Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 622 - Confrontation

Hua Yan was mercilessly cleaved apart before everyone's eyes.

"Spare me!" Hua Yan let out a final scream before dying, but there was nothing he could do as he watched the Heretic Blade swing down at him.

When the biting chill penetrated his body, Hua Yan knew that he was going to die. His blood splashed and dyed the white snow red as his corpse exploded in mid-air.

Hua Yan's corpse was completely obliterated in one blade strike. This left the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples at a loss, uncertain of what to do as they stood in silence, witnessing Hua Yan's death.

The surroundings fell into an oppressive silence, and no one dared to breathe loudly. They couldn't believe that Liu Wuxie had slain a disciple of the Heavenly Origin Sect—an act no different from stirring a hornet's nest.

Five full breaths passed before the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples came to their senses and charged forward.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you kill Senior Brother Hua Yan! I want you dead!" A disciple in the pinnacle Astral River Realm lunged over with his sword slashing down.

To everyone’s surprise, Liu Wuxie also raised the Heretic Blade in retaliation. Someone at the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm couldn't intimidate him.

"Do you think there's no one from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion? Don't you people feel ashamed to gang on one person? Is this the honor of Heavenly Origin Sect?" A handsome youth stepped forward and appeared before Liu Wuxie, deflecting the strike with a palm.

This person was Lan Ling, and he intervened in the critical moment. He believed that they needed to be united as they represented the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

A few more disciples stepped out to stand on Liu Wuxie's side to face the Heavenly Origin Sect. But those from the Lesser Blade Association chose to remain silent.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's disciples were divided into three factions: one led by Lan Ling, one led by Qin Dao, and the remaining disciples were neutral.

Liu Wuxie was surprised that Lan Ling would step out. He looked at the latter with a grateful expression and nodded his head.

While someone in the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm couldn't pose any threat to him, this proved that Lan Ling was worthy of befriending.

Despite the imbalance, ten-odd disciples from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion stood out, and they were a force to be reckoned with. If an all-out battle took place, both sides would undoubtedly suffer casualties.

"Everyone back down!" Bai Yuan said, and everyone stepped aside to open up a path for him. He approached Liu Wuxie and stopped when he was five meters away, releasing his murderous intent. He looked at Liu Wuxie and declared, "You will die today!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I assure you that not only will I survive today, but I'll thrive," Liu Wuxie replied with a calm smile. Bai Yuan was formidable, but defeating Liu Wuxie wouldn't be as simple as he thought.

Even so, Liu Wuxie had to be cautious when facing Bai Yuan because, as the son of the Heavenly Origin Sect's sect master, he likely possessed many treasures.

He knew that the Earth-Binding Chains might not be able to restrain Bai Yuan, and the Heavenly Dragon Seal was too powerful. Only the Annihilation Fist could deliver the fatal blow.

The tension in the surroundings grew dense as the aura from Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan were powerful.

"Is he really someone at the first level of the Astral River Realm? The aura he is giving off matches those in the sixth level!" Many people commented on the aura Liu Wuxie gave off with confusion on their faces.

There were factors of luck in how Liu Wuxie killed someone in the sixth level of the Astral River Realm, but the fact that he could kill Hua Yan so easily proved that he wasn't simple.

"Bai Yuan, I bet you've already glimpsed into the Nascent Transformation Realm. Don't you feel ashamed to act against someone at the first level of the Astral River Realm?" Lan Ling stepped forward with mockery on his face.

"Get lost!" Bai Yuan waved his hand and unleashed a powerful aura in the Nascent Transformation Realm, catching Lan Ling by surprise and forcing the latter to take a few steps back.

His terrifying aura in the Nascent Transformation Realm surged toward Liu Wuxie. With one of their disciples slain by Liu Wuxie, the Heavenly Origin Sect's reputation was at stake. As the most prestigious of the ten major sects, the Heavenly Origin Sect valued their honor above all else, even their lives.

Lan Ling was at the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm, but he had been easily forced back by Bai Yuan's aura alone. This made Liu Wuxie narrow his eyes because he realized Bai Yuan was a formidable foe.

He had to be careful, and he had secretly communicated with the Earth-Binding Chains. Terrifying true essence began to course through his meridians, but he didn't dare use the Soul Spear carelessly, as Bai Yuan's soul energy could be stronger than his.

Liu Wuxie was still perfecting the ice dao technique. While it was effective against ordinary opponents, it was inadequate against someone like Bai Yuan.

The stones beneath their feet began to crack under the outburst of their aura, and an invisible confrontation took place, one that only a few could perceive.

"A confrontation of soul energy!" gasped the onlookers when they realized Bai Yuan and Liu Wuxie were locked in a battle of soul energy.

Bai Yuan used his cultivation in the Nascent Transformation Realm to attack Liu Wuxie's primordial spirit.

A barrier had materialized around Liu Wuxie's soul sea. This was the second form of the Soul Forge Art—Soul Shield. It was designed to defend against soul-based attacks. While Soul Shield was still incomplete, it was sufficient to fend off Bai Yuan's attack.

While Soul Spear excelled in attack, the Soul Shield was unmatched in defenses, complementing each other seamlessly.

