Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1252 - Taking a Disciple
Chapter 1252 – Taking a Disciple
When Xiao Luo rose to her feet, a crisp cracking sound echoed from her body as her bones lengthened rapidly. Only moments earlier, she had looked like a child, yet in the blink of an eye, she became a young maiden.
Although her features still suggested she was fourteen or fifteen, her figure was already tall and shapely. The softness of her voice vanished; the last traces of youth stripped themselves away, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face.
“What a breathtaking girl! Her parents must be exceptionally blessed in appearance,” He Yingwu exclaimed, clicking his tongue in amazement.
“Her father was the handsomest man on Cyan Origin Star, and her mother the most beautiful woman there,” Old Blindie said, wiping tears from the corner of his eyes.
“I see!” He Yingwu said with a nod, no longer surprised by Xiao Luo’s beauty.
“Senior, where are her parents now?” Liu Wuxie asked. From what he could tell, Xiao Luo and Old Blindie had depended only on each other.
The moment someone mentioned Xiao Luo’s parents, murderous intent erupted from Old Blindie. The force of it shook the courtyard; dust rose from stone benches, flowers, and trees. The intensity of his killing aura revealed the depth of his grief.
“Big Brother, my parents were killed,” Xiao Luo said sadly. Though still young, she understood enough about their fate.
The courtyard fell silent; a long time passed before Old Blindie finally calmed himself.
“Young Master Liu, no words can express my gratitude. Please accept the bow of this old man—my life belongs to you from this day forth,” Old Blindie declared. He vowed that if Liu Wuxie could heal his granddaughter, his life would belong to Liu Wuxie.
“Senior, you’re being too serious. It’s nothing—there’s no need for such a ceremony,” Liu Wuxie said, supporting Old Blindie upright. In his heart, he was overjoyed.
“Xiao Luo, come here!” Old Blindie commanded. Once he made up his mind, he never wavered.
Xiao Luo walked forward, her clothes now clinging to her form and outlining her breathtaking figure.
“Young Master Liu, you have given Xiao Luo rebirth, akin to a second parent. From this day forth, she will take you as her master,” Old Blindie said, guiding her down to her knees.
As the saying went, “those who accomplish such deeds deserve the title of teacher.” Old Blindie had sought countless experts; none solved his granddaughter’s condition. Only Liu Wuxie had succeeded.
He also harbored a selfish motive. Fearing Xiao Luo’s physique could transform again, he made her Liu Wuxie’s disciple so that, no matter what, her master would stay bound to help her.
Xiao Luo immediately knelt and performed three kowtows to Liu Wuxie.
Liu Wuxie tried to stop her, but Old Blindie’s Void Realm aura pressed down and immobilized him; he could only accept the bowing. Only when Old Blindie completed the rite did he withdraw his suppression, forcing Liu Wuxie to comply.
“Disciple greets Master!” Xiao Luo said, standing with cheeks flushed in shyness. In her heart, Liu Wuxie was like a celestial being.
Liu Wuxie could only smile wryly; with the rite completed, there was no way to refuse.
“I don’t have anything worthy as a gift, but take this Wisdom Stone. You also have three senior brothers—Gong Yu, Lan Yu, and Hu Shi. I’ll introduce you to them when the time comes,” Liu Wuxie said. There was no point arguing further; in truth, he was pleased to accept such a disciple.
Given Xiao Luo’s rare constitution, she would one day become a great asset if someone nurtured her properly.
When he accepted Gong Yu, Lan Yu, and Hu Shi, it was for their character rather than raw talent. Xiao Luo, however, possessed a talent that far surpassed that of her senior brothers.
“Thank you, Master!” Xiao Luo said happily as she accepted the Wisdom Stone. The group soon grew more familiar; He Yingwu also stepped forward to exchange greetings.
“Xiao Luo, go prepare some food. I want to have a good drink with Young Master Liu,” Old Blindie said, his mood lifted.
“Right away!” Xiao Luo replied cheerfully. She darted off in a blur, but her inexperience with newfound strength nearly caused her to crash into the door. Her face flushed in embarrassment as she realized she needed time to adapt after advancing from mortal to cultivator so quickly.
“Old He, purchase a courtyard. It doesn’t have to be too large, but neither too small. The location must be good; price doesn’t matter,” Liu Wuxie instructed. He was preparing to set his robbery plan in motion.
“On it!” He Yingwu answered with a grin and left the courtyard.
Liu Wuxie returned to the main hall with Old Blindie.
“Young Master Liu, please sit,” Old Blindie said politely. He could tell the technique Liu Wuxie had passed to Xiao Luo was extraordinary—no ordinary method could raise her from mortal to the pinnacle of the Heaven Profound Realm in such a short time.
“Senior, just call me Wuxie. ‘Young Master Liu’ feels too formal,” Liu Wuxie replied.
“Very well—I’ll call you Wuxie. And you need not call me ‘Senior,’ call me Old Blindie,” he said. Liu Wuxie agreed.
