Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 1570 - Peach Blossom Cave
Chapter 1570 – Peach Blossom Cave
The cramped room left Liu Wuxie little space to maneuver. The moment the Heart-Sunderer Earthfiend Palm descended, it locked down the entire room in an instant. Even if he possessed three heads and six arms, he would still have to confront the blow directly.
“I don’t have a choice but to take the gamble,” Liu Wuxie said, grinding his teeth. After refining the Abyssal Sea Dragon, his physique already matched experts at the fifth- or sixth-level Heaven Gaze Realm. With the True Dragon Physique and the Divine Heavenly Feather Robe added on top, he could even withstand experts at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm.
Ruo Shui casually slapped the Gate of Darkness aside, revealing the terrifying might of the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm. Worse still, the yin-yang energies inside his body continued to clash, sending violent shockwaves that kept Liu Wuxie from closing in.
“Myriad Dragons Unity!” Liu Wuxie roared. His dragon fist swept out and flooded the entire room with a terrifying force.
Ruo Shui’s face twisted, unable to believe that this insignificant-looking brat could erupt with such absurd combat strength. Even the Divine Heavenly Feather Robe could withstand attacks from cultivators at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm. Ruo Shui started suspecting that Liu Wuxie was a junior of a powerhouse. Fighting Heaven Gaze Realm experts with Earth Immortal Realm cultivation already defied the heavens.
With a thunderous explosion, the two forces collided and threw out a shockwave that blasted Liu Wuxie backward again.
“Open!” Liu Wuxie seized that instant and tore through the crack in the spiritual array. The martial soul’s detonation had already damaged the framework, so the moment the recoil flung him back, he ripped it apart with ease.
Ruo Shui could only watch Liu Wuxie slip away from right under his nose, and he roared in frustration. The pavilion’s collapse immediately startled countless people.
Cultivators rushed out of their rooms, thinking an earthquake had struck, only to find Ruo Shui’s pavilion reduced to ruins.
“What happened? Why did Ruo Shui’s pavilion collapse? Don’t tell me that they were too intense last night?” Strange looks spread through the crowd as many assumed the pavilion had fallen because things had gotten too wild between Liu Wuxie and Ruo Shui.
“Something doesn’t feel right. Why did that kid run away?” Many people caught the afterimage Liu Wuxie left behind.
“Maybe Lady Ruo Shui’s skills are too powerful, and he couldn’t handle it.”
Speculation flew from every direction, yet no one came close to the truth behind the clash.
Ruo Shui appeared again before the crowd, veil covering his face as always.
“What are you staring at? Get lost!” Ruo Shui barked, and everyone scattered back obediently.
Liu Wuxie would never expose the truth, and Ruo Shui would never explain himself. What happened last night would inevitably sink into rumor and remain a mystery.
After leaving the Peach Blossom Nunnery, Liu Wuxie plunged into a forest of peach blossoms. Peach blossom woods spread across the island, and the trees gave him perfect cover to hide his presence.
Liu Wuxie spat out a mouthful of blood. The Heart-Sunderer Earthfiend Palm had shaken his heart meridians, but the injury stayed minor. The Divine Heavenly Feather Robe had absorbed most of the impact, and a short rest would be enough to recover.
He took out a few pills and swallowed them, then sat cross-legged and circulated the Desolate Devouring Art. Liquid spiritual energy flowed through his meridians, and within fifteen minutes, his injuries had stabilized.
“Who the hell is Ruo Shui? It makes no sense that an expert at the pinnacle of the Heaven Gaze Realm would be unknown in the Thousand Islands Sea Region,” Liu Wuxie said, his expression grim.
Peach Blossom Island’s structure looked far more tangled than he had imagined. Beyond the Peach Blossom Gate, countless clans lived here, weaving together a complicated web of forces.
Liu Wuxie steadied his mind. He had no time to dig into Ruo Shui’s identity. Right now, his priority was to raise his cultivation. Yet even as he settled, his gaze snapped to a massive peach blossom tree.
“Come out!” Liu Wuxie barked. Someone had tailed him not long after he had left.
Three middle-aged men stepped out. “Brat, you actually managed to notice us?”
Liu Wuxie furrowed his brows.
“Did Tao Xuanming send you to kill me?” Liu Wuxie asked.
These three served as Tao Xuanming’s lackeys, and they had stationed themselves outside the Peach Blossom Nunnery, tailing Liu Wuxie the moment they saw him leave.
They never anticipated that Liu Wuxie would be fast enough to throw off their trail. In the end, they managed to catch up only by following the traces of his aura.
“You’re the first person who dared to defy our young sect master throughout Peach Blossom Island.” The middle-aged man in the middle spat, letting murderous intent crash down on Liu Wuxie.
All three carried formidable cultivation at the second-level Heaven Gaze Realm and were assigned to ensure Tao Xuanming’s safety. With Tao Xuanming’s status, few on Peach Blossom Island would dare to harm him. He had brought these men mostly for show.
“Come,” Liu Wuxie said. He didn’t waste time talking, intent on ending this quickly. Cultivators at the second-level Heaven Gaze Realm meant nothing to him, and fury still churned in his gut from nearly being killed by Ruo Shui. Since these men delivered themselves to him, they could blame no one when they died.
“Brat, you’re pretty arrogant. How dare a mere earth immortal like you disregard us?” the three men snapped. They had expected Liu Wuxie to beg for mercy, but he chose to face them head-on.
