Chapter 385. The Murim Is a Curse (2)

The battlefield, or rather the Mount Hua Sect, shook at that name.

"Ah...."

A voice flowed out of someone's mouth...

"AAAAAH!"

It soon turned into a cheer.

"T-the Sword God?"

"Zhou Xuchuan?"

The people of the Mount Hua Sect acted as if they had won by a landslide, but the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance was the opposite.

They looked as pale as corpses. They were frozen and couldn't even move a single fingertip.

"Impossible!"

"How is the Sword God here?!"

Screams erupted here and there. Emotions such as shock, disbelief, and fear mixed together and churned like a whirlpool.

It was no wonder they were surprised.

T-this is a problem!

What should we do?

Zhou Xuchuan's trip to the North Sea was a secret, but it wasn't like they hadn't noticed something strange.

In particular, Zhou Xuchuan was a key figure in the eyes of the Dark Heavens Association. It was strange that there wasn't any news of him for such a long time.

His whereabouts were unclear, but they assumed there was a reason behind his absence.

The Dark Heavens Association once teased the Three Mountain Sword Sect Alliance, saying that they would be the ones to bring down the Mount Hua Sect now that the Sword God was away.

In other words, Zhou Xuchuan was a huge deterrent. The huge deterrent and a symbol of fear had appeared on the battlefield, so it was only natural for the battlefield to plunge into chaos.

"The best reinforcement has arrived!" Wei Zhijie took command, "Show them a clear look at the Mount Hua Sect's sword!"

"

Raaah!!

"

The Mount Hua Sect was feeling utterly exhausted by the two-fold difference in strength, but Zhou Xuchuan's appearance alone changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.

Wei Zhijie ignored the Mount Tai Sect's Sword in front of him and shouted in a booming voice as he moved with the Mount Hua Sect's swordsmen.

"Y-you bastard!"

The Mount Tai Sect's Sword's face turned red after being blatantly ignored in his face. Purple veins bulged out on his forehead. It looked like he was going to rush in, but he couldn't move at all.

While looking at Wei Zhijie, he glanced at Zhou Xuchuan, wondering if the Sword God was paying attention to him.

Second Form.

Standing at the rear of the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance, Zhou Xuchuan raised his sword high.

Arc Flower Rain!

There was no need to gather any Formless Sword Aura. He drew his violet haze qi from his lower abdomen and spread it.

Rumble!

A noise loud enough to rupture eardrums was generated. It sounded like the sky itself had fallen. A large amount of violet haze qi rushed out of the sword and fanned out, hitting the vanguard and the rearguard of the Three Mountain Sword Sects Alliance.

RUMBLE!

The Violet Haze Sword Sutra swept across the ground. Violent tremors ran across the ground, kicking up debris.

"

Ah!

"

It was truly a disaster. The sight would make anyone understand why an Absolute Master was an Empyrean Overlord. No matter how hard they tried to block it, it was useless. They were blasted away while holding onto their swords, and the parts of their bodies that they couldn't defend were severed.

"U-ugh!!"

"Cough, cough!"

Many who suffered internal injuries from the storm of violet haze. It was as if a typhoon had passed, leaving everything in ruins.

Zhou Xuchuan looked at Wei Zhijie and called out, "Elder Wei!"

This is enough.

Wei Zhijie nodded.

Good!

He wanted to run to his master in a single stride, but he couldn't pretend not to see that his sect was in trouble. More than anything, if he were to refuse to help them, Liu Zhengmu would get angry and ask why he had turned away.

"I'll leave it to you!"

Zhou Xuchuan's figure bent like a bow. The moment he straightened up again, he shot out as if he were ricocheting off the ground. The powerful Flicking Bow Moving Shadows generated a shockwave that made his sweaty hair billow out in the air as if it were dancing.

"Whew!

"

The Mount Tai Sect's Sword felt relieved when he saw Zhou Xuchuan leave, but soon, his face crumpled like his pride.

I was relieved?

The moment he heard the Sword God's name, he couldn't move at all. The moment he realized that his feelings were derived from fear, the emotions that had been boiling within him like lava finally exploded.

It was humiliating.

"This... this—

AAARGH!!

" He was so angry that he couldn't even speak properly. "Again...!"

He had been working hard his entire life for the sake of overcoming the Mount Hua Sect. He disliked the way he was pushed aside by the Mount Hua Sect no matter where he went. He found it annoying that the Mount Hua Sect always came first in the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance.

He had to overcome them someday, and at the same time, he hated them. He swore that he would flatten their noses.

But what was this? Instead of flattening them, he had tucked his tail in and hid like a scared dog. Instead of telling the Sword God to wait, he was overwhelmed by the Sword God's cultivation and couldn't do anything at all.

"

AGH!!!

"

His chest was hot; his heart was pounding, and his lower abdomen and dantian reacted to his emotions reminiscent of a furious cow.

The Sect Master of the Mount Tai Sect finally lost his senses. The sword aura that was supposed to tower over the five mountains had fallen long ago. There was no purity to it. Instead, sticky and negative emotions poured out like a backflow.

