Volcanic Age

Third Dog's skill with lightness and footwork techniques was profound, even among the four brothers.

When he leaped forward, kicking off the ground, he resembled a hunting dog in pursuit. He quickly closed the gap with Zhou Xuchuan.

Twang!

Zhou Xuchuan pulled his bow back again and shot another arrow.

"Hmph!"

Third Dog swung his saber with all his might, letting out a scoff as if Zhou Xuchuan's attack was ridiculous. A saber wind with considerable pressure shot out.

The arrow, which had been flying true, suddenly veered off course, deflected by the artificially created wind. Moreover, the feathers of its fletching were neatly sliced off by the saber qi.

"As expected, it's not really effective against someone who has reached First Class."

Zhou Xuchuan nodded with a satisfied smile. While his arrows might be effective in an ambush, it would be difficult to take down someone of Third Dog’s caliber in a direct confrontation using archery alone.

This was the first time he had used the Eclipse Divine Archery Art against a First Class martial artist, and considering the Ten Thousand Divergence Art meant that he couldn't fully exhibit the full strength of the technique's original power, he was more than satisfied with what he had just achieved.

“Die!” Third Dog roared, swinging his saber savagely as if he had already split Zhou Xuchuan's head in two.

"Agk! Hundred Man Commander!” a mercenary nearby screamed.

It wasn't that the mercenary had any attachment to him. After all, there was no way that the Hundred Man Regiment could have grown attached to him in just a single day.

No, the mercenary knew that if Zhou Xuchuan were cut down, the rest of the battle would become far more difficult.

They had been guarding Zhou Xuchuan for their own safety.

Everyone believed that Zhou Xuchuan’s death was inevitable.

"Go die yourself!"

A sword shot out like lightning and met the saber.

“Wha—what…”

The force behind the sword strike was extraordinary.

Right as it felt like he had been struck by a tidal wave, Third Dog finally realized something was wrong.

That was the last thought he had before he died. Before he could even bring his saber back into position, Zhou Xuchuan's sword grazed his neck.

Squelch!

Third Dog's head, his eyes wide with shock, separated from his neck and spun through the air.

"A sword...?"

Fourth Dog, who was right behind him, couldn't make sense of the situation.

He felt dazed as the archer, nicknamed the Resonating Death Bow, decapitated his older brother with a sword in a single stroke.

"I told you, I'm a swordsman!"

Zhou Xuchuan's body blurred and appeared in front of Fourth Dog.

Fourth Dog tried to swing his saber in response, but it was too late.

Zhou Xuchuan stabbed Fourth Dog in the chest before pulling it out quickly.

"Ugh!"

With a single, strangled cry, Fourth Dog fell forward.

Two First Class experts had lost their lives in an instant.

"YOU BASTARD!!!!"

The enraged shout of the eldest brother tore through the battlefield as he witnessed his younger brothers' deaths. First and Second Dog charged forward, emitting murderous auras.

Second Dog reached Zhou Xuchuan first, unleashing his saber technique. The aura behind his attack was like a storm, impressing Zhou Xuchuan.

As expected of the technique of a sect named the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate!

The Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate's cultivation technique truly exemplified the Evil Dao (Saber) within the Evil Dao (Dao).[1]

The Flashing Waterfall Cultivation Art explosively increased the circulation of qi and blood flowing in the body, instantly amplifying one's physical abilities several times over. However, it was a tremendous burden on one's body, making it difficult to maintain it for a long time or to activate it quickly in succession.

“You bastard! You bastard!”

Second Dog swung his saber several times in anger. Despite his large frame, his movements were graceful.

Zhou Xuchuan first focused on getting used to the rain of saber strikes pouring down on him, matching each strike with his sword.

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Though his opponent was using all the power at his disposal, Zhou Xuchuan concentrated on studying Second Dog's saber technique.

"W-what the hell…"

"Just how…"

Meanwhile, the crowd paused their fighting, captivated by the confrontation between Second Dog and Zhou Xuchuan, their faces blank with surprise.

“Resonating Death Bow is blocking Second Dog with his sword…?”

“It looks like he’s being pushed back, but…”

"You fool. That's not an attack one can block easily. If he can just hold on, Second Dog will collapse from exhaustion, and Resonating Death Bow will win."

“Huh?!”

"I thought he was an archer?"

After all, didn't his nickname have the word bow in it?

"You damned bastard!" Second Dog growled as he added more force to his saber. Although it appeared as if was swinging it recklessly, he was actually using a saber technique.

Woosh!

