Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 645 - Frost Mice

Today, the skies above the Heavenly Mountain were cloaked in an eerie chill, saturated with boundless murderous intent.

Countless gazes converged on Liu Wuxie as no one could protect him once they entered the designated zone, not even his sect, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"There's a barrier beyond that mountain which cannot be broken for a month. So, what lies ahead is uncertain—life or death, no one can predict. You will not only have to guard against treachery from your companions and assassination attempts from your foes but also face the provocation of Snowmen," Mu Tianli said, pointing toward the mountain range enveloped in a massive barrier.

Most disciples were eager for the final battle. It was rumored that the legendary ten-thousand-year Snow Lotus could be found there. Not only could it be used to increase the cultivation, but it could also strengthen the talent.

"Set out!" Mu Tianli said now that everyone was gathered. He turned to look at Liu Wuxie with a hint of concern in his eyes and nodded.

The Heavenly Origin Sect had planned ahead, strategically dispersing their disciples across ten separate entry points to avoid immediate confrontation upon entering the trial. Each entrance was separated by hundreds of miles, with the Heavenly Origin Sect's designated points located in the southwest.

When Mu Tianli opened the barrier, Qin Dao was the first to step inside, vanishing into the snowy mountain range. Though he undoubtedly harbored intentions to kill Liu Wuxie, he wouldn’t make a move in front of the sect master. The depths of the mountain range would offer him a better opportunity.

Over a hundred disciples had entered the snowy mountain range in less than one minute. Among them, Liu Wuxie moved like a shadow, flickering out of sight like a wisp of wind, his destination a mystery to all.

"This brat," Mu Tianli muttered with a faint smile. Despite the dangers, he trusted Liu Wuxie's intelligence and strength to see him through the trial.

The month ahead would be a long and anxious wait for those outside, who could do nothing but count the days until the trial's conclusion.

......

Liu Wuxie performed the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance, gliding gracefully across the treacherous terrain like a celestial crane before landing in a secluded valley. The air was icy, piercing like needles against his skin, and this area was significantly colder than the outer regions.

Circulating the Desolate Devouring Art, Liu Wuxie drew the surrounding chill into his body to help him cultivate the ice dao technique.

He surveyed the surroundings with Ghost Eye, observing the seemingly boundless snowy mountain range. Each step required him to use his movement technique; traveling normally risked being buried in snow, which in some areas was over ten meters deep.

There was no sign of anyone for miles around, allowing Liu Wuxie to let his guard down slightly. He planned to explore the mountain range as he cultivated.

......

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Meanwhile, Bai Jin had returned to his tent with three elders. Not long after, the Azure Crimson Gate's sect master and three elders also entered the tent belonging to the Heavenly Origin Sect. A common enemy bound the two sects as they began their discussion.

"Sect Master Feng, please have a seat," Bai Jin said politely.

Feng Gaoqiu clasped his hands together as a formal greeting. This was the first time the two parties had sat down formally.

"Sect Master Bai, how confident are you in eliminating Liu Wuxie?" Feng Gaoqiu asked bluntly, wasting no time on pleasantries. Their alliance existed solely because of their shared enemy.

"That boy will be dead in ten days," Bai Jin said, his eyes glinting with confidence. It appeared he had made all preparations.

"What if he goes into hiding? It will be troublesome then," Feng Gaoqiu said, his brows locked. The barrier set up by the ten major sects was massive, and they couldn't find Liu Wuxie if the latter were determined to go into hiding.

"Please be rest assured, Sect Master Feng. We have our ways of tracking him, and we need the Azure Crimson Gate's cooperation," Bai Jin replied with a mysterious smile, but he didn't reveal their ways of tracking Liu Wuxie.

......

Over two thousand soul tablets were on the platform in the center. Before entering, the disciples of the ten major sects had extracted a fragment from their souls to infuse into the soul tablets. The soul tablet would be shattered if a disciple died inside the barrier.

Liu Wuxie's soul tablet was placed at the very center among the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's disciples, enveloped in a faint soul energy. If Liu Wuxie died, the soul tablet would also shatter.

......

Over a dozen Heavenly Origin Sect disciples gathered on a snowy mountain. They didn't spread out the moment they entered. They planned to divide themselves into multiple groups in a small cluster to search for Liu Wuxie's whereabouts.

That was also the same for the Azure Crimson Gate, Demonic Heart Palace, and Indigo Cloud Gate disciples. The disciples would be divided into groups of ten to search for Liu Wuxie, and they had established connections among themselves. If anyone found Liu Wuxie, the others would be immediately alerted.

With such an expansive search, they were confident they could find Liu Wuxie even if he went into hiding.

"Qin Dao, do we have to take it that far?" In another area, Qin Dao stood with seven disciples around him. They were likely members of the Lesser Blade Association.

"Don't you all want to reach the Nascent Transformation Realm?" Qin Dao asked as he looked at the surroundings, but none of the disciples dared to meet his eyes.

"Senior Brother Qin is right. Liu Wuxie has heaven-defying treasures like the Golden Spirit Fruit, and not just one. If we manage to obtain them, reaching the Nascent Transformation Realm will no longer be a dream for us," Sun Shangxiang said in support of Qin Dao.

At the mention of the Golden Spirit Fruits, everyone's eyes lit up with greed. And soon, the grand hunt for Liu Wuxie began.

