Iron Demon's mask, his eyes bloodshot, stared intently at Chen Chuan . He gripped the broken halves of his spear in both hands and seemed to engage in some form of internal breathing.

Almost instantly, a faint mist of red energy emanated from his skin, and the scent of blood or rust about him intensified.

His aura, too, grew stronger than before, the pressure from his energy field becoming even more intense.

Opposite him, Chen Chuan's skin grew hot and flushed as wisps of white vapor rose from his body, swirling around him. This vapor was initially just heat and moisture, but now it was more—a strange emanation from the full exertion of his Mutated Tissue.

However, if Mutated cell coverage wasn't sufficient, if the foundation wasn't strong enough, without a unique Breathing Technique, this phenomenon wouldn't occur.

The two stood facing each other, their rising auras of vapor—one white, one red—ascending into the sky.

After a brief standoff, their figures blurred as they lunged at each other, the sound of weapons clashing echoing through the air.

In the midst of their flashing forms, the white and red vapors collided, yet even in the heat of battle, they did not mix. They remained distinctly separate, churning for a moment before being scattered by the surrounding air, only to clash again.

This time, however, Chen Chuan's Furnace Breathing Technique clearly amplified his Strength to a greater degree, his Strength increasing noticeably more than his opponent's. While their Speed remained relatively close, Chen Chuan was still slightly faster.

For two originally evenly matched combatants, even such a slight advantage could tip the scales.

Iron Demon seemed increasingly uncomfortable. He was accustomed to overpowering his opponents with Strength or Speed, but now he found himself outmatched in both aspects.

The opponent's dominance in Strength, along with his concern that the spear might be broken again, forced him to use his skills to defuse each attack.

Despite his skills, the impact from Internal energy had to be absorbed by his Mutated Tissue, and his Spirit had to remain highly focused. This led to a continuous and rapid depletion of his Steady Spirit and Essence Blood.

After more than ten minutes of back-and-forth fighting, Chen Chuan could clearly feel that Iron Demon was not as strong as he had been at the start.

Although he had used a Breathing Technique-like skill to enhance his state, the continuous fighting, constant healing, and relentless exertion of Strength were taking a toll. He seemed to have passed his peak and was now declining.

Conversely, Chen Chuan's Essence BloodSteady Spirit wasn't being depleted as rapidly because the Second Self shared some of the damage. He maintained the state induced by the Furnace Breathing Technique.

The disparity between them became evident. Initially, their offense and defense were evenly matched, but gradually, Iron Demon began to focus more on defense, with fewer and fewer counterattacks.

It wasn't just his condition; the weapon also had a significant Influence. The two broken halves of the spear, while seemingly two weapons, were not what he was accustomed to, and many of his techniques couldn't achieve their full potential.

Several minutes later, after Iron Demon blocked another of Chen Chuan's attacks, he seemed unable to muster enough Strength to fully parry the blow, and the blade cut into his shoulder.

He grunted as Mutated Tissue rapidly formed on his shoulder to block the blade. He used one hand to knock the sword away with the broken spear, while the other hand thrust at Chen Chuan .

However, the sword retreated and advanced with incredible speed, twisting and sweeping, deflecting the spear before following up with a horizontal slash. The sequence was fast and powerful, relying entirely on Speed and Strength to overwhelm the opponent.

Iron Demon's pupils contracted as he hastily retreated, but a chill ran through his chest and abdomen. The gash on his shoulder hadn't fully healed, and a long, deep wound now marred his torso.

Chen Chuan pressed his advantage, giving him no respite. Iron Demon continued to retreat, parrying and deflecting, but wounds continued to accumulate on his body. Despite the ongoing healing, it was clear to everyone that he had no chance of turning the tide.

He seemed to realize this as well. His eyes flashed, and an intense Strength erupted from his body, knocking the sword aside with two loud clangs.

Before he could charge, Chen Chuan proactively retreated. He was familiar with this eruption; each time it occurred, the Biological Field invariably surged.

He stared at Iron Demon , who, whether human or something else, possessed the basic Martial Combat skills of a Martial Artist . He should have realized from their earlier exchanges that without a change, he couldn't pose a threat. So, if he had any tricks up his sleeve, now was the time to use them.

He would wait.

Iron Demon , after pushing him back, let out a muffled roar from his chest, and his body suddenly swelled and contracted. Then, a horrifying scene unfolded as thin tendrils and limbs sprouted from under his skin, writhing and spreading outward.

