Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 169 - A Lunatic

Liu Wuxie didn’t deem Fang Yeping worthy of dying alongside him. The Heretic Blade sealed off any possible variation in Fan Yeping’s sword technique. Liu Wuxie had fully grasped Fan Yeping’s Profound Azure Sword Art, noticing many flaws in his sword technique.

Fan Yeping had no room to evade as Liu Wuxie’s attacks were like tidal waves coming at him, making him scream in frustration.

“Profound Azure Spiritual Sword!” Fan Yeping executed the strongest attack of the Profound Azure Sword Art. His sword turned into countless swords manifested with sword aura. He had relied on this attack to defeat an opponent in the fourth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

The ferocious sword aura was overwhelming as it shot out. In response to the onslaught, Liu Wuxie chose to evade by soaring into the sky, much like a crane.

“It’s your turn to taste my attack now!”

The failure of Fan Yeping’s attack sent a wave of fear through him, prompting him to flee without a moment’s hesitation, too terrified to continue the fight.

“Momentous Gleam!” Upon reaching the Spirit Cleansing Realm, Liu Wuxie executed this move for the first time. As he unleashed his attack, the sky darkened, shrouded by a layer of black clouds that enveloped a thousand-meter radius around his blade intent.

The surrounding grass and trees exploded as a powerful shockwave of energy swept out in all directions.

Liu Wuxie didn’t expect his attack to be so powerful.

In the heart of the battle, a vast vortex appeared, trapping Fan Yeping in it.

Fan Yeping felt as if he were standing on quicksand, his body sinking. As Liu Wuxie’s blade aura descended, it inflicted numerous wounds on his body. While the wounds weren’t fatal, they were enough to instill terror in Fan Yeping. Each time he attempted to escape, Liu Wuxie’s blade intent would force him back down. As the battle wore on, Fan Yeping’s true essence rapidly depleted, and his resistance weakened.

When Liu Wuxie swung his blade, a powerful blade aura tore apart the air resistance and appeared before Fan Yeping.

“Liu Wuxie, I’m not the one who wanted your life but someone else! If you kill me, you won’t be able to find out who it is!” Fan Yeping roared. He indeed wanted Liu Wuxie’s life but wouldn’t come recklessly to Mulberry Town if it weren’t under someone’s instigation.

The blade aura disappeared as Fan Yeping sat on the ground powerlessly, covered in cold sweat.

“Speak up. Who wants to kill me?”

Liu Wuxie descended from the sky and looked at Fan Yeping coldly. He was determined to uncover the mastermind behind the unjust punishment he had received after killing the disciples of the Xue Clan, who now sought to kill him.

If he couldn’t expose the puppeteer pulling the strings, it would be like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. His enemies were hidden in the shadows while he was exposed. This meant he had to remain vigilant to avoid falling into their traps.

“Xiao Yanlong! He approached me and promised to help me regain my status as a teacher if I could kill you!” Fan Yeping confessed bitterly. The fight had left him with severe injuries, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to return to his peak even after recovery.

“Who’s Xiao Yanlong?” Liu Wuxie had no recollection of this person. He had initially thought Fan Yeping would mention the Xue Clan, and he was surprised that it was someone he didn’t know.

“You don’t know him?” Fan Yeping was taken aback. He had assumed they had a feud, which was why Xiao Yanlong had sought him out.

“I don’t know him!” Liu Wuxie shook his head. He searched his memories and couldn’t recall knowing anyone by that name.

“There are three headmasters in the Imperial Academy, and Xiao Yanlong is the disciple of Vice-Headmaster Qin Shi. Qin Shi has been teaching him since he was young, and he also comes from a distinguished family background. He is a Heaven Grade student and is listed as one of the ten core disciples.”

Xiao Yanlong had numerous titles and was an unquestionable genius. With so many titles, any ordinary person would be scared upon hearing his name.

As one of the ten seeded disciples, he was nurtured to become the future headmaster potentially. The resources of the Imperial Academy were supplied to these ten disciples with the highest priority, all possessing the qualification to become the next headmaster. Regardless of talent, strength, and potential, they far exceeded ordinary disciples.

Liu Wuxie was baffled as to why someone like that wanted to kill him. He didn’t recall having any conflict with Xiao Yanlong, and someone like that wouldn’t lower himself to curry favors with the Xue Clan. So, what was the reason?

Liu Wuxie couldn’t figure it out, nor could Fan Yeping, as Xiao Yanlong didn’t tell him why he wanted to kill Liu Wuxie.

“He didn’t tell you why he wanted to kill me?” Liu Wuxie asked, hoping to find some clues.

“No,” Fan Yeping replied.

Liu Wuxie used the Ghost Eye to confirm that Fan Yeping was telling the truth as the Ghost Eye could accurately detect if Fan Yeping were to lie. He swung his sword down, and blood splashed from Fan Yeping’s neck.

The latter was dead before he could even scream.

There was no need for Liu Wuxie to keep Fan Yeping around. Since he couldn’t contribute useful information, he would only report to Xiao Yanlong if Liu Wuxie spared him.

Using the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, Fan Yeping’s body began to shrivel, reducing to a piece of skin and disappearing from this world. When drops of liquid flowed into his dantian, Liu Wuxie’s cultivation began to rise, and he was only one step away from reaching the second level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm.

