Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 767 - Heading to the Test

Liu Wuxie marveled at his soul sea, which was brimming with soul energy and surged like roaring waves.

Amidst the vast sea, the Heavenly Dao Book hovered above the ocean of soul energy, illuminating the entire ocean. Threads of divine force shuttled like small boats navigating the sea.

After the first gate opened, the most significant benefit Liu Wuxie received was the increase in his soul energy. The desolate world brimmed with true essence, and his soul sea had reached the saturation point, leaving him one step away from the ninth level of the Astral River Realm.

With the Heretic Blade in hand, Liu Wuxie believed he could catch the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's attention and secure a place among their ranks. He knew only the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy could accelerate his growth, provide insight into the Astral Domain Path, and reveal the Spirit Clan's location.

......

He still had many mysteries to unravel, such as the divine race, witcher clan, spirit clan, the path to becoming an immortal, and so on. This was a path laden with thorns and countless trials awaiting him.

When Liu Wuxie's divine sense wandered through the soul sea, memories began to overlap as he began to feel his newfound strength.

Right then, a beam of sacred light descended from the heavens, enveloping him entirely.

"The radiance of a saint!" Liu Xiucheng stumbled at this sight. Only saints could receive such treatment, which made him wonder if Liu Wuxie was the reincarnation of a saint or if he had comprehended the saint's path.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief and awe, unwilling to believe that someone in the Astral River Realm had accomplished this.

"Patriarch, this is a blessing for our Liu Clan!" The Eighteenth Elder rubbed his hands together in excitement. He believed becoming a saint wouldn't be impossible for Liu Wuxie if he continued to grow.

Liu Dazhi and Liu Dayue were too emotional to speak. They were excited by their nephew's extraordinary abilities.

"Remember what I said: everything that happens here must remain a secret! I will kill anyone who dares to leak even a word of it, even if it will cost me my position as the patriarch," Liu Xiucheng declared with an outburst of murderous intent. His murderous intent also startled Liu Wuxie, who retreated from his soul sea.

"Rest assured, we won't breathe a word of it!" No one was willing to offend a potential future saint unless they had a screw loose in their minds. With Liu Wuxie's talent, he was bound to become a disciple of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, and they had no reason to risk losing his favor.

It was even more impossible for people like Liu Dazhi to leak a word about it as Liu Wuxie's family.

When Liu Wuxie opened his eyes, he rose to his feet. The cultivation chamber had long been reduced to rubble, wholly destroyed under the Thunder God Hammer.

"Wuxie, how are you feeling?" Liu Xiucheng and the others hurried over with concern etched on their faces. Liu Dashan, in particular, kept examining Liu Wuxie until he was finally reassured that he was unharmed.

"Grandfather, I don’t want today’s events to spread," Liu Wuxie said immediately, hoping to keep the day’s events a secret. He understood that if word got out, it would draw unwanted attention and countless attempts to rob him of his weapon.

"Don't worry about it. I have already issued a gag order," Liu Xiucheng reassured. Everyone present was loyal to him, and it was impossible for them to leak it out.

After receiving his grandfather's reassurance, Liu Wuxie's expression finally softened.

"Wuxie, I have good news for you!" Liu Dazhi walked over with a warm smile and patted Liu Wuxie's shoulder. For him, a nephew was half a son, and he had long treated Liu Wuxie as his own.

"Has Big Brother Liu Feng secured a spot for me?" Liu Wuxie asked, his face lighting up with anticipation.

"Can you let me surprise you for once?" Liu Dazhi looked speechless. Liu Wuxie could guess whatever he wanted to say, and talking to Liu Wuxie felt like he was talking to someone who had lived for millennia.

Liu Wuxie scratched his head sheepishly. He now knew why Liu Xing said it felt uncomfortable to stay with him. So, his maturity made others feel uneasy around him.

"Go back and prepare yourself. We'll set off in three days!"

After their short reunion, they would have to part ways. Liu Wuxie had been in the Liu Clan only for less than a month and had spent most of his time cultivating or going into seclusion, spending only a short time with his parents at night.

"I'll take my leave then," Liu Wuxie gave Liu Xiucheng a bow before leaving with his father.

Yan Yu wept bitterly when she learned that Liu Wuxie would leave the Liu Clan in three days for the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's recruitment test. She had only recently reunited with her son and was heartbroken to see him leave so soon.

Although Liu Dashan stood by the side without saying a word, he also had a heavy heart at Liu Wuxie's soon departure.

"Mother, I'm only going for the test. It's uncertain whether I will be selected, and I'll be back if I fail," Liu Wuxie said, trying to comfort his mother.

The family of three shared a somber meal, their hearts weighed down by the impending separation. Liu Dazhi and the others didn't visit to give them more time together.

"That's enough. Wuxie has grown up like an eagle to soar freely in the sky. He won't grow if he stays with us," Liu Dashan finally said, his voice firm despite his reddened eyes, which betrayed his inner turmoil.

When Liu Wuxie retreated to his room later that night, his thoughts were tangled in a web of emotions. He was torn between the joy of being with his family and the fact that such bonds might become obstacles on his path. Yet, as he reflected on the moments shared with his loved ones, he knew those ties were now inseparable from his life.

