Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 228 - Spiritual Tree's Fragment

The vault was massive, and this was just the tip of the iceberg. After spending about six hours, Liu Wuxie found seventeen fifth-grade herbs.

Deeper inside the vault, the treasures, which had been accumulated for centuries, were covered in a layer of dust.

Suddenly, there was a reaction from Liu Wuxie’s dantian as the mysterious tree guided him somewhere.

“Can it be some sort of treasure?” Liu Wuxie quickened his footsteps. The last time the mysterious tree had reacted, he had obtained the Frost Spiritual Bead and made multiple breakthroughs in his cultivation.

Liu Wuxie ultimately found an azure wood in a pile of items. The wood felt cold but comfortable when he held it in his hand.

“What is this?” Liu Wuxie carried it under the light to inspect it and clean up the dust.

The mysterious tree in his dantian violently reacted as the branches reached out to wrap around the azure wood. Shortly after, traces of chill pierced Liu Wuxie’s body through his pores.

“This is a piece of a spiritual tree!” Liu Wuxie was shocked. Trees were categorized into multiple varieties, and most were just ordinary trees. However, there was a variety of trees called spiritual trees. These trees contained high spirituality, accumulated through time, similar to the Fire Spiritual Bead.

It’s a pity there’s only a piece of it. If it were larger, it could’ve helped me reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm. Liu Wuxie felt a sense of regret. Although it might not facilitate his ascension to the Marrow Cleansing Realm, it could fortify his foundation and further purify his wood attribute.

The Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron appeared and devoured the piece of azure wood. In the blink of an eye, it was refined into over five thousand mysterious liquid droplets flowing into the world in his dantian.

The mysterious tree within his dantian’s world began to expand, sprouting more branches.

Wood also served as fuel for the fire. The absorption of a substantial amount of wood elements triggered an eruption in the volcano within this world, leading to a surge in fire elements.

Liu Wuxie’s cultivation began to rise and was extremely close to the Marrow Cleansing Realm. The stronger his foundation, the more powerful his explosive power would become.

As Liu Wuxie continued to search in the vault, ordinary herbs couldn’t catch his attention, and he only picked the ones he needed. Aside from the Divine Meteorite Iron, he still needed more materials to upgrade the Heretic Blade, and all the materials could be found in the vault.

By the time Liu Wuxie had finished searching through countless herbs and materials, the sky had turned dark. As he exited the vault, he saw a figure rushing toward him.

“I have been waiting for you! What took you so long?” Chen Ruoyan’s mood had brightened upon hearing that her father’s condition had improved. She had been waiting outside the royal vault for an entire day.

Liu Wuxie wore a frown, wordlessly expressing his discomfort. He had gone to great lengths to distance himself from her in the Western Breeze Mountain Range and had no desire to get too close.

Chen Ruoyan had previously saved his life. Had she not intervened with Qin Shi that day, the death match twenty days later would not have occurred.

“Is there something you need?” Liu Wuxie queried.

“Can’t I seek you out if there’s nothing in particular?” Chen Ruoyan attempted to grasp Liu Wuxie’s arm, but he deftly sidestepped her, causing her to pout.

“I need an alchemy chamber to refine an antidote for your father’s poison.” Liu Wuxie could only change the topic. After treating the Emperor’s poison, Liu Wuxie planned to go into seclusion.

“Follow me!” Upon hearing that Liu Wuxie wished to create an antidote, Chen Ruoyan didn’t hesitate. They traversed several halls, and a vast alchemy chamber came into view for Liu Wuxie. The setting was superior to the alchemy chamber in the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

“I prefer not to be disturbed while refining pills. Ensure no one approaches the alchemy chamber for the next two days. If I fail to create the antidote, there’s nothing more I can do about your father’s poison,” Liu Wuxie stated dramatically, startling Chen Ruoyan into nodding repeatedly. She promptly ordered everyone to steer clear of the alchemy chamber.

Liu Wuxie had no other choice but to maintain his distance from Chen Ruoyan, as he could clearly see her feelings for him. The more she expressed her affection, the more he felt the need to keep his distance. He knew he would eventually leave the Great Yan Dynasty.

Over the next day, Liu Wuxie dedicated himself to refining pills.

Meanwhile, in Prince Yongxian’s Mansion, Prince Yongxian was seething with rage, slamming his palm onto the desk. “How could this happen? Our plan was perfect, yet he managed to thwart it and awaken the Emperor in just fifteen minutes,” he fumed. Standing beside him was Advisor Kuang, a middle-aged scholar with a fair complexion and dark, intense eyes.

“Men!” Prince Yongxian roared as two guards swiftly entered the hall.

“Deploy some elites to assassinate him!” he ordered. The thought of Liu Wuxie still being alive was unbearable to him, and he was determined to eliminate him at all costs.

“No, you can’t do that!” Advisor Kuang intervened.

“Advisor, what do you mean by this? He has repeatedly sabotaged my plans, and I can’t just sit back and do nothing!” Prince Yongxian questioned Advisor Kuang, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Your Highness, have you ever considered recruiting him? If we can recruit him, it will greatly help Your Highness’s grand plan.” Advisor Kuang gave an unexpected suggestion to recruit Liu Wuxie.

Prince Yongxian’s eyes lit up upon hearing that. He had witnessed Liu Wuxie’s ability, and it would greatly help his grand plan if he could recruit the latter.

