Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 85 - Skills

Liu Wuxie’s attack was executed in an unusual manner, following a complex trajectory. He vanished while his foot remained on the ground, a feat only achievable by those highly skilled in movement techniques.

“Father-in-law, finish him off!” Liu Wuxie called out, echoing a similar strategy to the other night when he had ambushed Yun Lan and Nangong Qi. Liu Wuxie held Xue Yang in place while Xu Yilin dealt the killing blow. Having just recovered his golden soul sea, Liu Wuxie was cautious not to recklessly unleash a soul attack, especially with other threats still present. He needed to conserve his strength.

“Understood!” There was a strong understanding between Liu Wuxie and Xu Yilin. Xu Yilin quickly grasped Liu Wuxie’s intentions, and a red spear materialized in his hand. The patriarchs of all four clans carried an interspatial pouch to keep their weapons.

Like a dragon soaring from the sea, the spear released a chilling radiance directed at Xue Yang’s chest. The Xue Clan had sent people to burn down three of the Xu Clan’s oil mills, and the feud between the two clans was irreconcilable. So, there was naturally no need for Xu Yilin to show mercy. In the worst scenario, they could just leave Azure Billow City.

Caught in a pincer attack, Xue Yang’s room for evasion was rapidly shrinking. It was impossible for him to dodge both attacks, especially considering that Liu Wuxie’s blade aura was even more lethal than Xu Yilin’s attack. The trajectory of Liu Wuxie’s attack was strange and unpredictable.

Qi Enshi wanted to make a move because he couldn’t allow Xue Yang to die in Azure Billow City. The Xue Clan would take their anger out on him if that happened.

The Xue Clan, a formidable power in the Imperial Capital, was on a completely different level compared to Qi Enshi, who was merely the lord of a remote city. In comparison to the Xue Clan’s five hundred years of existence in the Imperial Capital, Qi Enshi was hardly significant.

“City Lord Qi, I would advise you not to interfere in this battle,” Bi Gongyu warned coldly. Given the current circumstances, he had no choice but to stand with Liu Wuxie till the end. If Azure Billow City’s Treasure Pill Pavilion could secure even one of the pills Liu Wuxie refined in Zen City, his standing in the headquarters would not be inferior to Shangguan Cai’s. At that point, even the Xue Clan wouldn’t dare to cross him.

“Bi Gongyu, you will pay the price for your choice!” Qi Enshi gritted his teeth with hatred. Bi Gongyu was blocking his path and would counter him if he made a move.

“City Lord Qi, you don’t have to threaten me. The Treasure Pill Pavilion isn’t affiliated with the Great Yan Dynasty. Liu Wuxie is the chief alchemist of the Treasure Pill Pavilion. If anything happens to him, you’ll face the consequences. So I advise you not to intervene as a friend.”

Qi Enshi was shocked. Since when did Liu Wuxie become the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s chief alchemist? If that were true, it would be troublesome for Qi Enshi to try and kill Liu Wuxie in the future unless it was an assassination. Otherwise, he would be in trouble by offending the Treasure Pill Pavilion. But his weakness was in Liu Wuxie’s hands, and he had to find a way to kill Liu Wuxie even if he had to take the risk.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Liu Wuxie’s blade split the air apart, sweeping the snow on the ground and forming a vacuum channel. The snow was directly vaporized into steam and disappeared.

The blade intent that Liu Wuxie released made Xue Yang feel uneasy as alarm bells rang loudly in his mind, signaling danger.

Gritting his teeth, Xue Yang performed a rotation with his sword. He chose to attack Liu Wuxie and gave up on Xu Yilin. In a nutshell, Xue Yang felt that Liu Wuxie was more of a threat than Xu Yilin.

Xu Yilin was already advanced in age and had nearly reached his potential, so his room for growth was limited. But Liu Wuxie was different. At only eighteen years old, he had a long future ahead of him. It might indeed be possible for him to destroy the Xue Clan in one year, and Xue Yang knew he had to kill Liu Wuxie before he could grow any stronger. In essence, Liu Wuxie’s threat was greater than Xu Yilin’s.

“Wuxie, be careful!” Xu Yilin hadn’t expected that Xue Yang would shift his target to Liu Wuxie. As Xue Yang swung his sword, he unleashed a powerful sword aura, his strongest attack yet. Xue Yang had decided to kill Liu Wuxie, even if it cost him his own life.

“You arrived just in time!” Liu Wuxie advanced instead of retreating, using his Ghost Eye technique to detect every nuance of Xue Yang’s attack. With the resentment in his body now dissipated, Liu Wuxie’s soul and body had achieved perfect harmony. He rotated 180 degrees in mid-air, facing the sky with his back towards the ground, and his blade appeared at Xue Yang’s waist.

This was a complex maneuver that required great skill and a powerful true essence to execute.

Liu Wuxie’s unusual attack caught Xue Yang off guard. He hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to be able to launch a counterattack in such a state and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Cultivation level wasn’t everything, and Liu Wuxie’s true essence was no weaker than that of someone at the pinnacle of the Spirit Cleansing Realm. As such, he wasn’t affected by the suppression of a Marrow Cleansing Realm aura. In this situation, fighting skills played a crucial role.

The battle between Liu Wuxie and Xue Yang wasn’t about their cultivation or true essence but their skills. Whoever had a higher fighting talent or understanding of martial techniques would gain the upper hand. So Xue Yang was pale compared to Liu Wuxie.

Faced with Liu Wuxie’s attack, Xue Yang chose to retreat, swinging his sword to force Liu Wuxie to land on the ground. As Xue Yang’s attack neared, Liu Wuxie slid along the ground, his back close to the surface. He did this because if he had landed normally, Xue Yang might have seized the opportunity to strike.

