Volcanic Age

Meng Gang pressed his acupoints to stop his bleeding.

"Ordinary? Nonsense!"

The brat in front of him was a swordsman of the Righteous Faction, of the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Sects and One Gang at that! But he just used the Poison Palm?!

This was something that couldn't be overlooked.

Moreover, it wasn't any ordinary poison.

It looked deadly, even at a glance.

Zhou Xuchuan had actually just created a poison by converting a ridiculous amount of qi into the Green Eyes Ten Thousand Poisons Art. However, there was no way that Meng Gang could have known that.

"Ha, it seems like the hypocrites of the Righteous Faction are finally revealing their true colors!"

The Righteous Faction usually found using poison disgraceful, something they'd avoid even in life-or-death situations.

Tap!

He charged forward again.

This time, he didn't try to end things in a single blow. For now, he just lightly used his first technique.

Swish!

Zhou Xuchuan's movements were swift, slicing through the air and tracing an arc toward Meng Gang's upper arm.

Meng Gang countered immediately, moving with surprising speed for his size. He swung his sword up, deflecting Zhou Xuchuan's blow.

Clang!

The swords clashed, sending sparks flying. Both of their swords were imbued with sword qi, emitting a blue light every time they clashed.

Zhou Xuchuan's attack wasn't over yet. He quickly regained control over his sword, bringing it down again.

Then, the Mount Hua Sect's signature technique unfolded in Zhou Xuchuan's hands.

"Twenty-four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom!"

Meng Gang recognized it at a glance.

He hadn't reached his age for nothing. As the head of the Eighteen Stockades of the Red Forest, he had fought different opponents.

Roadside Plum Blossom, Plum Blossom Butterfly, Plum Blossom's Seduction!

Zhou Xuchuan smoothly transitioned through the first three forms.

As if his sword was spewing out qi, waves of sword qi burst upward. It wasn't just one or two blasts of sword qi, but multiple.

It was quite a spectacle from afar. However, from Meng Gang's perspective, it was hell.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap!

As expected, the next technique quickly followed.

It was like a meteor shower. The sword qi that fell down from above onto one point was truly terrifying.

The sword qi poured down like rays of sunlight, plunging deep before erupting on impact.[1]

"Ugh!"

A groan escaped from Meng Gang's mouth.

Each individual bolt of sword qi may not have been anything special, but when countless bolts fell in one direction, blocking them was no easy task.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Meng Gang's sword was also imbued with qi, spreading out wide to block as much as possible.

However, his widened qi had a limit.

Meng Gang, who had been moving busily and repelling as much as he could, was eventually forced to throw his body to the side and evade by rolling across the ground.

It was what was commonly known as the Donkey Roll.

Pffft!

The burst of sword qi that had lost its slammed into the dirt, leaving a net-like pattern on the ground.

Dust billowed up, clouding the air and obstructing his vision.

Zhou Xuchuan closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. Since the dust was so thick, he decided to rely on his other senses.

It was a wise choice. The cloud of dust to his left parted as Meng Gang jumped out.

Die!

Meng Gang smiled with satisfaction. He had no doubt that he would be able to fatally wound the brat this time around.

How futile!

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes flashed.

Since he had focused on his other senses, his reaction was swift. As if he had been waiting, he turned and blocked Meng Gang's sword.

Clang-!!

Their swords clashed again, the force creating a gust of wind that swept the dust centered around them away.

As the haze lifted, they could see each other clearly.

"..."

The intense clash paused for a moment as Zhou Xuchuan and Meng Gang stared each other down, neither making a move.

What's going on?

Zhou Xuchuan wondered inwardly.

I've given him plenty of opportunities to use his sword aura, why hasn't he used it yet?

At first glance, it seemed like Meng Gang was going all out.

But in reality, he wasn't using the full power expected of someone in the Harmony Realm.

