Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1167 - Cause Trouble
Chapter 1167 – Cause Trouble
A soft radiance streamed from the Heavenly Dao Book and enveloped the four maps, merging them into a single, flawless chart. The transformation sent a thrill through Liu Wuxie. This unified map was far easier to read than the original, fragmented maps.
The earlier maps were drawn meticulously, and it was so detailed that the textured mountain ranges appeared lifelike. Despite that, they remained flat, constrained by the limits of ink and paper. Now, that restriction was gone.
The completed map was no longer a static depiction; it unfolded like a vast Astral Domain before his eyes. With a mere flicker of his divine sense, the Laman Astral Domain bloomed into view, each planet floating clearly within his perception.
He couldn’t discern the smallest details, but the overall layout lay bare before him.
Time slipped away unnoticed as Liu Wuxie spent three hours committing every corner of the Laman Astral Domain to memory.
“There’s no Heavenly Dragon Sect?” he muttered with a deep frown.
The Laman Astral Domain spanned over five hundred planets, and more than three hundred of them were inhabited. The rest were dead worlds. Catastrophic battles that shattered their cores rendered some worlds lifeless, while harsh, unlivable environments like Anlu Star were like cursed lands.
The largest planets housed billions, while the smallest held only a few million.
The contrast was staggering.
When dawn came, Liu Wuxie stretched and decided not to rush out. He took a short rest before moving on to study the maps of the other astral domains.
Meanwhile, the Immortal Slaughter Palace mobilized every nearby disciple across Ancient Orchid Star, launching a sweeping search. Teams scoured inns and streets, questioning every unfamiliar face.
During the day, He Yingwu went out to gather intelligence while Liu Wuxie stayed at the inn, focusing on his work.
A sudden knock interrupted him. Sliding the map away, he rose and opened the door.
He Yingwu slipped inside quickly after scanning the hallway.
“Wuxie, the Immortal Slaughter Palace is conducting a full-scale search. They’ll be here soon,” he whispered, voice tense.
“So fast?” Liu Wuxie gestured for him to sit, realizing he had underestimated the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s determination.
“They’ve sealed every teleportation array, not letting anyone leave. And…” He Yingwu hesitated, his face tightening.
“And what?” Liu Wuxie’s voice deepened. Once they sealed the planet, it became only a matter of time before they found them.
“They’re planning to search everyone’s true essence,” He Yingwu said grimly. “We left traces back on Anlu Star. The moment we release our true essence, they’ll know who we are.”
They had to face the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s pursuit after barely escaping Anlu Star.
True essence was as unique as a signature, carrying the cultivator’s attributes. Liu Wuxie’s was exceptionally distinct; its blend of multiple attributes was impossible to forge. During the battle on Anlu Star, Yu Wentai had even collected a wisp of it.
“We must leave before they start the search,” Liu Wuxie said after a pause.
“But how? They have sealed the teleportation arrays. We can’t fly out on Astral Moon Birds—they would never make it far enough,” He Yingwu said, anxiety rising. He looked at Liu Wuxie expectantly, as if waiting for another miracle.
“There must be arrays beyond the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s control,” Liu Wuxie replied, tapping his fingers on the table. His expression was calm, but his mind raced through possibilities.
He Yingwu sat quietly, unwilling to disturb his calculations. If even Liu Wuxie could not find a way, they would be doomed.
Minutes passed before Liu Wuxie stopped tapping.
“Wuxie, do you have a plan?” He Yingwu asked the moment Liu Wuxie stopped his tapping.
“Find out if the Immortal Slaughter Palace has any enemies or rival clans here,” he said, standing abruptly. “If they do, we may leave through them.”
He Yingwu’s eyes lit up. “Understood!”
The details of Liu Wuxie’s plan eluded him, but his trust in Liu Wuxie was absolute. After all, Liu Wuxie had already saved his life once.
Once alone, Liu Wuxie abandoned the maps for the moment. The situation had grown too urgent to ignore. The Immortal Slaughter Palace was a superpower; few dared stand against them. Still, the right rival could turn the tide.
The Immortal Slaughter Palace’s search would soon reach this district. They were fortunate that they chose a relatively remote inn. By afternoon, He Yingwu burst back into the room, sweat running down his temples.
