Chen Chuan hovered in midair, studying the entity before him. It looked utterly unique, bearing stark differences from any of the entities he had previously encountered.
Outwardly, it resembled a colossal visage, its body supported by a structure shaped like the bridge of a nose. Shimmering crystalline mist drifted around it, yet the surface of its frame was encased in a membrane of skin and muscle. Beneath lay cords of sinew, bone, and circulating blood, devoid of that ethereal, misty insubstantiality.
Presumably, after originally entering this world as a spiritual entity, it had gradually shifted toward physical materialization, and by now its metamorphosis had grown considerably stable.
In the areas where the crystalline mist dispersed, faint fissures flickered in and out of view across the air, crackling like delicate arcs of electricity.
In truth, its field was attempting to pry open a fissure, only to be hemmed in by the city’s ritual. Moreover, the ritual did not merely confine it; it exerted an unceasing pressure on its power.
In the intelligence provided to him by the First Delegation, this entity had been designated the “Wanderer,” but specific details remained opaque, offering no further description beyond that title.
He understood the reasoning behind this. Over the long span of bygone ages, the influence of many such entities had seeped into their world, some consciously and others unconsciously. They had become the earliest objects of veneration for primitive humanity, and some had even evolved into indigenous deities. Because these forms and the entities behind them were effectively one and the same, the dawn of the new era had seen the prohibition of numerous old religions and primordial gods.
Much like an ancient bane, the more one knew and the wider its name spread, the more likely its power was to revive. Under a doctrine of comprehensive defense, designating it with an indirect epithet was entirely appropriate.
Even so, the appellation “Wanderer” seemed to carry a deeper implication.
While Chen Chuan was observing his adversary from above, Mr. Weiss beside him saw him remaining still and assumed he was wary of the creature. Though Weiss had not personally shown himself when Chen Chuan visited Liberty College, he had watched him through the field screens, and so he called out a warning:
“Mr. Chen, this thing’s corrosive field is formidable—be careful! I’ll back you up shortly, and we can take turns suppressing it!”
Chen Chuan gave a slight nod, voiced his thanks, and then extended a finger downward. A point of brilliance swiftly sparked and flickered at the tip of his finger.
Seeing this, a light suddenly flared within the entity’s two eyes as well, bursting forth in an instant. The spiritual impacts of both sides collided in midair, swelling into a rippling ring of light between them in a flash, with fine shards of luminance scattering in every direction.
Only when the clash subsided did a low, rolling rumble like thunder gradually echo through the upper air.
Yet the entity across from him appeared utterly unharmed, still standing steadfast as its two colossal eyes fixed upon him.
Chen Chuan held its gaze with calm eyes. That strike had merely been a probe, and through it, it was not difficult to tell that this Wanderer was far stronger than Covington.
What was more, this was under the condition that the relic suppressing its spirit had not yet been removed from its body.
He cast another glance at the minute fractures continuously forming within the crystalline mist. Although it could not force open a full fissure, could it still draw energy from the other side through those tiny seams to replenish itself?
Just then, the Wanderer made an unexpected move. It actually answered Chen Chuan’s earlier unspoken challenge, sending a message directly toward him.
This time, unlike the chaotic jumble of signals from before, the message clearly conveyed a psychic intent: if Chen Chuan were willing to stand down and let it withdraw today, it could grant him substantial benefits. It even cited its earlier transaction with Covington as proof of its trustworthiness.
In truth, precisely because it had entrusted a portion of its power to Covington, it had been able to clearly perceive everything that had transpired over there through that power. Recognizing how formidable Chen Chuan was, it had finally become willing to converse.
Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan said, “So you can speak human language after all.” He offered it a clear way out: “As long as you return on your own, I won’t make things difficult for you.”
He had already slain one Covington and did not mind killing another. However, since the administrators had asked him to help intercept them, slaughtering both might seem somewhat discourteous. Besides, this Wanderer appeared to possess considerable research value; if it knew what was good for it, he could take a step back.
Yet after he spoke those words, the psychic consciousness transmitted back by the creature registered an unmistakable refusal. That made things simple enough. He opened his hand, radiance stirring within his palm. The power gathered this time was on a completely different level than before.
In almost a single flash, an immense sphere of light plunged downward. This time, the entity seemed unable to react in time; its colossal frame burst apart under the sheer force of the impact.
The brilliant flare illuminating the night sky was reflected in Chen Chuan’s eyes.
Yet he knew this blow had not truly harmed the entity. Its body had deliberately detonated, disintegrating into swarms of fluorescent motes that scattered in all directions.
At that exact instant, Chen Chuan abruptly released the power of the Grand Radiant Light Forms from his body. Beneath the illumination that blazed like a radiant sun, the outline of a humanoid form was exposed, hurtling toward the outer perimeter.
In a flash, Chen Chuan intercepted the fleeing silhouette. Hovering with saber in hand against the backdrop of Center City’s glittering neon, he spoke:
“Where do you think you’re hiding?”
