Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 388 - Vaporized

The sky was dust-covered as a mushroom cloud rose from the center of the arena. The deacon standing below the arena was sent flying away by the shockwave and spat out a mouthful of blood.

No one knew what was happening on the stage, and they had to wait for the cloud of dust to settle down. However, judging from the current situation, Duan Hong had little chance of winning the fight.

Elder Tian Xing's eye twitched, recognizing that the punch had exceeded the power of the True Core Realm, comparable to the third level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

"This must be Liu Wuxie's strongest fighting strength, right?" Discussions arose even before the dust had settled.

The aftermath lasted for five minutes before the cloud of dust finally settled. The arena was riddled with craters, revealing the martial field beneath.

Only one person remained standing on a stone the size of a large water jar, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Where's Duan Hong?" Everyone was bewildered because they could only see Liu Wuxie, with Duan Hong nowhere to be seen. They were all in a daze, as someone in the second-level Heavenly Dipper Realm was vaporized. They couldn't imagine the power required to achieve this feat.

"Duan Hong is dead!" An uproar came from the surroundings because it was confirmed now that Duan Hong had died without any corpse left behind.

The vast martial field suddenly fell into a deathly silence. Killing Duan Hong was even more impactful to everyone than Liu Wuxie killing Shao Wendong.

Everyone looked at Liu Wuxie with fear in their eyes. He swept his cold gaze around, and a chilling light flashed in his eyes when they settled on the regions of Terrain Summit Peak and Profound Inscription Peak.

The disciples who met Liu Wuxie's gaze lowered their heads, unable to look him in the eye. With Arena 1 destroyed, the next match couldn't proceed.

As the competition neared its end, only about thirty participants remained in the next round. After returning to his rest area, Liu Wuxie observed the ongoing battles in the other arenas, including those featuring Shao Wendong, Chen Lin, and others.

The fights were intense because the remaining participants were evenly matched in strength. After all, the stronger disciples had already defeated their opponents and advanced to the next round.

"You have truly impressed me!" Liu Wuxie was just about to sit down when Chen Lin suddenly walked over. She came over with a smile without any hostility.

She might be a disciple of the Earth Force Peak, but not everyone was hostile to Liu Wuxie. That was the same for the Terran Summit Peak and Profound Inscription Peak. Only a few held grudges against Liu Wuxie, while most were neutral.

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"You flatter me!" Liu Wuxie smiled and didn't give much explanation.

"You've broken the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's record to make it into the top thirty at your age. I believe the sect will nurture you greatly after this competition," Chen Lin said with a hint of envy in her eyes.

She had spent over two years in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to achieve her current accomplishments. Shao Wendong, Duan Hong, and others were all seasoned disciples. Liu Wuxie, on the other hand, had risen in cultivation so quickly in just a few months, proving himself a monstrous genius.

"I'm just lucky!" Liu Wuxie replied humbly.

"No rush. I believe you will achieve great things in the future. I heard you have no master and have been cultivating on your own. Is that true?" Chen Lin asked curiously.

Four days passed, and ninety percent of the people had investigated Liu Wuxie's background. He came from the mundane world with no background or a master. He only had himself to rely on to come this far.

"I guess so..." Liu Wuxie rubbed his nose. He had no master; his mentor was the vast knowledge he possessed, which allowed him to outpace others and create miracles.

With the Desolate Devouring Art, it was like adding wings to a tiger. Even Liu Wuxie couldn't fully explain it, but he felt his future achievements might surpass those of his past life if he continued on this path.

"Only those with great talent can achieve what others cannot. Junior brother, you must be one of those exceptional individuals." Chen Lin spoke warmly, sitting beside Liu Wuxie without any pretense.

"Senior sister, you flatter me. Many things are due to coincidences, and it's not a problem for you to become a true disciple with your talent." Liu Wuxie returned a compliment, which brought smiles to Chen Lin's face.

Other disciples were nervous at the sight of her, but Liu Wuxie looked calm and composed. They exchanged compliments and began meditating because the upcoming battles might be even more brutal.

The fifth day finally arrived, marking the day the champion would be determined. Those who made it into the top thirty would also be promoted to inner disciples. Everyone who reached the top thirty was in the Heavenly Dipper Realm, qualifying them for this promotion.

Only thirty-two people advanced to the next round. Some died, some were severely injured, and one had minor injuries but chose to forfeit to avoid further damage to their foundation. Continuing to fight could ruin their future prospects, even if they managed to reach the top ten.

The death toll was expected to decrease in the upcoming battles because the gap in strength among the remaining participants was small. They no longer needed to fight to the death for rewards.

"The remaining thirty-two participants will be divided into eight groups, each with four people," announced Elder Tian Xing, his gaze sweeping over the contenders. "Winning a match earns one point, and zero points for losing. The top two in each group will advance, while the two with the fewest points will be eliminated." This system was implemented to ensure fairness in the competition.

This system ensured that Shao Wendong wouldn't face Chen Lin early on. Even if they did, both could still advance to the next round.

