On the other side of the fissure.
After retreating into this space, Astrid found it difficult to navigate her way back on her own due to the lack of equipment and the loss of the sensor grapple on her armor; she had to rely on signals transmitted from the other side.
At this moment, she kept her eyes closed and strove to take deep, measured breaths, channeling all her focus into sensing the rifts that flickered in and out of existence around her. In her heart, she urged, *Hurry up, hurry...*
This was one side of the fissure, a part of the rift itself, and deep within its furthest reaches it might well connect to another world. Every second she lingered brought potential peril.
And right now, she could actually feel her body suffering from some unknown encroaching affliction.
When she had the armor protecting her, it hadn't been so bad. But just moments ago, in order to escape, she had been forced to abandon her suit, leaving her completely exposed and defenseless in this territory.
She trusted that Sigrid would find a way to retrieve her. Leaving aside the fact that the company implants in her body could not be lost, the combat data gathered from this engagement alone was something the company would never give up on.
Yet at this moment, she suddenly sensed that something far behind her seemed to be stirring awake, sending a jolt of dread deep into her soul.
*Hurry, hurry!*
Just as her anxiety peaked, she felt a familiar pulse of signal emanate from an open rift ahead. Without a shred of hesitation, she sprang straight toward it.
Only before leaving did she cast a glance back, wanting to make out what that presence was. Unfortunately, beyond a blinding haze of white light, she could see nothing at all.
And several kilometers away from where she had just been standing, Nagahide Miyahide's headless torso lay sprawled on the ground, his severed head resting not far off.
The tentacle that had dragged him through was coiled around him. It appeared to be some sort of octopus-like flora; its tendrils were burrowing into his body and head, seemingly suckling on something.
After a short while, however, the creature began to shudder violently. Fluids from its own body could be seen flowing backward into Nagahide Miyahide's form. It struggled desperately to pull away, but lacked the strength.
In mere minutes, the entity turned pale and withered, finally collapsing motionless atop him.
Moments later, from both severed ends of Miyahide's neck, fleshy tendrils sprouted out, stretching outward and slowly feeling their way across the space.
As if drawn by some unseen magnetic pull, they eventually brushed against each other. His head was then dragged along, inch by inch, back toward his torso.
Once the two severed sections of the neck were pressed flush against one another, the tendrils twisted and aligned them until they knitted seamlessly back together.
After several more minutes, Nagahide Miyahide snapped his eyes open. The hollow blankness in his gaze gradually gave way to a sharp gleam, and the corners of his mouth curled into an eerie smile.
He brushed away the desiccated tentacles clinging to him and stood up from the ground.
He rolled his neck slightly, and the final faint line of blood vanished completely, sealing shut.
His aura was now considerably more imposing than before. His eyes had turned unfathomably deep, faint wisps of black smoke drifted around his body, and his loose hair had grown down past his back, while the front fell down to veil most of his face.
Fenglin Dojo's secret art: Ghost-God Rearing Technique!
The spiritual power accumulated by Fenglin Dojo was not meant for attacking opponents; rather, it was stored away to rear the Demon of Fenglin. In particular, core disciples of Fenglin Dojo who had visited the Ghost Gate would cultivate a second consciousness within their bodies.
When they suffered fatal trauma that caused one consciousness to be extinguished, the other consciousness would take over the body, doing everything possible to repair it and bring them back to life.
Once they underwent this metamorphosis, they would attain the "Ghost Body," becoming far stronger than before. In terms of spiritual power especially, they would make tremendous strides—though this was bought at the price of surviving a "calamity of death."
And beyond the Ghost Body lay the trial of the Heavenly Body. Only by passing through Heaven, Man, and Ghost, uniting all into the Divine Body, could one truly set foot on the path of a Blade Master.
To complete this process required not only a formidable opponent, but also that one's body not be excessively mangled after being slain. The conditions were exceedingly stringent.
Since returning from the Ghost Gate of Fenglin Dojo, Nagahide Miyahide had yet to meet an opponent across the Outer Ocean capable of slaying him. Thus, he had come directly to Jibei Circuit Center City to seize the opportunity presented by the opening of the Heavenly Gate, seeking out Chen Chuan first.
He had brought along four junior fellow disciples this time precisely to ensure, to some extent, that his corpse remained relatively intact.
Judging by his current surroundings, he had ended up on the opposite side of the fissure; his four junior disciples had evidently failed to carry out their charge.
He glanced at the withered tentacles on the ground and smiled. Regardless, the outcome was favorable.
His cheeks had grown gaunt and hollow, making this smile look entirely like that of a malevolent ghost.
The mortal body perished, and the ghost body took its place—this was not without cost. Man and ghost fused, exhausting vital essence to achieve wholeness, but in return, it granted even greater power.
He attuned himself to the flickering rifts ahead. Relying on his elevated spiritual power, he sensed the correct path within moments. Taking a step forward, his vision flashed, and he stepped out of the fissure onto a wide avenue.
This was not his original location. With a leap, he gained high ground, surveyed the surrounding buildings, and checked the map on his boundary credential. Having pinned down the bearing, he sprinted in that direction.
Before long, he arrived at the site of their earlier clash, but it was already completely deserted. There were only several pools of blood on the ground and a broken blade stuck into the earth.
