Lightning Hand

Chang Hao first glanced at the person behind the director before walking over to him.

"Director, who is he? Is there someone like him in the bureau?"

Chang Hao had been with the Guangnan Province Investigation Bureau for several years and was considered an old hand internally. He had no impression of Lu Chengchuan at all. Could he be a newcomer who had just joined?

"Don't worry about that. Just fight him. Remember, don't hold back, but don't kill him either." Zhang Chengyan had great confidence in him.

He was the strongest Esper in the Guangnan Province Investigation Bureau. His lightning abilities made monsters howl in pain, and he was even more adept at fighting people. No one in the bureau was his match.

Since the director had said so, Chang Hao nodded and prepared to test the man.

After making arrangements with his subordinate, Zhang Chengyan turned to Lu Chengchuan. "Mr. Lu, how about it?"

"I have no problem with it. We can spar anytime."

Lu Chengchuan nodded. Since the man was here, they might as well begin. There was no need to waste time. He remembered Zhou Yaning saying she would find him a new martial art manual. He would not have come otherwise.

"Chang Hao, come over here." Once both sides were ready, Zhang Chengyan called him over.

As soon as he spoke, Chang Hao walked over to them.

He had been observing his opponent from behind. This man was not an Esper. Espers could sense each other to some extent, and he was certain this man was not one.

That left Chang Hao deeply puzzled. A normal person fighting an Esper—the outcome should have been obvious. Was the director really so idle that he had arranged such a pointless spar?

"Let me introduce you. This is Chang Hao, captain of the first team. His ability is related to lightning. This is Lu Chengchuan, a very formidable martial artist."

Hearing about it was one thing. Only by letting the two fight could they know whether it was true.

"A martial artist?" Chang Hao looked at Lu Chengchuan, a huge question mark rising in his mind.

It was not as if the Investigation Bureau had no martial artists. They had indeed been somewhat formidable in the past, but ever since the monsters appeared, the bureau's martial artists had been unable to defeat monsters. Now, they were no match for Espers either.

"Hurry up. Don't waste time."

Zhang Chengyan had witnessed plenty of grand scenes, but battles between martial artists and Espers were still rare. Especially one involving such a powerful martial artist as Lu Chengchuan—he was looking forward to the coming fight.

"Please."

Lu Chengchuan stepped back and stopped more than ten meters away.

Regardless of who his opponent was, martial artist or Esper, since they were going to spar, Chang Hao became serious as well.

"Be careful. You might get hurt," Chang Hao warned him.

The lightning he released was not like the kind that zapped mosquitoes. Even if he deliberately restrained it, a normal person struck by it would have their hair stand on end, their body go numb, and collapse to the ground.

He raised an arm, and white lightning erupted in his hand. The lightning coiled around his arm, crackling loudly, its sight and sound equally intimidating.

People had been studying abilities since the last century, and the conclusion had been that humans could not possess supernatural abilities.

But now, with the emergence of monsters, the impossible had become reality. Many people awakened abilities, and all kinds of miraculous powers were displayed to the public through the internet.

Lu Chengchuan remained unmoved. This ability was indeed extraordinary, but he was no ordinary martial artist either. He was confident that his martial arts were no weaker than those of these Espers.

Chang Hao flicked his arm, and the lightning in his hand shot out instantly, striking right in front of Lu Chengchuan.

Lightning was fast, but this artificial lightning was nowhere near as fast as light. Lu Chengchuan could vaguely see it flying toward him, yet he stood still and waited for it.

Seeing that Lu Chengchuan had failed to react, Chang Hao lowered his arm. He had already won.

Once the lightning struck, an ordinary person could not possibly withstand it. Most Espers were the same. Only body-enhancement Espers or those with defensive abilities could endure it.

"Where are you going? The spar isn't over yet."

The crackling stopped, and Chang Hao turned around, intending to call someone over to treat Lu Chengchuan's injuries.

But before he had fully turned around, Lu Chengchuan's voice sounded from behind him. Chang Hao turned his head and saw Lu Chengchuan standing exactly where he had been, completely unharmed.

Did he dodge it?

A trace of confusion flashed through Chang Hao's mind, but when he saw Lu Chengchuan's hair, he knew the man had not dodged.

The hair of the man before him was all standing straight up, making him look like a hedgehog. That was proof enough that he had not evaded the attack.

Lu Chengchuan pressed his hair down. That lightning really was something, but thinking a single bolt could take him down was a little too disrespectful.

Seeing that he was safe and sound, Chang Hao put away his contempt and prepared to get serious.

A thicker bolt of lightning appeared around his arm. This time, he increased its power. If this bolt hit, forget a person—even a monster would be injured.

Yet Lu Chengchuan still stood there without moving. The lightning struck him, and the bursting current whipped up his clothes. His hair, which he had just pressed down, stood up again.

When the lightning dissipated, his clothes had been scorched black by the heat, but he himself was still completely unharmed.

A tingling sensation spread through his body, and his muscles became somewhat stiff. Chang Hao's lightning had "hurt" him. But with a slight circulation of Inner Energy, the tingling and stiffness vanished instantly.

"That bolt wasn't bad."

Seeing him evaluate his lightning so casually, Chang Hao's pressure surged. Was he even human? What kind of martial artist was this powerful? Could he be certain this was not a monster disguised as a human?

He was not the only one with that question. The people watching behind them were unsettled as well.

Zhang Chengyan suspected Chang Hao was deliberately going easy on him. Otherwise, how could Lu Chengchuan take two lightning bolts head-on and remain completely fine? Zhou Yaning and her subordinate, however, were not surprised in the least.

They had seen Lu Chengchuan fight. He was a fierce man capable of killing an Ironclad Zombie with his bare hands. Withstanding two lightning bolts was well within their expectations. They were not surprised at all.

Lightning surged into Chang Hao's hand again, but this time, Lu Chengchuan did not stand still and wait to be attacked.

Inner Energy flooded into his feet, and Lu Chengchuan charged toward Chang Hao. His body crossed the distance of more than ten meters in an instant. Chang Hao's vision blurred, and Lu Chengchuan vanished from sight. By the time he reacted, Lu Chengchuan was already standing in front of him.

Startled, Chang Hao flung out the lightning in his hand. The lightning was fast, but Lu Chengchuan twisted aside and dodged the attack. After evading it, he swung a hand and punched Chang Hao in the stomach.

The punch landed, and excruciating pain shot from his abdomen to his back. His body instinctively doubled over. Then Chang Hao dropped to one knee in agony, his mouth hanging open as he kept retching.

The onlookers beside them froze, then a crowd rushed over.

"Chang Hao! Are you alright?"

Zhang Chengyan, usually so calm, ran over. Seeing the man on the ground retching, he became anxious too.

Chang Hao retched a few times and vomited some bitter fluid before recovering.

"I'm fine... It's nothing..." He did not feel very good, but he was still far from dying.

Lu Chengchuan walked over and circulated Inner Energy as he helped him up. As the Inner Energy entered his body, Chang Hao's pain quickly faded, and he felt much better at once.

"What... is this?"

Feeling the warm current within his body, Chang Hao asked in astonishment.