Desolate Devouring Art

After a journey of four days, the trio arrived in the Imperial City. With only three days remaining until Liu Wuxie’s death match with Qin Shi, he realized that reaching the Marrow Cleansing Realm anytime soon was unlikely, as he needed sufficient accumulation before attempting such a breakthrough.

“Lingxue, you should head back first. I need to go to the Treasure Pill Pavilion with Pavilion Master Bi,” Liu Wuxie suggested. The three of them parted ways on the ten-mile-long street. Xu Lingxue returned to the Imperial Academy, while Liu Wuxie and Bi Gongyu made their way to the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

Liu Wuxie’s return caused quite a stir in the Treasure Pill Pavilion. After all, news of his exposure of the Cloud Xing Pavilion’s scheme and his role in saving the Treasure Pill Pavilion from a crisis had already spread throughout the Imperial City.

A group of ten-odd deacons stepped forward and bowed in respect, acknowledging Liu Wuxie as the hero of the Treasure Pill Pavilion. Upon learning of Liu Wuxie’s return, Master Mao immediately ceased his activities and, followed by other alchemists, rushed out to welcome Liu Wuxie.

Bi Gongyu hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to hold such a high position in the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and he noticed that all the alchemists present looked at Liu Wuxie with reverence in their eyes.

“Wuxie, the lady left instructions for you to find her when you return,” Master Mao relayed, ensuring he didn’t forget.

“Very well, I will meet with the lady,” Liu Wuxie declared. He added, “Pavilion Master Bi will soon be an alchemist here. It would be beneficial for all of you to interact regularly.” With that, he made his way towards the ninth floor.

Upon his arrival, a maid requested him to wait in the main hall. She excused herself to inform Mu Yueying of his presence.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Mu Yueying emerged from behind a curtain. Her complexion was pallid, suggesting she had recently been ill. She was so weak that she required the maid’s assistance to recline on the couch.

Liu Wuxie immediately rose from his seat upon seeing her condition. “Big Sister Mu, you’re hurt!” he exclaimed. He activated his Ghost Eye to inspect Mu Yueying more closely. His gaze penetrated her meridians, revealing a disturbing displacement in her internal organs. To his horror, he also discovered a palm print on her back that had nearly ruptured her heart pulses.

“I won’t die anytime soon!” Mu Yueying declared, a hint of pain crossing her face as she settled down. Her movements suggested that her injuries were being aggravated.

Liu Wuxie was taken aback by the severity of Mu Yueying’s injuries. While others might be oblivious to her strength, he was well aware that her cultivation had long surpassed the True Core Realm. This led him to wonder who could possibly have the power to harm her.

“Who did this to you?” Liu Wuxie asked, a sense of realization dawning on him. It wasn’t difficult to surmise that she must have sustained these injuries during her journey to procure the fifth-grade talisman paper for him.

“We can discuss that later,” Mu Yueying responded, diverting the conversation back to the talisman paper. “This is the fifth-grade talisman paper you requested. Unfortunately, this is all I have. You’ll have to make do with it.” She presented a damaged talisman paper, its edge torn off, likely during a struggle.

The talisman paper, slightly larger than a palm and golden in color, was adorned with a layer of spiritual runes. Crafting such a paper was no easy task, making each one incredibly valuable. A fifth-grade talisman paper could command an astronomical price in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Upon receiving the talisman paper, Liu Wuxie noticed traces of blood on it. The paper felt as heavy as a mountain in his hands, not due to its physical weight, but because of the knowledge that Mu Yueying had nearly lost her life to obtain it for him. He vowed to remember her kindness and sacrifice.

“Big Sister Mu, there’s no need for you to invest so much in me,” Liu Wuxie stated as he took a seat. He had already discerned that Mu Yueying was making efforts to nurture him.

