Volcanic Age

There wasn't a hierarchy among the Ten Empyrean Overlords, and there wasn't any reason for Absolute Masters to meet. The majority of them were representatives of their respective forces, so they wouldn't come out unless something really big happened.

They rarely fought others, and it was even rarer for them to fight among themselves.

Did you… plan this… Zhou Xuchuan sighed in relief upon seeing You Riwen.

"Ha…" A sigh escaped You Riwen's lips as he turned to Hao Dechang.

"If I had arrived just a bit earlier, a talent capable of shouldering the future of the murim wouldn't have died…" You Riwen muttered. His voice sounded truly sincere.

"Well, aren't people supposed to die someday, anyway?" the Blood Demon asked, smiling leisurely. He wasn't all that surprised by the arrival of the Sword Immortal.

"Did you expect me to show up?" You Riwen asked.

"I don't have eyes, but it doesn't mean that I can't see. My ears have fallen off, but it doesn't mean that I can't hear." The Blood Demon was a warrior, a corpsemaster, and a leader. "We're from the same Demonic Path, but we aren't as empty-headed as those from the Demon Cult. I don't want to die dumbfounded."

"My child, it seems that we have been seen through," You Riwen said, glancing at Zhuge Xiuluan. He wasn't blaming her. He was trying to say that the tactician ought to be careful, as the Blood Demon had seen through her.

"Enough with the chatter."

"Oh, so you're done saving that promising youngster of your sect by buying time through talking with me? I wasn't planning on harming him, either, so that's good."

Hong Gao had taken away the injured Zhou Xuchuan and had retreated to Zhuge Xiuluan.

"Okay, then, I'd like to see the famed skills of the Sword Immortal."

The Blood Demon snapped his fingers.

Squelch!

The blood that had been extracted from Hao Dechang poured out, and a literal rain of blood ensued as streaks of lines made out of blood were drawn across the air.

You Riwen responded by removing his right hand from behind him and flicking his fingers. A purple ray of light flashed. It was the Violet Haze Finger.

Swoosh!

The violet line and the blood lines collided in midair; each streak of purple collided with a streak of crimson. The moment they collided, the air before them was engulfed before imploding in a deafening explosion.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The loud noises pervaded their eardrums. Although neither had attacked using their specialties, their attacks were still strong enough to shake the heavens and the earth.

The Sword Immortal and the Blood Demon weren't that surprised. Their expressions remained unchanging, seemingly expressing that the terrifying scene was natural.

It was like they were casually probing each other in an effort to find out the other party's limits. The two sent out line after line of aura; the surrounding clamor and fighting came to a halt beneath the influence of their overwhelming power.

"Argh!"

Groans echoed here and there.

This was a life-or-death battle between two Empyrean Overlords. A witness could boast about having witnessed this fight for their lifetime, and they could pass on that story to their descendants.

Clapping their eyes on the fight was enough to bestow upon them enlightenment.

The ongoing battle was just too high of a level.

However, they couldn't afford to relax. The shockwaves from each collision sent violent tremors across the heavens and earth, forcing them to be wary of those shockwaves rather than their enemies.

Those with weaker cultivations would suffer internal injuries upon taking the brunt of the shockwaves from the clash of two Harmony Realm experts. Needless to say, even Peak Realm experts grimaced at the oncoming shockwaves, not to mention the Second Class and First Class warriors.

You Riwen started walking toward the Blood Demon. He stretched out his hand, and the sword suspended in midair flew over, landing in his hand.

Shing!

The first and second forms of the Violet Haze Sword Sutra unfolded at the same time.

The sword shot spun at terrifying speeds as it flew toward its target. If Zhou Xuchuan were the attacker, the sword would emit a purple light. However, You Riwen's formless aura meant that the sword itself remained colorless as the air around it trembled incessantly.

The sword boasted none of its previous splendor.

As it shot forward, the aura around it spread out like a fan. It was like dozens of swords were thrust forward at once.

"Ha!" the Blood Demon exclaimed, and his figure bent like a bow, creating tension in his muscles. Then, leveraging that power, he bounced forward, moving at breakneck speeds.

