Ashes Of Heaven Book 1 : Solar Calamity

"Brother Xuhan! Please help! Bring out whatever treasure you have! I'll compensate you, I swear!"

Zhang Dahai's voice reached Han Xuhan, but frozen inside the endless desert, he could not respond; he couldn't even figure out how to respond; he couldn't even see Zhang Dahai here. Here existed one mountain and one man, and an aura so heavy it seemed to suffocate every molecule of air within his lungs.

"So your pathetic escape to this place was driven in the hope of involving others. I will not complain as long as they can bring out something good," said the voice of the mountain.

The oppressive pressure suddenly disappeared, and Han Xuhan found himself back inside the hut, crouching near the window, head spinning as if he had just jumped up from deep slumber.

What the hell was that? He had never quite experienced anything like it!

"Brother Xuhan! Please come out!" Zhang Dahai screeched outside. Han Xuhan's confusion and panic disappeared, replaced by fury.

Who the fuck is your brother, dog? I'm doing everything in my power to stay out of trouble, but you're making sure trouble chases me down!

"Come out, whoever it is that's hiding inside. I know you're in there. My sword knows a prey is in there. Who do you intend to be acquainted with first?"

The deep voice was like a hammer crushing down on a bug. Feeling incapable of controlling the situation, Han Xuhan ambled out of the hut, face sour. Reaching Zhang Dahai, who was sprawled on the ground looking as defeated as a man could possibly look, Han Xuhan helped him stand up on his feet.

"Brother, you're getting your blood and sweat on my fresh robe. You're going to compensate me, either with a proper washing or a new set of clothing."

Zhang Dahai looked dumbfounded. "Is this the right situation for that kind of conversation?"

Han Xuhan shook his head. "Am I the right person to take shelter behind in this kind of situation? You brought this on yourself."

His inane exchange with Zhang Dahai was meant to be a test of the opponent's character. He wanted to see what her response would be to being ignored despite the momentum she had built till now.

Unfortunately, his opponent didn't seem phased in the slightest. While Zhang Dahai hopped back a few steps to lean on the wall of the hut, she slowly approached them.

Now that the terrifying aura had been restrained, Han Xuhan managed to get a better look at her appearance.

She was strikingly tall, at least a head higher than him. Her wide shoulders formed an impactful contrast with her robust silhouette as her hands were clasped behind her, exuding a cold, but elegant aura.

Her bright red apparel was thick, coarse even, designed less like a robe and closer to an armor. Within the gaps of her clothing, a black silk-like material covered her skin like a fluid paste. As she moved, so did the black paste, but it seemed to have a mind of its own, crisscrossing around her body like countless restless finger-thick serpents. On her waist, a small sheath rocked in harmony with her legs.

Her skin was much darker than what he was used to seeing, toeing the border of natural skin tone. Even on Earth, Han Xuhan had never seen such an exotic shade of skin, which, combined with her high cheekbones and monolid eyes, floored him once again for a good few seconds.

As she drew nearer, his observation became more detailed. And his admiration transformed into an unsettling sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Each of her steps was leaving inches-deep imprints on the soil, occasionally crushing small rocks there into powder. The grey sword sheath on her waist was emitting a gentle hum that seemed to have grasped the entire world in a hypnotic rhythm. A moderate wind was sweeping through the island, but not a single hair of her tall bun moved. The air around her seemed to ripple from time to time. And each of these ripples fired up Xuhan's nerves like a wave of ambush. He felt like a prisoner facing an executioner's greatsword.

Why the hell was there a greatsword again? Why did that word in particular keep inserting itself into his thoughts?

The girl stopped twenty feet away from him and brought her hands in front of her, performing an unfamiliar gesture with straightened palms.

"Suyan Chongqing greets fellow cultivator from the Crimson Snow Sect. The sword has been drawn. What you do now shall determine how the sword moves."

It might have been a hallucination, but for the briefest second, Han Xuhan saw the word 'Heavy' flash over her head, written on empty air with blinding white ink.

