Celestial Human Diagram

After Nie Guanshan and Yang Shen assumed their stances, they did not attack proactively.

For practitioners who had reached their level of the Third Limit, the difference in power between them wasn’t actually that great. The fusion of spirit and body was merely a testament to one’s level of cultivation; it didn’t represent absolute combat strength.

In a real fight, performance under pressure was what truly mattered.

In this regard, because their Powers differed, each was bound to have strengths and weaknesses. But their teamwork was enough to compensate for each other’s shortcomings and even amplify their respective advantages.

They were confident that if the plan went smoothly, they could subdue Chen Bitong.

Chen Bitong also stood motionless, appearing to observe the situation and devise a counter-strategy. At this moment, however, Yang Shen had the strongest presence on the field. As he murmured his chant, one had the strange illusion that the long, silken strands between his fingers were slowly coming to life.

Clearly, he was chanting some form of Scripture to rouse his Spiritual Power, aligning the Power he commanded with the rites of the Old National Church to attain even greater might.

This had to be stopped. The method was simple: prevent him from having the time to chant. In other words, drag him into a fierce battle.

But Nie Guanshan could not be ignored. With his Immortal Worshiping Posture, no matter which direction Chen Bitong moved, Nie Guanshan would intercept him, using Pile Force to nullify his Power.

Even if he could slip into a Rift to evade the obstruction, upon reappearing, if Chen Chuan on the other side reacted quickly enough, even the slightest delay would give Nie Guanshan enough time to catch up again.

The two of them together could effectively keep him at bay.

Therefore, to break past Nie Guanshan and attack Yang Shen, the first problem to solve was actually Chen Chuan. On the surface, Chen Chuan appeared to be the weak link.

This wasn’t a matter of ability but of coordination. He seemed to be subtly excluded from the other two’s teamwork, and his Spiritual Power wasn’t as profound as theirs.

’Then...’

His gaze shifted to Chen Chuan, and he took a step in his direction.

Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan were watching his every move. When they saw him act, their eyes revealed a sense of having expected it.

Chen Chuan was the opening they had deliberately left. While it reeked of a trap, attacking that point offered a slim chance of victory, whereas not attacking offered none. The choice was obvious to anyone.

But a moment later, both of their expressions shifted.

As Chen Bitong took his second step, he abruptly turned toward Yang Shen.

He had no intention of striking at Chen Chuan—not because he had once been his teacher, nor because he suspected a trap, but because he had a gut feeling that Chen Chuan’s position was paradoxically the most difficult one to breach.

He chose to trust his intuition.

When Yang Shen realized what was happening, he continued his chant without interruption and leaped backward without hesitation, retreating to a safer distance.

Nie Guanshan’s spirit had been locked onto Chen Bitong the entire time. With a sudden shout, he pushed off the tips of his toes and shot forward, thrusting both fists out. His speed was so immense it was almost like teleportation.

To everyone present, it was a straight trajectory so fast it was nearly impossible to follow, accompanied by a tremendous sonic boom that ripped through the air.

The Immortal Worshiping Posture wasn’t just about worshiping Immortals; it was also about sending others to meet them!

Chen Bitong’s figure was instantly pierced by the twin fists, but it was merely an afterimage. He had already taken a step ahead and slipped into a Rift. Unquestionably, he would reappear near Yang Shen in the next moment and launch his attack.

Chen Chuan had been sensing the battlefield the whole time. His Spiritual Power might not have the same intensity as the others, but thanks to the heightened senses from his Spiritual Reflection, his acuity was just as sharp.

Just then, he sensed a spiritual ripple. His eyes flashed, and he suddenly crossed several dozen meters, his blade slashing down at a patch of empty air.

CLANG! Chen Bitong’s figure materialized from the void, the light of the Rift still shimmering around him. He blocked the strike with a dagger he carried, his arm quivering almost imperceptibly as he neutralized the Power channeled through the blade.

Chen Chuan could feel his Power wasn’t weak, but his opponent seemed to be using some technique that combined Spiritual Power and physical Power, making the block look deceptively easy.

But he didn’t need to fell his opponent in a single blow; a momentary delay was all that was required. Because of his intervention, Chen Bitong could no longer press his attack, as Nie Guanshan was charging over once more.

He saw Chen Bitong give him a long, hard look. In his perception, Chen Bitong’s spiritual presence rapidly dissipated. With a BOOM, Nie Guanshan’s ferocious Power swept past, causing the afterimage left in his wake to flicker and waver.

When he looked up again, Chen Bitong was already back in his original spot, as if he had never moved at all.

The sound of Scripture chanting from the side grew faster and louder. Yang Shen, too, had returned to his previous position.

Chen Chuan glanced over. The ethereal strands were now swaying and circling around Yang Shen’s body. He could sense the danger they posed steadily increasing with time.

