Desolate Devouring Art
Chapter 1760 - Assassination Art
Shi Wa threw his head back and let out a roar that echoed into the sky, leaving Bai Jingye with no room to back down.
Already caught in a difficult position, Bai Jingye was pushed even further into the spotlight. If he refused the challenge now, he would become a laughingstock. If he lacked the courage to accept a challenge from a mere student, how could he continue to command respect as a mentor in the future?
A teacher's foundation was trust. The moment a mentor lost that trust, he lost the right to call himself a teacher.
"Very well. I'll accept your challenge," Bai Jingye said, never taking his eyes off Liu Wuxie. From beginning to end, he treated Shi Wa's roar as if it didn't exist.
"We'll meet at the Talisman Tower one month from now. You can get lost now," Liu Wuxie said. Only after Bai Jingye agreed did he reveal the date, and the realization struck Bai Jingye immediately. Once again, he had stepped into one of Liu Wuxie's traps.
He had assumed they would head straight to the Talisman Tower and settle the matter at once. Never had he expected Liu Wuxie to push the challenge back by an entire month.
"Surely Mentor Bai can wait for one month, right? Or do you lack confidence in your own skill?" Ye Linghan asked. She seized the opportunity the instant it appeared and drove the knife deeper with her final question. If Bai Jingye denied it, he would be admitting that he lacked confidence in his own abilities. If he remained silent, he would be accepting Liu Wuxie's condition.
The two worked together with uncanny precision, and the seamless exchange instantly darkened Bai Jingye's expression.
"Very well. I'll personally kill the two of you one month from now," Bai Jingye replied. Only after agreeing did he realize he had been backed into a corner with no way out. Looking back, he realized he had been walking through Liu Wuxie's carefully arranged trap from the very beginning.
"You can leave now. I won't see you off," Liu Wuxie replied, casually waving his hand.
"I'll let you live for another month," Bai Jingye said before turning away in fury. He had arrived with overwhelming momentum and murderous intent, yet he left burdened by humiliation.
The mentors and students gathered around the courtyard started leaving. Yet while the crowd dispersed, the news traveled faster than anyone leaving. Before long, word of Shi Wa and Bai Jingye's life-and-death battle at the Talisman Tower in one month was spreading throughout the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
When everyone learned that the entire incident had begun because of Liu Wuxie, many couldn't help but reveal strange expressions.
Although Shi Wa would be the one standing against Bai Jingye, everyone understood who the true challenger was. Liu Wuxie had issued it, and Shi Wa was his student. There was no world in which Liu Wuxie would stand by and watch Shi Wa die. Because of that, many people no longer viewed the upcoming battle as a clash between Shi Wa and Bai Jingye. In their eyes, it was a confrontation between Liu Wuxie and Bai Jingye, with Shi Wa merely standing at the forefront.
As the crowd departed and the last traces of noise faded away, silence gradually reclaimed the courtyard. Amid that quiet, a flicker of concern surfaced on Ye Linghan's face.
"What should we do now? Shi Wa doesn't know anything about talismans, and you want him to compete with Bai Jingye? Isn't that courting death?" Ye Linghan asked. She wasn't blaming Liu Wuxie for what had happened. If anything, she simply felt that he had acted far too rashly this time.
Xiang Rulong and the other students remained silent, but they didn't need words to express their thoughts. The worry in their eyes already revealed everything. Not a single one of them felt optimistic about Liu Wuxie's plan.
"We'll see!" Liu Wuxie replied with a chuckle. From beginning to end, he appeared completely untroubled, as though the challenge hanging over their heads carried no weight at all.
"The Azure Flame Dao Hall has six talisman mentors, and I have a decent relationship with one. If there's no other way, I can get him to guide Shi Wa, and that may give him a chance at winning," Ye Linghan said, shooting Liu Wuxie a resentful look. Then, she turned as though ready to go seek that mentor out immediately.
"If I'm not mistaken, that mentor should be one of your suitors, right?" Liu Wuxie asked with a smile.
Ye Linghan immediately shot him a glare. Though she said nothing, her silence said it all. With her beauty, admirers could be found among both the mentors and students of the Azure Flame Dao Hall.
"This started because of me, and I don't want to get help from others. From this moment on, Shi Wa will train with me alone. The rest of you can go to class now," Liu Wuxie said, cutting off Ye Linghan before she could continue.
Even if Ye Linghan truly managed to find someone, Liu Wuxie had no intention of accepting outside help. When it came to talisman art, he was confident that very few people in the world could stand above him.
