Volcanic Age

Zhou Xuchuan had considered preventing the Seven Swords War, the original trigger for the Era of War and Chaos. However, there was a reason he had no choice but to abandon that idea.

The Dark Heaven Association had planned from the very beginning to incite a bloody struggle between the Righteous Faction, Evil Faction, and Demonic Cult by revealing the tomb of the Ominous Demon.

Moreover, they hadn’t simply revealed the tomb but had also planted moles within the factions and used bribes to create traitors to bolster their plans.

While it wasn’t entirely impossible to find the moles and traitors and stop the Dark Heaven Association’s plans, Zhou Xuchuan had no idea who they were or even where to start.

The Dark Heaven Association had put a lot of effort into this; it was only natural that the moles and traitors would be nearly impossible to find. Furthermore, Zhou Xuchuan had only been a child when it had happened in his previous life, meaning that he had no insider information either.

Even in the records he had read after becoming an elder of Mount Hua, the only information regarding what had happened was that there had been moles and traitors hidden within each sect, with no clues to their actual identities.

"So, for now, I’ll just destroy the tomb as much as I can and minimize the damage. Any Dark Heaven Association henchmen I find along the way will be a bonus."

***

Near the Yellow River basin.

A group of people dressed from head to toe in black, with their entire bodies covered except for their eyes and noses, were gathered. Their auras were harsh and biting.

"How long do we have to stay like this?" a large man in black muttered, sounding bored.

"Until a major force from the Righteous or Evil Factions, or even the Demonic Path, arrives. Focus on our mission."

"I’m fully aware of how important this mission is. I would appreciate it if you could overlook my careless comment. After all, it's our first conversation in four days."

"Have you forgotten what the atmosphere around the Archive is like due to their continued failures?"

"Ahem."

"Beyond that, the Seven Stars Division..."

Squelch!

The man paused, his eyes widening right as he was about to say something. He tried to make a sound, but only a gurgling noise could be heard as an arrow appeared and lodged itself in his throat.

Although he had just seen his companion killed by an arrow seemingly out of nowhere, the other man in black responded instantly, drawing his sword without blinking an eye.

"Enemy attack!"

At his shout, the others in the area immediately responded.

Four of the roughly twenty men in black stood in a corner and drew bamboo canisters from their arms, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

They quickly reached for the threads dangling from the canisters toward the ground.

Twang!

However, they were only able to move momentarily as another arrow flew in a long arc, like a shooting star, piercing through the canisters before they could pull on the threads.

"Find the archer first!"

"Just where the hell did the assailants come from?!"

Despite quickly looking around, they couldn't find anything. Considering none of them could find a trace of their attackers, it could only mean one thing—the archer was shooting at them from beyond their detection range. However, their detection range wasn't short in any way. It was unbelievable that an archer could shoot so accurately and hit the bamboo canister from so far away.

Still, they couldn’t just stand around questioning the feat. They didn't have the luxury.

They assumed there were at least four highly skilled archers around them and dashed out toward the surrounding area.

Judging by their quick response, none of the gathered men in black were average. They had all reached the First-Class at the least.

"I've come from the future," Zhou Xuchuan, hiding in a rocky crevice behind a steep valley 350 meters away, muttered as he shot another arrow.

Twang!

The arrow blasted forward from the bowstring with incredible force, accompanied by a fierce soundwave. It shot straight toward a man in black.

Clang!

"Over there!"

The man in black turned his head toward the incoming arrow and struck it.

"The Dark Heaven Association doesn't have its reputation for nothing, as expected. It seems I won’t be able to take them down easily unless I ambush them. Hmm, there's nothing I can do."

Zhou Xuchuan jumped into the Yellow River below and hid himself in the rapids. Riding the current, he moved toward the north of the tomb.

Each of the four standing at the cardinal points had two firecrackers for communication purposes. Since I destroyed all four of their primary canisters, the remaining ones would have to be kept for emergencies. They won't dare take them out carelessly, either, as once they're gone, their means of emergency communication disappear with them. I'll have to take advantage of that and deal with them one by one.

Zhou Xuchuan launched himself forward as soon as he emerged from the muddy water.

He instantly appeared behind one of the men in black, a Seven Star soldier, and plunged his sword into his back.

"Ugh!"

The Seven Star soldier's eyes bulged as he coughed up blood.

I couldn't even sense a presence…!

It wasn't that the soldier had been careless or complacent. On the contrary, his focus had been heightened, and he was alert to his surroundings. It was just that his opponent's stealth was too strong.

"Tsk."

Zhou Xuchuan clicked his tongue and furrowed his brow.

"I can't tell if it's that their ears are super sensitive or that they just have incredible senses. Most people wouldn't have noticed, but I guess they aren't part of the Dark Heaven Association for no reason."

