Atlas of Heaven and Earth

Because the machine guns on the airship above were sweeping the area, the White Plague rushing forward couldn't be intercepted on the road, so they kept pouring into the Fissure.

Many of these White Plague carried explosives in their bellies. Some rushed too far ahead and were spotted by Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong from a distance, who then killed them by throwing stones.

However, some detonated their explosives as soon as they saw the two, leading to continuous huge explosions here, with shock waves wreaking havoc repeatedly.

This wave of attacks lasted for a full half-hour. It might have been because the military's White Plague were all used up, or perhaps they thought the people had retreated, which is why it temporarily ceased.

However, the sound of the propeller blades above was still clearly audible, indicating that the airship had not gone far and was still hovering there.

Just a few steps away from the other end's exit, Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong were sitting on two broken concrete pillars respectively.

In front of them was a partially collapsed building wall, which had been swept into the Fissure during its expansion and had just provided them with cover.

Chen Chuan waved away the soot blown over by the air current and said, "If they had used this method just now, they might have already forced us to retreat."

Chen Bitong said, "They wouldn't do that. They don't want us to retreat further back; it would make it harder for them to deal with us.

Captain Chen should have seen when he went down just now that they were organizing to launch an attack on us. Even if they didn't succeed this time, if they could retreat unscathed, they wouldn't do it. They would only possibly gather strength from elsewhere."

Chen Chuan nodded.

So their choice just now was correct.

If they had waited for the enemy to come up, they would have been fully prepared. The strength of the two military officers, both main and deputy, was actually not weak, and with the cooperation of those around them, they had a significant advantage.

Even if they couldn't take them down immediately, if the momentum turned against them, they could retreat like last time, and it's not certain if they could be stopped.By next time, they will definitely mobilize or organize a stronger force than the last, making it increasingly difficult to deal with.

Fortunately, we killed them in advance, creating a gap in the enemy's strength. Although the machine guns and artillery are very fierce, the actual threat to us is not that great. The previous attack seemed more like an outburst of anger and provocation.

Chen Bitong looked outside and said, "It seems there's still some time. Let me brief you on some matters first, Captain Chen."

Seeing his serious expression, Chen Chuan said, "Please go ahead, Master Chen."

Chen Bitong said, "After the barrier isolating Pure Essence was torn open by Split Offspring, a gap was created. As long as the gap in the World Ring is not filled, the range of this gap will gradually expand, and Pure Essence will continue to dissipate outward for some time.

The first to be affected will be Jibeidiao Central City and the surrounding area, as the gap is right here.

If Captain Chen's Spiritual Power is high enough, you should be able to sense the dissipating Pure Essence. If you react quickly, you can grab some, but if you're not careful, you might miss it.

Let me give you an analogy, Pure Essence is like fish swimming in water, and you need to find a way to catch them from the flow.

However, the speed at which Pure Essence dissipates is very fast, and it will soon spread to Da Shun and all over the world. During this time, there will also be people competing with you, so if you intend to take some, you must act quickly.

Once Central City discovers the situation, they will definitely try to fill the gap and send people to collect Pure Essence. If you delay, the opportunity to obtain Pure Essence will diminish.

Therefore, the initial period is the gap period, when there are almost no obstacles. You must seize this opportunity.

The amount of Pure Essence a Martial Artist needs corresponds to their strength. The stronger the strength, the more Pure Essence is required. If you miss this opportunity, it's uncertain how long you'll have to wait.

His voice deepened, "Signing agreements with those people is the last resort, but by then, you will no longer be autonomous."

Chen Chuan pondered in his heart, Master Chen has reached the limit of a Martial Artist but has not crossed that step, possibly for this reason.This person was not willing to take that step.

At this moment, he felt the strong light around him flicker, and the originally fierce airflow seemed to weaken a bit.

Chen Bitong glanced over, "Without Split Offspring, the Fissure can no longer sustain such a large volume and is now closing on its own. It will close faster than it expanded, so Captain Chen, remember to get out in time to avoid being trapped here."

Just as they were speaking, the two heard the sound of propeller blades gradually moving away, as if that airship had withdrawn.

They exchanged a glance, knowing there must be a new development.

They got up from the concrete pillars, bypassed the scattered biological debris and the craters on the ground, and walked to the edge of the Fissure.

