Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 75 - Blade Intent

Chapter 75 - Blade Intent

Yun Lan’s exclamation drew everyone’s attention. When they followed his line of sight, Shangguan Cai squinted his eyes.

“What exquisite answers. Are the answers really his?” Ke Wen asked in disbelief. When they compared Liu Wuxie’s answers with the standard answers, his answers were even more accurate and brilliant than the standard ones.

Che Jiajun was amazed. “Incredible! He not only listed the names of all ten pills correctly, but he even included the years and herbs used to refine them!” Liu Wuxie’s answers were not only brilliant but also incredibly detailed. Compared to Ji Yang’s 90% accuracy, Liu Wuxie’s answers were 120% accurate, as he even included the refining methods for the pills.

The standard answers only had the names of the pills and herbs required to refine them. As for the refining method, they wouldn’t be disclosed easily. It was like knowing the recipe for a common snack but needing the technique to create different flavors. The same applied to pills.

The pills originated from surrounding dynasties and were exchanged with the Great Yan Dynasty using their formula. Even the three judges were unaware of the refining methods and were unable to produce the pills themselves.

Everyone’s gazes changed when they looked at Liu Wuxie again. Their eyes showed a hint of awe and a trace of fear. Liu Wuxie was too terrifying, and he made them all feel a chill down their spines.

Du Mingze’s face was ashen, and he collapsed on the ground, sweat soaking his clothes. On the other hand, Xiao Mingyi’s body trembled as he leaned on the nearest table to prevent himself from falling. As for Wen Song, he was so terrified that he nearly peed his pants and found an opportunity to escape.

“Three judges, what do you think?” Ke Wen asked, seeking the three judges’ opinions. Judging from the answers, Liu Wuxie’s answers even surpassed Ji Yang's. His answers were more detailed, and he even wrote down the names of the pills.

The three judges wore bitter smiles, as Liu Wuxie had requested public scoring to prevent them from refuting his answers.

“He must’ve cheated! Even if he knew the names of the pills, how could he know the refining method for those pills? Someone must’ve secretly told him the answers, and he must’ve fabricated the refining method!” Yun Lan jumped up and questioned Liu Wuxie’s answers.

“That’s right! He must’ve cheated!” Nangong Qi followed behind. After all, Liu Wuxie’s answers were even more accurate than the standard answers, leading to suspicions of cheating.

“What a joke. You guys accuse us just because our answers are better than yours? So are you saying that someone from the headquarters leaked the answers to Azure Billow City?” Bi Gongyu sneered. He wasn’t afraid of an investigation, as it would be easy to determine which side cheated. Azure Billow City had nothing to fear, but someone would be afraid and doomed if they were investigated.

“The three of us have unanimously decided that Liu Wuxie’s answers are the most accurate among the participants, which means he has won first place in this round!” Master Mao declared the final result. After three days of competition, Liu Wuxie won with a crushing advantage.

Liu Wuxie vanished when the result was announced and reappeared before Du Mingze, Xiao Mingyi, and Wen Song, his blade in hand emitting a sharp aura. “So, do you want to commit suicide, or do you need my help?” he asked.

The surrounding atmosphere suddenly became dense, with everyone holding their breaths. After all, there had never been deaths in the past competitions, and that record would break today.

“We’ll go at him together!” Du Mingze gritted his teeth and drew his sword. Xiao Mingyi and Wen Song naturally wanted to struggle and joined Du Mingze.

“Do you think you will stand a chance trying to gang up on me?” Liu Wuxie sneered as three afterimages appeared, charging at the three of them. Yun Lan and Nangong Qi wanted to stop Liu Wuxie, but it was too late.

“Momentous Gleam!” Liu Wuxie unleashed a terrifying blade aura, enveloping the entire venue with his blade aura. His blade aura surrounded the three, and he vanished from sight.

“Shit!” Du Mingze began swinging his sword around frantically, losing his reason.

“Master, save me!” Xiao Mingyi cried out for help. He didn’t want to die, but they were unable to move as death approached.

“Brat, I’ll kill you if you dare to kill them!” Yun Lan charged over, wanting to save the three of them. But everything happened quickly, and it was too late for him to stop Liu Wuxie.

“No one can save those I want to kill!” Liu Wuxie declared as he unleashed three blade waves. Three heads flew into the air and exploded, blood raining down on the ground.

Yun Lan lost all composure at the sight of his prized disciple being killed before him. “ARGGGH! I’ll kill you!” he roared, charging at Liu Wuxie like a wild lion.

Bi Gongyu dashed forward, trying to block Yun Lan’s attack on Liu Wuxie. “Yun Lan, how dare you?!” he cried. But it was too late, as Yun Lan had already drawn his sword and aimed it at Liu Wuxie’s neck using a tricky sword technique.

Liu Wuxie remained calm, raising his blade to the sky and unleashing a powerful blade intent that tore apart the clouds. “No one can kill me!” he declared. He had been suppressing his blade intent, waiting for a satisfying battle to release it.