“You’re worth the investment,” Mu Yueying responded, her demeanor casual as she managed to sit up. Her complexion seemed to improve as she conversed with Liu Wuxie. “There’s a piece missing from the talisman paper. See if you can still use it.”

“It’s not a problem,” Liu Wuxie reassured her. While a missing corner might render a fifth-grade talisman paper useless to others, he was confident in his ability to compensate for it. He believed he could still harness the power of a fifth-grade talisman.

“Thanks for helping with the Cloud Xing Pavilion’s incident and recovering the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s losses. But you have also attracted the attention of the emissary from the Azure Crimson Gate. I’ll help you get rid of that emissary once I’ve recovered,” Mu Yueying said with a hint of murderous intent in her eyes. She didn’t expect the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s alchemists to nearly die in the Cloud Xing Pavilion while she wasn’t around.

Liu Wuxie was not taken aback by the prospect of retaliation from the Cloud Xing Pavilion, given that he had thwarted their plans. While he held no fear for the Cloud Xing Pavilion, he recognized the emissary from the Azure Crimson Gate as a significant threat. He surmised that the emissary’s power was likely on par with Mu Yueying’s, and he knew he needed to tread carefully.

Intrigued, Liu Wuxie asked, “Big Sister Mu, who exactly is this emissary?” He had previously noticed an expert lurking in the shadows of the Cloud Xing Pavilion using his Ghost Eye, but this individual had remained hidden throughout the entire incident.

The response was nonchalant. “He’s merely a deacon of the Azure Crimson Gate. There’s no need to worry about him.

However, Liu Wuxie knew that a deacon of the Azure Crimson Gate could be a formidable figure in the Great Yan Dynasty, someone even the royal clan would hesitate to cross.

Deciding not to impose further, Liu Wuxie stood up, ready to depart. “I won’t disturb your rest any longer. I’ll come to visit you after my duel with Qin Shi.” He was mindful of the task ahead—he had to craft a fifth-grade talisman, and he only had three days left to do so.

“Remember what I said: you must survive the battle no matter what. I’m injured and won’t be able to support you on that day.” Mu Yueying said, telling Liu Wuxie to survive no matter what.

Liu Wuxie left the ninth floor with a heavy heart. Mu Yueying had done so much for him, and she didn’t ask for anything in return. It wasn’t hard to guess that she was trying to recruit him into the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Sects in the cultivating world habitually recruited talented individuals from the mortal world.

Upon his return to the alchemy region, a welcoming ceremony was held by Master Mao and the other alchemists. They expressed their gratitude towards Liu Wuxie before extending a warm welcome to Bi Gongyu at the headquarters.

Following a brief exchange, everyone was made aware of Liu Wuxie’s impending death match in three days. Out of respect for his situation, they refrained from taking up any more of his time.

Liu Wuxie then retreated to an alchemy chamber, sealing himself inside with the intention of spending the next three days there. The task of inscribing a fifth-grade talisman was delicate and allowed no room for error. Given the number of people in the Imperial Academy, it was crucial to maintain the element of surprise. Any leak of information regarding the fifth-grade talisman could prove detrimental.

Seated on a mat with his legs crossed, Liu Wuxie embarked on a meditative journey. His goal was to reach an ethereal state of peak condition, a prerequisite for inscribing the talisman. This process was distinct from forging weapons or refining pills.

In the case of weapon forging and pill refining, the spiritual runes he inscribed were artifact runes and pill runes, respectively. These runes were larger and thus easier to inscribe. However, the spiritual runes for a talisman were much finer, significantly increasing the task's difficulty.

Liu Wuxie rested for an entire day and night to recover all the remaining injuries in his body.

......

Meanwhile, the Imperial Academy was buzzing with anticipation. News of the upcoming duel between Liu Wuxie and Qin Shi had spread throughout the Great Yan Dynasty, attracting the attention of the five major clans and various experts. The academy, overwhelmed by the number of spectators, had no choice but to send out invitations to various prominent figures in the dynasty.