There was also something lacking in his swordsmanship. While it definitely wasn't that of a low-level martial artist, it wasn't at the level of a Harmony Realm expert.

He hasn't even used any proper sword skills, either.

While he was naturally impressed by Meng Gang's physical abilities and reflexes, there wasn't much else to admire. The fact that he hadn't used any proper sword skills bothered Zhou Xuchuan, keeping him from moving recklessly.

If things had gone as planned, Zhou Xuchuan could have countered and won when Meng Gang blindly put his faith in his sword aura.

However, even at the most critical movement, the Stockade Boss hadn't shown any intention of using it, leaving Zhou Xuchuan unsure of his next move.

"Zhou Xuchuan."

Meng Gang's calm voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Unlike before, Zhou Xuchuan could see the cold, burning anger in his eyes. What was visible beneath the overflowing bloodlust was seriousness.

"I never expected you to push me this far."

The rumors of the gangho were always exaggerated, so Meng Gang had thought that the Plum Blossom Order Sword had also found his way to the top by riding on such exaggerated rumors.

However…

"I'll acknowledge you."

"Ha, tsk. You really can't stop talking nonsense, can you? You were so angry earlier that you were just swearing, are you trying to flatter me now?"

"You arrogant brat. This Stockade Boss of the Red Forest, Meng Gang, is saying that he will acknowledge you. But you dare kick that glory away?"

"I don't need that glory, nor do I really care."

"This brat dares! How dare this bastard keep talking so insolently!" Meng Gang shouted as he thrust his sword forward.

"Ha-a-eup!"

Meng Gang took a deep breath and released it with a roar, swinging his sword wildly.

Zhou Xuchuan dodged with lightning-fast footwork, moving just enough to stay a step ahead.

He anticipated what Meng Gang's next move might be.

…?

Something felt off. Meng Gang looked ready to unleash his full power. Naturally, Zhou Xuchuan thought that the attacks would come one after another.

However, what happened next was baffling.

I-is he running?

Zhou Xuchuan stared in disbelief as Meng Gang turned and sprinted away at full speed.

Could he be thinking of taking Zhuge Xiuluan as a hostage?

If so, things could escalate fast.

The rear gate's forces were just a decoy. They were only used to stall some of the Red Forest bandits.

No one there could hold Meng Gang back if he charged through like a wild boar, they'd be crushed.

"You dare!"

Despite starting later, Zhou Xuchuan chased after Meng Gang with near-impossible speed. His speed was a result of the countless hours he had invested in perfecting his lightness and footwork techniques.

Zhou Xuchuan quickly closed the distance.

Hidden Nether Flying Dagger Art!

He stretched his left arm forward, the hem of his sleeve billowing.

Thwip!

With a flick of his wrist, a dagger shot out, tracing a clean, straight path through the air.

"This punk!"

Meng Gang, almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head, turned and swung his sword, releasing a sword wind.

The haze gathered before spreading widely. An invisible blade wind shot out of Zhou Xuchuan's sleeve and carried his dagger forward.

As for Meng Gang, his sword wind had no eyes. It was simply shot out haphazardly to block behind him.

"Ugh!"

"Agk!!"

Because of that, a few unfortunate Red Forest bandits ended up caught in it.

A mist of blood filled the air.

"Now you're even using hidden weapons? This is ridiculous."

Meng Gang was dumbfounded.

Zhou Xuchuan's skill with throwing weapons was extraordinary, even comparable to the Tang Family.

"How ridiculous? Isn't that something I should be saying?"

Zhou Xuchuan slowly walked toward Meng Gang.

"You said you acknowledged my strength, but you even ran away like a coward? Just who the hell are you?"

Zhou Xuchuan couldn't make sense of it.

From the aura of his body, he was in the Harmony Realm, but his martial skills spoke differently. Although the bandit had said that he would use all of his strength, he just ran away.

"Haven't you ever heard of a tactical retreat?"

Meng Gang's lips twisted into a smile. It was an unpleasant smile.

