Volcanic Age

The Qinghua Allied Forces numbered three thousand.

The Major Tribes two thousand.

In terms of numbers alone, the Qinghua Allied Forces had an overwhelming advantage.

However, that didn't mean that their actual advantage was that great. Despite their numbers, the Qinghua Allied Forces were still anxious.

It was only natural; their enemies were monsters who had trampled over the Southern Jungles with nothing but their fists after the collapse of the imperial colonies.

Fortunately, the Allied Forces had the Central Plains martial artists, who had crushed those monsters with just sixty members, by their side.

"First, we should organize the troops."

While the overall command was to be held by Ye Li and Yuan Cai, the search party was given special recognition and operated independently.

As the strongest unit, they were allowed to make their own decisions, provided they stayed within the bounds of reason.

"First, let's check your poison resistance and detoxification ability."

Tang Hui laughed eerily, venom dripping from her fingertips. The Qinghua Allied Forces were also from the Southern Jungles, meaning that there was no need to worry about their ability to deal with poison. However, the problem was the people of the Central Plains.

As the organization that specialized in poisons within the Central Plains, the Tang Family had stronger resistance to poison than those of the Southern Jungles.

The problem was the Diancang Sect. While their martial arts and combat experience were great, how well they could actually deal with poison was uncertain.

Fortunately, most of the Diancang Sect members here had entered and returned from Poisonblood Valley following the Seventh Young Master of Diancang Duan Hecheng.

It seemed they must have suffered considerably back then, as they had a fairly good poison tolerance and their detoxification abilities weren't bad.

Still, just in case, they were either prescribed an antidote or given preventative medicine.

"Once the fight starts, it'll be difficult for us to help with detoxification," Tang Hui warned Duan Hecheng.

"So, try not to clash with the Poison Insect Tribe. Instead, I'll ask you to help manage the Beast Tribe and the Au Co Tribe."

"Understood. Thank you for your concern."

Duan Hecheng couldn't help but admire Tang Hui's beauty while receiving the antidote.

Wow, she isn't called the Poison Phoenix for nothing. If I hadn't met my wife and was twenty years younger, I may have gone crazy about her.

Duan Hecheng was in his forties. Considering his family status, he had gotten married as soon as he became an adult.

However, as a disciple of the Diancang Sect, he was often called to various battles and martial spars, meaning that he generally didn't have the time to visit his own home properly.

Even though his marriage was a family-arranged one, he and his wife got along well because they matched well.

In addition, his wife had been famous in Yunnan for her beauty when she was young, and she also had a good heart, meaning that they got along well.

By the way, what's the relationship between Great Hero Zhou and the Young Lady Poison Phoenix?

As they continued to move together in the Southern Jungles, he could hear the fierce yet somehow sweet(?) conversation between Zhou Xuchuan and Tang Hui.

Tang Hui would spew out a surprising amount of venom, and Zhou Xuchuan would respond nonchalantly, continuing the conversation.

Most men, or even women, would be intimidated by Tang Hui. However, Zhou Xuchuan didn't seem to care.

Furthermore, since one was the hero of the Righteous Faction and the other the Poison Phoenix, he really couldn't imagine a better pairing.

So, he asked them out of curiosity.

"I wonder what sort of intentions you have for asking such a question, Seventh Young Master of Diancang. What, did you really expect me to blush all prettily like some girl in love and say, 'O-of course not! There's nothing going on between us!' Or is it that you're trying to introduce me to some Daoists who might just disappear into the dew of the battlefield?"

"No, that's not—"

"It's okay. I understand. Anyone can be curious. After all, Seventh Young Master of Diancang is at an age where you would soon be able to look at the younger generation of the murim and say, 'Kekeke, I used to be like that too.' Oh dear, what should we do? If I laugh any harder, my lungs will hurt so much it'll feel like they're splitting apart… hmm, what sort of poison would be good?"

"I won't say anything unnecessary, Young Lady."