The soldier had only let out a faint cough. However, upon hearing it, the other dispersed soldiers immediately changed directions.

It was an impossibly fast response. Even though they were mere division soldiers, they were incredibly strong. Zhou Xuchuan thought it wasn't without reason that they, and the Dark Heaven Association, were the most formidable enemies during the era of war and chaos.

Zhou Xuchuan gathered his power before they arrived. Imbuing his legs with great strength, he circulated his qi, raising his internal force to the point where it felt like it was going to explode.

BOOM!

Kicking off the ground, Zhou Xuchuan left a crater where he had just stood, sending dust flying everywhere.

Zhou Xuchuan shot out like an arrow toward the east.

"Heup!"

The Seven Stars soldier to the east sensed something and turned around.

Squelch!

His vision suddenly spun, turning until his wide-open eyes reflected a headless body.

Zhou Xuchuan caught the falling body and searched through it, finding a bamboo canister used for signaling and breaking it.

Next, he moved to the soldiers with canisters to the south and west, respectively, handling both without much difficulty.

"Were they just a diversion?"

The moment he killed the soldier to the west, the rest of the Seven Stars Division, previously dispersed, gathered around him.

"Who are you?" the Seven Stars soldiers at the front asked, his voice full of doubt and murderous intent.

"Although it's a coincidence, it's still funny to see that there are exactly seven of you left, living up to your name, Seven Star soldiers," Zhou Xuchuan said, raising his sword and smiling slightly.

"...!"

The Seven Stars soldier at the front was visibly agitated, as were the others.

Not only did his tone rise, but Zhou Xuchuan could see a glimpse of astonishment in his eyes.

"Capture him alive."

Even the Beggar Sect or the Xia Wu Sect, the representative organizations of the intelligence community, knew what the Dark Heaven Association was, let alone their subordinate force, the Seven Stars Division. Moreover, the Dark Heaven Association was such a secretive organization that many of their own lower-tiered warriors didn't even know what the name of their organization was.

To think someone who knew who they were had come along was shocking.

"His limbs aren't necessary. All he needs is his ears and mouth, but keep him alive."

"Understood!"

Bloodlust poured down like rain, quickly becoming a storm. Most warriors wouldn't be able to move under the pressure of such incredible bloodlust.

However, Zhou Xuchuan seemed unaffected, shaking off the bloodlust pressuring his body and imbuing qi into his sword.

"If you surrender calmly now and tell us everything you know, I'll kill you painlessly."

"And who are you to make such decisions? There are seven heads above you, like Avaricious Wolf and Vast Gate.[1] Don't you think you'll get scolded by them if you make such a decision on your own?"

"How do you know those names?!"

The soldier who had called out to him finally showed an emotion other than surprise for the first time.

"Just who the hell are you?"

"Just a passing warrior."

Bang!

Zhou Xuchuan's body launched forward. He thrust his sword with all his might, the frosty chill of Frostedge glowing fiercely as the sword qi bloomed..

"You dare!"

The soldier cleaved his sword upward as if Zhou Xuchuan's attack was inconsequential. Sparks flew as their blades collided.

However, Zhou Xuchuan's sword held firm. Instead of being flung aside, it pressed down on the soldier's blade, deflecting it.

While their physical strength played a role in the standoff, the difference came down to the disparity between their cultivations. Although the soldier tried his best, Zhou Xuchuan’s strength overpowered him. Despite his efforts, the soldier only succeeded in dulling his own blade.

Creeaaaaak!!

The grating sound of metal echoed as sparks flew. Ignoring the soldier's defense, Zhou Xuchuan's sword drove forward, piercing the soldier's chest.

"Agh!!" the soldier screamed, staring in disbelief at the blade in his chest. He dropped his sword and gripped Zhou Xuchuan's blade so tightly that Frostedge bit deep into his palm, blood streaming down his wrist.

"No matter which life I'm in, your tenacity never changes."

Zhou Xuchuan stuck out his tongue. He released his sword and swiftly dodged another strike from above.

Shing!

A sword from another Seven Stars soldier narrowly missed him. Zhou Xuchuan could feel more attacks coming from all directions.

Zhou Xuchuan spun in place, using his right foot as a pivot, while drawing a straight line with his left hand, targeting the enemy behind him.

His palm cut through the air, rising like a dragon ascending to the heavens, and striking the enemy's chin with a powerful thwack.

The soldier was a little surprised by the force of the attack, but ended up laughing inwardly at Zhou Xuchuan.

He himself was a Peak Realm expert. Considering Zhou Xuchuan's attack wasn't a palm art but just a simple attack made with the palm of his hand, there was no way it could inflict fatal injuries.

The soldier swung his sword from left to right, trying to strike down the overconfident bastard in front of him.

If the soldier hadn't been wearing a mask, his face would have been distorted with shock. Not only was his body not responding, but his insides felt like they were on fire.