Ye Linghan chose not to argue any further. Since the students had already gathered, she decided to begin class first. In any case, an entire month remained before the challenge. Losing a day or two now wouldn't change anything.
The other students followed Ye Linghan toward the classroom, leaving only Liu Wuxie and Shi Wa behind in the courtyard.
"Come with me," Liu Wuxie said. Dried blood still stained his clothes, and he hadn't yet found the time to change.
Shi Wa obediently followed him. Once they entered the room, he quietly stood off to the side while Liu Wuxie changed into a fresh set of clothes.
"Are you afraid?" Liu Wuxie asked.
"I'm not afraid!" Shi Wa replied with a firm expression. A trace of anticipation stirred within him. He believed that even if he lost the challenge, he would die with honor.
"From this moment onward, you must not mention anything I teach you to a third person, and that includes your sister. Can you do that?" Liu Wuxie asked.
Liu Wuxie had never intended to accept Shi Wa as a formal disciple. His goal was simply to use Shi Wa to resolve the crisis before him. At the same time, Shi Wa possessed considerable potential and could become someone who fought on his behalf in the future.
The reason Liu Wuxie had accepted Hu She and Lan Yu in the past was to help the Xu Clan survive its ordeal. As for Bi Gongyu, he had already sworn loyalty to Liu Wuxie. Xiao Luo was another matter entirely. Taking her in as a disciple had merely been part of Luo Hai's plan to use the master-disciple relationship to bind Liu Wuxie and secure treatment for Xiao Luo's condition.
To this day, Liu Wuxie had never formally accepted a disciple.
Without warning, Shi Wa dropped to his knees and slammed his head against the floor ten times. Each kowtow landed with such force that his forehead split open. He knew Liu Wuxie had never intended to accept him as a disciple, yet in his own heart, he had long since acknowledged him as his master.
Liu Wuxie didn't stop him.
"I, Shi Wa, swear that if I dare to leak a single word, I'll be struck by lightning and cast into reincarnation," Shi Wa said, making a vicious oath.
"From this moment on, you must practice the cultivation technique that I teach you. Since you only have one arm, weapons like swords or blades are not suitable for you. I can teach you an assassination art," Liu Wuxie said.
Shi Wa's temperament had never suited a direct and overpowering style of combat. Coupled with the fact that he only had one arm remaining, the path of assassination was naturally the most suitable path for him.
The moment he heard that Liu Wuxie intended to teach him martial techniques, excitement surged through Shi Wa's entire body. Yet beneath that excitement lingered a deep confusion. He couldn't understand why Liu Wuxie was teaching him martial techniques instead of talisman art.
Liu Wuxie drew out a dagger and swept it sideways. The strike came so suddenly that Shi Wa had no chance to evade. A chilling sensation brushed past his neck, causing his entire body to tense. Before he could react, the dagger began shifting directions in Liu Wuxie's hand with bewildering speed. Blade light flickered repeatedly, and tiny cuts appeared across Shi Wa's body one after another. Only after unleashing hundreds of strikes did Liu Wuxie finally withdraw the dagger and stop.
"Did you see it clearly?" Liu Wuxie asked.
Shi Wa scratched the back of his head, his face filled with bewilderment. He hadn't even managed to see Liu Wuxie's movements clearly, much less understand them.
"To cultivate assassination art, you'll need three traits. A ruthless heart, an agile movement, and a strong mind. Coincidentally, you possess all three of them," Liu Wuxie explained. Those very qualities were the reason he thought highly of Shi Wa.
Years of surviving like a lone wolf had sharpened Shi Wa's movements to an extraordinary degree, while countless hardships had tempered his mind far beyond that of ordinary people. As for a ruthless heart, Liu Wuxie didn't mean cruelty, but Shi Wa's strong determination to stay alive, no matter the circumstances.
Only those who possessed all three qualities could truly walk the path of assassination. If one's mind lacked sufficient strength, recklessly cultivating assassination art could eventually corrode the primordial spirit itself.
Killing was an art, and assassination stood at the pinnacle of that art. Every method of killing existed for a reason, and every strike served a purpose.
If one's heart lacked sufficient ruthlessness, hesitation would inevitably arise at the crucial moment. The instant mercy surfaced while facing an enemy, that hesitation could become the cause of one's own death.
Even so, Liu Wuxie would never have taught this art to Shi Wa if he were cruel or bloodthirsty by nature. Years of hardship had forged ruthlessness into Shi Wa's character, but everything he did stemmed from a desire to protect his family rather than a love of killing.
Liu Wuxie raised a finger and sent a stream of light directly into Shi Wa's soul sea.
