Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 248 - Golden Fruit

The information Liu Wuxie had gathered was of vital importance. He was well aware that the Python Mountain Battlefield would be fraught with danger, with numerous individuals seeking his demise.

As for Prince Yongxian, Liu Wuxie hadn’t been overly concerned since his departure. His only worry was that Prince Yongxian could return for revenge after achieving a breakthrough in his cultivation, potentially involving the royal clan as well.

The best course of action was for Liu Wuxie to enter the cultivation world as soon as possible to kill Prince Yongxian.

The sky was already dark when Liu Wuxie left the Treasure Pill Pavilion.

Upon his return to the Heaven Grade region, he noticed a distinct quietness, a change he had observed upon ending his seclusion. Many Heaven Grade students had already ventured into the Python Mountain Battlefield.

Even if they couldn’t participate in the Battle of the Hundred Nations, it wouldn’t hurt to use this opportunity to hone their skills. Most importantly, the Python Mountain Battlefield opened once every decade, and various treasures could be found there. If someone could find a few fifth-grade herbs, it would be an excellent harvest for them.

Liu Wuxie initially planned to visit Xu Lingxue, but he gave up on that idea at the thought of the old witch, Baili Qing.

When dawn came, Liu Wuxie set out early. The Python Mountain Battlefield was about a two-day journey from the academy and wasn’t too far away.

The Python Mountain Battlefield was covered in fog throughout the year, and the fog would only dissipate once every decade for roughly twenty days.

Liu Wuxie wasn’t in a hurry. He traveled at an average speed and smoothly reached the Python Mountain Battlefield two days later.

When he arrived, he finally understood why this place was called the Python Mountain Battlefield. The entire mountain range was like a giant python. Many people were gathered at the entrance, waiting for the fog to dissipate before entering.

Only those who came back alive from the Python Mountain Battlefield could participate in the Battle of the Hundred Nations. Likewise, only those with outstanding results could attract the attention of powers in the cultivation world and earn the opportunity to be recruited by them as disciples.

At this moment, Liu Wuxie finally understood the meaning of ‘sharpening one’s sword for a decade.’

The Great Yan Dynasty was home to an innumerable number of prodigies, and the arrival of over five thousand such talents was a sight that took him by surprise. All of them were at the Marrow Cleansing Realm, with the least advanced being at the second level.

Many elders were present but weren’t qualified to participate in the Battle of the Hundred Nations. They had only one objective: to plunder treasures and seek opportunities.

“Brother Liu, it’s been a while since we last met!” A group of familiar faces, including Zuo Hong and Yan Ruyu, approached him. They were all now Heaven Grade students, though their cultivation levels were not particularly high and were roughly on par with Ji Yang.

“Brother Zuo, Lady Yan!” Liu Wuxie cupped his fists in response. They were all familiar faces, and they quickly engaged in conversation.

“Brother Liu, we thought you might not come since you’ve been in seclusion. That’s why we arrived early,” Zuo Hong said, looking up to Liu Wuxie. They had parted ways in Zen City and since then, their paths had diverged significantly.

Liu Wuxie merely smiled as he scanned the surroundings with his divine sense. He saw many familiar faces, experts from the Xue and Bai Clans, and students of the Imperial Academy.

A group of people also stood out: students of the Heavenly Govern Academy.

Although the Heavenly Govern Academy might have been dismissed, the students were still present and naturally harbored resentment toward Liu Wuxie.

“Brother Liu, you have to beware of the Xue Clan.” Yan Ruyu warned in a hushed voice, audible only to their group. She was the young lady of the Yan Clan, and she had received news that the Xue Clan wanted to use this opportunity to kill Liu Wuxie.

“Thanks for the warning!” Liu Wuxie already knew that the Xue Clan had laid a trap for him, but he still thanked Yan Ruyu, who advised him with kind intentions.

As their conversation continued, they gradually neared the entrance.

Zuo Hong inquired, “Brother Liu, how familiar are you with the Python Mountain Battlefield?” Given that it was their first time entering the Python Mountain Battlefield, they were unfamiliar with the environment inside.

“I have no knowledge of it!” Liu Wuxie admitted. Since coming out of seclusion, he had been constantly on the move and hadn’t had the time to learn about the Python Mountain Battlefield.

Zuo Hong offered, “Here’s some information and a detailed map. I’ve already committed it to memory, so you can have it. I hope it can be of help to you. Given our strength, we can only navigate the outer region, and I’ve heard that adult draco-pythons are on par with the True Core Realm.” Zuo Hong was aware that they would only be able to roam around the outer region as they were only at the lower levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

They might be unparalleled in alchemy, except for Liu Wuxie, but their martial arts skills were average.

“Thank you!” The information on the Python Mountain Battlefield was important to Liu Wuxie because he might lose his way inside if he knew nothing about it. It would be even more dangerous if he wandered into a forbidden zone.

“Why so formal, given our relationship? Just remember not to venture into the areas marked in red,” Zuo Hong reminded him, referring to the clearly marked danger zones on the map.

Liu Wuxie scanned the map, taking in the vast and complex terrain of the Python Mountain Battlefield. He was taken aback by its sheer size and complexity, realizing that it would be impossible to explore every corner within twenty days.

