Desolate Devouring Art

As Liu Wuxie sat on the bed, he observed that his room was spotless. Despite being away for so long, nothing had changed. Even the flowers and grass in the courtyard were frequently tended to.

The tree in his courtyard had grown taller than when he had left, and it was a place filled with memories for him. He knew that his time to return here in the future would be limited, and he might even have to say goodbye, leaving the Great Yan Dynasty. After the conclusion of his death match with Qin Shi, he would need to plan his future.

“Wuxie, I’ve brought some wine. Come, let’s share a few cups,” Xu Yilin’s voice echoed outside the courtyard, pulling Liu Wuxie out of his reverie and restoring calm to his eyes.

Opening the gate to the courtyard, Xu Yilin carried a jar of wine in one hand and a roasted chicken in the other.

“Father-in-law, how are your injuries?” Liu Wuxie invited Xu Yilin to sit down. Winter had passed, and the tree leaves formed a canopy against the sky, with only a faint moonlight filtering through. The wine and roasted chicken were placed on the table.

Just as Xu Yilin was about to pour the wine for Liu Wuxie, the latter took over the jar, saying, “Allow me!” After pouring two cups, they both drank the wine.

“Wuxie, if I’m not mistaken, this is our first time drinking together, isn’t it?” Xu Yilin asked, refilling the cups with the jar of wine.

“I was immature in the past and caused you to worry,” Liu Wuxie admitted. Due to his past self's actions, Liu Wuxie always felt awkward around Xu Yilin, like a mouse encountering a cat. So, how could they have shared a drink together?

“You’ve matured now. Azure Billow City and even the Great Yan Dynasty are too small for you. You’re a dragon that will eventually soar into the sky. The only thing I can do is not hold you back. Your stage isn’t in the Great Yan Dynasty but in the wider world.” Xu Yilin’s voice suddenly seemed to carry the weight of age as he sipped his wine somberly.

“No matter how vast the world outside may be, there is only one place I call home,” Liu Wuxie echoed, sipping his wine as a fiery sensation trailed down his throat.

“That’s reassuring. With your words, I can entrust Xue’er to you without any reservations,” Xu Yilin responded, standing up alongside Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie was uncertain about how to navigate his relationship with Xu Lingxue and decided to let things unfold naturally. After all, the chasm between them was profound. Even though Xu Lingxue’s attitude towards him had evolved over the years, there was still a long way to go before she could fully accept him.

“Father-in-law, you didn’t just come here to say that, did you?” Liu Wuxie inquired. As they sat together, the atmosphere grew tense. Liu Wuxie sensed that Xu Yilin had more to discuss, something of significance.

“Wuxie, I initially planned on telling you this after you married Xue’er. But because of what happened after that, I didn’t have the opportunity to do so. You have the right to know now that you’ve grown up.” Xu Yilin’s facial expression was grave as he spoke.

This revelation piqued Liu Wuxie’s curiosity even further, making him wonder what could have caused Xu Yilin to become so serious. He circulated his true essence, sobering up and focusing on what Xu Yilin was about to say.

“Please go on!” Liu Wuxie could only guess that it must be something important.

“Your parents didn’t abandon you out of their own volition; they were captured,” Xu Yilin disclosed. At this, Liu Wuxie abruptly rose from his seat.

“What did you say?!” As a young boy, Liu Wuxie had believed that his parents had abandoned him, which had led to a significant shift in his personality. The news that his parents had been captured was unexpected.

“The day before your parents were taken, your father entrusted you to me. He instructed me to tell you when you turned eighteen. He also asked us to advise you not to search for them and to remain in Azure Billow City,” Xu Yilin explained.

On the day Liu Wuxie’s parents were taken away, it was pouring rain, and a group of mysterious individuals had whisked them away. Liu Wuxie was fortunate because his parents had entrusted him to the Xu Clan a day before.

Liu Wuxie suddenly understood why Xu Yilin had tolerated his misbehavior in the past. He had even betrothed his beloved daughter to him and only wanted him to lead a simple life in Azure Billow City.

“Who took them away?” Since Liu Wuxie had accepted this body, he had also inherited its emotions. When he heard that his parents were captured, his heart throbbed with an urge to rescue them immediately. After all, they were his parents, and their blood flowed through him.

“Those individuals are far too formidable, their strength surpassing today’s group by a thousandfold. They can even traverse the skies, transcending the realm of mortals,” Xu Yilin recounted, still haunted by the memory of that night. The group that had abducted Liu Wuxie’s father had taken to the skies and flown away.

After all, flight was unimaginable for humans. Even the manifestation of true essence could barely support their body, but flying was impossible.

“Father-in-law, you just have to tell me who they are.” Liu Wuxie knew flying wasn’t impossible after the cultivation reached a certain height. After leaving the Great Yan Dynasty, he planned to seek his parents’ whereabouts.

“I’m uncertain, but your parents left this for you. They instructed me to give it to you once you turned eighteen, but recent events prevented me from doing so,” Xu Yilin said, placing a box from his interspatial pouch before Liu Wuxie. This was the sole item that Liu Wuxie’s parents had left behind for him.

