Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 207 - Crippling Bai Zhan

Bai Zhan was taken aback by the sudden descent of the blade ray, retracting his hand in the nick of time to avoid injury. The blade ray split a large rock at the gate of the Imperial Academy, sending fragments flying into the sky like arrows before they vanished from sight.

Bai Zhan was inwardly shaken, realizing that had he not withdrawn his hand promptly, it would have been crippled.

A man wielding a blade approached slowly from fifty meters away. With each step he took, the murderous intent he radiated intensified.

“It’s Brother Liu!” Wei Dong exclaimed emotionally upon recognizing Liu Wuxie.

Bai Zhan, wearing a sinister smile, was confident that no one could hinder him this time, unlike the previous occasion when Gong Ao had intervened, allowing Liu Wuxie to escape.

Liu Wuxie asked coldly, his gaze falling on the wound on Wei Dong’s face. A large gash marred Wei Dong’s left cheek, from which blood was still flowing. Liu Wuxie had overheard their conversation but couldn’t intervene in time to prevent Wei Dong from being sent flying by Bai Zhan.

“Brother Liu, it’s fine!” Wei Dong reassured him, not wanting to cause any more trouble. He knew his face would heal in a few days and didn’t want to drag Liu Wuxie into further conflict.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll just cripple both his hands,” Liu Wuxie declared, turning to face Bai Zhan. Did Bai Zhan really think he was afraid of him?

As the two faced off, a potent aura began to emanate. Liu Wuxie had ascended to the eighth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, demonstrating a significant increase in strength since his departure from the academy.

During their previous encounter, Bai Zhan had underestimated Liu Wuxie, who was then at the lower levels of the Spirit Cleansing Realm. However, Liu Wuxie’s rapid progression to the eighth level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm in such a short span was nothing short of astonishing.

“Liu Wuxie, you may have evaded me once, but today will mark your end!” Bai Zhan declared, clenching his fists in determination to eliminate Liu Wuxie that day. Unaware of the duel between Liu Wuxie and Qin Shi, Bai Zhan would likely have retreated in fear had he known about it.

“Intending to kill me, are you?” Liu Wuxie had initially planned to merely teach Bai Zhan a lesson and compel him to apologize to Wei Dong. He hadn’t anticipated that Bai Zhan harbored intentions of killing him.

“Enough talk, take my punch!” Bai Zhan, a battle maniac, preferred action over words. He unleashed a powerful aura that surged towards Liu Wuxie, its intensity tenfold stronger than before.

An ordinary person would have been paralyzed with fear under such circumstances. However, Liu Wuxie remained unfazed, sheathing his Heretic Blade and preparing to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

The formidable clash between Liu Wuxie and Bai Zhan forced Wei Dong and his companions to retreat. They couldn’t approach the battlefield and had to withdraw to a distance of fifty meters.

Both Liu Wuxie and Bai Zhan opted for a straightforward punch, intending to conclude the battle swiftly. They closed the five-meter gap between them in an instant.

When their punches collided, Liu Wuxie’s fist, half the size of Bai Zhan’s, unleashed a powerful shockwave. The surrounding trees exploded under the impact.

Blood dyed the entire sky red as a figure was sent flying away. The echoing sounds of bones shattering inch by inch into fragments made everyone feel a chill down their spines.

Bai Zhan fell a hundred meters away with his entire right arm turned into blood mist before dissipating in the air.

Wei Dong and his companions were left in shock at the sight, rendered speechless by the turn of events. They had come to express their gratitude to Liu Wuxie, but it seemed they had inadvertently caused him trouble instead.

The commotion naturally drew the attention of passing students, who emerged from the gate to witness Bai Zhan being flung away.

“Liu Wuxie, I’ll kill you!” Bai Zhan was furious that his entire arm was crippled and turned into blood mist. This meant that he would be a one-armed cripple in the future.

As he picked himself up from the ground, Bai Zhan’s blood-soaked white robe gave him the appearance of a terrifying demon emerging from the depths of hell.

“What’s going on? Why did Bai Zhan suddenly end up fighting someone?” A group of students from the Imperial Academy rushed out, taken aback by the sight of Bai Zhan engaged in combat. They found it hard to believe that the academy’s renowned ‘war god’ had been defeated.

“It’s Liu Wuxie!” Liu Wuxie stood firm as the ground beneath him cracked from the force of the impact. After consuming the Dragon Origin Pill, he had acquired the strength of a dragon, making his physique far superior to that of an average person.

Bai Zhan had a powerful physique, and ordinary people weren’t his match. But today, he was defeated in terms of pure strength that he was proud of.

“This kid is a troublemaker. He has caused another incident in just a few days.” Since joining the Imperial Academy, Liu Wuxie had been constantly embroiled in conflicts, even resulting in the deaths of several students. It had been only a few days, and he was now engaged in a fight with Bai Zhan at the academy gate.

After regaining his breath, Bai Zhan brandished a spear and charged at Liu Wuxie, resolute in his decision to kill him that day. He unleashed a powerful aura characteristic of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, having learned his lesson from his previous defeat in a test of brute strength. This time, Bai Zhan decided to leverage his cultivation.

“Since you’re courting death, I’ll fulfill your wish!” Liu Wuxie had already taught Bai Zhan a lesson on behalf of Wei Dong by crippling one of his arms. But since Bai Zhan insisted on continuing the fight, Liu Wuxie decided not to hold back. Drawing the Heretic Blade, he unleashed a powerful blade ray that swept towards Bai Zhan.