"There are eight colors, and those who drew the same color will be placed in the same group." A deacon placed a lottery box before everyone, and the thirty-two participants stepped forward to draw a wooden token.

Liu Wuxie reached into the lottery box and drew a token with 'Red' engraved on it. The drawing process took less than two minutes, and everyone had a token in their hands.

The thirty-two people were divided into eight groups, and Liu Wuxie noticed an odd phenomenon. The disciples with the most chance to fight for the championship were all separated into eight groups.

Shao Wendong's group consisted of three others with cultivation in the first level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm. Shao Wendong could easily advance, with the remaining three fighting for one spot.

The same could be said for Chen Lin's group. The strength in Dong Yan, He Lan, Zhao Yi, and Wen Haoran's groups was relatively low, with the strongest only at the second level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Liu Wuxie's group, however, could be called the group of death. The three others in his group were all close in strength, each at the second level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Liu Wuxie was somewhat surprised to see someone familiar. This person was Luo Mingyang, who had competed with him for the jade slip at the market.

Luo Mingyang had declared he would kill Liu Wuxie and had advanced from the pinnacle of the True Core Realm to the second level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm in just three months, proving his considerable talent.

Upon seeing Liu Wuxie, Luo Mingyang's expression became awkward. After all, Liu Wuxie had killed Duan Hong, and provoking him now was akin to courting death.

However, when he recalled what had happened at the market, Luo Mingyang gritted his teeth in hatred.

Liu Wuxie ignored Luo Mingyang and nodded at the other two as a greeting. The strongest in the last group was in the third level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm, with a high chance of advancing.

A ridiculous scene unfolded because Liu Wuxie was the only one in the True Core Realm among the remaining thirty-two participants.

"You may begin fighting on the stage now!" announced Elder Tian Xing. One group was assigned three matches to keep the competition flowing.

Everyone had to fight eventually, and who went first didn't matter.

Luo Mingyang chose to fight with another person first, while Liu Wuxie's opponent was Gao Jie. After entering the arena, Gao Jie cupped his fists toward Liu Wuxie.

"Junior Brother Liu, please guide me!" Gao Jie said politely, as Liu Wuxie's act of killing Duan Hong had left a strong impression.

"Please!" Liu Wuxie returned the gesture.

"Junior brother, please show mercy!" Gao Jie said with a bitter smile because no one wanted to die in the arena. After many battles, Liu Wuxie had killed the most, and people started calling him a Demon Butcher.

"Let's have a friendly spar then!" Liu Wuxie wasn't a mad killer, and he only killed those who deserved it.

Gao Jie used an earth-grade sword technique, which was inferior to Duan Hong's. After seven strikes, Liu Wuxie found the flaw in his sword technique and easily defeated him.

He didn't feel discouraged after losing to Liu Wuxie because he still stood a chance to advance as long as he won the remaining two rounds.

Shao Wendong's opponents chose to concede voluntarily, conserving their energy for their remaining matches. It was pragmatic not to squander their true essence in a futile effort.

That was the same for Chen Lin’s and Wen Haoran's opponents, who chose to forfeit.

Luo Mingyang's fight with another person was still ongoing ferociously.

If there were no surprises, Liu Wuxie would advance, leaving the other three to fight for the remaining spot.

After a grueling exchange of hundreds of moves, Luo Mingyang narrowly defeated his opponent by a narrow margin, sustaining several wounds but pressing on to face Gao Jie.

The disciple who had previously lost to Liu Wuxie approached him.

"I had planned to concede, but I can't afford another loss after the first. Junior Brother Liu, please guide me!" The youth, unwilling to give up, attacked Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie remained expressionless, dismissing the oncoming sword with a wave of his hand, conjuring a powerful gust that sent his opponent flying. He held particular disdain for those who overestimated themselves.

This youth had to find a way to defeat Luo Mingyang and dare to challenge him.

The youth was swept off the arena and fell to the ground, struggling to rise a few times before managing to stand. Though he still had a match with Gao Jie, his chances of progressing further were slim.

If Gao Jie could defeat Luo Mingyang, he would advance. If Liu Wuxie lost to Luo Mingyang, they would have to fight again until one was eliminated.

After over five hundred moves, Luo Mingyang narrowly defeated Gao Jie, meaning the last match was unnecessary. Even if Gao Jie won the last fight, he would still be eliminated.

"Liu Wuxie, I acknowledge your strength. I forfeit," Luo Mingyang declared straightforwardly. "You've won three matches, and I've won two. Let's advance together."

Liu Wuxie didn't insist since his opponent had forfeited. After all, he couldn't possibly drag Luo Mingyang to the arena to kill him.

The initial group concluded before others, followed shortly by Shao Wendong's group. This phase spanned six hours, as the eight groups saw sixteen participants move forward, leaving sixteen eliminated.

"The remaining sixteen will continue to draw lots to determine the top eight!" Sixteen people stood before the lottery box because this determined if they could enter the top ten.

Liu Wuxie drew number two, but he needed to find out who his opponent was. A voice came behind him, "Who's number two?"