“However, he has repeatedly sabotaged my plans, and there’s already bad blood between us. Would he be willing to join us?” Prince Yongxian had previously sent Zhang Shuli to recruit Liu Wuxie but to no avail.

“Nothing in this world cannot be resolved with the right incentives. As long as the reward is enticing enough, I don’t believe he can resist,” Advisor Kuang confidently stated, waving his feather fan and wearing a cryptic smile. They could manipulate him into compliance if they could identify Liu Wuxie’s weakness.

“My royal brother can offer anything we can. It won’t be easy to lure him with mere incentives,” Prince Yongxian countered, shaking his head. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t considered this approach before.

“Let’s target his family!” Advisor Kuang suggested in a hushed tone to Prince Yongxian. It didn’t take long for a smile to form on Prince Yongxian’s face, and he dismissed the guards in the hall with a wave.

......

Fast forward a day, and the antidote was finally ready. However, Liu Wuxie was in no rush as he intended to use the alchemy chamber to refine pills for his own use.

The Dragon Whisker Grass he had previously acquired had enabled him to refine a Dragon Origin Pill and make a significant leap in his cultivation.

His plan for the day was to refine six fifth-grade pills, which, depending on their efficacy, could help him reach the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

Another day passed, and Chen Yusheng returned just as Liu Wuxie emerged from the alchemy chamber.

“Wuxie, can you guess what I discovered?” Chen Yusheng asked, not inquiring about the antidote upon seeing Liu Wuxie. He had faith in Liu Wuxie’s ability to neutralize the poison afflicting his royal brother.

“What did you discover?” Liu Wuxie asked, suspecting that Chen Yusheng might have uncovered Qi Enshi’s wrongdoings, but he feigned ignorance.

“I identified the individual responsible for the town’s massacre. Can you guess who it is?” Chen Yusheng playfully asked.

Shaking his head, Liu Wuxie maintained a neutral expression. Pretending to be unaware was challenging, and he responded, “Senior Chen, you can just tell me directly.”

“It’s the city lord of your Azure Billow City, Qi Enshi. I didn’t expect him to have massacred an entire town back then.”

As for the evidence Liu Wuxie had provided, Chen Yusheng intentionally overlooked it. Despite his straightforward nature, he wasn’t naive. He understood that further probing into Liu Wuxie’s information source could complicate matters, but he was content with identifying the culprit.

“And what are your plans for dealing with him?” Liu Wuxie asked, his primary concern being the fate of Qi Enshi. If Qi Enshi were to die, the Assassin Pavilion would undoubtedly cease their attempts on his life. After all, with the employer dead, they wouldn’t be able to collect their fees even if they succeeded in killing Liu Wuxie.

“I have already sent men to Azure Billow City. According to military law, he is to be executed immediately. The Terrabreak Army never takes an innocent life, and that’s the ironclad law.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Wuxie breathed a sigh of relief. The death of Qi Enshi would resolve one of his problems.

As long as the Emperor ingests it, he should be able to purge the poison from his body within a day. I’ll take my leave now,” Liu Wuxie said, handing over two antidotes to Chen Yusheng before making his way out of the academy.

“Wuxie, please be mindful of your safety!” Chen Yusheng cautioned. His words carried an unspoken implication, as he could foresee the challenges that Liu Wuxie might face.

Liu Wuxie was in high spirits as he left the palace. He touched the porcelain bottle in his pocket, a smile spreading across his face. His visit to the palace had been fruitful. Not only had he gathered all the materials needed to upgrade the Heretic Blade, but he had also managed to refine six fifth-grade pills and a fragment of a spiritual tree.

Despite sensing several watchful eyes in the shadows, he continued on his way, feigning ignorance. Upon reaching the Imperial Academy, he didn’t return to his courtyard as Fan Zhen had instructed him to meet upon his return.

Fan Zhen had been waiting for Liu Wuxie for the past few days, and a grey-robed old man brought Liu Wuxie into an ordinary courtyard.

It was surprising that the headmaster lived in such a humble abode. When Liu Wuxie entered the main hall, Fan Zhen was already waiting there.

“I greet you, Headmaster!” With the tension between them now resolved, Liu Wuxie’s demeanor towards the headmaster had significantly softened.

“Come, take a seat!” Fan Zhen gestured for Liu Wuxie to sit down, and he had no air around him.

As the two sat facing each other, the grey-robed old man left, leaving the two in the main hall.

“This is the token of a Heaven Grade student. From today onwards, you are a Heaven Grade student.” Fan Zhen retrieved a token from his pocket and handed it to Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie had bypassed the Profound Grade entirely and was promoted directly to a Heaven Grade student. This was an unprecedented achievement, and Liu Wuxie had shattered numerous academy records in the process.

Liu Wuxie’s lack of deference towards Fan Zhen was due to his own formidable strength. The area designated for Heaven Grade students was ideal for his breakthrough.

“Why did you summon me, Headmaster?” Liu Wuxie inquired after pocketing the token, aware that the headmaster’s summons wasn’t merely to present him with the token.

“You must be wondering why I’ve been discreetly fostering your growth without letting anyone else in on it,” Fan Zhen observed, looking at Liu Wuxie. He could feel a subtle pressure emanating from the young man before him, a sensation he had never experienced before. Despite being a headmaster with a cultivation in the True Core Realm, he found himself unable to fully comprehend this young man.