Episode 7 (The Turning Point of Fate Comes Without Warning (1)

In the Celestial Demon Troupe, Gwan Il Hyeon was known as the “Blood Chakra Demonic Blade”.True to his alias, his blade possessed a deadly force, turning like a wheel splattered with blood.

Till this day, no one had survived when he unleashed his sword technique. Once he drew his blade, someone’s life was always taken, leading everyone to fear him.

He was an entity that instilled fear in everyone, yet believed himself incapable of feeling fear towards anyone.

But the moment he faced Gwang Noh ya(Lunatic Pugilist), he realised how mistaken he had been.

He wasn’t someone who couldn’t feel fear. He just hadn’t encountered anyone formidable enough to instil that fear in him.

Gwang Noh ya charged forward like a blind wild boar, confronting martial artists from various sects who had come to assist.

If Gwang Noh ya continued his rampage, the impending damage would be unimaginable.

“Stop him!”

“Block his way!”

Masters from Dragon Heaven Valley and the Zealous Justice Clan rushed to halt Gwang Noh ya.

With a mere gesture from him, over a dozen martial artists were crushed beyond recognition.

They couldn’t even let out a scream.

Even though they were elites dispatched from the renowned Dragon Heaven Valley.

The fate of the masters from the Zealous Justice Clan was even more brutal.

With a swift move, their flesh and blood rained down, as if ground by an invisible colossal millstone.

“Cease, old man!”

Yook Hyeon, along with the Divine Blood Executioner Squad, charged forward.

With their collective might, they could easily decimate an average major sect in an instant. Especially, Yook Hyeon’s sword had a vivid glow to it.

It was the sword qi.

Behind him, the four hundred members of the Divine Blood Executioner Squad emanated a reddish sword aura. The sheer sight of it was so overwhelming that it could make one’s head spin.

Any ordinary person would shrink back or freeze in fear when confronted with such power. But such conventions did not apply to the Lunatic Pugilist.

With a mighty roar, Gwang Noh ya swung his weapon.

The heavens and earth rumbled in unison, and as the atmosphere churned, a tempestuous wind of blades was unleashed. This bladed maelstrom descended ruthlessly upon Yook Hyeon and the Divine Blood Executioner Squad.

Yook Hyun’s sword, once radiant with its aura, was abruptly severed.

In sheer disbelief, Yook Hyun struggled to grasp the scene before him. But before he could utter a word, his body was cleaved in two, reminiscent of a fish cleanly sliced.

Following him, over a hundred elite martial artists of the Divine Blood Executioner Squad collapsed in similar fashion, their bodies bisected.

The horrific and almost surreal sight paralyzed the remaining members of the Divine Blood Executioner Squad.

“Madness!”

The leader of the Divine Blood Executioner Squad had fallen. Normally, they’d seek vengeance with their lives on the line, but they found themselves paralyzed. This monstrous foe before them defied all comprehension.

Gwang Noh ya let out a deep, beastly growl. Whether born of immense exertion or just a habitual grunt, the sound alone sent a chill through everyone present.

An eerie crimson mist emanated from Gwang Noh Ya, as if his spilled blood was evaporating. His appearance resembled less of a human and more of a demonic god.

Gwang Noh Ya’s gaze shifted, locking onto Gwan Il Hyeon and the Phantom Armored Cavalry.

How could one describe the look in those eyes, visible through his stark white hair? Undoubtedly dominated by madness, yet within, a haunting void coexisted.

Gwan Il Hyeon had never seen such a gaze before. But he had no time to ponder; Gwang Noh Ya was charging at him.

“Damn it!”

“Attack, all of you!”

With all his might, Gwan Il Hyeon unleashed his martial technique, and the Phantom Armored Cavalry joined him.

Over a hundred cavalry became one, executing a cavalry charge.

As the Phantom Armored Cavalry sped forth, they were enveloped in a red aura. Each individual’s energy harmonized, culminating in a single, formidable force.

The combined internal energy of a hundred men concentrated on the lead warrior. Its destructive power was incomprehensibly vast.

Added to this was Gwan Il Hyeon’s assault.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A storm of powerful energy surged.

Their combined might was no less than that of Gwang Noh Ya. Yet, uncertainty lingered.

In that fleeting moment of attacking Gwang Noh Ya, their hearts raced so wildly it felt as though they might pop out of their mouths. Such was the immeasurable and unpredictable presence of Gwang Noh Ya.

KABOOM!

Gwang Noh Ya and the Phantom Armored Cavalry clashed head-on.

At the forefront, Gwan Il Hyeon was engulfed by an overwhelming pressure, pushing him to summon his utmost strength. He believed that if he could break free, a critical strike on Gwang Noh Ya was within reach. Despite giving his all, he couldn’t overcome the oppressive force.

CRASH!

The sound of shattering glass rang in his ears, and then a massive impact hit him.

“ARGH!”

Gwan Il Hyeon was sent flying with a painful scream.

The same fate befell the Phantom Armored Cavalry.

Men and horses were sent flying in all directions, the once majestic horses now lying with broken legs or exploded bellies, their entrails strewn about. Riders of the Phantom Armored Cavalry, once cloaked in sturdy armor, were now deformed and writhing in pain.

At the centre stood Gwang Noh ya.

WOOOOSH!

The air whirled around him, as if he were the epicentre of this cataclysm.

He stood tall, the sole figure amidst the chaos.

Many martial artists had long since fled the battlefield, while the remaining ones were paralyzed with fear, sitting on the ground. They looked at Gwang Noh ya with eyes filled with terror.