The Flicking Bow Moving Shadows—a technique that one could only use when one's lightness technique had reached the highest level.

BOOM!

If the Blood Demon had been even a beat later, he would have been struck by the second form of the Violet Haze Sword Sutra—Arc Flower Rain. The attack poured down like a waterfall; it was more powerful than one could imagine.

Each and every single bolt had extraordinary speed and power. To make matters worse, they contained the full strength of a Harmony Realm expert. The fact that You Riwen managed to casually unleash such a powerful move was truly absurd.

"I've been thinking about it since I saw the Violet Haze Sword Sutra, but really, what's with that brat over there? There's no way a Daoist who values the rules like you will ever break the conventions, so…"

Swish!

The Death Yin Staff with its hanging rings was thrust forward, and it was aimed precisely at You Riwen's spine.

Swoosh!

However, it struck nothing but air. He had no eyes on the back of his head, but You Riwen managed to dodge the attack and left only an afterimage as he disappeared.

The Illusive Shift—a technique that one could only use when one's movement technique had reached the highest level.

The Flicking Bow Moving Shadows and the Illusive Shift!

The two were casually using movement-type techniques that most of the observers couldn't even dream of imitating. The jaws of the onlookers dropped to the ground.

The level of the battle was so high that they couldn't even follow it with their eyes.

The Third Class warriors and lower couldn't even comprehend what was happening before them.

"I had no idea the Blood Cult Leader could become so curious," You Riwen remarked. His white beard billowed as he unleashed the Mount Hua Sect's signature qi. The plum blossom scent that had been overwhelmed by the smell of blood rose once again, pervading the air in an instant.

The Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom.

You Riwen's swordsmanship was on a whole new level. Of course, this was to be expected of the Sect Master of the Mount Hua Sect and the Sword Immortal.

Zhou Xuchuan was talented enough to unleash the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom, but in You Riwen's hands, the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom was like a beast in a different league altogether.

If an analogy were to be made, it'd be like comparing the swordsmanship of a child and an adult. Both wielded the same weapon, but the two could not be compared at all.

Woosh!

The plum blossom petals fluttered as they fell, and cold streaks of light flashed in between the plum blossoms as the sword forms were unleashed.

The attacks weren't just flashy and fast. They were profound and incredibly powerful as well.

Even the Blood Demon was amazed at the scenery that resembled a torrential rain. Amidst his amazement, he wielded the Death Yin Staff and defended himself with a series of attacks of his own.

Clang, clang, clang!

The Sword Immortal and the Blood Demon faced each other and exchanged blows hundreds of times in the proverbial blink of an eye. They moved so fast that all the observers could see were their afterimages.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

An explosion would occur at every collision. The rocks beneath them shattered, and cracks soon appeared across the Gobi Desert. Upon every explosion, the sound on the ground would rise before being forcefully scattered into the wind.

The sight didn't look like two human beings were fighting.

The spectators couldn't help but be reminded of tales of monsters and immortals.

The people around them seemed like they had forgotten to fight and simply watched. Of course, they were careful not to get injured by the shockwaves.

Zhuge Xiuluan approached Zhou Xuchuan and asked, "Are you okay?"

"As the tactician, you can't lose sight of the battlefield. I'm fine, so don't worry about me," Zhou Xuchuan said, smiling as if nothing had happened.

"…"

Zhuge Xiuluan was silent. Then, she took out a palm-sized rectangular piece of silk from her sleeve.

"Young Lady Zhuge."

"…Stay still."

Zhou Xuchuan wanted to refuse, as the silk was too expensive to be used to wipe away blood, but Zhuge Xiuluan ignored him and wiped the former's wounds clean.

"...?" A strange light appeared in Zhuge Xiuluan's eyes. The sphere of blood earlier had clearly pierced Zhou Xuchuan's arms and legs. Zhuge Xiuluan had seen the hole in his shoulder, and it was quite large.

However, the hole was no longer that huge. It had become just a tiny hole. She also had no idea when Zhou Xuchuan had pressed his acupoints to stop his bleeding, but he was no longer bleeding.

"Really, it's nothing."

