Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 435 - Teleportation Array

According to the agreement, Liu Wuxie arrived at the Mission Hall as scheduled. Chen Lin and Hong Li had already arrived and approached him as soon as they saw him.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Liu!" Hong Li cupped his fists together politely. If Liu Wuxie hadn't killed Shao Wendong, he wouldn't have gotten this chance to cultivate in the Celestial Spirit Cave.

That was the same for Chen Lin, who was initially ranked third. But Shao Wendong's death allowed her to advance in one ranking and cultivate in the Celestial Spirit Cave for two days.

Liu Wuxie nodded at the two as a form of greeting. He had far surpassed them in cultivation, and they were no longer on the same level.

Word of Liu Wuxie's defeat of Law-Enforcement Hall disciples had spread throughout the inner sect, marking him as a formidable figure capable of crushing cultivators in the ninth level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm. This positioned him at the top of the inner disciples' hierarchy.

It wouldn't be long before Liu Wuxie outgrew the inner sect and advanced to the rank of elite disciple. As an elite disciple, he would gain the freedom to leave the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and travel freely across the Southern Province.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Elder Tian Xing walked in with a grim expression. As he was the one who had presided over the outer sect's competition, he was also responsible for arranging the subsequent rewards.

"We greet Elder Tian Xing!" Chen Lin and Hong Li stepped forward to bow.

Liu Wuxie braced himself and stepped forward, aware that his recent actions had likely drawn Elder Tian Xing's attention. Killing Law-Enforcement Hall disciples had placed Elder Tian Xing in a difficult position, creating conflicts with other elders.

The Law-Enforcement Hall's elders believed Liu Wuxie should be executed as a warning to others. However, Elder Tian Xing had opposed this view and given Liu Wuxie a chance.

The punishment document had already been issued, but Liu Wuxie had yet to carry it out. He planned to finish the punishment after his time in the Celestial Spirit Cave, not wanting to cause further trouble for Elder Tian Xing.

"Greetings, Elder Tian Xing!" Liu Wuxie bowed and spoke in a low voice.

"Hmph!" Elder Tian Xing glared at Liu Wuxie, snorting in displeasure. Liu Wuxie's recent actions had clearly upset him. Killing disciples of the Law-Enforcement Hall was a direct challenge to Elder Tian Xing's authority. While Ma Shiyan's group was at fault, their actions did not warrant death.

"You three come with me!" Elder Tian Xing said nothing else, as there were outsiders around, and he couldn't openly speak about some things.

The three quietly followed behind Elder Tian Xing, passing through the Mission Hall and heading deep into the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Outer disciples lived in the outer region, but the inner disciples weren't close to the core region either. Only elite disciples could enter the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's core region.

No one spoke as they traveled hundreds of miles, entering an uninhabited zone where a towering peak pierced the clouds. As Liu Wuxie climbed the peak, a smooth, square platform appeared at the top. On the side of the platform stood a stone monument engraved with the words "Celestial Spirit Cave."

"Elder Tian Xing, is this the Celestial Spirit Cave?" Hong Li asked, puzzled by the absence of any cave. There was just a cold breeze, and the mountaintop seemed bare, with only the platform and the stone monument.

Chen Lin said nothing and believed Elder Tian Xing must've brought them here for a reason. Only Liu Wuxie narrowed his eyes and looked beyond the stone monument, where he could see a faint ripple.

The Celestial Spirit Cave wasn't in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion but somewhere else connected by a teleportation array. One could enter the Celestial Spirit Cave through the teleportation array, but no one knew its location.

"All of you stand on the platform!" Elder Tian Xing ordered everyone to go on the platform while he walked over to the stone monument.

The three went up one after another, standing back-to-back. Chen Lin and Hong Li were feeling nervous, unlike Liu Wuxie.

"This is a teleportation array. The Celestial Spirit Cave's location is the sect's greatest secret; someone will receive you all there." After the three stood on the platform, Elder Tian Xing walked over to the stone monument and took out three high-grade spirit stones, inserting them into the three words on the monument.

The engraving was exquisite. Although the three words might seem simple, they were constructed with countless spiritual runes.

A teleportation array was a spiritual array capable of tearing open spatial rifts to send people to the preset coordinates.

It saved a lot of time, but each activation required high-grade spirit stones, something most sects couldn't afford.

Most importantly, the maintenance was very troublesome. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's teleportation array could initially be used to transport to over a dozen places, but due to neglect, only three areas remained functional. The coordinates to the other areas were damaged beyond repair.

The spiritual runes in a teleportation array were profound. Since the ancestor of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had passed away, no one was versed in the teleportation array's spiritual runes, and suitable successors had not yet emerged in recent years.

In ancient times, the path of spiritual arrays even surpassed the martial path.

After inserting the spirit stones, the platform suddenly lit up with intertwining veins resembling the meridians of a human body.