"Good. This is why I like men who are perceptive before they become snakes. At least they understand what I'm saying."

Tang Hui smiled gently.

****

"Hmm."

Zhou Xuchuan studied the object before him, lost in thought.

"So, sorcery…"

In front of him was a six-foot-tall staff and a suspicious book underneath it.

They were the treasures of the Cannibal Tribe.

The staff amplified the power of sorcery arts, and the book was some sort of secret manual containing the High Priest's sorcery.

Whether it was in the Southern Jungles or the Central Plains, the revelation of this secret manual would undoubtedly ignite a bloody storm. That was why, just in case, he had asked Little Ghost to search the High Priest's body and take whatever was there before he left the temple.

"This… I think I might be able to learn it if I try hard enough."

After reading the High Priest's manual, it wasn't as difficult as he had thought. While there were a few conditions, it wasn't too difficult.

The issue was that the sorcery required a person's vitality or innate qi and consumed large amounts in an instant. However, that could be mitigated by using qi instead.

After reading the manual, he could understand why they coveted the brains and hearts of martial artists.

Everything else within the book was about the tattoos. All one had to do was draw the pictures or letters listed to activate the spells.

In other words, anyone could become stronger through this sorcery, regardless of whether they were a martial artist or not, as long as they had some amount of qi.

"To have this much power but with these few conditions…"

Zhou Xuchuan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration as he thought of the High Priest.

If this were compared to martial arts, it would be on the same level as a divine art. All one had to do was precisely copy the tattoos and work diligently on gathering qi.[1]

It didn't require enlightenment or even comprehension. The more he looked into it, the more surprised he became.

"Hmph. It seems like it would be hard to use it directly."

Even though there were many different types of martial artists, and he could theoretically explain them away, he was still of the Righteous Faction, and more importantly, he was still a Daoist of the Nine Sects and One Gang.

There was no way he could draw something that looked so suspicious on his skin.

He thought about it carefully, but no matter how much of a waste it would be, he couldn't use something that would most likely get him labeled a demonic cultivator.

"Are there any invisible tattoos?"

As long as they weren't visible, he would be more than willing to use them.

There was no need for him to use anyone's vitality since he had enough qi. It was basically the perfect addition of power.

He combed through the spellbook again, just in case. Fortunately, he was able to find the section about the synthesis and manufacturing of tattoo ink.

Unfortunately, there was no such thing as an invisible tattoo. However, there was something similar.

In the Southern Jungles, there was a creature called a biyi.[2] This creature had the ability to change its skin color at will. However, it was so good at it that it couldn't be detected even if one looked closely, giving it an incredible advantage in front of predators. While it was impossible for it to be completely invisible, it had the ability to hide itself from one's gaze completely.

However, that didn't mean it was perfect. When its emotions were heightened, it couldn't keep its complete camouflage and would shine faintly instead.

To the Cannibal Tribe, a tattoo was a way to prove and be recognized as a warrior's strength. There was no concept of hiding it.

"Hmm, when you get emotional…"

Zhou Xuchuan's gaze turned to the side. Little Ghost, standing alone, came into his view.

When one became a Harmony Master, it was easy to control one's emotions. However, that didn't mean they lacked emotions, they were just controlled.

However, the Phantoms who went through the process of Mind Killing were different.

Since they had no Mind, they had no emotions, no sense of elation.

They were perfect candidates to use both martial arts and sorcery at the same time.

"Good. Then, I'll give this to you. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Whatever. I don't know why I even asked."

Because of the influence of the Divine Phantom Art, the Phantoms would listen immediately, no matter what he told them to do.

While it was comfortable, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Although he tried his best to treat her like a person, not a tool, it still made his head hurt because the person in question never understood that.

He hadn't stopped searching for a way to restore individuality to her and the others. But the effects of the Mind Killing was just too great.

"I guess we'll have to go back to the temple."

Before leaving the temple, he had looked around to see if there was anything else to take.

