Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 644 - Third-Level of the Astral River Realm

Liu Wuxie received ten Ascension Pills under countless envious gazes fixated on him. These pills were painstakingly crafted with the resources pooled by the ten major sects, but they had all gone to him now.

Those who contributed to the pills felt bitter, especially the Azure Crimson Gate and Heavenly Origin Sect. This was no different from them financing their enemy's growth, and the humiliation felt like swallowing a rotten egg.

Liu Wuxie had become a thorn in their side.

"Wuxie, you’ve truly surprised me!" Xu Lingxue said as she approached, her voice tinged with amazement. Liu Wuxie's extraordinary performance over the past few days had left her stunned and as she reflected on their shared past in the mundane world, a sense of guilt began to stir within her.

Though she had never openly ridiculed Liu Wuxie, she once harbored disdain for him. That wasn't surprising, as Liu Wuxie was a rotten egg that couldn't be saved.

"Time is short, and I must enter seclusion now. We can catch up when the Ten Grand Ceremony ends," Liu Wuxie replied with a brief smile. He needed to enter seclusion with the final battle just a day away, fully aware that it was only the beginning of the challenges to come.

"Go on!" Xu Lingxue replied as she watched Liu Wuxie disappear into the distance.

Mu Tianli sat in his brightly lit tent with Elder He standing by his side.

"Sect Master, what happened? You seem troubled," Elder He asked. He had followed Mu Tianli for over a century and wasn't just a subordinate but also his friend. Before him, Mu Tianli didn't have to conceal his emotions.

"Something happened to Ying'er!" Mu Tianli said with his brows locked together with worry.

"What happened?" Elder He was alarmed. Mu Yueying was Mu Tianli’s daughter. She had gone to the Heavenly Nether Battlefield a year ago.

"I'm not entirely sure. I gave her an Alert Talisman before she left. If she encountered danger and used it, I would sense it," Mu Tianli explained, his voice laden with concern.

But the Heavenly Nether Battlefield was countless miles away, governed by unique laws. Someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm couldn't enter, not to mention someone in the True Profound Realm. Thus, Mu Tianli could do nothing, even if he wanted to save his daughter.

Due to the unique laws, those in the True Profound Realm would be knocked flying away the moment they got close.

"Perhaps we can send other disciples to investigate!" The crushed Alert Talisman might mean that Mu Yueying had run into some trouble but was not necessarily in danger.

"Send other disciples?" Mu Tianli smiled wryly. There were few people he could trust for this mission, and it was futile for ordinary people to enter. After all, Mu Yueying's strength surpassed most cultivators in the high levels of the Astral River Realm. Sending someone weaker would be futile.

Elder He's eyes lit up with an idea, and he said, "What about him?"

"Absolutely not. The Ten Grand Ceremony is vital to our sect’s honor. This is our chance to reclaim prominence after thousands of years, and I can’t let him leave now," Mu Tianli said firmly. He knew exactly who Elder He was referring to, but he also understood the importance of prioritizing the sect’s interests over personal matters.

However, their conversation was cut short when Liu Wuxie entered the tent. He planned to use the cultivation chamber to make a breakthrough, but after he came in, he instantly felt that the surrounding atmosphere wasn't right.

"What happened?" Liu Wuxie asked. He naturally noticed the sect master's locked brows and how Elder He avoided his gaze.

"Nothing that concerns you. Go on!" Elder He said quickly, urging Liu Wuxie toward the cultivation chamber. The final battle was looming, and Elder He knew that if Liu Wuxie could make a breakthrough, his chances of survival would significantly improve.

Liu Wuxie didn't press any further since they weren't willing to tell him, and he entered the cultivation chamber.

When the cultivation chamber was closed, the two let out a deep sigh.

Sitting in the cultivation chamber, Liu Wuxie calmed himself with his legs crossed. With the Desolate Devouring Art executed, terrifying liquified spiritual energy began pouring into the desolate world.

Over the past five days, his cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the second-level Astral River Realm, and he took out fourteen Ascension Pills. The pills were enough for him to reach the third level of the Astral River Realm.

According to his estimation, ten Ascension Pills were enough for him to make a breakthrough in his cultivation, and he could give the remaining Ascension Pills to Lan Ling and others who had supported him on the first day.

After consuming three Ascension Pills, terrifying ripples surged through Liu Wuxie's meridians, carrying a faint tearing sensation that felt like knives slicing through him.

Despite the pain, Liu Wuxie only winced, his powerful physique allowing him to endure it with composure. This intense energy flow immediately loosened the bottleneck, pushing him closer to breaking through to the third level of the Astral River Realm.

As the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron’s suction force intensified, a fearsome vortex formed above Liu Wuxie’s head, drawing in all the surrounding spiritual energy with relentless force. The liquified spiritual energy gathered in massive quantities, measured in the millions of units, and poured directly into the desolate world within.

Nourished by the liquified spiritual energy, the Golden Spirit Fruit grew rapidly, and the other three fruits turned golden.

The mysterious tree also began to grow in size, its branches swaying as though it was rejoicing.

Now that Liu Wuxie was only one step away from the third level of the Astral River Realm, he took out three more Ascension Pills and gulped them down.

