Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 152 - Cripple Your Arms

Liu Wuxie had masked his cultivation at the eighth level of the Xiantian Realm, appearing unremarkable and seemingly inferior to Li Shengsheng and others. Only a few people knew about his actual fighting prowess. After all, his feat of killing Ji Yang’s lackeys with one blade strike was known only to a small circle, and many people were still unaware of it.

“Are you sure you want to make a move here?” Liu Wuxie didn’t want any trouble. He was there mainly to observe without being involved in any conflicts. But since Dan Zhong was so aggressive, he didn’t mind teaching him a lesson to make an example out of him as a deterrent to others.

“You broke two teeth of mine, and in return, I’ll cripple your arms. That seems fair, right?” Dan Zhong stood five steps away from Liu Wuxie with flames enveloping his blade, emitting a terrifying fire attribute.

“Cripple him and make him a dog!” Students of Advanced Class Six echoed, joining in the clamor. They even suggested crippling Liu Wuxie’s cultivation. They all looked at Liu Wuxie like he was already a dead man, their faces filled with mockery.

Not far away, the students of Advanced Class Three stood with hatred etched on their faces. After all, what had transpired in the past was a significant blow to them. Since then, Advanced Class Three had declined, with the remaining students being mediocre.

“Brat, you hear that? They want to turn you into a dog!” Dan Zhong sneered and swung his blade at Liu Wuxie. He made his move without warning, not giving Liu Wuxie the chance to respond. Just this alone was enough to prove that he was a ruthless person.

“A mere fly dares to speak with such arrogance?” Liu Wuxie couldn’t be bothered to waste words on Dan Zhong. The blade in his hand left behind an afterimage, its trajectory invisible to all. As he swung his blade, the surrounding airflow seemed to halt, as if someone had sucked all the air from the vicinity.

Only Liu Wuxie could manipulate the natural laws of heaven and earth. He had already achieved unity with heaven and earth and needed further cultivation. He didn’t even execute Ghost Eye, simply swinging his blade downward.

An unusual scene occurred as Dan Zhong’s blade began to shatter, unable to bear the pressure of Liu Wuxie’s blade intent. A terrifying blade aura formed into a prison that engulfed Dan Zhong, immobilizing him.

At this moment, Dan Zhong felt his life hanging by a thread, a flicker of fear mirrored in his eyes. While others were oblivious, he could sense Liu Wuxie’s ruthless suppression of his attack.

“Fire attribute? Not bad. I’ll be taking it!” As the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron stirred, the surrounding fire attribute energy vanished into the cauldron, transforming into fresh energy and merging into his dantian.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t Dan Zhong moving?” Students of Advanced Class Six were baffled. The battle had just begun, but Dan Zhong seemed to be frozen in place. Not to mention that Dan Zhong’s blade aura seemed to have disappeared as though it was devoured.

Without warning, Liu Wuxie swung his blade, resulting in two arms dropping to the ground, accompanied by a blood-curdling scream.

Dan Zhong found himself on his knees, everything having transpired too quickly for him to react. Before he knew it, Liu Wuxie’s blade was on his arms. It seemed as though he had willingly thrown himself onto Liu Wuxie’s blade. Everything appeared to be a coincidence, but there were few coincidences in reality.

The surroundings fell into dead silence as everyone even forgot to breathe.

“What’s going on?” Students of Advanced Class Six were baffled, exchanging bewildered looks.

“Dan Zhong lost so thoroughly!” The crowd took in a deep breath. No one was willing to believe the outcome that the battle had come to an end before it even began.

No one could see what was happening besides those who were in close proximity. Only those ten-odd meters away could see the trajectory of Liu Wuxie’s blade.

“Brother, how confident are you in killing him?” Bai Qiong, who was roughly two hundred meters from where Liu Wuxie stood, asked. Despite being further away, he could clearly see what had happened as he was a Profound Grade student.

“Seventy percent!” declared Bai Yu with assurance. By the third day of his joining the Imperial Academy, his cultivation had seamlessly ascended to the second level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm. Assisted by his elder brother, he underwent rigorous training for several days, ultimately attaining the pinnacle of the second level.

“Good. I want you to kill him tonight!” Bai Qiong gritted his teeth, recalling how Liu Wuxie had called him a retard. However, it wasn’t convenient for him to make a move against Liu Wuxie.

“Big Brother, don’t worry about it. He’s mine tonight, and no one can snatch him away!” Bai Yu licked his lips. His hatred for Liu Wuxie had grown when he couldn’t obtain the qualification to cultivate in the Flame Sun Cave.

Liu Wuxie could sense murderous intent coming from several regions. The banquet would last for a long time, and it was uncertain whether Liu Wuxie would survive until the end.

“This area belongs to my Advanced Class Seven. If anyone dares to take a step forward, don’t blame me for taking your life!” Liu Wuxie swung his blade, drawing a line on the ground between the two classes. Not only did they retain their space, but they also seized a significant portion of the area belonging to Advanced Class Six.

