Volcanic Age

"J-just what…"

The ten frozen by the Dragon Roar stiffened.

Their weaker cultivations had actually saved them.

Twenty out of the thirty were instantly defeated, and their leader, who had been boasting as if he was in a position of power, was also cleaved in two and left on the ground.

Zhou Xuchuan stepped through the pool of blood and approached the frozen Seven Stars Division soldiers.

“I would like to catch you and beat the information out of you.”

Rustle.

Perhaps overwhelmed by his divine might, the Seven Stars Division soldiers flinched and instinctively stepped back.

"However, I also know that getting anything from you would be incredibly difficult. And I have no intention of wasting my time."

Zhou Xuchuan sheathed his sword and raised both hands. He bent all his fingers as if he were gathering them all together and raised his qi.

"So, I'll make things easy for you."

Thwip!

He flicked his ten fingers at the same time. He wasn't just flicking as if to shake the water off his hands; bolts of the Violet Haze Finger expanded from his ten fingers.

Purple lines stretched out from his hands like branches, piercing the heads and hearts of the ten remaining Seven Stars Division soldiers.

“Ugh!"

The Seven Stars Division soldiers fell, screaming as Zhou Xuchuan passed them by and resumed his journey.

***

Defeat in the first clash.

The central Main Force was unable to withstand the charge of the ten thousand demon cultists and was forced to retreat from Qinghai Lake.

Fortunately, they had prepared a retreat route in advance, and their forces retreated like the low tide.

As they retreated, the Left and Right Armies assisted them and engaged in fierce battles with the Demon Cult from the sides.

"It's the Mount Hua Sect!”

Someone from the Demon Cults pointed to a place—toward the two-thousand-strong Left Army.

Several banners were raised within the Martial Alliance's forces, with the Mount Hua Sect's banner at the forefront.

With Plum Blossom Sword Captain Wei Zhijie in the lead, the Mount Hua Sect’s swordsmen rushed forward with murderous looks.

"Don't let those demon cultists live."

Wei Zhijie pointed at the demon cultists with his sword.

"Show them the sword of Mount Hua!"

"Understood!"

It was a spectacular sight to see the Mount Hua Sect’s disciples rush out at the same time. They were followed by the Kongdong Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and Beggar Gang disciples. РάꞐôꞖÊṧ

The two-thousand-strong Left Army was made up of a thousand three hundred Mount Hua disciples, three hundred Kongtong Sect disciples, three hundred Qingcheng Sect disciples, and one hundred Beggar Gang disciples.

The sheer difference in numbers showed just how deep the resentment the Mount Hua Sect had toward the Demon Cult.

“Kyahaha! This is really something. They came out in droves!”

Among the crowd, a tall warrior with pale skin and gray hair fluttering behind his back appeared. His face was covered by a mask made of human bones, leaving only his eyes visible.

“Northern Death Guardian! Yan Qiuyou!”

When they saw his face, his title and name were recognized almost immediately.

He was one of the Four Great Guardians of the Demon Cult and was an infamous Great Demon Head.

As soon as Wei Zhijie saw Yan Qiuyou, he grabbed his sword and flew forward. His sleeves billowed as a sword pressure gushed out from his body.

Woosh!

A straight line stretched forward before him. Yan Qiuyou didn't dodge but stayed still, and when the sword came right in front of his nose, he grabbed it.

Wei Zhijie’s sword easily pierced Yan Qiuyou’s palm. Starting from his wrist, the sword sliced through his arm.

While he intended to sever the Great Demon Head's arm completely, for some reason, his sword lost momentum and got stuck in the middle.

"Ahaha! So you came over here with your own two feet!"

A crazed smile formed on the corner of Yan Qiuyou’s mouth.

The Northern Death Guardian's demonic art was called the Imperishable Demon Art, which was a technique that didn't allow one to die unless their brain was destroyed.

Even if the heart was destroyed, the art gave the cultivator the power to recover instantly, and when a blade entered the body, it would fuse the blood and flesh around it, making it impossible for the blade to move, just like now.

In terms of ability alone, it was comparable to a divine art. However, it fostered severe demonic tendencies and had the side effect of forcing the cultivator to engage in cannibalism periodically.

Moreover, as was the case with most demonic arts, it had the serious limitation of being almost impossible for the cultivator to overcome the barriers between realms.

However, because of his sheer talent, he was able to reach the Extreme Demon Stage.

