Chen Bitong recalled that Chen Chuan possessed a very distinctive jin technique, one that seemed capable of emulating all sorts of jin. Moreover, the young man's physical resilience was formidable; even when Chen Bitong had spiritually channeled external power, he hadn't been able to force him back. Chen Chuan truly was the ideal choice to lead the assault.
He looked at Chen Chuan again. This young man was spirited, resolute, and fearless—much like he himself had been in his youth.
Feeling a pang of nostalgia, he asked, "Captain Chen, you must have expended quite a bit of stamina just now, right? Can you hold out?"
Stamina aside, mutated tissue experienced fatigue. Before reaching this place, Chen Chuan had surely gone through battle, and then he had fought another round against him. Those expenditures were undeniable. Just like Chen Bitong right now—though still capable of fighting, he was far from the peak condition he had started with.
Chen Chuan had indeed used up a great deal. With his Second Self present, his stamina would not completely dry up, but after colliding head-on twice with that external power, the Second Self retained only two-fifths of its original tolerance.
He would likely face similar power ahead, so he needed to be more cautious.
Furthermore, the medicine he had ingested earlier was now essentially spent after his clash with Chen Bitong.
After a moment of thought, he retrieved the vial of restorative agent Commissioner Liang had sent via courier, uncapped it, tilted his head back, and downed it.
A warm current swiftly spread through his body, making every part of him feel pleasantly warm and invigorated.
In just moments, strength radiated through all his limbs and bones, and his mutated tissues became active once more. It was not merely a physical sensation—even his spiritual perception grew remarkably sharp.
He took measure of the effect; this was by far the most potent medicine he had ever encountered. It felt as though he had returned to his peak in an instant, and it seemed capable of supplying him with an endless surge of energy for quite some time.
A concoction specially provided by the Defense Department was truly extraordinary.
Yet along with power came side effects. He noticed a large area of blurry phantom silhouettes appearing over his Second Self, which showed that the medicine was also intensely destructive to the body.
Still, setting aside that his Second Self could divert the damage, even ordinary third limit fighters would use such damaging substances without hesitation if it meant regaining combat capability.
Once one reached this limit, so long as physical stamina remained and vital essence was stored, any such damage could subsequently be repaired with vital essence, eliminating the need for excessive worry.
Seeing Chen Chuan take medicine to recover, Chen Bitong also closed his eyes slightly and released some vital essence to adjust his own condition.
After a moment, he opened his eyes again, and the light within them shone brightly once more.
He said, "The cavalry commander who attacked earlier carried no ceremonial banner of his own. He was likely an untitled vice-general, which means there is a ninety percent chance their army commander is an Auxiliary General.
"Unlike commissioned warriors such as Iron Demon whom you've encountered before, they undergo no metamorphosis process, because they have already fully adapted to biological parasitism and merged into one with it.
"Furthermore, like me, they possess the means to channel external power. While that is their trump card, it also makes their actions relatively easy to predict.
"In a critical moment, they will deploy that power without hesitation. However, doing so requires intense mental concentration. The moment they draw on that power, their awareness of their surroundings drops significantly. That will be our best opening."
Chen Chuan said solemnly, "I will create an opportunity for Teacher Chen."
Chen Bitong said, "We cannot predict every detail with certainty. Once we are down there, we must adapt to the circumstances. Don't worry about who lands the finishing blow—strike decisively whenever an opportunity appears. I have an approach in mind; we could do this…"
He picked up a spear, drew several marks on the ground, and finally nodded. "Doing it this way increases the difficulty somewhat, but it will achieve a greater element of surprise."
Chen Chuan examined the markings and considered the idea, deeming it feasible. At the very least, when hit with a sudden ambush, the opposition would be unable to react in time.
He agreed. "Teacher Chen's plan is highly feasible. Let us proceed with this."
Chen Bitong knew that a plan ultimately depended on the people executing it. No matter how good the opportunity, it was useless if the individuals were not up to the task. This plan was formulated around both of their capabilities, and it was precisely because their individual strengths formed a solid foundation that more possibilities opened up.
At this point, he offered another solemn reminder: "I have no doubt you can reach those two, Captain Chen, but remember to be careful in the end. If it feels impossible, pull back."
After all, charging out from the front meant facing the brunt of the enemy's defensive strength, which would place an immense burden on Chen Chuan. Even disregarding the rest of the troops, facing those two commanders alone was far more perilous than dealing with Nie Guanshan and Yang Shen by himself.
Chen Chuan nodded in assent.
Chen Bitong said, "Once the fire dies down a bit, we strike."
***
After retreating to the foot of the mountain, dense white mutated tissue sprouted from the slash across the back of the vice-general's armor, swiftly sealing the wound while the armor gradually repaired itself.