Chen Lin and Hong Li were shocked because this was their first time using a teleportation array. They had only read about it in books but had never experienced it firsthand.

Liu Wuxie remained expressionless because this teleportation array was heavily damaged and too basic for him.

Elder Tian Xing observed their expressions closely and was pleased with Liu Wuxie's composure. Many disciples had taken this teleportation array and reacted similarly to Chen Lin and Hong Li. They were nervous and shocked, but only Liu Wuxie was terrifyingly calm.

The spiritual runes beneath them lasted three breaths before forming into a light curtain and enveloping the three.

A passage appeared before them as they sat in it, and various scenes flashed beside them.

Chen Lin and Hong Li felt dizzy because this was their first time using a teleportation array, and they weren't used to it.

About fifteen minutes later, their feet touched the ground, but Chen Lin and Hong Li collapsed. Using the teleportation array would inflict a heavy burden on the body, and only those in the Heavenly Dipper Realm could bear it.

This was their first time using the teleportation array, so it was natural they felt nauseous.

Liu Wuxie practiced the Soul Forge Art and had a powerful physique. So, such a small teleportation array did not affect him.

About three minutes later, Chen Lin and Hong Li barely stood up, their legs shaking and weak.

"Junior Brother Liu, don't you feel any discomfort?" Chen Lin was speechless, seeing how Liu Wuxie stood calmly by the side.

Liu Wuxie shook his head and didn't explain, and Chen Lin didn't press on further.

They appeared in a house, but there was nothing but a chair. This room was a teleportation array, and they had to come here when going back.

The door opened, and a grey-robed old man walked in. Before the old man even got close, a powerful aura swept out from him.

"You three come with me!" The grey-robed elder didn't even bat an eye at the three and told them to follow him.

The three could only follow, and after leaving the house, they entered a strange cave. The cave omitted a faint light, and unknown flowers bloomed on the sides.

"What beautiful flowers!" Chen Lin was a woman who couldn't hold herself back when she saw the vibrant flowers and wanted to pick one.

"Go ahead and touch if you want to die." The old man's voice was cold, scaring Chen Lin into retracting her hand.

"They're called the Netherspirit Flower. They might look vibrant and beautiful, but the petals are poisonous. If any prey gets close, it will prick your finger with the poison. Even experts in the Nascent Transformation Realm can't neutralize the poison," Liu Wuxie whispered to Chen Lin.

The Netherspirit Flowers were rare, and Liu Wuxie had only encountered them in the Celestial Realm. He was shocked such flowers would appear in the Southern Province.

Chen Lin was secretly relieved that she had stopped in time; otherwise, she would have been dead.

"You know the Netherspirit Flowers?" The old man paused and turned to look at Liu Wuxie with sharp eyes. Though it seemed like a question, it was more out of curiosity. Over the years, many disciples had come, but Liu Wuxie was the first to recognize the Netherspirit Flowers.

"I read about it in a book," Liu Wuxie tried to brush it off with a made-up excuse.

"The books in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion don't have anything on the Netherspirit Flowers. Where did you read it from?" the old man asked, his eyes turning cold.

When Liu Wuxie heard this, he was shocked. However, he soon recalled that the books he had read in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion didn't contain any information on the Netherspirit Flowers.

It was strange that the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had no record of the Netherspirit Flower. When the other disciples had come, the old man hadn’t shared much information about the flowers with them. Therefore, few people in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion knew about it.

"I forgot where I read it from!" Liu Wuxie shrugged, looking nonchalant.

The old man looked at Liu Wuxie for five minutes before retracting his gaze. A murderous intent burst out from him, and he said, "If anyone reveals what happens today, they will be executed!"

The murderous intent felt like a colossal mountain crushing down on them, causing Chen Lin and Hong Li to collapse under pressure.

The Heavenly Dao Book unfurled, and all the pressure vanished for Liu Wuxie.

"Please be rest assured. We won't say a word." Hong Li had reached his limit under the pressure.

After the three swore an oath, the old man finally recalled his murderous intent. Chen Lin and Hong Li were relieved and drenched in sweat.

"Elder, are you worried someone will find the Celestial Spirit Cave's location if news of the Netherspirit Flower is leaked?" Liu Wuxie smiled at the old man.

The old man's gaze turned to Liu Wuxie once more. He asked, "What's your name?"

For the first time in centuries, the grey-robed old man inquired about a disciple's name. He wouldn't even pay attention to disciples in the Astral River Realm, let alone ask for their names.

"Liu Wuxie!" Liu Wuxie cupped his fists together. He had scanned the old man's cultivation with his divine sense and couldn't see through the latter. This meant the old man's cultivation was even higher than Elder Tian Xing's.

Considering the importance of guarding the Celestial Spirit Cave, it was likely this elder was in the True Profound Realm.

"I'll remember you," the grey-robed old man said, then turned and continued walking, passing through the Netherspirit Flowers.