Volcanic Age

The Archive oversaw the management of spiritual beasts.

As with most elixirs, the amount of qi contained within a neidan increased over time, accompanied by a corresponding increase or decrease.

In particular, the neidans of spiritual beasts required special management, as their quality could change depending on the surrounding environment.

The same went for the Millennia Fire Carp. As one of the top spiritual beasts managed by the Dark Heavens Association, it had been given a lot of attention.

Then, one day, the Millennia Fire Carp was stolen.

The Head Archivist had raised it with more care than a parent with a precious child, just waiting for the day he would be able to harvest it.

However, the last time he saw it, it was nothing but bones, without a single piece of flesh.

He still couldn’t forget the shock he had felt at that moment. The memory of the Millennia Fire Carp, painstakingly raised with so much effort, being hunted so easily was still vivid.

As soon as he heard Zhou Xuchuan's whisper, he swore.

At that time, he had searched the surroundings like one scoured for lice to find the culprit. He even investigated the murim, looking for an expert who had suddenly improved his cultivation extensively to appear. However, none ever showed up.

Still, he didn't give up. The Dark Heavens Association Leader seemed to be very displeased with it, so he had ordered him to catch the culprit.

Now, today, he found that culprit.

"DAMN IT!"

BOOM!

The Head Archivist’s eyes rolled back in fury, and an overwhelming bloodlust erupted, unlike anything he had displayed before. Lightning flared around him as if feeding off his rage.

Crackle! Crack, crack!!

Electricity coursed through the air; it was so intense that Zhou Xuchuan's hair stood on end, goosebumps breaking out across his skin.

As his hair began to rise, crackling with static, bolts of electricity surged so intensely that they seemed to ripple through Tai’e’s body

"Zhou Xuchuan!"

It was a roar so loud that it felt like it split one's eardrums. It was as loud as the Shaolin Temple's Lion Roar, making one tremble like thunder had descended.

“Ugh!”

"Agh!"

Those around them groaned, clutching at their ears at the sound of thunder falling from the dry sky.

"You ridiculous little brat, how dare you!"

The Head Archivist's eyes lit up with a blazing blue light. An anger that they had never seen before roared in his pupils.

"I was wondering why you had so much qi for someone of your age…!"

Once one's name was listed on the Slaughter Register, it was inevitable that some investigation would follow. It was only natural that he had some information about Zhou Xuchuan.

The Righteous Faction's Younger Generation Talent and Hero, the Plum Blossom Order Sword.

Since childhood, he had been called All Bark and No Bite, and his qi reserves were unusually high compared to that of others.

At the time, most had just assumed it was only a little more than ordinary, but after he became an adult, the scale of his qi reserves was completely different.

People even wondered if he had somehow gotten lucky and consumed an elixir. To think that really was the case.

"I'll kill you!"

The Head Archivist glared at Zhou Xuchuan as if the swordsman had killed his parents. That was how much resentment he felt over the Millennia Fire Carp.

Putting aside how difficult it had been to raise the spiritual beast, hadn't he fallen out of the Dark Heavens Association Leader's graces after losing it?

What made it even more frustrating was that he had been ridiculed even outside of the Archive, by several members of the Association, including the Seven Stars.

Bang!

The Head Archivist disappeared in a flash, his movement leaving behind a streak of light like lightning itself.

Screech!

There was a bloodcurdling sound of nails scraping against metal. While it felt like something sharp was flying at Zhou Xuchuan, what actually came for him was somewhat different.

Like a heavy hammer crashing down, the Archivist’s fist shot forward, aimed directly at Zhou Xuchuan’s chest.

BOOM!

The fist collided with a sword held vertically. It wasn't just that they collided physically. Their auras collided in turn.

The sheer amount of aura itself was on a different level. The resulting shockwave was so powerful that it caused their heads to rattle, sending violent tremors through their bodies.

Their muscles tingled and contracted, their legs trembling slightly. They were forced back, the soles of their feet rubbed hot from friction, only stopping when they got to the very edge of the river.

“Huh!”

They both gasped in surprise.