This kind of armor was integrated with their own biological tissue, capable of healing alongside their bodies.
Once he reached the great standard, he conferred with the army commander, reporting that the two men above were exceptionally strong and formidable, and detailing their specific styles and traits.
The commander was unbothered by the failed assault. If one attempt failed, they would simply mount another, though given the immense martial strength of the two above, they would need to adjust their tactics for the next round.
A staff officer suggested at this point, "We could bombard them with artillery first to cut off all their options, and once the airships arrive from the rear, we can thoroughly suppress both of them inside."
The commander rejected the proposal.
Fighters who nearly touched the threshold of transcending the limits could not be hit by ordinary artillery and machine guns. Furthermore, the fact that the two had stepped out to this side gave the vanguard a chance to eliminate them.
If they drove them back through the fissure, breaking through would become even more difficult.
The best approach remained resolving the matter on this side. Earlier, they had held reservations because they were unsure of the enemy's deployment and true strength, but now they possessed a certain degree of confidence.
The commander immediately began organizing personnel, intending to strike alongside the vice-general this time to clear the obstacle above once and for all.
As orders were relayed, the troops below formed ranks, and the commissioned warriors gathered beneath the ceremonial banner.
Inside the fissure, seeing that the flames ahead were dwindling, the two men had also finished their preparations. Chen Bitong nodded to Chen Chuan and stepped out of the fissure first, his figure quickly melting into the fog.
Chen Chuan walked to the entrance and looked down. Mist still cloaked the mountain path, obscuring the view below, but the command banner was faintly visible.
The former imperial house placed extreme emphasis on ritual, and its military maintained rigid discipline. As chief commander, the general would never stay far from the banner, which made it the perfect landmark.
Aside from pursuing earlier, the two had made no move to venture beyond the fissure, and hiding inside was undoubtedly safer. At this moment, the enemy would never anticipate a countercharge down the mountain.
Yet they would only get one chance.
He glanced at the Xuejun Saber and extended his spirit into the blade. Handling the split sub-body earlier had proven that whenever truly necessary, he could awaken it temporarily.
Moreover, he did not need it for long. When the true moment arrived, there might only be time for a single slash.
As his focus sharpened, the Xuejun Saber began to tremble faintly, clearly sensing and grasping his will.
He knew that once he initiated his charge, the commotion could not be hidden, and the troops below would definitely react.
Yet he had no need to conceal it. His goal was to draw everyone's attention and create an opening for Chen Bitong.
A moment later, seeing the flames at the entrance nearly extinguished, he drew a deep breath and strode forward.
In that instant, everything around him slowed to a crawl. As he advanced, an explosive roar erupted from his wake.
A few scattered scout pickets were stationed along the mountain path; they heard only a thunderous boom before a violent gale tore past them.
Those lightly brushed by it suffered tearing muscles and broken bones, swept off their feet and hurled outward by a powerful blast of air.
Chen Chuan remained completely unaffected, maintaining his momentum. Driven by the overlapping power of his Second Self, his speed climbed ever higher.
In that split second, his spirit and aura ascended steadily toward greater heights. Stimulated by this surge, the Xuejun Saber hummed, its surface radiating faint wisp-like glows.
Covering a distance of several kilometers took only a handful of breaths before he fell upon them.
Beneath the great standard, the commander sat mounted, showing no intention of retreating. Sensing something amiss, the commissioned warriors and guards beside him surged forward immediately, forming a defensive line and raising their spears in unison.
The vice-general also closed in toward the commander.
They truly had not expected anyone to dare charge down from above. Furthermore, to facilitate their own upcoming assault, they had flattened and cleared the ground ahead earlier, leaving no obstacles or traps along the way—which now worked entirely to their enemy's advantage.
Chen Chuan advanced along a straight line connecting himself to the military banner. Looking upon the barricade ahead and the dense forest of spears, he had no intention of slowing down; instead, he hurled his entire body straight into them!
The moment the two sides collided, the foremost spears struck his body and violently shattered. Splinters and metal fragments exploded outward in all directions, some hurtling backward with tremendous kinetic force and eliciting shrill screams of agony.
The entire front rank—both guards and commissioned warriors—felt as though they had been struck by a high-speed locomotive. With a deafening crash, a gaping breach was instantly torn through the formation, hurling broken bodies and weapons backward along the vector of the impact.
Under such tremendous force, the military overcoat Chen Chuan wore burst apart. His eyes remained locked onto the commander ahead. Having smashed through the formation, he lightly stepped against the earth; the ferocious propulsion carried him leaping into the air. Gripping his saber with both hands, he brought it cleaving down toward the man!
Chapter 563