Volcanic Age

"So, where did you get the Mind Qi Separator?"

"I picked it up."

"I'm not in the mood to mess around, so tell me the truth."

Tang Hui's eyes glowed like that of a venomous snake.

'Am I going to get stabbed if I keep pushing?'

Zhou Xuchuan felt bloodlust that seemed to go beyond venom.

"Do you like it?"

Zhou Xuchuan smirked.

Tang Hui didn't respond and remained silent.

The Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate was an exception, as most of the murim would be captivated at the sight of the Mind Qi Separator.

The Mind Qi Separator had its disadvantages. Since one would be using two different techniques simultaneously, the qi consumption was doubled.

Additionally, one also needed to actually cultivate the second technique they wanted to use alongside their primary technique, so it did require effort.

However, considering that the Mind Qi Separator was an artifact, it was worth it.

"Hey, Young Lady Tang, if you really like it, you can have it," Zhou Xuchuan said with an exaggerated laugh.

"How disgusting, I hope you never laugh like that again. More importantly, what's your intention?"

"Regarding?"

"You know."

Tang Hui opened her palm, revealing the Mind Qi Separator on her left middle finger.

"Cultivation Journey."

"...?"

"I still need your help."

Tang Hui just stared at Zhou Xuchuan silently.

"While we were at your Family's Estate, the Poison King didn't oppose your trip into the gangho, nor did he seem dissatisfied with it, right?"

"You pretended not to care, but you were staring at me and my father like that. It's completely revolting. I wish you'd stop looking at me like some sort of fraud.[1]

"I'm not asking you to stand by my side, I'm just asking you to help me out when I need it. What do you think?"

Tang Hui uncharacteristically held her tongue, her usual harsh retorts absent. She closed her eyes for a moment, deep in thought.

This wasn't a decision she could make on the spot.

"Give me a day."

"Great."

Zhou Xuchuan needed the power of someone he could trust. That was why he had used the Mind Qi Separator as bait to lure Tang Hui to his side.

Setting aside the fact that she was one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, having the power of the Sichuan Tang Family on his side would be enough for what was to come.

While Zhou Xuchuan could have used the Mind Qi Separator himself, he already knew where other artifacts were, so this one didn't matter much.

"Zhou Xuchuan."

The door opened, and Wu Qu came in.

"How is your daughter?" Zhou Xuchuan, who was drinking tea in the room, asked.

"It's okay. She's asleep now."

Wu Qu closed the door and sat down across from him.

"Thank the heavens."

Zhou Xuchuan's tone was sincere. After all, if it weren't, his budding relationship with the Sword Demon would be over before it started.

There was a brief silence before the Sword Demon spoke.

"When you went to retrieve the Mind Qi Separator, I investigated you to find out who you really are."

Zhou Xuchuan's sudden appearance would have been suspicious to anyone. Even with the Poison Phoenix accompanying him, the Sword Demon just couldn't help but be suspicious of the unremarkable young man.

A martial artist he had never seen or heard of before had suddenly brought the Poison Phoenix to his hideout and said that he would treat his daughter.

"Zhou Xuchuan, a fourth-generation direct disciple of Mount Hua. A disciple of the Gentle Smiling Swordsman Liu Zhengmu. Went missing during an outing with the Lotus Pavilion due to an attack by the Nine Water Gangs during his first appearance in the gangho, but later returned alive. Only recently returned to the gangho again and won two bets against the Poison Phoenix."

Zhou Xuchuan remained silent.

"According to the Poison Phoenix, she knew nothing about me. Yet, the wager for the bet was treating my daughter."

The Sword Demon had been shocked when Tang Hui had told him that.

Why would someone he didn't know go to such lengths for him?

All sorts of questions and speculations raced through his mind.

"I need people."

"For what?"

"To save the world."

Zhou Xuchuan's sudden declaration would have made most people think he was insane.

However, Wu Qu was different.

"And why me?"

"Because I need you."

Wu Qu got up from his seat. He was so tall that Zhou Xuchuan had to tilt his head back to see his face.

Wu Qu gently drew his sword from its scabbard with a soft swish.

Zhou Xuchuan didn't flinch or move, looking up at Wu Qu without fear.

"I don't know how you found me," Wu Qu said, slowly kneeling and placing his sword horizontally on the ground. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you need me and that you're the one who saved my daughter."

If Zhou Xuchuan hadn't brought the Poison Phoenix, if he hadn't gone to find the Mind Qi Separator, his daughter might have closed her eyes for the last time.

Wu Qu had found many doctors, but none of them could give him the hope he so desperately needed. They all just shook their heads.

Every time he watched his daughter holding his hand and smiling knowingly, his heart had broken. The pain he had felt when he lost his wife seemed like it would never end.

Long ago, he had promised her that he would take care of Wu Zhenhua's health.

However, he had failed to keep that promise. All his cultivation had been meaningless.

Wu Qu hated himself for not being able to save his daughter and for not knowing the Dao of medicine.

He had fallen into an endless pit of despair, sinking deeper with each passing day.

"I, Wu Qu, swear on my name."

However, he didn't give up.

"If you want to rule the world, I will make it happen."

He had firmly believed that there was definitely a way.

"If you want to kill the world, I will kill it."

How could a father give up on his child?

"If you want to save the world, I will save it."

After all this time, hope finally returned to him in the form of a miracle.

"If you tell me to descend into hell, I will do so with a smile on my face. If you ask for my soul, I will gladly give it to you. Even if I die, if you call for me, I will put my sword on King Yama's neck and return to help my liege, Zhou Xuchuan."

Wu Qu kowtowed before his sword and bowed his head.

"I… I am truly grateful that you saved my daughter Zhenhua!"

The Sword Demon, Wu Qu.

This was the moment his fate changed.

