Tan Wang weaved and dodged through the flashes of the approaching sword. He discovered that Chen Chuan’s Sword Stance possessed both power and speed, but it lacked technique. This allowed him to use his experience to evade and maneuver, rather than taking the blows head-on.

Only when he absolutely could not dodge did he choose to block with his limbs and body. With his Power, his muscles and the scales covering them would ripple, dissipating the force of the sword to a minimum.

As both men moved at extreme speeds, the sounds of their attacks, parries, and collisions rang out in a continuous stream. The vast curtain of rain was constantly blasted open, leaving one shattered gap after another.

Sometimes, the rain blasted away in one direction had yet to fall back before another spray erupted from the other side. Between these explosions, the intersecting paths they carved through the downpour were clearly visible.

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky. One moment, it would illuminate the two figures; the next, they would vanish, leaving only sprays of mud and grass exploding from the ground.

After more than ten minutes of such high-intensity combat, Tan Wang was starting to feel the strain. He needed to constantly use his Power to counter the sword, forcing him to maintain absolute focus without the slightest lapse. It was an immense burden on his energy and stamina.

It was manageable for now, but if this dragged on any longer, his declining stamina would make it impossible to keep up. Mistakes would become inevitable.

He involuntarily cursed his miscalculation. ’I left before my gland implantation surgery was finished.’ If it were complete, he could secrete an oil over his scales that would effectively deflect slashes, stabs, and cuts from any sharp weapon—even bullets.

’And if the poison gland in my upper palate had been operated on, I could just wait for the right moment in a fight to spit a cloud of toxic mist and finish my opponent. Why is this so much trouble?’

Chen Chuan’s Sword Stance, however, was terrifyingly steady. It was the same now as it was at the beginning, without a single change from start to finish. It seemed as though he could continue swinging his sword like this forever.

He was beginning to doubt his own judgment. ’What kind of drug could last this long?’

’Or could it be... that this is his actual strength?’

’No, that’s impossible.’

He failed to notice that the moment he began to feel anxious and doubtful was the first sign of his focus wavering and his stamina starting to wane.

Chen Chuan watched his enemy with complete focus. It had only been a dozen or so minutes. Back when he was submerged in the pit, enduring the boundless darkness and oppressive environment, he had to last for at least an Hour. This was nothing to him.

That sudden training session had drastically increased his resilience. The battle unfolding before him couldn’t shake his will in the slightest.

Even if his Second Self’s duration ran out, he would still continue to swing his sword without faltering until his opponent collapsed—or he did.

After another ten minutes of fighting, Tan Wang felt something was wrong. At times, his body seemed unable to keep up with his reflexes. While he managed to compensate with experience, he knew there was a problem.

He knew it had to be because of the Implant.

An Implant would often cause a drop in combat effectiveness if it didn’t match the host. The Secret Snake Sect had its own specialized Implant doctors and cultivation labs; every member received an Implant specifically tailored to them.

But his original Implant had been almost completely destroyed by He Xiaoxing, with his offensive limbs suffering the most severe damage. This had forced him to get a replacement.

To enhance his combat strength, he had opted for an upgraded version, but due to compatibility issues, it was still in the cultivation phase. For now, he had been temporarily fitted with a generic model to get by.

A generic Implant was fine for short-term use, but after this prolonged confrontation, it was starting to feel sluggish.

Perhaps taking a drug could overcome this for a time, but not only did he not have any on him, the current situation wouldn’t permit such an action anyway.

The two were locked in a fierce exchange, hyper-aware of every subtle movement. The moment Tan Wang’s issue arose, Chen Chuan immediately sensed a change. He noticed a slight disruption in Tan Wang’s rhythm; the stability he’d had at the start was gone.

This undoubtedly meant one thing.

His opponent’s condition was deteriorating!

He also realized that if he could notice it, there was no way Tan Wang wasn’t aware of it himself. Therefore, Tan Wang would surely try to recover or find a way to break the stalemate.

The change might come later, but it could also happen in the very next moment.

He involuntarily sharpened his focus.

Tan Wang, however, didn’t make a move immediately. He clearly had a wealth of combat experience and patiently continued to fend off the attacks, hoping to drag things out. Perhaps he could make his opponent impatient and force an opening.

But against an opponent who showed almost no signs of impatience or recklessness, he couldn’t wait for an opportunity that would never come. He had no choice but to be the first to make a change.

His arm once again blocked a downward slash from the sword. In the past, he would have tried to use the rippling of his muscles and the hardness of his scales to deflect the Sword Stance, but this time, something new happened.

The instant his arm made contact with the blade, veins bulged and writhed. The skin there suddenly tore open, and snake-whip-like appendages shot out, coiling around the sword and binding it tight.