A blade suddenly flew up toward Zhou Xuchuan from below, but he swiftly stepped back, his hair whipping in the wind.

Second Dog quickly redirected his upward swing and took two steps forward, bringing his saber down with all his might.

Clang!

Sparks flew as Zhou Xuchuan’s sword met Second Dog’s saber.

"Damn it! Don't let him go!"

First Dog flew in, eyes blazing, swinging his saber furiously.

Riiip!

A blade swung at Zhou Xuchuan from behind, aiming for his side.

"With just this?"

Deciding he was done probing, Zhou Xuchuan knocked the saber he was blocking upward and, at the same time, spun around on his left foot. His sword traced a semicircle in the air, deflecting the saber coming for his waist.

I… Am I getting pushed back?

First Dog suddenly snapped out of his rage-induced frenzy, realizing with a jolt that something was wrong.

The Flashing Waterfall Saber Technique was famous throughout the murim for its brutality and fierce power. Its cleaving ability and force were comparable to that of a demonic art, but rather than pushing Zhou Xuchuan back, both him and the technique were easily pushed back.

"Why is this bastard's cultivation… agk!"

"Why is it so high? I already know it's high!" Zhou Xuchuan interrupted, unleashing the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.

In an instant, the Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom from the second Plum Blossom Butterfly to the sixth Plum Blossom Plunge were displayed in the air. However, instead of a plum blossom, sword qi fell in its place.

"Ugh!"

First Dog stepped back, pushed back by the techniques. Second Dog, who was on the other side, quickly intervened and tried to block Zhou Xuchuan’s sword technique.

Crack, slash!

The sword technique continued, Plum Blossoms Scattering!

Countless dizzying sword forms spread out and fell on the two dogs.

"Ugh!!"

Clang, clang, clang!

Although they tried to block the sword strikes, they weren't able to block them all. Since they weren't able to sap the qi within Zhou Xuchuan's sword, their wounds gradually increased.

True to its name, the eighth form of the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom, Plum Blossom Rain, the more blood painted Zhou Xuchuan's sword, the redder the sword light became.

The Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom was a sword technique that focused on sword transformations.

Because its transformations were so fluid, it was difficult to counter them with the simple, single-strike-focused Flashing Waterfall Saber Technique.

It was only because the two dogs were disciple brothers who were in sync after cultivating together for such a long time that they were barely able to block Zhou Xuchuan's barrage. Otherwise, they would have been defeated a long time ago.

"He's so fast!" First Dog groaned, struggling to keep up with the onslaught.

The Flashing Waterfall Cultivation Art enhanced physical abilities to such an extent that, when used by a Peak expert, one's strength could rival that of a Transcendent.

While it was true that it was only comparable to a Transcendent in terms of physical ability alone, the fact that neither Dog could move under the barrage was still absolutely shocking.

Plum Blossom’s Nine Transformations!

Zhou Xuchuan's sword flickered into another transformation.

The heads of the two brothers spun as another nine major transformations of the flying plum blossoms flickered before their eyes just as they were beginning to adapt to the previous eight.

"Are… are you…"

First Dog’s face turned ashen.

Full of transformations but not sloppy.

Precise movements without any unnecessary details.

It was beautiful.

This kind of ascending sword technique wasn't common even in the murim.

“You have a keen eye.”

Zhou Xuchuan praised honestly, pretending to be amazed.

Plum Blossom Blooms!

Finally, after nine different forms, the plum blossom finally bloomed.

The nine afterimages vanished for a moment as Zhou Xuchuan's sword sliced through the air, only to reappear, blooming like a bud and engulfing the surroundings.

Cough, cough!

Countless sword marks crisscrossed First Dog and Second Dog’s bodies.

With Plum Blossom’s Nine Transformations, nine transformations of sword aura flickered open at lighting speed, disconnected petals of qi simulating flowers in full bloom.

If there were any masters standing among the onlookers,they would have marveled at the flawlessly executed technique. Unfortunately, no such masters were present to witness it.

Since it had happened in an instant and the sword technique too high-level for them to grasp, to the onlookers, it would have seemed as though First Dog and Second Dog splattered with blood the moment Zhou Xuchuan lightly swung his sword.

"Wha…"

The first to break the silence was the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate.

"AGHHH!!!"

"THE… THE FOUR DOGS OF THE FLASHING WATERFALL ARE DEAD!"

The enemy’s morale visibly dropped. It was only natural, given that their four strongest fighters had died in an instant.

ROAR!!!!

“Follow the Hundred Man Commander!”

“We have Resonating Death Bow on our side!”