The students of Advanced Class Six were furious but didn’t dare to say a word. Dan Zhong had failed, and no one dared to make a move recklessly.

The space was spacious for Advanced Class Seven, who only had ten people.

Advanced Class Seven immediately drew attention due to the vast space they occupied, despite having only ten members. In contrast, even the elite classes were cramped and didn’t enjoy such a privilege.

“Damn it! Should we give him a taste of his own medicine?!” A student from the elite class couldn’t contain his anger. Liu Wuxie’s refusal to join the elite class and mingle with them had indirectly insulted many.

“There’s no hurry. We’ll have plenty of opportunities later!” Yu Yifan smiled, telling his classmates to calm down. Countless people were eager to deal with Liu Wuxie tonight, and it wasn’t their turn yet. In his opinion, Liu Wuxie would be dead before they could even make a move.

When the ruckus ended, no one dared to challenge the Advanced Class Seven again as teachers began to arrive.

“Teacher, you’re here!” A strong stench of alcohol permeated the air, signaling Jin Jianfeng’s arrival even before he was seen. His disheveled appearance, sitting on the ground, was far from the typical image of a teacher. Yet, this was a sight everyone had grown accustomed to.

“Feel free to sit down!” Jin Jianfeng gestured, encouraging everyone to relax. Despite his lack of responsibility over the past two years as a teacher, it was strange that students like Li Shengsheng still respected him.

“Junior Brother, I bet you don’t know about it. The teacher might not teach us that often, but no one in the academy can compete with him regarding protectiveness. Everyone in the academy knows that Dan Zhong would’ve been a corpse if the teacher had been here earlier,” Wang Yonghao whispered.

Liu Wuxie knew about that because if it weren’t for Jin Jianfeng, it would’ve been troublesome for Liu Wuxie when he killed so many students from Advanced Class Three.

“Good job, young man. I see great potential in you!” Jin Jianfeng said, slightly opening his alcohol-glazed eyes to look at Liu Wuxie.

This person is unfathomable!

When their eyes met briefly, Liu Wuxie’s heart skipped a beat. That was Liu Wuxie’s first impression. Jin Jianfeng didn’t look as simple as he seemed, but why was someone with such strength willing to become a first-class teacher? He could become a star teacher based on his strength if he wanted.

This left Liu Wuxie pondering about what led Jin Jianfeng to this path.

A smile graced Jin Jianfeng’s face. A single glance was enough for them to understand a lot about each other. He took a swig from his wine gourd, and his eyes sparkled even brighter.

Liu Wuxie soon tossed this matter to the back of his mind as everyone had their own secrets.

“The annual banquet will soon begin as usual. Everyone, feel free to mingle and exchange moves among each other!” announced the elder in charge of the banquet before vanishing.

The banquet started just like that?! Liu Wuxie was taken aback. Wasn’t this too careless?

However, that was the case every year. Everyone gathered together and did whatever they wanted without the academy interfering. There was no ranking or competition. Instead, it was more like an academic exchange.

After all, it was unavoidable for there to be students with feuds, and this was an excellent opportunity for them to resolve that.

Liu Wuxie didn’t think too much about it and looked around. Logically speaking, Xu Lingxue should also be attending this gathering, but he couldn’t find her anywhere.

In the blink of an eye, two hours had elapsed. As the frequency of challenges dwindled, a hush fell over the venue. It had transformed into an intimate forum where participants exchanged their cultivation insights.

“Advanced Class Seven’s Liu Wuxie, I heard you have a formidable movement technique. Do you dare to compete with me on the Solitary Pillar?” A roar echoed, interrupting the conversation of many. When everyone raised their heads, they saw a student of the elite class challenge Liu Wuxie.

“Finally starting, huh?” Liu Wuxie slowly stood up and wore a cruel smirk. It seemed inevitable that there would be a bloodbath that night.

In the highest region, a woman stood up, her gaze fixed on Liu Wuxie. When she saw Liu Wuxie, her delicate body trembled slightly. Her eyes held a mix of anticipation and an unusual emotion, akin to the joy one feels upon seeing a family member.

Beside the woman sat a man dressed in white. He followed her gaze, which led him to Liu Wuxie in the area designated for Earth Grade students.

“Junior Sister Xu, what’s the matter?” the white-clothed youth asked.

“Nothing!” The woman returned to her seat, looking distracted. The white-clothed man glanced at Liu Wuxie discreetly before looking away.

“Junior Sister Xu, you know him?” If others were present, they would undoubtedly recognize this youth. He was Xiao Yanlong, the esteemed disciple of Vice-Headmaster Qin Li, and a Heaven Grade student who had reached the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm at a young age.

Aside from Fan Zhen, the Imperial Academy had two vice-headmasters, Baili Qing and Qin Li.

Xiao Yanlong’s eyes flashed with a hint of chill. He had heard about Xu Lingxue and knew that Liu Wuxie was her husband.