Volcanic Age

The situation within the Great Tiger Stockade had reached a tipping point.

While the damage caused by the rampaging tigers was significant, the real issue was the intruder who had opened the main gate and allowed others to enter.

It wasn't just a handful of intruders, either. Even with a cursory glance, there were more than fifty of them. Moreover, according to the reports coming in, their skills were far from ordinary.

"Damn it!"

A purple vein bulged on the forehead of the Great Tiger Stockade Boss, the Mountain Blood Tiger Gua Dal'e. His rage boiled like lava.

ROAR–!

The roar of tigers filled the stockade, mirroring Gua Dal'e's anger. However, there was nothing good about it.

"Agk!"

"Boss! Boss! Save us!"

Screams echoed throughout the stockade. When he lifted his head, Gua Dal'e saw his subordinates fleeing in the distance.

Gua Dal'e's face twisted at the sight.

Crack!

"Agh!"

The forest bandit who had been running away was eventually caught and had his head ripped off, blood gushing from his severed neck and splattering the surroundings.

Gua Dal'e walked forward with a distorted expression.

The tiger, about to feast, sensed his approach and pounced.

"How dare you pounce on your master?!"

But who was Gua Dal'e?

He was the Great Tiger Stockade Boss and One of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, the Mountain Blood Tiger!

Gua Dal'e didn't bother to draw the sword at his waist and just grabbed the head of the tiger he had lovingly cared for, trapping it under his armpit.

Crack!

"Gasp!"

The bandit who had been running away while pissing his pants stopped in his tracks, gasping at the scene.

'They said the boss was a monster, and it was true!'

The tiger, which was as big as a house, had died instantly in such a brutal fashion. The Mountain Blood Tiger didn't look human at all.

"What are you bastards doing?!"

Gua Dal'e kicked the tiger as if he was venting his anger. The tiger, with its broken neck, flew through the air and rolled on the ground.

"There's no reason to spare a beast that bares its fangs to its master! Kill them all!"

"W-what about the intruders? They aren't ordinary."

"So what if they're not ordinary? Are you saying you want to run away?"

Gua Dal'e's eyes flashed with rage.

"O-of course not!"

Gulp!

The bandit didn't want to become the focus of the boss' anger and end up as the tigers' next meal.

"Take out some of the food from the prison and use them as hostages. If that doesn't work, fight them on your own! We have the upper hand in numbers anyway!"

While most of the forest bandits had gone out plundering, there were still about three hundred bandits left on the mountain. However, Gua Dal'e realized too late that nearly a hundred of them had already fallen to the beasts.

There was no such thing as being able to retreat from the hands of the swordsmen of Mount Hua.

Whenever they swung their swords, forest bandits fell like leaves in the autumn wind.

However, it wasn't completely advantageous for them. Due to the large difference in numbers, the Mount Hua Sect disciples were consuming qi quickly.

Only Zhou Xuchuan seemed to notice it.

The Fourth Generation Disciples really are inexperienced, they don't know how to pace themselves.

While the seniors of the Lotus Pavillion managed to pace themselves and were fine, the other disciples didn't know how to restrain their qi usage.

The noise from the wild beasts only added to the chaos, increasing the stress. Combined with the relentless attacks coming from all sides, they were forced to use energy to block.

"Since it looks like they may exhaust all of their qi if we aren't careful, I hope you'll pay attention to it from the front, Senior Brothers and Sisters!"

As he shouted a warning toward the center charge, the Mount Hua Sect's movements changed slightly.

As their pace slowed, the rate at which the forest bandits fell also decreased. However, this allowed the Mount Hua Sect to maintain a stable advance.

"Agk! There are plum blossoms on their sleeves!"

"It's the Mount Hua Sect!"

After some time, the forest bandits finally noticed everything around them.

"Ugh!"

"The Tang Family is here, too!"

The forest bandits hiding in corners of the stockade or trying to flee with injuries collapsed, clutching at their necks and chests.

Judging by their blood-reddening complexions, they must have been poisoned.

Amidst the battlefield, small groups moved swiftly, either spraying substances into the air or throwing hidden weapons, the forest bandits immediately recognized them.

"If I hear that you fell behind the Mount Hua disciples, don't expect to sleep tonight."

While Tang Hui spoke softly, every warrior of the Tang Family clearly heard her.

Even though nobody had said anything, Tang Hui, who hated losing and had considerable pride, was already burning with a competitive spirit.

Although she was slightly off-center from the charge, she stepped forward alone and took on the surrounding forest bandits at once.

"Agk!"

"This bitch dares!"

"Ahh!!"

