Chen Chuan’s speed in that moment had exceeded the man’s reaction limit. Though he seemed only a hair faster, that hair’s breadth was the distance between life and death!

"He killed the boss!!"

The horde of minions finally snapped back to their senses. Roaring with shock and fury, they raised their guns, preparing to shoot Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan’s concentration was now absolute, his gaze exceptionally calm. As his Second Self took over, everyone’s movements seemed to slow to a crawl. He crouched slightly.

As he made this move, the flagstones beneath his feet slowly spiderwebbed with cracks. Wisps of white steam rose from his body, immense heat radiating out along with moisture.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the blade outward. He kicked off his back foot, his power erupting in a sudden burst. As the flagstones shattered beneath him, he spun into a devastating slash. The 1.6-meter-long blade, extended by his own reach, swept through nearly everyone on one side. The four minions closest to him were instantly cleaved in two, their sundered bodies and limbs raining down onto the floor.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind. It was Tuoqi, launching himself from the corner on all four feet, a blade in hand screaming as it swung down at him. But to Chen Chuan, the attack was far too slow. He simply continued his forward momentum, which not only allowed him to dodge the bullets fired from the other side, but also made Tuoqi’s strike hit nothing but air.

In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Bee Woman running toward the window, seemingly to escape. But he also saw a cloth-covered object there and instantly realized her true intention. ’She’s going to release that biological combat weapon!’

He spun around, brushing past Tuoqi. As one of Tuoqi’s bodies slashed at him with a blade, the other drew a pistol and aimed it at his head. But Chen Chuan’s speed was simply too great. He was past him in the blink of an eye, and the fired bullet only struck the opposite wall.

At the same time, both of Tuoqi’s heads felt the world begin to spin. As they flew through the air, their eyes met in shared astonishment. In that brief moment he’d passed them, the Snow Monarch Blade had sent both heads flying with a single frontal slash!

Just as Chen Chuan charged toward Bee Woman, the seemingly empty wall beside him suddenly stirred. A figure, almost perfectly blended with the environment, rushed out from the side, thrusting two short daggers at his ribs.

Chen Chuan seemed utterly unsurprised. He didn’t dodge or even slow down. Instead, the Mutated Organization within his body began to swell, layer by layer.

The next moment, they collided. With a sickening series of snaps as bones and sinew broke, the man was sent flying backward. He crashed into the same wall he’d emerged from, and with a wet SPLAT, his pulverized flesh and blood pasted him firmly to the surface.

But by now, Bee Woman’s fingers were already resting on the cloth-covered case. The Tayana Combat Spider inside was merely in a temporary state of hibernation. The moment its handler applied a specific external stimulus, it would awaken and kill every target in the vicinity whose blood had not been registered.

Chen Chuan’s gaze fixed on her. The assassin’s attack, though it hadn’t injured him, had momentarily slowed his charge. He might not reach her in time. He took a sharp, deep breath, his chest swelling, and then unleashed a thunderous roar in her direction!

VWOOM! A shockwave seemed to erupt from him. The windows from the first to the fourth floors vibrated violently before shattering into pieces. The surrounding minions with guns swayed as if drunk, staggering and stumbling about.

Bee Woman let out a blood-curdling shriek and clapped her hands over her ears. Blood seeped out from between her fingers. Her enhanced senses had subjected her to an even greater shock. Her vision went black, the whites of her eyes showed, and her body collapsed limply to the ground.

Out on the street, Old Wan had just reached Hu Xian’s car. She frowned and asked, "Why are you out here? Weren’t you supposed to be with Brother Chen?"

Old Wan said in a low voice, "I could tell he had his own plan and wanted to act on it. He was afraid of dragging me into it, so he sent me away. You know the rules. I can’t interfere with a candidate’s assessment. I have to respect their choices."

Hearing this, Hu Xian started. She slammed a fist on the steering wheel and cursed, "What the hell is he thinking!" She didn’t understand. Chen Chuan had seemed so calm and cautious, so why would he suddenly make such an impulsive decision? ’I really hope I’m not just here to collect his corpse.’

Her voice hardened. "Old Wan, get your gun ready."

Old Wan nodded.

Hu Xian stared grimly ahead. If things went south, she would charge in and save him. As for the rules? ’To hell with the rules!’ She couldn’t just stand by and watch a young man get himself killed.

Just then, however, they heard a thunderous roar. The sound was so loud it was like a clap of thunder had exploded across the entire street, and they watched as the windows of the building ahead all shattered.

Hu Xian’s face changed. "Something’s wrong. With me!"

She threw her door open and got out. The two of them rushed to the building, kicked the front door in, and after a brief pause, charged inside, covering each other. But when they reached the living room and saw the scene before them, they both stopped dead in their tracks.

At that moment, Chen Chuan stood in the middle of the spacious hall with his back to them, long blade in hand. Wisps of white steam still rose from his body. Cold wind poured in through the shattered windows, making his long, ocher-red scarf dance in the breeze. All around him, the floor was covered in corpses.

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