Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 807 - Void Cloud Pillar

Thousands of people gathered in the surroundings in mere minutes, making it difficult for Liu Wuxie to escape unscathed.

"I have other matters to attend to," Liu Wuxie replied, cupping his fists together. He maintained a humble attitude regardless of whether this elder harbored any hostility. While he didn't want any trouble, that didn't mean he was afraid.

"What's more important than the new disciples' gathering? Everyone's attendance is compulsory, and all of you will be injecting a strand of your true essence to register your Mortal Ranking," the elder said. He wasn't intentionally making things difficult for Liu Wuxie, but he was speaking the truth.

The gathering wasn’t just a social event; it was also when the disciples’ rankings would be determined. Even though they had already spent ten days in the academy, none of the new disciples had been officially ranked.

Liu Wuxie hesitated. His senior brother had told him that injecting true essence into the monument didn’t have to be done in Star Eclipse Valley but in the Mortal Ranking region instead. However, it was clear that these people wouldn’t let him leave, and staying there made him uneasy.

"Liu Wuxie, what are you afraid of? It's just an exchange between disciples, not an execution," surrounding disciples mocked, assuming that Liu Wuxie was too cowardly to stay.

"That's right. He must be scared! Let's just let him leave. He's probably afraid his ranking will be at the very bottom!" Laughter filled the entire Star Eclypse Valley.

If Liu Wuxie left now, he would play right into their hands and be branded as a coward.

"Everyone can go in. This year's event will be different from previous years—there will be rewards. Whoever ranks first among the seven peaks will receive a supreme-grade spiritual pill, one million spirit stones, and a day of cultivation inside Auspicious Cloud Cave," the elder said. The reward was to stir everyone's motivation.

Liu Wuxie's eyes shone brightly when the rewards were mentioned. The supreme-grade spiritual pill alone would be priceless, not to mention Auspicious Cloud Cave. Jiang Le had mentioned that Auspicious Cloud Cave contained incredibly potent laws and was only accessible to holy sons.

Ordinary true disciples weren't qualified to enter. Therefore, it was tempting for Liu Wuxie to grab this chance. With his strength, it would be effortless to claim first place among the seven peaks.

The rewards were too valuable for Liu Wuxie to pass up. As the surrounding disciples began entering Star Eclipse Valley, they all knew that to claim first place, they would have to surpass every other competitor.

Liu Wuxie hesitated and looked at the valley's entrance. Someone was guarding the entrance, and leaving would inevitably lead to another confrontation. Since that was the case, he might as well stay behind and claim the first-place rewards.

Watching Liu Wuxie’s movements, Ren Ping sneered. As long as Liu Wuxie entered Star Eclipse Valley, he would find a way to eliminate him.

Elders from various peaks arrived one after another, yet Heavenly Gate Peak remained unrepresented, leaving Liu Wuxie standing alone with no fellow disciples or elder by his side.

He found a spot belonging to the Heavenly Gate Peak and sat quietly. No one was around, allowing him to enjoy the peace. By late morning, all the new disciples had arrived.

"Today marks the gathering for new disciples, with the primary goal of helping everyone get acquainted. There will be various activities, including friendly spars, cultivation exchanges, and competitions. I encourage all of you to participate enthusiastically," announced an elder from White Dragon Peak, a peak that never failed to dominate the spotlight at this yearly event.

"Elder He, can we engage in martial duels?" asked a disciple from Azure Cloud Peak. Sparring provided far greater insight than mere discussions, and without it, the gathering would feel like a waste of time.

"Of course," Elder He chuckled, "but remember—this is an exchange, not a place for senseless violence." He had no reason to deny the disciples a chance to test their skills.

Upon receiving Elder He's confirmation, Azure Cloud Peak's disciples turned their sharp gaze toward Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie recognized the one who had spoken—he was a remnant of the Wang Clan.

Even after Wang Linlong's death, three disciples from Wang Clan had joined the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

However, Liu Wuxie ignored the provocation. Closing his eyes, he isolated himself from the outside world.

His indifference only deepened their resentment, fueling their anger as they took it as a sign of blatant disrespect.

The elders from the other peaks exchanged puzzled looks, wondering why so many people would target Liu Wuxie. Was it simply because he was ranked first in the recruitment test?

"Elder He, let's not waste time. What's the first event?" Everyone was eager to compete for the supreme-grade spiritual pill, and Liu Wuxie wasn't the only interested person.

"No hurry. Everyone must first inject a strand of their true essence into the Mortal Ranking to determine their placements," Elder He said, gesturing for the crowd to settle down.

The murmurs gradually faded as Elder He turned toward the massive stone slab at the valley's center. Performing a series of intricate hand seals, he activated the slab, causing it to crack open and reveal a peculiar pillar hidden within.

This was not the Mortal Ranking itself—the actual ranking was located elsewhere.

"The Void Cloud Pillar!" several disciples exclaimed in surprise.

This was no ordinary pillar; it was said to be connected to heaven and earth, linked to the void itself—hence its name.

By channeling their true essence into the Void Cloud Pillar, disciples would have their names reflected on the Mortal Ranking.

