Volcanic Age

They failed.

While history wasn’t unfolding exactly as it had in Zhou Xuchuan's previous life, it was still similar.

Despite his attempts to calm and persuade them by explaining the dangers of the Blood Demon, his words fell on deaf ears.

Zhou Xuchuan clicked his tongue and began sorting through the situation mentally.

The good news is that the Righteous Faction isn't as weakened as it used to be.

The Great War of Good and Blood was supposed to happen much later.

The Great War of Good and Evil originally broke out immediately after the year-long Seven Swords War. The two factions fought endlessly for ten years.

In the midst of the war, the Demonic Path's Two Lineages, the Demon Cult and the Blood Cult, had a civil war over the Secret Technique of a Great Demon Head, the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic, which became the Demonic Path War.

By the end of the ten-year war, the power of the murim was severely weakened. That was when the Dark Heavens Association revealed themselves.

By this point, the forces of the murim should have come to their senses and joined forces to resist the Dark Heavens Association. However, the reality was far bleaker than expected.

The Dark Heavens Association sabotaged their plans, using spies and traitors that they had planted within each faction for decades to prevent them from joining forces.

Some of these spies even secretly supported the Blood Cult, providing artifacts and resources to fuel their ambitions—whether the Blood Cult realized it or not.

As soon as the Blood Cult gained power, they were pushed by the Dark Heavens Association to invade the murim. The power they gained was extraordinary.

At that time, the Righteous Faction was lacking in manpower due to the Great War of Good and Evil, making it difficult for them to stop the Blood Cult's invasion.

The Kongtong Sect, blinded by its deep grudge against the Demon Cult and Blood Cult, suffered massive losses due to its reckless anger.

That loss of power led to their defeat. The Blood Cult's forces, now stronger than ever, became a living nightmare.

I can't bear to see that horrible sight again.

Zhou Xuchuan trembled so violently that his teeth clattered.

He thought back to when he saw his fellow disciples resurrected as jiangshi or used in strange sorcery or heretical arts in order to torment their allies.

He could count on one hand the nights he had been able to sleep with his legs stretched out. When the situation became dire, he even had to eat and sleep among the corpses.

While the Kongtong Sect is one thing, the Mount Heng Sect, whose members keep glaring at me and opposing me at every turn, is also becoming a problem.

The Mount Hua Sect, Zhongnan Sect, Kongtong Sect, and the Mount Heng Sect.

Fortunately, the Zhongnan Sect was friendly. However, the Kongtong Sect and the Mount Heng Sect couldn’t have been more hostile. Far from allies, they were more like enemies in disguise. ŘἈ𝐍Ꝋ₿Èȿ

They kept insisting that they would finish all preparations that day and fight the Blood Cult forces the next day, so he couldn't just let things go. Even if he didn't care what happened to the Mount Heng Sect, if the elites of the Kongtong Sect were completely wiped out here, it was obvious how the sect would act in future.[1]

It was clear what would happen if those impatient madmen, who could barely restrain their hatred for cultists, discovered that their disciples had been slaughtered.

If that happened, it would create even more problems in the future battle against the Dark Heavens Association. Worse, it would also strengthen the Blood Cult’s forces.

Ha… this fate of mine…

The next day.

The Righteous Faction members of Gansu gathered in one place.

They stood in the Gobi Desert, slightly distanced from the city itself. The desert was littered with towering rock structures, providing shade from the blazing sun. Without those rocks, the warriors might have been exhausted by the heat before the battle even began.

Hundreds of people were waiting under the wide shade. Perched on top of the structures, scouts looked around.

There were a thousand members of the Martial Alliance, a thousand members gathered from the small and medium-sized sects of Gansu, and a thousand and three hundred members of the major sects.

Mount Hua, Zhongnan, and Mount Heng each brought a hundred men, while the Kongtong Sect alone brought a thousand.

Considering that they were based in Gansu, that wasn't all that surprising. In addition to their elites, they had also mobilized their ordinary disciples.

With a total of about three thousand three hundred men, their numbers were fewer than the Blood Cult's forces, but none of the warriors felt their strength was lacking.

The Righteous Faction had the smallest numbers among the Three Major Factions, but their smaller size was offset by the higher average cultivation and skill of their members compared to the other two factions.

“Ah!”

A startled cry came from a scout stationed atop a rock five zhang high.

“I can see the Blood Cult's forces!”

At his shout, the resting warriors sprang to their feet, eyes narrowing.

