Volcanic Age

Zhou Xuchuan’s soul was that of an old man, a veteran of many battles, but his body was not. He was but a mere eight-year-old boy, and as with most children at that age, he was not given much freedom.

This was especially true for fourth-generation disciples of a great sect. There were set rules and lifestyles in a sect, and the disciples had to follow them to the letter. Zhou Xuchuan was no exception.

One such rule was to wake up around sunrise, pay their respects to their master, and then head to the training grounds with the other fourth-generation disciples for morning training.

“Huff, huff…”

The training grounds was near the Wild Goose Peak of Mount Hua. It was one of the peaks near the main sect, and it was very hard to climb. In fact, it was hard for ordinary adult men to climb, so it was naturally much more difficult for children.

It was hellish. They were going to the training grounds in order to train, but just getting there was taxing enough.

God dammit… He inadvertently swore inwardly.

Sure, it was great to start all over again, but restarting meant that everything he had gained up until then was gone. If it was the previous life, it would’ve been a breeze to climb, but he couldn’t do that now. He was running out of breath already, was almost tearing up, and his lungs felt like they were going to rip apart. His feet, as well as his thigh muscles, started feeling sore.

Now that I think about it, the training at Mount Hua was quite notorious!

One of his forgotten memories surfaced. Mount Hua was not one of the great sects for no reason. It had exceptionally splendid cultivation arts, yes, but they were extremely good at training their disciples physically as well. However, that training method was challenging. Whether it was children or youths, they had to train right up to their limits, just enough that their bodies weren’t ruined.

This might sound ordinary, but the instructors at Mount Hua knew those limits extremely well, and they could control the disciples so that they would get enough rest when they were near their limits. They would sometimes imbue their own energy into the disciples for recovery as well.

Thanks to that, whenever the disciples got tired, they were naturally able to recover, and even small children could climb to the summit of Wild Goose Peak. As such, this climbing area was called "Wild Goose Hell" by the disciples.

After getting past the Wild Goose Hell and arriving at the training grounds, the disciples would be split into groups according to the intensity of the training they had to go through.

In the case of Zhou Xuchuan himself, his training would end just by arriving at Wild Goose Peak. Some of the older fourth-generation disciples would practice their sword arts, and some of the oldest members even sparred against each other.

“Well done. You may take the grain pills over there for breakfast and climb down.” The instructor pointed at a table with a whole load of grain pills on it.

Zhou Xuchuan bowed to the instructor with whatever remaining strength he had and dumped one whole grain pill in his mouth. Most of the other children frowned as soon as they started chewing because it wasn’t tasty.

Grain pills, while being very nutritional, didn’t have a very good taste. Naturally, they were not something that children would like. However, that didn’t apply to Zhou Xuchuan. He had eaten all too many of them in his previous life, so he swallowed it without any issue.

Around fifteen minutes later, he climbed down the peak. As he was going downslope this time, it wasn’t that difficult.

***

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“Master, I’m back.”

“I see you suffered again today. Wasn’t it hard?” Liu Zhengmu let out a bitter laugh.

Every member of Mount Hua knew about the pains and sufferings of Wild Goose Hell, whether they were geniuses or not.

“I wish I could let you rest some more, but I cannot do so. Please forgive this master of yours.” He put on a genuinely apologetic expression.

Morning training, dubbed "Wild Goose Hell," was nothing but the foundation of muscular strength and stamina. After coming back from the training district, the fourth-generation disciples would have to go to their respective masters and receive morning guidance.

“It’s okay, Master!”

Zhou Xuchuan was rather touched by his generous and kind master being so considerate of him. His master had been like this in his previous life, and even in this life, he was still too kind. He had been able to get by in the absence of his parents thanks to Liu Zhengmu.

“Very well, then let us start circulating qi. You aren’t used to the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art, so allow me to help you.”

Liu Zhengmu sat down on the spot and tapped on the spot in front of him, gesturing to Zhou Xuchuan to sit. Zhou Xuchuan walked up to him and sat down cross-legged, with his back facing his master.

“Well. First, memorize the sutra I’m about to say.”

Liu Zhengmu recited the sutra of Plum Blossom Cultivation Art and even explained the meaning behind each verse in kind.

The Plum Blossom Cultivation Art consisted of twelve stages, and before the fifth stage, there was a danger of cultivation deviation, so qi circulation was usually done under supervision.

The Plum Blossom Cultivation Art was the most basic cultivation manual that a disciple would learn upon entering Mount Hua. It was one of the orthodox cultivation methods that represented the sect, and it allowed for an easy formation of the dantian and consolidation of the meridians.

However, as with all orthodox cultivation methods, accumulating qi was a hard and slow process. The method itself wasn’t that difficult, so it wasn’t hard to reach the final stage, but the qi accumulated really didn’t amount to much.

“However, it is a cultivation method that sets up the foundations, and it doesn’t mean that you cannot learn anything else just because you practice the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”

Also, while it was not that great of a cultivation method as far as Mount Hua was concerned, it was considered a first-rate method compared to what was outside. There was a reason it represented a great sect like Mount Hua.

“Yes!” Zhou Xuchuan replied energetically.

Ugh, I know all this stuff already.

