Crushing the Strong

Chen Chuan glanced at the serpent-shaped pendant on the fallen man's chest. It was the insignia of the Viper Organization; among the files provided to him by the Disposal Bureau was one detailing this group. Prior to today, he had reviewed the dossiers on these armed syndicates multiple times, studying every individual's video footage and records in meticulous detail. Nor had he done so alone; he had discussed each person one by one with several Wuyi instructors, analyzing how to counter them and how to end things quickly should he encounter them, drafting tailored plans for every single target. The man lying before him was named Jin Leihan, a native of the Fuluo Peninsula who specialized in external conditioning. Recalling the man's file, Teacher Bai's voice echoed in his mind: "Someone who excels at external conditioning like Jin Leihan can hardly be dispatched in a short time. If you ask me whether there is a way to achieve a quick victory, there is one... "His external conditioning jin is the simplest sort: Gangyue jin. Reaching this level of proficiency with it is no easy feat, but yielding defense cannot hold forever, nor can rigid strength endure indefinitely; failing to harmonize the soft and the hard prevents one from achieving true mastery. "When he strikes, he concentrates the jin of his entire body into a single instant. If he is shattered head-on at that very moment by a force vastly superior to his own, the unified tissues throughout his body will fracture all at once. That is only theoretical, however—even if it is possible, one must seize the precise instant his power reaches its peak; otherwise, it won't suffice..." Chen Chuan looked down at the pulverized corpse. To accomplish this, he had first projected a simulated field—a field signal designed to convey an extreme sense of mortal danger. The provocation had spurred Jin Leihan into a violent reaction, forcing him to concentrate all the power in his body. At that exact juncture, Chen Chuan had merged with his Second Self in a flash, channeled the Furnace Breathing Technique, and unleashed a punch with his long-prepared Cloud Collapse Stance. He had directly shattered the man's point of greatest strength, fracturing every bone in his body in an instant. And it had not ended there. For an external conditioning specialist, that blow alone would have been merely a severe injury rather than fatal; if he had stored enough vital essence, he might even have stood back up. Thus, a second wave of jin surged from within Chen Chuan's body, driving straight in to pulp the man's undefended internal organs and brain tissue, leaving him thoroughly dead on the spot. Yet in the eyes of onlookers, he had merely thrown a single punch, brutally crushing Jin Leihan to death in a direct clash. It dealt a profound shock to the Viper squad members who witnessed it. In truth, this strike had combined field techniques, the Furnace Breathing Technique, and the overlapping power of his Second Self—the pinnacle of Chen Chuan's current fusion of technique and strength. Not only that, Jin Leihan had also become the first sacrifice offered to the ritual. The esoteric ritual on Chen Chuan had absorbed its first offering, which would serve its purpose in the battle to follow. Seeing the scene before him, Xiao Sheng thought in dismay amidst his shock, *This is bad.* Their usual tactic was to use Jin Leihan's external conditioning to spearhead the assault and bog down the enemy, wearing down their stamina and probing for weaknesses while the rest closed in to swarm them. In the past, this strategy had never failed. Yet precisely because it worked so well, they had never bothered to drill backup tactics; no one had wanted to waste effort on that. Now this flaw had been laid bare. From here on, everyone would inevitably fight on their own. His assessment was spot-on. Sure enough, as he halted his steps, a figure dashed past him and charged ahead. Chen Chuan looked at the man rushing toward him. Clad in a black martial arts uniform, the man had a hooked nose, deep-set eye sockets, and agile, swift movements. He wielded an overseas-style long saber that was several inches longer than Chen Chuan's own. From his features, Chen Chuan recognized him as the Viper squad's striker, Zhu Haiwu, a mixed-blood foreigner. The man was adept at seizing openings; seeing Chen Chuan clash head-on with Jin Leihan, he must have assumed Chen Chuan had yet to regulate his breath and jin, or had even suffered substantial internal damage, making this an ideal chance to strike. Watching the approaching figure, Instructor Zheng's words surfaced in his mind: "His saber technique is solid, and his bladework is commendable—decent enough. If I were the one fighting him? Going all out, I could cut him in two within three strikes. At his current level, that's how it would end no matter how many times he tried. "If you ask whether I can finish him in a single slash, my answer is yes, but it would require paying a small price..." Facing the incoming slash, Chen Chuan stepped back, drawing the Xuejun Saber from its scabbard planted diagonally in the ground behind him, and slashed straight ahead to meet it. If it were a straightforward clash of offense against offense, trading life for life, the opponent would certainly evade rather than meet him head-on. They had the numbers; as long as he tied Chen Chuan down and created an opening for the others, that would be enough. Even if Chen Chuan displayed superior speed and strength, the distance between them would allow a fully prepared opponent enough time to react, preventing an instant kill. Against a fighter of the same tier, Chen Chuan's current speed was not overwhelming enough to crush them like a third limit fighter dominating those of the first or second limits. Therefore, he could not simply be fast—in fact, he had to appear slow, leading the opponent to believe he could strike first. And so... Zhu Haiwu's eyes glinted. In that instant, he judged that his blade would definitely