Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 139 - Scribble

“Utter one more word, and I assure you, I’ll personally end your life right here!” Liu Wuxie’s murderous aura began to surge like a tidal wave, instilling fear in Lan Ruoyu to the point where she lost control of her bladder, emitting a foul odor.

Liu Wuxie had managed to achieve this solely with his murderous intent. When he released his murderous intent, Jiang Yue felt as though there was a blade on his neck, immobilizing him.

Everything transpired so rapidly that everyone struggled to comprehend the situation. The murderous aura appeared and vanished swiftly, but no one could regain their composure. Jiang Yue’s disciple was terrified to the point of wetting herself, and if word of this incident spread, it would be a source of embarrassment for Jiang Yue.

In the future, Lan Ruoyu would become the target of ridicule and wouldn’t be able to lift her head for the rest of her life.

“Who is he to be so arrogant?” the other participants exclaimed in surprise. After all, not many people in the Great Yan Dynasty dared to insult a four-star alchemist openly. Not only was everyone shocked by his insane act, but they were also afraid.

“He should be a participant like us!” Everyone’s gazes changed when they looked at Liu Wuxie, and they instinctively distanced themselves from him.

Liu Wuxie’s words sent a chill down Sang Yan’s spine, but it was already too late by the time he wanted to intervene.

“You’re the first person who dared to speak to me in this manner, and you can die now!” Jiang Yue’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. No matter what, Lan Ruoyu was his disciple, and she wasn’t someone anyone could humiliate.

As he unleashed his aura at the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, a buzzing noise filled the surroundings, and a shockwave swept out as he slowly advanced towards Liu Wuxie, intent on personally ending the latter’s life. If he didn’t eliminate Liu Wuxie, his standing in the Treasure Pill Pavilion would be compromised.

As he approached, Liu Wuxie merely stood there without moving. Seeing this, a mocking sneer rose on Jiang Yue’s lips.

“Master Jiang, Young Master Liu is currently participating in the alchemist assessment. Attacking him during this time is against the rules. If there are any issues, please wait until the assessment concludes,” Sang Yan interjected, stepping forward to block Jiang Yue’s path.

“How dare you stand in my way?” Jiang Yue’s fury was palpable as his murderous aura engulfed Sang Yan, giving the impression that he might strike at any moment.

“I’m just speaking the truth. According to the rules, we must protect the safety of every apprentice who comes here to take the assessment. If they die here inexplicably, how are we going to justify it? So please think twice,” Sang Yan warned. His words were straightforward, implying that any grievances should be settled after the assessment.

Sang Yan knew better than anyone about Liu Wuxie’s talent. As long as Liu Wuxie obtained the status of an alchemist, it wouldn’t be easy for Jiang Yue to kill him.

“Master Jiang, what Old Sang said is right. Young Master Liu is taking the assessment, and it would be troublesome if you attack him here.” Sheng Lian also chimed in, taking a neutral stance and merely stating the facts.

Given the number of people present, silencing everyone would be impossible unless Jiang Yue resorted to killing them all. If he were to attack Liu Wuxie, he would place the Treasure Pill Pavilion in a difficult position.

“Very well. I’ll wait here. Does he think that anyone random can come and take the assessment here? I’ll take his life after the assessment, then!” Jiang Yue didn’t mind waiting a little longer as the assessment would take two hours at most, and he could afford to wait.

Liu Wuxie was the youngest among the twelve participants. This also meant that he had the lowest probability of passing the assessment. With Jiang Yue here to supervise, no one could cheat.

Jiang Yue was still unaware that Liu Wuxie was the champion of that year’s competition. He only knew that some brat had won the championship, and he didn’t associate that youngster with Liu Wuxie. This was also because Sang Yan and Sheng Lian addressed Liu Wuxie as ‘Young Master’ and didn’t call him by his full name.

As for Liu Wuxie’s identity, Jiang Yue couldn’t be bothered with that; he had already made up his mind to kill him.

Sang Yan heaved in relief after successfully stopping Jiang Yue from killing Liu Wuxie. He walked over to Liu Wuxie and whispered, “Young Master Liu, I can only help you this far. If you want to live, you have to become an official alchemist. The higher the level, the better. If you become a two-star alchemist, Jiang Yue won’t dare to touch you because the Treasure Pill Pavilion protects every alchemist.”

Sang Yan felt indebted to Liu Wuxie as he had greatly benefited from reading Master Qin’s book recently. More importantly, Sang Yan recognized Liu Wuxie’s potential.

Given Liu Wuxie’s talent, it seemed inevitable that he would eventually become a four-star alchemist, and forming a good relationship with him would be advantageous without any drawbacks. On the other hand, he and Sheng Lian were aware that Jiang Yue’s potential had reached its limit. It was no secret that Jiang Yue consumed forbidden pills; it was just that the repercussions hadn’t surfaced yet.

One had limitless potential, while the other had exhausted his potential. Sang Yan wasn’t afraid of Jiang Yue despite the latter being a four-star alchemist.

