Chapter 623 - 362: Activate

Wang and Lü, the two Execution Captains, paid no mind to the two Combat Puppets. They trusted Xu Chan to keep them occupied.

The two of them were partners when carrying out missions in the Merging Land. They often faced large creatures and powerful opponents from the Old Imperial Family, and their coordination was exceptionally seamless.

It wasn’t that Tie Chengpeng was inexperienced, but he had clearly seldom encountered opponents of the same caliber who worked together so seamlessly. Every time he tried to focus on one of them, the other would inevitably move in to interfere, disrupting his techniques mid-execution.

Although his Elephant-Striking Force could reduce the damage he took, he couldn’t fully unleash his strength while being pinned down and tangled up like this. It was as if his fists and feet were bound by invisible ropes.

Although Xu Chan stood still, his sharp gaze would occasionally land on the critical junctures of Tie Chengpeng’s Power. This was a threat he couldn’t ignore, forcing him to devote most of his mental energy to defense, which put him in an even more passive position.

After all, no matter how strong an individual was, this was the best one could do when besieged by several experts of the same level. The fact that he was still standing was already an impressive feat.

With the three of them keeping him pinned down, the biological combat weapons in the area became active again and began to push into the building.

Before long, the Domain signal outside was restored. The two members of Team One from the Pioneer Team stood outside the building, observing the situation inside through a Domain Creature that had been delivered to them.

One of them, a man in a Pioneer Team uniform with a small mustache, patted his breast pocket. He pulled out a box of special stimulant cigarettes, tossed one to his teammate, and took one for himself. He glanced at the situation displayed on the light screen and said with certainty, "It won’t be long now."

His teammate caught it and blew a light breath on it. The cigarette instantly lit up. He put it to his lips and took a drag. The entire cigarette flared with sparks, and the front section immediately turned to ash and fell away.

He commented, "This big guy has a good foundation and great combat awareness. He looks like he has a lot of potential, too. Probably a top talent being groomed by Ferris Wheel. What a shame."

In the end, one person is still just one person. No matter how good his Force Technique or how high his combat power, there was no fundamental gap between him and them. With the three of them inside working together, it was more than enough to kill him. And besides...

He added leisurely, "Old Xu hasn’t even gotten serious yet."

The man with the mustache nodded. They were well aware of Xu Chan’s strength; he alone was enough to suppress this man. Yet he was still fighting so conservatively...

He said, "Old Xu has always been cautious. He’s probably saving his stamina to deal with that *thing*."

His teammate nodded in complete agreement. "Exactly. That’s the real tough fight. I’m not even sure if all of us combined will be enough..."

The man with the mustache said, "The Defense Department’s watchtower assessed it before. If no other forces intervene, the five of us should be able to handle it. Besides, we have An Shield for support. The higher-ups aren’t afraid we can’t beat it. They’re afraid of it dragging on. That’s when things would get complicated... Hmm, it’s about time..."

Inside the lobby, Tie Chengpeng, pinned by the two men, finally lost his patience. He decided to take a risk and focus on one of them first. After all, his Elephant-Striking Force was a type of Grasping and Holding Force; if he got ahold of someone, he could cripple them in a single exchange.

He was forced into this. If he let it drag on, the men would slowly compress his space for Emitting Force, and he could end up being beaten to death without even getting a single, complete attack off.

But just as he made his move, Xu Chan suddenly appeared at his side. He seemed to have been waiting for this moment for a long time. A long, flexible foil had appeared in his hand, and with a SWISH, he plunged it into Tie Chengpeng’s abdomen.

The taut muscles and bones there seemed to offer no resistance at all. The slender blade slid through the gaps in his Mutated Organization and the channels of his Power, perfectly avoiding all obstructions along the way, and pierced directly into his heart.

Tie Chengpeng’s heart immediately clenched into a tight ball, enveloping the blade. His entire body instinctively contracted as well. But in doing so, his defenses elsewhere weakened. And to prevent the Power on the blade from erupting outwards, his heart could no longer pump out the Essence Blood it had accumulated.

At that same moment, the attacks from Lü and Wang arrived. The former punched him on the ear, while the latter plunged four fingers directly into his back. Both of their Powers surged into his body simultaneously.

This time, without its central coordination, the Mutated Organization could no longer mount a complete defense. Blood sprayed from his eyes, nose, and ears, and the whites of his eyes showed. At the same time, a sharp force severed his sturdy spinal column.

Lü and Wang didn’t stop. Seizing the moment he lost the ability to resist, they drove one wave of Power after another into his body.

Tie Chengpeng was truly worthy of being chosen by the Ferris Wheel Company. His potential and foundation were incredibly solid. Even after losing the supply of Essence Blood from his heart, his Mutated Organization, bones, and muscles continuously repaired themselves after being broken, and at an astonishing speed.

