Chapter 237 – Eye-Opening

A deafening crash resounded!

Radiant Demon Wing’s charge swept through the flank with force. All sounds were swallowed by the explosive roar of energy waves.

The light burst like a cannonball. The tightly packed evil faction’s martial force shattered into pieces.

It was total destruction. The sounds of flesh tearing and bones breaking echoed everywhere. The impact range was massive.

“Argh!”

“Guh!”

The charge itself was a seismic stomp. Blurred figures swung their arms.

Each clash with the evil faction’s strange weapons sparked a burst of misty light.

Even the glinting eyes amid the shattered blades felt chilling.

Radiant Demon Wing appeared in near-full strength.

Three in white, twenty-five elite in blue.

A loud bang! A gruesome splatter!

Flesh and blood exploded with horrific noise. The evil faction’s formation collapsed in an instant. Radiant Arts Bond’s strikes spared no mercy.

Fists and swords unleashed the same energy waves. The air roared as bushes flattened outward. Weapons and bodies flew and scattered.

A deep rumble shook the ground!

The gorge trembled. Endless vibrations spread in all directions. The aftermath of the charging stomps lingered.

They pierced through the formation entirely, then turned back to strike the enemy again. Their movements flowed smoothly.

Legs cloaked in light stomped the ground with the logic of Radiant Wing Step Technique. Dust scattered through gaps in the white energy waves.

The tide of radiance grew close to a wave.

It swept up those fleeing first.

The twenty-eight warriors charged individually yet as one. Each heavy, continuous strike met no resistance.

Their flickering movements traced erratic paths among the beams of light.

Every punch and sword strike ended with an energy burst, embedding weapon fragments into the enemy’s chests.

Here, they could claim invincibility.

The foes weren’t elites of the Nine Sects Eight Families or Thirteen Evil Sects. With Radiant Demon Technique or Lightning Genius linked arts, they could slaughter them easily. One charge nearly wiped them out.

Great Moon Gorge.

In an instant, it turned into a hellscape. Chaos unfolded.

“Are those heavenly generals…?”

“What… What is this…?”

“Such people exist in this world!”

Those watching from the steep gorge cliffs widened their eyes. Some gaped in shock.

The reaction came long after the radiant swords appeared. It couldn’t be helped.

The scene lacked any sense of reality. From the first whistling arrow to the radiant charge, it all felt unreal.

Most Xi’an locals had come to watch a public execution. But this far exceeded their expectations. It hit them with terrifying shock.

“Save— Gah!”

“Aaagh!”

The once-relaxed evil warriors screamed. None could block a single Radiant Arts Bond strike. The gap between great factions and mid-tier sects was stark.

It was extreme. Shin So-bin, her black braids flying, smashed a Reverend Remaining Earth Sect warrior’s ribs with a punch. A short, sharp blow.

A loud crash!

“Thought you’d win and celebrate?”

She shouted boldly even while killing. It suited a rising talent from a prestigious family.

She was already skilled in Radiant Demon Technique and Eternal Blossom Fist. Her martial arts layered deeply.

Her mastery of Radiant Arts Bond outshone most seniors. As a white-clad, she’d reaped immense benefits.

Taking a key role in the wing-like charge came naturally.

That was the might of the white-clad. The blue-clad elites dominated. They landed brutal single strikes in combos, facing multiple foes.

One sword slash took three heads. A fist crushed weapons and flesh together.

It was an execution. Only the targets had switched. A slaughter of evil warriors.

At the front edge of that formation.

The seven leaders of Xi’an’s factions stood still. Despite being the strongest, they didn’t move to protect their underlings.

Their faces were grim. None spoke.

They couldn’t muster the courage to join the fray. They didn’t even look back.

They gripped their weapons like statues, their fine silk robes fluttering. All seven were the same.

Before them stood Radiant Demon Wing Leader of Desolate Fortress.

“…”

Baek Mu-ryang, who had boasted of numbers, fell silent.

His lips dried within his white beard. The mouth that lectured Jeong Yeon-shin on martial logic froze.

He had mentioned Desolate Fortress’s black-clad earlier.

Pure jest. Even if possible, he hadn’t taken it seriously. The world was vast.

Hail in Henan didn’t mean a Shaanxi man grabbed a hat.

Even knowing weather touched all, he had dismissed it. Human nature.

He had considered a supreme master with a faction, not a wanderer, but there was no other choice.

No room to retreat. Last stands weren’t just for righteous sects. They were vital for evil factions.

In famine, their power and pride kept their rice bowls full.

It ranked above life. They couldn’t show weakness. That was the evil faction’s world.

“They’re… Radiant Demon Wing…? Using martial arts I’ve never heard of…”

Sword Demon Sect Leader murmured after a brief glance back.