“Thank you, Senior Sang!” Liu Wuxie expressed his gratitude. He could always abandon the assessment if the situation escalated and devise an escape plan. As for the idea of him kneeling and pleading for mercy? That was out of the question. Since Sang Yan had secured this opportunity for him, he would naturally appreciate it.

“Let the assessment begin!”

Liu Wuxie returned to his seat as everyone began to take the assessment.

Lan Ruoyu stood not far away. She had participated in the assessment three times. The first stage wasn’t difficult, and it was the last one that she kept failing.

“Hmph, let me see how you’ll die later for slapping me!” Lan Ruoyu said and sat on the side, waiting for Liu Wuxie to fail his assessment.

The assessment paper contained a hundred questions; to pass the first stage, at least ninety of them had to be answered correctly.

Liu Wuxie scanned the paper and promptly began writing his answers. His swift response drew the attention of the other participants.

“Is he scribbling randomly?”

Liu Wuxie’s speed was unheard of. Before they began, Liu Wuxie had already finished answering half of the questions.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yue smirked because the questions were carefully selected for each assessment and screened through several levels. There were some questions that not even veteran alchemists could answer.

Liu Wuxie didn’t even have to think to answer the questions, and it was no wonder Jiang Yue would wear a mocking expression.

Only Sang Yan knew that this level of assessment posed no challenge to Liu Wuxie. In just three minutes, Liu Wuxie was already done answering a hundred questions.

The time limit for the first stage was fifteen minutes, and answering all the questions in three minutes was unheard of.

“I’m done!” Liu Wuxie put down the brush and stood up, requesting Sang Yan to grade his paper.

“Hahaha! Brat, you can die now!” Jiang Yue stood up, intending to kill Liu Wuxie before Sang Yan could grade his assessment. After all, no one had completed the first stage in three minutes, and Liu Wuxie hadn’t paused for a moment after picking up the brush.

“Master Jiang, please remain calm. Let’s grade the paper first. If Young Master Liu fails the assessment, you can take action then,” Sang Yan interjected, even inviting Jiang Yue to join in grading the paper.

Jiang Yue snorted and halted his actions. After all, Liu Wuxie wouldn’t be able to escape.

As the assessment continued for the other participants, the assessors went over to Liu Wuxie’s table and began grading the paper. Even though Sang Yan was prepared, he couldn’t help taking a deep breath when he looked at the answers. He exclaimed, “Brilliant!”

His current mood couldn’t be adequately expressed with words.

Sheng Lian had been looking forward to Liu Wuxie’s answers and had long heard of his feat in the competition. Now that he looked at it today, he found that the rumors weren’t exaggerated.

“This is impossible!” Jiang Yue looked like he had seen a ghost with his eyes bulged. He already had the answers to the questions, but Liu Wuxie’s answers were flawless, far surpassing the answers provided by Sang Yan. It was like the competition, as Liu Wuxie’s answers exceeded the standard.

“Brilliant answers!” Sheng Lian praised. He had meticulously selected each question, and this assessment encompassed a wealth of alchemical knowledge.

Their commotion naturally alarmed the other participants. They were equally astonished that Liu Wuxie’s answers could be so remarkable, given that he had only spent three minutes on them. Could it be that Liu Wuxie possessed a natural aptitude for alchemy?

“The first stage is a test of knowledge, and he probably just got lucky that what he studied is on the paper.” The other participants, filled with envy, composed themselves and resumed their assessments.

Jiang Yue scrutinized the paper multiple times, a chill creeping up his spine. If the paper hadn’t been tampered with, it meant that Liu Wuxie’s alchemical talent was beyond his wildest imagination.

“Did you two leak the answers to him? Yue’er said that you two are acquainted with him,” Jiang Yue said with a dark expression. He was under the impression that Sang Yan had leaked the answers to Liu Wuxie, which was why the answers were so flawless.

“Master Jiang, please respect us. The last question concerns replacing Blue Lily in the Soul Converging Pill. Do you know the answer to that?” Sang Yan was furious that Jiang Yue accused them of leaking the answers.

The Blue Lily could only be found in a harsh environment, and the supply was short despite the high demand. The Soul Converging Pill was a fourth-grade pill, and the production was low due to the scarcity of Blue Lily. But if they could find a replacement for Blue Lily, they would be able to produce the Soul Converging Pill in large quantities.

On the last question, Liu Wuxie’s answer was an ordinary herb people normally overlooked.

“I don’t, but it’s clear that he is bullshitting. Refining the Soul Converging Pill is complicated, and each herb used is precious. But he wrote a first-grade herb as a replacement? How can this kind of garbage possibly refine a fourth-grade pill?” What Jiang Yue said made sense because the replacement herb that Liu Wuxie answered was an ordinary first-grade herb called the Leaf Vine.

The final question had remained unanswered correctly in every assessment for centuries, leading many to believe it might be an unsolvable problem.

“Master Jiang, how can you be certain that Young Master Liu’s answer is mere nonsense and not the correct solution?” Sang Yan queried, a smile playing on his lips.