Chapter 334: "The Curtain Falls!"

The saber light surged like a cascading waterfall, resembling a rainbow piercing through the sun, rising from the ground and shooting toward the clouds, appearing incredibly brilliant and breathtaking.

The darkness seemed to be dispelled by the radiant saber light at that moment, causing arcs of light to flash across the sky.

In the blink of an eye, the soaring saber light swept through the air at an astonishing speed, reaching Zhang Chen in an instant.

Zhang Chen’s expression changed drastically. He barely had time to raise the bow in his hand to block in front of himself before being struck directly by the saber light that pierced like a rainbow through the sun.

“Clang—!”

A bell-like metallic sound instantly echoed through the air.

The rainbow-like saber light slammed into Zhang Chen, hitting the longbow in his hands and unleashing a tremendous force that sent him flying backward.

The shower of arrows vanished.

The stunning saber light erupted.

In just about a second, the situation completely reversed—Su Ming erupted with power, while Zhang Chen was sent flying back.

“Damn it!”

Zhang Chen felt his hands go numb, as if he had been hit by a train, unable to stop his backward flight.

The dazzling saber light still seemed to flicker before his eyes, blinding him momentarily before he finally regained his vision.

“Whoosh!”

At the same moment, a faint sound of tearing through the air reached Zhang Chen’s ears.

Zhang Chen’s face paled repeatedly. He sharply lifted his gaze and looked ahead.

There, the black-clad saber-wielder moved like a phantom in the night, vibrating the air as he swiftly closed in.

In an instant, he arrived before Zhang Chen.

“Wang Yue!”

Zhang Chen roared, as if trying to intimidate his opponent and mask his inner panic.

But Su Ming, who had already closed in on Zhang Chen, paid no heed. He simply raised his battle saber, radiating with intense heat, and brought it down without a word.

“Clang—!”

Another bell-like sound rang out.

At the critical moment, Zhang Chen managed to pull out a short sword-type alchemical weapon from his chest, blocking Su Ming’s overhead strike.

Though he managed to block the blow, the force behind it made Zhang Chen’s expression shift dramatically once more. He was sent flying as if struck by lightning.

“So heavy…!?”

Zhang Chen felt the tiger’s mouth of his sword-wielding hand split open, and his hand bones seemed to shatter into several pieces, making him almost doubt whether his hand had been severed.

In this situation, Su Ming showed no mercy. His figure flickered as he chased after the flying Zhang Chen, delivering straightforward, relentless strikes one after another.

“Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!” “Clang!”…

Instantly, bell-like sounds continuously erupted above the road, echoing without end.

Su Ming’s unadorned strikes fell repeatedly on the short sword Zhang Chen frantically raised to defend himself. Each blow seemed capable of splitting mountains and parting seas, each strike carried immense force, and each subsequent attack was faster and heavier than the last. Zhang Chen’s body trembled violently under the assault, forced into continuous retreat.

The overwhelming force acted upon Zhang Chen’s entire body, causing his skin to crack, his bones to creak, and a trickle of blood to flow from the corner of his mouth. The look in his eyes gradually shifted to one of sheer terror.

“How can it be this heavy…!?”Zhang Chen couldn’t believe the force crashing down upon his raised short sword was this overwhelming.

The impact that seemed capable of shattering every inch of his flesh and skin made Zhang Chen feel as though he weren’t battling a human, but rather a colossal Phantom Demon—his internal organs nearly displaced from the shock.

If not for the fact that the aura and Qi emanating from Su Ming were merely at the Five-Star Hunter Rank, Zhang Chen would have suspected he was clashing head-on with a Peak Six-Star strength-type Hunter, or even a Seven-Star Hunter.

Such power simply couldn’t belong to someone at his same Rank, let alone a Five-Star Hunter weaker than him.

“Could it be a mutation ability…!?”

In the end, Zhang Chen wasn’t foolish—he correctly guessed the truth.

Su Ming’s right arm possessed ten times the strength of his other limbs. Wielding a saber with such force, even a Peak Five-Star Hunter would be sent flying, and possibly even a Six-Star Hunter.

Moreover, though Su Ming appeared to be wildly slashing, he was actually employing a Blade Art from an Ancient Blade Art Legacy.