A sharp-eyed man in a yellow robe. Sweat beaded on his slim jaw.

Yet, true to a sect leader, he spoke boldly to Jeong Yeon-shin, gripping an exceptional white sword.

“Many factions fake ties to Desolate Fortress. That’s why your identity doesn’t matter.”

“…I heard the new Radiant Demon Wing Leader was young.”

Baek Mu-ryang muttered.

His men and disciples were dying around him.

The sect leaders prioritized survival.

An unthinkable threat loomed. They spoke to feign calm with experience.

Facing a supreme master, the key was a clear, steady mind.

A honed spirit like a blade. Panic meant a quick death.

The elder who’d ruled Shaanxi’s noble families for decades spoke again.

“Didn’t you just trap us in a net, Leader Wei?”

“…”

Frigid Demon Sword Wei Ri-hwa didn’t answer. She bit her lower lip.

“Looks like both sides have numbers.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said quietly.

He echoed Radiant Moon sect leader Baek Mu-ryang’s earlier words.

“Look here. A lone master’s fight is complicated and messy. It’s not a one-on-one duel. The martial world’s charm isn’t here. No one would fault you for backing off now.”

An evil faction master’s own words thrown back.

Baek Mu-ryang’s white brows twitched.

“Insolent…”

“Now it’s simple. Stop talking and come at me.”

Radiant Demon Wing Leader took a fist stance.

A subtle shift.

He curled his right fist at his waist.

His left foot stepped forward, scraping the dirt. His left fist angled down near his thigh, rustling nearby bushes.

A low hum sounded.

Even small moves turned into energy bursts. His entire body’s meridians brimmed with power.

Formless energy waves radiated. Faint dust pushed outward.

Desolate Fortress’s black-clad.

A master of martial arts stood before Xi’an’s rulers.

“Hmm.”

“Is he really…?”

The sect leaders let out tense breaths.

A stance alone choked them. Radiant Demon Wing Leader was that presence.

This was why they had prolonged the standoff while their men died. A master’s strike was deadly.

Life and death hung in a moment. Without fully grasping this supreme master, they’d take fatal wounds in two moves.

“Leader Wei, seen enough?”

Baek Mu-ryang asked, staring ahead.

Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader Wei Ri-hwa knew Yu Ling’s Thirteen Evil Sects’ Shadow Pulse Time Technique. A legendary observation skill.

Mastered fully, it could match even top-tier foes.

“…It’s tough, but I’m watching.”

Wei Ri-hwa replied quietly, calming her rage. Her long-built power crumbled before unknowns—maybe Desolate Fortress’s seventeen squads or not.

Only evil faction venom remained. Even tearing this stranger apart wouldn’t ease her. A first meeting turned him into a mortal enemy.

Shadow Pulse Time Technique.

A supreme art. Crafted by a distant Yu Ling lord, refined over generations.

A faint hum rose.

Blurred images formed in Wei Ri-hwa’s eyes. Centered on her enemy, every possible move flickered like illusions.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s afterimages layered around him.

The illusions shifted briefly. She could guess his patterns before he struck.

It tracked breath, energy, and muscle shifts constantly. A peerless observation skill.

It is about seeing through the movements that will follow in advance. It worked now. She read this vile foe’s intent.

She spoke without thinking.

“Too many patterns. More than I’ve ever seen.”

At first, six layers appeared.

That alone was suffocating.

Shadow Pulse Time Technique wasn’t simple. It filtered out useless possibilities, making it a secret art.

Its intent and energy structure did that. The foe’s afterimages in her vision matched his martial energy.

They shrank to a manageable level. A supreme skill that greatly aided her and her disciples.

In Xi’an’s martial world, Wei Ri-hwa had never seen more than five afterimages. Radiant Moon sect leader Baek Mu-ryang’s illusions peaked at four.

Radiant Moon Tyrant Technique excelled in speed among evil arts. It aged him like an old man by forty. Naturally so.

Even three optimal strike options marked a mid-tier sect leader’s level.

By martial skill alone, Baek Mu-ryang was Xi’an’s evil factions’ strongest.

But.

‘Fifteen, twenty… thirty-two, no, double, triple that…?’

Shadow Pulse Time Technique’s power burned around her eyes. Her brow’s cold bamboo point glowed white-hot.

The more she pushed her inner energy into her pupils, the more afterimages grew. The technique’s structure felt questionable. Her spirit surged instantly.

How could a body move like that?

At this point, pre-strike predictions lost meaning. His existence countered Shadow Pulse Time Technique.

Did he channel energy through his whole body? If so, “genius” wouldn’t suffice.

Even Yu Ling’s lord lacked afterimages.

She’d never seen this. Was it real?

‘Insane…!’

As Wei Ri-hwa floundered in panic.

Radiant Demon Wing Leader furrowed his brow.

