Volcanic Age

"Zhou Xuchuan, Zhuge Shengji."

Meng Gang muttered the names he had first heard seven years ago.

"W-what do you want with me?" Zhuge Shengji stammered, trembling as he stood among the Gold Will Sword Sect warriors.

"So, you've come for revenge after seven years! To think the mess Lu Dalang left behind would come back to haunt us like this. Once this fight is over, I'm going to drag his corpse out of the Yangtze River and kill him again."

Thinking about it still made him grind his teeth.

If things had gone as planned, it should've been handled quietly. Instead, the incident from years ago had drawn the attention of the entire murim.

Since then, the reach of the Eighteen Stockades of the Red Forest had been heavily restricted, forcing them into opposition with both the Mount Hua Sect and the Zhuge Family.

It has reached a point where, if a bandit encountered a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect or a relative of the Zhuge Family in the murim, they had to be prepared to either die or run away.

The Red Forest seemed to have gathered quite a bit of resentment, and even if they ran or hid, their enemies would relentlessly pursue them.

While there hadn't been an all-out war or a large punitive force, the damage they had suffered back then was significant.

"I'll kill you."

Meng Gang's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

The punitive force, whose morale had been high with victory close in sight, hesitated and grew tense at Meng Gang's chilling expression.

Zhou Xuchuan scanned Meng Gang, who had stepped forward.

His bone structure was no less impressive than that of the Peng Family, and his broad shoulders and arms were as thick as logs.

Without a shirt, his muscles stood out like the steel statue of a master craftsman.

"Senior Brother."

Zhou Xuchuan called out to Zhang Hong, keeping his gaze fixed on Meng Gang.

"I'll take care of the stockade boss by myself, so I'll leave the rest to you."

"Junior Brother."

Zhang Xuen answered instead of Zhang Hong. Her face, as hard as stone, seemed quite serious.

"I know your cultivation is impressive. However, our opponent is one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, the Stockade Boss of the Red Forest Meng Gang."

Meng Gang wasn't someone a Fourth Generation Disciple could easily handle. His cultivation, martial arts, and experience, were all exceptionally high.

He wasn't someone who had only barely made the rankings, either. Meng Gang was an expert who was notorious throughout the Central Plains.

Many from both the Righteous and Evil Factions had underestimated him as "just a bandit" only to end up falling at his hands.

Zhang Hong, who was beside her, nodded in agreement. He had heard about the Stockade Boss' reputation countless times while traveling the gangho.

"It's okay. Don't worry."

"But…"

"You both know we don't have the luxury for all of us to fight Meng Gang together, Senior Brother and Senior Sister."

"Hmph."

When Meng Gang had come, he had brought about thirty people with him.

While the punitive force might have looked fine on the outside, they were reaching their limits.

After facing twice their number, they were close to exhaustion.

Losing two or three of their strongest fighters could prove fatal in their current state.

Ugh!

Zhang Hong struggled with the idea of leaving everything on the shoulders of the Junior Brother he'd watched grow up.

"Be careful."

Zhang Xuen also felt guilty, her expression sour.

"I will."

Zhou Xuchuan replied shortly, stepping forward without hesitation, his back seeming broader than ever.

"It'll be okay."

Luo Xiaoyue smiled faintly as if to reassure them.

"Senior Brother is stronger than we think."

Her eyes were filled with an unshakable trust.

With those words, the punitive force and the Red Forest bandits clashed again.

The strategy didn't change. The Plum Blossom Sword Formation stood in the vanguard, and the Tang Family and the Gold Will Sword Sect moved around them to provide support.

The Plum Blossom Sword Formation of Zhang Hong, Zhang Xuen, and Luo Xiaoyue moved like falling Plum Blossoms, randomly piercing the opponents with sword-like leaves of qi.

"Ahhh!"

"You idiot! Hold your ground! We'll survive as long as we stick together!"

The underboss was more motivated than expected. He skillfully commanded the bandits and somehow managed to resist the Plum Blossom Sword Formation.