Their effects would weaken with more consumption. After all, the more pills consumed, the more resistance the body would build up.

With a substantial supply of Ascension Pills at his disposal, Liu Wuxie resolved to use them to forcibly break through to the third level of the Astral River Realm. His actions had already offended the Azure Crimson Gate, Demonic Heart Palace, Indigo Cloud Gate, and Heavenly Origin Sect, and their retribution was inevitable.

Outside the Sky Rift Valley, other sects might also conspire against him. His unparalleled talent made him a target, with many seeking to uncover his secrets.

Although no one mentioned the Golden Spirit Fruit, that didn't mean they weren't interested. His cultivation continued to rise, and he was already one step into the third level of the Astral River Realm. But he could still feel that something was lacking.

An overwhelming surge of power coursed through his body, like a flood breaking through a dam. His true essence roared like a horde of demonic beasts, violently shattering the threshold to the third level of the Astral River Realm. A whole new world of cultivation unfolded before him, filled with boundless potential and energy.

After his breakthrough, Liu Wuxie didn't dare to stop. The Desolate Devouring Art continued to devour liquified spiritual energy; he even took out high-grade spirit stones to absorb them.

As terrifying spiritual energy coursed through his body, paired with the unique laws and desolate world, his strength was comparable to those in the low levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm.

Moreover, his primordial spirit had grown stronger from consuming Soul Condensing Pills.

The Heavenly Dao Book had absorbed laws from the five trials he had gone through, and the number of pages had increased from one to over a dozen. Each law represented a sequence of heaven and earth.

Liu Wuxie's cultivation continued to rise, and he soon reached the late phase of the third level of the Astral River Realm.

Though there was still some distance to the pinnacle, he didn't choose to consume the remaining four Ascension Pills. After all, the effects had diminished from overconsumption, and they could only provide minor increases to his true essence at best.

His immense true essence was already a boundless ocean, and a slight increase didn't matter to him. As long as he could consume more resources with the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, his desolate world could continue to expand into a massive continent.

The various sects' territories were filled with discussions about tomorrow's final battle, and all eyes were on Liu Wuxie.

He had exhibited extraordinary talent in alchemy, talisman, spiritual arrays, blacksmithing, and martial techniques. If they could harness such talent, their sect could easily rise to the strongest sect out of the ten.

Secondly, Liu Wuxie had an abundance of treasures, such as the Golden Spirit Fruit and Ascension Pills.

"Did you all hear my instructions?" Bai Jin addressed over a hundred disciples before him.

"Yes!" everyone replied in unison, their voices resolute.

Bai Jin had only one request for them: to kill Liu Wuxie. Whether or not they could obtain a good result on the Ten Grand Ceremony was secondary.

Others, like the Azure Crimson Gate and Demonic Heart Palace, were secretly plotting to capture Liu Wuxie alive before the Heavenly Origin Sect could kill him and uncover his secrets.

As time ticked, only the Sky Rift Valley and Misty Sect remained calm and showed no hostility toward anyone.

The morning came quickly, marking the beginning of the final battle.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie spent two months in the cultivation chamber and had consolidated his cultivation. When he clenched his fists together, a powerful shockwave of energy rippled around him.

"Now that I have reached the third level of the Astral River Realm, I should have more confidence in facing those in the low levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm," Liu Wuxie murmured to himself.

Before this breakthrough, he could only hold his ground against those in the Nascent Transformation Realm, and the difficulty of killing them was immense. Even if he managed to defeat them, it would have resulted in mutual destruction for both sides.

Before he came out of the cultivation chamber, Liu Wuxie performed a fist technique to adjust his condition to the top state.

Mu Tianli and Elder He were already waiting outside for him.

"Wuxie, the rules for the trial are simple. You will be sent to a designated area for one month, and we're not allowed to interfere with what happens inside. Find a safe place and hide once you're inside," Mu Tianli said. He didn't want Liu Wuxie to expose himself too soon.

The final battle was brutal, and each opening was a living hell. This was also where sects often forged their grudges.

In previous years, casualties during the trials were relatively low unless treasures were involved. However, this year was different—Liu Wuxie had become a prime target for many.

"Understood," Liu Wuxie replied. He had already memorized the rules beforehand.

Even without Mu Tianli's reminder, he knew the next month wouldn't be peaceful. However, based on his personality, it was also impossible for him to go into hiding for the entire month.

The three exited the tent, and there were many disciples waiting outside. Aside from those in Qin Dao's faction, the others looked at Liu Wuxie with envy.

"Senior Brother Lan, I have four Ascension Pills left, and you can split them among yourselves," Liu Wuxie said as he gave Lan Ling the remaining four Ascension Pills. He was grateful for their support.

"Thank you! I won't refuse then!" Lan Ling replied cheerfully. He knew that the Ascension Pill was no longer of significant help to Liu Wuxie, but these pills could make a considerable difference for them.

Mu Tianli gave a brief speech, reiterating the key points. He hadn't mentioned it yesterday as Liu Wuxie was in seclusion, and his main objective was to get the disciples to unite, as internal strife would be disastrous.