Volcanic Age

"You haven't forgotten about me, have you?" The unpleasant voice belonged to a man with unusually long arms.

"Wu Ye…" Liu Zhengmu muttered. "Monkey Arms!"

Yi Zhihao reacted to that name.

"What would a cultivator at Monkey Arms' level be doing here?"

Yi Zhihao abandoned his relaxed posture and changed his stance, anxiety written all over his face.

Monkey Arms Wu Ye!

His title wasn't anything special. He got that alias because of his long arms, which made him look like a monkey. But the title held weight.

Leaving aside looking like a monkey, having long arms was a huge advantage for a cultivator, since it increased attack range. It was a blessing.

"Why would an Absolute Realm expert of the Evil Valley be…" Yi Zhihao pointed his sword at Wu Ye.

Zhou Xuchuan frowned.

Who is that?

Zhou Xuchuan didn't remember every single expert, only those he knew personally and some famous people.

"Hmph, you ask why I'm here?" Wu Ye snorted and lifted his shirt, revealing a long, diagonal gash on his toned abs. "The wound I got from you aches every time it rains, no, when I wake up every morning. How can I forget?"

"This is a heaven-sent opportunity for revenge. I'd be a fool to miss it. Pteu!"

Wu Ye spat on the ground before gripping his sword.

"Master, what is happening?" Zhou Xuchuan asked.

"It happened when I was out in the world a while ago. I encountered him while carrying out my mission at the Martial Alliance. However, it seems I didn't finish things properly back then."

Liu Zhengmu looked at Wu Ye with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"Didn't finish things properly? What a load of crap!" Wu Ye snapped. "I was fooled by that foolish smile and let my guard down!"

Another unexpected event, huh.

Liu Zhengmu's dispatch into the world, which didn't happen in Zhou Xuchuan's past life, created animosity with Wu Ye. The enemy wasn't an ordinary person either. He was an Absolute Realm expert with a high ranking in the Evil Valley. However, he didn't seem so significant in the future, considering Zhou Xuchuan couldn't remember him.

"I'll smash that smug face of yours today!" Wu Ye charged at Liu Zhengmu.

"Senior brother!" Yi Zhihao tried to rush in and block him.

"I have no interest in anyone other than Liu Zhengmu!"

The cultivators that Wu Ye brought from the Evil Valley all rushed forward at once. Observing their movements, they weren't Third-Class. There were roughly twenty of them, all Second Class or First Class. Although there didn't seem to be any Peak Realm experts, they had the numerical advantage.

"Die!"

Members of Mount Hua and cultivators of the Evil Valley clashed.

*

Fifteen minutes into the fight, the six people from Mount Hua, including Zhou Xuchuan, were split up. The enemy used a three-on-one tactic, preventing them from regrouping.

"You lowly bastards of the Evil Valley!" Yi Zhihao snapped out in frustration. As the strongest after Liu Zhengmu, he was fighting against five people.

"Where is Xuchuan?!"

The order they received from the sect was Zhou Xuchuan's safe return. His safety was their priority.

"I am over here, so don't worry about me!" Zhou Xuchuan's voice could be heard from behind the bushes.

"Hold on! I'll be there right away!"

"It's okay! Take your time! I'm safe!" Zhou Xuchuan shouted. His expression was relaxed as though he was out on a stroll.

"What a lunatic," The Evil Valley Cultivators said in disbelief as they chased after him.

"You seem confident because you defeated a few bandits. How ridiculous!" the cultivator in the middle mocked Zhou Xuchuan.

"Even if you're part of the Lotus Pavilion, you're nothing but a kid. Hehe, I'll cut off that cocky nose of yours first." The cultivator on the right twirled the sword in his hand.

"You're so clueless about the situation. I'm not sure about your martial arts, but you're definitely lacking in the head department!" sneered the cultivator on the left.

"I see. You spread out your forces to disrupt your enemy's formation and make them split up, huh." Zhou Xuchuan nodded, regripping his sword. "Not a bad strategy, but unfortunately, you are up against the wrong people."

"You're sounding more and more unpleasant!"

Their sneers vanished, replaced by thick killing intent.

"I'm worried about my master, so I can't afford to play around with you."

Zhou Xuchuan blurred before appearing in front of the cultivator in the middle.

"Whoa!" The cultivator's eyes widened in shock. One moment Zhou Xuchuan was gone. The next, he was right there. Anyone would be surprised.

That was all. Surprise was the last emotion he felt before he took his last breath.

"One down!"

He wasn't good enough for Zhou Xuchuan to perform a sword art. He just imbued as much of his qi as possible into his sword and stabbed.

"Urgh!"

The attack was so fast that the cultivator couldn't even react. He spurted blood while looking down at the sword embedded deep inside his chest.

"You bastard!"

The cultivators on either side were taken aback, but they didn't continue watching in a daze. They felt something was off and started attacking.

"Die!"

The cultivator on the left swung his sword fiercely as if he were aiming to smash rather than slash.