This was not only due to his natural talent but also because he had previously swallowed a large amount of special Nutrition Paste, which provided a continuous supply of Energy to the Mutated Organization within his body.

However, this only served to delay the inevitable. It did nothing to change the outcome.

Under the two Execution Captains’ relentless assault, blood gushed from his body like a spring, quickly pooling on the floor. He lost consciousness amid the blows, but even so, he remained standing firm, his hands still in a ready stance.

This earned him the admiration of both men.

If this had been a normal sparring match, it would have ended here, and they wouldn’t have continued their attack. But this was a purge. For the sake of their comrades’ safety, they couldn’t afford to hold anything back.

Captain Lü leaped into the air and kicked Tie Chengpeng in the head. His Power exploded with a BOOM, and the echo filled the entire lobby.

The kick not only destroyed all his brain tissue but also completely obliterated the upper half of his head.

But even then, Tie Chengpeng’s lifeless body remained standing firm, refusing to fall.

Only then did Xu Chan take a step back and pull his foil from the man’s body.

From start to finish, he had made only one move. He hadn’t even used his Heart Force. He had simply seized the most opportune moment, struck at the weakest link in the man’s circulation of Power, and sealed the victory.

He glanced around warily and ordered, "Continue the assault. And..." He looked toward several specific locations. "Block all surrounding information Domains."

Meanwhile, on the surface, a communications team previously dispatched by the Ferris Wheel Company traveled underwater, bypassed the signal-blocking field, and successfully reached the shore.

There were indeed Modified Creatures blocking the way underwater, but they had come fully prepared. One squad advanced to draw their attention, while the other seized the opportunity to break through.

This team was composed entirely of Fighters, and they moved swiftly underwater, successfully following the coastline to a position further south.

But even after reaching the shore, they couldn’t contact anyone in the city immediately. Because of the Rift, the entire Central City area was suffering from severe interference, rendering radios almost useless. Currently, long-range communication relied solely on Domain-based information transmission.

This meant they had to find a way into the city proper, locate the Domain Creature the Ferris Wheel Company had placed in one of its strongholds, and then proceed to the Weiguang District. From there, they could use a secret frequency to contact the council member who usually spoke for the company. As long as they could bring this matter before the City Council, the company’s crisis would be resolved.

They walked several kilometers south and found one of the company’s strongholds, preparing to retrieve the vehicles and equipment hidden there. But just as some of the team members entered the stronghold, a massive explosion suddenly erupted from within. The entire building was instantly blown sky-high, and even the personnel standing outside were knocked to the ground by the shockwave.

The man standing furthest away shook his head and tried to get up. Just then, he saw people walking toward him. Through his blurry vision, he could just make out a group of figures in fedoras and trench coats.

He opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound. As the person at the very front walked past him, they drew a pistol and shot him at point-blank range. The man collapsed, motionless.

That person continued walking forward with their group, ordering their subordinates to check the area and, while they were at it, put a bullet in each body. After a moment, a team member came over. "Report. All targets eliminated."

The leader said, "Leave two people to stand guard. The rest of you, move out."

Meanwhile, in a submarine beneath the Ferris Wheel Company headquarters, the Ferris Wheel directors watched Tie Chengpeng’s body fall, their expressions grim.

They had been hoping that the man they had invested so many company resources into cultivating could hold out for a while longer, but in the end, he had lasted less than ten minutes.

Director Eagle Tail spoke up again. "It has been over two Hours since the fighting began. The team on the surface should have reached the shore by now. If they’re successful, they should be able to contact the City Council within the next one to two Hours—assuming they don’t run into any trouble. But..."

He looked at the other directors present. "Do we have two Hours? Those Modified Creatures have already infiltrated every corner of the building."

On the screens before them, wherever the biological weapons went, Ferris Wheel Company employees and armed personnel were cut down by sharp Arm Blades. The scene was bloody and gruesome.

Then, the combat creatures’ antennae and Compound Eyes flickered as they scurried off to other locations, seemingly searching for something.

One director muttered, "They’re looking for Wu Qi."

"And they’ll find where Wu Qi is soon enough," Director Eagle Tail said. "Even if we don’t activate it, they’ll discover it in less than half an hour. We need to activate it!"

He roared, "Gentlemen, what are you still hesitating for?"

Unlike last time, no director immediately stood up to object. They all remained silent.

After a moment, one director said in a solemn voice, "I agree with Director Eagle Tail."

With one person speaking up, the others began to relent. After a moment, another director hesitated briefly before saying, "I agree as well."

"...I agree."

"I agree."

As the majority of the directors voiced their agreement, the director in the head seat finally gave in. His face was grim. "Since this is the consensus of the board, then... activate it!"

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