Mystic Snake

The men at the front of the convoy stared ahead. First, they heard the crisp crunch of footsteps crushing fallen leaves against the ground. A moment later, a figure wearing a black hooded cloak and a mask, clutching a long saber, slowly emerged from the dense fog. A streak of deep crimson ran between the brows of the mask. Horrifyingly, the newcomer dragged Lao Han's corpse with one hand. The latter's split-open skull clearly exposed the blackened tissue within. Instinctively retreating, the men raised their guns, aiming nervously at the intruder, yet not a single soul dared pull the trigger. Upon reaching the front, Chen Chuan tossed Lao Han's corpse forward. Ignoring the firearms aimed at him, he looked toward one specific vehicle in the convoy. Through the car window, Xu Xianwen watched the scene unfold. He stared intently at Chen Chuan's figure for quite a while before placing a hand on the door handle, turning it, and pushing the door open to step out. Twirling his cane, he tightened his overcoat and walked forward. His movements were relaxed and unhurried, as though Lao Han's death meant nothing to him. Chen Chuan watched him. This had to be the leader of the Viper Team, Xu Xianwen. The man rarely made a move out in public, and almost no video footage of him could be found. Yet he had genuinely defeated many renowned fighters, among whom were universally acknowledged powerhouses—no wonder the Disposal Bureau had been so cautious. Xu Xianwen seemed to have no intention of attacking immediately. Stopping about ten meters away from Chen Chuan, he planted his cane against the ground, rested both hands atop it, and looked at the mask covering Chen Chuan's face. He spoke: "I know of you. Supposedly, long ago before you reached the third limit, you defeated Tan Wang of the Secret Snake Cult. While someone who strayed onto a crooked path could only ever amount to so much, it was still praiseworthy. "To tell you the truth, I think very highly of you. How about it? Care to join my side? "How much can your employer give you anyway? Mine is exceedingly generous. As long as you're willing to work, all kinds of training resources will be provided in abundance. I've never been stingy with my subordinates. If you're willing to come over and kill your employer, I'll make the introduction, and you and I can split the spoils fifty-fifty." Chen Chuan looked at him and said coolly, "Has it ever occurred to you, Mr. Xu, that perhaps your share will be mine as well?" Xu Xianwen froze for a second. Though a polite smile still lingered on his lips, his gaze sharpened. Fingering the smooth grip at the cane's head, he said leisurely, "It seems we won't be coming to terms." Chen Chuan slowly raised his blade and pointed it forward. His action served as his answer, and at the same time, he unleashed his biological field. Almost the very next moment, he felt contact with a dark, profound field that gave the impression of a giant serpent with an incomparably resilient body, constantly slithering. Xu Xianwen narrowed his eyes as well, for he sensed that Chen Chuan's biological field was merely ordinary—nowhere near as dazzling or dominant as his outward display had suggested. Yet he quickly deduced that it had undergone certain alterations. To execute such a transition so naturally, with virtually no discernable flaw, proved that the youth had put considerable work into field techniques. He unhurriedly lifted his cane, appearing utterly at ease. After rolling his wrist, he raised his head toward Chen Chuan and flashed a smile. To the Viper Team members behind him, their vision merely blurred before his figure abruptly vanished from sight. In Chen Chuan's eyes, Xu Xianwen had only shifted a half-step forward, seemingly making a simple adjustment, yet his whole being transitioned from stillness to motion in a flash, hurtling toward him. The speed was breathtakingly swift. In an instant, Xu Xianwen was right in front of him. Both hands gripped the cane's tail end as the tip thrust straight toward Chen Chuan's throat, while his previously calm face turned ferociously savage. Just as Chen Chuan was about to leverage his saber's superior reach to intercept him, he sensed something, leaned his center of gravity back, and retreated a step. Right when Xu Xianwen was about to crash against the forward-pointing saber tip, a sharp shing rang out. A long segment of blade shot out from the front of the cane, stabbing straight for his face! Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, the strike was sudden and blistering. Had Chen Chuan not retreated in time, he might well have been impaled. Chen Chuan twisted his wrist, parrying upward with the saber. The moment the long blade struck the cane, an immense force surged across the point of contact. His gaze flickered. This power was arguably the greatest among all the enemies he had ever faced. Had he just reached the third limit, he might not have been able to withstand it. Now, however, he absorbed the force steadily without his arm wavering in the slightest, the mutated tissue in his body calmly dispersing the incoming jin. With the blade extended, the sword cane was no shorter than the Xuejun Saber. Having seized the initiative, Xu Xianwen twisted the sword cane violently to deflect the blade, then shoved forward with both hands. Chen Chuan dropped his wrist and pressed his other hand against the blade, slanting it before his body to block. The instant the sword tip struck, a massive surge of power rushed through, shoving him backward as he slid several meters across the ground. Xu Xianwen lunged forward again with a savage expression, pursuing relentlessly. The sword cane in his hands thrust and slashed in a torrential flurry of attacks. Facing such an opponent, Chen Chuan was in no hurry to counterattack, focusing instead on holding a solid defense. From the exchange and clash of their immense strength, cracks webbed across the pavement wherever they stepped. As their speed and power steadily ramped up, the battleground expanded wider and wider, each