Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 811 - Third-Level Nascent Transformation Realm

Battles were the best catalyst for growth. After an intense fight, Liu Wuxie had saved several days of painstaking cultivation. He didn't hesitate to swallow the spiritual pill.

A powerful surge of spiritual energy began coursing through his body. As he circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, spiritual energy, nearly in a liquid state, began to appear above him. The Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron had also formed a vortex above it to absorb all the spiritual energy.

As more liquified spiritual energy began to converge above the sky, it had already reached a staggering amount.

As he devoured large mouthfuls of spiritual rice, the dao runes inside his body increased. They didn't grow in number but in thickness. This was a promising sign as each dao rune represented the laws of heaven and earth, making it easier for him to comprehend his dao technique in the future.

This was the same as finding a shortcut to enlightenment.

The entire Heavenly Gate Peak began to tremble when he poured all the accumulated liquified spiritual energy into the desolate world.

Jiang Le and the others had just returned to their houses and were drawn by the commotion outside even before they could settle down.

"Junior Brother is making another breakthrough?!" Jiang Le said with a wry smile. In just twelve short days, Liu Wuxie had made two breakthroughs, which was an astonishing feat.

However, they didn't know it had resulted from Liu Wuxie's year-long accumulation. If it weren't for the restriction of laws back in the Southern Province, he would've reached the Nascent Transformation Realm long ago.

Even after arriving at the Liu Clan, he hadn’t had a moment of peace due to the series of challenges he faced. But now, things were different—he had no lingering attachments and could fully focus on his cultivation.

Moreover, his current cultivation was still considered low—only at the early stages of the Nascent Transformation Realm. So, it wasn't surprising for him to make rapid advancements in his cultivation.

This was like how a child would grow rapidly in their early years but slow down as they grew older. Cultivators at the low levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm were akin to infants in Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

With the help of the spiritual pill, liquified spiritual energy, and dao runes, Liu Wuxie seized the moment to enter the third-level Nascent Transformation Realm.

"If only I had a Divine Fruit... I'm still lacking in divine force!" Liu Wuxie's true essence, physique, martial techniques, and dao techniques all required powerful divine force.

If martial techniques had weight, an ordinary person's would be like lifting 500 kilograms, whereas Liu Wuxie's would be akin to bearing 50,000 kilograms.

Of course, this was merely a metaphor—martial techniques couldn’t be measured in such simple terms. The true essence and divine force required to execute his techniques were ten to a hundred times greater than those of others. Likewise, the destructive impact of his attacks was amplified accordingly.

This solid foundation was what allowed him to challenge cultivators far stronger than himself. Without it, even the most powerful dao techniques would be meaningless, as he wouldn't be able to wield them properly. But Liu Wuxie possessed everything—an indomitable physique, vast true essence, a boundless soul sea, and unparalleled dao techniques. Every strike he unleashed could shake heaven and earth.

He pried open the gates to the third-level Nascent Transformation Realm with sheer force. A terrifying tide began to roar in the desolate world, and his true essence rose like an arrow piercing the clouds.

In less than three breaths, Liu Wuxie had reached the pinnacle of the third-level Nascent Transformation Realm. But the breakthrough had cost him five hundred thousand spirit stones—a consumption rate that was nothing short of terrifying.

After killing nine people, Liu Wuxie had obtained a few million spirit stones from their interspatial rings. So he was free to spend as he pleased with no shortage of spirit stones.

The desolate world, which had once shrunk significantly upon Liu Wuxie's arrival in the Central Plains, now expanded once more, returning to its peak state.

Several mountains emerged like towering islands in the vast ocean—manifestations of various elements intertwining to form a complete world.

Above, the Heavenly Dao Book unfurled, radiating a sacred light that bathed Liu Wuxie in its glow. Enveloped in its brilliance, he felt as though he were undergoing a divine baptism, his very presence exuding a scholarly aura.

As fragments of knowledge merged and overlapped, a surge of insight flooded Liu Wuxie's mind, leaving him momentarily stunned. These fragments coalesced into entirely new understandings, seamlessly integrating into his consciousness. The Heavenly Dao Book was a vast repository, recording the truths of all worlds.

The breakthrough was smooth and seamless, as he had no further need to temper his cultivation. Then again, the role of spiritual rice couldn't be underestimated.

When the first gleam of sunlight shone through the sky, Liu Wuxie rose to his feet and swiftly made his way to the Heavenly Gate Platform. Though he did not need to temper his cultivation, his physical body required rigorous training to achieve perfect harmony with his newfound power.

Soaring into the air, he unleashed a cascade of blade rays that enveloped the entire platform. His mastery of the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance had reached its peak, leaving no room for further improvement. The same was true for True Strike, which stood on the verge of perfection.

If he wanted to strengthen the two martial techniques further, he had only two options: practice a new spirit-grade blade technique or upgrade True Strike into one.

But no matter how Liu Wuxie perfected it, a heaven-grade martial technique would always remain heaven-grade, and a spirit-grade would always be a spirit-grade. There was an insurmountable gap between the two.

Although True Strike was on the verge of becoming a spirit-grade martial technique, it had yet to fully reach that level. The gap, though seemingly slight, was as vast as the divide between heaven and earth.

Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy housed countless spirit-grade martial techniques, and with enough points, he could exchange for one. However, he currently lacked the means to do so. That left him with only one option—comprehending and refining True Strike until it evolved into a true spirit-grade technique.