As expected of an executive of the Dark Heavens Association!

Zhou Xuchuan had been consuming elixirs without rest since he was young. The Millennia Fire Carp, the Millennium Snow Ginseng, the Lesser Circulation Pills, and countless items of incredible spirituality. He had even reached the limits, consuming so much that it was as if he had replaced food with spiritual medicines.

Even if he wanted to consume more, he had to hold back due to his body's limits and the sheer amount of time it took to absorb, along with various other reasons. So, he was shocked to find himself struggling to withstand the Head Archivist's Thunder God Fist.

Where the hell did this brat come from?!

The Head Archivist was equally as surprised. Even though he may have lost more than half of his rationality due to his rage, he was able to gauge Zhou Xuchuan somewhat calmly.

To think he blocked the Thunder God Fist at full strength!

The Thunder Emperor's technique, the Thunder God Fist, had a destructive power that was comparable to that of a demonic technique. After all, it wasn't called a Divine Art for nothing.

That wasn't all. Its speed was so fast it could only be compared to lightning.

It was like a hammer flying at a speed too quick for the human eye to follow. Yet, Zhou Xuchuan managed to block it flawlessly.

He's dangerous.

His name wasn't on the Slaughter Register without reason. The Head Archivist could tell, although his enemy may have been young, if he underestimated him, his life could be in danger.

No, even before that, his mere existence itself was dangerous.

One of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, a direct disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, a Hero of the Righteous Faction. Moreover, he knew the secrets of the Association.

Dealing with him was a top priority.

"HA!"

The Head Archivist took a deep breath. The electricity that had spread around him began to converge, condensing rapidly into a single point.

Moreover, it didn’t take long for him to prepare. His preparation speed was almost impossibly fast.

"Heup!"

Zhou Xuchuan also finished his preparations. His well-toned abs were revealed as he tensed his abdomen.

His relaxed muscles tensed, contracting again. His tendons bulged, clearly visible under his skin.

With a steady breath, he drew qi from his dantian, right below his navel. He converted not just a small amount but an ocean of qi into raw power.

Swoosh!

There wasn't any flashiness, like the electricity that flowed out of the Thunder God Fist. However, an unusual violet aura flowed around him.

Violet Haze Divine Art.

While everyone was concentrating on their own fights, there were still many eyes watching. Things would become troublesome if he were to show off this art here.

However, he couldn't help but use his full power.

After all, who was the enemy holding a fist in front of him right now?!

Twisted Melody, the Neidan Sword Gate Master Tiemu Minghuan, had also possessed an extraordinary amount of qi. However, compared to the Head Archivist, it was a drop in the bucket.

As expected of an executive, his power was extraordinary. However, what was truly impressive was his unfathomable qi reserves.

Even Zhou Xuchuan, who prided himself on his nearly infinite qi, found himself in awe.

He wouldn't be able to handle that sort of master while keeping things hidden.

So he poured everything out.

BOOOM!

Thunder struck—not once, but twice, in perfect harmony.

One truly embodied the power of thunder. The other ended with a roar that was only reminiscent of thunder.

However, that didn't mean it was a hollow attack. The violet aura surrounding the sword swirled and spun fiercely.

Thrum, thrum, THRUM!

The air trembled as it spun. The aftereffects grew even more severe as the number of rotations increased.

Violet Haze!

A violet aura rotated endlessly without stopping.

Then came a lethal strike that rocketed down with the tip of the sword!

DAWNBREAKER!

A purple line, sharp and straight like a minus sign, sliced through the air. Wherever it passed, the atmosphere ruptured, tearing apart and leaving behind cavitation.

Lightning!

Refusing to back down, the Head Archivist finished his attack, unleashing a technique comparable to that of Violet Haze Dawnbreaker at the same time.

Exploding Tiger!

Clenching both hands into tight fists, he swung them together in front of his chest before hammering downward with all his might.

The moment he did, a blue light shot out, and a tiger swinging its front legs emerged from his fists.

BOOOM!