I must kill more people in the Marrow Cleansing Realm to make a breakthrough. Liu Wuxie thought to himself. He could make a breakthrough if he killed another person in the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Liu Wuxie smiled when his divine senses penetrated Fan Yeping’s interspatial pouch.

“As expected of a teacher to be so rich!” Teachers had high salaries, not to mention that they also received tributes from students and took on missions occasionally. Fan Yeping had some accumulation over the years with over a thousand spirit stones and countless herbs.

Several spiritual weapons were casually tossed aside in the interspatial pouch, along with a few bottles of pills. Liu Wuxie decided to keep them, as they could prove useful in his quest to reach the second level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm.

Liu Wuxie cleaned the battlefield to prevent any traces from being left behind. If news reached the Imperial Academy that he had killed a teacher, it would become troublesome for him.

Following the mountain road, Liu Wuxie headed to Mulberry Town. Rather than calling it a town, it was more like a large-scale market. The streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of passing merchant caravans.

Since it was still early, Liu Wuxie found an inn where he planned to rest for a day. He intended to investigate the Scarlet Dragon Association at night to scout the area. Time was of the essence, and he needed to wrap things up quickly.

The person who had assigned him the task had a simple motive: to force him to leave the Imperial Academy if he failed. Losing the backing of the Imperial Academy would make his future path challenging.

As Liu Wuxie sat near the window, a waiter served him some exquisite dishes. He watched the passing merchants with a hint of weariness in his eyes, a reflection of the limited time he had left.

A breathtaking woman ascended the stairs and sat on the table opposite to him. She was donned in dark green, looking roughly twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She instantly became the center of focus as she entered the inn.

Liu Wuxie found himself puzzled as he recognized the woman from somewhere but couldn’t place her. He quickly dismissed the thought, choosing not to dwell on it. He quietly enjoyed his drink and waited until sunset before paying his bill and departing.

The headquarters of the Scarlet Dragon Association was situated on Dragon Head Mountain, ten miles from Mulberry Town. The location, surrounded by three cliffs with only one path leading up the mountain, was well-guarded, making it difficult for anyone to launch an attack.

Navigating through several streets, Liu Wuxie found himself on a less crowded street. He maintained a steady pace, ensuring he would reach Dragon Head Mountain before nightfall.

Suddenly, a figure blocked his path. It was the same woman from the inn, who had somehow managed to get ahead of him.

“Why have you been following me?” she asked, her face cold as she eyed Liu Wuxie warily.

“What?” Liu Wuxie’s forehead was covered with wrinkles. This road didn’t belong to anyone; he was simply taking this path. So, how did it turn into him stalking her?

“Lady, you’re overly suspicious. I’m only taking this path, and I have no intentions of following you,” Liu Wuxie explained, wanting to avoid unnecessary trouble. This woman’s cultivation wasn’t low and was in the second level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, which surprised him.

“You’re still trying to argue? You’ve been following me since I left the inn. What are you planning, and who sent you after me?” A sword appeared in the woman’s hand as she raised it to point at Liu Wuxie, ready to kill him if he couldn’t provide her with a satisfactory answer.

Liu Wuxie felt unjustly accused. It was pure coincidence that they were on the same path. How did that translate into him stalking her? “I’m speaking the truth. If you choose not to believe me, there’s nothing I can do. I have other matters to attend to and will continue on my way!” With a respectful bow, Liu Wuxie proceeded forward. He didn’t want to provoke this woman, but that didn’t mean he was afraid of her. His main concern was not to alert the Scarlet Dragon Association.

“Stop it right there!” But the woman didn’t give up and stabbed her sword at Liu Wuxie’s neck, displaying high aggression.

“How dare you?!”

Liu Wuxie was furious, leaving behind an afterimage, and dodged the fatal attack.

When her attack missed, the woman was surprised that someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm could block her attack, which meant that this man wasn’t simple. She continued to stab her sword at Liu Wuxie, mistaking him for a member of the Scarlet Dragon Association. “The entirety of your Scarlet Dragon Association are scumbags, and I’ll uphold justice today!”

Liu Wuxie was taken aback. He had no idea how he had been mistaken for a member of the Scarlet Dragon Association. Just as he was about to clarify, the woman launched another series of attacks.

Her fighting prowess was stronger than Fan Yeping's, making Liu Wuxie wonder who this woman was to attack him for no reason. But judging from her tone, she was filled with hatred for the Scarlet Dragon Association. This path led toward the Scarlet Dragon Association, and it was no wonder she would misunderstand his identity.

“Lady, don’t blame me for retaliating if you’re not going to stop.” Liu Wuxie drew his blade and knocked the woman’s sword away, forcing her to retreat.

“You dare retaliate? I’ll kill you today!” The woman’s fury was palpable. Their previous clash had sent a shockwave of power through her sword, causing it to be knocked away. As a Marrow Cleansing Realm expert, she had never been pushed back by someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm before.

Liu Wuxie was in a dilemma. The woman didn’t seem evil, and he didn’t want to harm an innocent person. However, not defending himself could put his mission at risk.

Despite the relentless onslaught, Liu Wuxie chose to remain on the defensive. But no matter what he did, the woman continued her relentless assault.

“What a lunatic!” Liu Wuxie cursed and soared to the sky, disappearing into the woods.

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