Celestial Human Diagram

As Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan headed down, they didn’t forget to call out to Captain Chen.

"Captain Chen, let’s go."

After learning his position, whatever their private thoughts were, the two of them maintained a certain level of politeness toward him on the surface.

During the mission, all external conversations were being recorded by their Realm Tokens. The more polite they were now, the more it would show that there was no conflict between them. If something happened to one of them later, it could only be called a wartime accident, not their responsibility.

As the three of them walked down from the building, a light, scattered rain began to fall. The rainwater was reddish, looking like diluted blood, and it was slightly corrosive.

In the rain, the insects first flew about erratically before falling in large swaths. Once on the ground, they were quickly soaked by the continuing downpour. They could only writhe and struggle before beginning to rot in the water. Before long, the faint stench of decay filled the air.

The raindrops that fell on Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan were blocked by their Protective Clothing and wide-brimmed hats. The few drops that landed on their skin were instantly repelled, not a single one remaining.

The same was true for Chen Chuan. This wasn’t really a special technique, but rather a matter of channeling qi to the extremities and emitting Power from the skin. It was an ability anyone could use once their control over their body’s Power reached a certain level.

In his current state, he could even submerge himself in water and emerge completely dry, just like He Xiaoxing had back then.

As the three of them approached, the mercenaries who had broken ranks were fleeing outward. But gunshots rang out continuously from behind, and many of them were gunned down by the pursuing bullets as they ran.

One of them was shot in the back of the head not far away. With a dull thud, he collapsed in front of them. His skull had nearly burst open, and his blood flowed into the rainwater, making it momentarily difficult to distinguish one from the other.

The three of them were such obvious targets that the snipers above couldn’t ignore them. At that moment, a number of bullets came flying their way.

The bullets that struck Chen Chuan and Nie Guanshan hit their Protective Clothing and failed to penetrate. As they advanced, the clinking sound of bullets falling to the ground could be heard from time to time.

Seeming to realize that attacking their bodies was useless, and with most of the mercenaries having already fled, the gunfire from the other side paused for a moment. However, the muzzles of the guns remained steadily aimed at them.

As they drew closer, a single, muffled gunshot suddenly rang out, its echo reverberating between the plaza and the building for a moment.

Yang Shen’s hand shot up with incredible speed. Pinching his thumb and forefinger together, he caught the bullet just a short distance from the space between his eyebrows.

Though the motion was fast, it gave off an air of extreme nonchalance. He then rolled the bullet between his fingers, crushing it into a nearly flat strip, and tossed it to the ground.

The three of them didn’t change their pace, continuing to walk forward slowly.

Standing in the rear, Fang Zhixin looked at Chen Bitong with some concern.

He knew his teacher couldn’t have come away from the fight with Old Hu without expending a great deal of energy, especially to rapidly heal his arm. That must have consumed a significant amount of his Essence Blood.

And the three men who had just arrived, sent at a time like this, were clearly no pushovers.

However, he then noticed that one of the three was Chen Chuan. This did little to ease his worries. He had interacted with Chen Chuan quite a bit during the training program and was well aware of his strength and potential. Even if the other two were on a similar level, they would not be easy to deal with.

In the back, Yu Lie also saw Chen Chuan and couldn’t help but clench his fists. For Chen Chuan to be participating in a battle like this was undoubtedly an acknowledgment of his combat prowess by the Defense Department.

But he could only stand in the back and watch.

As Chen Chuan’s group of three drew near, they found their Realm Tokens hissing with static. They could obviously no longer contact the outside.

When Chen Bitong’s convoy arrived, it had deployed numerous Domain-jamming organisms. The members of the temporary special committee had their own unique frequencies and special Implants, which were difficult for these specially modulated jammers to affect. Our trio, however, was different; they were affected the moment they entered the area.

The three of them didn’t pause, continuing forward until they stopped about thirty meters away from Chen Bitong.

They had observed him clearly just now. Although Chen Bitong could move back and forth within the Rift, his movements were mostly confined to a thirty- to forty-meter radius. They estimated his maximum range wouldn’t exceed fifty meters.

This was likely not because he was incapable of going further, but because doing so might cause him to lose the element of surprise or make his tells more obvious. If so, he would naturally try to avoid that weakness.

Therefore, standing at their current distance was convenient for an attack, and if anything went wrong, they could retreat first and regroup. In short, their priority was to ensure their own safety.

For Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan, they needed to secure a victory, not fight to the death.

After coming to a stop, Chen Chuan first glanced at Chen Bitong, then his gaze traveled past him to the Rift and the mangled remains of the Old Imperial Family’s cavalrymen scattered on the ground.

’It looks like Chen Bitong is stopping them from entering this side, but he’s also deliberately keeping the Rift open. What is he trying to do?’