"I have taught you the assassination art. You can start practicing it in the courtyard now," Liu Wuxie said, not explaining anything regarding talisman art.
Although confusion lingered in Shi Wa's heart, he didn't ask a single question. He immediately turned around, returned to the courtyard, and began practicing the assassination art.
Once Shi Wa left and the room fell silent, Liu Wuxie sat down on the bed and took out the Crimson Water Pills. He intended to use them to break through to the fourth-level High Immortal Realm.
Bai Jingye's appearance had heightened Liu Wuxie's sense of urgency. When he first arrived in the celestial realm, he had planned to cultivate quietly and return to the Immortal Emperor Realm as quickly as possible. Reality, however, didn't let him follow his plans. Trouble continued finding its way to him, leaving him with no choice but to increase his strength by every means available.
Beyond Bai Jingye, another concern lingered in his mind. He couldn't determine whether curing Ye Guhai had been a blessing or a hidden disaster. If the person responsible for poisoning Ye Guhai discovered he had fully recovered, there was no doubt they would eventually turn their attention to him.
An invisible pressure weighed heavily upon Liu Wuxie's heart, making it difficult to relax. The Heavenly Dao Book had already sensed the lurking danger, and the unease he had felt over the past few days only reinforced that feeling. All signs pointed toward the approaching threat.
Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Wuxie tossed a Crimson Water Pill into his mouth. The pill melted almost instantly, flowed into the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, and was refined into a pure mass of energy. That energy then poured into the desolate world.
Only yesterday, he had broken through two consecutive levels. If news spread that he was attempting another breakthrough so soon, few people would believe it.
One Crimson Water Pill isn't enough to help me reach the fourth-level High Immortal Realm.
Left with little choice, he took out a second pill.
The cracks within his soul sea remained unrepaired, which meant that once he completed this breakthrough, he would have to find a way to refine a Soul Healing Pill as soon as possible.
After refining the second Crimson Water Pill, Liu Wuxie's aura continued climbing steadily. However, despite its relentless rise, it still fell short of true saturation. With no other option, he took out the third pill.
As the third Crimson Water Pill dissolved into pure energy and poured into the desolate world, the gateway to the fourth-level High Immortal Realm finally emerged before him.
While teaching her class, Ye Linghan suddenly sensed a powerful fluctuation erupting from the courtyard. The disturbance instantly drew her attention. However, after recalling the Crimson Water Pills Liu Wuxie had purchased earlier, she wasn't particularly surprised.
"Mentor Ye, do you think Shi Wa can win the challenge?" Xiang Rulong asked.
"He can for sure," Ye Linghan replied. For reasons even she couldn't fully explain, she possessed unwavering confidence in Liu Wuxie.
As the Desolate Devouring Art began circulating, immortal energy from within a thousand-meter radius surged toward him like a vast tidal flood.
This was no longer an unfamiliar sight. Everyone had witnessed similar scenes before and had gradually become accustomed to them.
Shi Wa was in the middle of practicing the assassination art when Liu Wuxie began his breakthrough. The moment he glanced toward the room, determination deepened in his eyes, and he devoted himself even more wholeheartedly to cultivation.
The assassination art Liu Wuxie had passed down perfectly fused footwork and assassination techniques together, allowing the two to complement one another seamlessly.
Liu Wuxie's aura continued to rise without pause. Vast amounts of immortal energy gathered together and transformed into a golden divine dragon that charged directly toward the gateway. Yet the gateway to the fourth-level High Immortal Realm remained completely unmoved.
Having only recently broken through two consecutive levels, forcing another breakthrough so soon was naturally no simple matter.
Without hesitation, Liu Wuxie mobilized even more immortal energy. This time, it condensed into the shape of the mysterious axe before hurtling toward the gateway with overwhelming force. The instant it struck, cracks finally began spreading across the gate's surface.
Ever since arriving in the celestial realm, the mysterious axe had remained hidden within Liu Wuxie's body and rarely revealed itself.
The immortal energy within the desolate world grew increasingly violent, surging like a boundless ocean. As towering waves rolled through the world, two distinct domains gradually took shape. One side blazed with raging fire, while the other churned with endless water. The opposing forces collided again and again until they slowly reached a state of balance between Yin and Yang.
The roaring waters surged forward without restraint and crashed heavily into the gateway to the fourth-level High Immortal Realm. At last, the gateway could withstand no more. It shattered into countless fragments that scattered apart before sinking into the desolate world.
The instant Liu Wuxie stepped into the fourth-level High Immortal Realm, a series of deep rumbles erupted from within his body.