Volcanic Age

After destroying a bandit fortress, Zhou Xuchuan continued on his journey toward Sichuan. He used the Shadow Scattering Steps to quickly catch up with the rest.

"Great hero!"

When he joined them, he could feel the change in their attitude. Everyone looked at him with admiration.

I am a little great, he thought with pride, though he couldn't deny feeling some pressure under their admiring gazes.

In the past, he might have worried about the consequences of revealing his abilities, but now he no longer had such concerns. If he had, he would have concealed his identity.

While he wasn't exactly regarded as a hero, he had once yearned for such gazes of admiration he was receiving, which made him feel good.

Now that I have some freedom, this kind of treatment feels good. I'll gladly leave this frustrating hide-my-identity thing behind once I reach the Harmony Realm.

The reason he had hidden his powers until now was because of the watchful eyes of the Dark Heavens Association, more specifically, the possibility that they would try to assassinate him for being a promising talent of the Orthodox Faction.

The Dark Heavens Association was both annoying and powerful. Being a young expert with moderate fame was okay, but they would target him if he displayed excessive strength.

*

Four days later, the group arrived at Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. There were no more attacks from bandits after that.

"Great Hero Zhou Xuchuan, thanks to you, we arrived safely."

"What do we need to be worried about when someone that might become the greatest expert of Mount Hua is with us?"

"Hahaha!"

As soon as they arrived, the merchants fawned over him.

"Tsk tsk…" The Gold Will Combatants clicked their tongues upon seeing the merchants' attitude. They were really shameless.

Hm, just an average Gold Will Merchant.

The person in question seemed unfazed. Zhou Xuchuan calmly responded to their words as if he was accustomed to such treatment.

Compared to the Head Merchant, this was nothing. Li Yicai wouldn't have stopped at calling him someone who might become the greatest expert, but will.

"Then, I'll take my leave as I have matters to attend to."

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With a wave of his hand, Zhou Xuchuan bid farewell to the merchants, who bowed in respect.

*

The Tang Family.

They were a famous clan in Sichuan, known for their expertise in poison and hidden weapons. Their craft was unparalleled not just within the Orthodox Faction but the entire martial world. Their reputation extended beyond the Martial Alliance and the Evil Valley to other external factions.

"Zhou Xuchuan of Mount Hua?" the third daughter of the main lineage, Tang Hui, also known as the Poison Phoenix, questioned sharply.

"Yes, my lady," replied an escort while prostrating.

"Hmm." Tang Hui furrowed her brows in thought. She tapped on the table a few times as she recalled some information.

"The boy who helped the Fourteenth Sword Hero to defeat the Watertop Spearman. He's the disciple of… Liu Zhengmu, the Gentle Smiling Swordsman, huh?"

Hearing her mutters, the escort exclaimed in surprise, "That is incredible, my lady. He doesn't seem particularly famous, but you managed to remember that much based on his name alone?"

"A child of Tang is expected to be knowledgeable. I won't feel happy even if you praise me for something so natural," Tang Hui snapped before rising from her seat.

"Why would a disciple of Mount Hua come here?"

"From what I know, there are no ties between the family and the Mount Hua Sect. He probably just paid a visit since he was in the area."

She started walking after replying to her escort.

*

Tang Hui's prediction wasn't wrong. When disciples of large sects or major families set out into the world, they often visited other large organizations or families. This was to strengthen the ties between large organizations through the interaction, even if they didn't have any personal objectives.

However, Zhou Xuchuan's reason for visiting wasn't solely because of that. He had three objectives in visiting the Tang Family this time.

The first was to strengthen ties, and the second was to obtain a certain medicine. The third overlapped with the first objective, and it was to meet a certain someone from the Tang Family, who had the medicine.

Poison Phoenix, Tang Hui.

Having "dragon" or "phoenix" in one's title was special in the martial world. Only eight of them were granted such titles among cultivators in their twenties, they were the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes. Dragons were used to describe men, while phoenixes were attached to women's titles. These eight were practically the most exceptional among the young cultivators, whether in terms of their backing, appearance or martial arts.

Zhou Xuchuan had never seen Tang Hui in person, but he knew her well. It would be strange for someone not to know her, as the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes always drew attention wherever they went. It was the greatest honor a cultivator could achieve before turning thirty.

"The lady is coming," said a page boy.

Normally, not anyone could meet her.

They were the dragons and phoenixes. Not anyone could meet them just because they wanted to. However, Zhou Xuchuan wasn't a nobody. For one, he was a member of Mount Hua, and he was also the disciple of the Gentle Smiling Swordsman, an Absolute Realm expert.

She couldn't refuse this meeting since the Tang Family wasn't particularly busy. Although his reputation paled in comparison to the Poison Phoenix, it was enough for her to show her face.

Squeak.

The door opened and a woman entered. Seeing that face, Zhou Xuchuan zoned out for a moment.

She was definitely beautiful, not losing out when compared to Luo Xiaoyue. However, she gave off a fierce impression because of her sharp-looking eyes. She was of average height and looked to be in her early twenties.