As they spoke, mist slowly rose and sealed the courtyard. Old Blindie knew Liu Wuxie had sought him out for something important.
“Since that’s the case, I won’t beat around the bush. I came to Mount Dragon City with the intention to rob—” Liu Wuxie paused, catching himself. “I plan to stay a month and reach the high levels of the Origin Conversion Realm in that time. For that, I need your help.”
“You want to reach the high levels of the Origin Conversion Realm in a single month?” Old Blindie asked, drawing a sharp breath. Liu Wuxie was at the eighth-level Transcendent Realm—such a leap sounded impossible. The resources required alone would be astronomical.
“That’s right,” Liu Wuxie said, nodding.
“You’re not asking me to rob others for resources, are you?” Old Blindie asked, his face twitching as he recalled Liu Wuxie’s earlier slip.
“Senior, you misunderstood. You won’t need to fight; I only need you to disguise yourself,” Liu Wuxie explained, coughing to cover his mistake.
“Disguise as whom?” Old Blindie asked, frowning in confusion. Liu Wuxie’s plan made little sense to him; had Liu Wuxie not cured his granddaughter, he would have dismissed the idea outright.
“It doesn’t matter who—what matters is that your aura suits the role perfectly,” Liu Wuxie said. At first, he feared Old Blindie could be another Elder Long, which would have complicated matters, but Old Blindie’s aura and appearance fit his plan perfectly, as if fate had arranged it.
“Just tell me what you need me to do,” Old Blindie said. He never liked needless chatter. Since his life already belonged to Liu Wuxie, he would fulfill any request that Liu Wuxie made.
“Before that, there’s one more thing I need you to do,” Liu Wuxie said. His targets were not ordinary—they would be at least Void Realm cultivators, possibly Earth Immortal experts. With Old Blindie’s current strength, he might not be able to hold the line.
“What is it?” Old Blindie asked, puzzled.
“I need you to cultivate a soul technique; otherwise, facing the pressure of the Earth Profound Realm will be troublesome,” Liu Wuxie replied with a faint smile.
At the mention of the Earth Profound Realm, Old Blindie staggered and nearly fell from his chair. Though he stood at the pinnacle of the Void Realm, he was still far from challenging Earth Immortals.
“W-What exactly are you planning?” Old Blindie asked, panic creeping into his voice.
“Senior, there’s nothing to worry about. There won’t be any real danger,” Liu Wuxie reassured. He could sense the violent ripple in Old Blindie’s heart. After all, cultivators of the Earth Profound Realm were the Indigo Bamboo Star’s powerhouses; provoking them was courting death. Old Blindie was not afraid of death, but neither would he throw his life away.
Fifteen minutes later, Liu Wuxie compiled a soul technique. With the Heavenly Dao Book’s help, he infused the Soul Forge Art into it and passed it to Old Blindie.
He had considered guiding Old Blindie toward the Earth Profound Realm, but that process would take at least a year, and he didn’t have that much time.
When Old Blindie received the soul technique, he bowed deeply in admiration. His last doubts dissolve, and wholehearted trust in Liu Wuxie replaces them. As he began cultivating, he quickly realized its value.
Soon after, He Yingwu returned carrying food.
“Wuxie, it’s done. I bought a large residence for two hundred thousand astral stones in an excellent location,” He Yingwu said, laying a map before Liu Wuxie.
“Good,” Liu Wuxie nodded. The price was fair; although the location was slightly off, it didn’t matter. It would serve as a stronghold for the Heavenly Dao Society in the future.
After their meal, Old Blindie retired to cultivate the soul technique. He Yingwu went to hire laborers to renovate the new courtyard according to Liu Wuxie’s design.
Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie remained to guide Xiao Luo through various martial techniques.
Xiao Luo revealed astonishing talent; she mastered several martial techniques in a single day and even pushed toward the Transcendent Realm.
“Master, am I too stupid? I haven’t even mastered the Great Asura Sword Art you taught me,” Xiao Luo asked, wiping sweat from her forehead as guilt flickered in her eyes.
“You’ve done very well. To reach such a level in the Great Asura Sword Art in one day is already beyond most people,” Liu Wuxie said encouragingly. He spoke the truth—her talent had already surpassed many cultivators, even if she could not yet match him.
Xiao Luo’s face brightened at her master’s words; a radiant smile broke through her fatigue.
Suddenly, a terrifying surge of soul energy erupted from Old Blindie’s room, and it drained the color from Xiao Luo’s face.
Liu Wuxie immediately activated the Heavenly Dao Book, dispersing the pressure. Only then did color flush back into Xiao Luo’s cheeks.
“Everything is ready now. Time to carry out my plan,” Liu Wuxie said with a faint smile. By now, He Yingwu should have finished all preparations.
When Old Blindie stepped out from his room, his figure radiated an overwhelming aura, unfathomable and sharp. It was as though he had undergone a rebirth.