Woosh!

Far off in the distance, a dust storm rose, kicked up by the marching Blood Cult army. The sight of five thousand troops moving in unison was overwhelming.

As they crossed the desert, the noise of their approach was drowned out by the thunder of their footsteps, sending waves of dust into the air.

"I see new sacrifices!"

“Dye the world with blood!”

“Let’s fill the Yellow River with the blood of these martial artists!”

Far from being afraid, the Blood Cult approached quickly, their eyes blazing, as if they were deliberately seeking out the battlefield.

The Blood Cult's momentum was so overwhelming that the members of the small and medium sects hesitated, unwilling to engage.

"Hmph! All of you are nothing but cowards!" Zhi Yunbo snorted.

“Let’s make the Demon Slayer name known to the world!”

RAH!

The disciples of the Kongtong Sect stood at the forefront bravely, showing no signs of fear.

Rumble!!

Five thousand against three thousand and three hundred.

The first clash of the Great War of Blood and Demon took place.

Having pushed through the sandstorm, the Blood Cult forces entered the rocky terrain and clashed with the Righteous Faction, scattering stones with the force of their attacks.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Agh!"

"Ugh!"

"Die!"

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

Swords cut through flesh, spraying blood. Sparks flew as metal clashed, filling the air with the sound of steel gnashing against steel.

The martial artists of the Righteous Faction clashed with the Demonic Path cultists, their shouts echoing across the battlefield, filled with bloodlust and hatred.

“Unleash the Wandering Demon Sword Formation!”

To most, Zhi Yunbo's personality was extremely tiring.

He hurled insults at cultists and often abused his authority as a member of the Nine Sects and One Gang and looked down on those with less power.

But no one could deny his skill.

He was one of the most powerful members of the Kongtong Sect and a member of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven. His skills weren’t limited to individual martial prowess; he was also an excellent commander, and many within his sect followed his lead without hesitation.

The disciples of the Kongtong Sect fought against the Blood Cult as if they were of one mind.

“Ha!”

To an outsider, it looked like the Kongtong Sect was fiercely pushing forward without pause, ready to tear through the Blood Cult at any moment. But the reality was more strategic.

The more one practiced demonic arts, the more one lost reason and gave in to primal instincts. As a result, most cultists became crazed, focusing solely on attacking with little regard for their lives. Many would recklessly trade their lives just to kill an opponent.

The Kongtong Sect, however, had a different approach. Its members were sane enough to value their own lives, so they had developed a defensive strategy to minimize risk.

They fought carefully, conserving their physical strength and stamina by focusing on blocking or avoiding attacks and striking only when there were clear openings.

"Demon Slaying Sword Squadron!"

The Kongtong Sect’s elite.

This was the Kongtong Sect’s elite unit, specialized in combating cultists. The squadron consisted of exactly one hundred members.

"Show them the power of the Thirty-Six Swords to Slay a Demon!"

Thirty-six sword forms were performed in succession to slay the demons.

The Blood Cult couldn’t withstand the Kongtong Sect’s assault and fell helplessly.

“Aah!”

“Agk!”

“Ugh!”

The beginning of this feud between the Kongtong Sect and the Demonic Path was nothing special.

The name Slaying Demon wasn't originally intended to subdue demons, it was just a title attached to them.

However, as time passed, later generations came up with the strange interpretation that 'Demons must be slain.'[2]

After that, whenever they went out into the world of the murim, they took the lead in slaying demons in order to live up to the name Demon Slayer.

The Righteous Faction and the general public praised the activities of the Kongtong Sect, and eventually, Demon Slayer became the title that represented the Kongtong Sect.

The problem arose when members of the Demonic Path, eager to prove their strength, began targeting the Kongtong Sect to build their reputations.

What started as minor skirmishes eventually escalated into a deep-seated grudge. Over time, these battles for reputation turned into an ongoing cycle of revenge, growing more severe with each encounter.

"It's a living jiangshi!"

A scream broke out in the middle of the battle and a jiangshi appeared among the Blood Cult.

Like the regular jiangshi, their skin was pale, but their movements were a little different. They weren't as stiff, and moved very fluidly.

In addition, they were able to use qi aura and their martial techniques. It was clear that they were living jiangshi.

“Get out of the way!”

Zhi Yunbo charged forward, his sword raised high.

“Living jiangshi? These pathetic things are no match for me!” he shouted, his blade glowing with a bluish haze as he activated his sword aura.