In addition to the Heavenly Origin Sect and Azure Crimson Gate, the other sects, such as the Divine Sun Palace and Dugu Clan's disciples, also showed a keen interest in Liu Wuxie.

......

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie remained in his spot to absorb the surrounding icy energy. His cultivation progress here was rapid, akin to crossing a thousand miles in a day.

As night fell, the surrounding temperature plummeted. The cold was ten times harsher here than in the outer region. When the icy energy became too overwhelming for Liu Wuxie's body, he stopped absorption, and his limbs began to stiffen.

"It would be great if there's a cave!" Liu Wuxie murmured to himself. He couldn't find any caves within a radius of ten thousand miles.

As the icy wind howled relentlessly, Liu Wuxie murmured to himself, "I can’t stay here any longer. I need to find shelter from this wind."

With a flash, he vanished, leaving no footprints on the ground. He traveled for several thousand meters before he spotted a massive boulder he could use to shelter from the icy wind.

After taking refuge behind the boulder, Liu Wuxie planned to rest for the night before continuing his journey at dawn. The night was the coldest and when the Snowmen were most active.

Aside from the infamous Snowmen, the Heavenly Mountain also had countless creatures around, such as the Frost Mice. While the Frost Mice had no large build, they often traveled in groups.

Moreover, their noses were so sensitive that they could detect the scent of human blood from miles away.

As the night deepened, the icy wind seeped into Liu Wuxie's body through his neck. Despite the late hour, the moonlight illuminated the surroundings, making it as bright as day.

When snow budged in the distance, Liu Wuxie immediately tensed up. A tiny creature's head emerged from the snow, revealing two razor-sharp fangs with its glowing green eyes locked onto Liu Wuxie.

"Frost Mice!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed as he rose to his feet. He didn't expect to run into Frost Mice so quickly, and his scent must've lured them over.

The Frost Mice were attracted by the blood essence in a human's body, which was the same for demonic beasts. This was why they liked to consume humans.

Liu Wuxie prepared himself with the Heretic Blade in his hand.

A horde of Frost Mice surged from the surroundings to surround him.

While Liu Wuxie had considered flying away, doing so would only expose him and make him an easy target. Most importantly, the skies were riddled with ice vortexes, and flying recklessly would result in death.

Even mighty warships would be torn apart if they ran into the ice vortexes, not to mention a human body. Liu Wuxie also didn't want to take the risk unless he had no choice.

Tens of thousands of Frost Mice's squeaking cries echoed throughout the night. They stood five meters away from Liu Wuxie, forming a dense horde.

"Why are there so many Frost Mice?!" Though Liu Wuxie wasn't afraid of the Frost Mice, he couldn't help feeling a chill at the overwhelming numbers.

The Frost Mice looked hungry for blood as they approached Liu Wuxie with impatient squeaks.

Among the horde, Liu Wuxie saw a gigantic Frost Mouse reaching half a meter tall, which was likely the king of this horde. Its massive frame left a long trail on the snow as it moved.

With a sharp command from the leading Frost Mouse, the horde lunged at Liu Wuxie, their synchronized squeaks sending a shiver down his spine.

Liu Wuxie wasn't the only one facing Frost Mice that night, as many others faced the same peril as him.

The Frost Mice had lived in the Heavenly Mountain for countless years and easily numbered in billions, occupying every corner.

A blood-curdling scream echoed from hundreds of miles away, carried by the wind, and was faintly heard by Liu Wuxie. Back at the observation platform, a soul tablet shattered, marking the first death.

"A disciple of the Divine Sun Palace!" exclaimed a second-tier sect disciple who had been monitoring the status of the soul tablets.

"Someone died already?" one observer muttered in disbelief. It was only the first day, and yet the harrowing trials of the Heavenly Mountain hinted that more deaths were inevitable.

"This year's Heavenly Mountain is unusual. Didn't you notice that there are more ice vortexes this year? There are even signs of ice rain," a Sky Rift Valley elder said with deep concern in his eyes.

The Heavenly Mountain's environment had become harsher compared to the past.

"Not only are the ice vortexes denser than usual," added a Misty Sect elder, sharing the same unease, "but the sudden burst of True Profound Realm aura earlier today may have triggered a snowstorm."

When Liu Wuxie had killed a disciple from the Heavenly Origin Sect on the first day, it had caused a confrontation between Bai Jin and Mu Tianli. The outburst of aura in the True Profound Realm had nearly caused an avalanche.

Though the two parties had restrained themselves initially, cracks had also appeared in many areas, and a snowstorm seemed inevitable.

"I only hope that the disciples can survive the month," said an elder of the Transcendent Plume Gate. After all, no one wished to see casualties amongst their disciples.

......

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie only had one way out of this predicament—to carve a path of blood.

The Frost Mice pounced forward when they got close to Liu Wuxie, filling every inch of space in the surroundings.

Liu Wuxie didn't hesitate to swing down with the Heretic Blade, unleashing a boundless blade aura that formed into a storm, sweeping through the Frost Mice pouncing at him.

The Frost Mice in the surroundings were ripped apart by the blade aura, their blood raining down. But this only further triggered the bloodlust of the Frost Mice, who continued to pounce over them.

The ground was littered with corpses every second whenever Liu Wuxie swung the Heretic Blade down.