“Wuxie, guess what I learned?” he said, grabbing the teapot and gulping down several mouthfuls.
“Go on,” Liu Wuxie replied evenly. He had already prepared himself for the worst, a frontal clash with the Immortal Slaughter Palace.
“They’re saying you’re a spy from the Azure Thunder Sect, sent to sabotage the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s mine,” He Yingwu said. People spread the rumor that a Heaven Profound Realm cultivator alone couldn’t accomplish such a feat, and there had to be an expert from the Azure Thunder Sect aiding him.
“The Azure Thunder Sect…” Liu Wuxie’s eyes gleamed. He pulled a map from his sleeve, quickly locating their territory.
The Immortal Slaughter Palace ruled the south of Laman Star, while the Azure Thunder Sect occupied the east. A massive mountain range divided them, and they had been maintaining their rivalry for a long time.
In strength, the Azure Thunder Sect matched the Immortal Slaughter Palace, and they fought clashes, both open and covert. Their rivalry had long become a legend across the Astral Domain.
Liu Wuxie knew the Laman Astral Domain well by now, but he still hadn’t grasped the complete power structure of the domain.
“They suspect we’re Azure Thunder Sect disciples. Just yesterday, the two sides fought in the streets. And people died,” He Yingwu added, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart.
That was good news for them. They could divert the conflict and shift the Immortal Slaughter Palace’s target to the Azure Thunder Sect.
Liu Wuxie’s smile deepened. “Interesting…”
He hadn’t expected that his actions on Anlu Star would cause such waves.
“But here’s the strange thing—the Azure Thunder Sect hasn’t denied it,” He Yingwu said, clearly puzzled.
They both knew the truth that the Azure Thunder Sect had nothing to do with what happened on Anlu Star. Since they weren’t behind it, why hadn’t they stepped forward to clarify it?
“They won’t,” Liu Wuxie replied with a slight shake of his head.
He Yingwu was older, but he wasn’t seeing as far as Liu Wuxie could in some matters.
“Why not?” He Yingwu asked anxiously as he scratched his hair in frustration. Any normal person would’ve stepped forward to clarify and clear their name by now.
“Because the Palace won’t believe them anyway,” Liu Wuxie said. “And why give up the chance to hurt their prestige? They’ll kick them while they’re down.”
He Yingwu grasped the reasoning. The Azure Thunder Sect found silence served them better than truth. Since the two sects were enemies, the Immortal Slaughter Palace wouldn’t believe them even if the Azure Thunder Sect were to clear its name.
“So what’s our next plan?” He Yingwu asked. Though he roughly made sense of everything, his mind was still mush without a plan.
“Cause more trouble,” Liu Wuxie said, his smile turning sharper. Their next task was to cause as much trouble as possible.
He Yingwu’s eyes widened. “What?”
He didn’t know what Liu Wuxie was planning. Was he going to start a war with the Immortal Slaughter Palace? He had guessed it right. Liu Wuxie intended to drag the Immortal Slaughter Palace into open conflict with the Azure Thunder Sect.
The scale had to be as large as possible.
“How many Azure Thunder Sect disciples are on Ancient Orchid Star?” he asked. An audacious plan began to take root in his mind. But he wasn’t going to tell He Yingwu about his plan, lest he scare the latter.
“Not many—just a small branch, maybe a few dozen,” He Yingwu replied. He wasn’t entirely sure, having gathered the information from others.
“Find their exact location,” Liu Wuxie ordered. “The more detail, the better. Tonight, we go big.”
He still needed to study the maps and familiarize himself with the four astral domains to locate the Heavenly Dragon Sect as soon as possible.
Though unsure of the exact plan, He Yingwu knew that whatever came next would shake the heavens. The events on Anlu Star were burned vividly in him, and they were the result of Liu Wuxie stirring chaos there.
After he left, the room fell silent once more. Liu Wuxie’s divine sense sank into his soul sea, shifting his attention to the Spirit Martial Astral Domain.
The map unfurled before him, and its structure was different from the Laman Astral Domain’s, yet it wasn’t unfamiliar at all. The Astral Domain’s namesake, the Spirit Martial Star, floated in the center of it, and nearly four hundred planets orbited it, which was slightly fewer than Laman Star’s count.
