Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 694 - Conflict
Chapter 694 – Conflict
The three waited outside the spatial rift for what felt like an eternity. Just as despair settled, a person emerged from the rift like a comet.
“Wuxie!” Mu Tianli exclaimed as he flew over and grabbed Liu Wuxie’s shoulder, examining him from top to bottom to see if he had suffered any injuries.
After examining Liu Wuxie for a long time, he realized that not only was he fine, but his physique had become more formidable.
“Greetings, Sect Master,” Liu Wuxie greeted with a bow.
“There is no need for such formalities!” Mu Tianli said, quickly helping Liu Wuxie up. He was grateful that Liu Wuxie had taken the risk to save his daughter.
“Wuxie, you’re finally out!” Mu Yueying said, walking over with tears streaming down her face. She had long considered Liu Wuxie as a younger brother.
“Sorry to worry you all,” Liu Wuxie said, scratching his head. He hadn’t expected them to wait outside, assuming Mu Yueying had returned to the sect.
“Brother Liu, I can never repay your kindness!” Lin Tong exclaimed, bowing deeply to Liu Wuxie. He had no opportunity to express his gratitude properly in the chaos of the Yin-Yang Valley.
Liu Wuxie quickly stopped Lin Tong from bowing.
“Wuxie, what happened in the Yin-Yang Valley, and why did you take so long to come out?” Mu Yueying asked. She was curious about what had happened after they were sent out of the Heavenly Nether Battlefield.
Mu Tianli was also curious. The Heavenly Nether Battlefield had been restless recently, with many cultivators escaping in panic.
Liu Wuxie recounted what had happened in the Yin-Yang Valley, and the three listened intently. Only Mu Tianli had his brows locked after listening to Liu Wuxie’s story.
He had also heard of the Witcher Clan, but they had vanished from the universe for countless years.
Whenever Liu Wuxie described the dangers he had faced, Mu Yueying’s heart clenched tighter, especially as he recounted his battles with the thousand-year deathguards and the ten-thousand-year deathguard. The only regret was that Yu Lin had escaped.
Liu Wuxie didn’t mention anything concerning the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, focusing on how he had faced the embryo before ultimately refining it.
“Sect Master, thank you for the life-saving pill, or I would’ve died,” Liu Wuxie said, turning to look at Mu Tianli with gratitude in his eyes.
“The pill is nothing compared to your life,” Mu Tianli replied. There was no heartache in his eyes as the life-saving pill was meant to save lives, and it had fulfilled its purpose by saving Liu Wuxie.
They didn’t linger for another moment as Mu Tianli released his aura in the True Profound Realm, enveloping the three, and they shuttled through the void, heading back to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
It had been an entire month since the Ten Grand Ceremony had ended, and Liu Wuxie’s name had spread far and wide in the Southern Province.
However, some mysteries shrouded his whereabouts. There were rumors that he had died after entering some dangerous place.
Some speculated that the sect master had hidden Liu Wuxie away for a year or two to ensure his safety. After all, the Heavenly Origin Sect and Indigo Mist Gate would not easily forgive him for killing Bai Yuan, Deng Yong, and all their participating disciples. The most logical solution, they believed, was to keep Liu Wuxie in seclusion, giving him time to cultivate.
Various rumors circulated, and even Murong Yi was unaware that Liu Wuxie had entered the Heavenly Nether Battlefield; she only knew he had gone elsewhere.
Three days later, the group of four returned to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
“Ying’er, I won’t be accompanying you back to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion,” Lin Tong said as they emerged from the spatial void. He was keenly aware of Mu Tianli’s disdain for him and the immense pressure he would face if he followed them into the sect.
“If you don’t go, neither will I. I’ll follow you wherever you go!” Mu Yueying said, determined to follow Lin Tong.
“Absurd!” Mu Tianli’s expression darkened, his voice sharp. He had only recently begun mending his relationship with his daughter, and he wasn’t about to let her slip away from him again.
Mu Yueying and Lin Tong lowered their heads after Mu Tianli rebuked them.
“Big Brother Lin, I know you’ve been shouldering the responsibility for reviving your clan, but you can take it easy. You can settle the matters with Big Sister Mu first—only then will your path be free of obstacles,” Liu Wuxie reminded them.
Reviving a clan couldn’t be done in a day or two, and Lin Tong had finally received Mu Tianli’s acknowledgment. Liu Wuxie believed that it was a good opportunity for them to confirm their status.
Lin Tong hesitated after hearing Liu Wuxie’s words. He also wanted to be with Mu Yueying but feared dragging her down.
Reviving a clan required time and energy, so he wouldn’t have much time to accompany Mu Yueying.
“But…” Lin Tong muttered, glancing at Mu Tianli nervously.
“But what? With the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s influence, supporting a second-tier clan is hardly an issue,” Mu Tianli said, suppressing the urge to knock some sense into Lin Tong.
Over the past two weeks, Lin Tong’s performance had earned Mu Tianli’s recognition. While he lacked character compared to Liu Wuxie, he was leagues ahead of others and more than worthy of his daughter.
The only thing he lacked was his status. But as long as he could revive his clan and become the patriarch, he would be worthy of Mu Yueying.
Lin Tong was stumped. He thought he had misheard that the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wanted to help him revive his clan.
“You blockhead! Hurry up and thank my father!” Mu Yueying nudged Lin Tong.
