Volcanic Age

"Ugh, what happened around this time again?"

When he was ten in his previous life, Zhou Xuchuan was busy with martial arts training while going to Wild Goose Hell every day. He didn't have any time to think about other matters. Above all, this was before the Era of War and Chaos had begun. He had barely any knowledge about this.

Most of his knowledge was about the Era of War and Chaos, starting with the treasury of the Three-Eyed Godly Thief that basically triggered the whole thing.

He only knew trivial information about what happened before it, and even then, it didn't amount to much.

"Hahaha, I don't know how long it's been since I last went on a mission." Liu Zhengmu laughed pleasantly, unaware of his disciple's worries.

Zhou Xuchuan wished he could share his concerns with him, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew better than anyone how Liu Zhengmu had felt until now.

Despite his skill, he was often excluded from most missions. Even when dispatched, it was usually for short-term or relatively easy missions.

Long-term missions required a considerable amount of stamina, especially if the matter was urgent. If he happened to fall sick mid-way or something, it would jeopardize the whole mission.

Due to these reasons, Liu Zhengmu was excluded from many important missions, and he often felt bad about the situation. Sometimes, he even became depressed, feeling like he couldn't repay his debts of gratitude to the sect.

"What's the mission about?" Zhou Xuchuan asked as he looked at Liu Zhengmu worriedly.

Liu Zhengmu, with his characteristic gentle smile bent down to meet his disciple at eye level.

"Don't worry too much. I'm not going off to die. Although I have fixed my weak constitution, the sect is still uncertain and they didn't assign me a major mission."

Although his body was healed as he advanced to the Absolute Realm, the sect couldn't just give him an important mission all of a sudden. Liu Zhengmu didn't have any achievements to back his skill up, and his previous sick body was still a risk, so they couldn't rely on him completely.

Liu Zhengmu knew that as well, so he accepted the mission given to him without feeling bad.

The core members of Mount Hua ultimately decided to dispatch Liu Zhengmu on a middle-rank mission as a test.

"Okay then. I will be wishing for your safe return."

Zhou Xuchuan saw Liu Zhengmu out, half filled with worry, and half congratulating him.

A significant change awaited Zhou Xuchuan in the year he turned ten.

"Oh, and I have submitted your name for the Lotus Pavilion's examination, so you should prepare. You should be able to get in without a problem."

"Cough, cough!"

The moment the Lotus Pavilion was mentioned, Zhou Xuchuan couldn't help but cough, caught off guard.

But why?

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It was better to keep a low profile when he was still young. It would be better for the sake of his future as well.

So what is this talk about the Lotus Pavilion?!

The Lotus Pavilion was a gathering of promising talents in Mount Hua. Not to mention the people within the sect, many martial arts organizations of the world had a close eye on it.

It produced most of the next-generation Plum Blossom Swordsmen, so it was not surprising that it attracted attention.

"I don't know how long the mission will take, but once I set foot into the world of cultivators, there won't be anyone to look after you. If you join the Lotus Pavilion, you shouldn't have to worry about that. In fact, I'm sure they'll be better at teaching you than this lowly master of yours."

"That's not true at all!"

"Hahaha, I tell you this all the time, but you tend to think too highly of me. Whatever the case may be, I believe you'll be able to join the Lotus Pavilion. Oh, but don't feel too much pressure; it's okay even if you fail."

Zhou Xuchuan felt an immense amount of pressure. After all, the emotions conveyed in the gentle eyes of his master were faith and conviction; faith that his disciple would definitely enter the Lotus Pavilion, conviction that there was no reason for his disciple not to make it.

It wasn't surprising that Liu Zhengmu thought that way. Zhou Xuchuan indeed had the skills to pass, after all.

"Well then. I'll be off."

Zhou Xuchuan was on the verge of tears but forced himself to smile because he didn't want to worry his master, who was too soft-hearted towards his disciple.

*

Four days later.

"God dammit." Zhou Xuchuan groaned as he pulled at his hair. "What do I do?"

He had been agonizing over the matter that his master had left behind. He couldn't even sleep properly during the past four days because of the Lotus Pavilion examination.

Rationally speaking, he had to fail the exam. If he passed, he would receive all sorts of unwanted attention.

He didn't have to worry about the Violet Haze Divine Art getting exposed, but other problems would surely arise. Yet, his emotions were telling him to do the opposite of what his rationale was telling him.

Are you thinking of letting your master down?

His master, Liu Zhengmu, was akin to god to him. God believed, so it was hard to do otherwise. His emotions pushed him to join the Lotus Pavilion, thereby satisfying his master's expectations.

Haa, in my previous life, I wanted to join that place so much, but now I'm debating whether I should join or not!

The Lotus Pavilion. Just hearing that name made his heart flutter. It was like the holy land for the fourth-generation members. Just joining meant that they were being evaluated as promising talents.

It also meant taking a step closer to being one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the idols of the sect, so it was not strange that it was considered a holy land.

Zhou Xuchuan also admired the Lotus Pavilion in his previous life. It was a group that any young disciple of Mount Hua would yearn to join.

Since his regression, he had dreamt of a better and cooler life than his previous one. It would be a lie if he were to say that he wasn't moved by it.

