Volcanic Age

"I will yield three moves to you," Hong Gao said, as if what he was doing was natural.

Before the sparring began, Hui Mian had warned his disciple that this exchange of moves wouldn't be easy. But Hong Gao paid no attention to the warning.

Even though Plum Blossom Order Sword had been recognized as a rising star in recent times, not all rumors should be trusted at face value.

Rumors in gangho tended to get exaggerated, and from what Hong Gao heard, Flower Scattering Palm was severely exhausted by the time he fought with Plum Blossom Order Sword during the battle for the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic.

To Hong Gao, losing to someone from a younger generation was simply unacceptable—something he would never allow himself to experience. Perhaps to reinforce this mindset, he had even defeated an official member of the Nine Sects and One Gang, who was from an older generation.

He was a monk who journeyed into gangho to gain valuable combat experience. In his eyes, Zhou Xuchuan was nothing more than a junior with slightly better talent than his peers.

"Then, I won't stand on ceremony," Zhou Xuchuan said. He decided not to reject this offer.

I better control my strength well.

If he went all out, Zhou Xuchuan wouldn't even need one second to subdue Hong Gao. However, doing so would crush the monk's pride.

How good is Hundred Paces Fist Monk's martial prowess in his younger days?

Regardless of the present, Hong Gao would eventually become a hero and the top expert in fist arts in Zhou Xuchuan's previous life. Though he was younger now, he still didn't appear to be a pushover.

Zhou Xuchuan almost performed Phantom Steps out of habit before naturally shifting his stance to Hundred Divine Transformations to close the distance.

"Heuph?!"

However, his speed was extraordinary. Thanks to the Divine Phantom Art, an extra layer of stealthiness was added to his steps, making them much harder to notice.

Hong Gao, who had been secretly… no, openly holding Zhou Xuchuan in disdain, was taken aback by that stunning movement art.

In an instant, the young Daoist appeared before him and thrust his sword with blinding speed, disregarding Hong Gao's shock.

It was nothing more than a simple thrust, with no technique behind it. But it still carried the power and speed of a Harmony realm expert.

Although Hong Gao flinched in surprise, he remained calm enough to stand as still as a bronze statue. However, that wasn't what actually happened, as his movements were so minute that it only looked as if he was standing still.

Pah-aaahng!

The sword's tip traced a meteor-like path through the air, aimed squarely at Hong Gao's chest.

Yet, before it could reach its target, Hong Gao's torso seemed to be pushed back, even though he was within Zhou Xuchuan's attack range!

No, rather than pushed back, the correct expression would be that he had moved.

If an amateur had witnessed the scene, they would've thought that Hong Gao hadn't moved an inch, while the sword tip simply froze mid-air.

That's the Vajra Immovable Body Art!

Zhou Xuchuan let out an impressed breath.

The Vajra Immovable Body Art was one of the Shaolin Temple's signature movement arts. However, the cultivator using this technique would look as if they were standing still, unmoving.

In fact, it'd look like the cultivator stood tall and imposing like an immovable mountain or an ancient unshakable pillar that supported the righteous faction on its shoulders.

Had Zhou Xuchuan's cultivation been lower, he might have had such an impression as well. However, that wasn't the case, and his eyes could clearly see what had happened.

He dodged it?

On the other side, Hong Gao was equally surprised.

When he said he'd yield three moves, his plan was to defend, not dodge. Dodging would have been a blow to his pride.

However, for some unfathomable reason, his body instinctively moved on its own.

Was it a coincidence?

While Hong Gao looked down on Zhou Xuchuan, he didn't think the young Daoist was weak.

A Peak realm swordsman, thrusting with all his strength, could deliver an attack that even Hong Gao would find dangerous.

No, wait. Was that really his full strength?

Hong Gao expected his opponent to shift immediately to the next stance, but that didn't happen. This surprised him again, and he had to observe Zhou Xuchuan closely.

Even though that was only one attack, Zhou Xuchuan's skin should have been dotted with sweat if he had performed it at his full power. However, his breathing was clearly unruffled.

Suddenly, Hong Gao began to doubt whether this spar would be as easy as he had anticipated.

I must respond with a counterattack.

Warning bells rang in Hong Gao's mind. However, his hands were tied, since he had already declared that he would yield three moves.

"Fuu!"

Zhou Xuchuan withdrew his sword, then switched his stance. He lowered himself slightly and stood on tiptoes.

Tah-aht!

Dust clouds kicked up. Footprints deeply embedded themselves on the ground where Zhou Xuchuan had been standing.

Zhou Xuchuan shot forward like an arrow, closing the distance in an instant. He floated in like a butterfly by infusing qi into his entire body to enhance his movement and broke through Hong Gao's defenses.

After completing the second form, Plum Blossom Butterfly, Zhou Xuchuan immediately linked it to the third form, Plum Blossom's Seduction. Strands of sword qi erupted from Zhou Xuchuan's blade, filling Hong Gao's vision and looming like a terrifying entity.