There was no such thing as mercy in Tang Hui's hands.

She waved her hands like a phoenix flapping its wings, and countless poisonous needles shot out from her sleeves and covered the surrounding area. As one of the forest bandits who had barely escaped getting poisoned swung his sword at her in close range, she used the Tang Family's grappling technique to grab his neck.

"UGH!"

The forest bandit's eyes bulged, as if they were about to pop out. Wherever Tang Hui's pure white fingers touched grew hot, as if it was on fire.

This technique didn't work on women.

However, if used on a man, it sent poison into the target's acupoints and burned them by overstimulating their yang qi.

As the forest bandit's neck started to burn, his body stopped obeying his mind.

"How could her attacks be so grotesque?!"

"I heard that if you approach the Poison Phoenix, she won't let you pass. So that really is true…"

"You should be thankful she's not our enemy."

"Hey, Junior Brother. You'd better take back what you said earlier about the Tang Family not being of much help. Otherwise, you might end up like him, too."

The disciples of Mount Hua bit their tongues.

They, like all the other members of the Righteous Faction, tended to look down on the Tang Family and the Poison Arts, thinking that they weren't of much use. However, witnessing the terrifying power of poison firsthand and realizing how great it was, they were able to change their perception a little.

"It's both the Mount Hua Sect and the Tang Family?"

"This isn't a simple attack!"

The morale of the forest bandits plummeted upon realizing their enemies were from the Nine Sects and One Gang, as well as the Five Great Ancient Families.

"Bring the hostages!" a bandit whose beard resembled a bird's nest shouted.

Judging from his aura, he wasn't a low-level bandit. Even at a glance, he was at least in the First Class realm.

"Understood, Underboss!"

As expected, he was the Underboss of the Great Tiger Stockade.

The forest bandits, who were relatively close to the prison, moved. However, soon after, they jumped out in a panic.

"U-Underboss! There's another force in the prison… agk!"

The bandits fell as someone struck them from behind.

"Who the hell is it?!"

The underboss' voice trembled slightly with anxiety.

It's already enough that the Mount Hua Sect and the Tang Family are here. Just who the hell is it?!

He just prayed that it wasn't another of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Ancient Families.

"My name is Chu Lian of the Gold Will Sword Sect's Ten Gale Swordsmen!"

At first glance, the new opponent's muscles were so impressive that the underboss thought that it was a man. However, when he heard her voice, he realized that she was a woman.

"Whew!"

The underboss let out a sigh of relief. At the very least, it wasn't another of the worrying forces. However, he took a double take, the name 'Gold Will Sword Sect' a cause for concern.

Gold Will Sword Sect?

A while ago, there had been a meeting among the Forest Stockades, or rather, the entire Red Forest Stockades.

There, they had been informed that the Gold Will Merchants had formed a punitive force and sent warriors for revenge.

However, the one who was leading them was the problem.

The underboss' head snapped up, his gaze scanning the Mount Hua Sect's disciples as if searching for something.

"Chu Lian! Report!" Zhou Xuchuan shouted, ignoring the underboss.

Chu Lian gave Zhou Xuchuan a thumbs up.

"Don't worry, we've secured them, Captain. We've also taken care of the guards. You can go wild!"

"Okay!"

He didn't have to issue orders while worrying about the situation anymore.

Although the Gold Will Sword Sect wouldn't be able to participate in the battle due to needing to protect the hostages, the situation overwhelmingly favored them so much that it didn't matter.

Moreover, the damage to the Great Tiger Stockade was greater than expected, which was a bonus.

"Great Tiger Stockade Underboss! I'll keep it short!" Zhou Xuchuan stepped forward and shouted proudly.

"If you value your life, surrender. Then I will spare your life!"

"Looks like you're a green little brat who doesn't even know where he is to be talking such nonsense!"

The underboss didn't move. Instead, he turned with a placating expression, as if welcoming someone.

"Mountain Blood Tiger!"

Chu Lian recognized Gua Dal'e.

"The Great Mountain Tiger Gua Dal'e…"

Zhang Hong tightened his grip on his sword. Even the slightest hint of relaxation disappeared from his body, tension filling his hands.

Gua Dal'e's bulging muscles made one wonder if any sword could pierce his flesh, and his forearms were as thick as logs.

While Zhang Hong didn't know who the Great Mountain Tiger had killed on his way here, the Great Mountain Tiger's skin was covered in blood.

Gua Dal'e, the boss of the Great Tiger Stockade, wasn't just a simple bandit. He was an incredible martial artist who was one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven.

"Nice to meet you, mountain bandit. My name is Zhou Xuchuan."

