Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1166 - Ant Shaking An Elephant
Chapter 1166 – Ant Shaking An Elephant
Before He Yingwu entered the Astral Domain, people across the True Martial Continent knew him as the “Thousand-Faced Saint.” No one could rival or match his mastery of disguise.
When Liu Wuxie heard him speak of this skill, his eyes lit up. Traveling in disguise would be far more practical than relying on bamboo hats.
In the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s territory, a single order to remove their hats would expose them instantly, but with a proper disguise, they could move freely.
People called this planet “Ancient Orchid Star,” far removed from Laman Star. Yet even across such an immense distance, the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s disciples still extended their reach here. Their influence was genuinely terrifying.
The great forces of the Astral Domain far surpassed those of the True Martial Continent. They carried lineages that spanned hundreds of thousands, even millions of years, and they built foundations that stretched across the entire Astral Domain.
He Yingwu began gathering materials, his hands moving with experienced precision. Fifteen minutes later, he completed two exquisite human-skin masks. Cool against the skin, they felt oddly pleasant despite their eerie nature.
When Liu Wuxie checked himself in a bronze mirror, a scholarly figure stared back at him. Beside him, He Yingwu appeared as an elderly attendant. Their faces and even their bearing had transformed beyond recognition.
Most disguise arts altered only appearance; changing a person’s bearing was the actual challenge.
“I made ten in total,” He Yingwu said. “We can change masks along the way to shake off the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s pursuit. No traces will remain.”
Once everything was prepared, they stepped out of the inner hall looking entirely different from when they had entered.
The shopkeeper blinked in surprise, and then he quickly regained composure. Disguise was natural for those carrying large sums of astral stones.
After bidding the shopkeeper farewell, they left the Three Mountain House. They found an inn to settle in, intending to first familiarize themselves with the Astral Domain before making further plans.
When night fell, they located a discreet spot bustling with activity, perfect for hiding in plain sight. A restaurant stood next door, adding both noise and convenience.
Once settled, they headed to the restaurant for a meal. The Astral Domain’s environment differed significantly from the True Martial Continent’s, and their body demanded far more sustenance to replenish energy.
Here, food was far from ordinary. Food was crafted from special ingredients that could restore vitality and even strengthen the body.
For cultivators beneath the Transcendent Realm, such spiritual food was essential for survival. Only those who had reached the Primal Origin Realm could subsist entirely by absorbing the surrounding energy.
Even before they stepped inside, the noise was already spilling out into the street. Choosing a table near the window to avoid the densest crowd, they ordered several dishes, neither expensive nor cheap, for five astral stones.
They ate quietly, listening to the chatter that flowed through the room.
“I heard something big happened in our Laman Astral Domain recently. Have any of you heard about it?” a man asked.
Restaurants always served as the fastest hubs for news, drawing people from all over.
“Another treasure appeared?” one of his companions asked. Whenever a treasure emerged, it triggered fierce competition across the Astral Domains.
“Of course not. Have any of you heard about the Astral Domain Bounty?” the first man said, lowering his voice, instantly drawing everyone’s curiosity.
The Astral Domain Bounty had just been issued, so many people had yet to hear of it.
“Out with it. Please don’t keep us guessing. Only the superpowers can issue an Astral Domain Bounty, right?” another urged.
The Laman Astral Domain had not seen such a bounty for a long time. Once they issued it, the bounty spanned across the entire Astral Domain, not just a single planet. The hunted would find their portraits pasted across countless worlds.
However, the true stir came from the reward each bounty offered.
Within days, people spread Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu’s portraits throughout the domain, posting them on planet after planet. The bounty’s terrifying reach left them no refuge unless they had left the Astral Domain entirely.
“I saw the notice today,” a young man at another table spoke up. “It’s for someone named Liu Wuxie. He destroyed the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s mine, disgracing them. Whoever captures him gets one million astral stones and a sixth-grade spiritual pill.”
