Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 507 - Heavenly Nether Battlefield

It had been over a year since Liu Wuxie had joined the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Logically, Mu Yueying should've already come to see him, so why was she nowhere to be found in the sect?

He asked many people about it only to discover that only a few had seen her before.

"Yeah!" Liu Wuxie nodded. He had such a close relationship with Mu Yueying that they now seemed like siblings. It felt unusual that they hadn't met in so long.

"She's not in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion," Mu Tianli said.

Expecting as much, he asked, "Where is she now?"

"The Heavenly Nether Battlefield!"

This was his first time hearing about the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. He hadn’t even read about it in any books.

"What kind of place is that?" Liu Wuxie asked curiously.

"A brutal one. If you’re interested, I can send you over once you reach the Astral River Realm."

With his cultivation, Liu Wuxie wouldn’t be able to enter the Heavenly Nether Battlefield. Hence, Mu Tianli didn't delve into the topic any further.

"Alright!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed. The more brutal the Heavenly Nether Battlefield was, the faster he could grow.

"Head back for now. Don't mention our conversation today with anyone else."

Mu Tianli distorted using a spatial fluctuation, leaving Liu Wuxie alone in the hall.

Now prepared to descend the mountain, he walked out of the hall and discovered that Elder Tian Xing hadn't left. He was waiting for him along the way.

"Done talking?"

"Yes!" Liu Wuxie replied.

The two walked down the mountain together. Oblivious to Liu Wuxie’s cooperation with the sect master, Elder Tian Xing feared that Liu Wuxie would have some resentment against the sect master. Hence, he decided to give him an explanation.

"The sect master has taken great care of you and paid attention to you ever since you joined the sect, even during the recent alchemy competition. He was also the one who stood up for you when Qing Mu tried to get rid of you.”

"I know!" Liu Wuxie replied.

He could see many things from Mu Tianli's gaze. After all, he had killed so many people in the past year, and he would have been long dead if no one had been protecting him from the higher-ups.

Tenacious vitality proved useful to his survival, but the sect master's protection also significantly contributed to his success.

"He hopes you can participate in the Ten Grand Ceremony. Considering it’s only three months away, I suggest you start making preparations.”

"The Ten Grand Ceremony?"

Liu Wuxie frowned. He had just learned of the Heavenly Nether Battlefield and the Ten Grand Ceremony. Why was he in the dark about so many things?

"You should study it. A few books in the Hidden Books Collection contain details about it." Elder Tian Xing replied. He was only responsible for informing Liu Wuxie that the event was three months away. He did not have to explain it to him as well.

Liu Wuxie rubbed his nose, disliking the way he was being led around. "Can I choose not to participate?"

The Ten Grand Ceremony had nothing to do with him anyway, and he had to spend time cultivating.

"No. I have already promised the sect master. I'll send you there even if I have to tie you up," Elder Tian Xing replied shamelessly, which made Liu Wuxie roll his eyes.

Liu Wuxie had only explored less than a third of the True Martial Continent. Since he had only been to a few places before, this was an excellent opportunity to broaden his horizons.

While walking on a deserted path, he suddenly exclaimed, "Elder Tian Xing, there's something I don't understand!"

"Out with it, then." Elder Tian Xing had no air around him. Other disciples would stammer when they saw him, but he was amicable around Liu Wuxie.

"Qing Mu has violated the sect's rules. Why did the sect master put up with him?"

He had been pondering the question for a while now, but he couldn’t figure it out.

Not only did Qing Mu try to bribe Elder Yi Xuan to kill him, but he also violated the sect's rules multiple times. It made no sense that he was still being tolerated instead of being punished.

As the elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Elder Tian Xing should've dealt with Qing Mu by now, but even he had chosen to remain silent.

"He has a powerful master."

Elder Tian Xing sighed, the mention of Qing Mu seemingly souring his mood. Looking quite dejected, he stopped paying Liu Wuxie any attention and instead just walked in silence.

After a moment of confusion, Liu Wuxie finally understood what Elder Tian Xing meant.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was like a nation in the mundane world. It had its own intricate and complex relationships, and Liu Wuxie had only touched the tip of that iceberg. Many things were beyond the sect master's control.

Upon his return to his abode, Liu Wuxie summoned Bi Gongyu over.

Bi Gongyu bowed and offered a couple of refined pills to Liu Wuxie. "Master, these are the Spirit Restoration Pills I've refined over the past two days!"

"Hold onto the pills for now. We might need to adjust our plans, but we’ll discuss this once Old Fan and the others arrive."

Rather than taking the pills, Liu Wuxie instead handed them over to the sect to save him a lot of trouble.

Fifteen minutes later, Fan Zhen, Lan Yu, and the others arrived. As the core members of the Heavenly Dao Society, Liu Wuxie entrusted them with his tasks.

Since he had no plans to meet those who had joined the Heavenly Dao Society yet, he left everything to Fan Zhen.

When the group entered, they immediately greeted him.

"Wuxie!"

"Master!"

"Big Brother Liu!"

Liu Wuxie signaled for everyone to sit down and be at ease. "I’m glad everyone is here. It’s time to discuss our next course of action."

Fan Zhen stood up. "Go ahead, Wuxie!"

