Chapter 417. Seven Stars, Blessed Existence (1)

The Dark Heavens Association wasn't the only one to plant spies in the

murim.

The Righteous and Evil Alliance had also managed to gain information through the spies they had placed after the Association revealed itself.

"It's said there hasn’t been any unusual movement inside headquarters, so we plan to advance tomorrow morning as scheduled. We would prefer to wait and observe a bit longer, but according to our spies, the security is so tight that even if we waited, we still wouldn’t be able to confirm anything."

Although all of the Dark Heavens Association leaders had been wiped out except for Blessed Existence, the mechanisms of the Seven Stars Division weren’t paralyzed.

The remaining heads, especially Blessed Existence, had managed to somehow keep it running, as expected from the brains of the Dark Heavens.

In particular, considering the current situation, where everything was on the line with a decisive battle, their internal security and surveillance were strict, making it difficult to find out more information.

The Murim Alliance carefully reviewed the formations and movements of their commanders and troops, making thorough preparations. Zhuge Xiang and Zhuge Xiuluan were so concerned about information leaking to Blessed Existence that they didn’t even reveal the timing of the final clash.

The martial artists of the Central Plains, the North Sea, and the South Sea each did their own thing and waited for the order to proceed.

The Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix Luo Xiaoyue also spent time chatting with the other Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, her disciple brothers and sisters, or polishing her sword. Eventually, she grew curious about her Senior Brother, whom she hadn’t seen recently because of the meetings, and went to look for him.

“Whew...”

“Senior Brother, you're still the same.”

“Huh?”

Zhou Xuchuan took a deep breath and turned his head.

Luo Xiaoyue, who had not washed properly recently but was still as beautiful as a fairy, smiled gently.

“Still the same?”

When Zhou Xuchuan asked, Luo Xiaoyue sat down next to him and replied.

“Training. Senior Brother, even after achieving the Harmony Realm, or rather, the Coruscant Realm, you're still constantly training.”

It made sense to train at dawn or in the early morning. For martial artists, the day began even earlier than for ordinary people. The air was rich with true qi at sunrise, and circulating their cultivation methods at that time allowed them to accumulate qi more efficiently, leaving them no choice but to wake up at dawn.

In contrast, those who couldn’t get up at dawn, no matter how talented, could only dream of becoming masters.

To a martial artist, laziness was a sin.

However, even for a martial artist, if one reached a certain level, it didn't matter if one wasn't diligent.

That was because once one reached the Peak Realm, or the level in which one was considered an expert, enlightenment was more important than training.

On the contrary, if one became obsessed to the point of overworking their body, they might end up hurting their heart and being unable to attain enlightenment.

Of course, it wasn't good even for an expert not to cultivate at all, but it was still a rare sight to see someone so strong do such a simple task.

“There are still some areas where I’m lacking, and my abilities and talents are limited.”

“Are you joking?”

Luo Xiaoyue looked at him in disbelief.

Her senior brother had already achieved not just the Harmony Realm, but even the Coruscant Realm before he was even thirty. This wasn't on the level of having 'lacking' talent or abilities.

Zhou Xuchuan only smiled bitterly at Luo Xiaoyue’s question.

It's not like I can tell her that this is my second life.

Back then, he had been well over seventy at the time he reached the Harmony Realm. Feeling that he didn't have much time left, he had only been able to reach such heights with the help of the

Huí Guāng Fǎn Zhào

, the last spark of enlightenment before one dies.

After that, he started over again when he was young, so reaching that level a second time wasn’t difficult.

In the case of the Coruscant Realm, part of it had been luck, and the other part had only been because of his special experience in regressing.

“Senior Brother, is this really the end?”

“Of what?”

“War.”

Luo Xiaoyue looked out toward Hefei in the distance.

“In these past few years, there have been many battles that will be remembered in history. People have died, people have killed, and people have lost.”

“...Yes.”

“I know I sound childish. But... I still hope this tragedy ends soon. If we don’t end the war, this war will end us.”

Luo Xiaoyue looked down sadly. She could see flower petals trampled by someone among the grass.

“Thanks to those who have sacrificed so far, the Murim Alliance has won a great victory. People say that the winner is the Allied Forces, but I think differently. Even if you call it that, I think there are no winners, only losers. After all, everyone has lost someone.”

Junior Sister...

Zhou Xuchuan quietly chewed on Luo Xiaoyue’s words.

He didn’t know much about her in his previous life. He had only seen her from afar, so he didn’t know what kind of personality she had.

Luo Xiaoyue was someone who felt sorrow for the pain of others and happiness for their joy.

"Senior Brother."

Luo Xiaoyue raised her head and looked at Zhou Xuchuan.

There was worry in her eyes.

"I don't know if it's because of what happened before, but sometimes, I dream of losing you, Senior Brother. Every time I do, I'm afraid that I'll lose you again."

The first time was when Zhou Xuchuan had first entered the

gangho

. He had gotten lost at the hands of pirates, including the Watertop Spearman Lu Dalang.

The next time had been right before the Great War of Good and Demonic.

At that time, she had only ever heard sorrowful words about the Divine Monk, Abbot Hui Mian of the Shaolin Temple or the news about Zhou Xuchuan's death.

Whether it was the former or the latter, it had left a deep scar.

From then on, Luo Xiaoyue was afraid of losing Zhou Xuchuan again.

“I won’t go as far as to say something as ridiculous as to stay out of the war. But I hope you'll be careful.”

She hesitated, then reached for Zhou Xuchuan’s arm. Her hand stopped halfway, but then she firmly placed it on the back of his hand as if she had made up her mind.

“Senior Brother, I don’t want to lose you anymore. After all, I cherish and like you more than anyone else.”

Her voice trembled slightly, and her cheeks were flushed.