Clang!

With a sneer, Meng Gang dropped his sword to the ground. It wasn't because he lost strength, it was intentional.

"Do you know why your head is still attached to your neck? Because your cultivation was strong? Because you're lucky? No. It's just because this body of mine hasn't used all of its strength just yet."

"What, you failed the exam dozens of times in the past, and now you're just drinking and grumbling with nothing to do, saying, 'I haven't given my all yet! I can do whatever it is I put my mind to,' or something like that, right? I get it."

"No."

"Then what? Did you seal a dragon's power in your left arm or something?"[2]

"Hehehe, this is the last time you'll act so high and mighty."

Meng Gang laughed sinisterly. There was an indescribable eeriness in his laughter.

He turned around, presenting his back to Zhou Xuchuan as if inviting him to look closely.

Although it looked like a brightly colored door, for some reason, Zhou Xuchuan couldn't approach it.

It felt like there were hundreds of thousands of archers behind the door, waiting for an enemy to come in.

There's no way…

A possibility came to mind. If that were the case, it would explain all of Meng Gang's strange behavior so far.

Zhou Xuchuan hoped what he was suspecting really wasn't the case. However, ominous thoughts always ended up hitting the mark.

"Ahaha!"

Meng Gang's voice was filled with confidence as he turned to face Zhou Xuchuan again.

"Now, little brat. Why don't we dance properly?"

In front of him was a spear.

Its spearhead shined sharper than any honorable-grade sword. A bundle of red cloth strings, a tassel, dangled from below, catching the eye.

Meng Gang's left hand gripped the wooden shaft, while his right hand settled below it.

This was a mistake.

Zhou Xuchuan clicked his tongue inwardly and regretted it.

He had been distracted by too many thoughts and doubts. His judgment hadn't been very good.

Meng Gang hadn't intentionally not been using sword techniques. He simply couldn't use them.

What he had used to rise to the Harmony Realm hadn't been his sword, but his spear. Considering he hadn't been using his spear so far, it was only natural that he wasn't able to show any spear aura until now.

This also explained why his swordsmanship was more lacking than he thought.

Zhou Xuchuan realized he had wasted his opportunities. If he had just used sword aura earlier, it would have been easy to handle.

Crack!

Zhou Xuchuan clenched his teeth. He couldn't help but feel angry at himself.

"Hahaha. Now, isn't your face a little more presentable?"

Meng Gang laughed with satisfaction.

"…"

Whew.

Zhou Xuchuan took a deep breath, calming his racing heart and clearing his mind.

The mistakes he had just made would disappear with experience. He just had to reflect on his choices and be more careful next time.

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes narrowed as Meng Gang's eyes became fierce.

I have to kill him.

Meng Gang no longer looked down on Zhou Xuchuan as a child. A murderous bloodlust rose up in his heart.

He's only twenty—no, thirty, but he's still this strong. I don't know if I'll be able to fight him in ten years. If I lose here, he'll come back for revenge someday. I have to kill him at all costs, for the sake of the future.

Meng Gang drew on qi from his lower dantian. Unlike before, the circulation was faster. Now, he felt like he could unleash his true strength.

"Most importantly..."

Meng Gang unconsciously put his thoughts into words.

"The moment I show you this, no one will be able to leave here alive."

Drawing a line, Meng Gang positioned himself so that his left and right heels were all on the same line.

It was a common spearmanship stance, with one hand holding the base of the spear.

In the moment it took him to control his breathing, the next attack flowed like water, and Zhou Xuchuan's eyes widened in shock as he let out a surprised shout.

"Pear Blossom Spear… The Yang Family Spear Technique!"

"Hmph!"

"As expected, you're from the imperial army and a general at that!"

1. The fourth and fifth techniques are Plum Blossom Rays and Plum Blossom Plunge, respectively. ☜

2. CHUNNIBIYOOOOOOOOOU. ☜