Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 155 - Terranean Sword Art

In past competitions, Tao Wenbing had defeated opponents in the Spirit Cleansing Realm, and his movement technique was superior to his peers. However, at this moment, Liu Wuxie’s movement technique was like a resounding slap to his face.

“He’s too fast! How did he manage to do it?!” A series of exclamations came from the crowd, shocked by Liu Wuxie’s performance.

Students of Advanced Class Six were shocked, their mouths agape, as though they had eaten poop. They struggled to see and comprehend Liu Wuxie’s Seven Dipper Steps. Liu Wuxie had long since mastered it, rendering a profound-grade movement technique insignificant in comparison.

When they were merely ten steps away from the finish line, Liu Wuxie positioned himself in Tao Wenbing’s path. With Tao Wenbing having destroyed all the pillars behind him, there was no route for retreat, and Liu Wuxie blocked his way forward.

Tao Wenbing found himself in a predicament, at a loss for what to do. After all, he was the one who had destroyed the pillars himself.

Tao Wenbing gasped, “How can you be so fast?!” He knew he was now at the mercy of Liu Wuxie’s retaliation and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Everyone else was equally curious, particularly when Liu Wuxie created seven afterimages with his movement technique, a feat that surpassed everyone’s understanding.

“Could it be that Liu Wuxie has mastered an earth-grade movement technique?” Movement and martial techniques were divided into heaven, earth, profound, and amber grades. Amber was the lowest, and heaven was the highest. Most people practiced amber and profound-grade techniques.

The Imperial Academy did have earth-grade techniques, but they weren’t complete. It was hard to find earth-grade techniques; complete earth-grade techniques could only be found in the powerful sects.

Hailing from Azure Billow City, Liu Wuxie didn’t have access to any powerful forces. Knowing this, everyone wondered how he had managed to learn such a profound movement technique.

Xu Lingxue was also puzzled. It had only been a few months since their last encounter, and she found that Liu Wuxie had become an enigma to her.

“I have to get that movement technique no matter what!” Xue Rui said viciously. If he could obtain it, his strength would be greatly boosted, with his combat power reaching near the high levels of the Spirit Cleansing Realm.

Everyone had various thoughts, and Xue Rui wasn’t the only person who wanted Liu Wuxie’s movement technique. When they looked at Liu Wuxie, it was like they were looking at prey, eager to rush up and snatch the movement technique from him.

In response to Tao Wenbing’s question, Liu Wuxie merely smiled. “A dead person doesn’t have to know that.”

As his footsteps swayed, he soared to the sky, leaving behind afterimages. He was more than ten times faster than Tao Wenbing.

Tao Wenbing wanted to react, but it was too late. He stood frozen on the pillar, immobilized by an invisible force.

When the afterimages overlapped, Liu Wuxie lashed a kick out at Tao Wenbing’s chest, breaking his ribs. Tao Wenbing was sent flying like a broken kite, covering a distance of several meters before he began to fall. He landed in the last hundred meters, where the ground was strewn with poisonous thorns.

When Tao Wenbing landed, the thorns pierced him, taking his life before he could even let out a scream.

After defeating Tao Wenbing, Liu Wuxie remained stoic, swiftly moving to the final point. His superior movement technique had already secured his victory in this aspect of the battle.

Upon reaching the platform, Liu Wuxie scanned his surroundings, his piercing gaze landing on Xue Yu from the Xue Clan. He lifted his right hand tauntingly, making it clear that their feud was now out in the open. His thumb slid across his neck, a signal that did not go unnoticed by the crowd.

“Is he insane to challenge the entire Xue Clan by himself?” Chen Leyoao was dumbfounded. She had repeatedly warned Liu Wuxie to be careful tonight. But the gesture Liu Wuxie made earlier had stirred the hornet’s nest with an uproar exploding from the Xue Clan’s side.

Xu Lingxue covered her mouth. She had long known about the feud between the Xue Clan and the Xu Clan. Xu Yilin had sent a letter not long ago but had concealed many things, such as Liu Wuxie killing someone in the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

“Damn it! I want him dead!” Xue Yu stood up and waved his hand around to vent his anger. The Xue Clan was a colossus, and if they did nothing against the provocation of a small fly, it would be a stain on their reputation. They were deeply rooted in the Imperial Academy, but their foundation was shaken today.

Li Shengsheng and others were dumbfounded, not knowing what was going on. After all, the gesture that Liu Wuxie made was something someone would do against an enemy.

Zuo Hong wore a bitter expression in the crowd and couldn’t express his emotions.

“Brother Liu is still as direct as before!” Kuang He saw things differently, believing that a man should be brave enough to express his emotions, to love and hate boldly.

Liu Wuxie has become famous today.

“Let me go up and kill him!” Xue Pinzhi couldn’t bear it any longer. He had smoothly reached the second level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm a few days ago and was confident in dealing with Liu Wuxie. He was about to act when another figure appeared in the arena.

“Brother Liu, I’ve admired you since you topped the assessment. I’d like to take this opportunity to spar with you,” Bai Yu announced, standing on the stage and releasing his first-level Spirit Cleansing Realm aura. His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone heard it. He jumped out before anyone from the Xue Clan could step forward.

