Volcanic Age

Zhou Xuchuan ran as fast as he could to the place that Hong Jin had noted. By focusing on his hearing and concentrating with all his might, he found them quickly and arrived just in time.

"What the…" The Golden Saber Demon was speechless at the sight before his eyes. Right at the climax, someone appeared and crushed the Wind Demon Squadron Leader's head, slamming it into the ground.

The Wind Demon Squadron Leader's head looked like it had been sucked into the ground itself, making it impossible to confirm whether he was still alive or not.

The Wind Demon Squadron Leader was twitching like a frog hit by a rock, but judging from the blood flowing out of the hole where his head was stuck, it seemed like he was killed upon impact.

"The Wind Demon Squadron Leader…"

"Was that the Wind Demon Squadron Leader?"

Zhou Xuchuan had heard from Hong Jin that the Wind Demon Squadron Leader was here as well, but he had no idea that he had just killed the Wind Demon Squadron Leader.

He was in a hurry, so he slammed one of the attackers into the ground as soon as he arrived.

"It's a relief my surprise attack succeeded."

BOOM!

It wasn't an ordinary stomp; he had used the Thousand Catty Ballast to do the trick. The ground shook and sank; the head of the Wind Demon Squadron Leader seemed like it had shattered from the terrifying attack.

The ground flipped over, and a pile of rocks swallowed the Wind Demon Squadron Leader, burying him up to his shoulder.

Zhou Xuchuan decided to check whether the Wind Demon Squadron Leader's breathing and pulse had stopped. They were talking about the Wind Demon Squadron Leader here—one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.

If he was still alive and somehow managed to intervene in the upcoming fight, things would become quite troublesome, as no one had any idea what the Wind Demon Squadron Leader could do to intervene.

"Benefactor Zhou? Wait, if it's Benefactor Zhou… he's the Sword Dragon, Zhou Xuchuan!" the Golden Saber Demon exclaimed unknowingly.

Everyone in the murim knew of the Sword Dragon. Regardless of age, gender, or class, everyone was aware of his identity. If someone had never heard of him, then they wouldn't be a martial artist—no, they wouldn't be from the Central Plains.

Actually, perhaps even the wider world outside had become aware of Zhou Xuchuan's name.

The situation is worse than I thought. Zhou Xuchuan was shocked to see Hui Mian and Hong Gao fighting each other. The atmosphere was tense, but the worst-case scenario had been avoided.

"You really are sabotaging everything!" The Golden Saber Demon's saber shone brightly. "I can't believe that I'll have to leave everything to those idiots from Shaolin!"

The Golden Saber Demon swung his saber in a wide arc. The aura contained in his saber shone brightly and made a beeline for Zhou Xuchuan.

Zhou Xuchuan had been using both the Green Eyes Ten Thousand Poisons Art and the Ten-Thousand Jin Sword at the same time, but his movements remained smooth as he twisted at his waist and used the Hundred Divine Transformations to defend himself with his sword.

Clang!

Sword aura and saber aura collided, and the impact was noticeably greater. Courtesy of the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber, the Golden Saber Demon's saber was so hot that one's flesh could cook if one was too close to it.

As expected of the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber. It really lives up to its reputation!

The Demon Cult's techniques were far more destructive than any other techniques.

As a Coruscant Realm expert with Extreme Temperature Immunity, there was no way Zhou Xuchuan could be harmed by mere extreme temperatures alone, but the Golden Saber Demon's technique was different.

In addition to being an Extreme Demon Stage master, the Golden Saber Demon's demonic art also had a unique characteristic that made Zhou Xuchuan raise his guard up. He knew that he could suffer internal and external injuries if he weren't careful enough.

As evidenced, Tai'e, a treasure-grade sword, actually turned red in the face of the extreme heat. This was a bad sight for Zhou Xuchuan.

"Your qi reserves are as monstrous as rumored!" the Golden Saber Demon exclaimed. He was just as shocked as Zhou Xuchuan. The Demon Cult was a cult, so one's path would become easier by becoming an expert.

For example, in the case of elixirs, it was easy to steal them or monopolize them by taking advantage of one's status as a Guardian.

The Golden Saber Demon hadn't been consuming elixirs as if they were rice, but he had consumed enough of them to push his body to its limits.

Thanks to his wanton consumption of elixirs, his qi reserves were considerable as soon as he reached the Extreme Demon Stage. Moreover, as he was quite old, the amount of qi he could gather was more than decent.

Upon crossing swords with this disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, however, he realized that he had been a frog in a well. The energy generated from their clash alone was more than incredible.

"I hear that a lot," Zhou Xuchuan answered. Then, he deflected the saber and stepped back.

A head-on clash is a bad idea.

Tai'e was in bad condition.

The consecutive battles had gnawed away at Tai'e, and the fight against the Blood Demon was notably hard on the sword. It was already struggling to maintain its form, and the Golden Saber Demon's heat had worsened its condition.

