Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 488 - Avenge If There's A Grudge

Signing the Life and Death Pledge meant the two would have to engage in a life-and-death battle in ten days. No one could stop it; not even Elder Tian Xing could remove the Life and Death Curse.

“Wuxie, how confident are you in killing him?” Elder Tian Xing approached Liu Wuxie to ask. After all, blaming Liu Wuxie for being reckless was pointless now that it had already happened.

“Seventy percent!” The two communicated with their divine sense. Unless Jiang Gongming used some other tricks, he was just an ordinary person in the second level of the Astral River Realm. This meant Liu Wuxie was confident in killing Jiang Gongming.

He wasn't overly confident, but a seventy percent success rate was already quite high.

Elder Tian Xing nodded because he knew Liu Wuxie wasn’t the type to act recklessly. Since Liu Wuxie had made the decision, he would see it through.

“The Hou Clan colluded with outsiders to harm disciples of our Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Today, Liu Wuxie has acted righteously on behalf of the sect, and these people deserved to die. This matter will end here,” Elder Tian Xing declared. After all, Liu Wuxie needed a justifiable reason to kill so many people.

This was the perfect justification, especially when Liu Wuxie explained that the Hou Clan had ambushed him, compelling him to rely on his own abilities to survive multiple crises. This made Liu Wuxie's pursuit of revenge against the Hou Clan upon his return seem entirely justified.

Although the excuse seemed flimsy, no one dared to speak up. The general consensus was that Liu Wuxie had little chance of surviving the upcoming battle in ten days, leaving him with only a short time to live.

With that, the matter came to a close, but what transpired became the hottest topic in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, particularly the impending battle in which Liu Wuxie, an inner disciple, would challenge a Law-Enforcement Hall deacon.

This news sent shockwaves through the sect, even reaching the true disciples, as one of the parties involved was someone in the Astral River Realm.

“Liu Wuxie, this is the new courtyard assigned to you!” The previous courtyard was burned down, and Elder Tian Xing assigned a new one for Liu Wuxie.

“Thank you, Elder Tian Xing. Here are fifty Blood Abyssal Stones as my contribution to the sect,” Liu Wuxie was very thoughtful. He knew Elder Tian Xing would be criticized for favoritism through his actions this time, which would be very detrimental to him.

Liu Wuxie hoped that handing these Blood Abyssal Stones to the sect could help quell the negative influence.

With Liu Wuxie handing so many Blood Abyssal Stones to the sect, who would dare to gossip behind his back? Even the elders would have to keep their mouths shut.

The value of fifty Blood Abyssal Stones was far more than fifty high-grade spirit stones.

Liu Wuxie was seasoned and knew exactly how to navigate such situations. By offering a generous gift to the sect, he ensured they would be inclined to speak on his behalf. If he hadn’t grasped this, all his years of experience would have been in vain.

Elder Tian Xing gave Liu Wuxie a deep, contemplative look. He had originally intended to use his own savings and attribute them to Liu Wuxie as a contribution to the sect. However, with Liu Wuxie offering fifty Blood Abyssal Stones on his own, Elder Tian Xing only needed to cover the remainder.

Liu Wuxie didn’t return to the newly assigned courtyard but led Song Ling and others directly to the cultivation chambers. Their injuries were severe, and they needed timely treatment.

The pills could only suppress their injuries, not completely heal them. Knowing Liu Wuxie's temperament, he would have fought Jiang Gongming to the death today, but Fan Zhen and the others' injuries couldn't wait. This was why he postponed the fight for ten days. After treating their injuries, Liu Wuxie could face Jiang Gongming without any reservations.

“Wuxie, can you defeat Jiang Gongming?” Fan Zhen asked, concerned. He wasn’t fully aware of Jiang Gongming’s abilities, but being a deacon of the Law-Enforcement Hall spoke volumes about his strength.

“Old Fan, don’t you know I won’t make reckless decisions without confidence? I’ll go all out even if there’s a fifty percent chance.” The group quickly arrived at the cultivation chamber, and no one stopped them this time.

They found the few best cultivation chambers because Liu Wuxie still had many points on him. After killing the five experts from the Hou Clan, Hou Yue, and others, he had obtained many mid-grade spirit stones.

As before, after entering the cultivation chamber, Liu Wuxie guided them in their cultivation every two hours.

Time moved slowly, but the group gained immense benefits from this misfortune. Their bodies were significantly tempered, leading to substantial increases in their strength. With Liu Wuxie’s guidance, their progress was swift and extraordinary.

One day outside was equivalent to one month in the cultivation chamber, and their cultivation advanced rapidly.

When Liu Wuxie walked into Chen Ruoyan’s chamber, the latter was in a low mood, tearing silently when she saw him. Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

“I’ve made you worry!” Liu Wuxie spoke first. They had been separated for three months, and everyone was worried for Liu Wuxie’s safety, which made him feel a little guilty.

“This is my choice!” Chen Ruoyan said, turning around to wipe her tears away quietly. The third princess of the Great Yan Dynasty, who once had a fiery temperament, suddenly became silent and withdrawn, making Liu Wuxie uneasy.

“It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it for me!” Liu Wuxie smiled bitterly. He already had a wife and didn’t want to waste time entangled in romance.

