Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1073 - Tian Wucang

Chapter 1073 – Tian Wucang

Liu Wuxie made no attempt to explain himself and had no intention of revealing his true identity to anyone.

With little else to occupy them, he and Tian Wucang sat quietly in the corner, exchanging casual conversation. The other mixed-bloods in the room continued to glare at Liu Wuxie with open hostility. None of them spoke a word to him. They seemed eager to see him gone.

Only Tian Wucang was different—his temperament was mild, and his demeanor easygoing. He leaned more toward the human side, unlike the other hybrids, who exuded a stronger demonic air.

What surprised Liu Wuxie most was how knowledgeable Tian Wucang was despite his frail appearance. He wasn’t merely familiar with the basics; he was well-versed in astronomy, geography, and even disciplines like alchemy, blacksmithing, and spiritual talismans. He had also read extensively on human history and cultivation systems.

He seemed less like a half-devil and more like a learned human scholar.

Through their conversation, Liu Wuxie gained a rough understanding of the Eighteen Peak Cities.

He briefly considered asking about the Barefooted Elder but held back, unwilling to risk another incident.

Eighteen powerful lords founded the Eighteen Peak Cities, each ruling over a single mountain. The abyssal race governed one of the peaks. While minor skirmishes occurred from time to time, large-scale conflicts between the races remained rare.

These peaks were considered the most prosperous region within the Eastern Domain. Many cultivators flocked here in search of advancement. However, due to the Eastern Domain’s isolation from the rest of the continent, its commerce and cultural exchange remained severely underdeveloped.

“Brother Tian, with knowledge like yours, you clearly come from an extraordinary background. How did you end up in a place like this?” Liu Wuxie asked after a long while. The depth of knowledge Tian Wucang possessed at such a young age was truly exceptional.

Some of the ancient scriptures Tian Wucang quoted were entirely unfamiliar to Liu Wuxie, even though he had scoured countless repositories across the Central Plains. Many of those texts likely originated from the archaic era, having been preserved only in the hands of the most powerful experts.

“That’s… a long story,” Tian Wucang replied with a bitter smile.

He paused before asking, “And you, Brother Gu? You don’t seem like someone from the Eighteen Peak Cities. What brings you here?”

Tian Wucang was sharp, but his lowly status left him no choice but to hide in places like this.

“I’m just passing through,” Liu Wuxie replied, brushing off the question.

Outside, night had fallen. Inside, the room quieted as the others drifted off to sleep, their snores echoing in the stillness.

Just as they were settling in, a thunderous crash rocked the shack. Someone kicked the battered door open with force, jolting everyone awake.

Liu Wuxie’s eyes narrowed. He sprang to his feet, alert for whoever dared barge in at such an hour.

Tian Wucang, huddled in a corner, began to tremble. Liu Wuxie sensed the fear radiating from him.

The other mixed-bloods stood up warily, just in time to see three large abyssal devils stepping inside, their silhouettes illuminated by the dim red glow outside.

Each of them had a towering build and an oppressive presence. At the sight of them, the other hybrids quickly lowered their heads and backed away without a word.

The three abyssal devils exuded the power of peak Spirit Profound Realm experts, an uncommon level of strength in a city where most abyssal devils lingered in the True Profound Realm. Spirit Profound experts were few and far between.

“You lot—out!” barked the devil in the middle, his tone cold and commanding as he swept his gaze across the room.

Aside from Liu Wuxie and Tian Wucang, the others immediately fled in fear, too terrified to stay a second longer.

Once they were gone, the three abyssal devils turned their gazes toward Liu Wuxie and Tian Wucang.

“You too. Get out,” the lead devil ordered, this time pointing at Liu Wuxie.

“And on what grounds?” Liu Wuxie replied coldly, his tone calm but firm.

The night in the Eastern Domain was especially treacherous, with the surroundings saturated in cursed energy. At the very least, this shack provided minimal shelter from the density of that oppressive aura. There was no reason to yield so easily.

Storm clouds had begun to gather overhead, and it looked like a torrential downpour could descend at any moment. Liu Wuxie had finally found a relatively safe place to spend the night—how could he surrender it now?

“Because we said so,” one of them growled as they stepped forward, releasing a wave of oppressive abyssal energy that surged toward Liu Wuxie. Their threat was clear: if he refused to leave, they would make sure he regretted it.

To them, Liu Wuxie seemed completely unremarkable. His outward aura suggested he was only at the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm, and on top of that, he had deliberately concealed his cultivation further using the Ancient Breath-Concealing Art. He appeared utterly unthreatening.

“Brother Gu, go. They came for me,” Tian Wucang whispered, voice trembling. Though they had just met, he didn’t want Liu Wuxie getting dragged into trouble on his account.

“They’re after you?” Liu Wuxie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. After all, Tian Wucang’s cultivation was barely at the Nascent Transformation Realm, barely noteworthy even in the Southern Province, let alone here in the Eastern Domain.

