Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 875 - Evenly Matched

Liu Wuxie's arrogance naturally left many people unhappy, with jeers erupting from the surroundings.

To boast so brazenly before someone at the fourth-level Spirit Profound Realm was nothing short of courting death.

"I'll fulfill your wish since you're courting death!" Qi Yang sneered. He didn't even bother summoning his weapon. Instead, he struck out with his bare hand, unleashing a force so powerful that it swept up the rocks from the ground, forming a torrential storm that roared toward Liu Wuxie.

His attack was swift and ruthless, sending a shockwave through the valley. The surrounding disciples hastily retreated, fearing they'd be caught in the crossfire.

Liu Wuxie didn't dare to be careless. He advanced instead of retreating, striking out with his palm. But his attack was terrifyingly calm, seemingly light—as if it carried no force like a gentle push.

"What is he trying to do? He dares to look down on Qi Yang?" someone exclaimed from the crowd.

They couldn't believe he would use such a feeble attack against a raging strike.

More cultivators gathered from afar, all at the Spirit Profound Realm. There were a few hundred of them, with those at the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm.

"This is interesting. This kid is strong!" A cultivator at the high level of the Spirit Profound Realm stroked his chin, a faint smile playing on his lips. He had seen through the secret hidden in Liu Wuxie's seemingly weak palm strike.

"Indeed...he has compressed his true essence into a single thread, hidden at the center of his palm strike. This strike might seem feeble, but all the power is gathered into a single point," said another cultivator at the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm.

The outburst of true essence was terrifying, capable of generating a devastating shockwave. Yet, Liu Wuxie had compressed it into a pinpoint force, making it nearly undetectable.

It was the difference between splashing a basin of water outward and concentrating it into a focused, high-pressure stream.

However, those at the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm weren't so easily fooled. With their powerful divine senses, they could detect even the faintest disturbance in the air, and they knew—Liu Wuxie's strike was far more dangerous than it appeared.

As the two palm strikes closed in mid-air, Liu Wuxie's attack still appeared feeble and unremarkable, his composure eerily calm.

Howling winds roared in the surroundings, causing Liu Wuxie's clothes and hairband to flutter in the wind.

When his sleeves puffed up from the force, Liu Wuxie instantly looked overwhelmed and defenseless.

The two had closed their distance in the blink of an eye.

Qi Yang's expression changed when their attacks collided, and a sudden sense of danger crept over him. But it was too late for him to withdraw his attack. A terrifying force exploded from Liu Wuxie's palm, surging into Qi Yang's own attack like a hidden blade.

Only then did the spectators realize the truth—Liu Wuxie's strike had never been weak. He had compressed all of his power into a single point, concealing it until the last moment.

Qi Yang had walked right into the trap; now, there was no escape.

With a loud explosion, a powerful shockwave tore through the surrounding trees and jagged rocks. The shockwave continued to spread out, surprising the spectators.

No one had expected this outcome, and it was too late when they came to their senses. The disciples in the crowd were thrown flying into the air, groaning in pain as blood sprayed from their mouths.

Qi Yang and Liu Wuxie were also sent flying.

They drew a graceful arc through the air before they fell more than ten meters away. As the dust settled, their heavy, labored breathing was the only sound. Both their faces were pale and grim, beads of sweat clinging to their skin.

Qi Yang was strong, but Liu Wuxie wasn't weak either. Their clash had ended up in a draw, shocking everyone.

They couldn't believe that Qi Yang had failed to kill Liu Wuxie despite the drastic difference in their cultivation, which shattered their understanding.

"How could this be? Where did he get that explosive force from?" The disciples at the True Profound Realm couldn't comprehend Liu Wuxie's palm strike. They couldn't figure out how an attack that seemed so feeble could unleash such terrifying power.

Even those at the low levels of the Spirit Profound Realm couldn't figure out what had happened, not to mention those at the True Profound Realm.

"Wait...his sudden outburst contained laws of the True Profound Realm! He has concealed his actual cultivation!" a disciple at the Spirit Profound Realm exclaimed, blurting out the truth.

"I felt it, too! He must've broken through to the True Profound Realm and has been fooling us all along!" another quickly added. More people joined in, agreeing that Liu Wuxie had been hiding his strength.

Qi Yang sensed it as well. He could feel the laws of the True Profound Realm behind Liu Wuxie's strike.

"Liu Wuxie, I have underestimated you!" Qi Yang growled coldly. Though he hadn't killed Liu Wuxie in one blow, he wasn't too worried. He was confident it was just the beginning of Liu Wuxie's nightmare.

With his cultivation exposed, Liu Wuxie no longer concealed it. The surrounding space began to buzz like countless insects flying around as Liu Wuxie's aura rose, soon reaching the True Profound Realm.

However, that wasn't the end, as Liu Wuxie's cultivation continued to rise before stopping at the late phase of the third-level True Profound Realm.

Hissing sounds came from the surroundings, and everyone was shocked. They couldn't believe Liu Wuxie had advanced from the Nascent Transformation Realm to the third-level True Profound Realm in half a year.

They recalled that just half a year ago, Liu Wuxie had only been at the Astral River Realm. Yet, in that short time, he had surpassed countless disciples, even those who had joined the academy in the same batch as him.