He might be the reincarnation of an Immortal Emperor, but he was a complete idiot when it came to romance. He thought Chen Ruoyan’s feelings for him would fade away with time, but her feelings for him only deepened.

“Can you hold me?” Chen Ruoyan suddenly looked at Liu Wuxie with hope shining in her eyes. She didn’t ask for much and just hoped that she could stay by his side. An occasional hug from him was already enough for her.

Seeing how pitiful she looked, Liu Wuxie couldn’t bear to refuse her and walked up to hold her in his arms.

Tears fell once more, soaking Liu Wuxie’s shoulder. Chen Ruoyan sobbed quietly before letting him go after a full minute.

“I’m fine now!” Chen Ruoyan smiled through her tears, which felt like a breeze in March, comforting those who felt it. It felt like the third princess of the Great Yan Dynasty had returned.

Liu Wuxie guided Chen Ruoyan in her cultivation before leaving the chamber. The sky had already turned dark when he came out, and he let out a long sigh.

“What are you thinking?” Jian Xing’er walked over. She hadn’t suffered many injuries and didn’t want to stay in the cultivation chamber, so she came out to accompany Liu Wuxie.

“Thank you for taking care of them for me.” Liu Wuxie sat on a rock and signaled for Jian Xing’er to sit down.

Fan Zhen and others had just joined the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and he had to leave the sect for the Blood Sea Abyssal Island. They weren’t familiar with the sect, and Jian Xing’er had significantly helped them in the past three months while he was gone.

“Must you be so distant with me?” Jian Xing’er looked at Liu Wuxie affectionately. They had always addressed each other as senior sister and junior brother, but Jian Xing’er’s mindset had changed after everything they had experienced together.

It was an undeniable fact that she had fallen for him. She might be able to hide it for a moment, but not for eternity.

“How’s your clan? Are they still bothering you?” Liu Wuxie asked, steering the conversation in a different direction. Dealing with Chen Ruoyan was already challenging enough, and now, with Jian Xing’er involved, their overwhelming feelings for him were becoming a real headache.

“They haven’t come to look for me since the last time!” Jian Xing’er murmured, her cheeks flushing as she remembered claiming to bear Liu Wuxie’s child during her last encounter with her father.

As they chatted about everything that had transpired over the past three months while Liu Wuxie was away, time flew by. After three months in the cultivation chamber, Fan Zhen and the others had fully recovered from their injuries and achieved three breakthroughs in their cultivation, nearing the sixth level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Their rapid progress in cultivation was thanks to Liu Wuxie’s guidance and resources.

Returning to their newly expanded courtyard, which could now easily accommodate ten people, Fan Zhen, Bi Gongyu, Lan Yu, and the others waited in line for Liu Wuxie to address them.

“I know what happened in the past three months, and you’ve suffered!” Liu Wuxie looked at them with a tinge of guilt in his tone. His lack of foresight had resulted in their suffering, and he would do his best to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

“Wuxie, don’t put it that way. We’ve always known the risks when we entered the cultivation world,” Fan Zhen said, stepping forward with the others nodding in agreement.

“Who slapped you?” Liu Wuxie turned to look at Bi Gongyu. Upon his return, he had noticed the palm print on Bi Gongyu’s cheek, with his cheek swollen.

“I’m fine now. I appreciate your concern, master!” Bi Gongyu gritted his teeth with a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. He did his best to calm himself down because he didn’t want to cause any trouble for his master.

“My disciple was slapped, and you expect me to let it go? Speak!” Liu Wuxie was enraged. He knew that aside from Hou Yue and others, many had bullied Song Ling and others, which was why this matter wasn’t over yet.

Bi Gongyu hesitated to speak, but Song Ling stepped forward because he knew Liu Wuxie’s temper. He said, “It’s an elder from the Treasure Pill Peak. Not only did he insult Pavilion Master Bi’s talent, but he even mocked the one who taught him alchemy. He slapped Pavilion Master Bi and expelled him from the Treasure Pill Peak, saying he’s banned from taking another step into the peak.”

The more Song Ling spoke, the angrier he became. It was better to say it because any grudge had to be avenged.

“This is interesting. Did he mock my alchemy skills to be inferior? I’m intrigued to see who’s so arrogant!” Liu Wuxie laughed instead of getting angry, but his eyes showed a sharp look. The other party didn’t take him seriously enough to mock his disciple openly. This meant it would have to be repaid in kind.

“It’s my fault for not being skilled enough, bringing shame to you.” Bi Gongyu fell on his knees, hoping this master wouldn’t act impulsively.

“Get up. I haven’t had the time to guide you all during this period, which is my fault. I’ll handle this matter. Since he dares to slap my disciple, I’ll repay it tenfold. Here’s an alchemy book for you to study. When Liu Wuxie was with Gu Yu on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, he didn’t just cultivate, but he also consolidated his insights and alchemy skills.

He hoped Bi Gongyu could make the most of it and comprehend it swiftly. Since the other party used alchemy to humiliate Bi Gongyu, they naturally have to take revenge with alchemy.

“Thank you, master!” Bi Gongyu treated the book as a treasure. He had reached the fifth level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm, which meant he was now capable of refining seventh-grade pills.

With these alchemy insights, Bi Gongyu’s skills would advance rapidly and surpass the Treasure Pavilion Peak elders.