Celestial Human Diagram

Chen Chuan saw a head with bone hammers on both ends poke out from the Rift, followed by a long, slender neck coiled with rings of shell, and then a massive, sturdy body covered in gray skin.

He recognized it at a glance. This was a Ringed Neck Armor Rhinoceros.

The members of the reaction force stationed behind him all saw the creature. Its towering size was incredibly intimidating, and they all grew tense.

Yuan Qiuyuan and the other two immediately prepared to engage. Their expressions were grim. The creatures that had emerged before hadn’t been very large and were simple to handle, but this thing... they didn’t think it could be dealt with in a few moves.

Facing the massive creature crawling out, Chen Chuan showed no intention of retreating. With a flicker of his body, he abruptly appeared before it.

He clenched his fist, his index finger slightly extended, and smashed a punch into its chest. His Power seemed so abundant that his entire forearm sank into its flesh.

The Ring-necked Rhinoceros’s forward charge suddenly halted. A series of wheezing sounds escaped its mouth, and then its head and four legs lost all strength. With a CRASH, it slammed onto the high platform in front of the Rift. Its head struck the stone ground hard, and the bone hammer on the edge of its skull even chipped out a small crater.

Everyone behind him stared with wide eyes, each able to hear the ragged breathing around them.

Chen Chuan was much smaller than the creature, which stood at least three meters tall. The difference in their sizes was incomparable, a contrast made even more obvious up close. And yet, with just one simple punch, the massive beast was killed.

The sight was so staggering it made their hearts pound wildly in their chests.

Yuan Qiuyuan, Qin Qingque, and Su Wei glanced down. The Ring Armor Rhinoceros lay only a few steps away. They could clearly see its tightly shut eyes and thick, wrinkled skin. Just looking at its solid bone hammers, they could imagine the power they would unleash when swung.

Looking back up at Chen Chuan, who stood with his back to them, a hint of excitement appeared in their expressions, and a sense of admiration welled up in their chests.

Chen Chuan, however, acted as if he had just done something trivial. He stood there and directly connected to the Defense Department’s comms link, saying, "This is Chen Chuan."

A familiar, steady voice came from the other end of the Realm Token. He said, "This is Liang Guanghai."

"Specialist?"

Specialist Liang said in a deep voice, "Captain Chen, there is a mission I need to assign to you now."

Chen Chuan looked up and said, "Go ahead, Specialist."

Specialist Liang said, "Chen Bitong. He opened a Rift near Hongsheng District, and a splintered offshoot is currently located there. We have reliable intelligence that figures from the Old Imperial Family’s Cavalry Army have also appeared within it.

Therefore, we cannot rule out the Old Imperial Family’s involvement. A large number of the Old Imperial Family’s Cavalry Army have appeared in Ji Yang District. Our people are currently in a standoff with them, and our main forces are tied up there.

The city is now relatively undefended. The situation is urgent and dangerous, so I need you to coordinate with an emergency team to stop Chen Bitong. As for the specifics of how to do that, you can discuss it with your team members."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright, I’m on my way."

After ending the call, he glanced at the Rift in front of him. This mission was exactly what he wanted.

’Although I’m the only one here who cultivates Spiritual Power, allowing me to monopolize the essence here, it isn’t enough. My spiritual peak can’t be pushed any higher without an opponent. Only a sufficiently powerful adversary can push my Spiritual Power to the next level.’

’Chen Bitong...’

He pondered for a moment, then turned and walked down from the high platform. He said to Yuan Qiuyuan and the other two, "The Defense Department has given me a mission. You three will continue to stand guard here."

’A mission to deal with Chen Bitong isn’t something one can join without reaching a certain level of power. It’s more appropriate for my team to stay here and handle the creatures coming through.’

"Yes, sir!"

Yuan Qiuyuan and the other two saluted in response.

Chen Chuan checked the equipment at his side, then, under the reverent gazes of the garrison personnel, he boarded an armored vehicle with his Snow Monarch Blade and headed toward Hongsheng District, following the map provided by the Defense Department.

At that moment, his Realm Token chimed. The Defense Department had sent over simple files on two individuals, but they contained only their names, appearances, and ages. Nothing else was included, not even their official positions.

’This probably means they have a certain level of security clearance.’

He took out a small vial and examined it. It was a stamina recovery potion from the Defense Department. Judging by the formality with which it had been delivered, it must be extremely rare. He hadn’t used it then, but he’d brought it with him.

The drive to Hongsheng District was slow. Despite the urgency, the vehicle couldn’t speed up due to the frequent Rifts and sporadic firefights along the way. It took over an Hour to reach the area.

When the vehicle stopped, the driver in front wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Captain Chen, we’re here."

Chen Chuan thanked him and pushed the door open to get out.