“I showed mercy on the way here.”

It sounded random. Not to the sect leaders. It hit them directly.

He’d considered their pride. Striking first might let them look decent.

Before they fell helplessly.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

“You b*st*rd!”

Sword Demon Sect leader roared. His voice shook with fury.

He strode forward alone. His presence loomed large.

His patience snapped. The one who summoned the radiant swords was vicious. A short taunt carried terrifying provocation. As ruthless as any evil faction master.

Calmness didn’t matter now. Skill levels were irrelevant.

He stomped first. Sword Demon Sect leader slammed his foot down.

A heavy thud!

The force was immense. Dust billowed through the bushes.

His sword-foot followed. A long white streak shot out. Sunlight past noon glinted along the straight blade from his waist outward. The slash blurred. Terrifyingly fast.

A deep exhale roared!

His long breath was thick as he struck. His inner energy ran deep.

Worthy of Xi’an’s ruler title.

Shaanxi’s Sword Demon Sect was famed for Radiant Lone Conquering Mist Sword Form. An extreme killing sword. Beyond assassin tricks.

It mixed rapid swordplay with vicious shifts. Swift attacks dazzled and shredded foes.

Wei Ri-hwa gripped her sword tighter from behind. She watched the two about to clash.

She noted the other sect leaders’ spreading energy. Their movement skills loaded like cannons.

‘I’ll see it clearly.’

She’d dissect his patterns and tear him apart.

Xi’an’s top three, Wei Ri-hwa’s venom outmatched her foe’s hundred illusions.

There was a way. Once he struck, his afterimages would drop sharply.

No one could sword-strike with a punching hand. That was her edge.

Six peer masters stood with her. She’d exploit shrinking illusions for openings.

She wouldn’t just take it. Shadow Pulse Time Technique could work faster.

Seven sect leaders’ joint attack. Seizing the moment was enough.

‘Tear him apart…!’

She pushed her observation skill to the limit, locking on her enemy.

His moves were odd. He touched Sword Demon Sect leader’s slashing blade with one hand. Not especially fast.

Almost eerily slow. With that energy, he could strike like lightning even without rapid swordplay.

Then afterimages rose from him. Shadow Pulse Time Technique’s vision caught them.

An illusion pressed the blade down, flashing through her mind via the technique.

His real move matched it instantly. He pressed the sword arrogantly. Identical. A peerless skill’s power.

‘I’ve got him!’

In that split second, Wei Ri-hwa’s lips curled up.

She calculated his next move. Victory loomed.

Not facing him one-on-one, with six peer masters, as Reverend Remaining Earth Sect Leader, she could lead the sect leaders to a win.

‘The next move is…’

Energy spread from his grip. It seemed to push Sword Demon Sect leader’s blade fully.

Then he’d strike. Shadow Pulse Time Technique confirmed it. That was the only option.

‘His balance will waver. Stab his lower body. Burst full power into one hit, and his throat might fall easier than expected.’

She activated voice transmission to share her plan.

Her meridians from tongue to throat were already charged. A master’s trick to speak rapid-fire.

Then.

Her enemy’s hair waved long and dark. Strangely beautiful.

He crouched like prepping a heavy punch. Right foot, left foot, and Sword Demon Sect leader aligned in a horse stance.

He turned his head forward. Staring into Sword Demon Sect leader’s eyes.

The enemy.

Pressed the blade with his raised left hand, then stretched his right hand wide forward.

Instantly, Wei Ri-hwa’s vision split his hands. Like a moth’s wings scattering light. Afterimages surged and shook wildly.

Was Shadow Pulse Time Technique failing? This fit a natural state pre-strike. A whole new possibility.

No other guess fit.

His stance held no value. Every pose was natural.

As energy flared from his left hand pressing the blade.

A shattering crash!

Sword Demon Sect leader’s sword broke apart.

The dazzling sunlight shattered with it. The enemy thrust his right hand toward it. A vortex of force spun from his palm.

A short, fierce blast!

The blade’s fragments flew with his palm. Toward Sword Demon Sect leader’s gut.

His palm seemed to command sunlight itself. Chilling.

As he stretched his hand and glared, Wei Ri-hwa’s focus broke in shock.

A rapid series of impacts!

The fragments lodged deep. Sword Demon Sect leader’s torso jolted. He convulsed hard.

Then.

“Guh…”

A single groan escaped as he fell. A dull thud rang out.

Even amid rear screams and energy clashes, it stood clear. Late-rising dust cloaked his body.

A silence-inducing sight.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced at Wei Ri-hwa. His gaze scanned her facial pressure points precisely. A blue spark flashed in his stark black-and-white eyes. A sign of something coming.

“Didn’t catch that, did you?”

Radiant Demon Wing Leader asked quietly.