Desolate Devouring Art

Liu Wuxie’s voice, clear and resonant, echoed throughout the area, earning him the admiration of many. If he survived this day, his reputation would surely spread throughout the Imperial Academy.

The atmosphere grew tense as Qin Shi’s face darkened and his fists clenched tightly. A powerful gust of wind emanated from him, stirring up the ground and indicating his growing loss of control.

“Vice-Headmaster Qin, you’re at the pinnacle of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and you’re planning to attack a student?” Li Shengsheng stepped forward. There were no cowards in their Advanced Class Seven, and all ten of them stood in a line.

Everyone nodded in agreement with his question. It was indeed unreasonable for the vice-headmaster to attack a student. If word of this spread, the Imperial Academy’s reputation would be tarnished and become a laughingstock.

“There’s no need for my master to deal with someone like him. Allow me to handle it!” Xiao Yanlong stepped forward from the back, releasing his aura at the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm. His aura was not weaker than Qin Shi’s, which was no surprise given that he was one of the ten core disciples.

He was a Heaven Grade student with a cultivation at the eighth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm. As he stepped forward, Liu Wuxie’s murderous intent surged.

“Liu Wuxie, you’ve recklessly killed innocent people, and today, I will rid the academy of this blight. Considering you’re an Earth Grade student, I’ll grant you the advantage of three moves,” Xiao Yanlong declared, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as he looked at Liu Wuxie, eager to eliminate him immediately.

Li Shengsheng and the others exchanged glances. They could have intervened with Qin Shi, but they were at a loss now that Xiao Yanlong had stepped forward. After all, Xiao Yanlong was also a student, and his status was far beyond their reach.

The disparity in strength was too great. Liu Wuxie’s cultivation was only in the Spirit Cleansing Realm, making him no match for Xiao Yanlong.

The tension was intense, and a battle could break out at any moment. Liu Wuxie remained silent, knowing that a confrontation was inevitable. Defeating this master-disciple pair wouldn’t be easy, and in the worst-case scenario, all three might sustain severe injuries.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, positioning herself between Liu Wuxie and Xiao Yanlong. As she emerged, a delicate fragrance accompanied her.

“Xiao Yanlong, you cannot kill him.” The woman who had appeared was addressing Xiao Yanlong, intervening on Liu Wuxie’s behalf.

Recognizing the familiar figure and scent, Liu Wuxie’s lips twitched. He hadn’t expected Xu Lingxue to step forward. She had rushed out upon hearing that Qin Shi intended to kill Liu Wuxie.

“How beautiful. When did such a woman join the academy?” The crowd was in an uproar at Xu Lingxue’s appearance, captivated by her exceptional beauty.

“Don’t you know her? She’s the Vice-Headmaster Baili Qing’s disciple. I heard she was brought back from a small town in the countryside.” Not many people were aware of Xu Lingxue’s background, as she rarely ventured out in the academy. She spent most of her time in seclusion, which allowed her cultivation to skyrocket in just a few months, far surpassing her peers.

“I think I’ve heard of her, and they say she’s a peerless beauty. She’s truly extraordinary now that I see her.” The surrounding students were deeply captivated by Xu Lingxue the moment she appeared.

“Isn’t it odd? Xu Lingxue is Vice-Headmaster Baili Qing’s disciple. Why would she risk offending Xiao Yanlong for an ordinary student? This doesn’t make sense!” Someone in the crowd voiced their confusion, wondering why Xu Lingxue had chosen to defend Liu Wuxie.

Despite the large crowd that had gathered, only the students of Advanced Class Seven had stepped forward to support Liu Wuxie.

“I heard Xiao Yanlong has been pursuing Xu Lingxue. They should be a perfect match. But won’t Xu Lingxue’s intervention wound Xiao Yanlong’s pride?” A few Heaven Grade students whispered among themselves, which Liu Wuxie overheard. He finally understood why Xiao Yanlong wanted him dead.

“Xue’er, are you really planning to become my enemy for him?” Xiao Yanlong asked, a hint of pain in his expression. He couldn’t defy his master’s orders. Liu Wuxie had killed his master’s son, and as Qin Shi’s disciple, he was duty-bound to avenge Guo Zhong’s death.

“Senior Brother Wang, you have no right to call me ‘Xue’er’.” Xu Lingxue’s face was cold. Aside from her parents, no one had ever addressed her in such a familiar manner. Judging from their conversation, it wasn’t hard to tell that everything was Xiao Yanlong’s wishful thinking, and Xu Lingxue had no favorable opinion of him.

“Who said that they’re a match made in heaven? This doesn’t seem right.” As the surrounding discussions grew louder, the voices became incomprehensible. There were also many teachers in the surroundings, but they did nothing to stop because they wanted to see how this matter would progress.

As Baili Qing’s disciple, Xu Lingxue naturally had a high status. This meant that Qin Shi would have to reconsider killing Liu Wuxie.

“You want to become my enemy because of him?!” Xiao Yanlong inhaled sharply, a hint of rage flashing across his face. Over the past few months, he had invested a great deal of effort in pursuing Xu Lingxue. However, it seemed that his affections were unrequited, as Xu Lingxue returned all the gifts he sent.

“That’s right!” Xu Lingxue replied, surprising everyone, including Liu Wuxie. Everyone wondered if Xu Lingxue was insane to offend a core disciple on behalf of Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie suddenly smiled. Having grown up with her, he understood her personality well. Although she might appear gentle on the surface, she was stubborn and resolute, unlikely to change her mind once she had made a decision.