Within the temple were some gold and silver treasures, weapons, and a room for constructing poison needles. There had to be some paint materials for tattooing in one of them.

However, the temple was currently under the command of the major tribes.

While it was one of the places they would have to conquer if war broke out anyway, it was troublesome to have to do the same thing twice.

"Little Ghost, it looks like I still have a lot to give you."

Zhou Xuchuan patted Little Ghost's head.

Although he needed paint for tattooing, he also needed to increase her qi so that she would be able to use it as a substitute for vitality.

Since he had come all the way to the Southern Jungles, he might as well look for an elixir.

****

The search party, initially formed to look for a single person, stirred up a storm.

The name of this storm was war.

The Southern Jungles had raised an army for the first time since the failed rebellion during the previous dynasty.

However, despite this commotion, the province officials dispatched from the Central Plains didn't budge.

"Hmm. It seems the Toho of Qinghua Province has mobilized his troops."

"Ohoho, there's only three thousand of them, right? What child's play."

"To think they put in all that effort just to fight some barbarians… tsk tsk."

"It's just beasts fighting each other. Why should we get involved? Let's not worry about it."

The officials didn't even know the names of the Toho, so why would they have any interest in the situation of the Southern Jungles?

They simply dismissed the scale of a battle involving five thousand troops, saying that it was just a power struggle between the barbarians and a common occurrence.

The important thing wasn't that, but rather, which oil to adorn their bodies with and which beauties to embrace.

Meanwhile, Ye Li, with the help of his advisor Yuan Cai, led the troops gathered from all over the province and made his move.

All three thousand troops moved together, as he hadn't dispersed his troops at all.

Since three thousand people were moving at once, the commotion wasn't anything to scoff at.

Even the beasts that usually didn't care about people or anything else lowered their heads, on guard in the darkness.

Flap, flap, flap!

Hundreds of birds flapped their wings and flew over the Great Forest.

The sound of their wings flapping all at once was like thunder.

"The enemy numbers two thousand. The Beast Tribe at one thousand, the Poison Insect Tribe at seven hundred, and the Au Co Tribe at three hundred… but that's not all we have to worry about."

"If that's not all, then?"

"We also need to consider the beasts raised by the Beast Tribe. They mostly keep wolves, and there should be about three hundred of them."

"While they aren't as troublesome as humans, they still must be quite a headache."

"Exactly."

Two thousand warriors and three hundred beasts. It wasn't a small number.

"The good news is that there isn't much cooperation between the Major Tribes."

"Indeed. That's definitely good news."

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Xuchuan's lips.

While they may have all belonged to the Major Tribes, they weren't all from the same tribe.

Beast Tribe, Poison Insect Tribe, Au Co Tribe.

They didn't even have a unified leader, so it wasn't easy for these different groups to join hands in the first place.

It was only because their power was evenly matched that they formed a cooperative relationship. It seemed like if two of the three were to collide, their strength would weaken and leave an opening for the third force to invade.

Their petty pride, believing that the only thing they could trust was their own strength and that they didn't need to cooperate with each other, was perfect for the Allied Forces' victory.

"Normally, when they move independently like this, we would think about distributing our troops appropriately and defeat each of their forces individually."

Zhou Xuchuan nodded.

"However, that's a trap. The Poison Insect Tribe likes to hide in trees and bushes and use all kinds of poisonous insects to ambush their prey. Never underestimate their power. That's how the remaining forces of the Great Viet were annihilated in the past."

Since the Allied Forces had already lost several wars, they were extremely wary of the enemy. They had also prepared countermeasures.

"So, instead, the Allied Forces shouldn't disperse our troops but rather face the situation head-on. Our primary target is here."

The gaze of the audience turned to Yuan Cai's fingertips.

"The temple of the Cannibal Tribe."

1. To clarify, you can be a cultivator and not be a martial artist. Case in point, Zhuge Shengji is not a martial artist, even though he has qi. ☜

2. Technically a pseudo-mythological creature, but is essentially a chameleon. ☜