"I need more Divine Fruits!" Liu Wuxie roared as he sheathed his blade. If he had more Divine Fruits, he could strengthen his divine force and continue to upgrade his dao techniques.

Dao techniques were like books, and everyone comprehended them to varying degrees. But he could have a deeper comprehension if he had Divine Fruits.

A formidable spirit-grade martial technique needed to be empowered by a powerful dao technique, while the divine force was like a shortcut to speed up the comprehension process.

In terms of true essence, soul energy, physique, and laws, he was already on par with those at the lower levels of the True Profound Realm. His only shortcoming was in dao techniques. Conversely, no one at the Nascent Transformation Realm could surpass him in that regard.

To compensate for this gap, he had consumed most of the spiritual rice, but this was not a sustainable solution. Comprehending dao techniques on his own would be far too slow. His physique, martial techniques, soul energy, and true essence were all deeply intertwined with dao techniques—none could be cultivated in isolation.

By noon, Liu Wuxie descended from the Heavenly Gate Platform and returned to his hut, just in time for the arrival of his long-awaited reward, delivered by a disciple from the Mission Hall.

"Junior Brother, we learned about yesterday's events. We never expected you to claim first place among the seven peaks and slay nine opponents!" Jiang Le said excitedly as he approached. He could only imagine how grand the gathering must have been.

They already knew Liu Wuxie was capable of killing cultivators at the True Profound Realm—after all, they had witnessed him slay Li Shan. But hearing that he had done so in front of an audience, taking down so many opponents, was still shocking.

"I would've perished at Star Eclypse Valley if our master hadn't intervened," Liu Wuxie replied with a wry smile. He knew Elder He would've killed him if not for his master.

Jiang Le didn't refute that and gestured toward the interspatial pouch on the table with all the rewards. He said, "Junior Brother, the rewards just arrived. Three days from now, the Auspicious Cloud Cave will be opened, and you must seize this opportunity."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Liu Wuxie expressed his gratitude before picking up the interspatial pouch and scanning the contents with his divine sense. He saw a porcelain bottle, one million high-grade spirit stones, and a token.

The porcelain bottle contained a supreme-grade spiritual pill, and the token could grant him entry into the Auspicious Cloud Cave. Once inside, the token would be reclaimed.

The following days were peaceful, with no one coming to Heavenly Gate Peak to cause trouble. Liu Wuxie also took advantage of this by focusing on his cultivation.

As his foundation became increasingly refined, he set his sights on using the Auspicious Cloud Cave to break through to the fourth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm. Once he achieved that, he could finally begin accepting missions to earn points.

Over the past three days, Liu Wuxie had continued refining True Strike, yet it still lacked a certain spirituality. Spirit-grade martial techniques could only be created by those at the Heaven Profound Realm, and his cultivation had yet to reach that level.

Before he knew it, three days had passed.

Liu Wuxie woke up early and set off from the mountain. His three senior brothers had mostly recovered from their injuries, and his second senior brother's mental state had finally stabilized. When he saw Liu Wuxie, he seemed a little shy, as if embarrassed by his previous condition.

"Junior Brother, you must act cautiously once you leave the mountain. I'm afraid White Dragon Peak might target you," Jiang Le warned before Liu Wuxie left.

Disciples from the cavern, three courts, and five institutions might not be bothered with Liu Wuxie, but those from the seven peaks were another matter entirely. The academy was like a self-contained kingdom with many marketplaces, mortals, and laborers to manage daily affairs.

The seven peaks operated independently like seven different sects, the five institutions were like five independent branches, the three courts were like three clans, and the cavern was the central pillar of the academy.

In summary, the academy was a coalition of over a dozen sects sharing and competing for resources. While the other peaks had tens of thousands of disciples, Heavenly Gate Peak only had a few.

As Liu Wuxie descended the mountain, he had already pinpointed the location of the Auspicious Cloud Cave. Situated atop a spiritual vein near the three courts, it was a half-day journey away.

Setting out early, he expected to arrive by afternoon. The sheer scale of Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy surpassed his expectations, and along the way, he encountered many disciples— none of whom he recognized.

News of his recent achievement had only spread within certain circles, and veteran disciples paid him little attention. Like Liu Wuxie, those who had claimed first place among the cavern, three courts, and five institutions were also making their way to the Auspicious Cloud Cave, as they had all received the same reward.

After traversing multiple mountain ranges, the landscape suddenly opened before him. A lush, green forest blanketed the terrain, its vegetation far denser than in the outer regions. Here, the spiritual energy was noticeably richer, and the surrounding laws felt more complete.

Just taking a breath helped clear Liu Wuxie's mind, and if he cultivated there, he could achieve twice the results with half the effort.

There was a grand building ahead—it was the entrance to Auspicious Cloud Cave.

Just when he was about to enter the building, he heard a sharp roar coming from the distance.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you show yourself before me?!" Hong Du's voice echoed.

The seven peaks had one slot to the Auspicious Cloud Cave, the cavern had four, the three courts had three, and the five institutions had five. The seven peaks' status paled compared to the cavern, three courts, and five institutions, which is why so many disciples sought to join the cavern.

Hong Du's voice was cold as ice, and unrestrained murderous intent burned in his eyes when he saw Liu Wuxie. He hadn't forgotten how Liu Wuxie had slapped him back at the training ground, and his dao heart would never be complete if he couldn't kill the latter.