Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 768 - Arriving at the Heavenly Spirit Mountain

The group found lodging at an inn, where Liu Wuxie shared a room with his father, and it was the same for the other disciples.

"Don't wander outside at night and stay in the inn," Liu Xiucheng instructed before they parted ways, forbidding anyone from leaving the inn to ensure their safety.

Martial City was one of the most prominent cities in Central Plains, no less inferior than Astral Glory City. This meant there were many experts in the city, many of whom even the Liu Clan didn't dare to offend.

After all, the Liu Clan had declined over the years, and many rising forces threatened to overtake them. At this rate, the Liu Clan would fall in a few years, be reduced to a first-tier clan, and lose its status as one of the Four Great Clans.

After hearing what Liu Xiucheng said, everyone nodded in acknowledgment. They were all exhausted from the journey and wanted to rest for the night so they could continue on their journey the next day.

"Wuxie, get some rest early," Liu Dashan urged when they entered the room while he busied himself with sorting through their belongings.

"Father, is something bothering you?" Liu Wuxie could sense his father's unease throughout the journey.

With a deep sigh, Liu Dashan sat down and set the belongings aside, his brows locked together.

"Father, are you ashamed of your low cultivation, worried that you might bring me disgrace?" Liu Wuxie asked. He noticed that the parents of the other disciples all had high cultivation, with the strongest reaching the pinnacle of the True Profound Realm. Even the weakest among them was still at the fourth or fifth level.

Compared to others, Liu Dashan was only at the Nascent Transformation Realm, despite being the patriarch's eldest son. This naturally invited disdainful gazes from those they passed, making him feel as though he was bringing disgrace to Liu Wuxie.

"It's all my fault that you’ve had to endure this because of me," Liu Dashan sighed bitterly.

"Father, haven’t you heard of success through accumulation?" Liu Wuxie replied, meeting his father's gaze.

Liu Dashan understood the meaning behind those words, but at his age, already in his forties, he doubted his talent would allow him to make any significant breakthroughs.

"Wuxie, you don’t have to comfort me," Liu Dashan said, shaking his head. "When we arrive at the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, you must do everything possible to pass the test. As long as you're accepted, even Liu Xiaotian won’t dare to touch you."

Liu Dashan knew that the True Profound Realm might be the limit of his potential.

"When I left Azure Billow City, my father-in-law also thought he would spend his entire life there, never imagining he could one day reach the Heavenly Dipper Realm. But the stronger one’s foundation, the greater their future potential. Father, there’s no need for you to rush," Liu Wuxie said, keeping the details vague as it would make him look like a monster.

But as long as he was around, he was confident in finding ways to make his father a powerhouse, even if he was a mortal. Then again, that was the prerequisite for increasing his strength as well.

When Liu Dashan heard that his sworn brother had reached the Heavenly Dipper Realm, confidence reignited in his eyes once more. The future was uncertain, and as Liu Wuxie himself knew, miracles were always a possibility.

The two spent the night having a heart-to-heart talk and fell asleep late.

The group readied themselves at dawn and looked refreshed for the journey ahead. They headed straight to the teleportation array and had two more days of journey to reach the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's testing ground.

This time, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's recruitment was grand, drawing countless participants from Central Plains. More than ten thousand participants competed in each recruitment, making it a spectacle. Those who emerged victorious were elite among elites.

"Liu Xiucheng? Aren't you supposed to be ill? What are you doing here?" a voice called out from behind as the group neared the teleportation array, carrying an unmistakable tone of hostility.

Everyone halted and turned toward the source of the voice. The speaker's words suggested trouble was brewing.

"What's wrong? Surprised that I've recovered?" Liu Xiucheng replied, his gaze sharp and vigilant as he faced the speaker.

"He's Wang Yuanhou, the Wang Clan's patriarch. They're also part of the Four Great Clans," Liu Dashan explained to Liu Wuxie, who knew little about the Central Plains' layout.

After reading all the books in the Book Collection Pavilion, Liu Wuxie nodded as he clearly grasped the Liu Clan's history. He had naturally read about Wang Yuanhou before, but this was his first time meeting the man in person.

When Liu Wuxie scanned the Wang Clan's entourage, he noticed they had brought eighty disciples for the recruitment, nearly six times the number of disciples from the Liu Clan, who had only a handful of qualified candidates.

The rest of the Liu Clan’s disciples, being in the lower levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm, lacked the qualifications to participate without embarrassing themselves or wasting spirit stones.

Anyone could tell the disparity in strength between the Liu and Wang Clans. After all, a clan wasn't gauged by the strength of their higher-ups but their core members.

"Disappointed? Nah, just curious," Wang Yuanhou replied, feigning nonchalance. He was well aware that Liu Xiucheng had recovered, so his tone was less about surprise and more about veiled antagonism. The rivalry between the two clans ran deep, and their mutual hostility was evident.

"Keep your curiosity to yourself," Liu Xiucheng retorted sharply, signaling his group to proceed without wasting time on the Wang Clan.

Martial City served as a hub, a transit point for many cultivators.

"Brother Liu, why the rush? Since we're all heading to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, why don't we travel together? We can also allow our disciples to interact," Wang Yuanhou said with a sly grin. When they swept a glance at the Liu Clan's disciples, the mockery on his face only grew stronger.

