Chapter 214 – Changes in the Midst of Disaster

“Boom!”

In what felt like the umpteenth explosive impact, a heavy, forceful saber strike sent rock fragments flying in all directions, finally launching Lord Crow backward.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…!”

Amidst a series of explosive sounds, Lord Crow shattered countless rock formations in his path, vanishing from Su Ming’s sight in an instant.

Yet instead of rejoicing at his successful strike, Su Ming’s expression darkened.

“I clearly hit him, but there was no sensation of impact…”

That last saber strike had felt utterly bizarre to Su Ming.

Anyone else would have been puzzled and confused by this.

But Su Ming, relying on his greatly enhanced Spirit Sense after activating his Vision Mark, quickly discerned the reason.

Though it appeared he had struck Lord Crow, the moment his saber made contact, it felt like slicing against a slippery loach—the blade simply slid off Lord Crow’s body.

Su Ming had good reason to believe this was intentional: the other had allowed himself to be struck to escape Su Ming’s saber momentum, then used his extraordinary perception to redirect the force at the moment of impact, borrowing Su Ming’s own power to launch himself away.

“What kind of mutated ability is this abnormal perception anyway?”

While navigating through the cascading rock fragments, Su Ming couldn’t help but ponder this question.

But Lord Crow clearly had no intention of giving him time to think.

“Whoosh…”

With a faint, almost imperceptible sound of cutting air, Lord Crow’s ghostly figure flickered into existence once more, appearing behind Su Ming.

“!”

Su Ming reacted swiftly, spinning around and raising his saber to deliver a thunderous downward strike.

Yet as Su Ming’s saber descended, Lord Crow’s hand shot out again—seemingly slow but actually lightning-fast—with uncanny precision grabbing Su Ming’s right wrist that held the saber.

Su Ming’s saber immediately halted mid-air, his right hand controlled by Lord Crow, unable to complete its downward arc.

“Fine saber, impressive Blade Art, and remarkable strength—far greater than I anticipated.”

Lord Crow’s calm voice reached Su Ming’s ears.

“Pity that even with the boost from numerous alchemical potions, your speed remains too slow. This must be your weakness, correct?”

Lord Crow’s keen perception had once again proven effective, discerning Su Ming’s flaw.

Great strength but slow speed—this was Su Ming’s currently irreconcilable shortcoming.

Or rather, due to his right arm’s peculiarity, Su Ming’s strength so far surpassed his speed that it had become a fatal weakness.

When facing opponents of similar Rank, he could compensate with his extraordinary Spirit Sense. But against powerful enemies like Lord Crow, whose original Rank far exceeded his own, this became an insurmountable defect.

To make matters worse…

“Unlike you, I don’t possess such astonishing strength, but I’m a speed and technique-oriented Hunter.”

Lord Crow’s half-smiling voice continued to reach Su Ming’s ears.

“Coincidentally, that happens to perfectly counter brute force types like yourself.”

While speaking, Lord Crow’s other hand had already shot out, just like before—seemingly slow but actually fast—firmly striking Su Ming’s chest.

“Thump!”

That seemingly light palm strike, when it landed on Su Ming’s chest, produced a heavy, drum-like impact.Su Ming felt an irresistible force explode against his chest.

“Cough…!”

As he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body was sent flying backward as if struck by lightning.

However, Lord Crow’s grip on Su Ming’s right hand didn’t loosen.

He held onto Su Ming tightly, pulling the recoiling young man back toward him.

“Let’s see how your defense holds up now.”

Lord Crow sneered, sending forth a deceptively light palm strike.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Feeling the sharp pain radiating from his chest, a fierce glint flashed in Su Ming’s eyes as he tightened his grip on the saber.

“Zheng!”

An eerie blue glow erupted from his right hand, causing the cracks on it to light up one after another.

“Boom!”

A surge of power exploded from Su Ming’s right hand, instantly shaking off Lord Crow’s restraining grip.

Instead of dodging the seemingly gentle palm strike, the freed Su Ming continued to bring down his raised saber.

But this time, the eerie blue glow clung to the saber like flames, causing the blade to shine with intense radiance.

“……!?”

Lord Crow’s expression finally changed.

His extraordinary senses told him that this strike was completely different from any previous one in terms of power.

This strike was dangerous, extremely dangerous.

His intuition was correct.

“Silver Arm: One Percent: Strike!”

Su Ming finally unleashed the power of the Silver Arm, sending the eerie blue flame-like radiance down with the saber’s slash.

“Boom—!”

A tremendous explosion erupted within the collapsing cave.

It was an explosion without flames, consisting only of a shockwave.

The ring-shaped Qi blast spread like light that crushed everything in its path, rapidly expanding while destroying all it touched.

Whether rocks or dust, everything within the ring-shaped Qi blast was rapidly annihilated, vanishing without a trace.

The people who had already retreated from the shelter hadn’t even caught their breath when the massive explosion struck, sending most of them flying.

