Celestial Human Diagram

Chen Chuan stood firm, his feet planted on the ground as he braced against the sudden force erupting from the Long Sword.

The Power within it seemed all-pervasive, possessing an incredible penetrating ability, but it hadn’t been fully exerted. As a result, he managed to block it without having to use his Second Self to redirect the impact.

He and Nie Guanshan had just moved to intercept. Although they acted one after the other, Chen Bitong’s shuttling was so fast that it all seemed to happen at the exact same moment.

When his sword first met Chen Bitong’s Short Sword, a counter-shocking force was transmitted back as he unleashed his own Power. However, he wasn’t pinned down by it. Instead, he used his spirit to track his opponent’s next move and, just as expected, caught the tip of the Long Sword as it shuttled through space, intercepting it just in time.

His performance had been nothing short of excellent; even Nie Guanshan, positioned behind him, had to admit it was a beautiful move. Yet all that effort seemed to be for nothing, as Yang Shen, not far behind them, had still stopped his chanting ritual.

It wasn’t that Yang Shen hadn’t seen Chen Chuan move to intercept; it was that he didn’t trust him. He didn’t believe Chen Chuan could truly block Chen Bitong’s String Void Force and the variations of his Sword Stance. Ultimately, his own life was more important, so he had preemptively gathered his Power and prepared for an attack.

But the result was not what he expected.

Chen Chuan shot him a glance. The distrust was obvious, but he didn’t care.

He had his own principles. They were, after all, on a mission for the Defense Department. As long as his allies didn’t do anything out of line, he would cooperate and fulfill his duties rather than dragging his feet.

With his strike failing to connect, Chen Bitong knew his opportunity was lost. He decisively abandoned the assault. While he hadn’t achieved his primary objective, the exchange was not without its gains.

Through his two attacks, he had gauged his opponents’ speed, rhythm, and the various ways they circulated their Power. He had even gained insight into the internal dynamics of the trio. Now, he could formulate a more targeted offensive.

Nie Guanshan settled back into his Immortal Worshiping Posture, and Yang Shen resumed his chanting.

Despite Chen Bitong not choosing to break through Chen Chuan’s position in either of his two attacks, they weren’t worried. It was understandable that Chen Bitong would be cautious about such an obvious weak point.

They believed that as long as they held their ground, Chen Bitong would eventually have to try and break through Chen Chuan’s position if he wanted to shatter the stalemate.

Besides, even if Chen Bitong did give up on attacking Chen Chuan, their three-man strategy was proceeding smoothly. Once the Coiling Dragon Entangling Rope was fully active, none of this would matter anyway.

Standing in the back, Yu Lie watched the four-person standoff, feeling incredibly tense. He couldn’t quite say who he was nervous for; his emotions were a complicated mess.

Just then, as if remembering something, he glanced over at the Rift.

There hadn’t been any movement from the other side for a while. It seemed the forces sent ahead had met with failure, realized something was wrong, and stopped trying to push through.

’But have they really given up?’ he wondered. ’Unlikely. And I’m sure that when they come again, it won’t be with the same kind of assault.’

A loud CLANG echoed from the distance. Startled, he whipped his head around to see Chen Bitong tossing both of his swords to the ground.

Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan were both taken aback by this action.

Chen Bitong’s Long and Short Swords were extremely threatening due to their ability to shuttle through Rifts. While they had devised countermeasures, they weren’t entirely confident in them. They never expected him to abandon his greatest weapons voluntarily.

But instead of relaxing, they grew even more vigilant. This could only mean he possessed an even deadlier technique.

Chen Bitong then spread his arms out to his sides, as if unfurling a pair of wings. They could feel his spiritual presence soaring, shifting from its previous contained and restrained state to one of aggressive, unbridled power.

After a moment’s pause, his figure flickered and vanished from the field. But he didn’t reappear anywhere else.

The three of them weren’t just tracking him with their physical senses, but also with their spiritual perception. And now, they all sensed something was wrong. He was...

They all snapped their heads up.

In the sky!

About twenty to thirty meters up, Chen Bitong’s figure appeared, silhouetted against the blood-red glow of the sky. His arms were spread wide, his entire body suspended against the heavens.

He hadn’t leaped up there. He had used his Rift Shuttling ability to arrive there directly; after all, the sky was also filled with Rifts.

A jolt of alarm shot through Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan. They immediately knew what Chen Bitong was planning: he was going to attack from the sky.

That would be incredibly difficult to block. It meant Chen Bitong could adjust his attack distance at will, massively increasing the threat to each of them.

To block an attack aimed at Yang Shen, they would have to intercept him in mid-air or from even farther away, which would mean leaping high into the sky. But while getting up there was easy, coming back down would involve a slow descent.

Chen Bitong, however, had no such weakness. By simply slipping back into a Rift, he could return to the ground in an instant, always staying one step ahead.

At that moment, bathed in the twilight glow, Chen Bitong suddenly plummeted. A faint roar of wind and thunder accompanied his descent. Simultaneously, three figures of Chen Bitong appeared above the three men, each one throwing a punch!

In that instant, through their Spiritual Sensing, each of the three men felt that the figure they faced was the real one.

Chen Chuan watched the descending fist. The Fist Force shot through the air, carrying a powerful, oppressive weight. It felt as though it was fully charged with Power.