Liu Wuxie wanted to intervene after seeing his grandfather mocked, but his father held him back.

The feud between the two clans was deep-rooted, and it was common for both sides to clash whenever their paths crossed.

"I don't see us sharing the same path. Farewell!" Liu Xiucheng waved his hand and strode forward, entering the teleportation array.

This time, Wang Yuanhou didn't respond, and the corner of his lips turned into a sneer.

"Who would've thought that old relic would come back to life?" Wang Yuanhou muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.

"Father, the Liu Clan has only brought this many disciples? It looks like they've declined over the years," said a youth who walked out from behind Wang Yuanhou. This youth’s cultivation was at the first level of the True Profound Realm. The fact that he could reach his current cultivation at his age spoke volumes of his talent.

"Don't belittle the Liu Clan. Even a dying camel is larger than a horse!" Wang Yuanhou said. He didn't dare to belittle the Liu Clan's foundation even if they had declined.

Wang Yuanhou led his clan's disciples to enter the teleportation after Liu Xiucheng. The Liu Clan occupied the right, while the Wang Clan occupied the left of the teleportation array. The teleportation array they used was massive, capable of transporting hundreds of people at once.

"Liu Clan's patriarch, is your clan struggling so much that you must bring someone in the Astral River Realm along?" This time, the taunt didn't come from Wang Yuanhou but from a fellow member of the Wang Clan, whose gaze fell on Liu Wuxie.

After all, Liu Wuxie's cultivation stood out like a lighthouse when he had the lowest cultivation among the group. Over three hundred people were taking this teleportation array, and the strongest was in the Earth Profound Realm. Most were in the Nascent Transformation Realm and True Profound Realm, but only Liu Wuxie was in the Astral River Realm.

"Who do you think you are to judge who we bring? Who the fuck do you think you are, Wang Qiang?" Liu Dashan thundered, stepping forward to defend his son.

"We can judge as we see fit. To bring trash like him to the recruitment test is an insult to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy!" Wang Qiang continued to provoke. His intention was clear, as he knew Liu Dashan couldn't do anything to him despite his taunts.

Liu Dashan wanted to argue, but Liu Wuxie held him back. Earlier, the father had held the son back, but the situation had turned around now.

"This is your son, right? I'll take ‘good care’ of him for you during the test," Liu Wuxie said, pointing to the youth beside Wang Qiang, who should be the latter's son.

Since they dared to humiliate his father, they would have to pay the price with their deaths.

"Brat, remember what you said earlier. I'll also take good care of you during the test," said the youth standing beside Wang Qiang with clear intentions to kill Liu Wuxie during the test.

Even before they entered the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's territory, the atmosphere was already filled with gunpowder, threatening to explode with the slightest spark. After all, the quota to join the academy was limited, and the best solution was to kill others to eliminate the competition. The more they killed, the higher the chance they could enter the academy.

Although killing was officially forbidden during the recruitment test, there would be a fair share of deaths each recruitment.

As the spatial distortion grew stronger, everyone shut their mouths. Liu Wuxie also closed his eyes to sense the changes in the surrounding space.

After consuming the massive Divine Fruit, his comprehension of divine force would grow as time passed. When a force tugged them down, they finally emerged from the other end of the teleportation array.

"What dense spiritual energy...the spiritual energy here is more than ten times stronger than Astral Glory City!" exclaimed the Liu Clan's disciples. This place was a paradise for cultivators compared to Astral Glory City.

"We have already entered the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's perimeters. This place is called the Heavenly Spirit Mountain that stretches across billions of miles," explained an elder to their junior.

Liu Wuxie was inwardly amazed. While Liu Clan's territory had firm laws and abundant spiritual energy, the environment here redefined the meaning of paradise for him.

When the Wang Clan's disciples emerged from the other end of the teleportation array, they were also shocked by the scenery before them. The trees here were towering, and the density of spiritual energy here was so high that it was on the brink of being liquified. Just taking a deep breath brought waves of comfort to them.

It was no wonder so many people fought to join the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, as only such a place could nurture powerhouses. In addition to them, the other teleportation arrays also lit up with people emerging.

"Let's get going," Liu Xiucheng quickly led everyone away and entered the mountain range to avoid further delays.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy was located deep in the mountain range.

"What ancient trees! Each one is at least a thousand years old!" marveled a disciple who caressed the towering tree after entering the mountain range. The disciples could sense rich wood-attribute energy flowing into their bodies, and cultivating one day here was equivalent to ten days in the Liu Clan.

The moment Liu Wuxie stepped into the mountain range, the Ancestral Tree began to devour the wood-attribute energy from the surroundings, forming into wood-attribute essence and merging into the desolate world. This also brought him closer to the breakthrough in the ninth-level Astral River Realm.

The group traveled for about half a day before the scenery opened up, revealing a mountain that had been sheared cleanly in half.

"That's our destination!" Liu Dashan said, pointing at the half-cleaved mountain. @@novelbin@@

The entire mountain was cleaved in half to form a flat summit, and all the disciples were shocked and wondered who could possess such immense power.