Celestial Human Diagram

Chen Chuan sized up Ding Vein for a few moments. The man’s upper body was exceptionally muscular, making his otherwise strong legs look slender in comparison. His build was visibly unbalanced.

Most Fighters he had encountered were well-proportioned, their physiques appearing harmonious. A build like this usually meant one part of his Mutated Organization was overdeveloped, implying he possessed an extraordinary ability in a specific combat style.

Furthermore, this man actually had skills related to a Domain. Chen Chuan could feel a dense aura from him, though he couldn’t discern the specifics until he moved.

The man’s claim that he was supposed to be the one to deal with the Iron Demon might not have been an empty boast. Besides, no one ever said the Iron Demon had to be fought one-on-one.

He didn’t refuse the challenge. Sparring with a skilled Fighter was a great way to improve, not to mention he couldn’t possibly back down in a situation like this.

He glanced at the man’s epaulet and said, "Executioner Ding, since you’re interested, let’s have a go."

Seeing that a fight was about to break out, the surrounding crowd grew excited. They immediately backed away, clearing a large space for the two men.

Some of them didn’t recognize Chen Chuan and started asking the people around them.

However, most of the people present today were from the Merging Land’s military and didn’t know much about Chen Chuan’s past. They only knew that he had defeated the Iron Demon, which meant he had to be a formidable expert.

"You think Old Ding can win this time?"

"Hard to say. You’ve all heard how tough the Iron Demon is, right? For this guy to beat it, even with help from his squad, is no simple feat."

"He’s so young and already a captain."

Someone remarked with emotion. His tone held a hint of envy, but no jealousy. As frontline soldiers themselves, they knew that while a strong Fighter on the front lines might not have a high rank, a high-ranking officer was never an amateur. Amateurs got themselves killed by the enemy long ago.

Although they were closer to Ding Vein, they were all people who valued actual results. A thousand words were worth less than a single display of strength.

While they were talking, the young boy also moved to the side. He watched intently, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.

Just then, a taller young man stepped forward and said, "Captain Chen, Executioner Ding, I am Fang Zhixin, Teacher Chen’s assistant and the temporary head of this facility. Since you two wish to compete, allow me to serve as the referee."

He suggested, "You are both pillars of our defense. In my opinion, you should forgo weapons. It would be bad if either of you got hurt. How about a simple hand-to-hand spar?"

Ding Vein cracked his neck and loosened up. "I have no objection."

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "That’s fine."

The two men went to the side, removed their shirts, and then walked into the center of the training area.

Fang Zhixin looked at them both and said, "Since you are ready, you may begin." As he spoke, the low chatter from the crowd immediately ceased, and all eyes focused on the two men.

’He’s definitely never trained his Spiritual Power,’ Chen Chuan thought. ’But that doesn’t mean his combat ability is low. A Fighter’s performance depends on many factors.’

Seeing Chen Chuan standing still, Ding Vein didn’t hold back. He raised his hands into a guard in front of him, took a step forward, and leaned his body slightly. His gaze locked onto Chen Chuan. A moment later, his entire body charged forward like a battering ram.

Simultaneously, the muscles of his upper body suddenly swelled as if inflated, and his skin took on a faint, different color, as if coated in a layer of silver-gray iron.

As he pushed off the ground to charge, the impact of his feet against the floor created a loud BOOM, a truly astonishing display of power.

While running, his eyes remained fixed on Chen Chuan’s figure through the gap between his arms.

He had specialized his Mutated Organization, concentrating all his advantages into a frontal assault. Once he started charging, he was nearly impossible to stop. If the Iron Demon were in front of him, he was confident he could have knocked over both rider and mount.

Most opponents would choose to dodge at the first moment. It had nothing to do with cowardice; when facing such a powerful offensive without prior knowledge, it was instinctive to evade and then look for weaknesses or openings to attack.

But this was exactly what he wanted to see. The real killing blow of this attack wasn’t the initial charge. Due to the unique way he exerted his power, if he changed direction mid-charge, his speed and strength would suddenly double. Evasion would become impossible, forcing his opponent to face his impact head-on.

Anyone encountering this move for the first time was almost guaranteed to fall for it.

And as the crowd watched Ding Vein charge, they all waited for the next scene to unfold. They were eager to see how Chen Chuan would handle the impact after he dodged.

But upon seeing Ding Vein’s move, Chen Chuan did the opposite of what everyone expected. He took a step back, pressed his center of gravity forward, and extended a single hand, placing it squarely on Ding Vein’s horizontally-positioned forearms!

He had actually chosen to meet the attack head-on.

At that moment, their Power inevitably collided, and Ding Vein’s charge came to an abrupt halt.

Those with sharp eyes could see ripples of Power, accompanied by tremors in Ding Vein’s clothes, rising from his calves. They moved upward in waves, circle by circle, ultimately converging at the point of impact.

