Chapter 723: Blockade

Chapter 723: Chapter 74: Blockade

If Chen Chuan were to slam a fist down right now, the destructive power of his Heart Force would be enough to shatter the obstruction above and open a path to the tunnel below.

If he then jumped down, his superior speed would be more than enough to catch up to the man.

But he had to consider one thing: were there also explosives planted here? The man’s decision to head for the Lower City District seemed to be made on the fly; he couldn’t have known in advance that he would change direction at this spot.

But sometimes, one didn’t need to know these things in advance; it was enough to have preparations in place at a few key locations. And this man struck him as the type who would be thoroughly prepared. So he felt there was no need to take such a risk, nor was there any need to dance to his opponent’s tune.

So he suddenly accelerated, completely ignoring the man and sprinting in another direction.

Aside from any concealed or deliberately dug secret tunnels, the main thoroughfares of the Lower City District were now displayed on his Realm Token. Based on the man’s escape route, he would pass through a large underground intersection. If he didn’t change his course, that was the only path deeper underground. Chen Chuan could get there ahead of time and intercept him.

As for whether the man would double back, most people would never dare to, but he couldn’t be so sure about this particular man. He couldn’t gamble on that chance.

So he used his Realm Token to send a message back, ordering the rear team to catch up immediately and bring explosives to seal off the area between the sinkhole and the surface.

He also had An Shield monitor the entire route from above; if the man emerged anywhere along the way, they were to alert him immediately. He made a series of arrangements all while on the move.

Following the markers provided by An Shield, he entered the Lower City District through one of its entrances. The city security guards stationed there only registered a sonic boom blasting past them. It was followed by an even louder roar from within the tunnel, as if a cannonball had been fired into it, leaving them alarmed and confused.

A moment later, a voice came over their Realm Tokens, relaying the lockdown order from above. They scrambled out of their guard post and frantically began setting up roadblocks.

After entering the Lower City District, Chen Chuan sped through the tunnels. Just twenty-odd seconds later, he reached a wide, open area and came to a stop.

The moment he stopped, a deafening boom erupted, sending endless reverberations throughout the tunnel. The ground and walls trembled slightly, and debris and loose stones rained down from damaged sections of the ceiling. The noise didn’t subside for a good while.

He looked ahead. There was still no word from his surveillance, which meant his target hadn’t doubled back. So, whether the man wanted to return to the surface or venture deeper into the Lower City District, he was bound to pass through here.

He just had to wait.

Just then, the sound of scattered footsteps and gruff cursing echoed from a distance. They were likely members of a Lower City District gang that controlled this intersection, probably coming to investigate the earlier boom.

After all, every route to the surface was controlled by some group or another, allowing them to monopolize the flow of resources between the upper and lower districts. Even people from Lu Tong Logistics had to pay a toll to pass through these controlled areas.

But he didn’t want these people to interfere. As he projected his consciousness outward, an invisible shockwave radiated from him. The gang members all dropped to the ground with a series of THUDS, then fell silent.

The projection of his consciousness also affected the local Domain, jamming all information within it, much like the interference from certain organisms. No information could be transmitted out of the area.

Having dealt with them, he stood there, blade in hand. The Sun Vines that once illuminated this area had long since collapsed. Though the plants hadn’t withered completely and still emitted faint points of light, the glow was scattered and could only barely light the space, casting his long shadow across the ground.

After waiting for about two minutes, he heard footsteps in the distance. The sound came from the other end of the tunnel, distinct in the otherwise silent passage. An image of a cloaked figure immediately formed in his mind.

He raised his gaze, looking down the long, dark tunnel.

But the footsteps halted about three hundred meters away, as if their owner had sensed something. The sound stopped right at a bend in the tunnel.

After a moment’s pause, the man continued forward. He slowly rounded the corner and immediately saw Chen Chuan standing at the other end of the tunnel, blade in hand.

He faltered for a second but didn’t retreat. Instead, he continued walking forward. He knew he was already within Chen Chuan’s perceptual range; escape was impossible. On the surface, he could have used buildings and obstacles for cover, but here in the tunnel, there was nothing.

He walked until he was about thirty or forty meters from Chen Chuan before stopping. Then, with genuine admiration, he said, “Manager Chen, your reputation is well-deserved.”

He had received intelligence on Chen Chuan from his company’s headquarters. He knew Chen Chuan had been tasked by the Processing Bureau to keep a close eye on Lianwei Zhongyu. Not long ago, three of his own team members had been wiped out in one fell swoop.

He had shrewdly recognized that Chen Chuan was an exceptionally capable Investigation Chief and a formidable opponent. If he allowed Chen Chuan to continue his investigation, it would be extremely difficult to execute his company’s plans. Therefore, he had decisively used the Burrowing Matriarch as bait to stage this ambush.

