Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 755 - One Sword Shakes Mount Spirit

A collective gasp came from the surroundings when Liu Cheng fell to his knees. Although Liu Cheng wasn't the strongest, he was still a cultivator in the fifth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm.

He couldn't even put up any resistance before Liu Wuxie, which made everyone look at him with fear.

However, Liu Wuxie ignored Liu Cheng and turned to look at Liu Yan. He said, "It's your turn now!"

Liu Yan was an elder in the True Profound Realm, and he would lose his footing in the clan if he went down on his knees.

As for the disciples who had mocked Liu Wuxie earlier, they kept backing away, not wanting to incur Liu Wuxie's wrath.

"Liu Yan, will you kneel on your own or need my help?" Liu Dazhi stepped forward. Though he had remained silent throughout the process, that didn't mean he wasn't furious, and he released his aura down on Liu Yan.

Liu Yan was only in the second level of the True Profound Realm, and there was no way he could withstand Liu Dazhi's oppression.

"I refuse to believe this! All of you must've conspired together!" Liu Yan roared, his face contorted as he refused to admit defeat. He was convinced that Liu Dazhi had told Liu Wuxie the answers.

While most of the crowd had come to accept Liu Wuxie's extraordinary ability, a handful still clung to their skepticism, convinced that such a feat was beyond human capability.

"Since that's the case, I'll make you accept your loss!" Liu Wuxie said. He took out a piece of paper and a brush and began to list all the books on it.

Everyone turned to look at the paper, eager to know what Liu Wuxie was writing, and the entire process took an hour before Liu Wuxie was done.

"This is a complete list of all the books in the pavilion. Why don't you compare it if you dare?" Liu Wuxie said. He had listed all the books, including their locations.

If this paper were preserved, it would revolutionize how disciples found books. They could find the books according to the list, saving them much time, something no one had done before.

Liu Yan took the paper and entered the Book Collection Pavilion with several disciples to verify.

As they checked, there wasn't a single discrepancy.

Liu Yan was unwilling to believe it as he personally entered the Book Collection Pavilion, verifying each book from the first to the ninth floor before his heart sank into the abyss. When he stepped out of the pavilion, his face was terrifyingly pale as he had given up all hope.

"Liu Yan, what do you have to say now?" Liu Dazhi's voice thundered as he struck with his palm, forcing Liu Yan to kneel before Liu Wuxie.

Seeing a dignified elder in the True Profound Realm kneeling before someone in the Astral River Realm was impactful. While cultivators in the True Profound Realm couldn't be considered experts in the Central Plains, they were at the top of the pyramid in the other regions.

When Liu Yan kneeled before Liu Wuxie, he remained silent with suppressed fury.

"Wuxie, this list is too important for the clan. We can use it to organize the Book Collection Pavilion, making it more convenient for disciples in the future," said Liu Dazhi. He walked over and patted Liu Wuxie on the shoulder.

In the past few days, Liu Wuxie had done more for the clan than anyone could imagine. Not only had he found the Seven-Glazed Divine Lamp and treated the patriarch, but he had even sorted out all the books in the Book Collection Pavilion, and each contribution was nothing short of monumental. However, the clan had only tried to oppress him and treated him with doubts.

"It's simply what I should do," Liu Wuxie replied humbly. The farce ended with Liu Yan kneeling on the ground and Liu Cheng's shattered kneecaps.

The news that Liu Wuxie had read all the books in the Book Collection Pavilion soon spread throughout the Liu Clan like wildfire. When Liu Xiucheng learned about it, he visited Liu Wuxie's courtyard to praise him.

"As expected of my grandson! You've exceeded all my expectations," Liu Xiucheng said before leaving.

......

On the other hand, Liu Xiaotian reacted completely oppositely when he learned of it. The Tenth Elder reported the entire incident to him in every detail.

"Damn it! We can't let him live!" Liu Xiaotian seethed, fully aware of the deepening enmity between him and Liu Wuxie.

After all, anyone could tell he was behind Liu Yan's provocation of Liu Wuxie. It had come down to the point where only one of them could live. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to kill Liu Wuxie when the latter grew stronger.

"Xiaotian, why don't we drop it here?" said the Tenth Elder. His confidence had wavered after witnessing Liu Wuxie's astounding display today. It wasn't too late for them to back off now, or it would only result in mutual destruction if the matter escalated any further.

"Let it go? That brat ruined my plan, and the only way to quell my anger is to kill him! Are you afraid, or have you forgotten how Liu Xiucheng treated you in the past?!" Liu Xiaotian questioned, his face contorted with fury, staring at the Tenth Elder.

Years ago, the Tenth Elder's grandson had violated the clan's rules by assaulting an innocent woman. As a result, his grandson's cultivation was crippled, and he was exiled from the clan, only to die on the streets a few days later.

That person was the Tenth Elder's only grandson with the highest talent, and the Tenth Elder gritted his teeth whenever he remembered it. After all, the patriarch had caused his grandson's death for an ordinary woman.