The bandits of the Green Dragon Stockade were stronger than expected. Unlike ordinary bandits, they formed formations according to orders.

"Young Hero Zhuge!'

Tang Hui turned her head quickly.

"Bamboo Launchers, Second Round!"

Thwip, thwip, thwip!

A wave of arrows were fired at Zhuge Shengji's shout, aimed at the formation opposing the Plum Blossom Sword Formation.

"Agk!"

"Dodge it!"

The Red Forest bandits, who were only just getting around to setting up their formation, screamed as they dived out of the way. While a few managed to deflect the arrows, it was only a handful.

The combined force of the Mount Hua Sect, the Tang Family, the Gold Will Sword Sect, and the Zhuge Family was terrifying, especially considering how hastily they had been assembled.

Zhou Xuchuan and Meng Gang faced off, a heavy tension thickening the air between them.

Even with the sounds of clashing weapons nearby, neither moved or blinked.

They held each other's gaze without a flicker, determined not to miss the slightest movement.

'At least just from his face, it looks like even his brain would be made out of muscle. But from the look of things around us, that doesn't seem to be the case.'

Meng Gang stood motionless, rooted in place like Mount Tai, exuding a fierce bloodlust.

But this wasn't just a stance—there wasn't a single gap in his defense. He was ready to react to any move Zhou Xuchuan might make.

"You're still a child sucking on the Righteous Faction's milk. What, are you scared of me or something?"

Meng Gang was the first to break the silence.

"They say that Mount Hua isn't like how it used to be, looking at you, that really seems to be the case. Keke, that's probably why you got so scared and ran away seven years ago."

Pfft.

Far from being intimidated, Zhou Xuchuan snickered.

"Meng Gang, where did that 'I'm gonna beat you to death' aura of yours go?"

Meng Gang's sneer vanished, his expression hardening.

"Meng Gang. If you really thought I was nothing, you would've attacked already. But you're on guard, and trying to provoke me… what, are you scared?"

"It's exhilarating, thinking about how that clever mouth of yours will be begging for mercy soon," Meng Gang retorted.

Contrary to his leisurely tone, his expression was tense. A vein bulged on his forehead.

I thought he was only famous because he got lucky. Could it actually be real?

Experts could recognize experts.

Meng Gang could see that Zhou Xuchuan's sword aura alone weren't ordinary just from a cursory glance.

Is he on the verge of reaching the Harmony Realm?

While Meng Gang's guess was wrong, considering Zhou Xuchuan's age, it wasn't a strange conclusion. It was actually quite normal.

"Come, brat."

Shing!

Meng Gang drew his sword, its pure white blade catching the sunlight. Judging by its fierce aura, it was no ordinary sword.

This was a rare weapon for a bandit. Most Red Forest bandits used axes, sabers, or spears.

The Mountain Subjugation.

A nameless martial artist who had appeared as if he had risen from the ground.

That martial artist had conquered the Green Forest Stockades with just a single sword.

"Ha-a-eup!"

Thud!

Zhou Xuchuan kicked off from the ground. Though it seemed he was floating for a moment, he left deep footprints where he stood.

He surged forward like a typhoon, pulling on his qi reserves. He intended to finish Meng Gang off in one blow.

This moment, when he still hadn't fully displayed his martial arts in front of Meng Gang, was his chance.

The more they exchanged attacks and defended each other's blows, the more he would heighten the enemy's alertness. It was better to focus all of his energy on a single decisive blow instead of just probing.

The first move!

He ran forward, his sword outstretched.

As he cut through the air, a fierce burst of piercing aura erupted.

Screech!

The sword strike he made with all his strength aimed straight at Meng Gang's forehead.

"Hmph!"

Meng Gang inhaled deeply, moving to defend. His eyes widened in surprise at Zhou Xuchuan's speed, which was faster than he'd expected.

The next moment, Zhou Xuchuan twisted his body. The fierce momentum that he had moved with, trying to stab Meng Gang, vanished in an instant.

