Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 439 - Four Guardians

After reaching the seventh level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm and undergoing the cleansing of sun-moon essence, Liu Wuxie's true essence became comparable to the low level of the Heavenly Phase Realm. This allowed him to unleash the Frost Finger three times simultaneously, and in an instant, three ice sculptures appeared in his room.

The windows were closed to isolate the room from the outside world. With a wave of his hand, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron devoured and refined two ice sculptures, leaving only one ice sculpture in the room’s center.

The person within the last ice sculpture was not dead; Liu Wuxie had sealed his cultivation with ice-attribute energy, rendering him immobile. As the ice on his head melted away, he was able to speak.

“Speak, who are you, and who sent you? Don’t force me to search your soul.” Liu Wuxie sat on a chair and spoke in a menacing tone. He knew he would have died at their hands tonight if not for his extraordinary strength and his advancement to the seventh level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

“Liu Wuxie, you’re finished. I advise you to surrender obediently. That way, you can at least die without suffering,” the frozen man said viciously, with veins bulging on his face.

"It seems you think I'm easy to deal with if I don't teach you a lesson," Liu Wuxie replied coldly, injecting a wisp of poison into the man's body with a flick of his finger.

“ARGH!” The man’s agonizing screams echoed as the poison infiltrated his body, corroding his meridians and soul sea. The pain was excruciating, making him wish for death.

“Liu Wuxie, you’re a demon! Kill me!” The man cursed viciously and was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Killing you so easily would be too kind. Let me ask you again: who sent you, and who informed you of my whereabouts?" Liu Wuxie was growing impatient. Jiang Gongming would return soon, and he needed answers quickly.

When the poison reached the man’s soul sea, it made him feel dizzy, with his will gradually breaking down.

“We’re from the Hou Clan!” The man said, gritting his teeth. This confirmed Liu Wuxie’s speculation that the Hou Clan had sent them.

He realized that the Hou Clan’s disciples within the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion must have reported to their clan, which then dispatched agents to intercept him as he left the sect.

“Who else aside from you four?” Liu Wuxie continued to ask. He needed to make things clear to avoid being caught off guard.

“There are two experts in the Heavenly Phase Realm lurking, and they didn’t participate in tonight’s operation.” The man’s consciousness gradually weakened, revealing everything he knew.

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Liu Wuxie nodded, understanding that cultivators in the Heavenly Phase Realm wouldn’t bother pursuing someone in the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

“How did you all distract Jiang Gongming?” Liu Wuxie asked the last question.

"If we succeed in killing you, Jiang Gongming will be rewarded by the Hou Clan. We just needed to send someone to harass him and draw him away, giving us the time to finish you off," the man replied before tilting his head and taking his last breath.

Liu Wuxie stored the corpse in the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and tidied the room, leaving no trace of a battle. After he was done, he returned to the bed and meditated.

The battle took about fifteen minutes before footsteps sounded outside, followed by a knock on the door.

“Come in!” Liu Wuxie opened his eyes and looked at the door. Jiang Gongming came in with a sword.

Jiang Gongming’s eyes flashed with a hint of shock when he saw that Liu Wuxie was fine. But he soon concealed the emotions and asked in concerned voice, “Liu Wuxie, are you alright?”

“Thank you for your concern, Deacon Jiang, but I’m fine!” Liu Wuxie came down from the bed. He invited Jiang Gongming to sit and poured tea for him.

While Liu Wuxie poured tea, Jiang Gongming looked around the room and noticed no signs of battles, finding it very strange.

“It has been a restless night. Someone attacked me earlier, but he was too fast, and I failed to catch him. I’m relieved to see that you’re alright.” Jiang Gongming didn’t stay long and left without drinking the tea.

Before leaving, he reminded Liu Wuxie to lock the doors and windows to avoid trouble.

Liu Wuxie expressed his gratitude, but they both harbored ill intentions, wishing the other dead.

After sending Jiang Gongming away, Liu Wuxie closed the door with a sinister smile.

“Jiang Gongming, you forced me. I will personally take your head one day!” Liu Wuxie murmured.

After Jiang Gongming returned to his room, another person was seated on the chair, leisurely drinking tea.

“So, was he chopped into pieces?” the man asked with a smile.

“He’s not dead!” Jiang Gongming said, closing the door. Their voices were low, audible only to the two of them. They were unaware that Liu Wuxie’s enhanced Ghost Eye, thanks to the Soul Forge Art, allowed him to see through various obstacles.

“That’s impossible! The Four Guardians of our Hou Clan have never failed. Did Liu Wuxie escape?” The man stood up, shocked, and set his cup down.