Meanwhile, Liu Yan sat outside the Book Collection Pavilion in dejection as the passersby pointed and whispered among themselves with stifling laughter.

Today's event spread like wildfire throughout the clan, and even the ordinary disciples ridiculed him whenever they saw him.

......

When Liu Wuxie returned to his courtyard, he immersed himself in cultivation. He had to organize the knowledge in his mind as soon as possible.

Although the knowledge had become part of his memories, he had yet to sort through it, especially the negative information.

Three days later, he had integrated all the knowledge he had read and exhaled deeply when he opened his eyes.

Upon his awakening, the first news he received was that Liu Xiaotian had left the Liu Clan two days earlier than Liu Wuxie had anticipated.

"He probably won't be back soon," Liu Wuxie nodded. Liu Xiaotian had likely left because the incident in the Book Collection Pavilion had forced him to accelerate his plan.

"Your grandfather has sent someone to follow him in secret, and we will receive updates regularly on his whereabouts," Liu Dashan said. He no longer treated Liu Wuxie like a child but as someone equal. Their bond still needed time to mend after so many years apart.

Bidding his parents farewell, Liu Wuxie went to the martial field.

He had received great gains over the past few days of seclusion. While his cultivation remained in the pinnacle eighth-level of the Astral River Realm, the desolate world had expanded and became empty after his true essence was further compressed. He would take at least months to fill up the desolate world.

When Liu Wuxie stepped into the martial field, he noticed many disciples training, and Liu Po's attitude toward Liu Xing had changed.

"Big Brother Wuxie, have you come to train?" Liu Xing ran over immediately.

"I plan to visit the Astral Glory City. Would you accompany me on this trip?" Liu Wuxie asked. He was unfamiliar with the Astral Glory City and had only passed through it once in a hurry.

"Sure! Let me ask for leave from the instructor," Liu Xing said and ran over to Liu Po. He initially thought Liu Po would make things difficult for him, but Liu Po agreed without any hesitation and even excused him for the next day.

The two returned to freshen up before they left the clan quietly. Liu Wuxie didn't inform his parents as he didn't want to worry them.

When Liu Wuxie passed through the clan's gate, he exhaled deeply, the weight of the clan’s suffocating atmosphere finally lifting from his chest.

"Big Brother Wuxie, where do you plan to go?" The Astral Glory City was massive, and many prominent clans in this city rivaled the Liu Clan in strength.

Despite bearing the title of one of the Four Great Clans, the Liu Clan's overall strength had declined, and they were only a first-tier clan in the name.

"I don't know. I want to find a place to hone my martial and dao techniques while earning some spirit stones," Liu Wuxie said. His cultivation had stalled temporarily, and his priority was to increase his combat prowess and replenish his resources.

Ever since he entered the Central Plains, he had depleted his spirit stones rapidly, constantly converting them into liquified spiritual energy to replenish the desolate world. His true essence was continually being suppressed due to the laws here, becoming purer and no longer inferior to those monstrous prodigies.

"I might know a place, but it's a little dangerous," Liu Xing said after considering it.

"Let's go and take a look!" Liu Wuxie said with anticipation. The danger was what he needed to excavate his potential.

The two activated their movement techniques and sped toward Astral Glory City. The city’s stone-paved paths exuded an ancient charm, the smooth surfaces polished by countless years of wear. Shops lined either side of the streets, their modest business just enough for the owners to scrape by.

When they entered the city, they were like two water droplets in an ocean. The city was bustling with people, and several grand structures hovered in the air, looking magnificent.

"Only those in the True Profound Realm can enter the Spirit Jade Pavilion," Liu Xing said after noticing Liu Wuxie's attention on the hovering structures. Ordinary people couldn't enter, and the bare requirement was to reach the True Profound Realm.

Liu Wuxie nodded as they weaved through the streets, and this city was more vibrant than Liu Wuxie had imagined. He even saw spiritual pills sold here, but the prices were exorbitant—far beyond what he could afford.

Fiery burrowed out from Liu Wuxie's clothes and began to look around curiously. For some reason, Fiery had been unusually well-behaved during this period, spending most of its time asleep ever since it had consumed the Fire Spiritual Fruit.

"Big Brother Wuxie, is that a profound beast? It looks adorable!" Liu Xing commented. He recalled seeing Fiery previously.

"I'm not sure either. I found it on my way here," Liu Wuxie said, caressing Fiery. Even he didn't recognize Fiery's species.

Upon hearing that it was picked along the way, Fiery waved its paws in protest.

After traversing dozens of streets for nearly two hours, they finally stopped.

"This is the place," Liu Xing announced, pointing to the building ahead. Unlike Wuxie, he was familiar with the location, having visited in the past as a spectator.

"One Sword Shakes Mount Spirit?" Liu Wuxie was baffled when he read the plaque. The name sounded like a martial technique but was used for a building instead.

"You'll know once we go in!" Liu Xing said, grabbing Liu Wuxie by the arm and pulling him along. They soon found themselves in a large hall bustling with activity.