“Brother Zuo, what are these blue markings?” Liu Wuxie asked as there were blue markings aside from the red ones.

“These are places that might have treasures. Many saw spiritual herbs and fruits growing in these places a decade ago. Since it has been a decade, they might be ripe now.” Those who had ventured into the battlefield a decade ago had brought back this information, aiding those who were entering now in their search for treasures.

“There must be many creatures in the Python Mountain Battlefield besides draco-pythons, right?” Liu Wuxie asked, seeking more information to avoid being caught off guard.

“Aside from the draco-python, there are many demonic beasts residing inside. But the most terrifying ones are the ancient war souls.” Yan Ruyu spoke this time, which was why they didn’t dare go too deep into the mountain range.

The power of an adult draco-python was said to be on par with the True Core Realm. Coupled with the presence of war souls, venturing too deep into the battlefield could lead to complete annihilation.

“War souls!” Liu Wuxie exclaimed, taken aback as this was his first encounter with such a term.

“It’s open! Let’s go in!” A commotion came from the entrance as everyone entered the Python Mountain Battlefield in batches.

“Let’s go as well!” Gu Yongshuang said excitedly, hoping to find treasures in the outer region. They had to depend on this opportunity in the Python Mountain Battlefield to reach the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

The best years to cultivate were between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five, and they would pass their prime in another decade.

There was only one entrance to the Python Mountain Battlefield, and it was a canyon from which everyone entered. Thousands of people entered the mountain range in less than fifteen minutes.

Despite the opening of the battlefield, the fog hadn’t cleared, and the surroundings remained shrouded in mist even after they had entered.

“Brother Liu, good luck! We’ll be staying around here!” After entering the mountain range, Zuo Hong stopped. They were weak, and they would only court death if they went any further in. They didn’t want to become a burden to Liu Wuxie.

“Alright. Let’s part here!” Liu Wuxie didn’t insist because it was genuinely inconvenient to bring them along. Time was limited, and he had to reach the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm in twenty days.

Now, Liu Wuxie was more capable of confronting enemies in the True Core Realm and was confident of defeating them without the need to inscribe immortal runes. He transformed into a meteorite and delved deeper into the Python Mountain Battlefield.

Over five thousand individuals had entered, akin to pouring a cup of water into a lake. Some moved in groups, while others ventured alone, dispersing in all directions.

Everyone had their goal in coming here, which was the same for Liu Wuxie.

An hour later, Liu Wuxie took out the map and compared his position. The closest blue marking on the map was about fifteen minutes away from him.

Along the way, Liu Wuxie noticed someone tailing him, but he didn’t pay much attention to them. He couldn’t be bothered to kill them if they didn’t make a move against him, and his utmost importance was to advance in his cultivation.

Stowing away the map, Liu Wuxie executed the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance. He was like a celestial crane as he flew in the sky.

It didn’t take long before a small valley appeared, with some small-sized demonic beasts wandering around.

Liu Wuxie noticed several figures descending from the sky who weren’t weak. They looked at each other and remained vigilant.

More people descended from the sky in just a few minutes, and more than twenty people gathered in this valley.

“This is the place! There’s a Golden Fruit inside. May the best man win!” A young man in his thirties declared from Liu Wuxie’s right, his gaze lingering on Liu Wuxie as he surveyed the crowd.

“Wu He is right. May the best man win!” Everyone echoed along.

The one who spoke earlier was Wu He, a powerful cultivator in the ninth level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm. He wasn’t qualified to participate in the Battle of the Hundred Nations, so he planned on using this opportunity in the Python Mountain Battlefield to reach the True Core Realm.

Everyone scattered out to search for the Golden Fruit after a brief discussion.

Liu Wuxie didn’t move and remained standing in place. When he executed Ghost Eye, his divine sense enveloped the entire valley, and every inch of the land was visible.

But for some reason, he couldn’t find the Golden Fruit anywhere. Could it be that someone had taken it?

Suddenly, Liu Wuxie squinted as he could sense a dangerous aura from a small cave on the valley's right. Several youths were approaching the cave, and it was too late for Liu Wuxie to stop them.

A roar shook the mountain, causing rocks to slide down from above. The roar ruptured the eardrums of those nearby, causing them to lose their hearing.

Shortly after, a golden head emerged from the cave.

“A Golden Python!” Everyone’s faces changed. This was an adult Golden Python, infinitely close to the True Core Realm. It also had a massive body reaching over a hundred meters in length.

The human scent had alerted the Golden Python. Every time people came to the Python Mountain Battlefield, many people would become food for these pythons.

“This is an adult Golden Python. Even if there’s no Golden Fruit, the core of the Golden Python is enough to help me reach the True Core Realm!” Wu He roared in excitement because the entire body of the Golden Python was a treasure. The beast core contained a hint of the dragon’s aura, which would significantly benefit him by refining it.

The Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron was trembling in excitement, looking eager to fly out and devour the Golden Python.

The Ghost Eye continued to penetrate the cave, and a small golden tree inside the cave attracted Liu Wuxie’s attention.

“The Golden Fruit!” Liu Wuxie exclaimed softly as the Golden Fruit was about to ripen soon.