Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 401 - Reprimand

Elder Wu Yang was stunned that Liu Wuxie challenged him openly. It made him even more furious to be challenged by an inner disciple.

"Boy, you should think carefully about what it means to compete with me!" Elder Wu Yang maintained his composure and didn't lose himself in rage. As an elder who had come this far, he had to keep some dignity. If he took it too far, he could face criticism and ridicule.

"Or is Elder Wu Yang scared to bet with a youngster like me?" Liu Wuxie carried a hint of mockery on his lips. He knew they would continue to cause trouble for him if he didn't teach them a lesson today. Thus, the best way was to make them give up entirely and avoid him in the future.

"Liu Wuxie, you must put up some stakes to bet with my master. If you win, I'll kneel and apologize. But if you lose, you must not only apologize, but you also have to compensate with a Meridian Purifying Pill and ten high-grade spirit stones. Do you dare to bet?" Kong Yan sneered. It was no secret Liu Wuxie had obtained the Meridian Purifying Pill and ten high-grade spirit stones.

Surprisingly, Elder Wu Yang didn't oppose Kong Yan’s words, implying his consent.

"What a joke. If you guys win, I must kneel to apologize and compensate with the Meridian Purifying Pill and ten high-grade spirit stones, while you only apologize after losing. Are you dumb, or do you think there's such a good deal in the world?" Liu Wuxie sneered with amusement. It was apparent these three had planned everything.

They had devised this plan to obtain Liu Wuxie's treasures. However, this bet was too unfair for Liu Wuxie, and the terms should have been equal since they wanted to bet.

The surrounding disciples nodded in acknowledgment of Liu Wuxie's words. The stakes should be equal regardless of win or loss, but Liu Wuxie found the current terms unfavorable.

From Kong Yan's perspective, Liu Wuxie was destined to lose, and they would ultimately win regardless of the stakes they promised.

"Then what do you want!" Kong Yan's face became twisted, fearing Liu Wuxie would back out now. After all, they had devised this plan for Liu Wuxie to take the bait, and they would miss out on the treasures if Liu Wuxie gave up now.

"Offer treasures equivalent to my stakes!" Liu Wuxie's demand was simple. If they wanted his treasures, they would have to offer treasures equivalent to make it fair. This demand wasn't excessive, and the surrounding disciples nodded in agreement.

They had no feud with Liu Wuxie and were here to watch the show. There were only a few disciples who coveted Liu Wuxie's treasures.

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"I support what Junior Brother Liu said. Since there's a bet, the stakes naturally have to be fair. I suggest notifying the sect's higher-ups to act as a judge to ensure fairness for both sides." An inner disciple nodded at Liu Wuxie, and he expressed his opinion.

He suggested having the sect's higher-ups as judges to ensure fairness in case Elder Wu Yang refused to admit defeat.

Liu Wuxie nodded in return, and this person looked relatively young. His cultivation wasn't high either, as he was only in the third-level Heavenly Dipper Realm.

The youth's words made Elder Wu Yang's face ugly, as he had intended to compete with Liu Wuxie to teach him a lesson secretly. But if a higher-up from the sect were present as a judge, it wouldn't be honorable even if he won. If he lost, it would be utterly humiliating to his status as an elder.

“Elder Wu Yang, why fear him? Bet with him!" Most people gloated, egging Elder Wu Yang to go on with the bet.

This placed Elder Wu Yang in a dilemma because withdrawing now would be self-humilating.

"This is a segment of the Heavenstore Wood and an Energy Purifying Pill. Is this sufficient?" Elder Wu Yang took out a piece of wood and a pill.

The two items were treasures, especially the Heavenstore Wood. It contained powerful wood-attribute energy, making it a great material to forge the Suppression Stele.

The Energy Purifying Pill was mainly used to purify the true essence. It was comparable to the Meridians Purifying Pill but had a different purpose. One was meant to strengthen the meridians, while the other strengthened the true essence.

"The stakes are acceptable, but I have another suggestion!" Liu Wuxie wore a smile after glancing at the two items.

With the Heavenstore Wood as a foundation, he could soon forge the Wood Suppression Stele. With the Wood Suppression Stele guarding his liver, his strength would drastically transform.

"Liu Wuxie, spit it out if you have any suggestions. Don't dawdle!" Kong Yan was running out of patience, as he couldn't wait to see Liu Wuxie embarrassed.

Everyone waited for Liu Wuxie to state his additional terms.

"My request is simple: let Elder Tian Xing judge this bet because I don't trust anyone else." Liu Wuxie trusted only Elder Tian Xing in the whole sect.

Even if the sect master came, Liu Wuxie wouldn't necessarily trust him.

Elder Wu Yang's face grew darker upon hearing that because Elder Tian Xing was famous for being upright. If Elder Tian Xing were to be the judge of this bet, it would be impossible to do anything under his watch.

Furthermore, he would undoubtedly be reprimanded to bet with an inner disciple as a dignified elder in the Astral River Realm.