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

Hui Mian exclaimed in shock, instantly recognizing the forms. He was stunned to see Mount Hua's special martial art that was only granted to the Plum Blossom Swordsmen being released here.

What shocked him even more was how vibrant and beautiful this plum blossom was compared to what he had witnessed during his journey through gangho.

People said Benefactor Zhou only became an expert through luck by consuming a spiritual medicine, but that assumption was completely false! He really is exceptional.

Hui Mian had underestimated Zhou Xuchuan. Merely consuming a spiritual medicine wouldn't be enough to reach such a realm.

Hui Mian's mind conjured an image of the Sword Immortal, one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords and the current Sect Master of Mount Hua.

Hong Gao also recognized the Twenty-Four Sword Forms of the Plum Blossom. He had experienced it while exchanging moves with geniuses from the younger generation in the past.

However, none of those geniuses were capable of unleashing the Plum Blossom Sword to this degree like Zhou Xuchuan had done!

This is bad!

Hong Gao's steps grew rushed, urgent. There were far too many sword qi strands for him to dodge using Vajra Immovable Body Art.

Pure qi focused on his lower dantian began to circulate.

Righteous sects' cultivation arts were known for their stability and safety. Thanks to the Shaolin Temple's qi cultivation method, Hong Gao didn't run into issues even after urgently rousing up his qi.

Without skipping a beat, he launched a powerful punch. It wasn't a simple punch, either, as he spread his fist pressure over a wide area to create gusts of wind.

Air rushed out from his fist, clashing noisily against the incoming sword qi strands.

Pow, pow pow pow pow!

Although the number of sword qi strands was considerable, Hong Gao quickly realized they weren't too difficult to deal with. Since the attack was divided into many strands, the gusts from his punches scattered them easily.

With that, I've yielded all three moves!

Plum Blossom's Seduction wasn't enough to defeat Hong Gao. Had Zhou Xuchuan linked it to the fourth form, Plum Blossom's Lead, he could have followed through with the attack and brought this monk down to his knees.

Now that his self-imposed restrictions were lifted, Hong Gao wasted no time in making his move. Although it hurt his pride, he knew not giving it his all would be too dangerous for him.

I must finish this in one breath!

Hong Gao was overcome with inexplicable anxiety. He had rarely felt this level of threat and anxiety while journeying through gangho in his youth.

That was why he chose to go all out and not hold anything back. As befitting a Buddhist monk, his attack didn't contain any killing intent, but his fighting spirit still burned fiercely.

His body, tempered to diamond-like toughness, minutely moved. Although his movements were minimal, strength and ferocity could still be sensed from each action he took.

He took a step forward and punched with incredible strength, rippling muscles visible beneath his monk's robe.

A punch as solid as diamond flew forward, and the air in its wake exploded with so much force that it almost created sonic booms, only to be crushed by the sheer power of the attack.

This was the Vajra Fist!

Vajra Fist itself was not a top-tier martial art. It wasn't even Hong Gao's greatest attack either, even though his specialty was fist arts.

However, it was more effective than any other fist art when combined with the Vajra Immovable Body Art.

The technique was called "vajra" because its ferocity and sturdiness rivaled that of an actual vajra. It might lack swiftness, but its destructive power was immense.

Vajra Fist was most effective in a brawl where both sides were going all out, rather than hanging back and testing each other out in a psychological battle.

Since its range was short, an opponent too far away wouldn't get affected by the punch. However, its large movements made it difficult to use when the enemy was too close.

Even if the opponent was an ideal distance away, they would still easily dodge it because of how slow it was in a psychological battle.

But, right now? Zhou Xuchuan was within range, while they weren't testing each other out, either. In this situation, no other technique was as suitable as Vajra Fist!

So, this is the Divine Fist?

Zhou Xuchuan could see the incoming punch, and the future Divine Fist's shadow behind it. He studied the punch, and memories from the past flooded his mind. When he understood the punch itself, Zhou Xuchuan reflexively sighed in admiration.

No demonic cultivators or heretical cultists straying from the righteous path managed to withstand this punch in the past. This punch would go on to save the Shaolin Temple in the future.

Even though Zhou Xuchuan had never personally experienced this punch before, he could still understand it in full.

He had only witnessed its effects from afar, and only its vague outlines in the past. That memory, however, no longer applied here.

Even though that history had become nothing more than memories of a time that didn't exist, unexplainable emotions still welled up in Zhou Xuchuan's chest.

Ah, ah!This is literally… the Fist of Shaolin!

Being able to receive this punch head-on made Zhou Xuchuan feel great. The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly on their own.

Zhou Xuchuan smirked faintly before wiping the smirk away and making his move. Only then did time, which seemed to have slowed, begin moving again.

His steps were nearly undetectable, likely due to Divine Phantom Steps. Even so, every one of his movements still belonged to Mount Hua's Hundred Divine Transformations.

