Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 291 - 23: Fierce Battle

Teacher Wu looked at the Long Blade in Chen Chuan’s hand. Its cold gleam shimmered under the light, and he felt a prickling sensation on his skin, making his eyelids twitch.

But he suddenly chuckled, his tone becoming gentle again. "Chen, I will be sure to guide you properly. I’ll take good care of your head."

The chandelier overhead was still swaying, and his shadow, cast on the floor and walls, shifted along with it, creating a strange, distorted impression.

And just as the chandelier’s swinging slowed, about to come to a stop, the light and shadows in the room seemed to flicker. Teacher Wu’s figure shot forward.

After drawing his blade, Chen Chuan had kept his focus forward. The man before him was not only a Third Limit master but also a teacher from Wuyi General Hospital. Thus, the moment he stepped onto this small hill, his Second Self had already merged with him.

Now, seeing his opponent charge, he slightly raised the body of the blade, holding it horizontally before him. Teacher Wu’s fist smashed against the blade’s edge. The two forces collided, and a KRAK KRAK sound rang out. The floorboards beneath Chen Chuan’s feet shattered, but he stood his ground, unmoving. With a slight shift of his shoulders and waist, he seemed poised to pivot into a horizontal slash.

Teacher Wu grunted in surprise. He pushed off with his fist, using the residual force to abruptly retreat to his original position, and cast a slightly astonished glance at Chen Chuan.

He had expected that push to knock Chen Chuan down, but the student had actually matched his speed, blocked the attack in time, and was still standing firm.

He grinned and said, "Chen, so you’re already close to the Third Limit. Your entrance assessment scores must not have been your full strength, were they? No wonder you wouldn’t accept my suggestion. It seems I underestimated you. But this is even better. Your brain will definitely help me complete my plan."

Chen Chuan could feel that Teacher Wu’s strength was a clear step above Tan Wang’s and Luo Qi’s. His forward dash just now had nearly exceeded Chen Chuan’s ability to react, and that might not have even been his top speed.

So, he quickly adjusted his state, releasing his emotional restraints. The Mutated Organization throughout his body was unleashed, becoming incredibly active. All sorts of thoughts and chaotic emotions surged forth at once, yet he maintained a core of cold calm in his heart, like a thick layer of solid ice sealing a roaring fire.

This time, he didn’t wait. He chose to attack. With a slight shrug of his shoulder, the long, narrow blade of the Snow Monarch Blade in his hand had already swept across half the living room in a horizontal slash.

Generally, a long weapon is difficult to wield indoors. However, with his strength and speed, things like furniture and walls were no different from thin paper. Besides, anything that obstructed him would also obstruct his opponent.

Teacher Wu was a competent Fighting Master. Through their first exchange, he had already gauged Chen Chuan’s approximate speed and strength, and he was now about to launch a targeted attack.

However, when Chen Chuan attacked this time, his speed was a notch faster than before. This made Teacher Wu’s relatively relaxed expression change abruptly.

The tip of the blade was closing in on his neck, looking as if it would sever his head in the next instant. But his body suddenly dropped, as if someone had violently yanked him down from below. As he descended, the power of the Mutated Organization throughout his body contracted and gathered.

Once the flash of the blade passed over his head, he stomped on the ground. The floorboards flew apart and shattered, and the entire house seemed to shake. His figure charged toward Chen Chuan once more.

His charge was perfectly timed, catching Chen Chuan right at the transition point of his strength, when it was too late to withdraw the blade.

Seeing this, Chen Chuan took his right hand off the hilt and thrust his elbow outward, simultaneously stepping back with one foot and lowering his center of gravity.

THUD! Teacher Wu’s two hands slammed against Chen Chuan’s elbow. The intense impact shredded the shirt sleeves on both their arms.

But the powerful collision sent him sliding backward. His feet instantly plowed a trench through the floorboards, which continuously cracked and splintered. Then, with a BOOM, he crashed through the wall behind him, and the two of them burst out into the open space outside.

Teacher Wu used the momentum to press in close, clearly intending to engage him in close-quarters combat.

Chen Chuan knew that getting trapped in close-quarters combat would be a huge disadvantage for him. Not only would he be unable to leverage the advantage of his Long Blade, but he could also be overwhelmed by Teacher Wu.

At that moment, the hand holding the Snow Monarch Blade remained still, but he suddenly flicked his wrist inward. The Mutated Organization in his wrist pulled taut, and the spine of the blade whipped diagonally toward Teacher Wu’s back like a lash.

Teacher Wu sensed the danger. He pushed off Chen Chuan’s elbow and somersaulted sideways, instantly moving to a safe distance.

Only then did the flying planks of wood come CLATTERING down. One piece landed in front of them. The light from inside the house shone on it, revealing the Molan Company advertisement, now snapped in two.

The wind blew in from outside, repeatedly lifting one corner of the broken picture, making a FLAP, FLAP, FLAP sound.

Teacher Wu stared at Chen Chuan, the relaxed expression he wore earlier now completely gone. His gaze flickered with uncertainty.