***

Summer ended.

The heat disappeared, and a chilly breeze swept through the air.

Instead of the clear, blue skies, colorful maple leaves took their place.

"Did you hear the news?"

"About the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate, right? They say it was finally destroyed."

"That was expected. It's not surprising."

When the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate was defeated, all kinds of hyenas rushed in for the kill. It didn't take long for the gate to be completely razed to the ground after losing its core.

Some of their vassals were even persuaded by other sects to betray the gate. Others stole the remaining assets and fled or sold intel to the neighboring gates. It was indeed a bitter end.

"The Eight Gates of the Evil Dao should probably be called the Seven Gates of the Evil Dao now."

"I wonder who'll take their place?"

"Maybe there won't be a replacement. After all, it's the Evil Faction."

Unlike the Righteous Faction, the Evil Dao had a short history. While the Martial Alliance and the Nine Sects and One Gang remained strong over the ages, the Alliances of the Evil Dao changed with each era.[2]

The same applied to the alliance members. After all, wasn't it a rule of the Evil Faction to eliminate the weak, leaving only the strong to survive?

Meanwhile, unsettling movements were detected at the Tomb of the Ominous Demon, where the Seven Great Powers had gathered.

"…!"

A warrior clearing away a pile of stones suddenly froze. Reflected in his eyes was a yellowing book.

The warrior looked around briefly, and after confirming that no one was nearby, he tried to hide the book in his arms.

"Stop."

A chilling voice sounded, and the cold edge of a sword pressed against his neck. One wrong move, and his head would roll.

"If you don't want to die, then hand it over."

The warrior felt a mix of bloodlust and malice radiating from behind him.

"Like you just said, if you don't want to die, then you should put away your sword," an expert of the Evil Valley, the Flower Scattering Palm (散花一掌), said.

"You bastard, you don't know who I am, do you?"

"Covered in burn scars and bald as a bowl, you must be the Raging Flame Blood Demon, no? A paraphiliac who enjoys burning people to death."

"I remember a bastard who said the same thing a while ago and got burned to death. His screams were so girlish, too!" the Raging Flame Blood Demon spat, laughing sinisterly.

"Hah! Both of you, calm yourselves!"[3] Immortal Shang Ming shouted, hearing the commotion and rushing over.

The atmosphere was becoming tense.

"Don't tell me what to do, old man."

"Exactly what the paranoid idiot said. What, you're not expecting me to treat you like some dying elder or something, are you? Fuck that, and you."

The Flower Scattering Palm snorted, his hostility clear.

"You arrogant bastards!" a Kunlun Sect martial artist shouted, angered by their insults.

"Enough!"

Immortal Shang Ming stopped the commotion with a shout.

"Everyone is just tired because the investigation has been going on for a long time. There's no reason to fight like this. Moreover, aren't we allies who have gathered temporarily in order to serve the greater murim, a cause greater than any one of us? We shouldn't fight until it's over. Didn't the Heavenly Demon and the Evil Valley Master say the same to you?"

"Tsk."

"Hmph!"

The Flower Scattering Palm clicked his tongue while the Raging Flame Blood Demon snorted.

"Hey, you," Immortal Shang Ming called out to the warrior holding the old book in his arms.

"Would you show me what you found there? I understand people can be greedy. I'll vouch for you so a moment's mistake will be forgiven."

He took the initiative to prevent the warrior from doing something foolish.

Although it was not as effective as Buddhist Arts, Daoist Arts also had a mysterious ability to calm and clear people's anxiety.

However, the nature of the Demon Cult and Blood Cult's cultivation methods completely opposed the Kunlun Sect's, so the two Demonic Path cultivators frowned, clearly displeased.

"O—of course."

The unidentified warrior slowly took out the old book from his arms. Everyone's attention was drawn to the hand he was holding the book in.

Squelch!

The moment the cover was revealed, the warrior's head was severed, flying into the air.

"Block it!"

The palm of the Flower Scattering Palm thrust forward. As befitting his title, a fierce wind scattered in different directions.

"The alliance is over!"

As Raging Flame Blood Demon swung his blood-covered sword, a gust of blazing wind collided with the incoming palm wind, resulting in a violent explosion.

"Why, why does…!" Immortal Shang Ming lamented.

"It's the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic!" the Flower Scattering Palm shouted loudly, as if he wanted to make sure everyone around him heard clearly.

"It's the Blood Monk's secret technique!"

Those were the words that announced the start of the Seven Swords War.

***

In a pond, a carp flopped around energetically.

Standing in front of it, the Poison Phoenix looked like a work of art, and the men around her all stared blankly, entranced.

The Poison Phoenix turned away, raising her left hand toward the sky. The sunlight obscured her hand, making it difficult to see.

"I'm going to tell you in advance," Tang Hui said calmly.

"I have no intention of becoming a trophy wife to make you look better. If you're expecting some sort of sweet romance or anything, then give up now. That'll never happen."

Zhou Xuchuan said nothing. He just stared at her back.

"Let me ask you one thing."

"Yeah."

"What are you planning to do?"

Tang Hui lowered her hand and turned back to face Zhou Xuchuan.

"Well…"

Zhou Xuchuan closed his eyes, appearing deep in thought.

"First, I want to save myself."

Then, he opened his eyes and smiled.

"After that, I'll try to save the murim as well."

"Hmph."

Tang Hui snorted.

On her hand, hidden behind her back, the Mind Qi Separator shone clearly.

1. Technically, someone who goes and convinces people to betray their group. ☜

2. Currently, the Evil Valley is the major alliance for the Evil Faction, like the Martial Alliance, and the Eight Gates of the Evil Dao is one of the various core groups, like the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Ancient Families. ☜

3. Remember, the rebuke shout. ☜

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