Chapter 25: We Are Both Powered Individuals, How Can You Use a Gun?

However, the bullet did not strike him immediately.

In the instant his hair stood on end, Chen Xuan experienced a remarkably profound sensation. Every movement of the person before him seemed to slow down; he could even see the burst of flame erupting from the muzzle and the projectile as it tore through the air. To be precise, the object looked more like an intricate syringe, its short, needle-like tip and the stabilizing fletching at the tail clearly distinguishable.

This was the effect of the "Divine Eye Technique."

Excellent. It was exactly as he had hoped—the ability to enter the state of "Divine Vision" the moment danger was sensed.

Chen Xuan summoned all his focus, coalescing his first Qi Sword and positioning it directly in the path of the bullet. Unlike standard spirit sword techniques, the "Thousand-Thought Sword" did not require a physical medium; it could manifest from thin air and exist as a solid entity. It was no different from the flying swords of immortal legends that could take a head from a hundred paces away, save for the lack of independent sentience.

The Divine Vision lasted for only about half a second, but that was enough.

With a crisp "clink," sparks flew.

The projectile was precisely intercepted by the sword.

Jeanne, however, had not yet registered what had just occurred.

"Messenger? What was that..."

A surge of confidence welled up within Chen Xuan. He had actually managed to intercept a bullet! How cool was that?

Although he had understood how to utilize these abilities the moment he acquired them, theory and actual combat were two entirely different things. From the moment the opponent attacked to the successful interception, less than a second had passed, yet he could clearly hear his own frantic heartbeat and feel the slight dizziness brought on by a massive rush of adrenaline.

Most crucially, he had to maintain an air of effortless mastery. Neither the persona of a Heavenly Messenger nor that of a mysterious shopkeeper would allow him to be seen panicking.

"Is this what you used to seal Jeanne's abilities?" Chen Xuan summoned another sword with a flick of his hand, one circling to the left and one to the right. Three was indeed his limit, but for flexibility, two were currently the most suitable for him. "Too bad it’s too slow for me."

This was not just boasting; it was a psychological attack.

The witch’s expression turned noticeably grim.

She dropped her staff and drew a revolver-style weapon from her cloak.

Chen Xuan was stunned. You have got to be kidding me... bringing this to the Middle Ages?

Though it had only four chambers, the wrist-thick caliber suggested that the projectiles it fired were at least at the level of infantry grenades.

Meanwhile, Jeanne grabbed the iron chains attached to her shackles and charged at the witch. Even if it were just an ordinary chain, when augmented by the Qi Sword technique, it was no less lethal than a sharp blade.

"Die, wicked witch!"

Two against one. The advantage was his.

Besides, what did it matter if the opponent used grenades? Chen Xuan’s thoughts raced. The muzzle velocity of that thing was far lower than a bullet’s, and it required impact to detonate. He could easily slice it out of the air while it was still in flight.

A soft "thud" sounded, and a round, large projectile flew from the muzzle.

Chen Xuan actively entered the state of Divine Vision. As he had expected, the large-caliber projectile was much slower, and the shot was slightly off-target; there was no way it would hit him. His task was simple: side-step out of the trajectory while commanding one Qi Sword to pierce the opponent's chest, keeping the other in reserve.

However, in the next second, the witch vanished from her spot and appeared directly in front of him! The distance between them was so close he could almost feel her breath.

How?

Chen Xuan’s mind buzzed.

Both Qi Swords were now unable to protect him. He watched helplessly as the witch raised her leg and swept it fiercely toward his neck.

His body reacted almost instinctively. He raised his right arm to block his head, but the heavy, powerful sweep slammed into his elbow, sending his entire body flying!

Chen Xuan heard a distinct "crack" on the spot.

It was the sound of his forearm shattering.

He was kicked three or four meters away, breaking through the cage bars and rolling until he collided with the wall to the side.

Was that the kind of strength a human could possess?

Chen Xuan felt his blood churning, nearly vomiting. A normal person would have been paralyzed by such a blow, but he had his internal cultivation. The "Tianxia Technique" circulating within him not only sealed his internal bleeding but also suppressed the pain from the fracture to a minimum.

He could even feel a surge of energy swirling around his broken arm, as if it were on the verge of forcing the bone back into place.

The witch clearly had no intention of letting him catch his breath.

After the kick, she lunged toward where he had fallen.

Chen Xuan commanded the Qi Swords to change direction and stab straight toward himself!