"...You truly embody the essence of your name, fellow cultivator Chongqing; one cannot help but acknowledge this. But on what ground do you dare make demands on my doorstep?" Han Xuhan replied flatly. Behind him, Zhang Dahai squeaked something through gritted teeth, something along the lines of 'On the ground of being really fucking strong, idiot!'

Suyan Chongqing also didn't seem to have expected a reply so dense. But noticing his inquisitive examination of her appearance, she caught the hint.

He was not satisfied with her introduction, specifically about her own background. Other than her name, she had not provided any direct information.

A strange smile formed on her face. "I didn't think that my Formless Sword Sect needed a better introduction. I am here to represent my sect's invasion team number one, seeking your sect's protected treasure sets. My teammates are still looking for it, engaged with the rest of your defense team. The rules of this tournament allow us to attack and take whatever we want until the treasure set is won, in case you were unaware."

Han Xuhan really wanted to curse out loud, but there was no proper recipient to throw insults at. Back when Xuan Zi had told the disciples of the Crimson Snow Sect to demolish everything on their way during invasion missions, nobody had realized that the order was an indirect hint of how to amass more points for their sect. This secret had been revealed only recently, but no one could have predicted other sects to be doing the exact same thing. In fact, what they were doing was even more outrageous!

Looking at how powerful this Suyan Chongqing was, Han Xuhan didn't need to guess that she alone could have suppressed the entire defense team of Crimson Snow Sect. Zhang Dahai was one of the strongest members of the team, and he appeared to be one step away from being skinned alive.

Why would this girl chase him all the way to this remote corner of the Sect, if not to delay their inevitable victory? She was using the extra delay to deal as much damage to the Crimson Snow Sect as possible, which of course included robbing the disciples' personal belongings!

So insidious! This world of cultivation was beyond salvation! Were there no good people left? Where was the law- Oh, wait, the law permitted this, tcheh!

"Well? Are you going to bring out something valuable enough to sway my sword or not? Don't forget, the tournament allows us to go as far as crippling our opponents."

Suyan Chongqing's impatience was conveyed more prominently with the return of the inescapable, suffocating sensory suppression. Once again he noticed the momentary flash of an airborne word spinning over her hairbun. Formed by similar bright white ink, this one was easier to read because it stayed visible for a moment longer than before.

Matchless.

Another flash took place, replacing the word.

Heaviness.

Crank~ Crank~

The sound of crisp wood being split reached his ears. Turning around, Han Xuhan looked at Xiao Wu's hut and saw multiple cracks running through the entire front wall. The portion of the roof attached to it had been completely bent inward by an invisible force. Perhaps one good kick was all it would take to break the house apart now.

"Fuck!" Han Xuhan didn't stop himself from cussing this time.

"What I did to your house can be done to your body too, fellow cultivator. Don't waste my time," Suyan Chongqing said.

"That's not my house," Han Xuhan told her, snuffing out her momentum again.

"I can still cripple you," She said.

"I am already a cripple. Why do you think I'm resting in a corner of the Sect while everyone is out hunting treasures?" Han Xuhan countered expertly.

"....I will cripple your brother over there." Suyan Chongqing pointed at Zhang Dahai.

"Honestly speaking, that's not exactly a threat to my safety, is it?" Xuhan replied tersely. Zhang Dahai made another funny sound from behind that he couldn't really decipher. But the sentiment was understandable.

"...." An awkward moment of silence formed between them. Han Xuhan distinctly felt the invisible pressure growing stronger. Being the weaker party, he could only relent in the end,

"Fine, fine, you want to rob me of my valuables, right? I will show you my prized jewels. And I am not a member of the defense team, either. So you cannot attack me, directly or indirectly. Forcing me to attack you by overdoing this act of robbery will be a direct violation of the rules of the tournament. To buy Zhang Dahai's life, I will let you pick one treasure of mine."