Standing before him now was a humanoid figure covered in dense clusters of crystals, complete with limbs and a head in balanced proportions. Set into its face was a pair of bizarre, luminous pupils that seemed capable of pulling a person’s spirit deep into their depths.
Seeing Chen Chuan block its path, it did not evade this time. Instead, it threw a punch forward, the fist sparking with a prismatic flare strikingly similar to the fire of spirituality.
Chen Chuan drove a fist forward in kind. When their knuckles collided, spiritual light spilled outward and sparks scattered. For a moment, the force and fire of spirituality unleashed by both sides seemed evenly matched.
After exchanging several blows in midair, Chen Chuan spotted an opening, grabbed the opponent’s wrist, spun a full circle, and sent it flying into the distance with a resounding kick. The air around him detonated as his force field propelled him forward. Releasing the Xuejun Saber, he struck with both fists, while the Wanderer, moving at blistering speed, raised its hands and feet to parry his assault.
In the span of mere moments, the two exchanged dozens of offensive and defensive moves. Chen Chuan discovered that this Wanderer fought with remarkable discipline; not only were its maneuvers practiced and refined, but it also utilized movement to neutralize incoming force. At the same time, a surge of corrosive field continually pressed against him, causing his second self to flicker into insubstantiality again and again.
He realized at once that this proved the entity had lingered in this world for a very long time, or had possessed martial artists in the past. Otherwise, it could never have been so familiar with human combat methods, much less wield them with such consummate skill.
Naturally, this had not occurred during its confinement, but prior to it. It seemed this “Wanderer” truly possessed unique qualities, which was likely the very reason it had been imprisoned within the Blockade Hall.
In his eyes, the clash with Covington had been nothing more than a contest of raw brute force, offering negligible value for his own refinement. But fighting an adversary like this stoked his battle fervor instantly.
As another fist shot out, the Wanderer extended a palm to intercept it. Bursts of flashing radiance erupted at the point of contact. With a nearly imperceptible twist of its arm and torso in midair, it dispersed the force, simultaneously pivoting to strike back with an open-palm chop. The movement was simple, yet its rhythm and timing were flawless.
*What exquisite skill.*
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. It was not merely exquisite—it was thoroughly seasoned. Among all the opponents he had faced, Skarson’s technique had been profoundly refined, the most solid he had ever seen.
Yet this Wanderer felt a cut above even that, executing diverse techniques with effortless ease and shifting its jin seamlessly without a single flaw.
To think there would be such an unexpected delight today. His interest piqued, he felt compelled to turn up the intensity. Drawing a deep breath, he directly invoked the Heaven and Earth Furnace breathing technique. With his current physical constitution, the surge powered by this foundation was far from marginal.
Sensing the shift, the Wanderer’s bizarre pupils flashed with light, and its strength escalated in tandem. Thunderous detonations rang out ceaselessly between their colliding limbs, bursts of light and flame soaring into the air. Both continually adapted their jin in rapid variation, trading another hundred blows in the blink of an eye. Had there been the slightest hiccup in the circulation of force, their rhythm would have unraveled; yet neither betrayed a single flaw, flowing between offense and defense as smoothly as running water.
Off to the side, Mr. Weiss had originally intended to step in and assist. Yet as he darted back and forth around the perimeter, he discovered to his dismay that he could not join the fight at all.
As a martial artist of the Visage of the Divine, he could ordinarily bestow strength upon his allies or interfere with foes, but doing so right now proved exceedingly difficult.
To say nothing of the Wanderer—whose infectious power kept Weiss from daring to approach in the slightest—Chen Chuan presented an equal obstacle. Weiss was astonished to find that his own spiritual power could not latch onto Chen Chuan at all. This meant that against Chen Chuan, spiritual attacks were virtually useless unless one employed highly specialized methods.
This left Weiss pacing awkwardly in circles around the perimeter, at times unable to even keep pace with their blistering movements.
By this point, Chen Chuan had long forgotten the coordinated alternating assault he had agreed upon with Mr. Weiss. The longer he clashed with this Wanderer, the higher his fighting spirit surged.
At his current level, it was rare to experience a battle this thoroughly exhilarating. Among the enemies he had encountered in the past, they were either technically gifted but lacking in raw power, or exceptionally powerful but deficient in finesse, or lacking in speed. There was always a shortcoming somewhere, allowing him to overwhelm them with his own strengths.
Yet this opponent before him was truly different: it possessed no weakness in any aspect, and whenever he raised his level, the opponent rose to match him.
Against an adversary like this, he was almost reluctant to strike it dead.
If that was the case, he would see just where this opponent’s upper limit lay.
His gaze flashed, and the fire of spirituality surged outward from his body. In an instant, he fully unfolded both the Grand Firmament Forms and the Grand Radiant Light Forms. A blazing brilliance erupted across the heavens like a sun suspended high in the sky—a radiant light so intense that none could bear to look upon it!
Chapter 1154