Chapter 631 - 370: Anomaly Arises, Awaiting the Blade

Inside the building, the confrontation between Xu Chan’s team and Wu Qi continued. By this point, they had drawn on their vast experience to develop an effective strategy against the creature.

Xu Chan had split his men into two groups. He and the two captains, Wang and Lü, were responsible for the front and the flanks, while the two Pioneer Team members in the rear focused on using projectiles to create diversions and cover any openings.

Whenever Wu Qi tried to break through in any direction, Lü or Wang would raise the specialized shields that had just been delivered and charge, stopping it in its tracks like a cannonball.

This method required little technical skill; it relied purely on speed.

Although Wu Qi was highly agile, its sheer size was a disadvantage. It couldn’t outpace them over short distances. Even though its mass far exceeded that of anyone present, the squad worked in concert. When one person charged forward, the others would harass and pin it down from different angles.

Every time it had just begun to accelerate, they forced it to a halt. At that moment, a Short Spear tipped with an Entanglement device or a Large Net would fly in from the rear, forcing it to retreat or dodge.

Xu Chan played a crucial role here. He single-handedly shouldered at least sixty percent of the pressure, firmly suppressing Wu Qi. Especially when Wu Qi unleashed a torrent of Spiritual Power and the others were heavily affected, he would hold the line alone until the outburst subsided.

They had previously received orders from the Defense Department to force Wu Qi out of the building and into the open area behind it. They didn’t know the true purpose of this command, but since it came from their superiors, they would carry it out with all their might.

However, they wouldn’t just rush in blindly. After all, they were seasoned veterans who knew that achieving their objective required patience, not haste. It had to be done one step at a time.

For now, they just needed to block Wu Qi’s attempts to break out, preventing it from passing them. By continuously constricting its room to maneuver, given enough time, Wu Qi would be forced to break out through the one remaining path, even without them actively driving it.

Although this approach was time-consuming, their superiors hadn’t given them a specific deadline. They believed it would be fine as long as they finished before the Fumu’s division period, and Wu Qi definitely couldn’t hold out that long.

Their deduction was correct. Under the relentless pressure, Wu Qi sustained more and more injuries, and its movements became increasingly restricted.

It gradually felt too constrained to move freely. Left with no other choice, it could only retreat backward. After smashing through wall after wall, it finally crashed out of the rear of the building and into the open.

From this position, one could see the gigantic, rotating Ferris Wheel looming nearby. Farther in the distance was the open sea, its waves rising and falling.

Xu Chan and his four team members immediately pursued, landing in different positions to maintain their previous formation and once again block its escape route.

At this point, unless Wu Qi chose to jump into the sea, it was virtually impossible for it to break through their encirclement.

But the Defense Department already knew from An Shield’s analysis that while Wu Qi could enter the ocean, it had no combat capability in the water. On the contrary, it would likely be besieged by the genetically modified aquatic creatures deployed by the Canglong Company, so it would not choose that option.

Indeed, Wu Qi would not do so. The board’s orders forbade it from leaving; instead, it was to kill these five people with all its might.

Down in the shaft, Director Eagle Tail was still standing there. He stared upward with a strange gaze, one half of his face illuminated by the light from above, the other shrouded in darkness.

Behind him, a shadow flickered restlessly on the wall, as if it could hardly wait.

But he knew the time was not yet right.

The active Consciousness Body possessed its own energy storage organs. The High-Energy Nutrient Supplement merely helped activate it; once it entered a combat state, it would begin to use its normally stored Energy.

According to the Ferris Wheel Company’s estimates, Wu Qi could fight continuously for about two days even under intense exertion. Therefore, up to this point, the active Consciousness Body’s combat effectiveness had barely diminished.

He didn’t need to wait that long, however. What he needed was for the people outside to help him drain Wu Qi’s Spiritual Power.

An active Consciousness Body was particularly resilient in the spiritual sense. This was especially true for one like Wu Qi, which excelled at prediction and could foresee threats to itself, making it difficult to usurp. Even a forced takeover would be met with severe resistance and rejection.

If not for this, he would have moved to seize it while Wu Qi was still inside the company building. Since that was impossible, his only option was to push Wu Qi out to fight others.

Under these circumstances, all of Wu Qi’s bodily functions would shift to a combat state. Its predictive abilities would cease to exist, and its Spiritual Power would inevitably be consumed.

By his calculations, it could last for about thirty to forty minutes at high intensity. The moment it reached its absolute weakest would be his time to strike.

At this very moment, the Airship carrying Chen Chuan had arrived directly above the Ferris Wheel. He checked the time: 11:40.

As the one who would deliver the final blow, he needed to wait for the opportune moment.

No one was rushing him. Since the task had been entrusted to him, he had their complete confidence. There would be no questioning or hurrying.

The power Hong Fu could channel to him was primarily related to his Domain and Spiritual Power. However, transferring too much power at once would alert the entity on the other side prematurely.

In reality, the amount of power that could be transferred through the Domain was limited. Yet even a portion of it was an immense force. If his own foundation were insufficient, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it, let alone wield it.

