end, Mr. Mask on his face also let out an exclamation of surprise at the same time.
Mr. Zhuan's expression turned grim. This posed a serious problem. Zhao Zhenye was a martial artist in the realm of the Longevity View, and General of Eastern Subjugation Su Kuo was suspected of being at that same level.
Judging from the situation last time, Chen Chuan might be able to handle one of them, but with both of them present, things were entirely different—even if Chen Chuan possessed Xuankong Fire...
In a life-or-death crisis, whether the Xuankong Fire was exposed naturally no longer mattered; surviving this came first. Moreover, they had to find a way to share the burden. He said, "Old Tang, we'll have to hold them off for a while."
Mask responded solemnly. Last time, they had suffered because they hadn't known Zhao Zhenye's true strength and had already expended a vast amount of stamina. But this time, forewarned and prepared, as long as they unleashed their explosive techniques from the outset, backed by the others, they should at least be able to block a few strikes.
That, of course, was under the premise that Zhao Zhenye's strength hadn't changed much compared to his previous showing. If he had made further progress...
Yet on second thought, he spoke again, "Old Zhuan, there's no need to be so pessimistic. If you could guess Zhao Zhenye might be here, could Councillor Chen have failed to anticipate it? I think he has a plan."
Mr. Zhuan said in a low voice, "That's two of them—"
Mr. Mask said, "I don't know how he'll deal with it, but I think we should choose to trust him."
Mr. Zhuan looked at Chen Chuan's back and nodded.
Floating in midair, Zhao Zhenye gazed fixedly at Chen Chuan, who seemed not the least bit surprised to see him. Chen Chuan remained calm and composed, not even altering the pace of his forward stride.
After watching Chen Chuan for a moment, his body flickered. With a whoosh, he shot forward through the air, trailing a long streak of silver-white brilliance, heading straight for Chen Chuan.
The distance between them closed at blinding speed. Just as he drew near, Zhao Zhenye threw a punch. An illusory silhouette condensed in the air, wrapped in streams of silver-white light. The colossal fist nearly filled Chen Chuan's entire field of vision. The surrounding dust, air, and blades of grass were completely pulverized and thrust upward by the violent force, forming a massive spinning vortex of airflow at the vanguard.
Chen Chuan's gaze was as deep as an abyss. Facing the incoming assault, he clenched his fingers into a fist and struck back in kind. A colossal phantom fist likewise materialized in the air, blazing with platinum flames as it surged forward to meet it!
BOOM!
The two giant fists collided violently in midair. Brilliance from both sides intertwined and spilled outward, instantly erupting into blinding radiance, as though a miniature sun had detonated in the field. Shockwaves surged outward in all directions like tidal waves, stripping away a whole layer of earth and whipping shattered stones and grass into the churning sky.
The aftermath of this power even sent the distant soldiers of the former imperial house flying through the air, their agonized cries echoing one after another.
Zhao Zhenye maintained his punching posture, his fist locked against the opponent's. Their Flames of Spirituality surged in wave upon wave, two domineering forces clashing madly at the point of contact, causing the surrounding air to distort faintly.
Yet he felt an endless stream of power welling up from the other side. While he could hold his ground at first, that force grew steadily greater, steadily fiercer, while his own strength showed signs of instability, appearing on the verge of crumbling.
Moments later, he could endure no longer. With a deafening detonation, his entire body flew backward like a kite with a severed string, leaving a distinct shockwave ripple in the air.
Enveloped in whirling dust, his body ripped through the air like an artillery shell, hurtling several kilometers in an instant. Everything in his wake—whether men, military tents, or barricades—was smashed to pieces, and a deep trench was plowed into the ground beneath him.
Zhao Zhenye finally slammed into a metal barricade, buckling and distorting it completely. Straightening up, his body levitated once more, but now the silver-white Flame of Spirituality on him flickered erratically.
His expression shifted slightly. From the very beginning, he had brought double his power to bear. Yet while it had operated smoothly at first, the moment their powers clashed, the force that had supposedly been integrated as one suddenly exhibited signs of instability.
And now, as he prepared to step forward again, the other part of that power suddenly manifested an impulse of resistance, as if recoiling from something.
Touching his cheek, where veins bulged across half of his face, he glanced into the distance. Even if there had been a flaw in how he channeled his power, what he had displayed was undeniably the authentic strength of the Longevity View realm. That meant...
His expression shifted several times before he finally turned, flew over the barracks, and landed instantly before the central command tent.
Seeing him arrive, Gai Shuhe said, "Brother Zhao, the general was just looking for you—"
Zhao Zhenye nodded to him, then addressed Su Kuo standing ahead, "General Su, I fear Zhao will not be able to fight alongside you this time."
Seeing his unsteady aura, Su Kuo asked, "Mr. Zhao, has an issue arisen with your body?"
Zhao Zhenye did not hide the truth, admitting frankly, "Yes. I must deal with it, so I cannot assist you this time."
Gai Shuhe frowned. "Brother Zhao, you—"
Su Kuo raised a hand and said to Zhao Zhenye, "Mr. Zhao, our agreement was for the middle of the month. The appointed time has not yet arrived, yet the other side has broken in ahead of schedule. That was a flaw in my strategic disposition. If you leave now, it does not count as breaking your promise. I only hope there will be an opportunity to cooperate with you again in the future."
Zhao Zhenye nodded and said solemnly, "General Su, you have my thanks." With that, he turned and walked away. Within a few steps, a radiant glow appeared over his body, looking as though he had torn open a fissure, and he vanished from sight.
Gai Shuhe couldn't help saying, "General, with Zhao Zhenye gone—"
Su Kuo said, "Are we not to fight just because Zhao Zhenye is gone? We never factored him in to begin with." He looked toward the front. "That person—is he the one who defeated Zhao Zhenye last time?"
Gai Shuhe nodded. "It is him. The puppet regime's Director of the Jibei Circuit Safety Bureau, Chen Chuan."
Su Kuo nodded. He, too, had witnessed the scene of Zhao Zhenye being punched flying all the way back. In a deep voice, he said, "This man is extraordinary indeed. I must handle him in person."
Chapter 1026