Celestial Human Diagram

The Fighter felt as if something foreign had suddenly appeared inside his body, rampaging and tearing at him from within.

His face contorted in a grimace. He used his blade to prop himself up and released the Essence Blood stored in his heart, desperately trying to heal his wounds. But it was better left alone; the moment he tried, the damage intensified violently.

But he knew he couldn’t stay here. He forced himself up with his blade and continued to stumble forward. He had only taken about twenty steps when he heard the sound of slow footsteps approaching from behind.

His body involuntarily stiffened. He turned his head and saw Chen Chuan walking toward him. Glancing into the distance, he saw that the other man who had fled in the opposite direction was already lying on the ground, his neck bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.

He knew there was no escape. Taking a deep breath and enduring the waves of pain racking his body, he knelt down.

He raised his Long Blade, took out a piece of cloth to wipe the blade, then placed it across his own neck. With a swift motion—SLASH!—his head rolled to the ground.

His blade stopped perfectly, without an ounce of excess force. His arm remained in the sword-wielding posture, a testament to the control of a Third Limit Fighter.

Chen Chuan glanced at the scene, paid it no further mind, and quickly turned back toward the convoy.

At the front of the National Path, the man who had accompanied Jian Chengsheng paled when he saw him fall. He immediately turned and ran back to the car. Once seated, he said to the radio operator in front, "Send a telegram. Tell the group leader the target was not eliminated. The mission has failed. I will return to accept my punishment."

He quickly rolled down the car window, leaned out, and looked at the person in charge of the combatants here, shouting, "Captain Zhan!"

Captain Zhan heard him and immediately came to his side. "Mr. Han Tai, what are your orders?"

Mr. Han Tai said with a stern expression, "Captain Zhan, do you know what needs to be done?"

Captain Zhan replied solemnly, "I understand. Rest assured, Mr. Han Tai. I will take all my men to cover our rear and ensure your successful retreat."

Mr. Han Tai’s expression softened slightly. They were facing Third Limit Fighters—two of them. On this open terrain, it was hard to say if he could get away if everyone fled at once. But if someone stayed behind to hold them off, his chances of escape would be much greater.

He said, "Captain Zhan, the company will remember your sacrifice."

The car window rose, once again blocking Captain Zhan’s view.

Watching the vehicle start up and speed away, he returned to his position and said loudly to his men, who were looking at him, "Everyone, hold this position! Don’t let anyone pass through this road!" He paused. "Someone will take care of our families. And someone will deliver the compensation to them."

The team members said nothing. They silently dispersed, all returning to their positions, ready for battle.

Their superiors held the secret keys to all of their Implants. Deserting in the face of the enemy meant certain death. But if they fought to the last, there was a chance their families and relatives would be well cared for.

When Chen Chuan returned to the convoy, he found the area in shambles. The clash between three Third Limit Fighters had been immense. The once-solid convoy was now shattered.

Many of the vehicles had clearly been destroyed intentionally. The two assassins, unable to take down Advisor Yao quickly and unsure which car Director Lei was in, must have continuously destroyed the surrounding vehicles during the fight, leaving them overturned or sliced apart.

Fortunately, his Gard Car hadn’t been parked close to the escort convoy. It was far enough away to avoid the collateral damage. Still, when he left earlier, he had been prepared to switch vehicles.

Just then, Advisor Yao came up to him. "Captain Chen, I’m going to deal with those people up ahead. Can I entrust Director Lei’s safety to you?"

Chen Chuan said, "Advisor Yao, go do what you need to do. Leave this to me."

After receiving confirmation, Advisor Yao immediately took half the men and charged forward.

Chen Chuan, in turn, walked toward Director Lei’s position.

Earlier, Director Lei hadn’t hidden in a car. Instead, he had retreated into the wilderness from the very beginning, concealing himself with an Esoteric Ritual.

It was an incredibly bold move. With no one around to protect him, being found would have meant instant death.

However, he wasn’t completely defenseless. He had informed Chen Chuan of his plan beforehand via the Realm Token. Chen Chuan knew his approximate location, so if anyone had headed that way, he and Advisor Yao would have reacted in time.

As it turned out, this choice was the right one. Because Director Lei was far enough from the convoy, and thanks to the concealment of the Esoteric Ritual, no one discovered him.

The two Fighters had focused their attention entirely on the convoy, even searching among the armed personnel. As a result, he was never caught in the crossfire.