As sorry as he felt for his master, who was ardently teaching his disciple, Zhou Xuchuan found the whole lecture boring. To him, the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art was a foundational cultivation method that he had reached the final stage a long time ago, and even putting that aside, his understanding and enlightenment regarding martial arts was greater than that of his master, thanks to the realm of cultivation he had reached in his previous life.

Besides that, also knew the secret to the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art, something that would only be revealed in the future.

However, he couldn’t act like he was bored in front of his master and just ignore what he said. It was certainly tiring, but he had no choice but to put on an enthusiastic face and focus on the lecture.

I wish I could reach the final stage already.

Thanks to his experiences and memories of his previous life, it wasn’t that difficult to reach the final stage. However, that would naturally make him stand out. He would be called a genius or whatever and be the subject of many rumors in the martial world.

He couldn’t do as he wished to because that tugged on his mind right now.

It’s still too early.

He yearned for the life of heroes, but he had no plans of receiving attention from a young age. In fact, he would refuse that kind of life. If he received an unnecessary amount of attention, that would restrict his scope of movement; not only that, but he would also become a target of assassination for the villainous faction that would rise in the future.

I must be careful.

In his previous life, the world managed to regain peace somehow, but it definitely wasn’t easily earned. The forces that would rise in the upcoming era of war and chaos were not ordinary. They were all monsters that he alone could not do anything about.

Among them were some forces that had no qualms nipping the flower in its bud, so it would be very problematic if he stood out. That was why he had decided that it was better to lie low before he could amass power. In the end, he had to live an ordinary-looking life without standing out, just like his previous life.

Not that I actually plan to stay still.

He possessed the knowledge and enlightenment regarding martial arts, so it would be a waste to let them rot. Also, spending his childhood like he had in his previous life was meaningless in its own way.

Zhou Xuchuan knew his standing quite well. He was quite special compared to the others, but not in terms of talent. He was only ahead of them in knowledge. To face off against those true monsters, he had to start early. Otherwise, he would not be able to handle them later.

He had taken an entire life to reach the Harmony Realm, and he had only managed to do so thanks to terminal lucidity. If he were to reach the Harmony Realm again this time, he would have no idea what to do. Perhaps he would never see an increase in cultivation ever again.

That was why he had to go ahead of others as quickly as possible and try out many paths. Only then would he be able to fight on equal footing.

So, I must fool the eyes of the world by maintaining the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art, but train in a separate cultivation art.

The stability of the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art was one of the best in the martial world. It could only be compared to the cultivation methods belonging to the likes of the Wudang Sect or the Shaolin Temple.

As to how safe it was… it was safe enough that one could learn another cultivation art while practicing it.

Of course, practicing the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art meant that the practitioner was a beginner, so there was no way they could learn other cultivation arts easily. Even if they did, forget being helpful, the other arts would only confuse them and make them waste effort. This kind of practice only made sense for the likes of Zhou Xuchuan, who could reach the final stage in the Plum Blossom Cultivation Art whenever he wanted.

I can learn the Violet Haze Divine Art!

If the Wudang sect, the hegemon of the south, had their three divine arts, Mount Hua had its own Violet Haze Divine Art.

The qi of the Violet Haze Divine Art practitioners took the form of a violet current as they reached a certain level of mastery. It wasn’t just a cosmetic effect, and its might was incredible.

The problem with practicing the Violet Haze Divine Art was that it was only passed down to the successive sect masters of Mount Hua. Even the Five High Elders were not allowed to learn it.

The reason Zhou Xuchuan knew the sutra to that art despite the restrictions was because of the peculiar circumstances of the era. The era of war and chaos truly resulted in many deaths, and that was no exception for experts like the masters of various sects.

I didn’t know the sect master would die like that.

In the distant past, the sect master of Mount Hua lost his life. His disciple succeeded his position, but the new sect master was worried. Having become the master at a relatively young age, he had yet to find a disciple that would succeed him.

That being the case, the sect master of that time taught the sutra of the Violet Haze Divine Art to the high elders in worry that he may die an untimely death like his predecessor. It was just a ‘what-if.’

This would have never happened under normal circumstances, but conversely, it couldn’t be helped considering the situation they were in.

In any case, Zhou Xuchuan was able to learn the Violet Haze Divine Art despite not being the disciple of the sect master.

Above all, the Violent Haze Divine Art has the characteristic of being very difficult to notice unless the practitioner reaches a certain level.

Even a run-of-the-mill martial artist would instantly recognize a practitioner of the Violet Haze Divine Art if they saw a violet current. It was just that unique of a trait. However, the art itself was not very remarkable unless it reached that stage. Not only was it hard to notice, but it wasn’t that powerful either before the violet currents could be displayed.

All of that wasn’t a problem for Zhou Xuchuan, because he was only taught its sutra in his previous life and never practiced it. He could take his time slowly making his way there.

At least, he would be able to start ahead compared to his previous life.

By the time anyone notices it and I am pressed for it, the era of war and chaos would be long upon us. At that time, I should have a suitable excuse.

He could not learn it immediately because his senses hadn’t been sharpened, and his dantian and meridians were not ready. However, just thinking about how he could learn a divine art that was only allowed to the master of the sect made him excited.