Frontal Strike

At first, Chen Chuan only walked, but as he moved forward, he broke into a jog, and then his pace grew faster and faster. Scarface was also building up momentum. Once he got up to speed, his immense bulk and frame smashed effortlessly through every obstacle in his path. Viewed from above, Chen Chuan and Scarface would have looked like two blades slicing through the crowd from north and south, hurtling toward each other on a direct collision course. As Chen Chuan sprinted, his eyes never left what lay ahead. The moment the crowd parted completely and the towering figure came into sharp focus, he kicked off the ground and shot into the air! With his speed now fully engaged, Scarface no longer swung his hammer. He held the weapon firmly against his chest and charged straight ahead. With every stride, the pavement beneath him was crushed to powder. His true weight was clearly far beyond what met the eye, and the power surging within his body was staggering. Just as the space ahead cleared and all obstacles seemed behind him, a figure charged straight toward him, leaping close. Midair, the figure's legs curled in before snapping out in a ferocious stomp—*thud!*—landing square on his forehead! Scarface's head spun. The brutal stomp brought his forward momentum to a dead halt, throwing his upper body back so hard that he staggered several paces in reverse, pulverizing several paving stones underfoot. Using the recoil of the kick, Chen Chuan flipped backward, spinning several times midair before planting both feet firmly on the ground. Straightening up slowly, he locked eyes with Scarface. Having regained his footing, Scarface glared back at Chen Chuan. Realizing that the person blocking his way was no ordinary opponent, he exhaled a scalding breath, and his skin flushed an even deeper shade of crimson. From further back, Commissioner Qu stared in dumbfounded disbelief as Scarface was brought to a grinding halt by a single kick. *Those are military implants! The guy was at a full charge—and he got stopped dead from the front? Even if Scarface hadn't reached top speed, all that mass isn't just for show. Facing an impact like that, didn't his leg break?* On both sides of the street, onlookers watched the pair wide-eyed. A sudden realization swept through the crowd: perhaps Scarface wasn't unstoppable after all. Wei Chang'an had gasped in alarm when he saw Chen Chuan deliver that kick. Seeing him land unscathed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a surge of excitement. His junior never failed to deliver surprises; stationing him here had truly been the right call! Still, he couldn't leave him to fight alone. Wei Chang'an hastily urged the men behind him to bring up the ropes and gear as fast as possible. After a brief standoff, Scarface tightened his grip on the hammer, stepped forward, and accelerated once again. Chen Chuan charged straight toward him without backing down. Seeing Chen Chuan close the distance, Scarface swung the hammer in a horizontal sweep. Chen Chuan ducked under the blow while surging forward. Turning his body mid-stride, his hands drew back before driving a fist into Scarface's chest! In that instant, a force akin to Hunyuan rigid jin erupted. Scarface let out a muffled grunt as his back involuntarily arched. Immediately following the punch, Chen Chuan shifted his fist into an open palm and shoved forward, releasing a wave of soft jin. Finally, bringing four fingers together, he drove a vicious thrust inward, hammering a penetrating jin into the wound! The chitinous armor on Scarface's chest caved in with a faint crack, forcing him to hunch over and stumble back several paces. Chen Chuan stomped off the ground and closed in again, using his forward momentum to drive a horizontal elbow into Scarface's heart. Scarface stumbled back once more and instinctively reached out to shove him away. Chen Chuan slipped past the arm, seized the wrist, and smashed a fist into his armpit. Stepping in closer, he gripped Scarface's upper arm, turned his hip, arched his back, and executed a thunderous shoulder throw, slamming the hulking brute violently into the pavement! With a resounding boom, cracks spiderwebbed across the ground. Scarface lay there, seemingly motionless. Seeing this, the onlookers at both ends of the street beamed with hope. Just as Chen Chuan moved to follow up, a sudden premonition struck him. He sprang backward, narrowly dodging a hand that swept across right beneath his feet. Scarface rolled over and hauled himself back onto his feet. When he turned to face Chen Chuan again, his eyes were bloodshot crimson, fine beads of blood were oozing from his skin, and the scars on his face were stretched so tight they looked as if they might peel right off. In the rear, one of the company commissioners asked in panic, "Commissioner Qu, h-how did this guy get back up?" Commissioner Qu observed for a moment, thought it over, and murmured, "It must be the 'Rapid Hyperoxygenation' and 'Cardiac Revival' functions built into his implanted heart and lungs. On the battlefield, they allow the recipient to keep fighting even after severe injuries, and their combat capabilities get boosted. That kid's in trouble." Scarface seemed like a completely different person after standing up. No longer clumsy, his movements