Zhou Xuchuan looked for a secluded place to practice the sword as a way to organize his thoughts. He was practicing the Five Ways Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

Apart from that, he executed the Six Cardinal Sword Technique, Falling Petal Sword Art, and many others, including the Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom that even Liu Zhengmu had yet to master.

He wished to train in the Violet Haze Sword Sutra as well, but he could only start on that once he reached the fourth stage in the Violet Haze Divine Art.

Actually, I'm receiving plenty of attention already…

Not anyone could become an Absolute Realm expert. Above all, Liu Zhengmu had once been a candidate to become one of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen. That alone meant that he had received plenty of acknowledgement. As such, Liu Zhengmu was relatively well-known within the sect, even if he wasn't as famous outside.

Although the little reputation he had disappeared when he took in Zhou Xuchuan as a disciple, it had returned with his advancement to the Absolute Class.

With him becoming somewhat famous, tales about his disciple naturally spread, especially to the secular disciples and visitors seeking a connection with him.

Reason versus emotion.

He couldn't decide which one to follow.

"I'm already busy thinking about the Three-Eyed Godly Thief… huh?"

Lotus Pavilion, attention, and the Three-Eyed Godly Thief. These three issues gathered and circled each other, forming new branches and enumerating new information.

Having sweated a little with sword art practice, Zhou Xuchuan dipped his feet into a nearby stream and organized the flood of thoughts in his head.

He knew that the discovery of the Three-Eyed Godly Thief's treasure was five years away. This meant that he had to set foot into the world of cultivators at least a year or two earlier than normal, no matter what happened.

He didn't know how much treasure there was in the treasury, but he knew that there was a lot.

If he were to move all of it, he would need at least a year. He might need help from another person, and if he wanted to find someone he could trust, that would take more time. He calculated that he would need at least two years in total.

This meant he needed to leave the sect by the age of thirteen. Until now, he had been frustrated, unable to figure out a way to make it happen. But then, a solution suddenly dawned on him.

"You fool!" Zhou Xuchuan chastised himself for not seeing the answer sooner. "If I want to set foot into the world of cultivators at the age of thirteen, ordinary methods won't cut it."

Even if he were to ask his master for help, Liu Zhengmu wouldn't be able to get permission from the higher-ups without a valid reason. Besides, Zhou Xuchuan didn't know what kind of excuses he would have to make to his master to ask for help.

However, the method that had just struck him was surprisingly straightforward.

The reason Mount Hua typically sent out their fourth-generation members into the world only after reaching adulthood around the age of twenty was simple. It was because they were worried that the disciples they had painstakingly raised might die an untimely death out in the outside world.

Of course, they never sent a fourth-generation member out on their own on their first mission. A skilled member of the third generation would tag along as a guardian.

However, matters of men, nay, cultivators, were unpredictable. No one knew what kind of dangers lurked at every turn. That was why they evaluated the disciples on their martial prowess so that they would be able to survive.

The treasury of the Three-Eyed Godly Thief versus not getting attention. If I have to decide on one of them, the Three-Eyed Godly Thief comes first.

The worth of the treasury was astronomical, and the treasures inside could be used for an infinite number of purposes.

First of all, there were spiritual medicines. What Zhou Xuchuan lacked right now was internal qi, so if he could solve that, it would only be a matter of time before he reached the cultivation realm he had in his previous life.

Secondly, it had all sorts of secret arts and weapons. These two would be used to recruit talents to fight with him in the Era of War and Chaos later. Some of those treasures could serve as bait, making them valuable even if he didn't need them.

'Let's keep it under a certain level. I'm still young, so they shouldn't pay attention to me that much. I have to show just enough skill to barely get into the Lotus Pavilion.'

His head started working fast.

First, he painted a general picture. Although he was unsure of the details, he drew a general outline.

"Phew, I gained a whole new life, yet I'm still so incompetent," Zhou Xuchuan lamented. "I'm so dumb. I just know a lot and don't know how to use any of it. Get yourself together, Zhou Xuchuan."

He tapped his head, pulling himself together.

Yes, he had advanced knowledge from his previous life, but that was the extent of his advantage. Dealing with unforeseen challenges was a different matter altogether.

After all, the man known as Zhou Xuchuan wasn't that capable. He just followed Mount Hua's teachings.

He was used to receiving and carrying out orders. If anyone asked him if he was wise, he would be hard-pressed to answer.

He somehow managed to reach the Absolute Class in his life, and he was fortunate enough to reach the Harmony Realm right before his death.

That was it. He was nothing.

He was just someone with an ordinary talent. He was neither exceptional, nor lagging behind, but that was about it. This was something Zhou Xuchuan firmly acknowledged.

In the first place, if he was wise enough to produce good results with just a little bit of thinking, he would have boldly taken the position of a high elder properly under the acknowledgement of everyone around him.

However, if there was one thing he did well, it was recognizing his limitations. That was how he survived in the Era of War and Chaos.

"There are three years left. I will join the Lotus Pavilion this year and produce good results. Then, if I ask Master for help, I might be able to go out into the world. Putting in effort isn't like me, but I guess I have no choice."

With three years left until he turned thirteen, Zhou Xuchuan resolved to commit fully to his plan.

Entering the Lotus Pavilion! Setting out into the world! The treasury of the Three-Eyed Godly Thief!

He kept thinking about these three things.