Chapter 725: Over and Over

Chapter 725: Chapter 76: Over and Over

It was as if a **Thunder Shock** had detonated inside the tunnel, blasting fine cracks into the nearby walls.

This roar from **Fan Mo** was a **Secret Technique** of the **Old National Church**, a sonic **Heart Force** attack. It was powered by a single-use **Mutated Organization** he had cultivated himself. Once unleashed, it could directly shatter an opponent’s defenses at close range through sonic vibrations, and it was not an attack that could be blocked by a mere weapon.

However, this move was not without a cost. Even though it utilized a specialized **Mutated Organization**, the body was an integrated system, and his other **Mutated Organizations** would involuntarily get involved.

As a result, he failed to neutralize the specialized **Heart Force** that had seeped into his body in time. A tearing sensation erupted within him, and he staggered backward several steps, stopping just shy of the tunnel wall behind him, momentarily unable to catch his breath.

**Chen Chuan** had never encountered this type of **Heart Force** attack before, but his **Mutated Organizations** were exceptionally resilient. They instantly switched to a **Horizontal Heart Strength Training** state, blocking the concussive force. Before the sound even faded, he was already striding forward, blade in hand.

To **Fan Mo’s** eyes, **Chen’s** movements had only paused for a fraction of a second under the sonic attack before he carried on, completely unfazed.

This made his heart hammer in his chest.

In the blink of an eye, **Chen Chuan** was on him. He raised the still-sheathed **Snow Monarch Blade** high above his head with both hands and brought it down in a vicious chop.

Still reeling from the impact of the **Power**, **Fan Mo** was unable to dodge and could only raise his blade to block. With a loud CLANG, his feet sank into the ground as his body was thrown backward, slamming hard into the wall. Dust and sand rained down from above.

The blade flashed from above again, and he hastily blocked once more. This blow sent a numb, aching vibration through his **Mutated Organizations**. They hadn’t fully recovered from the last exchange and were now being strained again to deflect the incoming **Power**.

But he had no time to recover, because **Chen Chuan’s** **Sword Stance** descended again. He could only block, one strike after another.

He soon discovered, however, that the **Power** in each of **Chen Chuan’s** strikes was calibrated to the very limit of what he could endure. It wasn’t enough to kill him outright, but it gave him no chance to catch his breath and recover. It was like wringing a towel, squeezing his strength out of him bit by bit.

**Chen Chuan** had previously focused most of his energy on honing his unarmed **Power**. With the **Snow Monarch Blade** having been dormant for so long, he hadn’t yet fully refined his **Power** with the weapon.

Therefore, he could only emulate **Dual Force** for now in place of true **Sword Force**. The main characteristic of this type of **Power** was to gradually crush and wear down an opponent until they completely lost the ability to fight back.

Conceptually, this was the correct approach. A **Fighter’s** first priority in battle is to ensure they take no damage, and only then to eliminate the enemy. As such, this method was a highly commendable combat tactic.

For the opponent, however, it was pure torture. He knew he was being slowly worn down to his death, yet he was powerless to resist, forced to endure the agonizing process.

He knew he was like a fish in a net; if this continued, he would surely die. Even if he had a few tricks left and managed to find an opening or two, he still couldn’t beat **Chen Chuan**. Realizing this, he ignored the searing pain in his body and unleashed another burst of strength, knocking **Chen’s** blade slightly aside. But instead of counterattacking, he suddenly dropped his broadsword, fell to his knees with a THUD, and said, “I surrender.”

He had thick brows and wide eyes, an appearance that radiated righteousness. He had also fought with incredible tenacity. The act of kneeling created a stark contrast.

**Chen Chuan**, however, showed no sign of stopping, his raised blade continuing its downward arc.

**Fan Mo’s** eyes turned bloodshot. His supposed surrender was, of course, a ploy to create an opening, but **Chen Chuan** hadn’t fallen for it. Pushing off the ground with his knees, his body shot forward diagonally as he tried to ram his forehead into **Chen Chuan**.

This kneeling posture was a calculated move, a technique called the “**Earth-Rising Hammer**.” It used the motion of kneeling to store up power before launching the user upward with incredible speed, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

Furthermore, in the traditions of the **Old National Church**, kneeling to an immortal and kowtowing to a god was followed by the “annihilation of the mundane.” Thus, if one kowtowed to anyone but a god, they were to be slain. This move was secretly aligned with a certain ritual, granting him immense strength. For the instant he made this move, his entire body became as hard as refined steel, almost impervious to any clash of **Power**.

If **Chen Chuan** had paused or relaxed for even a moment, the ploy would have undoubtedly succeeded.

But as fast as he was, before he could reach his target, the descending blade struck him squarely on the forehead. The impact of a ferocious **Power** slammed him straight down, forcing him back onto his knees and shattering the ground beneath them into two cratered pits.

The force from the blade, still unabated, continued to press down on his forehead, finally smashing his face into the ground. He was left prostrate, as if performing a deep kowtow.

