Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 618 - Entering the Heavenly Mountain

There was a flicker of concern in the depth of Murong Yi's eyes.

"It's obvious," Liu Wuxie replied. It wasn't hard to guess; there were plenty who wanted him dead, and the number would only increase with the recent news of the Golden Spirit Fruit.

"You're not the least worried?" Murong Yi asked. She was surprised by Liu Wuxie's composure and couldn't see the slightest tinge of concern on his face.

"Would worrying change the outcome?" Liu Wuxie replied with a question.

Murong Yi rolled her eyes at Liu Wuxie. She had come with good intentions to warn him, but he hardly seemed to care. She smiled, "You're not curious who wants you dead?"

Her smile attracted the attention of the nearby true disciples. She was calm and reserved when she spoke with others and hardly revealed any emotions. But she was like a different person in front of Liu Wuxie, a stark contrast.

"You'll tell me if you want to. Otherwise, my asking is pointless," Liu Wuxie said with a shrug, his indifference bordering on teasing. His nonchalant response almost drove Murong Yi mad with frustration; she felt an urge to hit him, or perhaps even bite him, out of sheer exasperation.

"Fine," she finally relented, her playful demeanor vanishing as her expression turned serious. "I've received news that the Heavenly Origin Sect wants you dead."

The weight of her words wasn’t lost on Liu Wuxie. Although the Murong Clan had returned to their ancestral domain, they had left behind an intelligence network in the Southern Province to keep Murong Yi informed.

"The Heavenly Origin Sect..." Liu Wuxie muttered. He couldn't help but recall Yu Tianyi and Feng Ye, not to mention he had nearly died at the hands of the Heavenly Origin Sect after the Battle of Hundred Nations.

They had only managed to escape after Liu Wuxie had risked his life to damage the Heavenly Origin Sect's warship. But he hadn't had any encounter with the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples in the past year, so why did they want him dead?

Yu Tianyi had only been an outer disciple back then, and even if he had risen to the rank of true disciple by now, he posed no real threat to Liu Wuxie. His growth couldn’t possibly match Liu Wuxie’s own.

While Feng Ye's talent was decent, he was inferior to Liu Wuxie. Even with the Heavenly Origin Sect's resources, he could only reach the seventh or eighth level of the Astral River Realm at best.

"I also couldn't make sense of it at first," Murong Yi admitted, her expression thoughtful. "You’ve hardly crossed paths with them, so their sudden desire to kill you seemed illogical." She had thoroughly investigated Liu Wuxie's background, including his past in the mundane world, and this move baffled her.

"Because of spiritual talismans," Liu Wuxie said after a brief speculation.

The talismans sold in the Old Century Trading had swept the Southern Province like wildfire, and it was impossible for the Heavenly Origin Sect not to know about it. The Heavenly Dao Society's spiritual talisman had snatched the market from the Heavenly Origin Sect, and their orders had increased recently.

Now that Song Ling had reached the Astral River Realm, his speed of crafting spiritual talismans would increase. He even nurtured a batch of disciples, and they could produce a substantial amount of spiritual talismans daily.

"That's right. Your spiritual talismans have threatened the Heavenly Origin Sect's market," Murong Yi nodded.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's foundation came from alchemy, and their development would be restricted if they lost their pill market. The same was true for the Heavenly Origin Sect, which would find it challenging to maintain their position as the first among the ten major sects if they lost their market in spiritual talismans.

The Heavenly Origin Sect had finally become first among the ten major sects, and they wouldn't let anyone threaten their position.

"It won't be easy for them to kill me!" Liu Wuxie said with a sharp glint in his eyes. He had nearly died at the hands of the Heavenly Origin Sect when he had stepped into the cultivation world, and he could use this opportunity to settle old scores. Even if they didn’t make the first move, he would.

"Don’t underestimate them," Murong Yi warned, her tone grave. "The Heavenly Origin Sect has been the strongest of the ten major sects for thousands of years, and their reach extends far. They’re secretly allied with many other sects. Even if the Heavenly Origin Sect alone isn’t enough to bring you down, their allies could tip the scales."

Her concern was evident. "If more than half of the ten major sects unite against you, the odds will be overwhelming."

Liu Wuxie frowned. He knew she was right. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was far from unified, plagued by internal divisions and conflicts of interest. This meant that he had no one to count on besides himself.

"Let's take one step at a time," Liu Wuxie replied. No one could predict the future, and Liu Wuxie was optimistic about not letting such petty matters disrupt his peace of mind.

"I'll do my best to ensure your safety," Murong Yi said. Anyone might want Liu Wuxie's death, but not Murong Yi. This was why she would do anything to ensure his safety, and this was her objective in coming to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Madam Li was in the Nascent Transformation Realm and couldn't join the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"Then, should I thank you?" Liu Wuxie looked at Murong Yi with a playful look. He found it amusing that a woman wanted to protect him.

Murong Yi shivered lightly under Liu Wuxie's gaze because most men would admire her, but Liu Wuxie's eyes were sharp and penetrative.

......

Space suddenly rippled as a person emerged from the void.

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

When Mu Tianli arrived, his aura in the True Profound Realm enveloped a few thousand meters of radius, silencing all the true disciples.