“Let me deal with him,” the man on the left said. He flashed in front of Liu Wuxie and opened his palm, fingers spreading like five chains as they shot for Liu Wuxie’s collarbones.
If that grab landed, Liu Wuxie would lose the ability to resist almost instantly. Liu Wuxie didn’t even budge as the hand closed in. When the palm reached within a meter, he struck faster.
The Dragon-Grasping Hand manifested, transforming into a dragon claw that carried even more terrifying power. The attacker jolted in shock, but he had already missed his chance to react.
Cracking sounds rang out in a burst as the dragon’s claw crushed the man to death. He collapsed before Liu Wuxie, and a powerhouse at the second-level Heaven Gaze Realm died in one strike before he could even release his domain.
The remaining two men froze, shock plastered across their faces. A moment ago, their companion had still stood there alive, yet now he had become a puddle of blood in the blink of an eye.
The Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron appeared and swallowed the remains of the dead man, refining him on the spot.
“Let’s go!” The two finally understood something had gone terribly wrong. Liu Wuxie was far stronger than they had imagined, and they fled in opposite directions without hesitation, intent on reporting back to the sect.
They knew they would only become prey if they ran the same way, so they split up at once and forced Liu Wuxie to choose which one to chase. They counted on their own cunning. Peach Blossom Island was their territory, and they knew it like the back of their hand. They were certain that by the time Liu Wuxie reached them, they would have already disappeared.
The peach blossom woods were like a maze, and anyone unfamiliar with the terrain could easily lose their way. Earlier, Liu Wuxie had only stumbled into the forest because he needed to escape.
“Damn it! They managed to get away,” Liu Wuxie said, punching the air in frustration. Letting them escape would only breed future trouble, and they would surely return with more experts.
“Peach Blossom Island is no longer safe, and I can only leave this place for another island if there’s really no other option left,” Liu Wuxie muttered. He moved through the woods toward the island’s outer edge.
Since the island banned flying, Liu Wuxie traveled on foot, which dragged out the journey. By the time he reached the outer edge, daylight had already brightened the sky.
Experts from the Peach Blossom Gate had seized every exit and interrogated every cultivator trying to leave. “Our Peach Blossom Gate’s elder was killed last night, and anyone who wants to leave must cooperate with us for inspection. Release your true essence!”
The crowd erupted the moment they heard. “What? Who has the guts to kill an elder of the Peach Blossom Gate?”
“Could it be the pirates of the Seventy-Two Caves?” someone guessed.
After all, only the pirates of the Seventy-Two Caves could truly contend with the Peach Blossom Gate.
“That’s impossible. The Peach Blossom Gate and the pirates of the Seventy-Two Caves have always minded their own business, and they even had business dealings.” The discussion was hushed, yet it still reached Liu Wuxie’s ears.
“It looks like I can’t leave the island for the time being,” Liu Wuxie murmured, then turned back. He knew that if the Peach Blossom Gate forced everyone to release their true essence, he would expose himself the moment he complied.
He could disguise his face, but he couldn’t fake the unique signature in his true essence. Last night, the two Heaven Gaze Realm experts who had escaped had already collected his aura.
Liu Wuxie followed the road back toward Peach Blossom Island’s inner district. With his disguise in place, the Peach Blossom Gate would struggle to find him so long as he stayed quiet and avoided attacking.
Peach Blossom Island housed millions of cultivators, and even the Peach Blossom Gate couldn’t extend its reach into every household.
With no inns or restaurants on this island, Liu Wuxie only had two options for lodging. He could either purchase a courtyard or stay at a place like the Peach Blossom Nunnery. Courtyards were available, but each came with an outrageous price, as they were all constructed and controlled by the Peach Blossom Gate.
Left with no choice, Liu Wuxie checked into the Peach Blossom Pavilion instead. The environment here felt more elegant, and he rented an entire courtyard for himself.
“Young Master, I’ve brewed your tea for you,” a graceful woman said as she poured a cup and offered it to Liu Wuxie.
“Thank you,” Liu Wuxie replied. He had disguised himself as a gentlemanly scholar, yet even with altered features, he still looked handsome.
From the second-floor railing, Liu Wuxie could take in most of Peach Blossom Island’s scenery. The street on the left teemed with people, giving him a crowd to disappear into if danger arrived. On the right lay a freshwater lake where ducks splashed and played.
“Young Master, have you also come for the Peach Blossom Cave?” the woman asked. She set the tea down, then sat across from him. It was the first time she met such a strange guest, who rented an entire courtyard and only asked her to pour tea.
“The Peach Blossom Cave?” Liu Wuxie asked, looking at her with curiosity.
“Young master, you don’t know about the Peach Blossom Cave?” the woman asked softly.
“This is my first time here. Lady Rong, please explain more about it,” Liu Wuxie requested politely. He had searched the memories of the two island lords of Four Waters Island, yet they knew little about Peach Blossom Island.
“The Peach Blossom Cave opens once every decade, and no one has managed to reach the final cave throughout history. It is rumored that treasures lie deep within the cave, but no one knows what they are,” Lady Rong explained. Working here, she gathered most of her information from passing customers.
Having been raised by the Peach Blossom Pavilion since childhood, she knew almost nothing of the world beyond the island. Most of what she understood came from the tales carried in by visitors.