"Liu Wuxie, you're taking it too far. Do you think we'll refuse to admit it if we lose?" Kong Yan feared Elder Tian Xing; they would lose their advantage if he came. This was unfavorable, as it would be impossible for them to manipulate the situation.

"You're right! I'm afraid you guys will refuse to admit it if you lose!" Liu Wuxie nodded in acknowledgment. He had no goodwill toward the trio anyway.

The surrounding disciples spat in disbelief. Liu Wuxie might be the only person who dared to speak to an elder in this manner and dared to bargain under pressure.

The commotion naturally attracted more spectators, and someone had already gone to inform Elder Tian Xing. It didn't take long before the news swiftly spread throughout the sect.

After all, it was unprecedented for an elder to compete with a disciple since the sect's founding. While a martial battle would be a mismatch—ten Liu Wuxies wouldn’t stand a chance against Elder Wu Yang—a battle of spiritual arrays was different. In such a contest, they would be judged on their understanding of spiritual arrays, not their cultivation levels.

Liu Wuxie wasn't in a hurry because the initiative was in his hands now. He could call off this bet if Elder Wu Yang refused. This meant the trio could only leave embarrassed.

If Elder Wu Yang dared to make a move against him, it would tarnish his reputation, making him look like he feared the challenge of a mere disciple.

Placed in a dilemma, Elder Wu Yang gave Liu Wuxie a hard look, realizing he had been outmaneuvered. They had devised the bet, but Liu Wuxie had cleverly turned the situation to his advantage.

As the stalemate dragged on, dry coughs echoed through the courtyard, announcing the approach of Elder Tian Xing, who wore a grim expression.

The outer sect's competition had just concluded a few days ago, giving Elder Tian Xing a brief respite. However, his rest was interrupted when someone from the Law Enforcement Hall informed him that Liu Wuxie and Elder Wu Yang were about to compete and required his presence as a judge.

Upon hearing it, Elder Tian Xing nearly lost his temper. However, after understanding the situation, his anger towards Liu Wuxie dissipated because he was also present that night. Kong Yan and Han Xing were at fault, not Liu Wuxie.

It was unreasonable for Elder Wu Yang to intervene on behalf of his disciple. If everyone had acted like Elder Wu Yang, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would have descended into chaos by now.

"We pay our greetings to Elder Tian Xing!" The disciples bowed. Elder Tian Xing had a high status in the sect, even above the six peak masters. Except for the sect master, Elder Tian Xing managed all the matters of the sect.

When Elder Tian Xing approached, he glared at Liu Wuxie but did not reprimand him. The gaze merely meant that Liu Wuxie was being a troublemaker.

Although they couldn't become master and disciple, they could still be friends.

"What's going on?" After glancing at Liu Wuxie, Elder Tian Xing coldly turned to Elder Wu Yang.

Elder Wu Yang might seem aloof, but he was like a docile rabbit before Elder Tian Xing. This was the difference between the Astral River Realm and the Nascent Transformation Realm.

The surrounding disciples stepped forward to explain the matter. Elder Tian Xing didn't interrupt them and glanced at Liu Wuxie's courtyard, where he noticed multiple damages to the spiritual array, which was Elder Wu Yang's doing.

No wonder Liu Wuxie was so furious; he had spent a day setting up the spiritual array, only for Elder Wu Yang to damage most of it.

"Wu Yang, you're something!" Elder Tian Xing glanced at Elder Wu Yang. What kind of example was he setting by competing with a disciple?

"Elder Tian Xing is right; this is my fault." Elder Wu Yang lowered his head in acknowledgment.

Seeing Elder Wu Yang's attitude, Elder Tian Xing couldn't continue reprimanding him. As an Astral River Realm elder, Elder Wu Yang deserved some respect.

"And you, you're causing trouble everywhere!" Elder Tian Xing suddenly turned to Liu Wuxie, looking furious, to everyone's surprise.

When he reprimanded Elder Wu Yang, he had only acted, and everyone could see that. He was giving Elder Wu Yang a way out.

He was genuinely angry when he reprimanded Liu Wuxie; the disappointment in his voice came from the bottom of his heart. This baffled many people because Liu Wuxie had suggested Elder Tian Xing judge this bet, and they assumed Elder Tian Xing would be on his side.

However, the situation was the opposite of what they expected, as Elder Tian Xing didn't stand up for Liu Wuxie and even scolded him harshly.

Only Liu Wuxie knew the real reason. Elder Tian Xing was angry because Liu Wuxie had become an inner disciple with great difficulty and should avoid making so many enemies. It wasn't as if apologizing would kill him. Elder Tian Xing wanted to convey this, but only Liu Wuxie understood his intentions.

Liu Wuxie smiled bitterly, not daring to speak. He knew it would only lead to another scolding if he spoke, so he chose to shut his mouth.

After venting his emotions, Elder Tian Xing felt better and faintly smiled. He had long waited to scold Liu Wuxie and finally got his chance today.

"Do you all still want to compete?" The sudden question left everyone in shock. Everyone had thought Elder Tian Xing would calm things down, but he showed no intention of stopping the bet.