As for Soul Fire, Liu Wuxie still couldn't comprehend its mysteries. The idea of releasing flame through the soul was unheard of, even in Liu Wuxie's past life as an Immortal Emperor.

Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan's feet sank into the ground, cracks spreading out, and an invisible wave of energy caused their clothes to flutter.

Xu Lingxue looked worried because she knew Bai Yuan's strength well. She could barely withstand ten moves from him at best.

Time passed, and no one spoke, not daring to interfere in the fight between Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan.

The two were in a deadlock, and Bai Yuan was inwardly shocked as he didn't expect Liu Wuxie's soul energy to be so powerful. He couldn't believe that someone in the first level of the Astral River Realm could confront his soul energy in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

Bai Yuan had practiced a soul-based technique when he was young. While it wasn't as lethal as Liu Wuxie's soul spear, it couldn't be underestimated. After all, the soul was a strict requirement in crafting spiritual talismans.

Liu Wuxie had even modified Soul Forge Art before teaching it to Song Ling. The modified Soul Forge Art wasn't designed for combat but to strengthen one's primordial spirit.

Buzzing noise came from the surrounding air, followed by ripples that spread out with the two in the center.

Then, Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan stepped back, evenly matched in their clash. This surprised everyone in the surroundings, who were amazed by Liu Wuxie's soul energy, which was on par with Bai Yuan's.

"He's too heaven-defying. He actually managed to withstand Bai Yuan's attack, and perhaps only martial techniques can deal with him," the surrounding Indigo Cloud Gate's disciples murmured with disbelief.

Peng Bin was also among the spectators, and his face had turned pale at the sight of Liu Wuxie's power. He was lucky to be still alive.

"It looks like I've underestimated you!" Bai Yuan took a deep breath, and he regained his composure.

On the contrary, Liu Wuxie's face appeared slightly pale. He had been in a disadvantageous position during the previous clash, and the gap between their strengths was evident. It was remarkable that he had managed to hold his ground.

"Make your move!" Liu Wuxie said as he raised the Heretic Blade to the sky, unleashing a terrifying blade intent rippling into the surroundings.

"What a powerful blade aura!" The spectators were stunned by the overwhelming force emanating from the Heretic Blade. The surrounding space trembled violently under the pressure of the blade aura.

"What kind of blade is that? It doesn't seem like a monarch artifact!" one onlooker remarked. While the Heretic Blade resembled a monarch artifact, its true power was comparable to that of an origin artifact.

Bai Yuan also unsheathed a longsword with gleaming edges—a genuine origin artifact. In terms of quality, it surpassed Liu Wuxie's Heretic Blade.

"What do you think you’re doing? Stand down!" a thunderous roar echoed as Elder He descended from the sky, positioning himself between Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan. He had sensed something was amiss when he noticed a significant decrease in disciples within the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's territory and had rushed over immediately.

He was fortunate to arrive early, or the consequences would have been dire if he had arrived a moment later.

"Elder He, this is a fight between the younger generations. Isn't it excessive for seniors like us to intervene?" A hunched elderly figure emerged from the Heavenly Origin Sect's territory. His wrinkled skin gave the impression of centuries of life. He had likely been present the entire time, concealing his presence.

"Old turtle, your Heavenly Origin Sect is too overbearing! How dare you accuse us of mimicking your spiritual talismans? What a joke!" Elder He said. He had learned about the full story from the other disciples.

Since Murong Yi had found out that the Heavenly Origin Sect wanted to kill Liu Wuxie, it was impossible for the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's upper echelons not to find out about it. This was the reason why Elder He had warned everyone not to leave the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's territory when they had disembarked the warship.

"This brat killed a disciple of my Heavenly Origin Sect and even copied the spiritual talismans created by our Heavenly Origin Sect. He has to die today, no matter what!" The elder said as he stepped forth, unleashing his aura and causing the surrounding space to tremble with every step. Like Elder He, he was also an expert at the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm.

Liu Wuxie was caught between two ferocious beasts, and he could only unfurl the Heavenly Dao Book to absorb the incoming shockwaves and ensure his safety.

"You should thank us for cleaning out garbage like them," Elder He said, igniting the fury among everyone in the Heavenly Origin Sect.

Liu Wuxie's disdainful insults were hurtful enough, but Elder He added fuel to the fire. This enraged all the Heavenly Origin Sect’s disciples, who directed their murderous intent toward Liu Wuxie.

Elder He's blatant mockery, labeling the Heavenly Origin Sect's disciples as garbage, struck a particularly bitter chord, pushing their outrage to its limit.

"It looks like you need to be reminded who the real garbage is today!" The elder from the Heavenly Origin Sect was called Wang Ba, which was why many people called him "Old Turtle" behind his back, and Elder He didn't hold back from calling him that.

Everyone from the Heavenly Origin Sect took a step forward, and their aura radiated as a shockwave.

"The Ten Grand Ceremony has yet to begin. Let's all take a step back. There will be ample opportunities for your two sects to fight," an elder from the Misty Sect stepped forward.

"We'll consider letting this go if they hand over the murderer. Otherwise, every last one of them will die here today!" Wang Ba declared, his overbearing aura radiating an intent to annihilate everyone from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"What arrogance. Let me see who dares to touch someone from my Heavenly Treasure Pavilion today!" Mu Tianli showed up, releasing his aura in the True Profound Realm.

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