Celestial Human Diagram

With machine gun fire strafing from the airship above, the charging White Plagues couldn’t be stopped on the road, so they poured into the Rift in endless waves.

Many of these White Plagues were suicide bombers, their bellies packed with explosives. Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong spotted some of them charging too far ahead and picked them off from a distance with thrown stones.

Others, however, detonated their explosives the moment they saw the two men, unleashing a constant stream of massive explosions. The resulting shockwaves ravaged the area one after another.

The tide-like assault lasted for a full half hour. It only stopped, perhaps because the army had run out of White Plagues, or because they believed their targets had already retreated.

But the whirring of propeller blades from above was still clearly audible, a sign that the Airship hadn’t left and was still hovering in place.

Just a few steps from the other exit, Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong sat on separate, broken concrete pillars.

Before them stood the partially collapsed walls of a building that had been pulled in when the Rift expanded. They had provided perfect cover moments before.

Chen Chuan waved away the ash carried on the wind. "If they’d used this tactic from the start," he said, "they might have already forced us out."

"They wouldn’t do that," Chen Bitong said. "They don’t want us falling back. It would only make dealing with us more difficult for them.

Besides, this kind of heavy-firepower assault diminishes the role of their Samurai, something they’re extremely averse to. They won’t resort to it unless their own repeated attempts all end in failure.

’You probably saw it when you went down earlier, Captain Chen. They’re organizing another assault. Even if they fail again, as long as their men can retreat intact, they won’t resort to this. They’d rather just call in reinforcements from elsewhere.’"

Chen Chuan nodded.

’So their decision just now was the right one.’

’If they’d waited for the enemy to charge, they would have been fully prepared. The two Military Generals, the commander and his deputy, were quite strong, and with coordinated support from their men, they would have had a significant advantage.’

’Even if we couldn’t take them down right away, they could have retreated just like last time the moment things turned sour, and we might not have been able to stop them.’

’Next time, they would’ve undoubtedly mobilized or organized an even stronger force, making it increasingly difficult to handle.’

’Good thing we killed them beforehand. It created a vacuum in the enemy’s command. This barrage of machine guns and cannons, while fierce, isn’t that much of a threat to us. The whole assault felt more like a tantrum, a release of anger and frustration.’

Chen Bitong glanced outside. "Looks like we have a little time. Let me brief you on a few things, Captain Chen."

Seeing his serious expression, Chen Chuan said, "Please, Teacher Chen."

Chen Bitong said, "After the fission body tore through the barrier that isolates the Pure Essence, it left an opening. As long as the breach in the World Ring isn’t sealed, this opening will gradually expand, and Pure Essence will continuously leak out for some time.

The first place to be affected will be Jibei Dao Central City and its surroundings, since the breach is right here.

If your Spiritual Power is high enough, Captain Chen, you’ll be able to sense the leaking Pure Essence. If you’re quick enough, you can grab some of it. But if you’re not careful, you could miss the opportunity.

To use an analogy, Pure Essence is like a fish in a river. You have to find a way to pluck it from the rushing current.

But the Pure Essence disperses quickly, spreading throughout Dashun and eventually the entire world. Others will be competing with you for it, so if you plan on getting some, you can’t afford to be slow.

Once Central City discovers what’s happened, they will certainly try to seal the breach. They’ll also send people to collect the Pure Essence. The longer you wait, the fewer opportunities you’ll have to get any.

That means the initial period is your window of opportunity. There will be almost no one to stop you then. You must seize that moment.

The amount of Pure Essence a Fighter needs is proportional to their strength. The stronger you are, the more you need. If you miss this chance, who knows how long you’ll have to wait for the next one."

His voice grew heavy. "Making a deal with those people should be your last resort. If it comes to that, you will no longer be your own master."

’Teacher Chen is still at the peak of what a Fighter can be,’ Chen Chuan mused. ’He’s never taken that next step. This is probably why.’

’He isn’t willing to cross that line.’

Just then, he felt the intense light around them flicker, and the powerful airflow seemed to weaken slightly.

Chen Bitong glanced over. "Without the fission body, the Rift can no longer sustain this size. It’s starting to close on its own. It’ll close faster than it expanded. Remember to get out in time, Captain Chen, or you’ll be trapped."

As they spoke, they heard the sound of the propeller blades outside growing distant. It seemed the Airship was withdrawing.

They exchanged a look. They knew something had changed.

Getting up from the concrete pillars, they navigated around the gory remains of biological tissue and the numerous craters littering the ground, making their way to the edge of the Rift.