Standing here and looking out, they saw that the fog on the mountain path had dispersed a lot, and the departing figure of the airship was quite clear.

However, in the distance, at the original military camp location, an even larger airship had appeared, with a very noticeable "Gai' character on its airbag, surrounded by some decorative patterns.

Seeing this character, Chen Bitong's expression changed momentarily, filled with vigilance and wariness, his body even tensing up for a moment. He said in a deep voice, "It seems I might run into my old rival this time."

Chen Chuan looked over, "Does that "Gai' character represent someone?"

Chen Bitong said, "When the Old Imperial Family retreated to the Convergence Zone, about thirty or so noble families went with them."

These thirty or so families had immense influence in the old times, and the Gai Family was one of them. The Gai Family's ancestors had served as dukes and marquises, and almost every dynasty had produced high-ranking military officers, with a very long heritage.

Chen Chuan nodded unconsciously, as this was quite remarkable. Because with each change of dynasty, the new dynasty would generally inherit many things from the previous one, including scriptures, imperial collections, medicinal treasures, and so on. Not to mention, when the Da Shun Republic was established, a significant portion of its initial assets were seized from the Old Imperial Family.

And these nobles, sharing the same fate as the Old Imperial Family, had received rich benefits in the past. Even after retreating to the Convergence Zone, they should still possess many legacies left by their predecessors.Chen Bitong said, "There is a person in this generation of the Gai Family named Gai Shuhe, who is a few years younger than me. Since I started serving in the Convergence Zone and later guarding the World Ring, I have had many dealings with him.

We have clashed more than twenty times, most of the time ending in a draw. Our last encounter was seven years ago, when I won and severely injured him.

I heard that after he returned, he said that unless he could cultivate a transcendent skill, he would not appear on the front lines again. The pattern around the "Gai' character on this airship is his unique emblem..."

He said with a serious expression, "It must be because I showed up here that he came looking for me. If that's the case, he must have a real chance to beat me, perhaps... he has already mastered a transcendent skill and become a Martial Artist."

On the opposite side, that airship docked at the anchoring point in the military camp, and the soldiers below formed into neat ranks.

In front, the remaining Imperial Retainer Warriors and military advisers dismounted from their horses. They removed their helmets, holding them in their arms, each with a serious and anxious expression, as if awaiting someone.

When the ladder was lowered, a figure emerged from the airship. This person had jade-white skin, a high nose, deep-set eyes, a slender nose bridge, thin lips, and a goatee on his chin, with a deep and sinister look in his brow.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with a scar from his chin to his cheek, standing over two meters tall, wearing a hairnet and dressed in a black-purple martial arts robe embroidered with silver threads.

Behind him followed a woman in her twenties, with bright eyes and white teeth, wearing a waist-tight martial outfit, a high ponytail, holding a spear in reverse, resembling him somewhat in appearance.

As this person walked down, he suddenly turned his head, looking towards the direction of the mountain peak several kilometers away, and then suddenly threw a punch in that direction. As he threw the punch, a faint light emanated from his body.

In the Fissure, both Chen Chuan and Chen Bitong simultaneously sensed a warning, followed by the strong airflow in front of them being split apart, as if a powerful Internal energy was rushing towards them.Chen Bitong stepped forward at this moment, also throwing a punch forward, with a faint light flickering on his fist.

At the front of the punch, there was an immediate explosive shock, and the airflow in the Fissure whistled outwards.

Chen Chuan's gaze sharpened; if he saw correctly, this should be a punch delivered through the method of traversing the Fissure.

Moreover, in his Spirit, it seemed he also saw a pair of sharp eyes, piercing through the mist and the Fissure, directly looking at the two of them.

The person who threw the punch should still be at the foot of the mountain, yet he was able to transmit his Spirit and the force of his punch from such a great distance. This is not something that can be achieved by mere Skills; it also represents Strength beyond the limit.

Chen Bitong's expression was extremely grave, he said: "It seems my worry is true, he can transmit the force of his punch so easily here, indicating that he has already become a Martial Artist. He was just greeting me.

Captain Chen, we cannot fight head-on."

As he spoke, the strong light in the Fissure flickered again, shrinking down even more.

He glanced back and said: "Fortunately, the Fissure is about to close, he cannot just rush in and do anything, nor would he take such a risk. This time, he should just be here for me, Captain Chen, you should go back.

Next, it's my fight."