“It’s complicated. Please, go,” Tian Wucang urged, gently pushing Liu Wuxie toward the exit.

Liu Wuxie hesitated. They were barely acquaintances, certainly not life-and-death companions. There was no reason for him to get involved in someone else’s business, especially when drawing attention could jeopardize his plans.

But before he could move, the three abyssal devils blocked the exit.

“It’s too late to leave,” one of them sneered, stepping into Liu Wuxie’s path. Their earlier conversation had changed the devils’ minds; they now saw Liu Wuxie as someone affiliated with Tian Wucang and wanted to eliminate him as well.

“Let him go. I’ll come with you,” Tian Wucang said, stepping forward to shield Liu Wuxie.

“No. Anyone who’s spoken to you—man or abyssal devil—must die,” the devil replied coldly.

Initially, they had considered letting Liu Wuxie go, assuming he was unrelated to Tian Wucang. But after hearing their conversation, they decided he had to die too.

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the Eighteen Peak Cities and casting the devils’ monstrous faces in stark relief. Their faces twisted into grotesque shapes.

Abyssal devils came in tiers, and all pure-blooded abyssal devils bore horns. While even ordinary devils had horns, their glow revealed the difference in bloodline. Crimson-hued horns marked those of noble lineage, while black horns denoted common blood.

The devils before Liu Wuxie each bore crimson horns—a true sign of nobility among the abyssal devils who descended from the legendary Asura. People said the horns of the Asura Deity glowed with a radiant, purple-red light.

Why three pure-blooded abyssal devils of such status would appear in a place like this at such an hour was suspicious. Liu Wuxie had encountered many ordinary abyssal devils along the way, but this was the first time noble-blooded ones had shown up.

“You want to kill me?” Liu Wuxie’s voice merged with the roar of rain outside, calm yet laced with steel.

“That’s right,” one of them snarled, stepping forward.

Without hesitation, the devil on the right summoned a black spear, thrusting it straight at Liu Wuxie. He surged forward with both abyssal and cursed energy, condensing it into a viscous force that aimed to engulf Liu Wuxie.

Tian Wucang’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t wanted Liu Wuxie harmed for the sake of their brief acquaintance, but it was too late now. The abyssal devil’s strength was formidable, clearly surpassing the ordinary peak Spirit Profound Realm.

“You think three pieces of trash like you can kill me?” Liu Wuxie snapped, fury finally erupting. He had endured ambush after ambush since stepping into the Eastern Domain, and his patience was wearing thin.

The spear hurtled toward his chest. If Liu Wuxie didn’t act now, it would impale him.

Yet he didn’t flinch. He stood motionless.

“Earth-Binding Chains!” he snapped.

Liu Wuxie summoned chains of silver-black light that shot out, coiling tightly around the attacker and locking him in place.

Liu Wuxie had spent years nourishing the Earth-Binding Chains with his soul energy until they rivaled an earth-spirit artifact. Crucially, they required only soul energy to activate—no true essence—which allowed Liu Wuxie to maintain his cover.

He knew the Eighteen Peak Cities were teeming with formidable experts. If he revealed his identity or aura, it could provoke disaster. If word spread that he was seeking the Barefooted Elder, enemies would swarm him.

Liu Wuxie tightened the chains. No matter how the abyssal devil struggled, he couldn’t break free.

Liu Wuxie wielded the same Earth-Binding Chains that once sealed an Abyssal Emperor and brought about the Feather Emperor’s fall in the days before the True Martial Continent split from the Astral Domain. They remained buried underground until Liu Wuxie unearthed them.

The other two devils’ expressions darkened. They never expected Liu Wuxie to retaliate, let alone capture one of them so effortlessly.

Even Tian Wucang stood stunned. He had clearly underestimated Liu Wuxie’s strength.

“How dare you fight back! Do you know who we are?!” The remaining devils roared in fury.

Their words revealed their high status; the others had obeyed them without hesitation.

“I don’t care who you are,” Liu Wuxie said coldly. “I just wanted a place to rest. If you leave now, I’ll let this go. But if you insist on making trouble, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Liu Wuxie avoided escalating the conflict, hoping to resolve it peacefully.

But abyssal devils were known for their pride and aggression. Once provoked, a retreat was never an option.

“Kill him!” the two devils roared, summoning their weapons and launching their attacks.

But just before they struck, Tian Wucang suddenly stepped in front of Liu Wuxie.

“If you want to kill him, you’ll have to get through me,” Tian Wucang said firmly, eyes filled with defiance.

Liu Wuxie was taken aback. They had only met that day—there was no deep bond between them—yet this frail youth was willing to risk his life for him.

An unfamiliar feeling stirred in his chest, one he couldn’t quite name.

“You dare betray master over a worthless outsider?” the abyssal devils bellowed.

But they didn’t pause. They adjusted their stance and launched attacks from both sides, trying to flank Liu Wuxie while bypassing Tian Wucang.