Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 753 - Pinning A Crime

Anyone making a breakthrough into the Astral River Realm could comprehend their unique dao technique. Yet, only a handful could achieve such profundity, and even those in the Nascent Transformation Realm couldn't rival Liu Wuxie.

Although Liu Sheng was in the Nascent Transformation Realm, he only possessed an ordinary dao technique. He was immobilized before he could unleash it.

"He's turned into an ice sculpture!" Those in the surroundings exclaimed with shock and disbelief.

Liu Wuxie didn't kill Liu Sheng, but instead taught him a lesson. However, when the ice-attribute energy invaded his body, his cultivation would be halted for the rest of his life unless he could expel it. He would also experience excruciating pain on rainy days as his meridians would winkle.

Terrified by this scene, Liu Cheng collapsed to the ground when he had just gotten up.

"Garbage!" Liu Wuxie ignored the two and continued to flip through the books.

......

In the blink of an eye, it had been two days since Liu Wuxie entered the Book Collection Pavilion. He had gone from the first to the sixth floor. Only those in the high levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm were permitted entry from the seventh floor onward, and Liu Xing had to stop on the sixth.

"Big Brother Wuxie, I'll wait for you on the sixth floor!" Liu Xing called out, knowing Wuxie’s pace would keep him occupied for another three days.

Liu Wuxie nodded and continued upward to the seventh floor. The higher he climbed, the fewer books there were, but their value increased exponentially. These texts covered a wide range of topics, from advanced healing techniques to remedies for rare illnesses—knowledge Liu Wuxie eagerly absorbed.

Most importantly, some cultivation and martial techniques were on the ninth floor. While they weren't core clan secrets, they were not meant to be shared outside the clan.

On the third day, more people gathered outside the Book Collection Pavilion. Not only were there disciples but also elders.

"This is outrageous! How dare he disrupt the sanctity of the Book Collection Pavilion and even injure other disciples!" Even the grand elders were alarmed, and the Tenth Elder looked furious among them.

"He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's the patriarch's grandson. Just the fact that he disrespected the books is enough to warrant abolishment of his cultivation," echoed the other disciples in Liu Xiaotian's faction.

But the others remained silent, unwilling to be drawn into the conflict. It didn't matter if Liu Wuxie was right or wrong, as it had nothing to do with them. Not to mention, flipping through the books wasn't a crime in the clan, and anyone could do it if they wanted.

Liu Wuxie still had no idea that a storm was brewing around him and that he would be ripped into pieces if he wasn't careful.

By the fourth day, the situation outside the Book Collection Pavilion had reached a boiling point. Thousands of people had gathered, including disciples, instructors, and elders. The martial field was shut down, and prominent figures like Liu Po had arrived, anticipating what might unfold. If there were no surprises, today would be the day Liu Wuxie emerged.

At dawn on the fourth day, Liu Wuxie finished reading all the books. The influx of knowledge throbbed in his head. He ran into several disciples on the eighth floor, but he sensed no enmity from them and only curious gazes.

Liu Wuxie sat in a corner on the ninth floor. He wasn't in a hurry to leave, as he needed to digest the information in his mind. It wasn’t until noon that he finally stood up. By the time he would return to his quarters, he would have already digested the information but would still need more time to comprehend it fully.

Thanks to the Soul Forge Art, he could withstand the mental strain, and anyone else in his position would've been overwhelmed by the information long ago.

"It's time to leave," Liu Wuxie said as he descended the pavilion. When he passed by the sixth floor, Liu Xing rushed over with worry etched on his face.

"Big Brother Wuxie, this is bad!" Liu Xing said anxiously. He had spent the past two days in turmoil and finally waited for Liu Wuxie to come down.

"What's going on? Why are you panicking?" Liu Wuxie asked with a frown. After all, few people in the clan could threaten him, and Liu Xiaotian wouldn’t dare to kill him within the clan's boundaries.

"Liu Yan brought a group of people to accuse you of disrespecting the Book Collection Pavilion, and they even want to abolish your cultivation," Liu Xing explained. He had heard many disciples discussing it yesterday but could only wait anxiously.

"Disrespecting the books by flipping through them?" Liu Wuxie's eyes turned cold. He knew he must've aroused dissatisfaction from others by flipping the books, who were now trying to pin him with a crime.

After all, he had also experienced something similar in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and he soon understood what was happening.

"Yeah. It's probably because Liu Yan was humiliated when we came in," Liu Xing nodded.

"It's fine. Let them come since they want trouble. I'll make sure to slap their faces hard enough for them to remember," Liu Wuxie reassured Liu Xing with a pat on the shoulder. This was a minor issue for him, and he would've lived his life in vain if he couldn't resolve it.

The Central Plains' environment was more complicated, and he knew he had to be careful at every moment.

Liu Xing felt relieved after Liu Wuxie reassured him, though he had already informed his father, who had likely brought backup and was waiting outside. With his father around, he believed Liu Wuxie wouldn’t be in danger.

"Big Brother Wuxie, what did you read over the past four days?" Liu Xing asked when they descended the pavilion.

