Volcanic Age

"Let's see, it's definitely supposed to be over here…"

The Ominous Demon's greed was comparable to that of the Three-Eyed Godly Thief. While he lacked interest in elixirs or techniques, his lust for money and treasure was insatiable. Many of these treasures included various divine-grade weapons.

Of course, most of the valuable treasures within the tomb had already been taken by the Dark Heaven Association. After all, the Tomb of the Ominous Demon had already been conquered once before. What remained were items of moderate value, enough to trick anyone into believing the tomb was untouched.

The true treasures that had been left by the Ominous Demon had already gone to the experts of the Dark Heaven Association and would become infamous during the impending era of war and chaos.

All except for one.

"Here it is."

Before Zhou Xuchuan stood a sword plunged into the ground with no scabbard in sight.

“One of the Three Swords of the Spring and Autumn Annals!”[1]

The Dark Heaven Association wanted the forces of the murim to fight over the treasures in the Tomb of the Ominous Demon, including the Sunken Spiral Castle Art.

To incite this conflict, they had planted spies within each force and left behind treasures in the tomb to stimulate their greed.

“Tai’e!”

The Three Swords of the Spring and Autumn Annals were said to have been made by the legendary Master Swordsmith Ou Yezi, who was active during the Yue Dynasty from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the early Warring States Period, and the famed Swordsmith Gan Jiang of the Wu Dynasty, who had also been active at that time, at the order of King of Chu.[2]

All three were kings among treasure-grade swords.

While Frostedge was an incredible weapon, compared to Tai'e, which on par with divine-grade swords, it seemed no better than a twig.

It was hard to believe that a sword that had been forged in the early Warring States period was still pristine and without rust. However, Tai'e's power was undeniable, as its prowess had been revealed through the hands of various warriors in Zhou Xuchuan's past, causing countless bloodshed and being known as an incredible weapon.

"So, is the manual all that's left?"

Zhou Xuchuan put Tai'e away and continued down the carpet. As he walked forward, he came across an altar at the end of the path, atop a set of stairs.

After climbing all ninety-nine steps, he stood before the altar, where a marble platform held an old tome.

At first glance, it seemed like an ominous book—no, an ominous manual.

The cover of the thick book was crafted from human skin, and the impression on the front resembled a screaming face, causing anyone who saw it to shiver.

Although Zhou Xuchuan couldn't read the content inside, he could tell that it was an ancient text from the Xia Dynasty.

He was able to recognize it, not because he had any special knowledge or skill in linguistics, but because he already knew it was the Sunken Spiral Castle Art.

The history of the Sunken Spiral Castle Art of the Six Great Prohibited Arts, sometimes known as the Grimoire of the Sunken Spiral Castle[3], was so long that it could be said to be ridiculous.

The Forbidden Book, created during the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty of the Central Plains, was originally a collection of magic rituals rather than techniques.

While no one knew who wrote it or for what purpose, it was said that the Grimoire of the Sunken Spiral Castle described a spell that borrowed or summoned the powers of a being from an immortal dimension—no, a demonic dimension, one that seemed like an entirely different world.

The Grimoire had originally disappeared alongside the fall of the Xia Dynasty but was rediscovered centuries later.

Because the person who had discovered it just happened to be a scholar interested in ritualistic texts, he avidly studied the Grimoire.

Although he hadn't been able to read the text in its entirety due to an incomplete translation, he was able to unlock some of the power hidden within the tome.

This was the method and technique for borrowing powers from the inhabitants of the Demon World.

In other words, he had discovered the Sunken Spiral Castle Art.

"Hmm, should I try learning it?" Zhou Xuchuan mused as he considered the time.

"Considering I have the Ten Thousand Convergence Art… No, let's not."

His musing didn't last long. After all, the Sunken Spiral Castle Art immediately transformed any martial artist who acquired it into a form that all of the murim could recognize.

The power of Sunken Spiral Castle Art was simple.

If one practiced the techniques within the tome, one's physical capabilities would increase by several folds, allowing one to lift massive boulders with ease.

One would also gain the ability to regenerate, healing wounds as severe as sword lacerations and punctures in less than a day.

If the practitioner were elderly, they would become young again and stop aging.

It truly was the ability of a monster from a demonic world.

However, those changes were only temporary. In less than a month, the practitioner's body would completely change.

No, it couldn't just be called a change.

It would be as if one's species changed at a fundamental level.

Not only would one gain immense strength, but one's appearance would also change, resembling that of a monster from head to toe. Ultimately, the practitioner would become a monster.[4]

As time went by, one's sentience and personality would gradually disappear. It was essentially a demonic art, given the practitioner would eventually cease to be human.