"Now, let me send you off to that Great Hero of yours!"

Still gripping the sword trapped in his arm, Yan Qiuyou pulled back his free hand and threw a punch forward.

A firm fist flew toward Wei Zhijie’s chest.

Squelch!

“Huh?”

A confused gasp came out of Yan Qiuyou's mouth. Reflected in his eyes was a wrist and a severed hand.

The pupils behind the skull mask moved left and right to grasp the situation.

"A bitch…?"

A woman who looked as though she had only just become an adult appeared behind Wei Zhijie.

Moreover, she was also a beauty who could make one’s eyes spin. Even with his wrist severed, like a typical cultist, he showed lust.

Swish!

The beauty, Luo Xiaoyue, twisted her wrist. The sword spun around, moved back into position, and slashed horizontally.

As time seemed to pass slowly, the sword cleanly cut through the air and quietly dug into the hollow between Yan Qiuyou's eyes and ears.@@novelbin@@

Squelch.

Luo Xiaoyou's expression was as cold as ice.

"Your sword doesn't waver, and its speed and sharpness are without any unnecessary flairs. Even though you're young, you have great skills."

Yan Qiuyou furrowed his brows and pushed the sword away.

Although her sword dug into his flesh, it stopped in front of his skull, caught in the flesh that was still regenerating at high speed.

Wei Zhijie furrowed his brows in regret. They had missed the opportunity to destroy Yan Qiuyou’s weak point, his brain.

Though Luo Xiaoyue showed an unrivaled talent within the Plum Blossom Swordsmen, the Northern Death Guardian was still in his prime.

“Hmph!”

Yan Qiuyou leaped far behind, and the two swords embedded in his flesh were suddenly pulled out.

Wei Zhijie and Luo Xiaoyue straightened their backs as they retrieved their swords.

"You're quite exquisite… huh?"

Yan Qiuyou stretched his arms out and tilted his head to the side, then slapped his knee as he exclaimed.

"Oh! You're one of the Twenty Four Plum Blossom Swordsmen!"

Behind Wei Zhijie and Luo Xiaoyue, swordsmen with unusually fierce auras appeared. Including Luo Xiaoyue, there were twenty-four of them.

“Come here!"

As Yan Qiuyou beckoned with his intact arm, a nearby cultist came running over.

The demon cultist, who seemed to be his subordinate, tried to ask what was going on before suddenly letting out a single scream.

Without even looking away, the Northern Death Guardian grabbed the cultist by the wrist and tore his hand off. The flesh came off with a 'snap' sound, exposing the wrist bone.

Yan Qiuyou grabbed and severed off his subordinate's hand, then attached it to his severed stump and laughing loudly.

"So the Mount Hua Sect's swordsmen have become vengeful ghosts! Good! That hatred of yours suits you! I'll take you on!"

The Left Army consisted of two thousand, and the Right Army consisted of two thousand.

The Right Army consisted of a thousand Shaolin monks, three hundred members of the Murong Family, three hundred disciples of the Emei Sect, three hundred disciples of the Zhongnan Sect, and a hundred members of the Beggar Gang.

The Right Army's momentum was just as great as the Left Army's. In particular, the power of the Shaolin Temple's monks was amazing.

"Agh!"

“You damn bastards!” a nervous cultist shouted.

Every time the monks swung their fists and staffs, Demon Cult fell like autumn leaves.

"Wow, the Shaolin Temple is flying through the battlefield."

"I heard that the Shaolin Temple wasn't as strong as before, but I guess that was just a rumor."

"Is this why the Shaolin Temple is called the Highest Peak?"

The Righteous Faction members of the allied forces couldn’t help but be amazed when they saw it.

“…"

The Zhongnan Sect's Milky Way Sage quietly inserted himself between the monks.

While he continued to drill holes into the heads and hearts of the teeming demon cultists with the Milky Way Star Plucking Finger, he had a worried expression on his face.

It's like… looking at an Asura.

The Shaolin Temple's disciples were monks. It was natural for them to be rough. However, there was something different about their current appearance.

This wasn’t just rough—it was as if they were consumed by anger and power.

Something has been strange since the Divine Monk passed away.

The Divine Monk, Hui Mian, had emphasized forgiveness and mercy throughout his lifetime.

Even though he possessed the cultivation of an Absolute Master, he didn't concern himself with that power often and valued peaceful methods whenever possible.