strike first. Maintaining his momentum, he cleaved downward toward Chen Chuan's head and neck. Yet at that very moment, a shock went through him. Chen Chuan was no longer where he was supposed to be; instead, he abruptly appeared two steps away, just out of reach of the blade. Realizing something was wrong, Zhu Haiwu reacted swiftly. Surging his jin through his body, he raised his wrist and sharply shifted his downward chop into a thrust, keeping the blade aimed at his foe. Yet as he did so, he discovered Chen Chuan was still standing in his original position. Everything he had just seen seemed to have been an illusion, causing his pupils to contract sharply. Chen Chuan surged forward, letting the opponent's blade tip cut through empty air above his shoulder. The Xuejun Saber flashed twice in rapid succession. As the two crossed paths, Zhu Haiwu was instantly severed into three pieces. Taking two paces forward, Chen Chuan came to a halt and flicked his saber clean. Behind him, the two halves of Zhu Haiwu's torso and his severed head tumbled to the ground one after another. Looking ahead, Chen Chuan said calmly, "The second." At the same time, beneath his clothing and protective mask, another faint light flashed. After sacrificing Jin Leihan, the esoteric ritual's effect had been to distort sensory perception. By exploiting that, Chen Chuan had slain Zhu Haiwu without paying any price. And now, with another sacrifice claimed, the ritual offered yet another effect—one he intended for his next opponent. The others who had been moving in to find an opening froze in their tracks. In the blink of an eye, a second man had fallen to Chen Chuan's blade, and once again the outcome had been decided in a single move. This surpassed their expectations entirely. Though they cared little for their companions' lives, they knew their strength well enough. Apprehension and caution crept in, keeping them from rashly advancing. Chen Chuan fixed his gaze on the three figures ahead. The Viper squad consisted of six third limit fighters in total. Naturally, not all of them were top-tier; counting Jin Leihan, truly standout masters accounted for barely half of them, while the rest were mediocre. However, each had their own unique specialties. Once coordinated and complementing one another, they became formidable. In combat between masters of the same tier, facing one opponent was entirely different from facing two, let alone several at once. To achieve overwhelming dominance alone would require several times greater overall strength. Even though his Second Self could absorb damage, he had no desire to face such odds. The optimal approach was to manufacture one-on-one engagements and eliminate them individually in the shortest possible time. Standing on the left, looking like a fresh college graduate, was Sheng Hui. He possessed solid personal strength and served as the brains of the Viper squad; keeping a crew like this in line was no easy task. In the center was an alluring woman in a short skirt named Xian Quanfeng. While her combat ability was mediocre, she was the team's interrogator and healer; as long as her comrades did not suffer fatal injuries, she could bring them back. Moreover, she was suspected of possessing high-level biological field interference capabilities, making her a priority target for elimination according to the dossier. Finally, there was a man of peculiar appearance, hunched over, his age impossible to tell. His hands hung nearly to the ground, and his green protective suit clung to lean, wiry muscles. In particular, his exaggerated latissimus dorsi flared out like wings, giving him the appearance of an upright, walking serpent. This man was Lao Han, the most skilled fighter in the Viper squad after the leader and the leader's trusted confidant. He was exceedingly powerful, and many of their most difficult missions were carried out by him. Earlier, the Disposal Bureau had insisted on mobilizing more personnel—not permitting even one fewer—primarily out of wariness toward this man and the leader, Xu Xianwen. While Chen Chuan observed them, an elusive, subtle field made contact with his biological field. It carried a bewildering, hallucinatory fluctuation, attempting to influence his mental state. Instructor Jiang's somewhat languid voice echoed in his memory: "Those who specialize in biological fields often exhibit a mix of caution and impulse. On one hand, they clash fields without restraint; on the other, they refuse to make a physical move until they see through an opponent's true depth. "Such people are usually very cautious; the moment they sense danger, their first thought is self-preservation, and their companions will back them up with everything they've got. That makes them tricky targets to eliminate. "If you want to resolve it quickly... well, unless you have a way to strongly disrupt her mind during the field clash. Though I think that's rather difficult, who's to say there isn't a way?" The moment he felt the field contact, Chen Chuan turned his gaze toward Xian Quanfeng. Simultaneously, the esoteric ritual inscribed on his gear was triggered by her field. Its effect amplified senses and induced a state of mental elevation—a rite used by cultists to commune with alien entities they worshipped. Thus, in this instant, what Xian Quanfeng perceived was akin to the sensations of taking special medicine, yet far more absurd and bizarre. Her mind inevitably lapsed into a momentary daze. At that very instant, Chen Chuan drew the Shock Thunder pistol with blinding speed, leveling its dark muzzle straight at that alluring face, which was still clouded with daze and bewilderment. As he pulled the trigger, a thunderous roar boomed out, and half of Xian Quanfeng's head was instantly blasted to bits. The massive blast sent tremors through the surrounding leaves. Chen Chuan looked down at the mangled corpse on the ground. A wisp of smoke still drifted from the barrel of the Shock Thunder pistol as he spoke in a calm voice: "The third." ... ...