He had seen what a single punch had done to Old Hu, rendering him combat-ineffective. Even with his Second Self, he wasn’t willing to take that blow head-on, so he took a step back.

On the other fronts, Nie Guanshan didn’t dodge. He weathered the blow with his Immortal Worshiping Posture, letting Chen Bitong’s fist slam into the top of his head. A ferocious Power seeped into his body, causing his knees to buckle slightly. He immediately jolted and thrust both fists upward, but they only passed through an afterimage of light and shadow.

As for Yang Shen, his eyes narrowed. He was forced to abandon his chant, gathering his Power to dodge. He knew that if he continued the ritual, he would be Chen Bitong’s primary target. Unlike Nie Guanshan, he didn’t dare face Chen Bitong’s Fist Force directly—the fate of Old Hu was a stark reminder.

After suppressing all three with a single move, Chen Bitong didn’t stop. His attacks came so fast that new afterimages appeared before the old ones could fade. For a moment, it seemed as if multiple Chen Bitongs were raining down punches from the sky, the flurry of figures further scrambling their attempts to track him spiritually.

He remained airborne, never touching the ground. His figure twisted and turned, graceful yet erratic and unpredictable. Each punch was delivered with a different posture, and each strike was accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder tearing through the air, as if a dragon were soaring through the heavens!

At this point, both Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan realized what was happening.

’This is... Flying Dragon Fist Strength?!’

The Flying Dragon Fist Strength was a Force Technique left behind by the Old Imperial Family, once carved upon the screen walls of the Palace City.

Since most of its techniques involved attacking the enemy from the air, it was considered a highly unorthodox Force Technique. Almost no one ever practiced it; many even dismissed it as an impractical fantasy, existing only to showcase the mysterious majesty of the Imperial Family.

Yet by combining this Fist Force with Rift Shuttling, Chen Bitong had brought the lost art roaring back to life, turning it into a devastatingly powerful fighting style.

Now, a single man was attacking three opponents at once. His figure danced through the air, and with every punch, the deafening sonic booms rumbled without cease, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The display of power was immense.

Down below, Chen Chuan dodged and deflected, parrying only occasionally. He could sense that the attacks directed at him were primarily meant to keep him occupied; the vast majority of the force was being absorbed by Nie Guanshan and Yang Shen.

Yang Shen, in particular, was receiving special attention—whether due to his earlier sarcastic remarks or the Coiling Dragon Force ritual, it was hard to say.

Breaking this stalemate, however, would be difficult. Chen Bitong’s assault filled the sky with his spiritual afterimages, and he was simultaneously shuttling between them at high speed, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint his true location.

It wasn’t just him; even Yang Shen and Nie Guanshan couldn’t locate Chen Bitong amid the chaos. They were forced to take a passive beating. And as time wore on, they both sensed something even more unsettling.

Chen Bitong’s offensive was growing sharper. At first, it seemed there was a slight awkwardness to his movements, but as he fought the three of them, he was gradually discovering more variations and ingenious applications for the technique.

He was clearly optimizing and adjusting the Fist Force in the heat of battle. His combat instincts and profound foundation were astonishing. If this kept up, it was only a matter of time before their defense crumbled.

If they were to spread out, moving a certain distance apart, they might be able to evade the brunt of his assault. But in doing so, they would lose the ability to support each other, allowing Chen Bitong to pick them off one by one. It was not a good option.

Under this immense pressure, Yang Shen could no longer continue his ritual chant. This meant their initial plan could not be carried out. However, they were not without a backup.

He exchanged a look with Nie Guanshan. After receiving confirmation, he threw his hands up, flinging the Coiling Dragon Entangling Rope from his fingers into the sky. The rope, though thin, unfurled to a length of at least seven or eight meters. Infused with Power, each strand moved with incredible flexibility, spreading out to cover a wide Void Domain.

If the long rope made contact with Chen Bitong while sufficiently powered, it would wrap around him. If he couldn’t break free in time, it would only bind him tighter. But this required Chen Bitong to pause, even for a split second.

Nie Guanshan suddenly roared, "Captain Chen, block him!"

As he shouted, an invisible Spiritual Power emanated from his body.

He knew Chen Chuan could sense their intentions, but so what? The Coiling Dragon Force had its ritual, and so did the Immortal Worshiping Posture. While the former required chanting, the latter’s ritual had begun the moment he assumed the stance and was now nearly complete.

This ritual could influence the consciousness of a person nearby, making them obey his commands subconsciously. If that person’s Spiritual Power was weaker than his own, the effect would be even more potent.

He wasn’t the least bit worried about Chen Chuan refusing to cooperate. When the time came, Chen Chuan wouldn’t have a choice. All they needed was for Chen Chuan to step forward and take one of Chen Bitong’s punches with all his might. The instant Chen Bitong unleashed his Power would be their perfect opportunity to strike. As for whether Chen Chuan lived or died, that was not their concern.

When Chen Chuan heard the shout, he saw a faint, illusory layer suddenly manifest over his Second Self. A glint flashed in his eyes. He reversed his grip on his saber with one hand and, with the other, met Chen Bitong’s descending punch. Clenching his fist, he threw a punch of his own!

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