“I can’t confirm if the Hou Clan’s Four Guardians were involved, but there were no signs of a struggle in the room,” Jiang Gongming replied, his expression grim as he sat across from the man. Their failure meant the spirit stones he was about to receive were now out of reach. Elder Qing Mu had specifically instructed him to use others to eliminate Liu Wuxie if the opportunity arose.

“Did they go to the Apricot Blossom Pavilion?” The man slammed his palm on the table in frustration. Known for their indulgent habits, the Four Guardians often visited brothels wherever they traveled, occasionally jeopardizing their missions.

“You can leave now. You’re not allowed to take any more action tonight, or don’t blame me for what will happen,” Jiang Gongming warned. As an expert in the Astral River Realm, he would be held accountable by Elder Tian Xing if Liu Wuxie were mysteriously killed. He had already given the Hou Clan a chance, but they had failed to seize it.

The man left the room angrily and vanished into the darkness. He could only leave the inn and wait for the next opportunity.

Liu Wuxie retracted the Ghost Eye. He furrowed his brows, knowing he couldn’t let his guard down even after killing the Hou Clan’s Four Guardians.

The man who left earlier was someone in the second level of the Heavenly Phase Realm with formidable strength. Liu Wuxie had a good chance of winning a fight against him, but the battle between them would cause commotion, attracting attention.

The best solution was to deal with a lethal strike and leave no trace behind. If Liu Wuxie could refine a cultivator in the Heavenly Phase Realm, he could make a breakthrough into the eighth-level Heavenly Dipper Realm.

This would significantly increase his chances of survival in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was full of dangers, with experts seeking treasures everywhere.

Many came for the Blood Abyssal Stones, and others came to plunder.

The night passed quickly, and they hurried up, no one mentioning what had happened the previous night.

Jiang Gongming’s face remained grim as he followed behind Liu Wuxie, heading to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

The following two days were relatively calm, with no further assassination attempts. They had already left the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s territory, and a vast sea appeared ahead on the fourth day. The next step was to take a ship for the next five days.

The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was far away, and flying for five days straight would be exhausting. Not to mention, there was no place to land in the sea, meaning there was no path of retreat.

But the greatest danger wasn’t exhaustion but turbulence on the sea, such as whirlwinds. A tornado would tear one apart if they were careless.

The sea wasn’t safe because powerful aquatic beasts lurked, ready to devour any passing humans. As a result, many cultivators died in the sea each year.

Taking ships saved energy and was also relatively safe against aquatic beasts. The route they had mapped out was secure, and the ships were armed with defensive capabilities against powerful aquatic beasts.

One ship ran to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island each month, carrying thousands of passengers. Even Liu Wuxie was amazed by the massive iron beasts at the port.

The front of the ship was constructed with unique materials, making it indestructible and capable of smashing any aquatic beasts into pieces. The sides were fortified with steel plates over a foot thick, capable of withstanding the impact of aquatic beasts.

The deck was equipped with various weapons, ready to strike in case of aquatic beast attacks. There hadn’t been many attacks from aquatic beasts in the past few years, and even if there had been, there weren’t any severe casualties.

The cheapest cabin to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island cost a thousand mid-grade spirit stones, housing ten people in one cabin. There were also quieter rooms for eight, six, four, and single occupancy, but the prices were higher in comparison and only affordable for experts.

Liu Wuxie took out ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones for a two-person room.

“The ship will depart in three days. You can move freely until then because it won’t be easy to come out after reaching the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.” Jiang Gongming surprisingly allowed Liu Wuxie to leave as long as he returned in three days.

“You’re not afraid I’ll run?” Liu Wuxie smiled and looked at Jiang Gongming with a cold glint in his eyes.

“Your family and friends are still in the sect. If you run, they’ll be punished in your stead.” Jiang Gongming also smiled. Fan Zhen and others were still in the sect, and the five would suffer if Liu Wuxie ran.

They both understood that giving Liu Wuxie freedom was only allowing others to kill him, not because Jiang Gongming was kind.

Jiang Gongming knew Liu Wuxie wouldn’t run, but he had followed him along the way only as a formality.

Cupping his fists at Jiang Gongming, Liu Wuxie left the port.

Though not large, this city was a vital port connecting to the heavily populated Blood Sea Abyssal Island. It was a prosperous hub, bustling with business and martial activity.

There were shops on both sides of the streets. In addition to selling pills and weapons, there were some sea demons. It shocked Liu Wuxie to see many creatures with a human face but fish bodies placed in the shops for display.

There was a balance between the Blood Sea Abyssal Island factions: the human race, the sea demon clan, and the abyssal clan.

The Sea Demon clan was the strongest among the three factions, occupying half the territory.

Liu Wuxie could sense someone following him as he walked on the streets, but he didn’t pay much attention because it was impossible for anyone to act against him on the street with so many people around.