"Everything," Liu Wuxie replied truthfully. He had read all the books.

"What?!" Liu Xing froze with disbelief on his face. But as he recalled Liu Wuxie's monstrous talent, he could only accept the truth.

Before they even stepped out of the pavilion, a group of people followed behind them. They had been reading in the pavilion, but they decided to step out and watch the show.

When everyone stepped out of the Book Collection Pavilion, an ocean of people greeted them. Liu Wuxie saw Liu Yan at the forefront, whose eyes burned with anger directed at him.

Moreover, Liu Dazhi was also present, his face concerned. Liu Dashan hadn’t come, as he was likely in seclusion to make a breakthrough in his cultivation.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you treat the Book Collection Pavilion as your playground! Don't you know that our ancestors put in blood and sweat to gather those books? How dare you disrespect them!" Liu Yan roared, and his voice echoed.

Everyone knew that Liu Wuxie had been flipping through the books for four days in the Book Collection Pavilion.

"Disrespecting the books?" Liu Wuxie sneered, "Can you further clarify what you mean?"

Liu Wuxie feigned ignorance and refused to acknowledge the accusations.

Sneers came from the surroundings, and everyone assumed Liu Wuxie was intentionally changing the topic.

"Liu Wuxie, you dare argue? Each book in the Book Collection Pavilion is sacred, and you should put in your heart to read them. But what have you done? You flipped through them without reading, a blatant disrespect for the books!" Liu Yan declared. Today, his objective was simple: to abolish Liu Wuxie's cultivation.

"Oh? May I know which rule in the clan states that I cannot flip through the books in the Book Collection Pavilion?" Liu Wuxie questioned.

Liu Yan, along with the surrounding disciples, was momentarily left speechless by Liu Wuxie’s question. After all, no rule explicitly forbade flipping through books in the pavilion.

"Although it's not explicitly written in the rules, it doesn't mean it's allowed. Books are sacred knowledge we should respect!" Liu Yan began to force his reasoning.

"That's right! This is disrespectful!" many disciples in the surroundings echoed along to support Liu Yan.

Liu Wuxie had joined the clan recently, and this was the perfect opportunity for them to target him.

"What a joke! You people are a bunch of frogs in a well!" Liu Wuxie mocked as he remained unfazed.

While the Central Plains was a heaven for cultivators, it was inevitable for fools to linger among them. He had absorbed the knowledge of a million books, and his perspective had broadened in the process.

He exuded the aura of a great scholar, a commanding righteousness that made Liu Yan unable to meet his gaze. Even the ordinary disciples around them instinctively lowered their heads under the weight of his presence.

"Liu Wuxie, it doesn't change that you've disrespected the books no matter how you try to argue your way out! Surrender yourself immediately!" Liu Yan said, determined to see Liu Wuxie punished.

Liu Dazhi stood nearby, torn between stepping forward and holding back. Several times, he had nearly intervened, but each time, Liu Wuxie’s steady gaze stopped him. He understood there was no point in involving himself—doing so would only give the Tenth Elder and his supporters more ammunition to use against them.

"Who says I'm not reading the books by flipping through them? Did anyone state one has to flip through them page by page to read?" Liu Wuxie countered, looking at everyone in the surroundings with a hint of mockery.

"Hahaha!" Liu Yan burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who are you trying to fool here? If you can read all the books that way, I’ll call you my grandfather!" His tone dripped with sarcasm. While he had encountered prodigies with photographic memories who could read hundreds of books in a day, Liu Wuxie’s claim seemed utterly absurd.

"I'm not interested in having a grandson like you," Liu Wuxie mocked. Since Liu Yan tried to cause trouble for him, he wouldn't mind giving him a resounding slap on his face.

"Liu Wuxie, your argument is forced," another voice chimed in. It was a disciple in the Nascent Transformation Realm, stepping forward with an air of superiority. "What you did disrespects the books. Even if you’re reading, flipping through them so quickly will wear them down over time if others were to copy you."

"That's right! He should be punished to set an example!" said the disciples from Liu Xiaotian's faction, demanding Liu Wuxie's punishment.

The situation grew increasingly unfavorable for Liu Wuxie. Even the disciples from the neutral faction seemed ready to take sides if the tension continued to escalate.

Among the crowd, Liu Cheng and Liu Sheng stood out, with Liu Sheng trembling from the residual cold as he glared at Liu Wuxie with unmasked hostility.

"Everyone, listen to me! Although it's inappropriate to flip through the books quickly, it doesn't warrant death. The clan has no rules against it, and the patriarch should decide this matter," said an elder who likely belonged to the patriarch's faction.

"No one can leave if he doesn't give us an explanation today!" Liu Yan snorted, determined to stand his ground no matter who came. After all, he was the elder of the Book Collection Pavilion.

"Elder Liu Yan, anyone can tell you're trying to pin a crime onto Big Brother Wuxie. Big Brother Wuxie has read every book in the past four days!" Liu Xing said, stepping out to support Liu Wuxie.