When it clashed with the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber, Zhou Xuchuan felt a lot of pressure within the blade. He wrapped the sword with aura, but it didn't make that much of a difference.

"Violet Haze Divine Art."

The Golden Saber Demon examined Zhou Xuchuan's sword with narrowed eyes.

The sword was clad in a violet aura.

"Just what the hell has happened within the Demon Cult?" Zhou Xuchuan asked, keeping an eye on the Golden Saber Demon's movements. I don't understand.

The Southern Yang Guardian had died as a Great Demon Head in his previous lifetime. Zhou Xuchuan had no idea exactly when, but it was supposed to be around ten years later—around the end of the Demonic Path War.

A Great Demon Head, who had to have been living more in tune with the cult's mindset than anyone else just to reach his current heights, had actually changed his mind about the cult, becoming an apostate as a result.

Zhou Xuchuan thought hard and long about it, but he still found it bizarre.

The Western Domination Guardian, the Wind Demon Squadron, and the Wind Yin Squadron—none of them mattered at all.

It was a given that someone of their caliber was sent, as misery would become endless for the Demon Cult if the Southern Yang Guardian managed to stab them all in the back, leaking every piece of information about them.

The Southern Yang Guardian had to die, so sending their elites was just natural.

"I have no intention of answering a bastard like you. Anyway, this is good." The Golden Saber Demon's eyes burned. It was a gaze that reminded Zhou Xuchuan of the High Priest from the Southern Jungles.

The color of the Golden Saber Demon's eyes wasn't green but red.

It was a creepy and unpleasant sight.

"Don't you think you owe us something for the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic?" The Golden Saber Demon laughed and disappeared. He hadn't actually disappeared. He was moving so fast that he became invisible.

Even his movements weren't just simple movements. His control over the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber was so incredible that the heat distorted the air around him. He almost looked like a flying fireball.

"Aren't you supposed to be the greatest hero of the murim?! I'll show you the power of the Demonic Path!"

"I've seen more than enough of that." Zhou Xuchuan stepped forward with his left foot and moved his right arm. A formless aura manifested around his sword. This was a simple swing performed without any techniques whatsoever.

However, it was as fast and as powerful as it was simple

A third party would most likely assume that it was just an ordinary swing, but they would be in a world of hurt if they were to counter or block it.

The sword was wrapped in Formless Sword Aura, after all.

Thrum.

"Huh?" Zhou Xuchuan gasped in surprise. He was on the losing end of the clash. He had clearly seen the Golden Saber Demon's movements. He had checked the speed, the direction, and even where the demon's feet were stepping before swinging his sword toward a certain location.

However, the Golden Saber Demon's figure dispersed like fog upon impact.

"Kuhahaha!"

Then, the Golden Saber Demon appeared right next to him. His slash, mixed with ridicule, swung down from above, aiming to decapitate Zhou Xuchuan.

Swish!

However, the Golden Saber Demon missed as well. He had swung his saber confidently, but his blade couldn't touch even the hem of Zhou Xuchuan's clothes.

"Hmph!" The Golden Saber Demon swung upward, and the air quivered, distorting beneath the oppressive heat. The dazzling golden light emanating from him remained blinding as well.

If one wanted to attract attention, then there was nothing better than doing this.

The bizarre light that had been irritating Zhou Xuchuan's eyes was extremely annoying.

"Ah!" Zhou Xuchuan exclaimed upon recalling something. Where is it?!

He swung his sword again as a test, but as expected, he struck nothing but empty air.

The Golden Saber Demon disappeared like a mirage, and a sinister laugh echoed afterward as if the former was mocking Zhou Xuchuan for missing his attacks.

"I knew it!" Zhou Xuchuan's Formless Sword Aura vanished, and the blade of his sword was wrapped in purple instead. As if responding to the gold light, while not as flashy, a subtle glow emerged.

Arc Flower Rain!

Zhou Xuchuan executed the first form of the Violet Haze Sword Sutra, and he immediately followed up with the second form. A violet wave spread out in a fan, engulfing the surroundings.

"Ugh!" The Golden Saber Demon spat a mouthful of spittle.

Zhou Xuchuan saw sweat forming on the demon's forehead, but there was a big change. The demon was in front of him just moments ago, but the former suddenly appeared on the right side.

It wasn't that the Golden Saber Demon was too fast for him to track. It was like the demon had always been on the right.

"So it's a mirage!" Zhou Xuchuan exclaimed.

The Golden Saber Demon's face crumpled in response.

Zhou Xuchuan became sure of his assumption upon seeing the Golden Saber Demon's face. A mirage was a phenomenon that created illusions when the temperature difference became extreme, causing the air to become distorted.

While the reason behind it wasn't completely clear, it was believed to be an interaction between the difference in temperature and light.[1]

It was a phenomenon that occurred particularly in deserts, and it was often observed in the Gobi Desert in Gansu. The dazzling golden light and the extreme heat were the perfect accompaniments to the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber.

If one could create a mirage, it wouldn't be strange for their foes to miss every single attack toward them.