Standing there and looking out, they saw that much of the fog on the mountain path had dispersed, revealing a clearer view of the departing Airship.

In the distance, however, at the site of the original army camp, an even larger Airship had appeared. Emblazoned on its gasbag was a conspicuous character for "Gai," surrounded by decorative patterns.

The moment Chen Bitong saw that character, his expression shifted. He grew vigilant and wary, his body tensing for an instant. "Looks like I might be running into an old rival of mine this time," he said in a low voice.

Chen Chuan glanced over. "That character, ’Gai’... does it represent someone specific?"

Chen Bitong explained, "When the Old Imperial Family retreated to the Merging Land, about thirty-odd Noble Families went with them."

"These thirty-some families were immensely powerful in the old days, and the Gai Family was one of them. The ancestors of the Gai Family held titles as high as Duke, and they produced high-ranking Military Generals in nearly every dynasty. Their lineage is ancient."

Chen Chuan found himself nodding. That was no small feat. With every change in dynasty, the new regime would typically inherit many things from the previous one—Scriptures, Classics, the Imperial Family’s collections, rare medicinal herbs, and more. For instance, when the Dashun Republic was founded, a significant portion of its initial wealth was seized from the Old Imperial Family.

"But this Nobility was tied to the Old Imperial Family. They reaped enormous benefits in the past, so even after retreating to the Merging Land, they must have retained many of the legacies left by their ancestors."

Chen Bitong continued, "The Gai Family’s current generation has someone named Gai Shuhe. He’s a few years younger than me. From the time I was posted in the Merging Land to my later years as a Guardian of the World Ring, I had numerous dealings with him.

We fought no fewer than twenty times. Most of our battles ended in a draw. Our last fight was seven years ago. I won that one and wounded him severely.

I heard that after he returned, he swore he wouldn’t come back to the front lines until he had mastered Overlimit Skills. The pattern around the ’Gai’ character on that Airship is his personal insignia..."

His expression was grave. "He must have found out I was here, and that’s why he came. If so, it means he’s confident he can finally beat me. Perhaps... he’s already mastered Overlimit Skills and become a Fighting Master."

Meanwhile, the other Airship docked at the mooring point in the military camp, where soldiers stood arranged in neat formations below.

At the front, the remaining Duty Samurai and military advisors dismounted. They removed their helmets, holding them in the crooks of their arms, their expressions a mix of solemnity and apprehension as they awaited someone’s arrival.

Once the ramp was lowered, a figure emerged from the Airship. He had skin as pale as jade, a high nose, and deep-set eyes. His nasal bridge was slender, his lips thin, and he wore a mustache and beard. A deep, sinister aura emanated from him.

He appeared to be in his thirties and had a scar running from his chin to his cheek. Standing over two meters tall, he wore a hairnet and a black and purple Martial Arts Uniform embroidered with silver thread.

Following behind him was a woman in her twenties. She had bright eyes and a radiant smile, and wore a fitted martial arts uniform with her hair in a high ponytail. She held a long spear in a reverse grip and bore a slight resemblance to him.

After descending the ramp, the man suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the mountaintop several kilometers away. He then threw a punch in that direction, his entire body emitting a faint glow as he did so.

Back inside the Rift, Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong both felt a sudden sense of alarm. Immediately after, the powerful airflow before them parted as if a formidable Power was blasting its way toward them.

Chen Bitong took a step forward and threw a punch of his own, his fist also shimmering with a faint light.

A thunderous explosion erupted where his punch landed, and the air inside the Rift howled as it was violently dispersed.

Chen Chuan’s eyes narrowed. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was a punch delivered via Rift Shuttling.

Furthermore, within his mind’s eye, he could almost see a pair of sharp eyes piercing through the mist and the Rift to gaze directly upon them.

The man who threw the punch was likely still at the foot of the mountain, yet he was able to transmit his spirit and Fist Force over such a vast distance. This wasn’t something mere skill could accomplish. It represented a power beyond all limits.

Chen Bitong’s expression was incredibly grim. "It seems my fears were justified. The fact that he can transmit his Fist Force here so easily proves he’s already a Fighting Master. That was just his way of saying hello.

Captain Chen, we can’t face him head-on."

As he spoke, the intense light within the Rift flickered again, shrinking considerably.

He glanced back. "Thankfully, the Rift is about to close. He can’t charge in here now, and he’s not one to take such a risk. This time, he’s probably just here for me. Captain Chen, you should go back.

From here on, this is my fight."

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