Many disciples were still struggling at the Nascent Transformation Realm, and Liu Wuxie was already challenging disciples at the Spirit Profound Realm.

"What terrifying breakthrough speed! I remember he was only at the fifth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm before he left the academy for his mission!"

The memory of his departure resurfaced—Liu Wuxie had accepted an impossible mission, one that no one expected him to survive. Back then, no one was optimistic about his chances. Many had assumed he would never return.

Yet, to everyone's shock, Liu Wuxie not only survived—he came back stronger than ever.

"He hid his strength too well... No wonder he was able to kill Ning Hai." Many in the crowd recalled the brutal scene in Astral Moon Valley just days ago when Liu Wuxie had slain Ning Hai. Now, as they replayed that moment in their minds, a cold chill ran down their spines.

Those who had once harbored ill intentions toward Liu Wuxie quickly masked their expressions, afraid he might notice them. They understood now—offending someone like Liu Wuxie was a nightmare unless they were certain they could kill him in one strike.

"So what if he's been hiding his actual cultivation? It won't change the fact he'll die today, and don't forget that Qi Yang isn't Ning Hai. He's at the fourth-level Spirit Profound Realm!"

Many still scoffed, convinced that Liu Wuxie's death was inevitable. However, the mockery had noticeably diminished—this time, uncertainty lingered. No one could be sure if Liu Wuxie still had another trump card.

Qi Yang's face darkened. He gritted his teeth upon learning that Liu Wuxie had reached the third-level True Profound Realm.

"Liu Wuxie, it won't change anything even if you had concealed your cultivation!" Qi Yang snarled, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

His hatred burned even hotter as he reached a single conclusion—Liu Wuxie's rapid rise could only be due to spiritual rice. Spiritual rice could not only transform the body but also increase Dao runes and transform one's talent.

When he was done speaking, a longsword appeared in his hand, and he didn't dare to look down on Liu Wuxie any longer.

"You think a piece of garbage like you can kill me? What a joke!" Liu Wuxie sneered. With a flick of his wrist, the Heretic Blade appeared, hovering before him.

Though the Heretic Blade was still an origin artifact, it had surpassed many heavenly artifacts.

Heavenly artifacts corresponded to the True Profound Realm, meaning Liu Wuxie would need to gather materials to upgrade his weapon.

However, after achieving unity with Heaven and Earth, the requirements became even stricter. Ordinary materials would no longer suffice—only the rarest and most precious materials could enhance it further.

On the contrary, Qi Yang's sword was a genuine Dao artifact, which corresponded with the Spirit Profound Realm.

Rumbling laws of the Spirit Profound Realm gushed out of the longsword. Not only did it fail to suppress the Heretic Blade, but it also aroused its fighting spirit.

The Heretic Blade had been reforged by the Thunder God Hammer, and it had absorbed countless rare materials, allowing the blade to possess a proud and unyielding will.

"What an incredible blade. It looks like an origin artifact, yet it seems to have merged with the very heavens and earth!" gasps of awe rang out from the surroundings, captivated by the blade hovering before Liu Wuxie.

"It's not the blade that's truly brilliant, but the one who forged it," said a disciple at the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm as the surrounding true disciples moved aside.

If everyone knew that Liu Wuxie had personally forged the Heretic Blade, they would be even more astounded.

A blade aura shot out in the form of a hurricane. It made everyone feel their skin prickle as invisible blades seemed to pierce into their very bodies.

Wielding the Heretic Blade, Liu Wuxie pointed it at Qi Yang—inviting him to strike.

"Come and fight!" Liu Wuxie said, his voice radiated with fighting spirit.

A torrential aura surged from Liu Wuxie, its intensity drawing startled exclamations from the crowd. Among them, many female disciples gazed at him in awe, their eyes reflecting admiration. He remained unyielding even when facing such overwhelming odds.

Qi Yang was enraged by Liu Wuxie's action, and he weaved out intricate patterns of sword aura as he attacked.

"Divine Shocking Sword—first form!" Qi Yang roared.

Liu Wuxie had not read about this martial technique on the third floor of the Martial Pavilion; it was likely found on the higher floors. Just the name alone proved that this sword technique wasn't simple, approaching the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm.

Even among spirit-grade martial techniques, they were divided into different levels.

The spirit-grade martial techniques stored inside the Martial Pavilion were of the lowest tier. Even so, they required hundreds of points to read.

Piercing sword aura gushed out, crashing forward like rumbling thunder.

The ocean of sword aura surged around Liu Wuxie, a relentless storm threatening to overwhelm him if he wasn't careful. He didn't dare to be careless.

Activating Ghost Eye, he pierced through the layers of sword aura, unraveling the intricate variations within Qi Yang's technique.

The Soul Forging Art had merged seamlessly with Ghost Eye, further enhancing his perception.

The trajectory of the sword aura began to slow down before Liu Wuxie. He soon found the flaws in the ocean of sword aura.

This meant that ordinary martial techniques could no longer threaten him—not unless his opponent's strength vastly outmatched his own.

The Divine Shocking Sword was powerful, but that was all it was—brute force with no deeper refinement.

Compared to the sword techniques Liu Wuxie had witnessed from Wei Wang, it was utterly lacking.