You can't fight head-on—you have to keep your distance!
The raging black tornado finally died down. The spikes that had bristled all over the monster's body began retracting, slithering back into its ink-black form.
A blade of energy came crashing down from above! The shadow monster raised its left arm and effortlessly dispersed the blow. James stood atop a tall building, gazing down at the creature with ice-blue eyes.
It was furious now. Its hands formed a shooting stance—and in a flash, a thin black line shot out, piercing through several buildings on its path toward James's face.
But James, with his Transparent World ability, was nearly impossible to hit from a distance—unless the power gap was astronomical.
He tilted his head slightly, letting the black line whiz past his cheek.
There was a mocking expression on the monster's twisted face.
Suddenly, a spike extended from the black line—aimed directly at James, just inches from his face.
But James didn't flinch. His ice-blue lotus eyes narrowed, and he moved even faster. He froze for a split second, then assumed a sword-drawing posture.
"Breath of Thunder—Flash of Lightning, Super Speed, Extreme!"
A brilliant flash of lightning exploded on the rooftop of the concrete building. It streaked forward along the black line and, in an instant, reached the monster's chest—now fading to a lighter gray.
But before the monster could react, another figure silently appeared at its left flank—a white-haired old man gripping his sword hilt tightly.
A cloaking ability?
They exchanged glances—no words were needed.
Draw! Slash!
Two long swords flashed like lightning. One pierced straight into the monster's body, lightning crackling as it struck the core where its spiritual power concentrated. The other slashed at the neck, sending out a sharp, ringing clash.
Boom!
A loud crack echoed as the crystal embedded in the monster's chest shattered. An enormous surge of spiritual energy exploded from its body. Its neck was half severed.
Success!
The monster's warped face (if one could call it that) twisted further—not in pain, but... satisfaction?
Wait. Something wasn't right.
It hadn't vanished.
In the blink of an eye, black silk-like tendrils extended outward, encircling James and the old man, Yokogawa Ota, cutting off any retreat.
Yokogawa immediately activated Revolving Heaven, unleashing a flurry of sword light that formed a defensive curtain. But—it was too late.
Boom!
The sound cracked the air like thunder!
A massive cloud of dust and smoke rose, turning into a choking fog.
Drip. Drip.
Blood dripped steadily in the haze.
James, still on his feet with sword in hand, had a hole pierced clean through his left hand. His uniform was shredded. Yokogawa had been thrown backward, unmoving—his condition unknown. His sword lay fallen beside him.
The black shadow monster let out a mocking roar, its mouth stretching wide in twisted glee.
That was the moment James's fury erupted.
The searing pain in his hand… the mocking expression of his inhuman enemy… the fallen comrade beside him—they all ignited a fire deep inside him, one that threatened to consume everything in its path.
James took a deep breath and straightened. Through precise breathing techniques, he'd already stopped the bleeding in his left hand. The lotus pattern in his pupils spun rapidly, flames beginning to flicker within it. A blue fire lotus mark appeared on his forehead.
He had activated everything—Sun Breathing fused with Extreme Yang Breathing. His long sword hummed and trembled with power, as if it could sense the rage within him.
The air around James pulsed violently. His spiritual energy burned wildly, unleashing invisible, high-temperature blue flames that warped the air itself. The environment became oppressively hot and dry, as water vapor evaporated rapidly.
The Red Blade—James had hesitated to use it. Not because he didn't want to, but because his sword wasn't durable enough. It would likely shatter after a single use. That was why he carried a bundle of backup swords.
But during battle, James realized how naïve that idea was. The black shadow was far too cunning. If he turned his back for even a second to swap swords, it would strike him down instantly.
Now though—now he didn't need to hold back.
The sword in his right hand trembled, then began to glow red. It darkened, shifting to a deep blue hue. Sparks erupted from the blade, falling to the ground—and burning a hole right through the concrete.
