Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 14 - Hundred Beast Gathering

Liu Wuxie took out his blade from the red cloth. It was a bit shorter than usual and glimmered with a soft golden glow when it caught the light.

He came before a wooden pile and went into a stance. The blade presented a greater challenge than the sword. Just as the sword possessed a sword aura, the blade also had its own aura. Those who could understand the sword aura were considered geniuses, while those who could grasp the blade aura were seen as prodigies of exceptional talent.

Then again, it was difficult for him to comprehend blade aura with his current cultivation. But there was something more vital for him to practice right now, increasing his accuracy to 100%.

Just like that, he swung his blade and returned to his stance, repeating this process. There wasn’t any technique in it, and it was just a simple act of swinging his blade. When he swung his blade, it produced a powerful air current, causing the trees on both sides to rustle.

“Still not enough. My accuracy has improved, but I can’t achieve the desired speed.” Liu Wuxie kept the blade and wiped the sweat on his forehead with a towel. He had swung his blade over ten thousand times in just two hours, equivalent to an average of eighty-three swings per minute.

Only someone with a strong physique could endure such intense training; it was beyond the capabilities of an average person. This rigorous regimen pushed his body to its limits, leaving him completely drained and sitting on the ground without a wisp of energy left.

Liu Wuxie struggled to his feet and poured a third of the remaining Body-Refining Elixir into the tub. He stripped his clothes and stepped into the tub. The moment he got in, a piercing pain spread throughout his body. His body was completely spent, making it the perfect time to temper his physique. He could feel every meridian, acupoint, and pore rapidly absorbing the Body-Refining Elixir.

When he circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, spiritual energy began to gather in his courtyard from the surroundings as though it was alive. In the past few days, the servants had been discussing the Xu Clan’s spiritual energy being sucked away by some mysterious power.

The sounds of drumming emanated from Liu Wuxie’s meridians, signaling that he was on the brink of making a breakthrough. The moment the spiritual energy was absorbed into his body, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron devoured it, and the mysterious liquid in the cauldron increased.

“My physique has reached the limit, and I can make a breakthrough now.” Liu Wuxie took out a Heavenly Spirit Pill and swallowed it down. He would only decide to make a breakthrough after tempering each level to perfection.

The liquid from the cauldron flowed out and surged through Liu Wuxie’s body, causing the true essence in his dantian to rapidly increase. Despite being an Immortal Emperor in his previous life, he had no knowledge of the liquid’s origins or composition. The purity of the liquid would increase with the rise in his cultivation level. However, the rate at which it condensed had slowed, making it necessary for him to find a location with a high concentration of spiritual energy to continue his cultivation.

“I need to set up a Spirit Convergence Array as soon as possible!”

There were multiple professions in general. Alchemists mainly focused on refining pills. Spiritualists drew amulets, talismans, and refined weapons. There was also another profession—spiritual array masters.

There were four big clans in Azure Billow City, the Xu, Tian, Song, and Wan Clans. The Song Clan was famous for spiritual arrays. They had deep research in spiritual arrays and were ranked first among the four big clans.

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The Xu Clan was a newly risen clan a few decades ago, so they didn’t have a lot of population. On the contrary, the three clans had a long line of descendants because of their long history, and their businesses could be found throughout the Great Yan Dynasty.

The Tian Clan mainly engaged in businesses such as brothels and gambling dens. But recently, they got involved in the weapon industry and wanted to snatch Xu Clan’s market share. After all, a clan had to branch out to different industries if they wanted to develop in the long term.

But according to Liu Wuxie’s memories, the Wan Clan was the most special among the four clans. They were a beast-taming clan, grasping the unique technique of taming beasts. They once tamed a fourth-grade demonic beast and became famous in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Fourth-grade demonic beasts were incredibly strong and equivalent to the Marrow Cleansing Realm for human cultivators. So Wan Clan’s businesses mainly focused on taming beasts and beast colosseums. Every clan had their foundations, and they wouldn’t interfere with each other. But Tian Clan’s action disrupted the decades of peace in Azure Billow City.

When Liu Wuxie’s true essence ceased to increase, a powerful shockwave emanated from him as he broke through his limitations and reached the sixth level of the Houtian Realm. His breakthrough was akin to using a hammer to forcefully shatter his bottleneck.

While others had to exercise caution when attempting to make a breakthrough, Liu Wuxie employed the most aggressive approach. This was because his physique differed from others after being tempered by the mysterious liquid, allowing him to withstand the stress without fear of his body collapsing.

The sun had already gone down, with the sky becoming dark when he finished his breakthrough. He put on his clothes and performed a basic fist technique despite having many powerful fist techniques in his mind. But he didn’t pick any of them because he wanted to use the basic first technique to temper his physique and stabilize his cultivation in the sixth level of the Houtian Realm.

Liu Wuxie’s punches were straightforward and unembellished, lacking any fancy flourishes. However, each punch was fierce and unleashed a powerful gust of wind into the surrounding area. As he practiced, he also executed the Seven Dipper Steps, with each footfall stirring up the leaves on the ground.

If someone passed by here, they would definitely be shocked because Liu Wuxie had comprehended the Xiantian Spirit. Only those who comprehended the Xiantian Spirit could mobilize the profound law of heaven and earth.