Zhou Xuchuan deliberately used the Violet Haze Divine Art to unleash a massive amount of qi, which dispersed the surrounding heat.

By erasing both light and heat, Zhou Xuchuan managed to destroy the secret of the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber—a Mirage illusion saber technique.

How the hell did he figure it out?!

The secret of the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber was unknown to anyone but the practitioners of the saber art. Moreover, one had to be at the Extreme Demon stage to unlock it.

The practitioners of the technique often fail to reach the illusion stage. The majority of them only managed to reach the destructive saber stage.

The fact that a young rookie from the Righteous Faction somehow managed to learn the technique's secret that only a portion of its practitioners would know was truly absurd.

In addition, he had just started fighting Zhou Xuchuan.

"Are you thinking that I live up to my reputation?" Zhou Xuchuan answered, seemingly reading the Golden Saber Demon's mind.

Zhou Xuchuan had read the records of the Great War of Good and Demonic in his previous lifetime. As expected, there were records of key figures like the Four Great Guardians.

It had taken him some time to remember the Mirage illusion saber technique's secret, as it had been a long time since he read about it, but he still managed to remember it upon experiencing it for himself.

"Ha!"

A purple haze covered the air, dispersing the golden light.

The waves of qi also swept the heat away.

The air remained hot, but the artificial illusion vanished.

The Golden Saber Demon suddenly appeared about four chi away.

"Damn it!" the Golden Saber Demon cursed, clearly quite flustered.

Were the Four Great Guardians really this sloppy?

Zhou Xuchuan snickered and approached the Golden Saber Demon. However, it wasn't that the demon was being sloppy. No, his enemy was just too strong.

The secret and the weakness of the Golden Yang Destroying Crimson Saber were revealed. To make matters worse, the Golden Saber Demon had no idea that Zhou Xuchuan was an Absolute Master above the Harmony Realm.

The Golden Saber Demon tried to fight back by swinging his saber and slashing out using the destructive saber technique, but even that form was dismantled by Zhou Xuchuan's sword.

Zhou Xuchuan severed the Golden Saber Demon's saber-holding right arm to stop the demon's futile struggle.

Squelch!

The Golden Saber Demon grabbed his arm and screamed, "Aaargh!"

Zhou Xuchuan had just subdued a Great Demon Head, against whom most ordinary martial artists would be at a loss about how to deal with. He even shattered the demon's remaining limbs.

"Now, tell me. Just what the hell are you hiding?" Zhou Xuchuan asked after immobilizing the demon and placing a cloth into the latter's mouth.

"Ke… ke…" The Golden Saber Demon laughed with his lips twisted. His eyes twisted unpleasantly as well. "You… Righteous Faction bastards… have always been like this…"

Despite losing his arm and having his limbs broken, the demon spoke well, saying, "You would never believe that a demonic cultist… has reflected… and reformed. You would never believe them, regardless of what they'd say.

"He… hehe… It's useless no matter what I say. It won't be the answer you want to hear…" The Golden Saber Demon chuckled. "Hehe."

Zhou Xuchuan was left helpless and eventually just pressed the Golden Saber Demon's blood acupoint.

"Sleep tight, Western Domination Guardian."

He had many questions to ask, but he simply had no time.

He was more interested in the Shaolin Temple's affairs rather than the Four Great Guardians of the Demon Cult.

"So, please!l Let there be nothing serious!" Zhou Xuchuan shouted.

He manifested the words out of needless anxiety.

Meanwhile, it seemed that the other three were moving once again.

Zhou Xuchuan rushed out of the thicket toward where he could feel their presence.

Fang Fotong had been forced to the edge of a cliff, and the Shaolin abbot was standing in front of him, seemingly trying to protect him.

The Abbot's disciple stood before the two, and he was gnashing his teeth while facing his master.

"I just came back from dealing with the Western Domination Guardian. Hundred Paces Fist Monk, please calm down," Zhou Xuchuan said carefully while staring at Hong Gao.

"This is the Shaolin's business! Do not interfere!" Hong Gao turned slightly and warned Zhou Xuchuan. His wide eyes held a killing intent that seemed almost impossible to exist on someone walking the path of Buddhism.

"If you interfere once again…"

This is a big problem. Zhou Xuchuan mused. The grudge from the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic had yet to be resolved completely. The situation was worse than he had expected.

If Zhou Xuchuan were to stop him, Hong Gao would become his mortal enemy.

"Are you really my disciple?" the master asked while staring into his disciple's eyes.

His voice wasn't full of blame, and he had nary a trace of suspicion as well. No, the Divine Monk's eyes were filled with nothing but worry and sadness.

"Hong Gao… what is it? What drove you to do this?"

1. The reason mirages exist is because light is refracting through different densities of air, causing distortions in how an observer captures images. However, back in the days of ancient Asia, they didn't know for sure why mirages existed. Nowadays, you can even derive how a mirage should distort an image if you know the difference in temperature at a refraction point, the distance, the size of the image, the intensity of light, etc. ☜

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