He stood outside and glanced around. It was 5:45, but the sky was as dark as midnight, with almost no change. The only difference, perhaps, was that the crimson glow in the sky had grown even more vivid, looking just like blood smeared across the firmament.

Just then, his Realm Token crackled. A flashing communication signal appeared, and he immediately accepted it. A gruff, cold voice came through: "Walk straight ahead. After two hundred meters, turn south. First building on your left. Go up to the thirteenth floor."

Chen Chuan glanced ahead, held his Snow Monarch Blade, and walked in that direction. When he reached the specified location, he saw an abandoned commercial building.

After going inside, he followed the stairs up to the thirteenth floor and saw two people waiting for him in the middle of the vast, empty level. He walked toward them, but after only two steps, he felt one of them press their Domain down on him.

’This is actually a rather impolite gesture. Even if they wanted to test my strength, we’d be able to sense each other once we’re close. To proactively release one’s Domain like this, projecting an oppressive aura, is a clear attempt to establish dominance.’

His expression remained calm, as if he felt nothing at all, and he walked to a spot in front of the two men.

Nie Guanshan and Yang Shen were slightly surprised to see him withstand the pressure of the Domain without his expression changing, but they were also quite satisfied.

This meant that Chen Chuan was someone who had mastered Spiritual Power, enough to serve as their support. He wouldn’t be so weak that he lacked even the right to stand before Chen Bitong.

Of the two, Yang Shen had been stationed in the Merging Land year-round, so he didn’t care about the affairs of Central City and didn’t know who Chen Chuan was.

Nie Guanshan, on the other hand, was a senior security officer for the Administrative Affairs Hall and paid more attention to outside events. He had once seen a recording of Chen Chuan’s fight with Wei Wusheng. However, for someone like him who stood at the very peak of the third limit, a battle of that level was hardly worth watching.

Therefore, when he saw Chen Chuan’s file earlier, his impression of him was still stuck in the past. Now, it seemed he had made significant progress.

Once Chen Chuan was close, Yang Shen got straight to the point. "Since you’re here, let’s get right to the mission and what you need to do. We’ve confirmed that Chen Bitong has the ability to retreat into a Rift. This makes him nearly impossible to pin down when he’s near one."

Hearing this, Chen Chuan couldn’t help but recall Astrid’s actions from before. ’This "retreating into a Rift" must be that kind of ability.’

"...So, we need someone to draw Chen Bitong’s attention at the critical moment, or to bear the brunt of his attack.

A Fighter’s opening usually appears when they think they’ve found an opportunity and choose to attack. When that happens, we need you to hold on. We’ll take him out before he can do more damage to you. Understood?"

He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "If you have no questions, then we’ll proceed with this plan."

Chen Chuan looked up at the two of them. "I think there’s a problem with this plan."

Yang Shen said impatiently, "There’s nothing wrong with it. This is the plan. It’s not up for debate. Since the Defense Department sent you to coordinate with us, you have to follow it. Obey orders, understand?"

Chen Chuan said calmly, "Then may I ask what your positions are?"

Yang Shen narrowed his eyes at him. After a long moment, he said, "Member of the Defense Department’s Exploration Team, Yang Shen."

Nie Guanshan said in a deep voice, "Head of Senior Security, Administrative Affairs Hall, Nie Guanshan."

Chen Chuan nodded. "Execution Captain, Processing Bureau, Chen Chuan."

Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan froze. Execution Captain?

In that case, based on rank alone, Chen Chuan was their equal.

They recalled that the file sent over about Chen Chuan hadn’t listed his specific situation or position. They hadn’t paid it any mind, but now it seemed this was probably the reason why.

An Execution Captain who wasn’t even twenty?

The two exchanged a look, realizing there was more to Chen Chuan than met the eye. It seemed the Defense Department had indeed sent them a capable partner this time.

The two of them consulted privately via their Realm Tokens.

Yang Shen said, "What do you think? Should we ask for a replacement?"

"We can’t," Nie Guanshan immediately rejected.

Coming from the Administrative Affairs Hall, he was more politically sensitive. Requesting a replacement earlier would have been one thing, but now the person was already here. His capabilities aside, his rank was at least equal to theirs, which showed that the Defense Department respected their request.

If they requested a replacement now, their superiors would see it as them just making trouble and shirking responsibility. If the mission failed, they would definitely find a way to make them take the fall—or at least a portion of the blame.

He said in a low voice, "We can concede a step on the surface. When the fight starts, it won’t be up to him anymore."

Although they couldn’t force Chen Chuan to do anything, when the fighting actually started, it would all come down to skill and experience.

At Chen Chuan’s age, even if his talent was outstanding and his strength could barely match theirs, his experience was in no way comparable. They had plenty of ways to guide and exploit the situation to create an outcome favorable to themselves.

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