This particular technique emphasized sustained momentum. Once unleashed, it would manifest as Su Ming’s seemingly simple strikes—each blow faster and stronger than the last, layering and flowing incessantly. An opponent might initially parry them, but over time, the accumulated blade momentum and force would gradually become impossible to withstand.

By the time the enemy realized they shouldn’t allow Su Ming to build his offensive and ought to avoid direct clashes, it would be too late.

The adversary would already be burdened with accumulating injuries from the relentless strikes, trapped within the blade’s momentum like being fed into a meat grinder—forced to watch helplessly as the endless slashes reduced them to mincemeat, dying with bitter regret.

Now, Zhang Chen was receiving precisely this treatment.

“Schlick!”

That was the sound of flesh tearing under the saber’s gleam.

“Crunch!”

That was the noise of bones snapping under the blade’s force.

“Pfft!”

Zhang Chen could no longer hold on. He abruptly spat a mouthful of blood, his entire body now riddled with wounds and stained with blood.

“Grahhhh!”

Realizing the dire situation, Zhang Chen roared in fury and finally unveiled the ultimate trump card of an elite Hunter—Demonization.

His blood Qi surged, causing his entire body to swell and transform.

Scales began to sprout across Zhang Chen’s skin, his arms thickened, a lizard-like tail grew from his back, and his face morphed into a reptilian visage—transforming into a tall, lizard-like Fiend.

This was Zhang Chen’s Demonization.

As a descendant of a Super Family inheriting Nightmare Species Bloodline, Zhang Chen’s power after Demonization surged remarkably—increasing more than tenfold.

“Clang——!”

The heavy, powerful saber strike—who knew which one in succession—was parried by Zhang Chen’s short sword, producing the loudest clashing sound thus far.

But this time, Zhang Chen wasn’t sent flying.

He solidly blocked Su Ming’s blade, halting the continuously building momentum and dissipating the saber gleams dancing around them.

Su Ming’s right arm had ten times its normal strength, but facing Zhang Chen—whose power had also skyrocketed over tenfold after Demonization—it no longer held the advantage.

“Get away from me!”Transformed into a Lizard Demon, Zhang Chen seemed to have lost much of his rationality. His voice carried a mix of ferocity, madness, and overwhelming hatred, revealing the depth of his loathing for Su Ming.

“Whoosh!”

The lizard-like tail behind Zhang Chen abruptly lashed out, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle as it heavily struck toward Su Ming.

“Boom!”

Following a deafening explosion, Su Ming, blocking with his saber, was forced to retreat violently. He skidded through the atmosphere, only halting his backward momentum after being pushed back hundreds of meters before descending from mid-air.

Zhang Chen also landed heavily, his feet crashing into the ground and shattering it to pieces.

“Huff— Huff—”

Zhang Chen’s breathing grew heavy and labored, his aura seemingly imbued with a tangible malevolence. His reptilian vertical pupils were filled with coldness and brutality—anyone witnessing him in this state might mistake him for a Phantom Demon.

In contrast, Su Ming landed lightly and gracefully on the ground after dispersing the force, appearing far more composed and at ease than Zhang Chen.

“Finally Demonized, huh?”

Su Ming looked at the Lizard Demon across from him, a slight smirk curling his lips.

For any Professional, Awakening abilities are a last resort.

Whether it’s Demonization or activating Vision Marks, though immensely powerful, they cannot be used recklessly.

After a Hunter undergoes Demonization, their internal magic power is rapidly depleted.

When a Sorcerer activates Vision Marks, their Spirit Power consumption doubles until it is completely exhausted.

Thus, resorting to Awakening abilities generally signifies being cornered, with no choice but to stake everything in battle.

This is especially true for Professionals like Zhang Chen, who wield special alchemical weapons.

“That bow of yours may be unique and powerful, but its sole weakness is that each shot consumes magical power.””

Su Ming stood calmly, saber in hand, speaking leisurely.

“Generally, when Hunters fight, aside from Demonization, magical power is only consumed when using certain special variant abilities.””When magic is excessively depleted, fatigue sets in, strength wanes, and even Bloodline activity diminishes, leading to a weakened state.”For someone like you, recklessly squandering magical power with a special alchemical weapon, your sustainability is undoubtedly poor. Typically, if you can’t resolve a battle quickly, your chances of victory dwindle, and you’ll collapse on your own without the opponent even needing to exert much effort.”

This is undoubtedly a critical flaw.