Even just by watching, one could perceive the force being unleashed.

Yet Chen Chuan had somehow blocked it.

And he had done it with a single hand. The floor beneath his feet had only sunk slightly, as if it hadn’t borne much of the force.

This was because his Mutated Organization had dissipated the force of the opponent’s charge internally, preventing much of it from being transferred downward.

Of course, that wasn’t the most important part. The moment they made contact, he used the convergence of his spirit and Domain to clearly perceive the information about Ding Vein’s hidden Domain, allowing him to understand the flow and direction of his opponent’s power.

Before, even if he could have seen this and withstood the blow, he would have inevitably been pushed back or had his feet sink into the ground. But now, under the influence of his Spiritual Power, his mind and body had achieved a high degree of coordination, allowing him to rationally distribute and adjust to every ounce of his opponent’s strength.

Moreover, he wasn’t just dissipating the opponent’s impact; he was simultaneously accumulating power for a counterattack.

And at the very moment Ding Vein’s power reached its peak, a glint flashed in Chen Chuan’s eyes. The fingers of his palm clamped down, and with an upward lift of his arm, he actually hoisted Ding Vein into the air. He then used the momentum to pivot and slam him heavily onto the ground behind him!

With a loud BOOM, the floor of the Training Ground shook, sending a ripple outward. The distant spectators felt the ground beneath their feet tremble.

Despite being slammed so hard, Ding Vein didn’t seem seriously injured. He instinctively flinched, then tried to struggle back to his feet. But at that moment, a fist came flying and—THUD—smashed into his forehead, causing the back of his head to slam against the floor with another dull thud.

The impact itself wasn’t that severe. What did the damage was the surge of Power that accompanied the punch and rushed into his brain. His vision suddenly went black, his body went limp, and his limbs slackened. He could only stare blankly at the ceiling.

Chen Chuan stood up. "Executioner Ding, thank you for the match."

The arena fell silent. The crowd stared in astonishment at the outcome. They had expected the spar might end quickly, but they never imagined it would be *this* quick. The victor was decided in a single exchange.

The scenario they had envisioned hadn’t happened at all.

At that moment, they heard a CRACK. Surprised, they looked over and saw that the sound was coming from a Puppet.

It was the Puppet Chen Chuan had struck earlier. Suddenly, sounds of cracking and shattering emanated from within its body. It broke apart section by section, finally collapsing into a pile on the floor with a loud CLATTER.

This was because Chen Chuan’s earlier attack had already fractured its internal structure and every joint. The intense vibrations from their fight had caused it to completely fall apart.

The crowd was somewhat bewildered, but the young boy watched in shock. He then clenched his fists and looked up at Chen Chuan, his face filled with adoration.

Fang Zhixin also came to his senses and announced, "Captain Chen is the victor." He then hurried forward to help Ding Vein disperse the lingering Power, trying to help him recover quickly.

He initially thought it was a minor issue, as he had handled many similar situations. But after trying, he found that Ding Vein remained motionless. His eyes could move, allowing him to look at the crowd, but he couldn’t make a sound.

Seeing this, a few others came up to try, but to no avail. Someone even took out medicine and used their Power to help him ingest it, but it still didn’t help him get up.

Now everyone realized something was wrong.

Ding Vein was a Third Limit Fighter! Forget being hit by a fist—even if he’d been smashed in the head with a hammer, as long as it didn’t explode on impact or turn his brain to pulp, he should have been able to recover quickly. They couldn’t understand what was happening.

Fang Zhixin knew he had to talk to the one responsible. He approached Chen Chuan and said sincerely, "Captain Chen, please show mercy."

Chen Chuan hadn’t expected this either. He thought for a moment. ’My last strike didn’t just contain Power, but also a surge of Spiritual Power. I used it instinctively, without thinking.’

’Could that be the reason?’

He walked over, and the crowd parted. He reached Ding Vein and saw that the man could only look at him, his eyes the only part of him that could move. Chen Chuan placed a hand on his forehead to feel, and confirmed his suspicion.

The man’s Mutated Organization was being disrupted by his Spiritual Power, preventing it from receiving commands from its owner’s consciousness, as if there was interference. This was why he couldn’t self-heal and was paralyzed.

This happened because Ding Vein had been momentarily knocked unconscious when he was slammed to the ground. Under normal circumstances, with the Mutated Organization and the host’s consciousness aligned, he wouldn’t have been so easily affected. It was a coincidence.

He didn’t bother to explain. He simply dispersed the intrusive Spiritual Power. Once the interference was gone, Ding Vein immediately returned to normal, his body beginning to heal rapidly.

Chen Chuan stood up under the questioning and slightly awed gazes of the crowd. "He’s fine now," he said.

...

...