movement covering ten to dozens of meters. The Viper Team members could only hear rapid clashes of blade and cane echoing through the heavy fog, completely unable to discern where the two were. Only occasionally would the ground shatter violently, sending stone chips flying, while swirls of shredded crimson maple leaves whirled constantly through the air like splattering flecks of blood. Throughout their ongoing clashes, Chen Chuan found that Xu Xianwen's speed was remarkably swift, and his force generation exceptionally subtle and concealed. Often, a mere slight sway of his body was enough to unleash a blow packed with tremendous power. Even though he held only a sword cane, every block felt like catching the direct blow of a war hammer. It was not just the sword strikes; the man's profound field was also attempting to mentally suppress and affect him. Xu Xianwen was a comprehensively powerful opponent who exerted far greater pressure on him than anyone he had faced before. Even so, this did not exceed what Chen Chuan could handle. Assisted by the Melting Pot technique, he showed not the slightest opening. After parrying for over a minute, he had gradually adapted to and familiarized himself with his opponent's rhythm, even beginning to tune into the man's breathing, biding his time to find a chance to counter. Moreover, he could sense that perhaps due to clashing with such a formidable fighter, the mutated tissue throughout his body was growing increasingly active and invigorated, faintly boosting his strength and speed. Over recent days, despite his diligent training, he had lacked proper opponents to adapt and translate his gains into real combat effectiveness. But right now, that potential was steadily being unlocked. Throughout his assault, Xu Xianwen kept a close eye on his foe. Sensing the shifts occurring in the young man, he felt a flicker of surprise and suspicion. After such a prolonged, furious onslaught, Chen Chuan had defended without a single flaw, refusing to be suppressed in the slightest. Now, he even showed signs of growing stronger the longer they fought. If left unchecked, the tide of battle could very well turn. In that case... His eyes deepened. Suddenly, he lunged forward with a thrust—exceptionally fast and fierce, completely abandoning defense and follow-ups, reeking of a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble. Chen Chuan's gaze locked onto him. He knew that dodging now would put him back on the defensive, so without the slightest intention of backing down, he thrust his saber straight forward in response. As blade and sword brushed past each other, both struck their target almost simultaneously. On Chen Chuan's end, though he clearly stabbed into the man's body, it felt as though he had plunged into thick mud, the force behind the strike swallowed up in an instant. Xu Xianwen's thrust likewise failed to pierce Chen Chuan's body—not only because of the Second Self, but also because of the mutated tissue Chen Chuan had condensed with vital essence, which provided a degree of external conditioning. Their eyes collided in midair. Exerting force outward simultaneously, both shoved back and retreated several paces, opening up distance once again. Chen Chuan slowly brought his other hand over to rest on the saber hilt as well, staring intently across the gap. From that single clash and the preceding battle, he had already deduced which jin technique Xu Xianwen cultivated. One of the Secret Snake Cult's supreme esoteric jin: Mystic Snake jin! Whoever mastered this jin technique could exert their full power from any point on their body, while the majority of incoming attacks could be redirected and dispersed across the entire physique, borne by the whole rather than a single spot. This meant that even if Chen Chuan racked his brains to create an opening and land a hit, inflicting severe damage would prove exceedingly difficult. However... Right at this moment, the roar of approaching vehicles came from the distance, quickly followed by the chatter of dense gunfire. Several rounds visibly struck Xu Xianwen. A little over two minutes earlier, Wu Bei had used a field-amplifying creature to successfully contact the Disposal Bureau, which promptly alerted the Mount Motie security system. As a result, the nearest armored patrol convoy had rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, the convoy began identifying and firing on the individuals present. Because of Chen Chuan's credentials with the Disposal Bureau, the guns deliberately avoided him. Xu Xianwen, on the other hand, had a dizzying list of wanted warrants attached to him, prompting them to pour bullets into him and his subordinates. Xu Xianwen cast a cold glance in their direction and vanished from where he stood. The next instant, an armored vehicle flipped over, sending security personnel flying into midair. Almost simultaneously, a massive dent appeared out of nowhere on another armored patrol vehicle, sending it somersaulting sideways through the air. The guards tumbled out. Just as a fist was about to smash into a guard sprawled on the ground, a hand abruptly seized the wrist, stopping it a hair's breadth from his forehead. Even so, the air pressure from the fist warped the guard's face, hairline cracks spreading across his goggles. Xu Xianwen looked at Chen Chuan, who held his arm, and said, "You cannot stop me." At that moment, his head snapped back as a gunshot went off point-blank—the guard on the ground hadn't hesitated to raise his weapon and fire. His head slowly righted itself. The bullet embedded in his forehead was squeezed out, dropping to the ground with a metallic clink. The wound on his forehead squirmed and rapidly healed as he sneered, "Like I said, you people can't stop me." The words had barely left his mouth when a fist rapidly enlarged in his vision and slammed squarely into his cheek, blasting him backward more than ten meters. Plucking his saber from where it had been planted in the ground, Chen Chuan strode slowly toward him and said, "Is that so?" ... ...