"I died once, so I don't want to die twice!"

Zhou Xuchuan ducked, evading the attack. His reaction speed was incredibly quick.

"No way!" the cultivator shouted in shock.

"Yes way!"

Zhou Xuchuan drew up his internal qi, which was the source of his power. As he did so, his muscles swelled, giving him monstrous strength.

His sword was still stuck in the cultivator's chest, but he still swung his sword to the left. Although there were muscles, fat and ribs in the way, they were all meaningless as he sliced through them like tofu.

With no obstruction, the cultivator on the left was in the path of his sword.

"That's—" the cultivator swore at the scene in front of him.

"Crazy, I know!" Zhou Xuchuan finished the sentence, exerting more strength into his sword.

"Arrgh!" the cultivator screamed and fell down.

"Wh-what the—"

Two people died in an instant.

"How are you so strong? That's cheating!"

The remaining cultivator gaped in shock.

"People get stronger after they die once!"

Zhou Xuchuan swung his sword to get rid of the blood.

"Oh, but if you lack talent, you need to eat some spiritual medicine."

Internal qi was the source of power. Here, power wasn't just physical strength but also explosive bursts of energy.

"Please spare me! I have failed to recognize your greatness." The cultivator pleaded.

While cultivators of the Orthodox Faction valued pride over their lives, the Evil Faction was different. Although they did value pride, they didn't prioritize it above everything else. They would gladly abandon it if necessary.

"Okay then!"

Zhou Xuchuan swung his sword, clearly done talking.

"Urgh." The cultivator clutched his chest and fell.

"Master, I'll be right there!"

While he was worried about his sect brothers from Mount Hua, he was more concerned about Liu Zhengmu. Although he had never heard of Monkey Arms Wu Ye, the opponent was still an Absolute Realm expert. The outcome of the battle was uncertain.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in his master, but as his disciple, he couldn't help but worry. He might have had to rethink his priorities if Yi Zhihao and the others were in danger, but that wasn't the case.

*

Liu Zhengmu and Wu Ye had already exchanged a hundred moves.

"You're a tough one!" Wu Ye said, not losing his grin. "Then again, you're the guy who gave me this nasty wound, so I wouldn't have it any other way!"

He'd spent nights dreaming of this day. He saw Liu Zhengmu's face whenever he closed his eyes, and the wound would ache every morning when he woke up.

"Monkey Arms, your martial arts skills are impressive. How can you solely use it for your own benefit?" Liu Zhengmu lamented.

"Gosh, you're at it again," Wu Ye clicked his tongue. "How many times do you think I've heard about your goddamn heroism? I have no interest in such things!"

Clang, clang, clang!

The swords of the two cultivators clashed in the air, sending sparks flying.

"I just came to pay back what you did to me! I'll kill you!"

Wu Ye's voice was boiling with resentment. Although there was some distance between the two, his abnormally long arms meant that Liu Zhengmu was within his attack range.

"The memory of that day still angers me!"

It happened in Zhejiang province. He was showing off his unparalleled power with the Evil Valley's backing. It was the Evil Valley's domain, so he had no worries. His tyranny reached Anhui, the province beside. The Martial Alliance Headquarters dispatched some experts after hearing the rumors.

And among them was Liu Zhengmu.

Back then, when he heard the alias "Gentle Smiling Swordsman," he had underestimated the man since he had never heard the name before. It was not a surprise considering Liu Zhengmu had rarely come out to the world.

However, that was a grave mistake. Looking down on a swordsman from Mount Hua had nearly cost him his life. Ultimately, he fled after being critically wounded.

It was unforgettable—the unbearable humiliation!

"Die!"

Wu Ye slashed down furiously.

"Hup!"

Liu Zhengmu deflected the sword attacks that flurried toward him. He could feel the resentment, hatred, and killing intent contained in the attacks.

"I'll stick a sword through your stomach too!"

Wu Ye was blinded by revenge. He kept driving Liu Zhengmu back with his endless attacks.

One might think Liu Zhengmu was being overpowered. However, that wasn't the case.

He's completely lost his sense of reason!

His resentment clouded his judgment, leading him to attack relentlessly without considering defense. The attacks were predictable as well, mostly aimed at the chest and stomach.

At first, Liu Zhengmu was cautious, thinking that it might be a trap. So, he let those openings slide. Only after exchanging hundreds of moves did he realize that Wu Ye was being serious.

"You damn slippery eel!"

Wu Ye was pissed when he couldn't land a hit.

"Haa, they say the one you should be the most wary of is yourself, and I see they're not wrong."

When they fought before, Wu Ye wasn't full of openings like this. In fact, it was hard to find an opening at all. Liu Zhengmu remembered having a hard time fighting him. He even had to let him escape without being able to chase after him.

But what was going on here? Wu Ye's skills were terrible, making him wonder if this man was the same man as before. He only showed physical strength befitting an Absolute Realm cultivator, but aside from that, he could hardly be called an expert.

"Your resentment, I shall put an end to it here!"