This would have been impossible under normal circumstances.

It wasn't a blow made as the first or even the second testing attack. This was a thrust that contained nearly all of his qi.

Normally, such a sudden change in qi flow would have caused it to reverse, flowing backward and eventually exploding.

However, the Mount Hua Sect's combined movement and footwork technique, the Hundred Divine Transformations, made it possible.

The commands coming down from the brain rapidly changed the flow of qi. While normally, one's meridians would be damaged if the chosen qi path was suddenly changed, the Hundred Divine Transformations was a martial art specifically studied and modified to withstand such changes.

It left behind no problems within the muscles, the meridians or the veins. They were connected as usual, emitting the normal amount of power.

Whoosh!

Using his left foot, which had stepped diagonally, as a pivot point, Zhou Xuchuan turned halfway.

Not only had he charged at full speed and stopped, but he had also changed directions.

However, his stance was still stable.

Martial arts was the ability to ignore the laws of nature to a certain extent with the power of cultivation.

Right now, that true value was being properly demonstrated.

As he completed the half-turn, he pushed off with his right foot, feeling his waist muscles tighten.

Swish!

Combining pure physical strength and internal qi, one of the Three Swords of the Spring and Autumn Annals, Tai'e, sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing force.

Dear Heavens!

Meng Gang clicked his tongue, his dark eyes focused on Zhou Xuchuan's sword.

A thin haze of qi shimmered around the blade, making it appear longer than it actually was. He had to move faster than his eyes suggested.

It was a good thing he was already in a defensive stance.

Shing!

The single moment that felt like an eternity finally came to an end.

As Zhou Xuchuan's sword, moving with an afterimage, closed in, Meng Gang quickly lowered his own blade to his waist.

Clang!!

Chaeaeaaeng―!

The clash of swords rang out, the sound of metal on metal reverberating and filling the air. The crashing metal sounds seemed to stretch on forever, filling people's eardrums.

"Ugh!"

A groan slipped from Meng Gang's mouth, his face twisting in pain.

Zhou Xuchuan's expression wasn't very good either.

He was filled with regret.

Although he had aimed to kill, he wasn't able to inflict a fatal wound.

Meng Gang's sword had blocked just enough of the attack to stop it from sinking deep.

However, he had still won the first clash.

As soon as their swords met, Meng Gang's sword was pushed inward. Because of that, he ended up wounding himself with his own sword.

It wasn't just a simple scratch, but a wound about two cun (1 cun = 3 cm)[1] deep, slicing through his trained muscles.

"You, damned, brat!"

Meng Gang seethed with anger. The bloodlust that had been present in his voice exploded out all at once.

Damn, what a pity, Zhou Xuchuan thought.

If he had used sword aura instead of sword qi, he might have been able to cut through Meng Gang's sword altogether.

However, he would have had to delay his first move to do so.

Even though he could control sword aura with precision, it wasn't as fast as using sword qi alone.

Still, hadn't he already experienced how incredible Meng Gang's reaction speed was? If he had used sword aura, he might not have been able to land the blow at all.

If the opponent had been different, Zhou Xuchuan's attack might have been deadly.

Unfortunately, Meng Gang was also a Master at the Harmony Realm.

"Stop swearing!"

Zhou Xuchuan gripped his sword in one hand while striking out with his left. It wasn't any ordinary palm either, as he unleashed a Poison Palm.

"Ugh!"

Meng Gang, sensing the threat, quickly stepped back. If he'd moved even a second later, he would've been poisoned.

Taking advantage of the opening, Zhou Xuchuan also took a few steps back to ready his stance.

"..."

Meng Gang looked down, noticing that the grass where he'd just stood had turned black.

The poison from Zhou Xuchuan's palm floated in the air after losing its target before settling, absorbed by the plants below.

"Just who the hell are you?"

Zhou Xuchuan had expected the question.

"I'm just an ordinary swordsman of Mount Hua who happened to be passing by."

1. This is written into the raws. ☜

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