Those fortunate enough not to be blown away, who were farther away, ran desperately across the violently shaking ground as if facing a catastrophic earthquake, crying out in panic.

“Hurry! Faster!”

“Get further away!”

Many shouted these words.

“Someone help me!”

“I can’t move!”

Many cried out like this.

Bai Ruxiang and Xu Yanyan were perhaps lucky, having fled far enough to avoid the explosion’s direct impact.

Having witnessed the true power of Su Ming’s right hand before, they knew what kind of scene would unfold when he fought seriously. Without any thought of stopping, they led those around them in a desperate sprint.

Even so, sensing the commotion behind them and feeling the continuously shaking, collapsing terrain, both women felt terrified.

“Is this really power that a Hunter can wield?”

Bai Ruxiang was utterly shocked.

“Monster!”

Xu Yanyan could no longer conceal her fear of Su Ming, showing it clearly.

At this moment, Xu Yanyan became completely certain of one thing.

That was, she must never make an enemy of Su Ming in the future.

Otherwise, facing such terrifying power, unless they could summon an Upper-Rank Sorcerer to counter it with Advanced Spirit Art, no one could withstand it.That Ming Wang was undoubtedly a monster among monsters. Even if they couldn’t become friends with him, they absolutely must not become his enemies.

Not only Xu Yanyan thought this way, but even Scarface and Baldy, who were fleeing with Wang Yihan, exchanged glances and saw both fear and relief in each other’s eyes.

The fear naturally stemmed from terror of such power.

The relief came from their previous avoidance of confronting Su Ming.

“Who would dare face such a monster head-on?”

“Even Lord Crow couldn’t immediately subdue him? This is unbelievable! Is he really a Hunter of the same star rank as us?”

Scarface and Baldy seriously doubted this point.

As for Wang Yihan, although she was terribly frightened, her pretty face having turned deathly pale, upon witnessing Su Ming display such power, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope.

Perhaps that person could stop these villains and help her fulfill her father’s dying wish.

Thinking this, Wang Yihan bit her lip, suddenly turned her head, and fiercely sank her teeth into Baldy’s hand.

“Ah!”

Caught off guard, Baldy cried out in pain from the vicious bite and instinctively released his grip on Wang Yihan.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Yihan broke free, ignoring her painfully twisted wrist as she forcibly wrested herself from Scarface’s grasp.

“Don’t run!”

“Bitch!”

Scarface and Baldy finally reacted, boiling with rage.

They tried to pursue her.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yihan’s next move completely stunned them.

They watched as Wang Yihan, disregarding the continuously collapsing terrain ahead, the violent shaking beneath her feet, and the hailstorm of debris and falling ceiling, plunged headfirst into the cataclysmically disintegrating area.

“What?!”

Scarface and Baldy exclaimed in succession, utterly unable to believe Wang Yihan would make such a suicidal move.

This made them halt momentarily, failing to give immediate chase.

In that brief moment, the ground ahead completely collapsed, with rubble and debris continuously crumbling and accumulating, blocking Scarface and Baldy’s path.

“Damn it!”

Scarface and Baldy were both shocked and furious.

They knew perfectly well how crucial Wang Yihan was to 『Sin』.

She must not escape, and even more importantly, she must not die.

If Wang Yihan were to unfortunately die, ‘Sin’s’ plan to awaken the King of Phantom Demons would completely fail, and the organization’s years of scheming and preparation would be utterly destroyed.

The two of them would bear the greatest responsibility.

Their fate would undoubtedly be worse than death.

“After her!”

Scarface’s face darkened with gloom before revealing the desperate look of someone ready to risk everything as he turned to Baldy.

Baldy desperately wanted to refuse.

This was no joke – the area ahead was still collapsing, the entire terrain disintegrating. Whether this Underground would remain intact, whether they could escape before being buried alive and reach the surface, all remained unknown.

Under such circumstances, instead of fleeing, they were supposed to give chase? Even upper-rank Hunters wouldn’t survive this!

Moreover, two monsters were still locked in fierce combat ahead. Charging in now would be seeking certain death.

Baldy refused completely.

He would rather betray the organization and leave 『Sin』, this underground world giant, than march to his doom.Although he appeared subservient and loyal before Lord Crow, as a self-serving Underground Professional, his own interests naturally came first, with everything else secondary.

He believed his accomplices surely felt the same.

Thus, when Scarface actually suggested pursuing them, it was utterly laughable.

Of course, there was a reason for this.

“We’re already wanted across all Major Base Cities—there’s no returning to the surface world! If we betray Sin, a titan of the underworld, then truly there will be nowhere left for us to go!”

Scarface shouted these words.

Baldy’s face paled dramatically, and he could only grit his teeth in frustration.

The two then steeled themselves and plunged into the collapsing mountain terrain.

The chaos had only just begun.

(End of Chapter)