Wang Hongcai stepped back in shock. “Blade intent! He’s comprehended blade intent!” he exclaimed. It was unbelievable that someone as young as Liu Wuxie had achieved such a feat, while those of the older generation had struggled for decades without success. Had the world evolved so they could no longer keep up with it?

“What terrifying blade intent!” Ke Wen’s face changed drastically. The aura that Liu Wuxie gave off was so terrifying that it made everyone’s heart tremble. They couldn’t bear the pressure of Liu Wuxie’s blade intent and quickly retreated.

As for Shangguan Cai, a grave look flashed across his eyes. After all, it wasn’t hard for anyone to figure out that the leak of the answers had a great connection with him, and he didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing to offend such a formidable foe. The fact that Liu Wuxie had comprehended blade intent meant that there was a high chance he could become a grandmaster in the future.

On the other hand, Yun Lan was caught in the momentum of his attack, and Liu Wuxie’s blade intent firmly locked onto him.

Lin Wuxie executed Ghost Eye, and he could see every variation in Yun Lan’s movement technique. His attack forced air to compress and expand when he swung his blade down, causing an air explosion with a shockwave spreading out.

Yun Lan’s attack was deflected, causing the ground to explode and sending fragments of slabs flying in all directions. Everyone scrambled for cover behind the tables, but some were caught off guard as the tables exploded, and those with lower cultivation levels were injured, coughing up blood.

A dark cloud descended over the venue, and two figures emerged, the sky turning red.

Liu Wuxie coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face becoming pale, and he smashed into the observation area with his sleeves exploding from his true essence.

Yun Lan didn’t feel good either as he took ten-odd steps back before he managed to regain his stability. He was in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and his attack earlier was enough to kill an expert in the Spirit Cleansing Realm.

Nangong Qi showed a hint of panic. “How is it possible that he survived a full-strength attack from a Marrow Cleansing Realm expert?” he exclaimed. Even someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm would have struggled to withstand Yun Lan’s attack, yet Liu Wuxie had managed to survive, albeit with heavy injuries.

The pavilion masters present were shocked.

“Blade intent, I didn’t expect blade intent to be so powerful!” In the end, Liu Wuxie’s Ghost Eye and blade intent allowed him to avoid the fatal blow of Yun Lan’s attack.

“A monstrous genius! He’s a monstrous genius! He’s only eighteen, and his alchemy skills far surpassed those of the older generation, not to mention he’s also a genius in martial cultivation. His name would probably spread throughout the Great Yan Dynasty in a few days!” Che Jiajun muttered. Such a genius couldn't conceal himself, and Liu Wuxie would soar to the sky sooner or later.

Ji Yang stood in the distance, clenching his fists with veins bulging on his forehead. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he couldn’t bear the thought of anyone surpassing him in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Liu Wuxie coughed as he clutched his chest. He swallowed a Heavenly Spirit Pill to suppress his injuries. As he circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere began pouring into him. As ten-odd droplets of liquid flowed out from the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, Liu Wuxie recovered his injuries in the blink of an eye.

Bi Gongyu’s face darkened as he stepped forward to confront Yun Lan. “How dare you, Yun Lan?! They signed the life-and-death waiver, and Liu Wuxie won fair and square. They deserved their fate, yet you, as a senior, attacked a junior. You are unworthy of being a pavilion master!” he declared, standing protectively in front of Liu Wuxie.

Yun Lan was speechless, his face turning pale with anger. He knew that Bi Gongyu was right—they had signed the waiver, and their lives were no longer their own.

Li An, the host of the competition, stepped in to defuse the situation. “Let’s put an end to this. Young Master Liu is unharmed, and the three have been punished. Let’s leave it at that,” he said, addressing everyone with a respectful bow.

Yun Lan had missed his chance for revenge and knew that if he continued to attack, he would be besieged by everyone present. He could only grit his teeth and wait for another opportunity. The tables and chairs had been destroyed in the chaos, leaving everyone standing amidst the ruins.

Sang Yan was eager to move on and quickly announced the distribution of rewards for the competition. “The first place winner will receive a fourth-grade pill, while the second and third place winners will each receive a third-grade pill,” he said, producing the rewards.

Ji Yang and Qin Letian were not interested in the third-grade pills as rewards, as they were three-star alchemists who could refine third-grade pills themselves. Only the fourth-grade pill, which was awarded to Liu Wuxie, caught their attention.

When Liu Wuxie received the porcelain bottle containing the fourth-grade pill, he immediately swallowed it. Many people coveted the fourth-grade pill, so the best way to keep it safe was to consume it directly. With the help of the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, Liu Wuxie could easily refine fourth-grade pills. As soon as he consumed the pill, its energy exploded within him, and Liu Wuxie began to make a breakthrough to the fourth level of the Xiantian Realm.