Just as Liu Wuxie’s back was about to touch down, he suddenly pushed off the ground with his right foot and soared into the air, executing the maneuver in one fluid motion.

A round of applause erupted from the onlookers. Liu Wuxie’s series of actions had left them stunned, and they couldn’t help but clap in appreciation of his control over the rhythm of the battle.

“What frightening fighting instincts!” Song Tianhao showed a hint of horror in his eyes.

The Song Clan had not intervened this time, unsure if the Xu Clan would survive this crisis. If they had known how things would turn out, Song Tianhao wouldn’t have hesitated to join the fight with his clan and support the Xu Clan.

Xue Yang’s sword struck the ground, sending sparks flying. Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie spun mid-air, his sword pointing downwards at Xue Yang’s head.

Liu Wuxie dazzled everyone with a series of incredible movements. Even Xu Yilin was at a loss for words. In his forty-odd years of life, he had seen hundreds of experts, but he had never encountered anyone like Liu Wuxie.

He had watched Liu Wuxie grow up and had no idea when he had mastered such an ethereal movement technique that allowed him to glide through the air like an immortal. Even someone in the True Core Realm might not know how to fly, but Liu Wuxie managed to briefly take flight using only his desolate true essence.

As Xue Yang’s attack missed its mark, he raised his sword and charged at Liu Wuxie with renewed determination. But at that moment, Xu Yilin’s spear arrived, preventing Xue Yang from continuing his assault on Liu Wuxie. With Xu Yilin and Liu Wuxie working together, Xue Yang found himself struggling to fend off their attacks. Not only did he have to defend against Xu Yilin’s strikes, but he also had to be wary of Liu Wuxie’s sneak attacks.

With no choice, Xue Yang could only turn around to fight Xu Yilin.

“Xue Yang, die!” Liu Wuxie roared, swinging his blade and creating an intense ripple in the surrounding space. He descended from the sky with his ultimate move, seemingly intent on holding Xue Yang back and creating an opening for Xu Yilin to deliver the killing blow.

However, Xue Yang didn’t know there was a strong rapport between Liu Wuxie and Xu Yilin. While it may have appeared that Liu Wuxie was responsible for holding Xue Yang back, he was actually waiting for an opportunity. Meanwhile, Xu Yilin’s role had shifted to restraining Xue Yang. This wasn’t a cunning tactic but rather a demonstration of their understanding and cooperation. The battle was constantly changing, and anything could happen. This was also the best strategy for defeating Xue Yang.

Xu Yilin seized the opportunity and held Xue Yang down firmly, preventing him from escaping.

As Liu Wuxie swung his blade down, his strongest attack left behind black ripples in the air. He had been waiting for this moment, ready to exploit the weakness that Xue Yang had exposed. If he had been fighting alone, even knowing Xue Yang’s weakness wouldn’t have allowed him to break through his defenses.

But now, with Xu Yilin holding Xue Yang back, Liu Wuxie was able to target his weak spot—the top of his forehead. All of his planning had been for this attack, and it scared Xue Yang into retreating. He abandoned his fight with Xu Yilin in an attempt to avoid Liu Wuxie’s attack.

But it was too late. Liu Wuxie’s blade aura had locked onto Xue Yang, and no matter what he did, it followed him closely like a parasite.

As Qi Enshi watched this unfold, his expression grew serious as he wondered if opposing Liu Wuxie had been the right decision. In that moment, he was torn. Should he humble himself as the City Lord and seek peace with Liu Wuxie? But if he did that, he would never be able to hold his head up again. On the other hand, if he didn’t seek peace, he was frightened by Liu Wuxie’s rapid growth and knew that it wouldn’t be long before he was trampled underfoot. Qi Enshi was caught in a dilemma.

“Qi Enshi, are you planning to make a move? I suggest you give up on that idea,” Bi Gongyu warned as he drew his sword.

“If someone from the Xue Clan dies here in Azure Billow City, all of you will be implicated and face the Xue Clan’s wrath. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—not even the Treasure Pill Pavilion can protect you,” Qi Enshi replied, taking a deep breath as he made up his mind.

“Hmph, your threats mean nothing to me,” Bi Gongyu retorted, unfazed.

As Liu Wuxie’s blade aura approached, a droplet of cold sweat rolled down Xue Yang’s forehead. Liu Wuxie approached from the sky while Xu Yilin was on the ground with a spear aimed at his chest. Liu Wuxie or Xu Yilin could take his life, and he was cornered with no opportunity to turn the tables around.

Xue Yang, in a fit of rage, shouted, “Whoever defeats them will earn the favor of the Xue Clan and our support in becoming the overlord of Azure Billow City!” He hoped that someone would rise to the challenge and defeat Liu Wuxie, even if it meant only stopping this attack. The Xue Clan’s offer to support a new overlord in Azure Billow City was a rare opportunity, and many were tempted to take action.

Suddenly, the sound of swords being drawn echoed through the streets as guards from the Xu Clan rushed out, brandishing their weapons in all directions. Anyone who wanted to step forward would have to get past them. The guards glared at the surrounding patriarchs of the smaller clans who were considering making a move. Upon seeing the Xu Clan’s guards, all the patriarchs retreated, not daring to step forward.

With his back against the wall and no way out, Xue Yang faced the threat of death and roared as he charged at Xu Yilin. Even if he had to die, he was determined to take someone down with him.

“Resistance is futile!” Liu Wuxie’s cold voice sounded. He was like the god of death declaring Xue Yang’s ending. His blade ripped through Xue Yang’s skin, and Xue Yang’s eyes reflected a trace of horror as Xu Yilin’s spear knocked away his sword.