"Still… just in case,"

Zhuge Xiuluan took out a Golden Sore Ointment and applied it to the wound. They were in the middle of a battlefield, so Zhuge Xiuluan couldn't afford to be meticulous with her treatment, but it was better than no treatment at all.

The Divine Pill of the Au Co really is amazing. Zhou Xuchuan inwardly exclaimed as he glanced at his wound. Zhuge Xiuluan's strange feeling wasn't just a fabric of her imagination.

He had actually been severely wounded by the Blood Demon's technique. He wasn't in danger of dying, but he couldn't move his limbs.

However, at that moment, the ability he had acquired a while ago was finally activated.

The ability of the Divine Pill of the Au Co—an incredible healing ability.

The bleeding stopped quickly; the severed and crushed muscle fibers were reattached. His flesh regenerated rapidly as well. At this rate, I'll be good as new in just a day.

If it weren't for the fact that he consumed so much qi, he would recover faster. Of course, he could rest and circulate his qi to recover even quicker, but he didn't have the luxury to do something like that.

This ability's effects would be double on a descendant of the Au Co. Maybe they might actually become immortal upon ingesting that pill. Zhou Xuchuan finally understood why the Au Co Tribe was so obsessed with the Divine Pill and was willing to risk their lives for it.

"Thank you," Zhou Xuchuan said to Zhuge Xiuluan before standing. Although his wounds stung, he could withstand the pain.

Just then, someone tugged on his sleeve.

Zhou Xuchuan turned around and saw Zhuge Xiuluan shaking her head while holding the hem of his sleeve.

"You're injured… it'll be dangerous," Zhuge Xiuluan said. Zhou Xuchuan had just stood up, but she instantly saw through his intentions. Indeed, she was a genius of the Zhuge Family.

"I know."

The Blood Demon, one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords. The Blood Demon's name was far heavier than Zhou Xuchuan had imagined.

He could make use of the memories and experiences in his past life, but he still wouldn't be able to defeat the Blood Demon. He just couldn't keep up with him; he felt like the Blood Demon had made a fool out of him.

If the Sword Immortal hadn't come, he would have died. Zhou Xuchuan was certain of it. The Blood Demon was that strong, but…

"That doesn't mean I can back down."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

What if the Sword Immortal ended up losing?

Zhou Xuchuan didn't even want to imagine it. He knew that even if he somehow escaped and survived, the five-thousand-strong allied force would be annihilated.

The ramifications of such a result alone brought goosebumps all over him, and he grew even more annoyed as he was reminded of Blessed Existence's laughter.

"I'm not being unreasonable here. Young Lady Zhuge must have seen it earlier. I've mastered the Violet Haze Divine Art just like the Sect Master."

It wasn't just Zhuge Xiuluan. Everyone present saw the violet qi. Their minds had simply set it aside for the meantime, as the life-or-death battle between the two Empyrean Overlords was too shocking for them to think about anything else.

"We're going to attack him together using the same technique, so I will definitely be able to help. Even just a single move is enough. The Sect Master will definitely win."

A master versus a master.

A battle between experts of the same strength could be decided by a momentary mistake or carelessness. A brief delay or a mistake could lead to immediate death, and Zhou Xuchuan's goal was that.

"..."

Zhuge Xiuluan stood up as well. As usual, her eyes were firm, shining like a placid lake. Her expression remained unchanged. No fear, anxiety, or worry were reflected on her face, and her thoughts were inscrutable as her eyes reflected Zhou Xuchuan's back.

A moment later, Zhuge Xiuluan said with difficulty, "I will… help you."

The general was going on an expedition, so there was only one thing the strategist ought to do. She had to devise a clever plan and move according to the general's intentions.

The Tactician Phoenix.

Her outstanding beauty alone wasn't the reason she was called "Phoenix."

"Understood!" Zhou Xuchuan smiled, rotating his shoulders. There was no need for him to worry about the special task force. The fight of the five thousand troops didn't matter to him at all.

There was no need to consider what would happen after the battle.

After all, the best strategist in the murim would take care of it.

I will do what I can.

1. Unless you have enough Harmony Realm Masters close to the wall, like with the Evil Valley Master. ☜