"I don't know exactly when these feelings started. However, I realized that I was chasing you at some point. Whenever I couldn't see you, I felt anxious and worried about what might happen. When I lost you, I regretted never telling you how I felt."

Zhou Xuchuan didn’t say anything. He just waited for her next words.

“Senior Brother, you really are an amazing person. And I’m not just talking about your martial arts.”

Luo Xiaoyue, still holding the back of Zhou Xuchuan’s hand, gently took his hand in both of hers.

“Even though you’ve reached the position of the Absolute Masters, an Empyrean Overlord, you’re always humble, not arrogant. I like how you work harder than anyone else. I think it’s amazing that you’re willing to help others and save the

murim

even though no one forced you to. I hate how you always try to shoulder everything alone because you're afraid of those around you getting hurt... but I also think that’s part of what makes you kind. That’s something I like, too.”

When she first learned about the Dark Heavens Association, those feelings had only grown stronger. It wasn’t just about trust.

She had liked how he had been trying to save the

murim

without anyone knowing, and how he was careful not to put those around him in danger. However, she also felt sorry for him.

“Junior Sister, I... I'm not as great a person as you think.”

A bitter smile spread across Zhou Xuchuan’s lips.

“Just because I had to save the

murim

, I took away someone else’s chances. And that’s not all. I’ve turned a blind eye to things that were wrong out of necessity, and I’ve also used people as tools. Even as I despised the fact that they were being used as tools, I still did so, saying that it was necessary”

Zhou Xuchuan had shortened a war that would last for decades.

After great effort, he had kept the number of sacrifices to a minimum.

However, that didn’t mean his actions during that time were justified.

Let alone the Dark Heavens Association, one could tell just by looking at the Water Spiritual Fruit.

He had taken away opportunities from those who weren’t evildoers. As the future changed, people who shouldn’t have died had died.

Just like with the Black Shadow Division—he knew that the darkness of

murim

was wrong, but he had turned a blind eye, saying that it was a necessary evil and that there was no other way.

Above all, he thought about how he had been using the Valley of Phantoms to save the

murim

.

“That's what I like so much about you, Senior Brother.”

Luo Xiaoyue smiled as always.

Her smile was softer and more beautiful than ever.

“I like you, Senior Brother. No... I, Luo Xiaoyue, love you, Zhou Xuchuan.”

Zhou Xuchuan couldn’t easily reply to Luo Xiaoyue’s confession.

It would be a lie if he said he hadn’t noticed. He had vaguely known about it for some time.

However, he had been half-doubting it, because the fact that he would be loved by someone he had admired since his previous life didn't feel real.

In addition, he was concerned about whether he had the qualifications to be loved by someone like her.

His thoughts were tangled, like a knotted thread. It was as difficult as reading the thoughts of Blessed Existence.

When Luo Xiaoyue saw the troubled look on his face, she leaned her head lightly against his shoulder and spoke first.

“I’m sorry for bringing this up when a battle is right around the corner. But I didn’t want to regret it again like before. So, you can answer later. Thank you for listening to my little tantrum, Senior Brother.”

“I... Thank you, Junior Sister.”

Zhou Xuchuan sat with Luo Xiaoyue for a while.

And there were those who watched the scene from afar.

“Are you okay?” Duan Lihua asked. Her usual teasing tone was gone.

“Not really.”

Tang Hui turned around as if nothing had happened.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

One couldn’t see what expression she was making.

***

The next day.

As the morning fog cleared, the silence ended and footsteps rang out. The residents of Hefei closed their doors and held their breath.

As the headquarters of the Martial Alliance and the center of the Righteous Faction

murim

, Hefei was closely connected to the

murim

. However, it was unusual for Hefei to repeatedly become a battlefield, so tension was rising among the residents.

In the case of the officials, since they had been bribed over time, they didn't act directly, but they were keeping an eye on everything in case something happened. It was only natural, since there were over fifteen thousand people gathered.

The former Martial Alliance headquarters.

It, along with the eight gates that now served as the entrance to the Dark Heavens Association headquarters and the Eight War Formation Seals, had been newly renovated.

The signboard now read “Dark Heavens Association” instead of “Martial Alliance,” and the colors were also painted dark.

In front of the headquarters were about four thousand warriors and the Dark Heavens Association Lord, the leader of the Dark Heavens and the current Number One Under the Heavens.

Hiss.

The wind was biting, perhaps because it was winter, but rather than feeling cold, it felt searing because of the intense heat.

“They’re here," the Dark Heavens Association Lord muttered as he looked across to the other side.

“One, two, three... Eight thousand. It’s just as Blessed Existence thought.”

The number of troops was exactly double theirs, about eight thousand.

"Vast Gate Star, inform Blessed Existence, about two thousand are heading to the back entrance...”

About a year ago, when the Martial Alliance had been attacked by the Dark Heavens Association, they had been able to retreat through the back escape route, the bamboo forest, after giving up the front lines.

The bamboo in the bamboo forest was so tall that sunlight couldn't even reach the forest floor, and because of the countless bamboo lined up, it was difficult to enter or leave due to the natural formation.

However, for the Zhuge Family, who had designed and operated the bamboo forest, it wasn't impossible to enter.

So they decided they would attack from both sides.

“Zhou Xuchuan also went that way.”

Unlike the Dark Heavens Association, which was reminiscent of an army, the Murim Alliance did not move in a coordinated manner.

That was expected because their thoughts, qi cultivation methods, and even their footsteps were different. The sounds did not ring out simultaneously.

Moreover, there were four people leading the alliance.

The North Sea Ice Palace Master and Sword Demon were at the forefront, and behind them, in the center of the large army, the Martial Alliance Leader and Evil Valley Master were visible.