Desolate Devouring Art

Li Shang was backed into a corner by a woman. His arrogance remained unchecked despite having collected only a few jade tokens throughout the assessment.

"Li Qing, attack!" Li Shang barked, his patience worn thin after countless exchanges without victory. At his command, Li Qing, another disciple of the Li Clan, leaped into the fray.

With her opponents closing in from both sides, Liu Xin'er struggled to keep up and was overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie merely stood by the side, his face devoid of emotion. There was no hint of anger or murderous intent—only quiet observation. He knew that he could kill them with a single slap if needed. Instead, he chose not to intervene, giving Liu Xin'er the opportunity to hone her skills through this battle. He remained ready, though, to step in if she faced real danger.

Time passed, and the trio exchanged over a hundred moves, but neither side could gain the upper hand. The battle was locked in a stalemate, and even with another hundred moves, a decisive outcome seemed unlikely.

"I'll help!" A man leaped into the fray, swinging his longsword to help Li Shang and Li Qing defeat Liu Xin'er before dealing with Liu Wuxie.

"Get lost!" Liu Wuxie roared, summoning an invisible palm that struck the man with overwhelming force, sending him flying ten meters like a broken kite before he could even step into the battle zone.

When the man crashed into the ground, a human-shaped crater formed beneath him, and his body was battered and drenched in blood.

The onlookers were stunned, their expressions filled with awe. Liu Wuxie's strength was undeniable—throwing someone at the eighth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm like that was no small feat. If this had been a real fight, that man would already be a corpse.

When the man crawled out from the crater, he looked at Liu Wuxie, his gaze filled with terror. He knew he had brushed against death itself, as he would be dead if Liu Wuxie had exerted more force in that strike.

The sudden events surprised Li Shang and Li Qing, who stopped and no longer dared to continue the fight.

"What's wrong? Afraid?" Liu Xin'er mocked.

"Hmph! We're just tired!" Li Shang retorted. It was humiliating enough, and he had nothing to lose.

With that, the two retreated cautiously and looked at Liu Wuxie with fear.

"Did I say you two could leave?" Liu Wuxie’s voice was cold and commanding as an ice shield descended in front of them, blocking their path. Did they really think he was a pushover who would let them challenge him and leave as they pleased?

"Liu Wuxie, don't push it!" Li Shang was certainly fearful, but he wasn't scared out of his wits. He believed both sides would suffer if they fought to the death.

"You're right. So what if I'm pushing it?" Liu Wuxie knew he had to set an example to prevent similar events from occurring again. Since Li Shang had volunteered to be the sacrificial lamb, Liu Wuxie saw no reason to decline.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Liu Wuxie's overbearing words sent a clear message that he was bullying them on purpose, but what could they do about it?

Li Shang and Li Qing found themselves in a tough spot. Retreating would invite ridicule and tarnish their reputations, but engaging in a fight to the death was equally risky—they weren’t confident they could defeat Liu Wuxie.

"Big Brother Li Shang, do we have to be afraid of one man? Let's attack together!" Li Qing's fiery temper flared, much like Liu Xin'er's. Without waiting for a response, he raised his sword, ready to strike. In his mind, the entire Li Clan's reputation was on the line. If news spread that they had cowered before a single opponent, it would be a disgrace they could never endure.

Not only that, but if they backed down now, they wouldn't be able to face their fellow clansmen, and every Li Clan disciple would be forced to live under the shadow of the Liu Clan. This was no longer about personal pride—it was a matter of the entire clan's honor.

"Let's attack together!" Li Shang also realized the gravity of the situation. If they couldn't teach Liu Wuxie a lesson today, the Li Clan would lose their footing in Astral Glory City.

Without hesitation, the two lunged at Liu Wuxie with their swords.

Liu Xin'er prepared to step in and help, but Liu Wuxie gestured for her to stop. He knew that prolonging the fight would yield no real outcome and only drain their energy unnecessarily.

Liu Xin'er obediently stepped aside to give them space.

Li Shang and Li Qing had flanked Liu Wuxie from both sides, strategically positioning themselves to allow offense and defense.

A faint smirk rose on Liu Wuxie's lips, but he said nothing to expose them. He knew they planned to strike and flee if they failed.

"Come on!" Liu Wuxie said, not wanting to waste time. The sky was darkening, and the assessment would end at nightfall.

More participants were streaming into Star River Valley before nightfall.

Liu Wuxie merely stood still with his hands behind him. He couldn't even be bothered to draw his weapon. Everyone knew that seizing the initiative was crucial in a fight, and they began to wonder if Liu Wuxie had a screw loose in his head to give the initiative away.

If he wasn’t insane, the only other explanation was that Liu Wuxie had completely disregarded his opponents.

Seeing this, Li Shang and Li Qing exchanged glances and smirked. To them, Liu Wuxie's overconfidence was an opportunity. With the initiative in hand, they believed their odds of winning had dramatically increased. They launched their attacks without hesitation, aiming directly for Liu Wuxie's vitals.

