Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 408 - Scripture Collection Hall

Yang Xiao was malicious, trying to incite the crowd and turn them against Liu Wuxie. However, it wasn't so easy to sway everyone with just a few words. They might’ve disliked Liu Wuxie, but taking action against him was a different matter.

"Yang Xiao, you're too despicable! You have lost the bet but want to use others to help you back out from it. How shameless can you be?" Wei Dong roared furiously, hoping Yang Xiao's words wouldn't manipulate those in the surroundings.

The disciples about to approach quickly retreated because what Wei Dong said was right. This was a personal feud, and they had no reason to get involved. It was better for them to watch on the sidelines.

A space opened up, leaving Liu Wuxie, Wei Dong, and Yang Xiao standing alone. No one stepped forward to support Yang Xiao.

"Do you know what it means to honor a bet?" Liu Wuxie looked at Yang Xiao coldly. Initially, he had no intention of intervening in their conflict, but Yang Xiao had mocked him repeatedly while Wei Dong had stood up for him. Thus, Liu Wuxie felt it was necessary to give Yang Xiao some punishment to avoid trouble in the future.

"Liu Wuxie, do you think you can do whatever you want just because you're strong? Let me tell you, do you believe I'll make sure there's no spot for you in the inner sect if you dare to touch me?" Yang Xiao's eyes flashed maliciously because he couldn't give in.

The situation became a stalemate, with Yang Xiao looking like a ferocious beast.

"I recall now! Yang Xiao has an elder brother in the high-level Heavenly Dipper Realm. No wonder he dares to be so arrogant." Whispers came from the youths on the right, and their voices were loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I already knew it. Yang Xiao is only in the third-level Heavenly Dipper Realm. His arrogance stems from his elder brother’s backing; even many high-level disciples must bow down to him," whispered the onlookers.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Yang Xiao smirked, lifting his head high and looking at Liu Wuxie with disdain.

"Junior Brother Liu, let’s leave it be. There’s no need to stoop to his level," Wei Dong said, his tone shifting as he gently pulled Liu Wuxie aside, planning their exit.

After all, Yang Xiao's shameless behavior had already ruined his reputation.

Liu Wuxie nodded in agreement, recognizing that Wei Dong's decision to drop the matter was wise. Engaging with someone like Yang Xiao was a waste of time.

When they turned to leave, Yang Xiao suddenly yelled at them, "Stop right there!"

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In a flash, Yang Xiao appeared before them, blocking their path.

"Yang Xiao, I decided not to pursue this matter. Why are you still stopping us?" Wei Dong asked, trying to prevent further trouble for Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie appreciated Wei Dong's goodwill. Even someone in the high-level Heavenly Dipper Realm was insignificant to him, but he didn't want to cause trouble for Wei Dong. Both wanted to leave, not out of fear of Yang Xiao, but to avoid unnecessary conflict.

However, to onlookers, it appeared that Liu Wuxie and Wei Dong were afraid, especially given Yang Xiao's brother's high-level Heavenly Dipper Realm status.

"Apologize if you want to leave!" Yang Xiao demanded, reversing the situation and forcing the two to apologize.

"Why should we? You're the one who lost the bet, and you want us to apologize? How shameless can you be?" Wei Dong was furious, with anger blazing in his eyes.

"Because my brother is in the high-level Heavenly Dipper Realm. If you don't apologize, you'll face the consequences when he finds out," Yang Xiao declared, blatantly using his brother’s influence to intimidate them.

Yang Xiao had tried to incite the crowd with his words and, failing that, resorted to invoking his brother's status, showing he had no intention of apologizing to Wei Dong, let alone kneeling and kowtowing.

But a sharp sound rang out as soon as Yang Xiao finished speaking. He was sent flying and smashed into the ground, dirt covering him.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you!" Yang Xiao quickly got back on his feet, his left cheek swollen and pain etched on his face.

"There's nothing in this world I dare not do!" Liu Wuxie released his murderous intent, which spread out in all directions. The surrounding disciples retreated, not daring to get too close out of fear of being implicated.

"Is Liu Wuxie insane? Yang Xiao already mentioned his brother's identity, but he still dares to act?" Many disciples discussed among themselves and were stunned by Liu Wuxie's boldness.

"Hmph, let's see how long he can keep it up. There is a bounty of 50,000 spirit stones on Liu Wuxie's head, and many people are plotting against him."

"I’ve also heard the news. Whoever submits his head to the Hou Clan will be rewarded fifty thousand spirit stones," someone said. The discussions in the surroundings grew louder, and everyone was surprised Liu Wuxie's head was so valuable.

"Liu Wuxie, just you wait! My brother will avenge me!" Yang Xiao's face became sinister, blood dripping from his lips.

"So, your elder brother won't let me go no matter what I do today. Since that's the case, I might as well cripple you." A devilish smile crept up on Liu Wuxie's face. Since they were already enemies, he might as well take this opportunity to destroy Yang Xiao.

Panic surged in Yang Xiao's heart. Revealing his elder brother's identity had always worked before, but not today. Instead of intimidating Liu Wuxie, it only provoked him further.