Relying on the power of the ritual, **Fan Mo** hadn’t suffered much physical damage. He tried to gather his **Power** again, but before he could rise, **Chen Chuan** lifted his blade and brought it down once more. BOOM! Shattered stone flew everywhere. This blow not only slammed him back down but also imprinted a cracked silhouette of his body into the ground.

**Fan Mo** felt as if the **Power** in his body was about to dissipate, but he knew that to relax for even a moment meant certain defeat and death. He dug his fingers into the ground, gathering his **Power** anew to attempt a counter-attack.

But before he could rise, another ferocious **Sword Stance** slammed down from above. His back buckled under the weight, and this time he sank even deeper, his entire body nearly embedded in the tunnel floor.

He let out a choked roar, desperately trying to erupt with power, but a sudden tightness seized his chest, followed by a tearing pain that spread through his entire body.

**Chen Chuan’s** **Dual Force** emulated the **Power** from the **Single Stream Hall**, a type of **Power** that could penetrate the body to paralyze and destroy **Mutated Organizations**.

Although he could use his weapon to deflect some of the **Power**, it didn’t mean he was unaffected. Each impact of **Heart Force** still caused minute damage. Compounded by his previous outbursts, his **Mutated Organizations** were already on the verge of collapse, which was why he failed to muster his strength this time.

With this failure, his **Power** instantly gave out. This in turn broke the ritualistic nature of his stance. As both his spirit and body collapsed, his frame, once as solid as a single block, immediately lost its protective ward.

As another strike came down, with a resounding BAM, his entire upper body was smashed deep into the crater. His back robe was torn, and the flesh on the back of his head was split open in a long gash from which fresh blood was welling out.

**Chen Chuan** stood over him, gazing down, the tip of the still-sheathed blade resting on the back of his head.

**Fan Mo** turned his head slightly. He wasn’t entirely out of options. Hidden within his wide robe was a special explosive powder. All he had to do was send his **Power** into it to trigger an explosion. Even if it didn’t kill **Chen Chuan** instantly, it would be enough to collapse the tunnel and take them both down together.

But just as he was about to act, a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes. In that instant, the blade resting on his head plunged down without the slightest delay. With a sickening SHLICK, it pierced through his skull and into the crater below. The **Power** unleashed within instantly liquefied his brain tissue. His body convulsed, twitched a few times, and then went still.

**Chen Chuan** waited a moment before pulling his blade out. With a light shake, he flicked the clinging blood and gore away, then bent down, picked up the man’s tattered robe, and wiped his weapon clean on it. “I gave you a final chance,” he said, “but you didn’t use it.”

‘After being so severely injured, **Fan Mo** had lost his self-control. Every one of his minute movements fell within my perception.’

‘I noticed his final, subtle movements. The action even triggered a mental alarm. I was actually about to take a step back, but he hesitated and didn’t follow through. Since he didn’t take his chance, I certainly wasn’t going to be polite. I ended him with a single strike.’

‘This **Fan Mo’s** actual strength was quite high, but he was too fond of using underhanded tricks and other means to achieve his goals, rather than relying on his true power. Because of that, his fighting spirit wasn’t resolute.’

‘If he had cast aside everything and fought me to the death, the support from his **Spiritual Power** would have increased his strength by a fair margin. The outcome might have been different.’

‘Well, at least he might not have died in such an unsightly way.’

After wiping his blade clean, he searched **Fan Mo’s** body and found a few items. He couldn’t identify them on the spot, so he decided to take them back for inspection.

He then picked up **Fan Mo’s** sword and examined it closely. It was clearly a legacy blade, likely from one of the old-era **Fighting Styles**. It was a shame for such a weapon to have been in his hands.

He also took the **Sword Scabbard** from the corpse, sheathed the sword, and then stood up straight. Activating his **Realm Token**, he contacted the people above to come and deal with the body.

This was the **Lower City District**, after all. If he just left **Fan Mo’s** corpse, it would probably be dismembered and sold the moment he turned his back. It wasn’t that he had any respect for the man, but the body might still hold clues. It needed to be taken back for examination and couldn’t be tampered with.

While he was contacting them, **Yuan Qiuyuan’s** voice came through. “Captain, we’ve dealt with that broodmother. Guaranteed not even a scrap is left. But what about all these **High-Energy Nutrient Supplements**? What should we do with them? Oh, and we found two more identical warehouses. They’re also full of this stuff.”

**Chen Chuan** thought for a moment, then said, “Send it all to the rear.”

‘I happen to need some of that **High-Energy Nutrient Supplement** myself. It’s perfect for upgrading the **Snow Monarch Blade**. I’ve already felt the benefits of having this weapon today; if I can improve it further, all the better. Of course, my teammates and the Bureau are entitled to a share of these spoils. That’s easy enough to handle, though. I’ll just compensate them with something else later on.’