"...!"

The underboss momentarily lost his breath, and the surrounding forest bandits were equally surprised.

"The Plum Blossom Order Sword? Hmph!" Gua Dal'e snorted.

"I heard that some brat named Ju Sangchin or whatever sold his soul to a merchant and became his dog. Was that you?"

"You bastard! Who the hell do you think you're talking to?!" Zhang Hong exploded in anger as if he had been the target of the insults.

Gua Dal'e turned to Zhang Hong but his gaze quickly shifted to Luo Xiaoyue who was standing beside him.

After scanning her from head to toe, he fixed his gaze on her face. A lustful smile appeared on his lips.

"I never heard that there was a peerless beauty in the Mount Hua Sect. What's your name? I'll make you my special concubine."

Luo Xiaoyue frowned as if she felt insulted.

"My name is Zhou Xuchuan," Zhou Xuchuan said.

"Oho, that angry little bitch isn't any ordinary beauty, either. Have you come to give me something good to look at?"

As if she was in a foul mood, poison qi began to exude from Tang Hui. The mist flowing from her fingertips billowed around her, causing the weeds that had grown stubbornly across the ground to crumble into black dust.

"My name is Zhou Xuchuan," Zhou Xuchuan said.

"Good, I'll show you all a special mercy. If you hand over the women, I'll spare the lives of the men."

"What nonsense! It looks like you're spewing shit just because you have a slit on your face! Do you even know who this person is? This is Lady Tang Hui, the Poison Phoenix!" Yuan Dashi's chilling voice echoed through the battlefield.

"If you really want to refuse a toast…"

"My name is Zhou Xuchuan."

"Shut up, Plum Blossom Order Sword! I don't give a shit about your name, so you don't have to remind me!"

Gua Dal'e finally couldn't hold back and responded to Zhou Xuchuan.

"Consider this a kindness. You're going to die soon, so shouldn't you at least know who killed you?"

"What? Keuhahaha!"

Gua Dal'e laughed loudly, bowled over. He was clearly mocking Zhou Xuchuan.

"What a crazy bastard!"

"Look at how arrogant he is, as if we wouldn't know that he was a Righteous Faction brat!"

"Kekeke! You're dead now!"

The forest bandits of the Great Tiger Stockade also laughed, finding it funny. Their morale that had fallen all the way to the ground had long since risen again.

The moment the Mountain Blood Tiger appeared, strength that seemed to have never existed within them surged up, and the eyes that had been eager to escape were once again filled with bloodlust.

Even if the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes were here, they wouldn't be able to compare to the Boss, Gua Dal'e.

"You act as if the world is under you just because you were lucky enough to defeat the Flower Scattering Palm, you arrogant bastard."

Shing!

Gua Dal'e drew a great saber that matched his size.

The blade reflected the sunlight, gleaming ominously.

"While you seem to think you can win by attacking with the Poison Phoenix, I'll show you that you're severely mistaken."

Bloodlust gushed from his body as Gua Dal'e charged at Zhou Xuchuan.

The number of people that he had killed so far was already over three digits, so his bloodlust was viscous and thick.

As if to prove that even though he was a forest bandit, he was still one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, the air pressure from his charge was noticeably different.

The punitive force members also changed their formation without a word.

The Mount Hua Sect prepared a sword formation, while the Tang Family also moved to grab the secret poisons and weapons they had hidden.

Standing in the center of a storm of bloodlust, Gua Dal'e swung his large sword.

"You hypocrites of the Righteous Faction, I, the Great Tiger Stockade's…" he shouted.

"Wow, you really talk too much!" Zhou Xuchuan interrupted as he dashed out.

His movement was so instantaneous that it seemed he vanished from sight.

Gua Dal'e never expected Zhou Xuchuan to make a surprise attack, forcing him to raise his blade in shock.

Clang!

Steel clashed and started to grate.

W-what the hell?!

Gua Dal'e's composure disappeared, leaving only confusion in its place.

"I'm a little busy, so let's not waste time and finish this quickly."

The qi that had bloomed like a mist coated Zhou Xuchuan's sword. The thin film of qi gradually thickened and hardened.

Gua Dal'e's eyes became as big as a full moon.

S-sword aura?

What he had dreamed of for over ten years but had given up on was now right before his eyes. While he raised his qi to the utmost, he couldn't stop the aura.

The Cherished Saber that he had brought in a famous craftsman from a village to make was about to be cleaved through without even being able to hold out for long.

Seeing that, Gua Dal'e couldn't hide his bewilderment and stuttered urgently.

"Listen. Wait a minute…"

Crunch!