"Liu Wuxie, if you have the guts, wait for my brother to come out of seclusion!" Yang Xiao tried a new tactic, taunting Liu Wuxie in hopes of being spared.

But he miscalculated; Liu Wuxie wasn't ordinary and didn't respond as expected.

"Kneel!" Liu Wuxie commanded, flicking his finger and unleashing two blade auras that shot into Yang Xiao's knees.

Yang Xiao's kneecaps shattered, and he knelt before Liu Wuxie with blood dripping. His legs were crippled, which meant he could only crawl on his knees from now on.

"This is a lesson for you. I'll wait for your elder brother to seek revenge on me," Liu Wuxie said and walked away. He had encountered similar situations countless times: if he beat the younger sibling, the elder one would appear; if he defeated the elder one, an even older relative would jump out.

Yang Xiao screamed in pain. He was crippled for life with his kneecaps shattered.

The crowd quickly dispersed to spread the news about what had happened.

"Junior Brother Liu, I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. You shouldn't have acted so impulsively!" Wei Dong said with worry, not knowing what to say. He wasn't worried about himself because he had a means of protection. He was concerned for Liu Wuxie because the path ahead would become difficult.

"This matter has nothing to do with you. Given Yang Xiao's nature, he will seek revenge for his humiliation today. Even if I hadn’t slapped him or shattered his kneecaps, he would still ask his elder brother to deal with me." Liu Wuxie patted Wei Dong's shoulder, indicating that he shouldn't blame himself.

After speaking, Liu Wuxie turned and returned to his courtyard, leaving Wei Dong alone.

Returning to the courtyard, Liu Wuxie still had many things to do. With less than a month left, his in-laws and friends would come to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, where Liu Wuxie had to intensify his training to protect his loved ones.

While repairing the spiritual arrays around his courtyard, Liu Wuxie fortified it. This time, even Elder Wu Yang would be trapped in the spiritual arrays if he came.

Liu Wuxie took out the Heavenstore Wood and Energy Purifying Pill.

"I still lack some materials to forge the Wood Suppression Stele, and I've just reached the second level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.” It also wasn't convenient for him to take the Energy Purifying Pill now. He planned to visit the Scripture Collection Hall the next day and see if there were any interesting martial techniques.

Liu Wuxie still had the rewards and lectures from the outer sect's competition, including access to the Scripture Collection Hall and Celestial Spirit Cave.

He naturally gave up on the elder's lecture and could only go to the Scripture Collection Hall to read. As for the Celestial Spirit Cave, he would have to wait for a month or two because there was a queue to enter.

At dawn, Liu Wuxie quickly dressed and left his room. The Scripture Collection Hall was built on the main peak and was heavily guarded, unlike the relatively lax security in the Book Collection Hall.

As Liu Wuxie approached, an ancient and desolate aura blew over. The Scripture Collection Hall was ten stories high. The surroundings were filled with hundreds of ancient pines, each exuding rich spiritual energy, having developed spirituality.

When people passed by, the pine branches waved as though they were greeting them.

The green slabs on the ground emitted a faint luster. They were smooth as mirrors after being polished for over ten thousand years.

Even the plants and flowers along the steps swayed gently when people approached.

Small profound beasts shuttled through the flowers and trees, unafraid of humans. Those profound beasts even came out occasionally to greet the passersby.

On the side of the main peak was a celestial lake with many celestial cranes that could be found there, playing in the lake.

The largest celestial crane was three meters tall, like a house. It could carry ten people simultaneously, and the sect raised these celestial cranes. Many elders enjoyed using them as a method of transportation.

Aside from celestial cranes, other docile profound beasts also made suitable mounts. Liu Wuxie lacked a mount of his own, and an aerial profound beast could greatly expedite his travel. Flying mounts were rare, with fewer than ten people at Heavenly Trigram Peak owning them, underscoring their value.

After all, profound beasts that were too aggressive weren't suitable for mounts, while those too docile weren't ideal for battles. A powerful mount could fight with the master, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Liu Wuxie remembered riding a real divine dragon in his past life. After ascending 9,999 steps, he finally arrived at the towering Scripture Collection Hall.

Three golden characters shone brightly with the door tightly shut. After all, only some were qualified to come.

The Scripture Collection Hall housed ancient texts accumulated by the sect over millennia, and losing even one would be a significant blow to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

With the door firmly closed and no one in sight, Liu Wuxie had no choice but to knock gently on the gate three times.

"Who is it?" In the depth of the Scripture Collection Hall, a stern voice sounded, devoid of any emotions.

A powerful divine sense swept out and landed on Liu Wuxie, scanning him. At this moment, Liu Wuxie felt like he was stripped naked as he stood before the person inside.

“This divine sense was powerful,” Liu Wuxie thought. Furthermore, it was even more potent than Elder Tian Xing.

This meant the person guarding the Scripture Collection Hall wasn't ordinary. He might even be the sect's grand elder, possibly an expert in the Quasi-True Profound Realm.