Each of Liu Wuxie’s punches was smooth, like flowing water. When he threw the last punch, he created an explosion caused by the rapid compression of air. This could only be achieved after the strength and speed reached a certain level.

“It feels great!” Liu Wuxie withdrew his fists and was covered in sweat. But he didn’t change his clothes and drew the blade to carry on practicing his blade technique. This time, his speed was much faster than before, and his accuracy was also improving. Almost every strike landed on the target, and he could now practice the Blood Gleam Blade Art.

“Young Master, master has called for you to have dinner,” the butler’s voice sounded outside the door when the sky darkened.

“Okay. I’ll be there shortly after changing my clothes.” Liu Wuxie went to wash up because he had a lot of impurities forced out of his body in his training. After cleaning up, he wore a clean robe and headed to the inner chamber. It had been a long time since they ate as a family.

His father-in-law, mother-in-law, and even Xu Lingxue had been waiting for him for a long time. The day's events had caused his mother-in-law to change her attitude towards him, and she even went so far as to serve him rice herself.

“Thank you, mother-in-law!” Liu Wuxie was a man of few words and faced his mother-in-law’s reprimand every time they ate together.

Xu Lingxue picked up her bowl and ate with an elegant posture. She picked up a piece of lean braised pork and placed it into her mouth before chewing it. In the past, she would finish her meal quickly and leave, so the two rarely saw each other. This was likely the first time they had shared a meal at the same table.

“Wuxie, this is an invitation from the Wan Clan. I’m busy these days and don’t have time to go. So you and Lingxue can go on my behalf tomorrow.” Xu Yilin took out an invitation card and placed it before Liu Wuxie. Too many things had happened in the clan recently. The Tian Clan first poached their master blacksmiths before trying to frame them. So Xu Yilin had been busy lately, and he had no choice but to get Liu Wuxie to participate in such an unimportant gathering.

“Wan Clan’s invitation?” Liu Wuxie placed the bowl and chopsticks on the table. The Wan Clan rarely contacted the Xu Clan, and it was surprising that they would send an invitation.

“The Wan Clan had a new stock of demonic beasts and planned to host a Hundred Beast Gathering, inviting the patriarchs and younger generation of the various clans in Azure Billow City. I heard that there are even people from the capital. If our Xu Clan wants to develop, we must form a good relationship with the Wan Clan. You just have to watch and listen there.” Xu Yilin explained. The Wan Clan made a living by taming beasts, and they hosted a gathering whenever they had a new batch of demonic beasts to promote their colosseum.

Xu Yilin explained that they simply needed to attend the gathering to show respect to the Wan clan. Once there, they could observe and listen while interacting with others.

When Liu Wuxie raised his head, Xu Lingxue placed her bowl and chopsticks on the table. They exchanged a brief glance before looking away, but no one voiced any objections. Moreover, it was already too late for Liu Wuxie to refuse since Xu Yilin had already made the decision.

He had three days to hand the pills to the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and there was enough time for him to refine them. So he wouldn’t mind going to the Hundred Beast Gathering since he was also curious about it. He was unfamiliar with many things in the True Martial Continent and needed to understand them to integrate into this world.

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, I have finished my meal. I’ll take my leave first.” Liu Wuxie finished quickly, stood up, and bowed before leaving.

“Father, he seems to have changed after that night,” Xu Lingxue said after Liu Wuxie left. She couldn’t describe it, but she could feel that Liu Wuxie had changed. His gaze had become wiser, and his eyes were like two bright stars with stories to tell.

“I have also noticed it, but people have to grow up. He’s the son of Big Brother Liu, and he can’t keep living his life as trash.” Xu Yilin attributed Liu Wuxie’s changes to him maturing, and the three of them fell into a brief silence.

After returning to his courtyard, Liu Wuxie had no time to rest. Every moment was precious, and he began refining the Heavenly Spirit Pills.

“Spirit stones, I need a huge sum of spirit stones to set up the Spirit Convergence Array!”

Spirit stones were a form of mineral that could be found in the earth. It contained spiritual energy, and it was a necessity for cultivators. A single spirit stone could support an ordinary person to cultivate for ten days to a month.

But most spirit stone mines were in control of powerful sects and forces. They weren't something ordinary people could gain access to, and a small spirit stone could cost over 100,000 gold coins. Even the Xu Clan could only make limited purchases every month.

Liu Wuxie spent the night refining over a hundred Heavenly Spirit Pills. He stopped when dawn broke and consumed a Heavenly Spirit Pill before circulating the Desolate Devouring Art to relieve his fatigue.

The breakfast was delivered by the butler. When he came to the main hall after breakfast, there were two hours before the Hundred Beast Gathering.

When Xu Lingxue emerged from the curtains, she wore an azure dress embroidered with two vivid phoenixes. The dress wrapped around her body, revealing her voluptuous figure without a hint of any excess fat. She was like a perfect work of art.

She had pearly white skin and long hair that draped down like a waterfall that would flutter when the wind blew. Her lips were slightly opened, revealing her white teeth underneath. Her attire today wasn’t like her usual style, exuding an air of allure from head to toe.

What an enchantress! Liu Wuxie commented inwardly and turned his head away. He didn’t know if going out with her was a good thing.