However, the pressure vanished when the Heavenly Dao Book unfurled in Liu Wuxie's soul sea.

When Mu Tianli recalled his aura, everyone felt as though a mountain had been lifted from their chests. In addition to Mu Tianli, three elders would accompany them to ensure everyone's well-being.

Out of the three elders, Liu Wuxie only recognized Elder He.

"I believe you all know the details of the Ten Grand Ceremony by now, but we will go over it again," Mu Tianli said as his gaze stopped on Liu Wuxie briefly. They weren't unfamiliar with each other even though they had only met once before.

"Sect Master, when do we depart?" Everyone was eager to depart because the Ten Grand Ceremony each time was a grand event that gathered all the prodigies in Southern Province to make a name for themselves.

"We will leave now!" Mu Tianli said and waved his hand to summon a massive warship.

While experts in the True Profound Realm could tear open a spatial rift and travel through it, true disciples could only travel through flying, and Mu Tianli summoned the warship to save time.

When everyone boarded the warship, they each found a private area to rest. With the warship's speed, it would take them about two days to reach Heavenly Mountain, which would take everyone a month if they flew by themselves.

Once everything was ready, the three elders activated the warship, its hum resonating through the air as Mu Tianli retreated to its depths. Meanwhile, the disciples settled in, most entering a state of cultivation during the journey. Only Elder He appeared briefly to explain the details of the Ten Grand Ceremony.

The disciples aboard were all prodigies of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, selected to represent the sect in this critical event. The Ten Grand Ceremony was not merely an exchange of martial prowess but a competition encompassing a broad range of skills—alchemy, spiritual arrays, spiritual talismans, blacksmithing, and more. Elder He patiently went over the various facets of the ceremony, ensuring that everyone understood the stakes and their roles.

Liu Wuxie had long reviewed the records of the Ten Grand Ceremony before arriving, and the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's performance was often lackluster. They had lost to the Azure Crimson Gate in alchemy, the Heavenly Origin Sect in spiritual talismans, the Indigo Cloud Gate in blacksmithing, and the Misty Sect in spiritual arrays.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's ranking had fallen over the years. The Divine Sun Palace and Dugu Clan mainly focused on trade and had struggled with the Ten Grand Ceremony in recent years.

The Sky Rift Valley remained elusive, and their ranking couldn't determine their true strength.

This year brought a notable shift in dynamics as the Demonic Heart Palace had risen rapidly, showing potential to surpass the Heavenly Origin Sect as the leading sect. Meanwhile, the Transcending Plume Gate, which had held the second position steadfastly for years, showed signs of decline, hinting at changes within the upper ranks of the ten major sects.

Time drifted as the warship glided through the air. Along the way, they encountered many warships belonging to second-tier sects and prominent clans who came to watch.

On the third day, the warship finally began to slow down.

"Look, we've reached Heavenly Mountain!" Exclamations came from the warship as this was everyone's first time in the Heavenly Mountain.

Even Liu Wuxie opened his eyes and peered out the window. He saw a majestic mountain range reaching millions of feet up ahead.

The Heavenly Mountain was surrounded by a boundless expanse of ice and snow, and anyone unprepared would be swept into the deadly maelstrom. Even experts in the Nascent Transformation Realm didn't dare to step into the Mountain Range, and only those in the True Profound Realm could rip through space to enter.

The mountain range was massive, vast, and unending. It was cladded in pure white snow, looking like a goddess lying on the ground, emanating a sacred glow.

When the warship entered the region around the Heavenly Mountain, the warship began to shudder. Everyone scrambled to grab onto something to steady themselves, fearing they might be thrown overboard.

"Don't be alarmed! This is the suction force of the maelstrom, and it can easily tear apart someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm," Elder He came out to calm everyone down.

After this region, they would be safe and would officially enter Heavenly Mountain. The entire process took about fifteen minutes before the warship became steady.

The scene opened up like a gateway to another world. The Heavenly Mountain was covered in thick snow with rugged stones exposed due to the terrain.

Everyone could sense the chill, even from the warship, and it was surprising that life existed in such a harsh environment. Plants and treasures like the ten-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus grew on the Heavenly Mountain. That was a treasure comparable to the Golden Spirit Fruit.

Liu Wuxie even noticed white figures moving through the snow. He had read of such creatures in ancient texts—snowmen. They weren't human, but they belonged to an ancient species of the Humanoid Ape Clan.

They walked upright like humans but also possessed an even more powerful physique than humans. They were born with superhuman strength, and it was best for anyone who crossed their path to avoid them. The snowmen were brutal and were known to tear apart their prey.

The warship glided over the glaciers and finally arrived at the heart of Heavenly Mountain. The temperature continued to plummet, and the ten major sects chose this place because it was neutral territory, not belonging to any of them.

"We're almost there!" Many disciples cheered as they overlooked the entire Heavenly Mountain landscape from the warship.

The warship continued to descend, and a vast platform, bustling with figures, was up ahead. Tents and campfires were scattered around to ward off the chill.

"This is an ideal place to perfect my ice dao technique," Liu Wuxie smiled.

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