There were no exceptions.

Not even Eminent Monks with incredible Buddhist Devotion or Demonic Masters who controlled Demonic Qi could overcome its transformation.

While there were some cases where a practitioner could extend how long they kept their sanity, it was only for about five years at most. Any more than that was almost impossible.

As for the bodily transformations, all practitioners would be fully transformed into their hideous forms within a month.

While the Ten Thousand Convergence Art was a technique that allowed for one to acquire and learn various techniques without having to worry about their different qis conflicting, it didn't have the omnipotent ability to modify any art to suit the user.

The proof was that even the Master of the Dark Heaven Association had not practiced the Sunken Spiral Castle Art in Zhou Xuchuan's previous lifetime, using it as bait instead.

"Let's just put it aside altogether."

Zhou Xuchuan considered burning and destroying the grimoire but eventually decided to keep it, thinking it might still have some use later on. He walked down the stairs, packed the gold, silver, and any treasures that seemed valuable, and headed outside.

There was nothing left for him to destroy. He had already triggered all mechanisms and they were no longer functioning, so leaving the tomb was simple.

The only difference from before was that as he advanced, he destroyed sections of the walls at certain intervals.

After advancing a little further, he suddenly stopped and faced a wall.

"Is this where the nearest water veins intersect?"

The best way to prevent the Seven Swords War was to destroy its trigger, the Tomb of the Ominous Demon.

However, no matter how much Zhou Xuchuan destroyed, he couldn't succeed in demolishing the entire tomb.

Even if he blocked the entrance, if the seven forces that stood at the top of the murim arrived, they would easily be able to tear down whatever blockade he put up and investigate.

Although he considered using a thunderbolt bomb, it was still a prohibited item, making it too difficult to obtain. Not only was it incredibly difficult to make, but it was also nearly impossible to find a craftsman willing to make it.

That was why he had given up on obtaining one and had just come with the intention of causing trouble for the Dark Heaven Association. However, now, he didn't think he needed to do that.

"Heup!"

With a short shout, he slashed a bout of sword aura.

His sword seemed to cut into the wall gently.

However, the wall he aimed for wasn't just the thin one in the artificially created maze. The wall in front of him was the naturally compacted dirt on the side of the passage.

He quickly pulled the sword out of the wall and put it to the side before poking at the long sword mark on the wall with his finger. He could feel the wall growing damp.

Realizing this, Zhou Xuchuan took a few steps back, raised his sword, and delivered a thundering blow.

Violet Haze Sword Sutra First Technique!

Violet Haze Dawnbreaker!

BOOOM!

A flash of lightning struck, the sound echoing through the passage and throughout the tomb.

Shing!!!

The sword aura roared at the edge of Zhou Xuchuan's blade, spinning at high speed before shooting forward.

Condensed into a piercing force, the sword aura advanced like a lightning bolt, leaving a trail of light as it pierced the wall and disappeared.

Zhou Xuchuan held his breath for a moment. As he exhaled, the entire tomb seemed to tremble.

Crack, crack, crack!!!

Rocks fell from the ceiling above him as the entire ground, no, the entire underground chamber, shook violently.

BOOM!

The wall suddenly exploded.

Anticipating this, Zhou Xuchuan quickly moved to the side to avoid getting hit.

As the wall collapsed, a large stream of water spewed out, eventually pouring down like a waterfall and hitting the opposite wall.

The pressure was too much, causing the opposite wall to collapse as well.

Crack!! Bang! BOOM!

As the center of the converging water veins broke open, it triggered a chain reaction. The entire chamber collapsed, causing the water veins within each wall to burst open and flood the area.

The walls, the ground, the ceiling—everything cracked like a spider web as water seeped through the seams.

As one part of the chamber gave way, it set off a cascade of collapses, with water pouring out from every wall. The water, coming from the Yellow River, was ocher-colored and filled with mud and debris.

"Ahem, good."

Zhou Xuchuan smiled with satisfaction as he watched the Tomb of the Ominous Demon submerge, little by little.

***

Near the middle of the Yellow River, Shanxi.

The Righteous Faction, Evil Faction, and the Demonic Cult had gathered from all over the continent, aiming to confirm the tomb's existence.

The first to reach the rumored tomb was the Mount Hua Sect of Shanxi. Being within the same region, it was almost guaranteed that they would arrive first.

After wandering along the Yellow River and wading through the seemingly bottomless silt and muddy water, members of Mount Hua finally saw the rumored tomb.

“Just what the hell…”

The strongest of the group from Mount Hua, Lu Huaxiu, stood in front of the tomb, looking devastated and unable to hide her shock.