A wave of excitement spread through the crowd. Many had only heard of the legendary Void Cloud Pillar, rumored to be forged from materials of the Astral Domain. Over the past ten days, all disciples had been recorded in the Mortal Ranking, but today, their placements would finally be revealed. Those who climbed the ranks would receive corresponding rewards.

"I'll go first," Ren Ping declared, stepping forward. Placing his palm on the Void Cloud Pillar, he injected a strand of true essence into it. Brilliant light erupted from the pillar as it began communicating with the Mortal Ranking.

"Ranked 78,000!"

The result wasn’t particularly impressive. With a total of one hundred thousand disciples, this placement put him in the lower-middle ranks. However, once he reached the True Profound Realm, his ranking would naturally rise.

With someone breaking the ice, more disciples eagerly stepped forward to test their rankings.

"Ranked 90,005!"

"Ranked 50,000!"

A disciple in the True Profound Realm took his turn, injecting his true essence into the Void Cloud Pillar. He had achieved a significantly higher placement compared to others.

Liu Wuxie watched in silence. Being only at the second-level Nascent Transformation Realm, he expected to be ranked near the bottom. Then again, the initial placement didn’t matter—rankings could always change with breakthroughs or by challenging stronger disciples.

Once all the disciples had infused their true essence into the Void Cloud Pillar, Liu Wuxie was the last to step forward. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as he moved.

"What do you think his ranking will be?" Everyone was curious about Liu Wuxie's placement.

"The last!" The Mortal Ranking was ranked according to cultivation, and Liu Wuxie had the lowest cultivation. So, it was customary for him to be ranked last.

"Not necessarily. He did defeat Ren Ping with one strike, and I speculate his ranking should be around sixty thousand." Speculation spread through the crowd, but most assumed he would rank near the bottom.

Liu Wuxie stood before the Void Cloud Pillar and raised his right hand, channeling his true essence. As a surge of true essence coursed through his arm, he slammed his palm on the pillar.

The Void Cloud Pillar shone brightly as Liu Wuxie's ranking rose. In just half a breath, Liu Wuxie had surpassed Ren Ping, but his ranking still showed no signs of stopping.

This result left everyone dumbfounded. They couldn't believe how Liu Wuxie's ranking could be so high. But unbeknownst to them, the Void Cloud Pillar had long recorded Liu Wuxie's achievements of killing Hu Yi, Li Shan, and others. The Void Cloud Pillar recorded everything in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

"Look, his ranking has broken past fifty thousand!" The elders of various peaks were shocked to see Liu Wuxie's ranking rise. They couldn't believe someone at the second-level Nascent Transformation Realm could have such a high ranking.

This was unbelievable, as Liu Wuxie had surpassed veteran true disciples in strength. Three breaths later, Liu Wuxie's ranking finally settled at forty thousand, which simmered resentment in the crowd.

After all, they were all new disciples, but why was Liu Wuxie's ranking so much higher than theirs?

Retracting his hand, Liu Wuxie had a rough understanding of his ranking. He was ranked in the upper middle and still had room for improvement.

With the ranking placement concluded, their rankings were engraved on the Mortal Ranking, and their names would vanish upon their deaths.

"I refuse to accept this result! I want to challenge him!" Ren Ping protested.

If he could defeat Liu Wuxie, he would be able to replace Liu Wuxie's position on the Mortal Ranking, and Ren Ping struck before Liu Wuxie could react.

Back at the valley's entrance, he would've already attacked Liu Wuxie if the elder hadn't stopped him, and he attacked with a killing move.

"You're courting death!" Liu Wuxie's murderous intent surged. Since Ren Ping wished to die, he would grant the latter's wish.

Elder He had emphasized that it should be a sparring match, but he had never explicitly forbidden killing. As long as the elders didn't intervene, Liu Wuxie would crush anyone who attacked him. Did these people think he was a pushover?

Liu Wuxie wanted to maintain a low profile, but that didn't mean he was afraid. Since these people had treated him as a pushover, he might as well make them feel pain so they wouldn't dare to make trouble for him in the future.

He raised his fist without even summoning the Heretic Blade. He was confident in killing his opponent, who was only at the Nascent Transformation Realm, relying on his physique. Like a panther, he leaped in the air.

"What a powerful punch!" When Liu Wuxie attacked, many people jumped to their feet, and they could sense an overwhelming force of destruction.

Ren Ping's attack collapsed, unable to withstand the sheer might of Liu Wuxie's punch. The sudden turn of events caught him off guard, and he could not believe how Liu Wuxie could be this strong.

It was too late for Ren Ping to react as Liu Wuxie's attack had completely locked him in place.

"Die!" Liu Wuxie's murderous intent was ignited, and not even someone at the True Profound Realm could escape death.

The elders of the various peaks did nothing to stop and merely watched, but their silence was as good as permission. After all, Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy didn't forbid disciples from killing each other, and countless disciples would perish at the hands of their fellow disciples.

Liu Wuxie had never witnessed such practices before, but he knew of a sect that nurtured its disciples in a similar way—where only one in ten survived. Yet, those who did endure became peerless powerhouses.

His punch locked onto Ren Ping, who could only watch as the fist crashed.