"If cultivating to become an immortal demands me to be rid of all emotions, I'd rather remain a mortal," Liu Wuxie muttered, resolved as he took a deep breath. After he made his decision, his thoughts became clear. He realized that the purpose of cultivating was to protect those dear to him.

And so, Liu Wuxie spent the entire night in cultivation.

Though the Liu Clan seemed peaceful on the surface, an undercurrent lurked beneath, waiting to emerge. Since Liu Xiaotian had left, no one knew what disaster awaited them.

But Liu Wuxie knew he had to increase his cultivation as much as possible. He was determined to enter the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, as he could only gain access to the best resources on this continent there.

For the next three days, Liu Dazhi, Liu Dayue, and the others didn't come to disturb Liu Wuxie, allowing him to spend time with his parents.

On the third day, the day of departure finally arrived, and Liu Xiucheng personally escorted Liu Wuxie to the examination site. Liu Dashan would accompany him as he was unwilling to miss this significant moment when his son was participating in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's test.

Many disciples came to see them off when they stood at the gates. Other disciples, aside from Liu Wuxie, would be taking the test. However, only Liu Wuxie required a special invitation due to his cultivation in the Astral River Realm, while the other participants were all in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

Without Liu Feng's invitation, Liu Wuxie would have been expelled the moment he went to participate in the test.

Liu Xin'er and Liu Lin were among the ones who would partake in the recruitment test. After all, it wouldn't hinder Liu Lin's opportunity to participate in the test despite being Liu Xiaotian's grandson, as Liu Xiaotian hadn't severed ties with the clan entirely.

Alongside them were over a dozen disciples, each brimming with talent. They were the elites among the Liu Clan's younger generation and were all first-tier disciples. But besides Liu Xin'er and Liu Lin, Liu Wuxie wasn't familiar with them, just as they weren't familiar with him.

They had only heard rumors of the emergence of a prodigy in the Liu Clan who defeated cultivators in the Nascent Transformation Realm despite being in the Astral River Realm at a young age.

Even so, Liu Wuxie was the youngest among everyone and had the lowest cultivation, which meant it was unavoidable for him to draw disdainful gazes from the surroundings. Even Liu Lin scoffed and mocked when he learned that Liu Wuxie could only partake in the test, relying on the invitation from Liu Feng.

Liu Lin's father, Liu Chunsan, was a man with slit eyes. He looked at Liu Wuxie with a hint of murderous intent flashing in them. After all, his father would've secured the position as the patriarch if it hadn't been for Liu Wuxie, and he would also have secured the succession as the next patriarch after his father. But all of it was ruined by Liu Wuxie.

"Let's get going!" The group moved out, and over fifty people were present, each disciple accompanied by their family.

"Wuxie, the journey to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy will take ten days, and we’ll need to rely heavily on teleportation arrays," Liu Dashan said as he tended to Liu Wuxie’s needs during their travels.

Liu Wuxie understood his father’s intentions—this was another way for Liu Dashan to spend time with him and ensure he wouldn’t lose his connection to home. However, Liu Wuxie chose not to point it out and instead engaged in casual conversation with his father.

He would offer advice on cultivation through their casual conversation. He could tell his father had reached a bottleneck, and reaching the True Profound Realm wouldn't be easy for him. However, through his guidance, Liu Dashan's thoughts cleared up, and he could make a breakthrough to the True Profound Realm in the coming weeks.

As long as Liu Dashan could make a breakthrough into the True Profound Realm, he could cleanse his body, relying on the laws of the True Profound Realm to transform his meridians to recover his talent.

The group frequently paused during their journey to use teleportation arrays, but the relentless spatial pressure began to take its toll. Many disciples experienced strain, with capillaries rupturing beneath their skin. Even those at the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm showed visible signs of wear, underscoring the intensity of the journey.

Yet, Liu Wuxie was an exception. He remained calm and collected, unaffected by the journey. The Thunder God Hammer had tempered his body, not to mention the transformation brought by consuming the Divine Fruit. This had strengthened his physique to that of low-level True Profound Realm cultivators.

"Up ahead is Martial City, and we will stop for a day's rest before continuing our journey tomorrow," Liu Xiucheng announced after everyone got off the teleportation array.

After all, continuing their journey would strain the disciples' physique, which might affect their performance on the test.

Liu Xiucheng's decision was met with visible relief from the group. The disciples, who were approaching their limit, smiled, relieved.

"This is weird. Why isn't he affected?" muttered a few disciples who followed behind Liu Lin. They had been observing Liu Wuxie throughout the journey and realized that the latter possessed an incredibly powerful physique.

"He only has a powerful physique, and the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's test isn't all about the physique," sneered Liu Lin, his voice dripping with disdain.

He still harbored a grudge over his failure to kill Liu Wuxie at the Universal Artifact Pavilion, not to mention the humiliation of taking a slap for nothing. However, he hadn’t found the opportunity to seek revenge, as Liu Wuxie had gone into seclusion upon returning to the clan.