Another shockwave ruptured, so strong that it shook the very heavens. It wasn't just a metaphor, as the ground literally shook as if there had been an earthquake. Yet neither Zhou Xuchuan nor the Head Archivist gave an inch. Both stood firm, their legs like unyielding pillars, continuing to face each other head-on.

Whirl!!!!

The violet haze swirled relentlessly, cutting through the air as though it would destroy everything in its path. It rushed toward the tiger of electricity, prepared to devour it entirely.

However, the tiger didn't retreat either. Despite being torn to pieces by the rotating violet haze, the tiger crushed everything in front of it.

"Agh!"

"Ugh!"

The screams didn't come from the two masters who were closest to the experts. No, they came from the martial artists that were fighting fiercely nearby.

The search party of the Central Plains, as well as the members of the Archive and even the Insect King himself, weren't able to withstand the shockwave and froze.

For now, they crouched as much as they could to avoid being caught in the aftermath and focused on keeping guard.

"Ugh!"

"Mmph!"

The two powers clashed directly, neither giving an inch. Eventually, that energy couldn't hold out any longer and burst outward, releasing a massive shockwave that sent both Zhou Xuchuan and the Head Archivist flying backward.

"Damn it, you're so damned strong!"

Zhou Xuchuan muttered in frustration, bouncing across the water like a pebble before flipping through the air and landing on the ground. Using the art of the Ten Thousand Jin Sword, he lightened his weight as much as he could and jumped over the water using Floating Duckweed Crossing Water.

"You dare!"

The Head Archivist jumped into the river as well, leaving a storm of pebbles behind.

He also seemed to have quite a bit of knowledge regarding the concept of lightness and heaviness as he casually jumped over the water and raised his right arm.

His eyes, filled with a piercing blue light, looked straight down, and Zhou Xuchuan shouted urgently when he saw that.

"Everyone, get away from the river!"

As he stopped running, his feet began to sink beneath the water’s surface. Before fully submerging, he raised his sword high above his head.

"Die!"

The Head Archivist raised his hand above his head into the water. Like before, his fist was filled with electricity.

The moment his hand touched the water, everyone knew what would happen to the river without even looking.

Zhou Xuchuan quickly changed his stance from the Hundred Divine Transformations to the Ten-Thousand Jin Sword, maximized his weight and slammed his sword down with all his might.

BOOOM!

No one knew how many times there had been an explosion. The deafening booms made it feel as though their eardrums might burst. Worse still, the explosion wasn't just in one place but in two.

Crackle!

The river that served as the boundary between the living and the dead, separating the Land of Ten Thousand Poisons from the rest of the world, shone brightly in the broad daylight.

If it was just a shining light, it might have even been considered beautiful. However, as the electricity flowed throughout the river, it transformed into a river of death. A vertical line of energy carved through the water, tearing it apart and leaving disaster in its wake. The creatures living inside couldn't withstand the sudden shock and died.

"You annoying bastard!"

The Head Archivist's face distorted horribly.

He had been aiming for a decisive blow, but his attack never reached his target. Zhou Xuchuan completely overturned the water just before the attack could land.

The river churned violently, its flow sucked into a swirling vortex before imploding and erupting upward in a massive explosion.

It didn't just explode upward, it literally rose up like a massive pillar, reaching heights so high that one had to look up at the heavens to see its peak.

Before the electricity from the Thunder God Fist could spread through the area, Zhou Xuchuan had created the greatest shockwave he could with him at the epicenter and slammed down, causing all of the water in a certain area to rise into the air, exposing the riverbed below.

Everyone could see fish that should have been swimming under the water. However, for some reason, they were swimming in the empty air and flapping helplessly.

"Damn it!"

The Head Archivist clenched his teeth. Not only had his attack missed, but the pillar of water in front of him blocked his vision.

To make matters worse, the pillar of water immediately sank again, and waves several zhang high crashed down, engulfing the surroundings.

The Head Archivist, unable to maintain Floating Duckweed Crossing Water due to the swaying waves, was swallowed by the water.

Zhou Xuchuan waited quietly beneath the surface of the water, and when he saw the Head Archivist slipping under the water, he swung his sword once again.