Sensing no trace of his Liuruoqie here, he left decisively and returned to the vehicle he had arrived in.
He walked over, grabbed the door handle, ripped the entire car door off, and hurled it aside. Reaching inside, he pulled out a cross spear. He spun it once in his hands before planting it firmly onto the pavement with a solid thud.
This cross spear was named "Ghost Dance," the weapon best suited for someone who had achieved the Ghost Body.
After the Ghost Body came the pursuit of the Heavenly Body.
He rummaged further through the car and brought out a briefcase. When he popped it open, a round-headed winged insect flew out.
The creature twitched its front antennae, seemingly catching a scent or impulse. Flapping its wings against the gale, it drifted unhurriedly toward the distant sky. He cast a glance at it and followed after it.
Inside the command center, Commissioner Liang and the others watched Chen Chuan approach Chang Kuanghai, their expressions solemn. It was safe to say every eye was fixed on this battle.
In truth, they did not demand that Chen Chuan defeat Chang Kuanghai; as long as he could keep him pinned down until reinforcements arrived, they would be able to move in and retrieve the split entity.
Which of the two was stronger—Nagahide Miyahide or Chang Kuanghai—was truly hard to gauge. In battles between fighters, besides individual foundations and combat competence, much depended on distinct styles, traits, and split-second decisions in the heat of battle.
Even if Chen Chuan had triumphed over Nagahide Miyahide, that did not guarantee victory against Chang Kuanghai. Chang Kuanghai practiced the "Tianshu Fist," and his formidable external conditioning was originally forged for storming battle lines and slaying enemy commanders. One could not say Chang Kuanghai was definitively superior in raw power to Nagahide Miyahide, but he was certainly the toughest nut to crack.
Commissioner Liang considered for a moment, then ordered, "Have someone alert Captain Chen. Inform him of his opponent's background and characteristics."
"Yes, sir."
Though the response team members who had rushed over earlier were all dead, field organisms still remained inside nearby vehicles, sufficient to relay communications.
A prompt soon popped up on Chen Chuan's boundary credential. He glanced at it, instantly informed. Looking up at the towering figure opposite him, he asked, "You said you were waiting here for me?"
Chang Kuanghai said in a deep voice, "You should remember Wei Wusheng. We hail from the same sect."
Chen Chuan nodded. After seeing the data indicating the man hailed from the Tianshu Gang, he had already surmised as much. Yet Chang Kuanghai's so-called wait for him was likely not merely for vengeance; he probably harbored the exact same purpose as Chen Chuan.
Chang Kuanghai said, "You must have felt it. When the Heavenly Gate opens, fighters such as us need suitable adversaries to scale new heights. But such opponents are hard to find."
He paused briefly. "My master watched your battle against Junior Brother Wei. Back then, he made a definitive judgment: within two years, you would be capable of fighting me."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said heavily, "The old master was not mistaken. If possible, I would have liked to give you more time. But the moment is upon us, and I can wait no longer."
Chen Chuan looked at him, then toward the colossal fissure behind him. Gripping the Xuejun Saber, he drew the blade from its sheath once more and said sincerely, "Mr. Chang, what an unfortunate coincidence. I have business to attend to today, so I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you company for very long."
Right at this moment, behind them, a corporate mercenary squad arrived in the vicinity and crouched down at an elevated vantage point.
Not far off was the largest and most stable fissure currently in Center City. A split entity had to be located here, and that was their objective.
They eased their firearms forward, aiming the muzzles at the two distant figures. Although both were third limit fighters, long-range firearms were still capable of threatening them.
Yet now was not the moment to strike. The two men ahead undoubtedly retained their full combat capabilities, and besides, there were mercenary squads from other corporations nearby—rivals in every sense. They had to choose their moment with utmost care.
Chang Kuanghai reached out and seized the axe planted beside him, hauling it up with a single pull. The axe was roughly as tall as he was, measuring over three meters in length and appearing exceptionally massive. Yet held in his grip, it seemed as light as a stalk of straw. He strode down from the elevated ground.
Chen Chuan raised the Xuejun Saber and advanced to meet him.
Stepping down, Chang Kuanghai closed the distance. Gripping the long axe in one hand, he whipped it around at Chen Chuan. With a sharp roar, a fierce sonic boom tore through the air as if cracking the atmosphere open. Snowflakes scattered wildly, and everything blocking its path seemed about to be cleaved apart.
Chen Chuan lowered his center of gravity, feet planted in a split stance, and brought the Xuejun Saber up in a two-handed block!
The two weapons collided. With a thundering boom, a gale of compressed air exploded outward around them, blasting the accumulated snow clean off the pavement.
Seeing Chen Chuan hold his ground without giving half a step, Chang Kuanghai couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise. Ever since mastering his external conditioning, aside from his master Yu Hongming, he had never seen anyone face his axe swings head-on.
A smile broke across his rectangular face. Such tremendous power, such an unyielding combat style—this was precisely the adversary he had longed for.
"Good!"
He bellowed with resounding vigor, swung the axe back in a wide arc, and brought it cleaving down once more with a deafening roar!
……
……
Chapter 536