Her waist-length black hair cascaded in voluminous curls. While the shape of her eyes was striking, it was the unusual hint of viciousness of her pupils that left an unforgettable impression.

She gave off an aloof and icy aura. No, she looked like a lofty lioness looking down from above.

Most cultivators understood why the word poison was used in her title the first time they saw her, and would sometimes remark that there was no better title suited to her.

Her cultivation of poison arts should be one of the reasons behind it, but the hint of viciousness in her eyes was also impressive.

This must be the first time we're meeting…

Zhou Xuchuan only knew Tang Hui's name and had never seen her. Although he didn't know what happened to her in the previous life, he knew that she was entangled in wars.

It would have been impossible to forget such a beauty, so it was puzzling that he had a feeling that he had seen her somewhere before.

"What are you zoning out for, Young Daoist?" Tang Hui's voice jolted him back to reality.

"From what I hear, the Daoists of Mount Hua are all maniacs who get excited over swords, but looking at you, it doesn't seem entirely correct," Tang Hui blurted out, clearly being rude.

"Huh?" Zhou Xuchuan doubted his ears for a moment, wondering if he had heard wrong.

Tang Hui crossed her legs and regarded Zhou Xuchuan with arrogance.

"Sorry. It was just a slip of the tongue, so I hope you can be generous and forgive me."

Zhou Xuchuan was flabbergasted.

"Most men look at me with lust when they see me for the first time, telling me that I live up to my title. Compared to them, you don't seem to be like that. It's quite refreshing to say the least. I'm happy."

This woman was far from ordinary.

"Please don't worry, Hero. As long as you aren't plotting something unnecessary against me, I might be able to remember your name after you bring it up about three times."

Was the Poison Phoenix such a crazy woman?

The information he had about Tang Hui was that she possessed incredible finesse in poison arts and hidden weapons, and that she was wise and beautiful. There was some information about her personality, but from all he knew, she just hated losing.

Apart from that, he didn't investigate properly.

"Well, then. You're welcome to stay as long as you want, so please rest. Also, refrain from looking for me as much as possible."

She outright told him not to bother her.

"It seems you're quick-tempered, Lady Poison Phoenix. The reason I was looking for you is to have a match with you."

Tang Hui halted in her tracks.

"…A match?"

"Yes, a match with a bet."

Tang Hui was very proud, even when compared to others of prestigious clans. She showed interest whenever someone challenged her to a duel and even asked to bet on it. Of course, the opponent must first reach a basic level to be qualified.

Tang Hui sat down, crossed her legs, and fixed Zhou Xuchuan with a glare, signaling him to continue.

"As cultivators, the match will naturally be a duel. It is okay if you step up, and it is also okay for you to have someone fight in your stead."

"Quite… interesting words you say."

The calm before the storm turned into the storm. Tang Hui looked as if she had no intentions to conceal her aura. The surrounding air became heavier, making it hard to breathe. When Zhou Xuchuan turned his head slightly, he saw a flower turning black and wilting. It was poisoned.

The lofty lioness looking down from above now looked like she was about to pounce at any moment. Her viciousness was so frightening that ordinary cultivators would probably find it hard to even breathe.

"I'm sorry. If you're thinking of comparing me to other ordinary women, you'd better stop now." Tang Hui warned, her eyes gleaming fiercely as thick green smoke began to emanate from her fingertips. Soon, the room was filled with a dense poison qi, causing the walls to soften and melt.

Zhou Xuchuan remained unmoved despite his surroundings. He didn't bat an eyelid, showing no sign of discomfort.

"My words exactly."

Tang Hui was twenty-three this year. She was his senior in the martial world, but not by a long shot. Since she had shown him respect, he intended to respond in kind.

"Your side of the bet?"

"A fine sword."

Slip.

Zhou Xuchuan took out Frostedge and put it on the table. Tang Hui inspected the sword with a mere glance.

"That's definitely not a bad item, but you're asking for too much if your aim is to have my hand in marriage."

"Not all men are interested in you."

Tang Hui frowned after hearing those words. Her face seemed to say, "What the hell do you want then?"

"Icefrost Poison."

It was a very potent poison capable of freezing the whole body, causing a cultivator to freeze to death even in the heat of summer.

The Ten Millennia Red Carp had a potent fire qi. If he were to absorb its internal core as is, not only would he not be able to absorb it properly, he could also risk internal injuries. That being said, he needed something to cancel out the internal core of the Ten Millennia Red Carp, which was the Icefrost Poison.

While he would have preferred a spiritual medicine to poison, none were available to him at the moment.

The Millenium Snow Ginseng in the Great Snowy Mountains was good, but he would freeze to death in search of one.

There was also the method of using the yin qi from the Eclipse Divine Archery Art, but his proficiency was nowhere near enough to counteract the fire qi of the Ten Millennia Red Carp.

After careful consideration, he settled on using Icefrost Poison.

Just like how spiritual medicine could become poison if not used correctly, poison could also be used as medicine if used right.