The morale of the Miao Family Sword Gate exploded.

***

Meanwhile, Miao Zhenpei led his warriors to make a detour and climbed the hill.

“Ugh!"

Warriors of the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate screamed as they fell.

“Hahaha! Great! Just as I thought!” Miao Zhenpei laughed with satisfaction.

He had strategically placed several skilled mercenaries, including the Resonating Death Bow, at the forefront of the charge, hoping that the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate would believe that most of their forces were concentrated there after what had happened the previous day.

Then, as the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate moved most of their forces to respond, the Miao Family Sword Gate's core members would sneak around through a detour, hoping that there would be few warriors guarding the side path to their camp.

"Vice Gate Master. Something is strange," an adjutant standing nearby said.

"Strange?"

"Well… how do I say this? Don't you think this is too easy?"

“Hahaha. You worry too much. That’s because my strategy was perfect. Don’t worry about it.”

Miao Zhenpei patted the vassal’s shoulder and laughed.

However, his smile soon disappeared.

"Colossal Saber!"

A middle-aged giant was waiting for them on top of the hill.

Not only was he easily over seven chi[2] tall, but his muscles were so well-developed that they resembled those of a beast.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, and on his chest were not only the rippling lines of muscles but also countless scars that told the story of his battles. His shoulders and arms were thicker than a log, and his wrinkled face gave him the look of a wild monster.

His wild, messy hair was slicked back with grease.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Miao Family’s Left Sword.”

"You bastard! What are you doing here alone?!"

The ominous feeling the adjutant had sensed was now justified.

"What, you're really asking me that right now? What a wretched idiot."

The Colossal Saber, Ju Zhong, sneered.

Thwack!

Rumble!!!

The ground shook as Ju Zhong snapped his fingers.

The face of the adjutant who had warned Miao Zhenpei earlier turned pale.

“It’s a trap!”

As soon as he spoke, warriors with swords appeared from all directions, cutting off any escape. The Miao Family Sword Gate’s regiment found themselves outnumbered two to one.

Miao Zhenpei tightly shut his eyes.

‘I fell for their trap!’

He should have paid closer attention to his adjutant's warnings.

His pride had blinded him, leading him straight into the trap.

“Hahaha! Did you think I wasn't aware og your tactics?”

Ju Zhong’s vile laughter rang out loudly.

“Hmph! It looks like most of your gate’s warriors are here. With so much of your strength here, your main forces will be weak, and your frontlines will be breached right away! You're the fool!"

“So you think I’m stupid, it seems. I knew you would do this, so I sent those brats who are good at using sabers. You've heard of them, right? The Four Bogs of the Flashing Waterfall?"

“It’s not Four Bogs of the Flashing Waterfall; it’s the Four Dogs of the Flashing Waterfall. Well, I accept it then. If you sent those dogs, your main force should be able to hold out a little longer," Miao Zhenpei said.

Maybe because he was from the Evil Faction, but Ju Zhong was rough around the edges and didn't hide anything.

"Hmph. That was your mistake! With the Four Dogs of the Flashing Waterfall gone, that means that there aren't many experts on your side, either!"

Miao Zhenpei snorted and raised his sword.

“What? Hahahaha!”

Ju Zhong doubled over in laughter.

"As long as I take you down now, we'll win!"

Miao Zhenpei imbued his sword with qi. A murderous aura radiated from him as he headed toward Ju Zhong.

“Miao Family’s Left Sword, there's no way, is there? You don't really think you're my opponent, do you? Me, one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, the Flashing Waterfall Saber Gate Master Ju Zhong?”

“Do you think you’re the only one here among the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven?”

"What a crazed fool. You really are so pathetic."

Shing!

Ju Zhong let out a snort, as if Miao Zhenpei's struggle was ridiculous.

"It seems that you haven't realized that there are ranks even within the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.”

With that, Ju Zhong drew his saber, massive enough to fit his title. Upon closer inspection, the blade was coated in strands of thin qi, resembling threads.

"You're still a Transcendent, no matter how much you brag about your strength, you… huh?!"

Miao Zhenpei was about to laugh, but then his eyes widened in shock.

“Wha—No way!”

The previously intangible saber qi, which was nearly invisible, began to solidify, following the shape of Ju Zhong’s saber. The qi, once rippling like water, now hardened like ice.

"Now, go and die!"

1. The word for Saber is a homonym of the word for the Dao. ☜

2. Chi is an ancient Chinese measurement like the zhang. It's roughly 1/10th of a zhang, or around a foot. ☜