He immediately realized what had happened.

"It's a Poison Palm, be care… cough, cough!"

The soldier tried to warn his comrades but found himself unable to speak, vomiting black blood.

Two of their units was killed in an instant.

Zhou Xuchuan struck the wrist of the poisoned soldier, seized his sword, and threw him aside.

The approaching soldiers cut down their poisoned comrade as he flew toward them without hesitation. They had instantly discerned that the poisoned soldier couldn't be saved and that if they were to even attempt to try to catch him, they, too, might get poisoned.

"To think a swordsman would actually let go of his sword. At the very least, you're not from the Righteous Faction."[2]

"Seeing as he's even using poison, he must be from the Evil Faction."

The Seven Star soldiers tried to guess who Zhou Xuchuan was as they got more exposed to his fighting methods.

"I am Zhou Xuchuan of the Mount Hua Sect!" Zhou Xuchuan raised his sword and shouted proudly.

"Hmph. Do you seriously think we'd believe that?"

"What a brainless idiot. It seems like you're trying to frame the Mount Hua Sect, but you'll have to find a different way to do that."

The remaining five soldiers scoffed at him, refusing to believe him. Yet, they remained cautious.

"I didn't expect you to believe me, so don't worry."

Zhou Xuchuan stretched out his empty hand.

So is this the strength of the Green Eyes Ten Thousand Poisons Art at the third step? It's pretty useful.

Despite rushing to the Central Plains, he hadn’t neglected his martial training.

He had still made time to practice all of his skills every day, including the Green Eyes Ten Thousand Poisons Art. Through rigorous effort, he was able to upgrade it from the Second Step to the Third Step.

The third step's effectiveness was straightforward. At this step, it was possible to attack by injecting poison into a part of one's body or weapon.

"Seeing you bastards really brings back memories," Zhou Xuchuan said, his expression complicated. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

Agh!!!!

Save me! Someone save me!!!

AAGHHHHH!

We are the Dark Heaven Association's Seven Star Division soldiers!

The Dark Heaven Association had several subordinate organizations in addition to the Archive, the largest among them the Seven Stars Division.

While the Archive focused on exploration, gathering materials and herbs, and hunting spiritual beasts, the Seven Stars Division focused solely on matters related to martial force.

There were seven executives at the top with countless soldiers below them, the Seven Stars soldiers.

Although they may only be classified as foot soldiers or grunts, they couldn't be underestimated. Each of the soldiers belonging to the Seven Stars Division was, at the very least, a First-Class expert.

They were in charge of guarding special places such as the tomb of the Ominous Demon and carried out various other missions for the Dark Heaven Association.

In terms of the Imperial Government, they could be seen as the equivalent of the Ministry of War among the Six Ministries.

In fact, Zhou Xuchuan himself had fought against these Seven Stars soldiers of the Dark Heaven Association to the point of bitter exhaustion in his previous life, barely surviving out of sheer luck.

1. Two of the Seven Palaces of the Big Dipper. Each of the Seven Palaces has its theme and deity and was worshiped in East Asia. See TL note for more info. ☜

2. You may have seen this in other books, but for swordsmen of the upright Righteous Faction, a sword is one's honor, and thus, letting go of a sword is to abandon one's faith. ☜

Cyncoco's Thoughts

Hello, it is I, Cyncoco, with my first random TL/N essay for Volcanic Age! The Regressor of Mount Hua!

This is a pretty important topic in the novel, so I thought I'd take a moment to explain the Seven Stars and its cultural importance.

The Seven Stars refer to the seven stars of the Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major, in the Western sphere. In East Asian mythos, and specifically Korean mythos, each of the Seven Stars is a god holding its domains.

These seven stars, along with two hidden stars, are considered the sons of the Queen of Heaven and are considered one of the many manifestations of the Supreme God of Heaven (Known as the Ninefold God-Kings of the Great Chariot).

In Korean mythos, they're also considered local gods, bringers of storms, and considered as part of the founding myth of Jeju Island.

In the translations of Volcanic Age, the seven stars are known by their Western counterparts.

Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid.

However, we've decided to go with the more accurate Eastern translation, both because the reference with these names is to Eastern Godlore and also because they sound cooler.

In this case, Avaricious Wolf and Vast Gate refer to Dubhe and Merak, respectively.

The Stars are as follows.

The Palace Celestial Pivot, the God Avaricious Wolf (Dubhe). The Palace Celestial Rotating Jade, the God Vast Gate (Merak). The Palace Celestial Shining Pearl, the God Blessed Existence (Phecda). The Palace Celestial Balance, the God Twisted Melody (Megrez). The Palace Jade Sighting Tube, the God Pure Faith (Alioth). The Palace Opener of Heat, the God Warped Valor (Mizar). The Palace Twinkling Brilliance, the God Destructive Soldier (Alkaid).

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