He didn't plan to dodge it. He simply got into position to respond appropriately.

Zhou Xuchuan adjusted the qi flowing through his sword, matching the wind pressure generated by the incoming punch. Then, he sliced through the air around him.

Plum blossoms on his blade bloomed radiantly, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air, tickling Hong Gao's nose.

Just as Hong Gao became aware of the scent, his fist collided with Zhou Xuchuan's sword.

KA-BOOM!

The impact force was transmitted in full through the blade and fist.

Zhou Xuchuan expected this to happen, which allowed him to remain unscathed. However, for Hong Gao, not only did his body feel the brunt of that impact, even his mind was shaken up, too.

Even if Vajra Fist wasn't the greatest fist art in existence, this punch embodied all of Hong Gao's lifetime experience.

He must never be shaken up and always stand tall and proud. He must possess the ferociousness and steadfastness to overwhelm everything before him!

This fist had felled quite a few experts until now, and many others stumbled back after receiving this attack, their expressions cramped.

However, that didn't happen this time.

Forget frowning, Zhou Xuchuan was actually smiling in satisfaction instead for some reason. That smile inexplicably unsettled Hong Gao.

But what stunned Hong Gao more than anything was that a young man more than twenty years his junior had taken the punch head-on and remained unfazed.

Worse still, Hong Gao had gone all out.

No! Not yet!

Hong Gao stepped back while powerfully swinging his arm.

Namu Amitabha!

Hong Gao tried hard to push all distracting thoughts from his mind. Once he recovered from his initial shock, he tensed every muscle in his body.

His muscles and the blue veins bulging on his skin weren't the only things rippling ominously. Even his internal qi vigorously coursed through his meridians by the principle of Muscle and Tendon Classic his master had taught him to give him strength.

What he unleashed next was something that covered a much larger area than any sword could. It was the Divine Fist that could strike any target within a hundred paces!

"Hong Gao, no!"

Hui Mian belatedly noticed the rapid change in his disciple's aura and urgently cried out.

Even an expert at the Harmony realm would be in danger by facing the Hundred Paces Divine Fist at full power without making adequate preparations.

It was Hui Mian who requested Zhou Xuchuan to teach his disciple a lesson. So, no one could guess what might happen if said disciple attacked in desperation.

Hui Mian's expression showed how stunned he was by Hong Gao's willingness to go this far. What was supposed to be a simple spar had instantly morphed into a fight to the death.

I cannot lose!

To Hong Gao, the mere idea of defeat was unacceptable. Because that would go beyond insulting him and directly humiliate the Shaolin Temple's honor.

The Shaolin Temple's martial arts must be unparalleled and peerless under the heavens. Especially against someone from one of the Nine Sects and One Gang!

His obsession with never losing. The 'core' that made him who he was rejected the mere thought of defeat. It even paralyzed his rational mind.

It all happened in an instant, just before everything came crumbling down.

Zhou Xuchuan faced this moment calmly, even as emotions welled up inside him.

Ah!

To him, Hong Gao was like a man from a nation far away and the Hundred Paces Divine Fist was the name of a technique he had only heard about from others.

It felt like he was inside the pages of a history book containing ancient tales. Maybe the truth of this adventure was nothing more than a part of his dream? Maybe that weak High Elder of Mount Hua had dozed off while reading a book instead?

With these thoughts weighing on his mind, Zhou Xuchuan raised his sword.

Plum Blossom World!

What happened next was instantaneous.

The one to respond later was definitely Zhou Xuchuan. Meanwhile, Hong Gao was just about to unleash his Hundred Paces Divine Fist.

Even if Zhou Xuchuan wanted to fling himself out of harm's way, it'd be too late to dodge. That was the kind of technique Hundred Paces Divine Fist was.

A fist art that could strike from a great distance! One had to be at least at the level of the Ten Empyrean Overlords to interrupt this technique by attacking first.

However, quite mysteriously, Zhou Xuchuan's sword wavered like dancing plum petals and brushed past Hong Gao's shoulder before the monk could do anything.

"Keuh-euhk!"

Split!

A long, slender tear appeared on Hong Gao's robe, revealing his skin beneath. Then his skin split open, and blood sprayed into the air.

Hong Gao flinched and stopped moving just before he could unleash his Hundred Paces Divine Fist.

Pain wasn't the issue. The real problem was would happen if he extended his fist.

His mind was filled with images of his arm being severed and flying away if he dared to finish the technique.

"How can this be…!"

To think he'd lose even before responding to the opponent's move!

What if the blade hadn't struck his shoulder, but his neck? Or a fatal acupuncture point? A chill ran down Hong Gao's spine when he imagined what could've happened.

Despite shuddering in dread, his jaw remained slack at the unmistakable fact that he couldn't do anything against Zhou Xuchuan's attack.

He was finally shaken out of his shock by the voice of his master, Hui Mian.

"Have you finally realized how arrogant and conceited you've been?"