Even in the Jianghu, where the Ten Great Overlords and the Eight Great Martial Artists stood as paragons of martial excellence, none could claim to wield such formidable power.

“Ah!”

Lee Gwak involuntarily let out an exclamation.

While others were huddled on the ground, trembling in fear, Lee Gwak remained standing. However, he was shaky, resembling a fragile twig, and covered in cold sweat, clearly not immune to the pervasive dread.

He didn’t have the luxury to flee; he was too close to where Gwang Noh ya appeared.

“HUH!”

A coarse breath escaped Gwang Noh ya’s lips. Behind the veil of his white hair, his eyes shimmered with insanity, and a red mist persistently rose above his shoulders.

Lee Gwak stared blankly at Gwang Noh ya.

He was terrified beyond belief, yet there was a bizarre beauty in Gwang Noh ya that captivated him.

And then it happened.

Those mad eyes of Gwang Noh ya locked onto Lee Gwak.

A look filled with pure malice and madness, it was hard to believe they belonged to a human. Just meeting Gwang Noh ya’s gaze felt like his soul was being ripped away.

Lee Gwak clenched his fist so tightly it felt like it would shatter.

His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. Still, he felt no pain. He was overwhelmed by the intensity in Gwang Noh ya’s eyes.

And then, there was a shift.

In Gwang Noh ya’s once maniacal and hostile eyes, a spark of clarity emerged. It seemed as though the madness was dissipating, much like mist carried away by the wind. Lee Gwak watched this transformation with rapt attention.

“Did I… lose myself again? Heh!”

Gwang Noh ya, now seemingly more lucid, looked disoriented. But he quickly grasped the situation, biting his lip slightly.

The fog in his mind began to clear momentarily. But he knew this clarity was fleeting. Soon, he would be swallowed by madness again, launching into a rampage of blind violence.

He needed to leave this place before that. But then, a burning gaze caught his attention.

It was Lee Gwak.

His eyes remained unflinchingly fixed on Gwang Noh ya.

While everyone else lay low, only Lee Gwak stood tall, piquing Gwang Noh ya’s curiosity.

Gwang Noh ya approached him.

“Hmph!”

Just from the overwhelming force of Gwang Noh ya’s presence, blood seeped from Lee Gwak’s lips. His qi spiraled out of control; his eyes took on a crimson hue, and his veins protruded as if on the verge of bursting. Yet, undeterred, Lee Gwak maintained his steadfast gaze.

Perhaps it was stubbornness, or maybe a misplaced sense of pride.

All his life, Lee Gwak had avoided the eyes of others. Especially after joining the Jade Heaven Alliance, he had always evaded attention, fearing trouble.

His instincts screamed to avoid Gwang Noh ya’s gaze. It seemed to be the only slim chance of survival.

To confront an entity that even the combined strength of the four most formidable forces couldn’t challenge appeared to be a death wish. The mere belief that he could withstand such a force and emerge unscathed was pure insanity.

Accepting his impending doom, Lee Gwak knew running was futile.

He did not want to die a pitiful death like a crushed ant.

Even in death, he wanted to face Gwang Noh ya with dignity, holding his gaze. So, with forced strength, he met Gwang Noh ya’s eyes.

Gwang Noh ya was getting closer.

Madness once again swirled in his eyes. The aura that had briefly settled flared up, pulsating with violent energy.

Lee Gwak could hardly breathe.

His face turned deathly pale.

‘This is the end.’

He sensed his impending death.

In a sense, he considered himself lucky. Perhaps meeting his end at the hands of a supreme master like the Lunatic Pugilist held more value and honor than perishing amidst a throng of average martial artists.

Just then, an unexpected voice reached Lee Gwak’s ears.

“Young pup!”

The voice was gruff, thick with phlegm.

“Yes?”

Overwhelmed by fear, Lee Gwak instinctively lifted his head to look at Gwang Noh ya.

“Once you take on the habits of a dog, you will always be a dog. Don’t let the wolf in you become a dog.”

Lee Gwak momentarily felt the weight of a sledgehammer strike to his head. While the shock jolted his mind, the deeper pain resonated in his heart.

He had no idea why Gwang Noh ya had said such words.

What had Gwang Noh ya seen in his eyes?

“Wooooo!”

Suddenly, Gwang Noh ya unleashed a roar reminiscent of a legendary blue dragon.

As the cry of the dragon resonated, all the martial artists in the battlefield lost consciousness.

Lee Gwak’s mind went blank.

Despite being unconscious, he clenched his teeth.
＊＊＊
The hunt for Gwang Noh ya had ended in failure.

The Grand Heavenly Net hadn’t even been properly unfolded, and half of the elite martial artists mobilised to hunt Gwang Noh ya met a brutal end.

It was Jade Heaven Alliance’s first failure since becoming the centre of the murim and the worst loss in the history of Celestial Demon Troupe. Considering the involvement of the two sects Dragon Heaven Valley and the Zealous Justice Clan, it was an unprecedented humiliation. Yet, this fact remained unknown to the outside world.

The Jade Heaven Alliance, Celestial Demon Troupe, Dragon Heaven Valley, and Zealous Justice Clan collectively chose to keep this matter concealed.

Gwang Noh ya had struck the four factions like a natural disaster, inflicting massive damage before vanishing without a trace. The four factions didn’t dare to pursue Gwang Noh ya again.

The martial artists who had once set out with confidence now returned to the Jade Heaven Alliance defeated. However, they weren’t the only ones who made their way back to the Alliance.