Chen Chuan stared back at him. He had made thorough preparations before coming. Teacher Wu’s Fighting Skills could be looked up on the school’s Realm Token, and footage of his past fights was available, the most recent from just last semester.

’So, before I came, I ran through several simulations in my head. Under normal circumstances, that first slash should have had a high chance of success. But Teacher Wu dodged it. It wasn’t with his usual speed; it seemed more like some kind of explosive Dharma Gate.’

’That’s to be expected. After all, even academy teachers wouldn’t reveal their full strength. They would always keep something in reserve.’

’However, his counterattack after dodging my blade was a clear opportunity, yet he failed to capitalize on it. That means this explosive Dharma Gate isn’t sustainable.’

Teacher Wu glanced at the Long Blade in Chen Chuan’s hand and licked his slightly dry lips. He hadn’t brought a weapon, which was a disadvantage. He hadn’t thought it necessary when dealing with a Second Limit student he could crush at any moment. But now, it was clear that the strength Chen Chuan was displaying was far from normal.

’Did he take a drug?’

’But even so, he’s definitely not just some ordinary student. Since he isn’t one of my students, I don’t have the authority to view his full record. Otherwise, I would have a much clearer picture.’

’Right now, the correct strategy would be a temporary retreat. Once the drug’s effects wear off, I could take him down easily.’

’But I can’t do that. I’ve already revealed my true intentions. The moment I let up the pressure, Chen Chuan could use his Realm Token to send a message.’

Chen Chuan made a slight adjustment. As the one with the weapon, he didn’t need to be as cautious. He stepped forward and swung his blade at Teacher Wu.

Teacher Wu lowered his center of gravity, continuously dodging and leaping backward. After evading several slashes, he pushed off with his feet, abruptly creating some distance between them. He looked at Chen Chuan and said with a smile:

"Chen, no wonder your skill evaluation during the entrance assessment was so low. You have the strength and speed, but you lack variation in your technique. It’s very easy for a teacher to predict."

Chen Chuan was completely unfazed. With his entire body’s Mutated Organization activated, their speeds were now evenly matched. Even if his own technique was lacking, the fact was that he was armed and his opponent was not. That meant his opponent couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

Even if he executed just a simple slash, Teacher Wu had to be on full alert to defend against it. The pressure on Teacher Wu and the mental and physical toll it took were far greater than on him.

So while it might look like he couldn’t do anything to Teacher Wu right now, as long as he dragged the fight out, the scales of victory would tip in his favor as his opponent’s stamina drained. Therefore, the one who should be worried wasn’t him, but his opponent.

He said sincerely, "Teacher Wu’s dodging skills are brilliant. This student has certainly learned a lot."

Teacher Wu’s cheek twitched. Although Chen Chuan’s Saber Techniques had their shortcomings, they were orthodox and didn’t leave any obvious openings. Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to find an opportunity to counterattack. Since his attempt to create anxiety with words had failed, he had no choice but to resort to a more radical method.

Seeing the flash of the blade coming at him once more, he narrowed his eyes and retreated again to dodge. This time, however, after a few steps, he suddenly charged forward.

Chen Chuan had been on guard for a sudden rush. As long as he kept his opponent outside the range of his long blade, he wouldn’t be a threat. Seeing him approach, Chen Chuan thrust his blade forward. He didn’t expect the move to accomplish much; it was merely a threat to force his opponent to dodge.

But unexpectedly, Teacher Wu charged forward recklessly this time, actually allowing the Long Blade to run him through the abdomen. His expression didn’t change as he rapidly closed the distance, reaching with one hand to grab and jabbing with two fingers of the other toward Chen Chuan’s eyes.

Teacher Wu was incredibly decisive. Since being bare-handed against a Weapon was a disadvantage, he would trade an injury for the upper hand. At this moment, if Chen Chuan was unwilling to abandon his blade, then in close quarters, it would be Teacher Wu’s two hands against Chen Chuan’s one. With his superior technique, he could restrain Chen Chuan in an instant and end this deadly fight.

If Chen Chuan chose to abandon the blade and retreat, even if he managed to evade the grab, Teacher Wu could seize the Long Blade and instantly reverse the disadvantage.

At this critical juncture, Chen Chuan did not choose to abandon his blade. He raised one hand to meet the grabbing hand, and facing the fingers jabbing toward his eyes, he lowered his head and slammed it forward.

Teacher Wu narrowed his eyes. The fingers that were aiming for Chen Chuan’s eyes suddenly curled into a fist, which he slammed into Chen Chuan’s forehead. He had intentionally held back some of his strength in that punch, because he needed Chen Chuan’s brain intact. This way, he wouldn’t turn the tissue inside to pulp, but it would still be enough to knock him unconscious.

But to his astonishment, after the Power from the punch was released, Chen Chuan seemed completely unaffected. He even used that momentary opening to viciously twist the Long Blade in his hand!

But halfway through the twist, with a CLAP, Teacher Wu clamped his hand down on a section of the blade. At the same time, the Mutated Organization and muscles in his abdomen tightened abruptly, stopping the blade from turning any further.

Chen Chuan looked up and was met with a monstrously savage face.

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