Chapter 1932 - Divine Steed Tournament

At daybreak, Liu Wuxie and Blackie resumed their journey toward the outer reaches of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range. Since neither could fly, they had no choice but to cross the wilderness on foot.

Rivers, mountains, towering peaks, and winding streams marked their path. Liu Wuxie changed clothes five times during the journey. Thorns tore some sets apart, while battles with immortal beasts shredded the others.

A thunderous explosion shook the mountains as Blackie brought his staff crashing down and killed an immortal beast at the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm. Defeating it had taken as long as it took for an incense stick to burn.

"That was dangerously close. Crossing the Dragon Burial Mountain Range would have been far more difficult without Blackie," Liu Wuxie said. He sat cross-legged and began devouring the immortal beast's energy. His cultivation climbed steadily until he stood infinitely close to the Profound Immortal Realm.

Although Liu Wuxie was powerful enough to kill opponents at the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm, immortal beasts had thick hides and tremendously powerful physiques. More importantly, countless others prowled the surrounding wilderness. If he exhausted all his immortal energy in one battle, the remaining beasts would tear him apart at their leisure.

Blackie usually led the assault while Liu Wuxie struck from the shadows. Working together, they repelled wave after wave of immortal beasts and continued across the jagged mountain peaks until a distant horizon finally appeared.

Liu Wuxie threw back his head and released a long roar alongside Blackie. After ten full days of grueling travel, they had finally crossed the entire Dragon Burial Mountain Range.

A transportation stronghold seemed to stand upon the horizon, most likely containing a teleportation array leading toward the Celestial Weave Domain. In his previous life, the Heavenly Daoist had taken him directly from Moon Reverence City, leaving him with little knowledge of the surrounding region.

"Blackie, you'll need to remain in the Desolate World from this point onward. I don't want to attract unnecessary trouble," Liu Wuxie said. He had no idea what awaited him beyond the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, so concealing Blackie was the safest choice.

Blackie nodded despite its reluctance. It entered the Desolate World and promptly fell asleep.

Liu Wuxie executed the Divine Ninefold Step and streaked over the horizon like a meteor. Four hours later, he entered the small city nearest the Dragon Burial Mountain Range. It was neither large nor prosperous and carried an ancient air, while most of its residents appeared to be ordinary cultivators.

Carriages traveled continuously along the streets. The city's overall cultivation level surpassed Fourfold City's, and Liu Wuxie even watched several Divine Immortals pass him.

"Something is strange. Why has this city attracted so many cultivators?" Liu Wuxie murmured.

He had noticed the crowds of visitors the moment he entered. Every inn he approached was completely occupied, making it difficult to find even one vacant room. Such a situation made no sense.

After walking for nearly an hour, Liu Wuxie reached a quiet street with scarcely anyone nearby. The district lacked the city center's prosperity, but a small inn there still had several available rooms.

"Innkeeper, why have so many cultivators gathered in the city?" Liu Wuxie asked.

The innkeeper accepted his payment and looked at him in surprise. "You haven't heard?"

"No, I haven't," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head. He had only just arrived and knew nothing about the events unfolding here.

"They're all traveling to the Divine Steed Manor," the innkeeper explained after registering him. He handed Liu Wuxie a wooden token that served as his room key.

"The Divine Steed Manor?" Liu Wuxie asked, frowning.

The name stirred a faint memory, but he recalled little about it. After all, the Divine Steed Manor did not rank among the celestial realm's top-tier powers.

"I heard the Divine Steed Manor obtained a fragment of the Asura Blade. Countless cultivators arrived to see it, making it impossible for the manor to keep the fragment for itself. They eventually proposed the Divine Steed Tournament, in which the winner would receive the fragment. If the Divine Steed Manor wins, however, everyone else must stop causing trouble over it," the innkeeper explained.

Liu Wuxie's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Asura Blade. No one understood that weapon's origins better than he did, for he had wielded it in his previous life. When he had unleashed the Bloodfiend Disintegration, the resulting explosion destroyed his physical body and shattered the Asura Blade, scattering its fragments throughout heaven and earth.

At last, he understood why the Heavenly Dao Book had stirred. It must have detected the nearby Asura Blade fragment.

Although the Asura Blade had broken into fragments, every piece still carried the will of an Immortal Emperor. Anyone who obtained one and refined that will could comprehend a portion of the Immortal Emperor Realm Laws.

After bidding the innkeeper farewell, Liu Wuxie headed directly toward the city's busiest district instead of his room. He needed more information about the Asura Blade. Now that he had encountered one of its fragments, he couldn't let anyone else claim it.

The Bloodthirst Blade still lacked one final piece. Obtaining the Asura Blade fragment would allow Liu Wuxie to restore it.

Both the Bloodthirst Blade and Asura Blade ranked among the top-tier immortal artifacts.

Liu Wuxie entered an opulent restaurant packed to capacity. There could be no better place to gather information.

He waited for an incense stick to burn before finally securing a seat. A couple in their forties shared the table with him. When Liu Wuxie sat down, the man greeted him with a friendly nod, which he politely returned.

"Young Man, don't bother ordering anything if you're dining alone. We've already ordered several dishes, and you're welcome to share them," the man offered. The couple had ordered more than they could finish and did not mind sharing with another guest.

"Then I'll gladly accept your hospitality. Thank you," Liu Wuxie replied, cupping his fists. The couple didn't seem malicious and had impressive cultivation at the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm.

