Demonstration

With a clear clang, the Xuejun Saber was drawn fully from its scabbard, its blade gleaming with a chilly, piercing light beneath the overcast sky. Chen Chuan turned the long saber in his hand and strode forward with steady steps. Compared to two months ago, he had made noticeable progress. Beyond embarking on the cultivation of spirit power, the most vital foundation—his physical body—had also advanced markedly. Furthermore, spending these days in the academy allowed him to use Hongfu as a sparring partner, enabling the power settled deep within his body to blend seamlessly into himself. And on top of all that, thanks to his continuous battles against formidable opponents, his resonance with the Second Self had deepened, gradually drawing closer to the third limit. At this moment, he was eager for an opponent strong enough, and this commissioned warrior was clearly an ideal fit. As he closed the distance, the opponent also leapt down from above. Even though he was clad in full armor, he made hardly a sound upon landing, sinking slightly to diffuse the impact. Chen Chuan could see clear signs of wear on the armor, along with marks left by clashes with weapons. Every single one of these details had been simulated in full. However, he judged that unlike Hongfu, who could autonomously employ diverse martial arts, this simulation was likely reconstructed based on Chen Bitong's memories and experiences. The commissioned warrior stared at him with blood-red eyes. He planted his spear into the ground, drew the long saber at his side, and marched toward him amid the clanking of armored plates. Chen Chuan stepped forward to meet him. Before they had even drawn close, the figure across from him suddenly blurred, closing in on his flank in the blink of an eye. The long saber was already slashing toward him—the strike did not look especially fast, yet it flowed seamlessly, conveying a sense that it was impossible to evade. Yet he had no need to evade. Chen Chuan met it head-on with a reverse-handed slash. The opponent could have altered his stance, but having observed Chen Chuan, he was clearly exceedingly confident in his own strength; far from changing course, he accelerated his blade slightly. Chen Chuan's eyes deepened. The very instant the two blades clashed, the Second Self snapped into alignment with his physical body. A surge of immense force transferred instantly into the saber blade, jarring the opponent's weapon upward with a violent bounce. The commissioned warrior had originally intended to completely overpower him, but he had misjudged the force behind Chen Chuan's blade. That single miscalculation threw off all the subsequent moves he had prepared. Sensing something was amiss, he immediately tried to adjust to counter Chen Chuan's potential follow-up attack. Fast though his movements were, this slight disconnect from his original sequence created a fleeting gap. And against an opponent of equal caliber, such an opening was a glaring flaw. Chen Chuan had engineered this intentionally, using the gap to seize the upper hand. He would never give his opponent a chance to regroup. Sweeping his saber in a horizontal cut, he pressed in swiftly. At that moment, the commissioned warrior abruptly raised an elbow, using the arm's armor to block. Even if his entire arm were severed by the blade, he could still exploit the moment to buy a split second's delay. And with that single instant, he could regain his footing while also buying sufficient time for the mutated tissue across his body to complete its transformation. Once the metamorphosis was complete, his strength would surge explosively, granting him absolute power to overwhelm Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan saw through his move and intent with utter clarity. If he chose to change his strike now instead of cutting the arm, he would still retain the initiative, but that shift in motion would grant the opponent an opening. That ran counter to his initial aim, and the advantage he had fought to seize from the start would fail to yield its ideal result. His gaze flashed, maintaining his original trajectory unchanged. Yet when the slash landed on the raised arm, it did not produce the expected cutting effect. As his jin sank into it, it generated a tremendous shoving force instead. When the two opposing forces pushed against each other, the commissioned warrior was forced to lean backward. He instantly realized things had gone wrong. Earlier, his saber had been knocked aside, leaving his front wide open; to avoid being cut down, he had had no choice but to block with his arm. To ensure the guard could arrest the blade, the mutated tissue in his arm had been pulled taut, channeling his strength and a portion of his vital essence into that point. Chen Chuan had exploited precisely this, causing his center of gravity to shift in an instant. He knew he was trapped entirely on the defensive; his only chance to turn the tables was to complete his metamorphosis in time. But Chen Chuan gave him no such opening. Because he had taken the initiative and made no mid-course changes, he was destined to stay one step ahead in tempo. His third slash flashed across like swift lightning, sending the opponent's head flying through the air. The momentum of the blade did not stop there; snapping back in a return slash, it cleaved the torso in two at the waist. The commissioned warrior collapsed to the ground, severed into three pieces. Chen Chuan spun the long saber in his hand, took several quick strides forward, and brought his foot down on the severed head. With a crisp crack, he crushed both the head and the activated brain tissue within into pulp. In this bout, he had delivered only three strikes to slay an opponent on