Although Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan hadn’t told him the specifics, he understood Esoteric Rituals. One look was enough for him to guess this was some kind of rite.

And there was more. From the moment he’d taken his position, he had felt a subtle Spiritual Power trying to influence him. His Second Self was even showing signs of becoming illusory.

At first, he thought it was an effect of the surrounding environment, but after their brief clash, he was certain that wasn’t the case. He turned his gaze toward Nie Guanshan, who was maintaining his Immortal Worshiping Posture.

After his one probe, Chen Bitong seemed to ponder for a moment before turning and walking over to a box that had been left on the side of the road.

Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan watched him with cold indifference, unperturbed.

They weren’t afraid of Chen Bitong stalling for time. Once the ritual was complete, subduing him would be incredibly easy. The one who should be anxious was him.

Chen Bitong opened the box and took out two swords. One was a slender Thrusting Sword that looked hard and sharp. The other was a Soft Sword, which, when unfurled, was identical in form to the one wielded by Fang Zhixin. However, this one was much longer, stretching over ten meters—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a slender sword-whip.

And with a gentle flick of his wrist, he used his Power to make it coil and circle around his body.

He didn’t usually use weapons; his String Void Force was more than enough to deal with Third Limit Fighters. In special circumstances, however, certain weapons could be incredibly useful.

Many called him "teacher," and for good reason. He hadn’t mastered just one type of Power, nor did he rely on a single method of attack. He had different strategies for different enemies, especially when his opponents’ tactics were one-dimensional.

He returned to the center of the field and fixed his gaze on Yang Shen, clearly preparing to attempt another breakthrough at that point.

As he stepped forward, Nie Guanshan seemed to perceive something. His eyes flew open, and with a shout, he charged toward an empty spot with a thunderous BOOM. Another Chen Bitong materialized out of thin air, only to be instantly run through by his fists.

But this time, a third Chen Bitong appeared behind him, thrusting a sword at the back of his neck.

Nie Guanshan wasn’t flustered in the slightest. The Immortal Worshiping Posture had only two moves for offense and defense, but these two simple moves were tempered through countless repetitions. No matter where an attack came from, he could block it.

He swiftly retracted his fists and resumed the initial Immortal Worshiping Posture. The sword struck his neck. In that instant, a sharp, deeply penetrating Power invaded his body. It then broke down into fine, thread-like tendrils of Power that seeped into every part of him, seemingly impossible to stop.

’String Void Force?’

Nie Guanshan sneered internally. He admitted the Power was difficult to deal with; anyone else would have lost the ability to fight back after a single hit. Even while maintaining his Immortal Worshiping Defense, he couldn’t completely nullify it. But the defining characteristic of the Immortal Worshiping Posture was its unity of offense and defense. As long as he launched his Immortal Salute Fist again, he could completely expel this invasive Power.

This process was nearly impossible to stop unless one had the absolute power to kill him in a single blow—and anyone with that kind of power wouldn’t need to bother with a prolonged fight in the first place.

As he was thinking this, his combat instincts were already compelling his body to punch forward.

This time, however, his attack was a fraction slower than before. Although he could expel the residual Power, it had still hindered him ever so slightly.

At that moment, as Chen Bitong’s afterimage was run through, another of his figures appeared even further back. And as expected, a blade flashed from the side—Chen Chuan was slashing at him.

He raised his Short Sword to block. While easily neutralizing the incoming Power, he flicked the ten-meter-plus sword-whip in his other hand, sending it lashing toward the distant Yang Shen.

Nie Guanshan’s fractional slowness had given him more room to maneuver, allowing him to launch an attack even while parrying. He was no longer powerless to retaliate after being intercepted, as he had been before.

But Nie Guanshan had already recovered. His figure blurred, and he moved to intercept the sword-whip. It seemed this strike, too, would be easily blocked.

However, just as he watched the Long Sword about to strike him, its tip suddenly vanished. It then reappeared out of thin air right in front of Yang Shen, aimed directly at his face!

This sword strike had actually used Rift Shuttling, bypassing him completely to attack Yang Shen at the rear!

Chen Bitong stared ahead. He himself couldn’t bypass Nie Guanshan, but his sword could.

A ritual like this, recited aloud, required precise breath control. Every step had to be perfect. He didn’t need to silence Yang Shen completely; he just needed to make him feel endangered enough to have to divert Power to his defense. That alone would be enough to disrupt his rhythm.

Yet at that exact moment, a figure abruptly appeared beside the path of the sword. A brilliant flash of a blade swung upward, striking the very tip of the sword with perfect accuracy!

CLANG! Under the force of the blow, the front section of the Long Sword bent into a series of deep, wavy curves. The Power it carried had been completely deflected by that single slash.

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