As a Fighter, his first thought was that the man might be trying to use this to ascend to a higher plane.

’But then again, it doesn’t seem that simple.’

’With the current lack of information, it’s impossible to guess what he’s planning.’

At that moment, Nie Guanshan took a document from his uniform pocket. After unfolding it, he held it up for the man in front to see and said sternly,

"Chen Bitong, we are here under orders from the Administrative Affairs Hall and the Defense Department. We ask that you immediately cease all your activities and return with us to be investigated. If you refuse, we will be forced to use violent means."

’He knew perfectly well that given the current situation, there was no way Chen Bitong would give up, nor would he simply follow them back after a few words. But this was a necessary formality.’

Chen Bitong looked at them, his gaze lingering on Chen Chuan for a moment. He said in a low voice, "You all should just focus on doing your own jobs."

Yang Shen then spoke up. "Chen Bitong, I hear you used to be in the Pioneer Team. That would make you my senior. But you’re far more capable than I am, senior." He glanced at the spot where Old Hu had exploded. "At least I’ve never killed one of my own teammates."

Chen Bitong ignored his sarcasm, merely giving him a few extra glances.

’The rules back then might have been different from today’s. It’s likely that anyone who joined the Pioneer Team was an extraordinary individual, the elite of the elite.’

He then looked toward Chen Chuan, but before he could say anything, Nie Guanshan spoke again, "If you are unwilling to surrender peacefully, then we have nothing more to say. We still have a mission to complete. Forgive us for the offense."

Chen Bitong looked at him and said, "Then you should also prepare yourselves. I will not be holding back."

Yang Shen let out a dry laugh and said playfully, "Senior, if I were you, I’d worry about myself first. Oh, and I hear you have a son? Your only son, isn’t he? You used to be a hero. He must have idolized you. But if he found out about what you’re doing now, what would he think?"

Chen Bitong remained silent.

Seeing no reaction from him, Yang Shen scoffed, turned, and was the first to walk to the left side, where he took his position.

Nie Guanshan stood still, seemingly waiting for Chen Chuan to choose his position. Seeing this, Chen Chuan walked to the right, positioning himself on Chen Bitong’s left flank.

This left Nie Guanshan facing Chen Bitong directly, making it seem like he would bear the brunt of the first attack. In an actual fight, however, the choice of who to attack among the three of them would be up to Chen Bitong.

In the eyes of Nie Guanshan and Yang Shen, Chen Bitong would certainly attack Chen Chuan, no matter where he was positioned.

Their words just now had not been without purpose. They were meant to clearly display their own identities and backgrounds, giving Chen Bitong the impression that they would be difficult opponents. At the same time, they didn’t give Chen Chuan a chance to speak. This would make Chen Bitong subconsciously believe that Chen Chuan had the lowest status and was therefore the easiest point to break through.

And later, they would give Chen Bitong that opportunity, allowing them to carry out their preconceived plan.

Once all three were in position, Chen Chuan reached for the clasp and unfastened the Protective Cloak he had worn on the way. He revealed the Execution Captain’s greatcoat underneath, then tossed the cloak aside.

Yang Shen, meanwhile, held his hands out at his sides, fingers spread. Thin, white cords began to flow from his fingertips, continuously extending as he channeled his Power.

At the same time, he narrowed his eyes and seemed to be chanting something under his breath, a low and rhythmic murmur.

Nie Guanshan, for his part, took off his gloves, revealing a pair of golden metal gauntlets underneath. The knuckles were covered in tiny, spike-like protrusions.

An expression of piety appeared on his face as he slowly assumed a strange posture.

He leaned his upper body slightly forward and bent his knees. His hands were clasped together with fingers interlaced, as if in prayer or a formal salute, held level with his brow. He was poised on the balls of his feet with his heels raised, looking as if he could leap forward at any moment.

Chen Bitong’s gaze first fell on Yang Shen. He said slowly, "The Coiling Dragon Force... and..." He looked at Nie Guanshan, his voice grave. "The Immortal Worshiping Posture."

Both of them were currently using Secret Transmission Force Techniques from the Old National Church.

The Coiling Dragon Force excelled at binding and entangling opponents. Once caught by its tendrils of force, even someone like him would be unable to break free.

The Immortal Worshiping Posture, on the other hand, was a Force Technique that served for both cultivation and combat, consisting of only two simple movements.

When the hands were clasped with fingers intertwined, the body would enter an extremely powerful Defensive stance, rendering most Power-based attacks ineffective.

And once it blocked an external attack, the user could immediately thrust both fists outward to strike the enemy, a blow rumored to be unstoppable.

And because both of these Force Techniques came from the Old National Church, when the correct steps were followed, they would align with the church’s rituals and could unleash seemingly incredible power. Thus, upon seeing these two Force Techniques, his expression also turned grim.

...

...

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!