became remarkably agile. He whirled the hammer back and forth as if it were a straw stalk, filling the air with the whistling rush of gale-force winds. Chen Chuan evaded with calm precision, slipping out of danger by hairsbreadths each time. His focus remained locked on Scarface's breathing. After Scarface swung seven or eight times in rapid succession, his respiration finally hitched for a reset. At that very instant, Chen Chuan darted forward like a shadow, breaching Scarface's inner guard! Riding his momentum, he pressed down with one hand, pinning the hammer's handle just as it swung past. The sudden downward force pulled Scarface off balance. Chen Chuan slammed his shoulder forward. Hit with a burst of explosive jin, Scarface lost his footing completely, stumbling backward and leaving a trail of shattered footprints in the street. Before he could steady himself, Chen Chuan pressed the attack. But Scarface seemed to tap into an extra surge of strength from deep within. His foot slammed hard into the ground with a crack, the carapace inside him groaning and grinding. Releasing the hammer, he twisted his waist and lashed out with a sweeping arm, the violent force kicking up a gust of wind. Chen Chuan ducked beneath the sweep, but Scarface's other fist came hammering straight down, looking to smash him into the pavement. This time, Chen Chuan did not dodge; he brought his arm up to block. It was their first true frontal clash since the fight began. The crash of colliding forearms echoed through the street, yet the monstrous force—more than enough to pulverize an ordinary man—was held dead in its tracks! Chen Chuan's eyes flashed. Drawing a quick, sharp breath, he stepped forward, fracturing the ground beneath his feet. His other hand drove upward from below, striking Scarface's chin with a thunderous Tray-Lifting Palm! Scarface's head snapped back. Though the blow was fierce enough to snap an ordinary man's neck, it didn't knock him out—it merely blackened his vision and left him reeling with vertigo. Yet Chen Chuan's attack did not end there. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the heel of his palm continued to drive upward. As his arm extended, his five fingers curled slightly in midair. Watching this from behind, Cai Si felt an involuntary shiver run through him. The instant Chen Chuan's shoulders and back fully extended, his fingers snapped shut into a claw and raked downward across Scarface's features with a savage tear! With a wet rip, an entire sheet of skin and underlying muscle was torn clean off Scarface's face! The onlookers gasped, their scalps tingling with dread. Those who recognized the technique cried out in shock, "Curtain-Tearing Hand!" Scarface's sense of pain had been heavily dulled, but this horrific wound still wrung a wretched howl from his throat as he instinctively brought both hands up to cover his face. Chen Chuan shoved forward with a light touch. A burst of jin threw Scarface off balance, sending him staggering backward again. Chen Chuan walked forward at an unhurried pace. Passing the spot where Scarface had originally stood, he casually scooped up the discarded engineering hammer. The weapon spun twice in his hand as if weightless. Then, with a downward swing, he slammed the hammer into the side of Scarface's right knee with a loud thump. A sickening crunch of shattered reinforcement rang out, and Scarface's body tilted violently. Chen Chuan took two steps forward and pressed a hand against Scarface's chest, sending the towering frame stumbling back. He swung the hammer again, striking Scarface's other leg with a sharp crack. The hulking brute could no longer support his own weight and crashed onto his side, sending a shudder through the ground beneath everyone's feet. Scarface gasped for air, his hands groping blindly at his surroundings. That claw strike had damaged his eyes as well, but his ferocious drive still lingered; he had no intention of letting the fight end. Chen Chuan moved slowly behind him and raised the hammer high with one hand, aiming squarely at the top of Scarface's head. After a brief pause, he brought the hammer down, striking dead center on the crown of Scarface's head. Yet the jin did not burst within his skull; instead, it seeped downward along his spine, diffusing through his entire body. Scarface convulsed violently. Wet popping sounds erupted across his body like bursting blood bags, squirts of gore spraying from his torso and limbs. In an instant, a pool of dark blood gathered beneath him. Chen Chuan casually tossed the engineering hammer aside and unleashed a sweeping kick straight into Scarface's head. With a heavy crash, the giant's body was swept into an empty storefront beside the street. Scarface twitched feebly, struggled for a moment, and finally went still, his body merely shuddering with involuntary spasms. Chen Chuan lowered his foot slowly, turned around, and walked toward the entrance of the street with a composed expression. The street had fallen dead silent. Whether they were from the boxing clubs or the client company, everyone gazed at him in silence, their eyes filled with awe. Involuntarily, they parted to clear a path for him. Chen Chuan walked all the way to Wei Chang'an, met his eyes, and said calmly, "Brother Wei, the fish is caught." ... ...