“Thank you…thank you…thank you, Sect Master Mu!” Lin Tong stammered, his words tripping in elation and astonishment.
It was unexpected. He had struggled for over a decade, but there was no development.
On the contrary, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was now the head of the ten major sects, and it was easy for them to support a second-tier clan.
Then again, there was one condition—he and Mu Yueying had to wed first. This would give the perfect reason for the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to have a legitimate reason to support Lin Tong’s clan.
Through the various incidents, Mu Tianli had thought it through, and it was enough as long as his daughter was happy.
When the group returned to the sect, Mu Tianli left first, as he had accumulated work over the past two months.
“Wuxie, we will come and thank you after I settle down Big Brother Lin,” Mu Yueying said and left with Lin Tong.
The sect appeared unchanged over the past two months, but Liu Wuxie’s mindset had shifted. He knew the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion wasn’t a permanent home for him, not to mention even those in the fourth- or fifth-level of the Nascent Transformation Realm couldn’t pose any threat to him with his current strength, and it was time to pursue his own path.
The first task was to bring his in-laws to the cultivation world. He knew that the higher their cultivation, the longer their lifespan would be, and he couldn’t bear the thought of them passing away from old age within a few decades.
After reaching the Nascent Transformation Realm, the lifespan could reach up to five hundred years. If they could reach the True Profound Realm, their lifespan could reach a thousand years.
Liu Wuxie vanished into the distance in a flash. Having reached the Astral River Realm months earlier, he had been promoted to a true disciple and granted a private mountain of his own. However, he hadn’t had the time to make any arrangements before leaving for the Ten Grand Ceremony, leaving him still residing in the area designated for elite disciples.
……
“Hand over the method for creating spiritual talismans, or don’t blame us for what will happen next!” A group was standing in a confrontation on the platform before Liu Wuxie’s abode.
Many Heavenly Treasure Pavilion disciples were watching in the surroundings, but no one stepped out to intervene.
“Lu Jie, dream on! We won’t hand it over!” Song Ling had reached the Astral River Realm, which meant the spiritual talismans he crafted were increasingly powerful.
The spiritual talismans crafted by the Heavenly Dao Society dominated ninety-nine percent of Treasure City’s market, leaving the shops owned by Grandmaster Hai’s disciples struggling to make any sales. This disparity fueled deep resentment, especially after Liu Wuxie had slain Grandmaster Hai’s chief disciple, Tian Lie.
Moreover, Liu Wuxie would’ve been killed by Grandmaster Hai if Elder Yi Xuan hadn’t shown up that day.
Over a dozen true disciples stood opposite Song Ling, and the man Lu Jie was Grandmaster Hai’s second eldest disciple. Grandmaster Hai had shifted all his focus to him after Tian Lie’s death.
The Heavenly Dao Society had practically occupied the spiritual talisman market, and if they didn’t retaliate, the spiritual talismans they produced would be reduced to garbage.
In addition to the market in Treasure City, foreign merchants highly sought after the spiritual talismans produced by the Heavenly Dao Society.
“Has Lu Jie gone insane? Liu Wuxie helped the sect obtain first place in the Ten Grand Ceremony, helping it regain its position as the top sect. Is he tired of living?” the surrounding disciples whispered among themselves.
“Do you think Lu Jie has the guts to do something like that? Someone must be backing him up,” whispered a disciple with some insider information.
“Qing Mu?” The voice wasn’t loud, but everyone in the surroundings heard it. Many true disciples were present, familiar with the inner workings of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
“Qing Mu naturally doesn’t have that ability, not to mention he has been demoted to an ordinary elder,” the disciple who answered the question sneered.
“The old sect master!” an older true disciple exclaimed softly.
Everyone finally figured everything out. After all, everyone knew that Qing Mu was backing up the Lesser Blade Association.
With Qin Dao’s death on the Heavenly Mountain, the Lesser Blade Association had disbanded. But Qing Mu didn’t want to give up and joined forces with Grandmaster Hai, who had a grudge against Liu Wuxie.
Qing Mu naturally didn’t fear anyone, with his master backing him up, and he was determined to mess with Liu Wuxie.
After all, his master had placed a bet with Gao Gu. If Mu Tianli couldn’t bring the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to a greater height in three years, he would have to step down as the sect master. Just when Qing Mu had thought that his master would win, Liu Wuxie had emerged and helped Mu Tianli to win the bet.
Mu Tianli’s position in the sect was now unshakable, and even more grand elders were standing on his side.
So how could Qing Mu’s resentment not fester? Since he couldn’t eliminate Liu Wuxie, he could only destroy the Heavenly Dao Society. Once he succeeded, what could Liu Wuxie do to him even if he returned?
Those in the surroundings fell silent as they couldn’t afford to offend either side.
The old sect master might’ve stepped down, but many elders maintained their loyalty to him. This was why Mu Tianli was under immense pressure when he took the position as the sect master.
The pressure had existed since Mu Tianli had taken over the role of the sect master because he wasn’t the candidate Yu Bu had chosen.
“Since you are so stubborn, don’t blame us for being rude!” Lu Jie sneered and waved his hand.
At his command, the true disciples standing behind him stepped forward.
Only Song Ling and Bai Lin had reached the Astral River Realm in the Heavenly Dao Society, while the others were only in the Heavenly Phase Realm and had no chance against disciples in the Astral River Realm.