Now, the enemy stood between him and the swords. If she didn't dodge, even if she continued her pursuit, she wouldn't be able to avoid a strike.

A bizarre situation occurred once more.

The moment the Qi Swords were about to pierce her, she vanished again, reappearing over ten meters away. The swords, their momentum unchecked, instantly pierced Chen Xuan’s own body.

The witch revealed a triumphant smile.

But that smile vanished quickly.

She saw Chen Xuan stand up as if nothing had happened, the phantom of the sword still embedded in his chest.

*This sword is made of my own Qi; stabbing myself just returns the energy to me. You really thought you could make me kill myself?* Chen Xuan cursed inwardly. *You’re far too devious!*

But what about that teleportation?

The "Divine Eye Technique" only allowed him to see in extreme detail for half a second, true, but surely his naked eye shouldn't be unable to track her movements?

At this moment, Chen Xuan felt a surge of excitement. This was far more thrilling than playing games in front of a computer! The soaring adrenaline made his hands tremble slightly, while his mind felt clearer than ever.

He had previously assumed she would be inferior to Jeanne in a brute-force confrontation, but it appeared that assessment was dead wrong! Jeanne couldn't keep up with the witch’s movements at all. In the time it took for Jeanne to swing her chain once, the witch had already delivered a kick and teleported twice.

"It seems your reactions are nothing special. You can dodge bullets, but you can't dodge my legs." The witch raised her grenade-revolver again.

*What, you want to play mind games too?*

Chen Xuan realized he had to make a choice—whether to use his half-second of Divine Vision before she fired, or to wait until she initiated her follow-up attack.

If he were even a fraction of a second too slow, he would have to take that grenade hit head-on. Then again, was she really firing grenades? One had been split open by his Qi Sword earlier, but judging by the scattered fragments, it seemed far too complex.

She knew full well that the gun was ineffective against him, so why did she fire before every attack? Or perhaps... those were just feints?

Chen Xuan feigned nonchalance and brushed the dust off his clothes. "Actually, I let you get close on purpose."

"What?"

"If I didn't let you get into range, how could I evaluate whether your abilities are worth stealing?" he said leisurely. "Even if I let you get close ten more times, you wouldn't have a shred of hope. Jeanne, stand still. She can't hurt me."

Jeanne hesitated for a moment, then nodded earnestly. "I understand."

The red-haired witch’s expression grew cold, and she pulled the trigger without hesitation!

Chen Xuan’s taunts and his instruction for Jeanne to watch from the sidelines were all meant to provoke her into repeating her tactic. He followed the same routine, sending one sword to stab at the witch while keeping the other hovering in reserve. However, this time, he didn't use the Divine Eye Technique at the start; he waited until the flash of fire appeared before entering the state of Divine Vision!

By the time he could clearly see the projectile's trajectory, it was less than half a body-length away.

At this distance, no matter how fast he dodged, he couldn't escape!

Just then, the witch vanished. The Qi Sword he had thrust out hit empty air. At the same time, he sensed a faint, almost imperceptible trace of energy on the projectile.

*So that’s it!*

A flash of insight struck Chen Xuan! Those objects weren't just simple weapons; they were special trackers. The witch could swap places between these trackers, making it look like she was teleporting! When she had instantly appeared in front of him earlier, she had swapped places with the syringe she had fired first.

Was this her ability?

She would definitely repeat the trick this time, as the projectile’s position was even better than before. In her eyes, he clearly wasn't skilled at close-quarters combat.

In other words, this projectile about to hit him would be swapped with the witch!

Chen Xuan didn't need to dodge, because he had his third Qi Sword in reserve! By summoning the third sword to block in front of him, he could make her impale herself upon it.

The thought occurred, and the third sword manifested!

But the projectile did not transform into the witch. Instead, it collided with the Qi Sword and exploded violently!

*Wait, this thing actually explodes?*

With a thunderous roar, Chen Xuan was thrown back against the wall by the blast. Fortunately, the projectile seemed to be a shaped charge, and the majority of the energy was deflected by the Qi Sword.

That woman had indeed swapped positions, but she hadn't swapped with the grenade she had just fired!

"You can only see what happens in an extremely short window of time, can't you?" A cold voice came from behind him. "When I kicked you, I left you a little souvenir, but it seems you didn't notice."

The red-haired witch had appeared behind Chen Xuan. She held a dagger in one hand, neatly and efficiently plunging it into his upper back—a fatal strike, capable of piercing both lung and heart, and extinguishing the target's instinct to fight back.