Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 185 - Fifth-Level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm

As Liu Wuxie successfully awakened the fire attribute, the more fire elements he consumed, the purer the true essence in his dantian became.

The battlefield descended into chaos as additional Earth Scorch Dragons joined the fray, encircling the group of about fifty humans and blocking their escape.

The Fire Spiritual Bead remained suspended in the air, not descending, as everyone awaited an opportune moment.

A long stream of flame erupted, covering a radius of several hundred meters and radiating an intense heat.

A cultivator at the second level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm failed to evade in time and screamed as the flames consumed his body. This was due to the presence of adult Earth Scorch Dragons on the battlefield, whose power was comparable to that of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

The situation grew increasingly dire for the humans as the number of Earth Scorch Dragons multiplied. Thousands emerged from underground, transforming a thousand-mile radius into a sea of fire. Even if someone managed to obtain the Fire Spiritual Bead, escaping this place alive would be nearly impossible.

Liu Wuxie was hidden in the dark, and several Earth Scorch Dragons pounced on him, wanting to devour him. Two pillars of flames shot toward him, and the terrifying temperature left wrinkles on his skin. The surrounding temperature was incredibly high, as if he were sitting on fire.

As the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron spun, it absorbed the incoming flames, rendering them harmless to Liu Wuxie. Having awakened his fire attribute, he was immune to fire attacks and could use them to refine his true essence.

“Time for a breakthrough!” Liu Wuxie declared. He took out spirit stones and began to absorb them. Thousands of drops of liquid appeared in the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and poured into his dantian.

Liu Wuxie’s aura began to rise, and it didn’t take long for him to reach the fifth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm. His last breakthrough was only ten-odd days ago.

Had he remained at the Imperial Academy, he would have only been able to reach the second level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm at most. This trip had proven to be immensely beneficial for him.

Liu Wuxie’s breakthrough and his ability to consume the fire breathed by the Earth Scorch Dragons drew the attention of many, making him an instant target.

“Catch him! If he can withstand the fire, we can get the Fire Spiritual Bead by capturing him!” The group of about fifty people, unable to compete for the Fire Spiritual Bead due to the encircling Earth Scorch Dragons, were surprised that someone they had underestimated could resist the fire.

When Cui Shao let out a roar, an unusual weapon appeared in his hand. It released waves of water that extinguished the surrounding fire. This appeared to be a profound artifact of water elements.

Everyone had similar treasures on them that could barely withstand the fire attacks. If this continued, they wouldn’t last long and would eventually fall to the Earth Scorch Dragons.

Cui Shao charged towards Liu Wuxie, intending to control him forcibly. However, Chen Yusheng suddenly intervened, “Cui Shao, as an expert in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, are you not ashamed to attack a junior?” He thrust his palm forward, creating a powerful wave and a vacuum passage, forcing Cui Shao to retreat.

They were both in the fifth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, but Chen Yusheng held the upper hand in the clash. Having accepted water from Liu Wuxie, he felt indebted to him and naturally came to his aid.

Liu Wuxie was in the critical moment of a breakthrough and couldn’t afford to be distracted. Unbeknownst to him, he had earned Chen Yusheng’s assistance.

Unafraid of Chen Yusheng, Cui Shao challenged him, “Chen Yusheng, I’m not afraid of you just because you’re Prince Ruyang. The Great Yan Dynasty is in decline, and there are many factions. It won’t take long before the Great Yan Dynasty changes hands.” To cultivators who had long transcended worldly affairs, the status of the Great Yan Dynasty held no intimidation.

Infuriated by Cui Shao’s words, Chen Yusheng retorted, “Based on what you just said, I’ll kill you!” He launched a series of palm strikes, akin to crashing waves, forcing Cui Shao to retreat.

Chen Yusheng was slightly stronger, but the small margin of difference meant that killing Cui Shao would be a challenge.

“Brother Cui, let me help you!” Another expert in the fifth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm rushed over. He had also noticed that Liu Wuxie was immune to the fire of the Earth Scorch Dragons.

Although they had honed a fire attribute cultivation technique, they could not withstand such fierce flames. They required the aid of artifacts to endure the extreme heat.

Hence, Liu Wuxie’s ability to absorb the fire was peculiar. This naturally baffled them, and they concluded that the optimal strategy was to apprehend Liu Wuxie and utilize him against the Earth Scorch Dragons.

As the duo launched their attack on Chen Yusheng, the tide of the battle swiftly turned, and Chen Yusheng narrowly escaped their snares on several occasions.

“Darling, allow me to lend a hand!” Qin Biyu repelled an Earth Scorch Dragon and rallied to Chen Yusheng’s side, transforming the conflict into a two-versus-two standoff. The battle soon reached a deadlock, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.

Unbeknownst to all, Liu Wuxie had emerged as a pivotal figure, and their survival against the Earth Scorch Dragons hinged on him.

“Prince Ruyang, the two of you want to stop us?” Xuanyuan Guang let out a roar and joined in.

With his intervention, the odds turned against Chen Yusheng and Qin Biyu.

Liu Wuxie, who had been observing the situation, realized that he would have fallen victim to Cui Shao without the aid of Chen Yusheng and his wife.

The Fire Spiritual Bead continued to hover in the air, looking like a bright moon mocking everyone.

The battle intensified as Xuanyuan Guang’s palm met with Chen Yusheng’s, causing them to retreat.

Conversely, Cui Shao and another expert launched a sneak attack on Qin Biyu, sending her flying.