Ultimately, his own strength was still the fundamental anchor for this strike.

He looked down from above. Although the fog obscured his view of the specific situation, he could judge what was happening below by the faint traces of Spiritual Power drifting up.

He could now confirm that his teammates below had successfully driven Wu Qi out of the building, fulfilling the first prerequisite.

The rest was up to him.

According to the plan, he had to act the instant that entity began to usurp the active Consciousness Body. At that same moment, the Esoteric Ritual below would activate to coordinate with his strike.

He was at an altitude of over three kilometers. If he simply jumped, a normal descent would take about half a minute to reach the target. By then, even the best opportunity would be lost.

He could perform a downward leap to accelerate his fall, but that alone wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, there was another factor he could leverage.

At this moment, there were still many Rifts in the vicinity. He had previously obtained Chen Bitong’s Flying Dragon Fist Strength, which included an improved application developed by Chen Bitong himself: a method for traversing Rifts.

To accomplish such a feat, one needed stable, fully formed Rifts, as well as an exceptionally powerful and unique Spiritual Power. He couldn’t do it on his own, but with Hong Fu’s assistance, he could use her power to perform this maneuver.

This would not only allow him to cross a vast distance in an instant but also to appear near the enemy with even greater surprise.

He took a moment to feel it out. Based on the faint spiritual traces rising from below, the Ferris Wheel’s active Consciousness Body still had some fight left in it, and that other entity was not yet ready to make its move.

So, he had to wait a little longer.

Time slowly ticked by. Nearly twenty minutes passed, and the battle beneath the Ferris Wheel grew even more intense. Under the strain of repeatedly unleashing its power, Wu Qi’s spirit was fading at a clearly perceptible rate.

But it had no choice. Without the suppressing and supportive effects of its Spiritual Power, its opponents’ attacks would become even more ferocious and fluid. It wouldn’t be able to hold on, so it could only force itself to endure.

Inside the Defense Department command center, the Sentry’s voice rang out: "Alert from An Shield. Wu Qi’s condition is declining across the board. Its Biological Domain has weakened significantly. An unexpected situation could occur at any moment. Please be prepared..."

Specialist Liang’s expression became incredibly stern. He knew the moment they had been waiting for was about to arrive.

He raised his wrist and glanced at the time: 11:58.

Then, he silently turned his gaze to the airship hovering on the light screen.

’Honestly, the expectations of so many departments, and the weight of such a heavy responsibility... it would be immense pressure for anyone. Even a Fighter couldn’t possibly remain indifferent.’

’If the psychological burden is too great, it can severely affect one’s performance.’

’Now, we’ll see if this man can withstand it all and live up to the hopes they’ve placed in him.’

Aboard the Airship, Chen Chuan stood leaning on his blade, his senses focused entirely on the movements below.

At that moment, a notification from the command center sounded from the Realm Token by his ear. He also sensed that the active Consciousness Body’s Spiritual Power was beginning to wane.

He glanced at his Second Self. It was gradually showing faint signs of becoming ethereal, which meant that entity’s power was leaking out. It was preparing to strike.

He raised the Snow Monarch Blade, holding it horizontally before him. He pushed the Sword Scabbard aside, letting it fall to the deck, then fixed his gaze upon the gleaming edge of the blade.

’This should be the strongest opponent I’ve ever faced.’ He needed to concentrate all his power.

As if sensing his will, the blade soon began to hum and vibrate. Wisps of luminous mist spilled from it, and the red line on the spine of the blade turned a deep, vivid crimson.

At the same time, gusts of fierce wind billowed his military greatcoat and sent his scarf fluttering out behind him.

He took a deep breath. WHOOSH! A white mist erupted from his body.

And as he did this, Hong Fu, who had been standing behind him, suddenly dissolved into a shower of red light that instantly fused with his body, transforming into a sliver of scarlet haze that coiled around the white mist.

At the same instant, facing the advance of Xu Chan and the others, Wu Qi once again erupted with intense Spiritual Suppression.

This time, however, everyone present could feel that the impact was not as unbearable as before. It could even be described as feeble.

Everyone’s spirits lifted. Just as they were about to charge forward again, the ground suddenly began to tremble violently, making it difficult for them to keep their footing. They all retreated. Then, they saw a massive cluster of shadows erupt from the ground and wash over Wu Qi like a tide, enveloping it completely in an instant.

Almost simultaneously, an intangible, corrupting power spread outward, and the surrounding world seemed to fade into black and white.

At that moment, an indescribable sense of oppressive terror instantly spread for dozens of kilometers around the Ferris Wheel Building. The slowly rotating Ferris Wheel also transformed, seeming to suddenly become a gigantic, swirling vortex from which a blinding, searing light poured out.

Aboard the Airship, Chen Chuan’s gaze fell downward. His eyes seemed to pierce through the dense fog, straight to the heart of the event. Blade in hand, he lowered his center of gravity, then stamped his feet and leaped down.

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