On the wedding night, Liu Wuxie had nearly died in the brothel, not to mention the Xu Clan had to face the Wan and Tian Clans after that. Because of all the matters, Xu Yilin had almost forgotten about it.

Xu Yilin stood up and left after placing the box down. When he left, his back seemed more hunched than before.

Watching his father-in-law leave, Liu Wuxie was filled with mixed emotions. His father-in-law had been accommodating him in repaying the debt to his parents, and Liu Wuxie would never forget his kindness.

Without Xu Yilin’s watchful care over the years, Liu Wuxie might not have survived. Xu Yilin owed a debt of gratitude to Liu Wuxie’s parents, a debt he repaid over a lifetime, a debt more profound than the heavens.

Entering the room with the box, Liu Wuxie sat on his bed, gently caressing the surface of the box. The box was adorned with intricate patterns, and spiritual runes that didn’t seem to originate from the Great Yan Dynasty.

Xu Yilin had always kept the box with him, never opening it.

Upon gently opening the box, Liu Wuxie found a purple jade pendant, a book, and a handkerchief inscribed with words. As he unfolded the handkerchief and laid it flat on his palm, he could see that the handwriting belonged to a woman, embroidered in a way that could endure for decades without fading. If it had been written on paper, the writing would have smudged, or the paper would have decayed long ago.

“Wuxie, you must be grown up by the time you see this handkerchief. We’re sorry for leaving you alone in Azure Billow City at such a young age, but we’ve entrusted you to Brother Xu. He will take care of you on our behalf. Remember not to seek us out and live a simple life. Be dutiful to your father-in-law. We were honorable men when we met in Azure Billow City. There’s not much time left, and I love you. Take care of yourself!” The lines of the last few words were hastily written, indicating they were done in a rush.

As he put the handkerchief down, Liu Wuxie’s eyes welled up. He carefully folded the handkerchief and placed it back into the box.

Upon examining the jade pendant, Liu Wuxie noted its exquisite design, adorned with unfamiliar patterns that resembled either a bird or a flame. It seemed to be the emblem of an organization or a symbol of something he was yet to understand. On the reverse side, the word ‘Liu’ was engraved. This pendant likely belonged to his father and served as an identification token.

After scrutinizing it for a considerable amount of time, Liu Wuxie couldn’t glean any additional information and decided to return it to the box. He then picked up the last item, a book, and flipped it open to reveal a martial technique.

“Fatality Blade Art!” It was a blade technique, and Liu Wuxie began perusing the book with growing interest.

“Could this be a blade technique that my father practiced?” Liu Wuxie’s childhood memories were fragmented, but he could vaguely recall his father practicing a blade technique. However, the memories were too blurred to remember much.

The Xu Clan kept a portrait of his parents, and he had ingrained the appearance of his parents in his mind.

“What an exquisite blade technique!” Liu Wuxie was increasingly astonished the more he looked at the book. This blade technique was stronger than the Terranean Sword Art. It wasn’t a profound-grade martial technique; it might even be heaven-grade.

“This is great! I have long reached the pinnacle of the Blood Gleam Blade Art, and I need a blade technique suitable for me. This Fatality Blade Art is overbearing and suitable for me.” Closing the book, Liu Wuxie shut his eyes and began sorting the information in his mind.

Learning that his parents were captured had a significant impact on him, and he didn’t have much information about his parents. Even his father-in-law didn’t know why his parents were captured. Attempting to find his parents was no different than searching for a needle in a haystack.

Well, at least it was better than having no clues. The jade pendant could be considered a clue about his father.

When he came out of the house, Liu Wuxie’s brain began to process. The Fatality Blade Art had nine forms in total, and each form was highly lethal. This blade technique was meant to kill, honing the art of killing to the pinnacle.

This blade technique was fast and required powerful true essence, which was highly suitable for him. Drawing the Heretic Blade, Liu Wuxie raised it to the sky at forty-five degrees; this was the starting posture of the first form.

An invisible wave of energy began to brew around him, and the tiles on the roof began to crack under the pressure of his blade intent. Even before he swung his sword, his blade intent already possessed an offensive trait.

“First Fatality Form!” Liu Wuxie swung the Heretic Blade down and only used about ten percent of his true essence in this strike. His true essence was like a current pouring into the Heretic Blade through his arm.

In the aftermath, a long chasm formed on the ground. Liu Wuxie’s courtyard had been specially fortified due to his previous practice of the Overlord Fist there.

A large rock detonated into countless fragments, which were then further reduced to ashes. When the blade intent dissipated, a gulf ten meters long and three meters wide was left on the ground. This was the result of Liu Wuxie using only ten percent of his true essence.

If Liu Wuxie used his full strength, didn’t that mean that he would destroy half the Xu Clan?

“What a domineering blade technique!” Liu Wuxie realized that he had underestimated the True Martial Continent, and the Great Yan Dynasty was nothing compared to the entire continent.

Sheathing his blade, Liu Wuxie wore a bitter smile as he surveyed the damage he had caused.

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