"Was it so bad that it ruined everything for you?" Wei Zhijie felt truly sorry for the Mount Tai Sect's Sword. "Rather than pride, is it just an inferiority complex? Or, if not that, was it this

murim

, which has long been broken?"

***

The swords that faced each other clashed in midair.

Clang!

It wasn't matter against matter. As soon as the aura that sublimated the power of the great nature into the ultimate martial arts collided with each other, an explosion occurred.

Layers of space were shattered, and the shockwaves swept out like tidal waves.

"

Ugh!

" Shen Yulian groaned. After Liu Zhengmu backed away with the pursuers, she started falling behind.

The power of the Blossom Severing Petal Scattering Sword Technique, combined with the rampaging qi of Chaoyi Shitai, which was running wild due to cultivation deviation, was extraordinary.

"Die!" Chaoyi Shitai shouted and thrust forward with her sword.

This...

Shen Yulian looked regretful. She had just stopped moving due to the sheer exhaustion. Her balance had collapsed, making it difficult to respond. She had no choice but to lean away to try to minimize the damage while waiting for the pain.

Clang!

Just then, another sword arrived.

"Sect Master!"

"Zheng Huilian!"

Zheng Huilian bit his lips tightly.

The purple thread on his sword rippled, but its color was infinitely pale. No matter how talented he was, Zheng Huilian was still a child who had yet to become an adolescent. He couldn't possibly be in the Harmony Realm.

Even with the Sword God's teachings and his hard work, unless he truly had a special encounter, he couldn't have ascended to the Harmony Realm at this point in time.

"Is being the best really that important?"

The young Sect Master's eyes lit up quietly.

"Is it so important that you have to throw away your long-held beliefs, trample on others, and sacrifice many disciples?" Zheng Huilian snapped coldly.

"Comparison is, after all, the end of happiness and the beginning of unhappiness!"

"Isn't it this very

murim

that started that comparison?" Chaoyi Shitai answered with tears in her eyes. "They rank people based on their martial skills or origins, and arbitrarily decide who is stronger or weaker than someone else."

Veins bulged all over her hand holding the sword.

"Aren't those successful martial artists the ones who created this society, where even happiness is at stake and competition is so intense that one can't even breathe?"

Clang, clang, clang!

Chaoyi Shitai blocked Zheng Huilian and Shen Yulian's swords. The two were amazed by her incredible level of might. The sword aura on the sword burned like rage, and the sparks created by the metal clashing flew in all directions.

"How is it different from the Demon Cult?!"

Competition was promised from the moment they were born. They were told to study hard and rise above others. They were told that they had to stand above others. They were told that they had to step on someone and trample them.

They heard whispers, saying that

this

level of happiness was not enough, and that they ought to seize even greater happiness.

"What's the difference between you and those who think that power is everything?!"

When they left the place full of discipline, they discovered that the world was a worse place. They were judged only by their talent or origin; there weren't even any attempts to talk to them.

"... a... se." The nun's voice cracked. Blood began to flow out of her mouth. As if she had come up from hell, her voice was filled with pain and agony. Her eyes full of blood were eerie.

"It's a curse...!"

Plop, plop.

Every time she walked, her veins would burst and her joints would creak. She could feel her bones breaking and her meridians twisting. Her hair, which had turned pure white, was covered in blood and sweat.

"I will... curse the

murim

...!"

"...!"

No one could move. Everyone simply stood there, seemingly overwhelmed.

Zheng Huilian and Shen Yulian put down their swords. However, they weren't actually overwhelmed and admitting defeat. There was just no need for them to raise their swords.

Her breathing started to fade, and her pulse started to slow down as well.

Blood poured out of Chaoyi Shitai's eyes, mouth, and nose. However, her eyes were still the same. Far from weakening, the glint of hatred in them became even more intense.

***

The cause of Liu Zhengmu's trouble was that he had moved locations out of concern for the Sect Master. It was good that he had led them away, but thanks to that, he was left all by himself.

"

Ha... ha..!

" Liu Zhengmu's eyes narrowed as he gasped for breath. He had no wounds on his body, but his exhaustion was evident.

"How impressive, Gentle Smiling Swordsman."

The Dark Heavens Association's military force, the Seven Stars Division soldiers of the Warped Valor Star, were impressed.

Judging from the surprise on their faces, their words weren't laced with sarcasm.

"It was a given, but I never expected you to be

this

strong."

There were dead bodies all around. Only seven elite soldiers were left, even though there were thirty of them not too long ago. It was often said that subduing was harder than killing, but they hadn't expected that they couldn't touch even a single hair on Liu Zhengmu's body.

"However, struggling only gets you this far."

"

Tch!

" Liu Zhengmu backed away. Even if he wanted to try to run away, his escape route was blocked. More importantly, he was exhausted. In fact, it was incredible that he was still holding out.

"Liu Zhengmu. If you follow us obediently, you won't see any blood. We'll feed you Qi Dispersion Poison so that you can't use your strength, but we promise not to hurt you."