Squelch!

While sword qi was ineffective against the hard bodies of jiangshi, sword aura was a different matter entirely, it could cut through anything.

“Die!” Zhi Yunbo roared as his Demon Slaying Sword tore through the jiangshi.

Meanwhile, it wasn't just the Kongtong Sect that moved actively. The other two thousand three hundred warriors also fought, putting their lives on the line against the Blood Cult.

The forces split into two groups.

The Mount Heng Sect supported the Kongtong Sect, whileThe Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect fought alongside the Martial Alliance and other Righteous Faction sects in Gansu.

"Ha!" Zhou Xuchuan took a deep breath before swinging his sword.

As Zhou Xuchuan performed his twenty-four sword forms, Blood Cult members and jiangshi fell before him, their blood splattering across the battlefield.

Something is strange.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning the battlefield.

When someone died, they would resurrect as jiangshi on the spot. However, they weren't that strong, so it wasn't threatening yet.

Why is it so easy?

Even though things were going easily, it was too easy.

Not having trouble wasn't strange, considering that the elites of the Righteous Faction were gathered here. However, the sinking feeling of anxiety wouldn't go away.

"Ha!"

A gust of wind roared from the side as the swordsmen of the Mount Hua Sect killed the Blood Cult members with dazzling swordplay.

Meanwhile, the warriors of the Zhongnan Sect, led by the Milky Way Sage, demonstrated extraordinary strength, while Lanzhou Branch Manager Tou Zhong valiantly commanded the rest of the troops.

Where's the Blood Demon?

They had been told the Blood Demon was leading the vanguard. At first, Zhou Xuchuan assumed the chaos of battle had obscured his view. But as time passed, there was still no sign of him.

Could this be a diversion?

He checked the rearguard, grasping at straws, but he couldn't see anyone. He focused his qi on the meridians around his eyes to temporarily increase his vision and looked around again, but the result was the same.

"RAH!!"

“Push forward!”

“Let’s follow the Kongtong Sect!”

The morale, which had been low before the battle, was now soaring. The fear that once gripped the warriors at the mention of the Blood Demon had vanished. Excitement filled the air as they swung their weapons, cutting down jiangshi and Blood Cult members alike.

After about two hours, a noticeable change occurred. The Blood Cult forces began to retreat.

"The Blood Cult is fleeing!"

"As expected, they're only rabble!"

"Hmph, the Hero of the Righteous Faction?! As expected, he's just a coward!"

The Kongtong Sect cheered.

Though around three hundred warriors had lost their lives and had become jiangshi in the clash, they were swiftly dealt with.

"The First Demon Slaying Sword killed the living jiangshi!"

"As expected, he’s worthy of the Demon Slayer title!"

"Follow the First Demon Slaying Sword!”

The warriors of the Martial Alliance cheered.

The living jiangshi were difficult to deal with due to how hard it was to inflict injuries on them, even when using aura.

However, Zhi Yunbo not only stood at the forefront but also dealt with the living jiangshi with ease before rampaging through the Blood Cult. Naturally, this boosted their morale.

The air was burning with excitement.

“Now is the time! All advance!”

Tou Zhong smiled brightly as he led the charge. Following his sword, which was serving as his army-leading baton, the Righteous Faction’s troops advanced forward.

At the front, the Kongtong Sect formed a wedge, driving straight toward the center of the Blood Cult’s troops.

“Where is the Blood Demon?! Stop being a coward and come out!" Zhi Yunbo shouted excitedly.

Wait!

Zhou Xuchuan’s heart sank as realization struck.

“No! It’s a trap! They’re planning to surround you!”

Zhou Xuchuan even omitted his honorifics in his haste. Still, he poured all his qi into his voice to make it resonate across the battlefield.

"Even if we’re surrounded, they’ll fall like autumn leaves before us! What’s there to worry about? Hahaha!” Zhi Yunbo laughed, his confidence unshaken.

"If you have a brain, try using it to think for once!" Zhou Xuchuan shouted, unable to hold back his anger.

1. His view of the Mount Heng Sect may seem harsh, but remember, in his previous life, the Mount Heng Sect literally sold out the Mount Hua Sect to the Dark Heavens Association. They suck. ☜

2. In Korean, the Kongtong Sect's 복마 literally reads Slaying Demon. To be Demon Slayer, it 'should' have read 마복. However, it eventually became Slaying Demons -> Demon Slayer. ☜