Earlier, the bounty was five hundred thousand. Now, it had doubled, with an invaluable sixth-grade pill added on top of it.
One million astral stones made a fortune, exceeding the means of many Primal Origin Realm cultivators, and a sixth-grade spiritual pill carried priceless value.
“Do you think this Liu Wuxie’s some old monster to dare provoke the Immortal Slaughter Palace?” someone asked, drawing gasps. The thought of a million astral stones was enough to set a person for life.
Strictly speaking, Liu Wuxie’s deed couldn’t warrant such uproar, but it was his low cultivation that made the humiliation sting. If a peerless master had lost to another master, few would care.
However, if an ant were to defeat a giant, the world would take notice of it.
That was the current situation; the Immortal Slaughter Palace was a behemoth, but a mere ant like Liu Wuxie had humiliated them. There was no way they would take it lying down.
“That kid’s only at the Heaven Profound Realm,” added the earlier speaker, eliciting stunned silence. Provoking the Immortal Slaughter Palace at such a level was courting death.
In their eyes, Liu Wuxie hadn’t just poked the tiger; he had kicked it hard.
He Yingwu glanced at Liu Wuxie, surprised at his unshaken expression. That composure alone set him apart.
“I’ve heard Liu Wuxie left Anlu Star and may arrive at Ancient Orchid Star within a day or two,” an old man at a distant table added. “The Immortal Slaughter Palace has already sent experts to hunt him here.”
Ancient Orchid Star lay closest to Anlu Star, and with the Astral Moon Bird’s limits, Liu Wuxie could only stop there. The Immortal Slaughter Palace’s experts were surely awaiting him.
“Young Master, we need to leave immediately,” He Yingwu whispered. If anyone learned their identities, even ordinary cultivators here would swarm to capture them.
“With our cultivation, leaving now would only make us stand out,” Liu Wuxie replied calmly. “We’ll stay at the inn for a few days and study the Astral Domain’s environment. They will watch the teleportation arrays.”
He was right; this wasn’t the time to move.
Liu Wuxie soon tuned out the chatter, which drifted into crude jokes and old tales.
Ancient Orchid Star was far from Laman Star. A super teleportation array could bridge the distance in a day, while an ordinary one took ten days to half a month.
On such a small planet, people considered a Primal Origin Realm cultivator a peerless master. The Immortal Slaughter Palace built its headquarters upon the cultivator’s paradise—Laman Star.
After eating and drinking their fill, they returned to the inn. At the gate, two Immortal Slaughter Palace disciples posted bounty notices.
He Yingwu froze. Liu Wuxie tugged him forward without hesitation. Hesitating at this moment would only expose them.
“Hold it right there!” one of the disciples barked.
They stopped, and Liu Wuxie turned with a polite smile. “Gentlemen, how can we help?”
“Have you seen this person before?” the disciple asked, pointing at the portraits.
Liu Wuxie leaned in, studied the image briefly, and then he shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before. If I see him, I’ll report it immediately.”
He Yingwu’s palms were slick with sweat, but the disciples seemed satisfied and moved on to paste posters on the restaurant next door.
Once they were gone, He Yingwu nearly stumbled in relief.
“That was close!” he muttered.
The two disciples stood only at the higher stages of the Transcendent Realm. They posed no threat to Liu Wuxie, but for He Yingwu, their presence was oppressive.
“Let’s go in,” Liu Wuxie said casually.
In the True Martial Continent, people would consider He Yingwu a peerless expert. Here in the Astral Domain, he was far too weak. Both of them knew their situation was dangerous, though Liu Wuxie’s calm masked his nerves during the encounter.
Once inside their room, Liu Wuxie took out the four maps and began to study them, committing every detail to memory. Time was tight, and he needed to locate the Heavenly Dragon Sect as soon as possible.
Invoking his Ghost Eye, he examined the maps, watching as they came alive in his soul sea. Gradually, the four maps merged into one complete chart.