"Young Man, did the Asura Blade fragment bring you here as well?" the man asked after the dishes arrived, raising his cup in a toast toward Liu Wuxie.

"I only happened to pass through this city. Brother Lu, did you and your companion come specifically for the Asura Blade fragment?" Liu Wuxie asked as he returned the toast.

During their conversation, the man had introduced himself and revealed that he belonged to a second-tier clan. His clan had ordered the couple to seize the fragment.

"As you can see, claiming it will be anything but simple," Lu Shan said, sweeping his gaze across the restaurant. This establishment alone held close to a thousand people, and countless more filled the rest of the city. Everyone was an expert, including numerous cultivators in the Divine Immortal Realm.

Rumor had it that Golden Immortals had arrived. Obtaining the Asura Blade fragment would clearly require far more than luck.

"Didn't the Divine Steed Manor establish the Divine Steed Tournament? Whoever comes first should receive the Asura Blade fragment," Liu Wuxie said, lowering his cup onto the table.

"Who from this region is capable of rivaling the Divine Steed Manor in divine steeds?" Lu Shan asked, sighing as he set down his own cup. "This tournament is merely their way of silencing everyone. Once they win, no one will have any justification left to seize the Asura Blade fragment."

Liu Wuxie nodded as the Divine Steed Manor's strategy became clear. Countless cultivators had surrounded the manor and demanded the fragment, forcing it to devise this solution when no other alternative remained.

Otherwise, why would the Divine Steed Manor propose a tournament based on the skill it excelled at most? Its intentions could not have been more obvious.

The Divine Steed Manor possessed considerable strength, and its manor lord had even reached the Great Golden Immortal Realm. If the manor won the Divine Steed Tournament, it could rightfully retain the Asura Blade fragment, leaving no one with a valid reason to demand it.

"Brother Lu, do you know where the Divine Steed Manor obtained the fragment?" Liu Wuxie asked.

The surrounding tables were also discussing the Divine Steed Tournament. Countless pieces of information streamed into Liu Wuxie's soul sea, where he rapidly sorted and stored them for later analysis.

"I heard they stole it from a merchant caravan, but I don't know the details," Lu Shan replied, shaking his head. Even that account amounted to nothing more than hearsay.

Within the restaurant alone, Liu Wuxie heard three different explanations for how the Divine Steed Manor had acquired the Asura Blade fragment. Some claimed the manor had discovered it inside a secret realm, while others insisted it had obtained the fragment after annihilating an entire clan.

Only the Divine Steed Manor knew how they had secured the fragment. As for the news leaking, someone inside the manor had likely revealed it.

After eating for roughly two hours, Liu Wuxie rose and bid farewell to Lu Shan and his companion. He had already gathered everything he needed.

The Divine Steed Tournament would begin in three days. Cultivators unable to participate could only observe from the sidelines, for not everyone possessed any proficiency in the Divine Steed Art.

Returning to his inn, Liu Wuxie entered his room and sat on the bed. A commotion came from the neighboring room, where another bed creaked incessantly as though it might collapse at any moment.

The noises continued until midnight, then finally faded into silence.

"I have to enter the Divine Steed Tournament. The Asura Blade fragment cannot fall into anyone else's hands," Liu Wuxie said, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

Had he never encountered the Asura Blade fragment, nothing could have been done. However, now that it had appeared before him, he couldn't give up on this opportunity.

The Bloodthirst Blade seemed to sense the Asura Blade's presence and began stirring restlessly. The Heavenly Dao Book had also stopped fluttering, confirming Liu Wuxie's theory.

"My priority is finding a divine steed," Liu Wuxie murmured as he stood.

The Divine Steed Manor would never have proposed the Divine Steed Tournament unless it was confident of victory. Defeating the manor would therefore be extremely difficult.

Liu Wuxie finally remembered why the Divine Steed Manor's name seemed familiar. Many sects within the Celestial Weave Domain still used divine steed vehicles, primarily to transport goods. The Divine Steed Art differed entirely from the Mechanism Art.

The Mechanism Art created puppets, but their agility couldn't rival creations forged through the Divine Steed Art. Puppets were comparatively rigid, while the Divine Steed Art could produce galloping horses, soaring eagles, ferocious tigers, and numerous other forms.

The Divine Steed Tournament followed a simple rule. Whichever divine steed crossed the finish line first within the allotted time would win.

The Divine Steed Manor specialized in the Divine Steed Art, and the tournament would take place on its own territory. Defeating the manor at its greatest strength seemed nearly impossible, but Liu Wuxie still had to try.

Whether for himself or the Bloodthirst Blade, Liu Wuxie would obtain the Asura Blade fragment.

When dawn arrived, cultivators began leaving the city and traveling toward the Divine Steed Manor. With the tournament approaching, even more people would pour into the city over the next two days.

Most visitors had come solely to watch. They understood nothing about the Divine Steed Art, so their presence would have little effect on the tournament.

Liu Wuxie naturally understood part of the Divine Steed Art. Although he could not call himself proficient, he excelled in the Celestial Forge Art.

Put simply, both the Divine Steed Art and Mechanism Art originated from the Celestial Forge Art. Even the mysterious crossbow in Liu Wuxie's possession had been forged using its principles. The Celestial Forge Art encompassed craftsmanship that rivaled the heavens themselves.