Liu Wuxie’s gaze landed on Bai Yu. There was no existing feud between them, but Bai Yu’s desire to kill him stemmed from his refusal to give up the Flame Sun Cave’s entry qualification. He asked coldly, “You want to kill me?”

Someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm wanted to spar with someone in the Xiantian Realm. No one would think of doing that unless they wanted to kill the other party.

“You can think of it that way!” Bai Yu openly acknowledged his intention to kill Liu Wuxie, leaving many in the crowd puzzled. They couldn’t understand why Liu Wuxie was the target of so many people that day.

“I accept your challenge!” Liu Wuxie unmasked Bai Yu’s motives. He began his slow march towards the arena, each step intensifying his aura of lethal intent, which enveloped him in a palpable, oppressive atmosphere.

“How many lives has he taken to possess such potent murderous intent?” The crowd was taken aback, their eyes fixed on Liu Wuxie, including the most seasoned among them. They had killed people before, but the number of people they had killed was nothing compared to Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie’s murderous intent wasn’t something that could be condensed just by killing a few people. Only those who tracked a mountain of corpses and sea of blood could possess such dense murderous intent.

Bai Yu’s palms were sweating. He had never fought Liu Wuxie before, and their contact had only been verbal.

“Can Junior Brother Liu fight him?” Li Shengsheng believed in Liu Wuxie’s strength. He knew that ordinary people in the Spirit Cleansing Realm weren’t Liu Wuxie’s opponents. However, Bai Yu’s audacity in challenging Liu Wuxie suggested he had some level of confidence.

“Don’t worry about it. Bai Yu is dead for sure!” Song Ling was not concerned about Liu Wuxie losing in a direct confrontation. He settled down, partaking in the prepared food and wine with the others.

The other students from Advanced Class Seven weren’t familiar with Liu Wuxie and had no gauge of his strength. Even after hearing what Song Ling said, a trace of concern appeared on their face inadvertently.

Liu Wuxie took two minutes to walk the hundred-meter distance and finally appeared in the arena. The two stood ten meters apart, their hair fluttering from the breeze. There were a few hours left before the new year.

“Please!” Bai Yu performed a ‘welcome’ gesture and drew out his sword.

“You only have one chance. Use your strongest move!” Liu Wuxie wasn’t willing to waste time fighting. He planned to end this farce in one move because garbage like Bai Yu wasn’t worth his time. His target was someone like Xue Rui.

Liu Wuxie’s declaration caused a stir among the spectators. A youth stood up and pointed at Liu Wuxie, “Brat, aren’t you too arrogant?”

Liu Wuxie’s demand for Bai Yu, a practitioner in the Spirit Cleansing Realm, to use his full strength and his declaration that Bai Yu only had one shot, naturally rubbed many the wrong way. They perceived him as overly arrogant.

“He’s far too presumptuous! He might start thinking we’re all easy targets if he isn’t put in his place!” Bai Qiong, who held some influence in the Imperial Academy, had rallied many to his side over the years. They rose to their feet, hurling insults at Liu Wuxie.

Students who were close to the Xue Clan, as well as those from advanced classes six, three, and the elite classes, joined in the verbal assault on Liu Wuxie. It seemed as though they wanted to overwhelm Liu Wuxie with their harsh words.

“This brat is arrogant! I like him!” Some supported Liu Wuxie, and his arrogance was charming, attracting the respect of many. Since the enemies wanted to kill him, why must he be polite to them?

He had already given them enough respect by not treating them coldly. If it were someone from the Xue Clan instead of Bai Yu, he would’ve swung his blade by now.

“Very well! Since that’s the case, I’ll fulfill your request!” Bai Yu smiled. He held onto the hilt of his sword with two hands, with a faint ripple brewing around him. A powerful sword aura enveloped half the sky when he gradually lifted his sword.

“That’s the Terranean Sword Art!” An exclamation came from the crowd. The spectators were taken aback to see Bai Yu practicing the profound-grade martial technique, the Terranean Sword Art. This sword technique had a high grade and was tough to cultivate. Without at least eight to ten years, reaching greater mastery was impossible.

Judging from the sword aura that Bai Yu gave off, he had already reached lesser mastery with it. But Bai Yu had only joined the Imperial Academy for less than a month!

“His elder brother must have guided him. I’ve heard that Bai Qiong also practices this sword technique.”

Upon joining the academy, Bai Qiong spent credits to exchange this martial technique for his younger brother. Under his guidance, Bai Yu had improved by leaps and bounds, entering the threshold in just a few days.

“The Terranean Sword Art possesses the power of mountains and rivers. Liu Wuxie is in danger now. He might have stood a chance if he had struck first!” Not many were optimistic about Liu Wuxie. Didn’t Liu Wuxie know the principle of taking the initiative first? Why did he ask Bai Yu to make a move first and use his strongest attack?

A mocking smile rose on Liu Wuxie’s lips. He didn’t care about the commotion in the surroundings as a blade appeared in his hand. He hadn’t had enough time to forge his weapon and planned to upgrade his blade into a profound artifact after this banquet.