Disciples who were training outside returned, not wanting to miss this grand event. Even those who were in seclusion emerged to witness the battle. After all, it was the first time someone had challenged the Vice-Headmaster of the Imperial Academy.

On the day of the battle, the Imperial Academy suspended all the classes to make it convenient for students to watch the battle. It was unbeknownst to Liu Wuxie, who was still secluded in his world.

In his secluded world, a fifth-grade talisman hovered before Liu Wuxie, lifted off the ground by a mysterious force. As he formed seals with his hands and swiped his right index finger, a ripple in space occurred, imprinting a peculiar spiritual rune on the talisman paper.

The spiritual runes could only be contained within a talisman paper. Faint runes, resembling veins, appeared on the golden talisman. Just as water requires a container, spiritual runes required a talisman paper to contain them. This was the essence of talisman creation.

Creating talismans was no easy task. A first-grade talisman required ten spiritual runes, with no room for error. A fifth-grade talisman required hundreds of spiritual runes, and the structure of the spiritual runes couldn’t have any rejections. For instance, using water-attribute spiritual runes to inscribe a Fire Spiritual Talisman would result in the talisman being destroyed or causing injury to the user due to the conflicting elements.

There were many variations of talismans, such as talismans used for escaping, teleportation, purification, and so on. Many Spiritualists only grasped the creation method of one or two talismans in their lifetime. That was the same for alchemists, as most only knew the refining method for several pills.

The talisman Liu Wuxie inscribed was called the Pentabolt Talisman. Upon activation, it would summon five thunders to bombard the enemy. No one could withstand the onslaught of five thunders, and Liu Wuxie had to catch Qin Shi by surprise to kill him.

In just half a day, Liu Wuxie had inscribed over a hundred spiritual runes on the talisman. The speed of his inscribing the spiritual runes decreased, and the talisman paper was practically covered with runes, each having its trajectory.

Liu Wuxie started off somewhat rusty, but as time passed, he became more proficient, and his speed increased.

Due to a missing edge, the talisman paper couldn’t contain all the spiritual runes. To resolve this issue, Liu Wuxie inscribed fifty heaven expansion spiritual runes that filled up the edge like cobwebs, a type of spiritual rune unknown to others.

With only one day left until the death match, many people arrived early to secure the best seats. While guests had exclusive seats, the students of the Imperial Academy had to compete for the best spots.

In just one day, several brutal incidents occurred, with high-grade disciples snatching spots from low-grade disciples. Ultimately, the academy’s higher-ups had to intervene, dividing the area into several regions and constructing numerous platforms for everyone’s convenience, even though some spots might be a bit far away.

A square arena, over a hundred meters in length, was situated in the center. The arena was further expanded from its foundation to accommodate the battle between Liu Wuxie and Qin Shi.

With just a few hours left until the deadline, the venue was already teeming with people. The surrounding discussions could be heard even from a distance.

......

In the tranquility of Qin Shi’s courtyard, Xiao Yanlong arrived to pay his usual respects to his master. After twenty days of recovery, he had not only fully recuperated but also used this opportunity to ascend to the ninth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

“Master, it’s almost time!” Xiao Yanlong reminded him. The impending battle was not just about Qin Shi’s dignity as the Vice-Headmaster but also about avenging Guo Zhong’s death.

“Let’s go!” Qin Shi said calmly, tidying up his clothes and setting off with Xiao Yanlong to the arena.

......

Meanwhile, at the Treasure Pill Pavilion, Liu Wuxie remained secluded in the alchemy chamber. A crowd had gathered outside, eagerly awaiting his emergence. Master Mao, who had also been invited to watch the battle, chose to wait outside Liu Wuxie’s alchemy chamber instead of heading to the Imperial Academy.

As Liu Wuxie inscribed the last spiritual rune on the talisman paper, rumbling sounds echoed in the alchemy chamber, originating from the talisman.

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