Chen Chuan's gaze narrowed. He recognized them as extensions of the mutated tissues within his body.

Some of these tendrils wrapped around his torso and limbs, while others coalesced into several powerful-looking appendages that grew out of one arm and trailed along the ground, forming a whip.

Still others extended to the broken spearhead, seemingly wrapping around it, as wisps of red mist emanated from within.

Seeing this, Chen Chuan couldn't help but think of the entity that had possessed Meng Huang . There was a similarity between the two, yet they felt different. The former seemed more Spirit-oriented, while this one was more material.

At this moment, the Biological Field no longer resembled the stable, unwavering barrier it had been. While it could still be considered a solid shield, countless cracks had appeared on its surface, revealing the madness and ferocity that yearned to burst forth.

The presence of these two distinctly different energies within the same energy field created a strong sense of contradiction.

Moreover...

Chen Chuan's brow twitched slightly. For a brief moment, he seemed to see something writhing behind Iron Demon , attached to his back, but it was very faint and blurred.

At that moment, the Snow Emperor Blade in his hand trembled slightly. He glanced at it and saw the bloodline on the back of the blade was dripping with crimson, and wisps of light mist were escaping from the blade.

He looked forward again, at the almost mutated body. At this point, he no longer held back. With a Thought, the Second Self instantly merged with him.

Even if he couldn't achieve double his previous Strength, it still enhanced his Strength somewhat.

He swung the Long Sword in his hand, the blade naturally stirring up a cloud of white mist as it moved, and then slowly stepped forward.

Iron Demon , too, wielded the broken spear and the whip-like appendage, advancing towards him.

As they drew closer, Iron Demon attacked first, flicking the whip at him. Chen Chuan glanced at the whip and sidestepped, the limb crashing into the ground with a resounding crack, shattering the earth. It whipped again, sweeping towards him.

Chen Chuan pushed off the ground and dodged, but Iron Demon seemed intent on keeping him within range, and stepped forward as well. The Speed he displayed seemed even faster than Chen Chuan’s current Speed.

But at that moment, Chen Chuan suddenly turned and changed direction. Iron Demon , who had been closely watching him, changed direction as well, but for some reason, he seemed unable to adjust immediately, causing his body to lag behind.

Chen Chuan's eyes flashed. He turned again and suddenly darted forward, knocking aside the broken spear with his sword. Then, he lunged forward and punched Iron Demon in the chest and abdomen, the point of impact echoing with a muffled explosion.

Struck by the blow, Iron Demon's back arched.

Chen Chuan succeeded in his attack, but did not continue his assault. Instead, he leaped back and quickly retreated.

Almost instantly, the whip slashed across the ground beneath his feet. He could feel a wind that seemed to tear at the skin, and the dust and gravel on the ground were shattered. The entire area in front of him was filled with swirling sand and dust. He could even hear a sonic boom; the power of the attack was considerable.

But no matter how great the power, it was useless if it didn't hit the target. He waited until his feet touched the ground, lowered his center of gravity, paused briefly, and then suddenly lunged forward, breaking through the dust cloud. The Long Sword immediately collided with the spear.

He felt an immense Energy transmission through the spear, but he discovered that while the Strength was greater than before, the Internal energy was not as concentrated as it had been. Instead, it was somewhat scattered.

Therefore, the Mutated Tissue in his body instantly dissipated it, without even needing the Second Self to bear it. At the same time, he pushed outward with his sword, and the force of the Internal energy sent Iron Demon staggering back several steps.

He followed up with a horizontal slash, which struck Iron Demon's ribs, stopped by the dense muscles, unable to penetrate too deeply, but continuing to push Iron Demon backward.

After retreating seven or eight steps, Iron Demon braced his feet, stopped his retreat, and was about to draw his weapon for a Counterattack, but Chen Chuan pulled back, waited for him to advance, and then quickly shifted to one side, slicing open a gash in his armor, from which blood instantly gushed.

Iron Demon immediately turned to follow, but Chen Chuan thrust the Long Sword forward, pressing it against his shoulder. The force of the blow caused him to lose his balance, and the attack he was about to launch lost its Strength, forcing him to stop and adjust.

At that moment, the Blade flashed again, striking his chest and shoulder. The muscle tendons wrapped around it were severed, and the bones beneath them cracked.