The sudden assault caused Qin Biyu to spit out blood, her complexion rapidly paling. She was taken aback by their ruthless tactics, especially since they didn’t hesitate to ambush a woman.

“Biyu!” Chen Yusheng, filled with anxiety, rushed to Qin Biyu’s side. Blood was trickling from her lips, indicating her urgent need for medical attention.

“Darling, I’m okay. Find a way to escape while I hold them off,” Qin Biyu, struggling to her feet, urged Chen Yusheng to seize the opportunity to flee.

“I’m not going anywhere. If we are to leave, we leave together!” Chen Yusheng clenched his fists and exuded a powerful aura, his eyes turning red as he looked at Cui Shao and others.

“Darling, listen to me. You must leave no matter what, or I won’t rest in peace!” Qin Biyu clung to Chen Yusheng’s arm, pleading with him to leave immediately and not seek vengeance for her. They had children who shouldn’t lose their father in addition to their mother.

Chen Yusheng wasn’t a man of many words, but he teared up at this moment as he poured his true essence into Qin Biyu’s body to maintain her life.

“Neither of you will escape today!” Xuanyuan Guang advanced slowly, a cruel smile playing on his lips and a terrifying aura enveloping the couple.

In the distance, the Earth Scorch Dragons slowed their attacks on the humans. Out of fifty-odd people, only thirty-odd managed to survive, while the others were burned to death by the Earth Scorch Dragons.

“Attack together and kill them!” Xuanyuan Guang said in a commanding tone.

Hearing that, Cui Shao nodded because they could only eradicate the threat at this point. If required, everyone here could take refuge with Prince Yongxian. After all, there were rumors that the Great Yan Dynasty was practically in Prince Yongxian’s hands, and it was a matter of time before he usurped the throne.

Watching his wife’s vitality grow weaker, Chen Yusheng even forgot to resist. The couple had never quarreled in their marriage and were deeply in love. Even if it meant death, they would die together.

When a powerful sword aura was about to land on Chen Yusheng, a blade aura flew over, blocking the sword.

“Every single one of you will perish!” Liu Wuxie, having successfully advanced to the fifth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, had seen his strength multiply more than tenfold. The blade aura he unleashed shattered Xuanyuan Guang’s sword aura.

“Die!” Having shattered Xuanyuan Guang’s sword aura, Liu Wuxie didn’t halt his momentum. He executed the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance, appearing instantly before his adversary.

Xuanyuan Guang was still dumbfounded and couldn’t believe that someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm would be so powerful. Before he could even react, Liu Wuxie’s blade was already approaching his neck.

A head was sent flying as Xuanyuan Guang met his end, clueless about how someone from the Spirit Cleansing Realm defeated him.

Liu Wuxie’s surprise attack and subsequent victory over a fifth-level Marrow Cleansing Realm expert like Xuanyuan Guang left everyone present in awe. Xuanyuan Guang’s body began to wither as Liu Wuxie absorbed all the energy within it. Following his breakthrough, Liu Wuxie’s dantian was depleted, necessitating a replenishment of true essence.

Chen Yusheng was taken aback, not anticipating Liu Wuxie’s formidable strength.

“Senior Chen, feed this pill to Aunt Qin.” Liu Wuxie took out a pill and tossed it to Chen Yusheng. This was a pinnacle fourth-grade pill, capable of reviving the dead.

After repairing his soul sea, Liu Wuxie had refined a few pills with the herbs he had sorted in case of an emergency that could bring someone back to life as long as they still had a breath.

“Thank you, Brother Liu!”

Liu Wuxie’s respectful address of Chen Yusheng as ‘senior’, and Chen Yusheng’s fraternal reference to Liu Wuxie as ‘brother’, instantly added a layer of complexity to their relationship.

Upon administering the pill to Qin Biyu, it transformed into pure energy that swiftly restored her vitality, pulling her back from the precipice of death.

“Time to deal with you two!” Liu Wuxie pointed his blade at Cui Shao’s group of two. Cui Shao had tried to launch a sneak attack on him, and it was thanks to Chen Yusheng, he could make a breakthrough smoothly.

“Brat, you think you can deal with us just because you managed to ambush Xuanyuan Guang? Let me tell you the difference between someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm and Marrow Cleansing Realm,” Cui Shao sneered and pointed his sword at Liu Wuxie.

The other expert stood his ground, undeterred by the lack of a retreat path, as Liu Wuxie had effectively sealed off their escape route.

“Brother Liu, let me help you!” Seeing that his wife’s injuries had stabilized, Chen Yusheng stood up, wanting to help Liu Wuxie.

“No need. I’m enough to deal with these two pieces of garbage.” Liu Wuxie released his blade aura and prepared the Overlord Fist. He no longer held back because Earth Scorching Dragons were in the surroundings, and he had to end the battle quickly before they joined in.

Liu Wuxie planned to kill them and leave this place quickly. He held little expectation for the Fire Spiritual Bead, leaving the others to squabble over it.

“You’re done for, whelp!” Cui Sheng was incensed that Liu Wuxie had insulted him, an esteemed expert in the Marrow Cleansing Realm, by calling him trash.

Their collision resulted in a shockwave that sent rocks flying in all directions. A vacuum formed at the epicenter of the impact, even repelling the surrounding heatwave.

“Overlord Fist!” As they clashed, Liu Wuxie unleashed the Overlord Fist, bearing down on Cui Shao like an overwhelming mountain.