If he could eliminate Chen Chuan, the vast majority of Lianwei Zhongyu’s problems would be solved.

But based on the outcome, not only was Chen Chuan completely unscathed, but he had also predicted his escape route and cornered him here, leaving him with nowhere to run. Fan Mo couldn’t help but admire that level of professionalism.

Though he was Chen Chuan’s opponent and intent on eliminating him, he also deeply respected the formidable strength and superior judgment Chen Chuan had displayed.

He reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing a resolute face with thick eyebrows and his hair tied in a topknot. He introduced himself succinctly. “Fan Mo.”

Chen Chuan said in a calm voice, “Chen Chuan.”

Fan Mo sighed. “To be honest, Manager Chen, a fight with you is something I desperately wanted to avoid. I know I can’t take down someone of your caliber without paying a heavy price. Even if I won, the cost would outweigh the reward.”

The company’s mission for him was to enter the Merging Land and seize a Lost Object. He would likely be competing against armed personnel from the Jibei Dao Government, the Federation, and the Lynx Federation. For that reason, he had wanted to preserve his full combat strength before entering the Merging Land.

Chen Chuan’s strength was not to be underestimated. He’d seen it in the intelligence reports, and he’d felt it during the chase. Even if he managed to win, he felt like he’d just be weakening himself for the benefit of his other rivals. And if he lost… the consequences were obvious. No matter how he looked at it, it was a losing proposition.

Chen Chuan looked at him. “It makes no difference to me. Every last one of you is a target for the Processing Bureau to expel and eliminate.”

Fan Mo’s expression showed he understood. He gripped the hilt of the broadsword at his waist and, with a sharp SHING, drew the entire blade. “Then I shall see for myself.”

Chen Chuan also gripped the hilt of his Snow Monarch Blade. But before he could fully draw it, Fan Mo—who had seemed to be waiting for him to do just that—suddenly lunged forward and brought his blade slashing down!

In that instant, his hair streamed backward, his muscles tensed, and his expression turned incredibly ferocious. The blade came straight down the centerline, immensely powerful and fierce, as if he had focused all his body’s Mutated Organization into that single strike. Paired with the special broadsword, it seemed to tear the very air apart.

A glint flashed in Chen Chuan’s eyes. He knew that whether he parried or dodged, his opponent would have a follow-up attack ready. Although he had counters for those as well, he chose not to use them. Instead, he took half a step forward, toward his opponent.

This single half-step forward was enough to disrupt the momentum of his opponent’s attack. To unleash the full force of his strike, the man would have to readjust.

It was the same method he had used against one of Fan Mo’s team members the other day. It was a tactic that used his own superiority in speed, Domain, perception, and other aspects to dictate the tempo of the fight. It forced the opponent to shift from offense to defense, thereby allowing him to control the rhythm of the battle.

But Fan Mo was clearly far stronger than his subordinate. Mid-swing, his body moved like a self-correcting pendulum; with a minute adjustment of his Mutated Organization and muscles, he had already found a new angle to deliver his full power.

But Chen Chuan had already made another move. He brought the still-sheathed Snow Monarch Blade up horizontally, intercepting the incoming blade a fraction of a second early.

Although Fan Mo tried to adjust again upon seeing Chen Chuan’s movement, he was a step too slow. Having to make two consecutive corrections meant his force was no longer fluid, and he failed to bring his full Power to bear.

As their weapons crashed together, both men’s Power surged toward their opponent.

Fan Mo was undoubtedly a Fighter who had mastered Heart Force. And for Fighters, unless they practiced Horizontal Heart Strength Training, Heart Force was not something that could be directly withstood by the physical body.

Fighting with weapons, however, was a different matter. A portion of the Power could be absorbed by the weapon itself, but this also meant that without a Mutated Weapon of a sufficiently high grade, one had no business participating in such a fight.

In this clash, most of the Heart Force was absorbed by their respective weapons. Tiny, dense beads of water appeared on Fan Mo’s broadsword, as if its internal Mutated Organization was expelling the incoming Power.

As for the Snow Monarch Blade, though it remained sheathed, wisps of glowing mist seeped out from the Sword Scabbard and enveloped it, likewise absorbing the force.

Chen Chuan had braced himself to endure the impact of the Heart Force, but was surprised to find he was completely unaffected. He instantly realized the Snow Monarch Blade had absorbed nearly all of his opponent’s Power. His spirits lifted. ‘It seems all the nourishment the Snow Monarch Blade has been absorbing lately wasn’t for nothing. It’s finally showing its true worth.’