Bai Zhan’s face changed as he quickly retreated, unable to find any flaw in Liu Wuxie’s blade. He couldn’t understand how Liu Wuxie could be so powerful. Even in a scenario where Liu Wuxie had begun cultivating since he was in the womb, his skill level appeared inexplicable.

“You’re too slow!”

Liu Wuxie’s voice echoed like a death knell, and his blade aura sliced through Bai Zhan’s lower abdomen. To prevent Bai Zhan from seeking revenge on Wei Dong’s group, Liu Wuxie decided to resolve this issue once and for all.

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Bai Zhan collapsed onto the ground. His dantian was severed by Liu Wuxie, causing his true essence to leak out.

The loss of a dantian for a cultivator signified a future as a cripple. Since Liu Wuxie had already committed to a death match with Qin Shi, the rules of the Imperial Academy held no meaning for him anymore.

“Liu Wuxie, you will die a horrible death!” Bai Zhan spewed vicious words as he lay on the ground. He couldn’t believe that Liu Wuxie had defeated him.

Wei Dong and his companions were left in shock. They hadn’t expected that the Imperial Academy could be so formidable that even a cultivator in the Marrow Cleansing Realm could be casually crippled.

“Bai Zhan, I am the one who crippled you today. I welcome your attempts at revenge in the future,” Liu Wuxie declared, taking full responsibility to avoid implicating Wei Dong’s group. This naturally earned him their gratitude. They could tell that Bai Zhan was no ordinary individual and must have a significant background.

“Liu Wuxie, I will remember this! The Bai Clan will not let you go unpunished!” Bai Zhan vowed, gritting his teeth against the pain. As a prodigy of the Bai Clan, he was confident that the clan’s higher-ups would seek retribution on his behalf.

“Come at me then!” Liu Wuxie wasn’t afraid of the Bai Clan since he had already offended the Xue Clan. He hoped they wouldn’t bother him, or he wouldn’t mind wiping out the Bai Clan.

In his past life, Liu Wuxie was an Immortal Emperor, holding billions of lives in his hands. He could effortlessly obliterate ten Great Yan Dynasties with a mere wave of his hand. So, why would he concern himself with someone like Bai Zhan? He then turned and approached Wei Dong’s group.

“Brother Liu, we apologize for causing you trouble,” Wei Dong expressed, guilt evident on his face. He felt responsible for the incident, which he believed wouldn’t have occurred had they not sought out Liu Wuxie.

“This has nothing to do with you. I already had a feud with him. This battle was inevitable, regardless of whether you came or not,” Liu Wuxie reassured him, aware that Bai Zhan wouldn’t let him go due to his personality. Despite this, Wei Dong still felt guilty.

“Brother Liu, we’ve brought these gifts for you. Please accept them!” Wei Dong presented some gifts from his interspatial pouch. The Crimson Flame Manor was known for its Profound Flame Beast, a demonic beast whose flesh was tender and rich in powerful fire energy, making it an excellent supplement for cultivators who practiced fire attribute martial techniques.

Wei Dong brought a few hundred kilograms of it to express his gratitude to Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie graciously accepted the gifts. He invited them into the Imperial Academy, informing them, “I will be leaving tomorrow, and I can only spend another day with you all.”

“We won’t impose on you any further now that you’ve accepted our gifts. If there’s an opportunity in the future, please come to the Crimson Flame Manor as a guest.” Wei Dong cupped his fists at Liu Wuxie. Liu Wuxie had crippled Bai Zhan because of them, and they didn’t dare to enter the Imperial Academy with Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie didn’t insist on them staying, as he was leaving the next day. He understood the risks they would face if they stayed in the Imperial Academy, so he didn’t pressure them to remain.

“Farewell!” The three cupped their fists at Liu Wuxie and left.

Watching them leave, Liu Wuxie turned around and entered the Imperial Academy, leaving Bai Zhan behind without a second glance.

News of Bai Zhan being crippled by Liu Wuxie quickly spread throughout the Imperial Academy. Despite only a few days passing, Liu Wuxie’s growth had surpassed everyone’s expectations, causing many to feel threatened, including Ji Yang.

Ji Yang had previously been humiliated by Liu Wuxie in the alchemy chambers, and his anger had yet to subside. Moreover, Qin Shi had managed to get one step ahead of him.

“Damn it! Even Bai Zhan couldn’t defeat him!” Ji Yang exclaimed, smashing the porcelain bottles on the table in frustration. His face turned pale as he realized that his combat prowess was inferior to Bai Zhan’s. Did this mean he would never be able to exact his revenge?

“Young Master Ji, I’ve heard that he’s planning to return to the Azure Billow City tomorrow. We might find an opportunity to eliminate him,” an Earth Grade student suggested, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

Upon hearing that Liu Wuxie was planning to return to Azure Billow City, Ji Yang’s eyes narrowed. He knew he couldn’t harm Liu Wuxie within the Imperial Academy, but the situation would be different in Azure Billow City. He could potentially use his master’s influence to achieve his goal.

After all, both he and his master had been thoroughly humiliated in the alchemy competition, and he naturally sought revenge.

When Liu Wuxie returned to his courtyard, he found that the damages had already been repaired.

Upon hearing the news of Liu Wuxie crippling Bai Zhan, Li Shengsheng and the others could only wear expressions of helplessness. They had grown somewhat accustomed to such incidents, particularly Li Shengsheng. Ever since he had come to know Liu Wuxie, it seemed that trouble was never far behind. However, it was also true that Liu Wuxie was never the one to instigate these troubles; they always seemed to find him instead.