Killing was forbidden in Star River Valley, and they were determined to kill Liu Wuxie even at the risk of violating the regulations. They knew the Li Clan wouldn't be able to overtake the Liu Clan as long as Liu Wuxie lived.

The Liu and Li Clans had long been rivals, constantly competing for resources and influence. For the Li Clan to rise, they needed to surpass the Liu Clan and establish dominance over Astral Glory City as the strongest clan. This fierce rivalry had fueled countless conflicts over the years. Liu Wuxie had learned about this ongoing feud through the clan's records and books.

The two swords whistled through the air, their deadly arcs aimed at Liu Wuxie's back and lower abdomen. A strike to his spine would leave him paralyzed, and a blow to his dantian would cripple him, rendering him unable to cultivate ever again.

Liu Xin'er watched anxiously, her fingers twitching as she fought the urge to intervene and kill the two attackers herself.

As the two sword auras closed in on Liu Wuxie, he remained motionless, allowing the swords to approach him.

"What is he doing? Why isn't he dodging?" The spectators gasped in shock. Liu Wuxie should have evaded the attacks by all logic, but he stood firm like a pine tree, his feet deeply rooted in the earth.

But Liu Wuxie mysteriously vanished just as the swords were inches away from striking him. Li Shang and Li Qing, positioned on opposite sides, unknowingly attacked each other. When Liu Wuxie disappeared, it was as if their blades had been redirected toward one another.

It was too late for them to pull back their attacks, and an invisible surge of force diverted their attacks. No one knew what had happened as Li Shang's sword pierced through Li Qing's chest, and vice-versa.

The onlookers were stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief. No one had anticipated such a sudden turn of events. Both Li Shang and Li Qing felt their true essence spiral out of control as they gasped in pain.

The swords plunged into each other's chest at identical angles and depths. This was bizarre as no one could figure out why the two would suddenly stab each other.

Many people turned to look at Liu Wuxie. It made no sense for the two working together to attack each other suddenly, so there was only one plausible explanation: Liu Wuxie had manipulated the battle.

But everyone could see that Liu Wuxie hadn't lifted even a finger. Even if the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy wished to pursue the matter, they wouldn't be able to find any evidence tying Liu Wuxie to their deaths.

After all, controlling another person's flow of true essence required an overwhelming disparity in strength, but Liu Wuxie had accomplished it.

Blood trickled from the corners of Li Shang's and Li Qing's lips. Despite suffering a fatal wound, deaths didn't claim them instantly.

Two primordial spirits flew out from their soul seas, hovering in the air. Their primordial spirits were still alive even after their physical bodies died.

"Liu Wuxie, you despicable scoundrel! You manipulated our true essence and laws!" Li Shang roared. His primordial spirit was a miniature version of himself.

However, Li Shang's and Li Qing's primordial spirits were pitifully small compared to Liu Wuxie's, and their laws were thin.

Everyone had only speculated that Liu Wuxie had manipulated everything, but they had no evidence. Although they had verified this from Li Shang's primordial spirit, nothing could be done. They were only left with their primordial spirits, and their future was ruined even if they could find a new body as hosts.

"How noisy!" Liu Wuxie muttered, unleashing Soul Spears from his soul sea. But he didn't move an inch, and no one saw him attack.

The two primordial spirits suddenly let out an ear-piercing scream. Death was inevitable if a primordial spirit was pierced, and they fell to the ground as they screamed, slowly withering away.

In mere moments, they had turned into withered gray husks with their laws dissipated utterly.

"This..." Everyone was shocked to see the deaths of the primordial spirits, even after they had escaped from their soul seas.

"What's going on? How did their primordial spirits die?" Everyone looked at each other and couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Under normal circumstances, the primordial spirit could escape as long as one could avoid direct attacks made using martial techniques, but the two primordial spirits had perished without any signs.

The Star River Valley fell into silence with a shadow looming over everyone's hearts.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you commit murder in the Star River Valley!" a cultivator at the True Profound Realm shouted as he stepped forward, his aura radiating intimidation.

"And who the fucktard are you?" Liu Wuxie replied, his tone dripping with disdain as he cast a cold gaze at the man. He showed no regard for the newcomer, and if necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him too.

However, the Star River Valley had strict regulations that forbade killing, and trying to kill someone without leaving any evidence was no easy feat.

The insult struck a nerve, and the man let out an enraged roar, his voice echoing across the valley.

"Is Liu Wuxie insane? How dare he talk to Hong Du in this manner!" gasped the onlookers.

The man in question was Hong Du, a cultivator who had stepped into the True Profound Realm months ago and was well-known for his formidable strength.

Hong Du's expression darkened, his face twisting with anger as he slowly advanced toward Liu Wuxie.