He had been busy with the Heavenly Dao Society lately, which had begun taking shape two days ago. Thanks to his experience in managing the Imperial Academy, he found it easy to manage the Heavenly Dao Society.

"I have found us a new partner for our pill business,” Liu Wuxie revealed. “They’ll make things safer without changing the profit share. We can now stop collaborating with the shops in various cities."

He didn't mention who they would work with because the sect master didn't want the news to spread. After all, working with a disciple would tarnish the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's reputation. That was also the reason Liu Wuxie would claim that he created the Spirit Restoration Pills refinement method. Doing so would create a situation where everyone won.

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would gain fame, and Liu Wuxie would earn resources and make a fortune quietly without anyone knowing.

Fan Zhen took the minutes of the minutes. No one questioned Liu Wuxie, making the job easy.

Lan Yu stood up. "Master, what about the spiritual talismans?"

"That will remain the same!"

After discussing a few more topics, everyone took their leave.

Liu Wuxie rubbed his temples. The past few days had been exhausting—he could use a good night’s rest.

"Now that I’ve reached the Heavenly Phase Realm, it’s about time I leave the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's territory and explore the world.”

While contemplating, he began to think of Xu Lingxue, causing his heart to beat rapidly. Before he knew it, she had walked into his heart.

......

Amid a Misty Sect courtyard, a woman in white stood underneath one of the blossom trees. She had a peerless figure and beauty. her delicate eyebrows furrowed as she gazed into the distance.

Gazing into the distance, her delicate eyebrows furrowed.

"It has been over a year now. Is he still in the Imperial Academy?" Xu Lingxue asked, unaware that Liu Wuxie had come to the cultivation world.

After some time, another woman in white hurried in and stood behind her. "Senior Sister Xu, Young Master Xiang is here to see you again."

"Tell him that I'm unwell and won't be seeing anyone for the time being," Xu Lingxue replied as she walked back into the house.

......

Ten days after the alchemy competition, the Lesser Blade Association stopped sending people over. It seemed Liu Wuxie's new status had made the Lesser Blade Association reconsider its actions.

After all, it would be unwise to offend such a formidable alchemist.

That day, a guest visited Liu Wuxie.

"Elder Yi Xuan, please come in!" Lan Yu greeted.

While Fan Zhen was busy with the Heavenly Dao Society, Lan Yu managed Liu Wuxie's daily needs. Meanwhile, Bi Gongyu focused on refining pills, with designated personnel distributing his products into the market through special channels.

Standing behind Elder Yi Xuan was a youth who exuded elegance and a faint air of heroism.

Upon learning about Elder Yi Xuan’s arrival, Liu Wuxie, who had been in seclusion, came out of his cultivation chamber. Upon meeting up with him, he gestured for Elder Yi Xuan to take a seat.

However, Elder Yi Xuan instead growled at the youth behind him. "Yi Nan, why aren't you greeting your savior?!”

"I, Yi Nan, pay my respect to you, my savior!" Yi Nan exclaimed.

He even wanted to kneel. After all, Liu Wuxie had granted him a new life just like his parents had.

"You mustn't!"

However, Liu Wuxie quickly stepped forward to support Yi Nan. Due to his insistence, Yi Nan could only greet him with a deep bow instead.

Eventually, the three took their seats. Yi Nan sat by the side, and Liu Wuxie sat face-to-face with Elder Yi Xuan.

"Wuxie, you’re the reason Nan'er recovered. I cannot express my gratitude enough,"

Elder Yi Xuan sighed. Throughout the years, he had tried all sorts of ways to help Yi Nan, but he had never expected that someone he had almost killed would save his grandson. If he didn't alter the spiritual arrays back in the Martial Arts Hall, Liu Wuxie would be dead by now, and Yi Nan would remain a cripple for the rest of his life.

"You're being too polite, Elder Yi Xuan. You've already thanked me enough."

"Wuxie, I told you I’ll do anything for as long as you treat Nan'er. Since I have already stepped down from my position as the elder of the Martial Arts Hall, I'm a free man now. You can ask me to do whatever you want."

Liu Wuxie smiled bitterly. "How could I ask anything of you, sir?"

"You don't have to be polite with me. This will bother me for the rest of my life if I don’t get to repay your kindness.”

Elder Yi Xuan was a stubborn person. He would hold his ground and do whatever it took to keep his promises.

"Alright, fine. I'll take you up on your offer. I do have something I need your help with,” Liu Wuxie admitted. Considering he had gone to great lengths to obtain Elder Yi Xuan's support, he decided that what he had in mind wouldn’t be too much.

"Go on!" Elder Yi Xuan replied. He would agree to any demands for as long as they didn't go against his conscience.

"I believe you have heard that I established the Heavenly Dao Society. Since our foundation is still fragile, I would like to invite you to assume the position of Guest Elder. You won’t really have to do anything."

Though Liu Wuxie was subtle with his words, Elder Yi Xuan was no fool. He naturally understood the true meaning behind Liu Wuxie's request: he wanted to borrow his influence to develop the Heavenly Dao Society.

Elder Yi Xuan would remain an ordinary guest elder if there were no danger, but he would have to step in to help in times of crisis. With his position, practically no one in the sect could threaten him.

"Please do not worry, Elder Yi Xuan. I am not asking you to assume the position for free,” Liu Wuxie added. “You will receive a monthly stipend of five hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones. What do you say?”