James gently lowered the blade tip until it touched the ground—
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion cracked the earth. A vast chasm opened beneath him, so deep the bottom couldn't be seen.
"Three moves. You die."
His voice was ice.
Then—he vanished.
The shadow monster's mocking grin disappeared instantly. It couldn't detect James at all.
From behind, a slash of brilliant blue light erupted.
"One."
BOOM!!!
The monster was cleaved clean in half! Dozens of surrounding high-rises were sliced in parallel, their upper halves collapsing in eerie silence.
"Two."
James raised his sword again.
BOOM!!!
A wave of energy blasted forth. A second canyon tore open the earth, stretching far into the distance. The monster, caught in the blast, was split from head to toe.
"Three."
A thousand slashes.
His sword danced like lightning, cutting faster than the eye could follow.
There was no loud explosion this time—only a bone-chilling silence.
Shing!
With a faint whistle, James stopped his blade.
Countless fragments—once the body of the monster—fluttered to the ground like ash.
It was over.
Less than two seconds had passed since the creature had laughed.
The long sword in James's hand crumbled to dust. He immediately began using his spiritual power to heal his wounded arm.
From the outskirts of the battlefield, the crowd watching the fight rushed forward, handing James the medical supplies they'd brought with them.
In truth, the Superhuman Association's response team had arrived much earlier—just as the battle between James and the shadow had begun.
But the first wave consisted of lower-level members who couldn't intervene and had to focus on their own safety.
It wasn't until the first-level transcendent beings arrived that they had a chance to act. But by then, James had already entered his rage state and activated the Red Blade.
His presence was overwhelming.
Even the first-level extraordinaires had to retreat, fearful of getting caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yokogawa had been secretly evacuated for emergency treatment while James fought.
Though it seemed like an eternity, the entire encounter—from the shadow's appearance and rampage, to its final destruction—lasted less than ten minutes.
Such was the terrifying power of those who had entered the realm of transcendence.
Then, several powerful auras appeared above the devastated ruins.
Second-level masters—the true powerhouses of Tianshui County—had finally arrived.
One of them, a beautiful woman with long green hair, approached James. She reached out and gently touched his face.
A surge of life energy coursed through his body. The hole in his left arm began healing rapidly. Within seconds, it was as if the wound had never existed.
"My little brother is so charming..." she said with a playful wink, before walking away.
Then, a pair of large hands clapped down on James's shoulders.
He turned to see a middle-aged man with a stern face.
"You did great, James."
James frowned slightly. He didn't recognize this man, though he felt strangely familiar.
The man smiled. "I forgot to introduce myself. Name's Shinomiya Hiroshi. Shinomiya Saki—the dog girl—is my daughter. You can just call me Uncle Hao from now on."
Mochizuki!?
"Don't worry," Hiroshi added. "Xiaoxiao, your sister, and the girl from the Xintian family are all safe."
James let out a long sigh and sat down cross-legged to regulate his breathing.
Around him, the city lay in ruins. High above, a hot air balloon floated past with the slogan: "Prosperity and Splendor, Invite You to Come." It felt like a cruel joke.
Extraordinaire agents in uniform were already using their powers to restore the city's infrastructure.
But the dead could not be restored.
Corpses lay in piles. Some bodies were never recovered.
How many had died? At a glance, it was at least a thousand. The wounded? Tens of thousands.
Hiroshi sat down next to James.
"Tragic, isn't it?"
James nodded silently.
"Honestly, it could've been much worse," Hiroshi continued. "If you hadn't been here, that monster would've gone wild for at least ten more minutes. The death toll would've been over ten thousand."
"Normally, a first-level transcendent going berserk causes about a thousand deaths. But that one? It was already close to half of a second-level. In theory, it could've killed up to fifty thousand people."
As Hiroshi spoke, he shared details and secrets James had never known.
This world was far more dangerous than it seemed.
James gazed out over the ruins, his eyes deep and unreadable—lost in thought.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)