However, now, things were different. The monks seemed to be burning fiercely, but it wasn't clear what they were so enraged for. Moreover, the current abbot didn't show the mercy of the previous one.

“Show them the power of the Shaolin Temple!”

Hong Gao unleashed the Lion Roar. However, it was different from the usual Lion Roar.

The sound that should have been clean and clear, clearing away distracting thoughts, now really resembled that of a beast, like the true roar of a lion.

“Heup!"

Hong Gao stomped his foot hard and swung his fist.

"Ugh!"

"Agh!"

The cultist was hit by the Divine Fist and flew backward.

“I will show you what it means to look down on the Shaolin Temple.”

Hong Gao gripped his rosary tightly, the tendons on his hand standing out prominently.

Yes…

A smile formed on his face that seemed as if not a single tear would be shed.

However, it was not a smile reminiscent of the compassion of the Buddha.

For a monk, it was too cold.

This is the true Shaolin Temple, Master.

The Highest Peak Shaolin Temple, the Thousand Year Shaolin Temple.

The gazes of those around him changed. The light in their eyes now seemed to say, 'as expected of the Shaolin Temple.' It wasn't the dharma that proved the Shaolin's strength, but their martial might.

After the death of the Divine Monk, waves of mourning spread, and the Shaolin Temple was enraged.

However, after these events, the rumors that belittled their reputation eventually disappeared.

Now, you will all know how terrifying the Shaolin Temple's wrath is.

Even the moderate Hui Generation disciples couldn't hold back any further.

Everyone cried out for revenge. The death of the former abbot united the Shaolin Temple, and its power exploded.

This is…

Hong Gao looked down at his clenched fist. It was covered in the blood of the abominable Demon Cult.

This is the Shaolin Temple I wanted.

A thousand disciples from the Kunlun Sect, three hundred each from the Sichuan Tang Family and the Zhuge Family, four hundred from the Beggar Gang, and another thousand from the Martial Alliance.

They were the members of the Central Main Force.

While the Left and Right Armies managed to minimize their losses by attacking from the flanks and retreating, the main force wasn't as lucky.

The damage to their forces was great because they had first been attacked by the entire throng of ten thousand demon cultists.

Five hundred soldiers were killed at once.

However, the silver lining was that the Martial Alliance command remained calm and responded appropriately.

"Be careful not to get separated. Moreover, the difference in strength is severe, so we have to stay with the Portable Natural Formation and maintain the formation. I understand how you feel, but we have to make sure that we don't lose our rationality even if your disciple brothers and sisters are killed directly in front of you."

Zhuge Xiuluan's strategic skills may have been impressive, but her true weapon was her ability to stay level-headed.

She quickly judged the ever-changing battlefield, and in place of giving up on her weaker cultivation, she invested her efforts into increasing her ability to command.

Thanks to that, the command system was set up a bit faster.

Moreover, the power of her family and her own personal reputation was impressive enough to make up for her young age and gender, allowing her to move the Martial Alliance's main force like her own hands and feet.

The Zhuge Family was a renowned family of strategies. This reputation gave her credibility.

Sometimes, the Righteous Faction suffered due to blindly trusting the name and following the orders of an incompetent person, but that wasn't the case now.

Most importantly, her title as the Tactician Phoenix of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes of the younger generation was a great help.

Still, isn't she the Tactician Phoenix?

Although she's young, her brain is incredible.

Not to mention, she's the younger sister of the Vice Strategist.

She's also the granddaughter of the Strategist.

There was nothing more reliable than a privileged class with both ability and character. However, if someone incompetent rose to power through privilege, it could lead to disaster.

“Disciples of Kunlun, kill our mortal enemies!”

"You damned horse-faced Daoists of Kunlun!"

The battle between the Kunlun Sect and the Demon Cult was fierce.

They had fought each other for a long time, making their grudges deep.

The two sides also knew each other well.

In particular, the Kunlun Sect generally had the upper hand when fighting the Demon Cult, which was partly due to the experience they had gained from fighting for a long time but also due to the Demon Cult's aggressive nature.

The side effects of demonic arts were more severe than expected. Sometimes, they would go crazy in the middle of a battle, and it was common for them to kill nearby allies without regard for the consequences.

The Demonic Path wasn't called the Demonic Path for nothing. To be honest, it was amazing that it didn't collapse on its own considering its weaknesses.