The surroundings fell silent, and everyone was shocked by Xu Lingxue’s reply.

Xu Lingxue had learned about the events that transpired in Azure Billow City from Song Ling about half a month ago. At the time, the Xu Clan was in danger, and she was in the Imperial Academy. Liu Wuxie had stepped in and resolved all the issues. This meant that she owed Liu Wuxie a debt of gratitude, as without him, the Xu Clan would have been annihilated, and her parents would have been killed. Not to mention, they were married and would remain husband and wife unless either decided to dissolve the marriage.

“Liu Wuxie, come out and don’t hide behind a woman if you’re a man! Fight me if you dare, and I’ll even suppress my cultivation!” Xiao Yanlong’s words were filled with anger, and he had clearly lost his rationality.

Xiao Yanlong’s words were particularly harsh, especially towards a man. If Liu Wuxie refused to fight, he would be utterly humiliated when the news spread.

Xu Lingxue slowly turned around and looked at Liu Wuxie, gritting her teeth. She gently shook her head, signaling Liu Wuxie not to agree to the fight.

“Thank you for standing up for me, but this is a matter between us men. So let us resolve it in our own way,” Liu Wuxie responded. His reply was both expected and surprising. As a man, he naturally wouldn’t hide behind a woman, and he would rather die standing than live on his knees.

Xu Lingxue’s eyes held a hint of disappointment upon hearing Liu Wuxie’s response. Despite her pleas, Liu Wuxie remained stubborn and unyielding.

Liu Wuxie ignored the disappointment in her eyes, but he understood her feelings all too well.

“Xiao Yanlong, even without the Guo Xiong incident, I would still be after your life!” Liu Wuxie declared, his voice filled with a terrifying murderous intent. This left many bystanders puzzled, as they were unaware of any previous feud between the two.

Xiao Yanlong narrowed his eyes. Fan Yeping had not returned, which meant he must have failed. However, he couldn’t figure out how Liu Wuxie had evaded an assassination attempt from someone in the Marrow Cleansing Realm. “I’m curious how you managed to make it back alive,” he said.

No one could understand what Liu Wuxie and Xiao Yanlong were discussing, but they knew something must’ve happened between them.

As the tension grew, the Heretic Blade appeared in Liu Wuxie’s hand with murderous intent sweeping out. Xu Lingxue was no longer able to intervene.

“You must be disappointed that I made it back alive!” Liu Wuxie taunted with a smirk.

Xu Lingxue frowned as she overheard the surrounding discussions. Could Xiao Yanlong have attempted to assassinate Liu Wuxie and failed? If that was the case, Xiao Yanlong’s actions were exceedingly ruthless for a core disciple. This revelation only deepened Xu Lingxue’s disdain for him.

“Make your move. I will suppress my cultivation to the Spirit Cleansing Realm and won’t take advantage of you,” Xiao Yanlong declared, his sword radiating a chilling aura. He was clearly impatient to begin the fight.

The crowd retreated, forming a circle around the two combatants, fearful of being caught in the shockwave of their impending battle.

Xu Lingxue bit her lip, her eyes filled with deep concern. If she had intervened to stop the fight, it would have been tantamount to embarrassing Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie and Xiao Yanlong disappeared like two comets. A mighty gale swept out, unleashing a powerful shockwave whenever they clashed. When Xiao Yanlong unleashed a powerful sword aura, Liu Wuxie raised the Heretic Blade and unleashed a blade intent, tearing the sword aura apart.

They exchanged over a few hundred moves in the blink of an eye. Ordinary disciples couldn’t keep up with them, and only Heaven Grade students could barely see the fight.

“How is this possible? Even if Senior Brother Xiao suppressed his cultivation to the pinnacle of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, it doesn’t make sense that Liu Wuxie isn’t dead yet.” The students supporting Xiao Yanlong were in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

The clash of sword and blade created a powerful shockwave that swept out, shattering numerous nearby houses. The force of their battle sent them flying backward, crashing into a wall.

The fight was surprisingly evenly matched, and their formidable combat power left everyone in awe.

Xiao Yanlong’s face was grim. Each clash made his arm numb, indicating that Liu Wuxie’s strength was not as straightforward as it seemed. However, he couldn’t increase his cultivation because he had already promised to suppress it.

“It seems I’ve underestimated you!” Xiao Yanlong exclaimed, raising his sword and releasing sparks of lightning. This was unexpected, as it revealed that Xiao Yanlong had mastered the attribute of lightning.

Lightning was highly destructive, making such an opponent formidable. As boundless lightning gathered around Xiao Yanlong, it formed a sea of electricity.

Liu Wuxie remained indifferent because his dantian didn’t fear any attribute. He raised the Heretic Blade and pointed it at the sky.

......

A stunning woman appeared at the gate of the Imperial Academy.

“Third Sister, why have you come?” Chen Leyao asked as she greeted the woman.

“Take me to Liu Wuxie,” Chen Ruoyan requested, holding onto Chen Leyao’s hand. Upon her return to the Imperial Academy, she had quickly investigated Liu Wuxie’s background and had arrived as soon as possible.

In the royal clan, only Chen Ruoyan treated Chen Leyao not as an outsider but as a sister. As a result, the two shared a close relationship.

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