Hence, despite possessing ranged attack capabilities uncommon among Hunters and firepower coverage comparable to an Upper-Rank Sorcerer, Zhang Chen’s actual combat endurance is very short.

“Now that you’ve used magic-intensive Demonization, how long do you think you can last?””

Su Ming gazed at Zhang Chen with a mocking smile, each word deliberately provoking his mindset.

“Shut up!” Zhang Chen’s chest heaved, as if struck where it hurt most, and he snarled, “It’s enough to finish you!”With that, Zhang Chen drew his bow and fired magic arrows without hesitation.”

“Boom!The magic arrow shattered on command, transforming into countless smaller arrows that formed a torrential downpour, enveloping Su Ming from all directions.

“Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom—!”Amidst the fierce explosions, Su Ming casually swung his Fire Saber, the blade arcs crisscrossing to intercept and shatter every incoming arrow, preventing the blasts from reaching him.

“By the way, your bow has another weakness.”

While brandishing his saber, Su Ming deliberately continued provoking Zhang Chen.

“If it were a standard close-combat alchemical weapon, the threat would multiply severalfold—even dozens of times—as the user undergoes Demonization.”

“After all, once Demonized, a Hunter’s physique surges dramatically. Wielding an alchemical weapon in close combat would make every move extraordinarily powerful.”

“But your bow, limited to ranged attacks, can’t achieve this.”

Whether Zhang Chen Demonized or not, the bow’s power remained unchanged.

The arrows formed from magical energy wouldn’t strengthen just because Zhang Chen Demonized. The enhanced physique and strength from his Demonization had no effect on the bow, offering not the slightest boost.

In other words…

“Your Demonization is only hastening your defeat.”

“Shut up!”

“Aside from becoming more durable, it’s utterly useless.”

“Shut up!”

“Judging by your performance, you haven’t practiced close-combat techniques much, have you?”

“Shut up!”

“The esteemed young master of the Zhang Family—neither lasting nor capable in close-quarters combat. Tsk, tsk. How dare you try to pick up girls? Just go home and comfort yourself with your hand. Don’t embarrass yourself out in public.”

“I said shut uuuuup!”

Su Ming’s sharp tongue sent Zhang Chen into a rage.

Especially the last remark—the sarcastic tone and mocking expression—replaced all other emotions in Zhang Chen’s heart with pure fury. He erupted, his eyes blazing as if about to spit fire, roaring and shouting incessantly.

Finally, Zhang Chen outright abandoned his bow, gripping a Short Sword as he charged forward like a heavy tank in full sprint, barreling toward Su Ming.

At that moment, Su Ming felt no less pressure than facing a charging large Phantom Demon or Vicious Beast—the force bearing down on him like gravity.

Yet, the smirk on Su Ming’s lips didn’t fade; instead, it deepened.

“Couldn’t hold back anymore?”

Su Ming’s voice finally lost its deliberately provocative mockery, becoming calm.

“Very well.”

With a flip of his hand, the alchemical long saber named Fire Saber vanished.

“Then let’s end this battle.”

Su Ming stood facing the wind, directly confronting the roaring Lizard Demon charging at him. Ignoring the overwhelming pressure and the chaotic gusts, he raised his bare right hand.

“Clang!”

An azure glow, flickering like flames, emanated from his gloved right hand.

Soon after, two figures—one large, one small—collided.

The Lizard Demon roared, swinging its Short Sword down at the black-clad figure before it.

The black-clad figure paid no mind to the hood blown back by the wind, his pupils reflecting the enraged Lizard Demon. With his spine straight and stance unwavering, he simply thrust out his right hand, radiating an azure light that tore through the air.

“【Silver Arm: One Percent: Punch】.”

Under the night sky, on the road, a brilliant flash of light erupted abruptly.

It was a sudden calamity descending.

It was unparalleled destruction.Like a sudden clap of thunder from the void, after the roaring subsided, this entire area was completely overturned.

Such a commotion naturally alarmed countless people, causing numerous figures to rush toward this direction.

But when someone arrived here, all they saw was a massive crater leveled to the ground.

In the pit lay a tattered figure, barely breathing, hovering between life and death.

Soon, news spread that the young master of the Zhang Family had been ambushed and beaten to the brink of death.

This night was destined to be anything but calm.

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(End of Chapter)