Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1148 - Slaves

Chapter 1148 – Slaves

A heavy boot slammed into Liu Wuxie’s side, jolting him awake with searing pain. When he opened his eyes, a vicious-looking man loomed over him, gripping a long whip.

He shot upright, blinking in confusion.

“Where am I?” he muttered.

He found himself surrounded by endless mines. He tried to release his divine sense, but it barely extended a thousand meters. He sensed something disturbingly unnatural, especially the oppressive weight pressing down on him.

No technique had caused it; it was like the sheer density of the laws was pressing down on him like an invisible mountain.

His breath turned ragged as his thoughts raced.

“I’m talking to you! Get up and work! Or don’t blame me for what happens next!” the burly man barked, cracking his whip through the air.

“YOU DARE?!” Liu Wuxie roared, reaching for the whip, but he missed.

The man lashed the whip squarely at him, tearing flesh and sending pain surging through Liu Wuxie. It wasn’t an illusion; everything here was real.

“The Astral Domain… I’ve entered the Astral Domain!” He laughed through the pain.

Only the Astral Domain could possess such oppressive laws. His cultivation remained intact, and the surrounding laws were several magnitudes higher than those of the True Martial Continent.

He scanned himself with divine sense and froze.

He found that his desolate world had condensed into a miniature version, shrinking a hundredfold. Yet, his true essence had become dozens of times purer, and he could refine and condense the laws within him at a rapid pace.

He tried to channel his true essence outward, but nothing happened. In this world, he was no stronger than a mortal.

He realized that this had to be a higher plane. Just as the Celestial Realm’s laws crushed mortals, these laws now suppressed him. The stronger the plane, the more oppressive the laws would become.

The good news was that he had reached the Astral Domain. As for the bad news, the guards had enslaved him to mine astral stones on this strange planet.

Astral stones resembled spirit stones but were vastly superior in quality. Realizing the danger of resistance, Liu Wuxie silently complied. Survival came first, and he needed time to adapt before planning an escape.

He descended into the mines, joining the countless slaves laboring to extract astral stones. The nearby slaves ignored his sudden arrival. There were too few guards and too many slaves.

The rulers of this planet barred outsiders, permitting only slaves and guards to live here.

Everywhere, blank-eyed workers pushed carts of raw stones into drop points. Their eyes had already lost all hope.

When he came in contact with his interspatial ring, the Astral Domain’s laws crushed and shattered it. Thankfully, he had intentionally left most of his belongings behind on the True Martial Continent.

A frail old man staggered out of the mine, struggling to push a heavy cart.

Without hesitation, Liu Wuxie rushed forward to help.

The elder shot him a grateful look. Without Liu Wuxie’s help, the guards would have whipped him again.

“Senior, where are we?” Liu Wuxie asked in a hushed voice as they pushed the cart together.

The old man shot him a suspicious glance, as if wondering whether Liu Wuxie didn’t already know.

“This is the Laman Astral Domain. We’re on Anlu Star—a planet rich in astral stones,” the elder finally replied, having judged Liu Wuxie trustworthy.

Liu Wuxie committed the name to memory. Though the grandmaster had handed him a map, it lacked accuracy and had to have become outdated.

After dumping the raw stones in the warehouse, they returned to the mine.

Over time, Liu Wuxie adjusted to the suppressive laws and managed to circulate enough true essence for basic techniques.

“Senior, what’s the cultivation of the guards here?” he asked.

He knew nothing about the Astral Domain. While the cultivation system was familiar, many aspects remained foreign.

“Aside from the commander, the rest are in the Transcendent Realm,” the elder replied. He hadn’t spoken in years but found Liu Wuxie’s presence refreshing.

Most slaves were low-level Heaven Profound cultivators, while Liu Wuxie was only at the Earth Profound Realm.

After a day’s labor, Liu Wuxie learned the situation.

They were indeed in the Laman Astral Domain. Anlu Star belonged to the Immortal Slaughter Palace, a force as terrifying as its name implied.

Astral stones excavated here were shipped to fuel the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s cultivation.

Slaves came from various markets. In the eyes of the powerful, they were mere livestock.

Aside from the Laman Astral Domain, the elder spoke of three others: the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain to the south as well as the Spirit Martial and Blood Fiend Astral Domains. He had picked up this knowledge from books and the guard’s gossip.

When Liu Wuxie asked about the Heavenly Dragon Sect, the old man only shook his head.

The Laman Astral Domain lay in the west—vast and rich in resources. Even among the four, the Immortal Slaughter Palace stood near the top.

The Blood Fiend Astral Domain was the most feared, home to abyssal races where humans rarely set foot. There were also many hidden lesser realms, but their locations remained secret.

The Anlu Star alone was half the size of the True Martial Continent, and there were tens of thousands of such planets here. The scale of the Astral Domain was staggering.

Planets floated in the void, and teleportation arrays connected them, making travel much easier.

Unlike the True Martial Continent, the Astral Domain was a boundless universe lit by multiple suns.

“Time to rest,” the old man said, panting.

Liu Wuxie nodded; he felt just as exhausted as the old man.

The laws were fierce, and the spiritual energy filling the air was hundreds of times denser than back home. Even breathing here loosened his bottleneck. In the True Martial Continent, a breakthrough could take decades. Here, he could ascend at any moment.

The camp bustled with noise when they returned. Anlu Star had three major camps. Liu Wuxie’s was in the east, housing five to six thousand slaves.

They crammed over a hundred people into each barrack, and the guards delivered meals at night.

Liu Wuxie followed the old man inside. Some people chatted while others dozed off around them.

The elder found his spot and closed his eyes. Clearly, he had already gotten used to this life.

Liu Wuxie scanned the room. Other cultivators had already claimed every corner, and the worst areas reeked of filth.

“Food’s here!” two guards barked, hauling in a massive wooden bucket. A swarm of slaves rushed forward.

Despite his growling stomach, Liu Wuxie remained still.

Back home, he needed no food, but here, his transformed body demanded sustenance. Fortunately, he had stored liquified spiritual energy in the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

The other slaves weren’t so lucky. The guards confiscated all of their interspatial rings, leaving them to rely on unpalatable meals.

The bucket held vegetables and tough buns made from special herbs. One bun could stave off hunger for a day.

“You dare steal from me?!”

A commotion erupted as slaves fought over food. The guards ignored it, locking the room to prevent escape.

A loud crash followed. The crowd scattered, leaving an open space.

“Chen Gang, you’re courting death!” someone roared.

Two middle-aged men stood face to face. They had fought before.

Chen Gang, flanked by followers, clearly held power in the barracks. His opponent stood alone, pale and emaciated from long-term starvation.

“You’re the one courting death. Hand it over!” Chen Gang sneered, stepping forward.

“That Chen Gang gets worse by the day,” the old man beside Liu Wuxie muttered. “We already lack food, and more people will starve now.”

Liu Wuxie said nothing, as it didn’t concern him.

“What can we do? He’s the strongest among us. I heard he bribed the guards. He’ll be out soon,” someone else whispered.

Though they spoke softly, Liu Wuxie caught every word.

He turned toward the confrontation. Chen Gang had a hooked nose and a vicious glint. The other man looked hauntingly familiar.

Liu Wuxie frowned. Why did this man look so familiar?

He searched his memory, from the Southern Province to the Central Plains. Then, he froze. A face emerged in his memory—nearly identical, just healthier and less gaunt.