Although she hadn't expected the tomb to be out in the open, standing proudly in the shadows of a cliff that blocked out the sunlight, she had expected its entrance to, at the very least, be intact. Not… not like this.

The stone walls of the entrance had completely collapsed, making it impossible to enter, and mud was gurgling out from the ruins. Moreover, ocher-colored water was slowly rising from deep within the tomb.

She had a rough idea of ​​what this meant.

“Is this really the right place?” Lu Huaxiu frowned and asked her guide.

“Yes, this is definitely the place. How could I deceive you, oh Great Ones?”

The guide couldn't hide his confusion.

He valued his life too much to lie to the martial artists of Mount Hua in exchange for money.

Lu Huaxiu was even more confused when she saw the guide's honestly expression, realizing that he wasn't lying.

A few days later, investigation teams from various forces arrived one after another, showing similar reactions to those from Mount Hua.

The Kunlun Sect, Mount Tai Sect, Mount Song Sect, Nangong Family, and the other Righteous Faction forces could only sigh helplessly, dumbfounded by the sight.

However, with the arrival of the Evil Valley, the atmosphere took an unusual turn.

"The tomb is caved in and the first to arrive was Mount Hua. Don't you think even a child could tell what happened?"

"Spit out what you're trying to insinuate, or we won't let this go easily, Evil Valley!" Lu Huaxiu shouted angrily.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" The Evil Valley expert scoffed, provoking her.

"Let it go. It's not worth fighting them," Sun Xichong, the strongest of the group from Mount Tai, said, stopping Lu Huaxiu. Other Righteous Faction members also stepped forward to calm Lu Huaxiu down.

“Don’t you think so, too, Demonic Cult?” The Evil Valley expert asked the Demonic Cult members, who were watching quietly.

“Don’t talk to my subordinates. If you have anything to say, address me, or I'll cut out your tongue," the leader of the Demonic Cult's investigation team answered sternly.

The Martial Alliance, Evil Valley, Demonic Cult.

There was no way that things would end easily now that all three major factions of the murim had gathered in one place.

The entire area was filled with bloodlust.

The Seven Swords War hadn't broken out in Zhou Xuchuan's previous lifetime for no reason.

Moreover, on top of the tension that was already present between the factions, the Dark Heaven Association's moles further incited anger from all sides. It would have been even stranger if the factions weren't snapping at each other's throats.

The only reason they weren't fighting was because before this gathering, the Head of the Martial Alliance and the Head of the Evil Valley—even the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon, had gotten involved and warned their subordinates to avoid conflict.

The Tomb of the Ominous Demon was significant enough that all of the murim had agreed to form a collective front and not fight each other as they addressed the tomb and its treasures.

Just what the hell happened here?

In the midst of the seven forces, Destructive Soldier, the leader of the planted moles and one of the Seven Leaders of the Seven Stars Division, questioned everything. He had arrived as quickly as he could to address Blessed Existence's concerns but was too late.

When he arrived, the Tomb of the Ominous Demon had already been submerged.

1. Literally Yue-Wu Three Swords. ☜

2. See TL notes for clarification. ☜

3. This is a reference to the demonic grimoire Prelati's Spellbook/R'lyeh's Text from Type-Moon's Fate/stay night franchise, which itself is a reference to the city of R'lyeh in H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu. ☜

4. Yes, you literally become Cthulhu. ☜

Cyncoco's Thoughts

Okay so the first notes seem to have disappeared, but you know how much I like talking.

If you read a lot of Wuxia, you'll see quite a few references to Ou Yezi.

Ou Yezi (欧冶子) is one of the most famous blacksmiths/swordsmiths in history and is one of the few historical figures immortalized in myth.

Active during the Spring and Autumn period, he forged a number of treasured swords. His swords are legendary within history, arguably China's most legendary swords.

While the "for who" and "when" are sometimes contested, the actual swords themselves are still attributed to him.

Now, the three swords referenced here are some of the most famous EVEN among the most famous legendary swords of Ou Yezi. While it's not 100% guaranteed that Ganjiang helped Ou Yezi forge them, considering their disciple-master relationship, the author at least seems to attribute them.

Note, if you see a famous chinese sword/named sword that is a historical reference in wuxia/murim, it'll almost always be a reference to one of Ou Yezi's swords.

The three swords are as follows.

Tai'e 泰阿 (Great Riverbank/Peaceful Relative) - its pattern is as wild and towering as the rippling waves of a river

Longyuan 龙渊 (Dragon Abyss/Profound Dragon) - its shape seems as if it reaches for a lofty mountain before arriving in an abyss

Gongbu 工布 (Artisinal Display/To Work) - the distinct coarse pattern that ripples along its blade seems like endless flowing water

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