They had no idea when reinforcements from the Martial Alliance would arrive, so every moment was precious in their eyes.

Liu Zhengmu was exhausted, but it would still be quite annoying if a Harmony Realm Master were to struggle with his life on the line. Moreover, to escape this chaos, it would be better if at least one more comrade were alive.

Xuchuan...

The face of his disciple, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, came to mind. Many people had been visiting him since his disciple became the Sword God.

The Sect Master sent most of the visitors away, but Liu Zhengmu met them whenever he had time outside of training.

It was an action that came from the thought that if he were to act arrogantly, his disciple's reputation would be tarnished.

An Empyrean Overlord held a heavy and burdensome position, but he endured it for the sake of his proud disciple.

I cannot be a burden.

Liu Zhengmu raised his sword without a moment's hesitation. He squeezed out all his strength and imbued strength into his legs. His fingertips trembled slightly, but he didn't care.

"Enough." The expressions of the Seven Stars Division soldiers stiffened and went cold. "Losing an arm or a leg is inconsequential."

Seeing Liu Zhengmu come out swinging, the commander gave up and said, "Take him down."

Woosh!

All the Seven Stars Division soldiers, including the commander, rushed forward.

Shing!

They didn't care about their hands. While their attacks weren't life-threatening, it seemed like they would ruin one or two parts of Liu Zhengmu's body.

Seven flashes of sword light flew in from all directions. Liu Zhengmu intuitively realized that he couldn't block them all.

I'll give you at least one arm!

His pupils frantically moved side to side. Liu Zhengmu, who was prepared to sacrifice flesh to sever bone, responded with the Seven Severings Plum Blossom Sword.

Squelch!

"Wait...?"

Liu Zhengmu's eyes widened in surprise.

A line was drawn from the right shoulder to the left waist. A human body was chopped up so easily as if it were being butchered. The Seven Stars Division soldier in question had no idea that they were dead, and they remained fierce as they fought.

"How dare you..."

A shadow appeared behind the corpse that was split diagonally.

"Do you even know who you're pointing your sword at?"

The shadow belonged to the enraged Zhou Xuchuan.

"Fuck off."

He turned his sword around and swung it horizontally.

BOOM!

"

Aah!!

"

His anger blew up like a storm. The Seven Stars Division soldiers moving right next to him fell and rolled on the ground. Zhou Xuchuan's movements didn't end there, and he moved at breakneck speeds, leaving afterimages behind him as he swung his fist upward from below.

BANG!

His fist landed on a chin, but the generated noise was unlike one would hear upon skin-to-skin contact. Instead, what echoed was an explosion, and the soldier's head exploded.

In the blink of an eye, three out of the seven remaining soldiers were killed.

"W-what?!"

The Seven Stars Division soldiers retreated in shock. Their lower abdomens hurt because they suddenly changed movements while repelling the attack.

Their meridians also trembled, but they had no time to worry. They quickly retreated, thinking that if they stepped forward, they would surely die.

"Wait..."

The Seven Stars Division soldiers' faces turned pale.

"Zhou Xuchuan!"

"Yes, it's me," Zhou Xuchuan answered after wiping the blood off his sword.

"Xuchuan!"

Liu Zhengmu raised his voice in surprise.

"Master, are you okay?" Zhou Xuchuan looked behind him and asked. The anger filling his eyes just now was nowhere to be found. Instead, Liu Zhengmu could see half joy and half worry within Zhou Xuchuan's eyes at their reunion.

"I'm a little tired, but as you can see, I'm okay."

Liu Zhengmu smiled gently as always.

"

Whew!

" Zhou Xuchuan let out a sigh of relief. When he arrived near the Upper Palace, he discovered that Liu Zhengmu was missing and immediately felt something amiss. He had been anxious since then, so he checked to see if his master was lying to ensure that he wouldn't be worried, but fortunately, his master seemed to be unharmed.

Hiss.

Bang!

"...!"

Zhou Xuchuan's head turned like lightning.

"The mission failed when Zhou Xuchuan appeared," said the commander of the Seven Stars Division soldiers. He was holding a bamboo tube above his head, and red smoke was rising from it.

The surviving Seven Stars Division soldiers pulled the string connected to the bamboo tube and set off signal flares one after another.

"But..."

Clang!

The sword fell from the commander's hand. The Seven Stars Division soldiers also threw away their swords. Zhou Xuchuan stopped walking.

The faces of the Seven Stars Division soldiers turned pale. Judging from the black blood flowing out of their mouths, it was clear that they had consumed poison.

Dark Heavens Association...

Their will was so strong it would make one stick their tongue out in disgust. The commanding Seven Stars Division soldier put down his sword and picked up a dagger instead.

Zhou Xuchuan thought that the commander would come at him with a poisoned weapon, planning to trade lives, but it was a needless worry. The Dark Heavens Association's commander moved the tip of the dagger to his throat.

"Our goal has been achieved."

Squelch!