When Director Lei saw Chen Chuan return, he did not drop his concealment or move from his spot. He knew the long-range snipers outside might still be searching for a target. The danger wasn’t over until they were dealt with. He simply said via the Realm Token, "Chen, everything is fine here."

Chen Chuan didn’t go looking for him either, as that would only give away his position. He replied, "Director Lei, please wait a little longer. Advisor Yao should be finished soon."

After Mr. Han Tai’s car left, it drove for a distance along the National Path before bursting through a gap in the guardrail.

He glanced back and saw no one was pursuing him, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Following this route would take him directly to the coast.

Once there, someone would arrange for his return to the company by sea. ’Then...’

Just as he was thinking this, the car suddenly lurched forward and came to a stop.

He frowned and looked at the driver, who had pulled out a gun. BANG! He blew the radio operator’s head off in the passenger seat.

Mr. Han Tai was shocked and reached for his own gun. He was only halfway there when the driver’s gun was already pointed at his face. "Mr. Han Tai, someone has to take responsibility for this. I hope you can understand."

Mr. Han Tai’s expression shifted several times before he managed to maintain his composure. "No need to be so hasty, is there? I want to go to the company and explain this to the group leader and the directors myself. There’s a lot of information that can’t be conveyed in a telegram."

"Unfortunately, the company cannot be linked to this matter."

Before he could say another word, the driver pulled the trigger. BANG! Mr. Han Tai’s head exploded, splattering Implant fluid, brain matter, and blood all over the car’s interior and seats.

The driver quickly opened his door, went to the back, and drained the algae oil from the fuel tank. After backing away, he lit a lighter and tossed it. He waited until the entire vehicle erupted in flames and was burning fiercely before turning and quickly departing.

At the same time, back on the National Path, intense gunfire erupted once more. The combat team blocking the road was formidable, but as soon as Advisor Yao charged into their midst, their meticulously organized formation fell into chaos.

This was the effect of a Third Limit Fighter. By simply donning Protective Clothing and charging in at extreme speed, they could shatter any formation from within. With a coordinated external attack, the battle’s outcome was all but decided.

However, this group’s will to resist was incredibly strong, and the Implant-equipped combatants were especially ferocious.

They were exceptionally agile, and their protective armor was very durable. With these men fighting without any regard for their own lives, the assault encountered significant resistance.

But among them, two individuals were particularly eye-catching: the breakthrough team led by Wu Han and Weidong.

It hadn’t been their turn to fight at the beginning, but now they had charged forward. By coordinating their efforts, they could often take down an Implant-equipped combatant in moments. They didn’t flinch even when facing a similar combat team.

By the time they finished off the last Implant-equipped combatant and looked back, the intense gunfire on the field had ceased.

In the distance, Advisor Yao watched them with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. Although the two were only at the Second Limit, it was clear they had significant combat experience. They were still young, their potential visible to the naked eye. With proper training, they would become very capable assistants.

But it was a pity. He could tell they were Chen Chuan’s people, and he couldn’t poach them from him.

He shook his head, ordered his men to clean up the mess, and walked back toward the convoy. At that moment, he glanced into the distance and saw the overcoat Chen Chuan had tossed on the ground. He gave an order for one of his subordinates to go pick it up.

After returning to the convoy with his men, he gestured for the person beside him to hand the coat back to Chen Chuan and offered his sincere thanks. "Captain Chen, I owe you for your help this time. Without you, I would have had a very hard time completing this escort mission."

Chen Chuan thanked the team member who brought him the overcoat, took it, and said, "Director Lei is practically my mentor. It’s only right that I do these things."

Just then, a radio operator ran over, saluted Advisor Yao, and handed him a decoded message. "Advisor, reinforcements will arrive in ten minutes."

Advisor Yao took it and began to read.

Seeing that things were settled here, Chen Chuan said his goodbyes to him and Director Lei, then walked alone toward Jian Chengsheng’s body.

Before he arrived, he saw Chaoming circling overhead. It let out a sharp CHIRP, as if to say it had been watching the area for him and was now seeking praise.

He smiled, deciding to give Chaoming an extra treat tonight.

He walked over, bent down, and picked up the Broken Blade. The moment it was in his hand, he felt a strange sensation, as if his spirit was being subtly invigorated.

’This blade...’

His eyes were immediately drawn to the hilt. He had a feeling something might be hidden there, but now wasn’t the right time to check. He would wait until he got back.