par with—or perhaps even superior to—Iron Demon on the spot. The entire fight had been clean, crisp, and without the slightest hesitation. The difference lay not merely in his progress over the past two months, but in using his Second Self to induce a misjudgment in his opponent. Once the opponent lost that opening move, he had been doomed to a defensive struggle. Such was combat between high-level fighters: a single error in judgment could determine the outcome. In truth, because the commissioned warrior had failed to complete his metamorphosis, the power he displayed had not even matched Iron Demon's final phase. Chen Bitong, who had observed the entire exchange from behind, offered his evaluation: "Well done." Chen Chuan walked back over. "Teacher Chen, how long did it take you to defeat this man back then?" Chen Bitong said, "That was ten years ago. I hadn't reached my current level yet. If I recall correctly, it took half an hour. Measuring you against how I was back then, it seems I still underestimated you, Captain Chen." He looked forward, walked over, and produced a small oil container from inside his coat. He poured the liquid over the commissioned warrior's body, then drew out a lighter and ignited it. Fierce flames instantly engulfed the warrior's corpse. "People like this have a strong likelihood of their bodies activating on their own. Aside from the head, it's best to dispose of the body as well. Burning it with lamp oil is the simplest method." He gestured with the small container in hand. "This sort of oil container can be drawn from the ordnance department. It was originally meant for starting fires in the wild, and one can last several days. You can carry one with you on missions in the future; it makes disposal very convenient." Chen Chuan nodded. Such practical tidbits were extremely useful. He would be leading a team in the Confluence eventually, and knowing these details was a responsibility to his teammates. Chen Bitong spoke again: "Captain Chen, regarding that fight just now: if you were to refine your methods, do you think you could have slain him in an even shorter time?" Chen Chuan pondered. If he unleashed his full power in a single burst, perhaps he could. However, if he opened with the Furnace Breathing Technique right away, he would lose the element of surprise. The opponent might also undergo an immediate activated metamorphosis, so it was hard to say for sure. He answered candidly, "I cannot say with certainty." Chen Bitong said, "Feigning weakness before striking to kill him instantly before he finishes his metamorphosis was quite the right approach. "However, that trick will only work once. The remnants of the former imperial house possess extensive information channels, and they have moles lurking within our ranks. Once your threat is confirmed, similar opponents will undergo metamorphosis immediately upon seeing you. "You killed Iron Demon. The next time their people confirm your identity, they certainly won't give you another chance like that. Even so, there is still a way to achieve it." Chen Chuan immediately asked for guidance: "Please instruct me, Teacher Chen." Chen Bitong said, "First, you must understand that the thing parasitic within their bodies possesses its own consciousness. Under the techniques of the imperial remnants, it remains dormant in ordinary times, subordinate to the will of the commissioned warrior. "Once the activated metamorphosis is complete, the dominant entity shifts to the parasite. Though the two exist as a symbiote, during metamorphosis, the two consciousnesses must transfer and hand over control. This mental transition actually leaves a gap. Even minds that integrate perfectly require a brief moment to adjust. "That gap is your opportunity. "All we need to do is clash with it mentally—tying it down for just an instant will cause its body and mind to fall out of sync. This doesn't require complex mental techniques, nor does it require completely overpowering the opponent. A minor clash is enough. But the timing must be precise. "Watch closely." He tapped the boundary credential by his ear. Another commissioned warrior appeared opposite him, identical to the previous one. Chen Bitong stepped forward, casually pulling up the spear that the earlier warrior had planted in the ground. Perhaps because Chen Bitong exuded an overwhelming pressure from the very beginning, the newly spawned commissioned warrior initiated his metamorphosis almost immediately. Mutated tissue surged out from his body, filling every gap in the armor. Chen Bitong waited until the metamorphosis was complete before stepping forward. Once at an appropriate distance, he thrust the spear forward with a raise of his arm. The commissioned warrior likewise raised his spear to parry. Yet at that moment, as though sensing something was amiss, his reaction lagged by a fraction, prompting him to twist his body outward in an attempt to dodge. Yet Chen Bitong seemed to anticipate which way he would veer. With a twist of the spearhead, the tip pierced right through the warrior's face. His jin erupted on impact, and the head detonated inside the helmet with a loud bang. Having run the warrior through with his spear, Chen Bitong showed no sign of stopping. Glancing to the side, another identical commissioned warrior emerged. He again allowed the warrior to undergo metamorphosis first, then walked close and thrust out his spear in the exact same manner. It was the identical motion as before, yet the commissioned warrior still failed to mount an effective defense. With a soft hiss, the spear penetrated smoothly through the faceplate. Amid the wet sound of bursting flesh, the helmet tumbled to the ground, spilling a mess of shredded meat and shattered bone. …… ……