Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 597 - Life and Death

Ye Dao’s gaze was piercing, a bone-chilling blade intent radiating from him. He was a formidable opponent—his strength went beyond appearances. Though his cultivation was only at the second level of the Astral River Realm, his combat prowess rivaled those at the fourth level.

Liu Wuxie hadn’t expected the Lesser Blade Association to have someone this powerful, especially one willing to step forward on their behalf. His curiosity about Qin Dao deepened; what kind of extraordinary charisma did he have to command such fierce loyalty?

As Ye Dao’s words echoed, the crowd quickly began to disperse, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Those nearby struggled to withstand the force of Ye Dao’s blade intent, which shredded their robes, leaving them looking like beggars as they stepped aside, helpless against the fierce aura.

“You want to fight here?” Liu Wuxie asked with a casual smile, glancing around. This place was far too crowded; a fight would only endanger innocent bystanders.

Liu Wuxie knew there was no avoiding a confrontation with the Lesser Blade Association. A direct clash was inevitable, beyond the reach of subtle schemes or negotiations.

“There’s bound to be a battle between us, but not today,” said Ye Dao, shaking his head. He had no intentions of fighting Liu Wuxie today.

“Get lost if you’re too scared to fight. Don’t hinder us from selling spiritual talismans,” Liu Wuxie said in an overbearing tone.

Liu Wuxie’s words left the members of the Lesser Blade Association gritting their teeth in anger. If they failed to eliminate him today, after such public humiliation, their reputation in Treasure City would be in ruins.

“I heard that the Heavenly Dao Society is selling spiritual talismans,” Ye Dao said, a cold gleam in his eyes. “That means you must be a spiritualist. There’s a showcase coming up, and I expect you won’t disappoint me.”

The spiritual talismans on display were crafted by various spiritualists present. The spiritualists would take turns showcasing their products and techniques on the stage to boost their sales.

The higher the popularity, the better the sales, bringing them more resources.

“You want to challenge me to a duel in talismans?” Liu Wuxie smiled. He finally knew why these people hesitated to act. It was thoughtful of them to want to use a talisman duel to kill him.

“We’re all spiritualists here. It’s not exactly a duel but just a friendly exchange between us. Junior Brother Liu, don’t tell me that you’re afraid?” Ye Dao sneered, his words laced with sarcasm.

The Lesser Blade Association had issued their challenge publicly, and the Heavenly Dao Society would lose its reputation if he refused. If he accepted, it would be the same as falling into the Lesser Blade Association’s trap, and they would try and target him under the pretext of a friendly spar. The situation was disadvantageous for Liu Wuxie regardless of his choice.

Everyone knew that Liu Wuxie was strong in combat and was a powerful alchemist. But rumors had it that others, not him, made the talismans under the Heavenly Dao Society.

“A lamb came to be slaughtered. I don’t see why I should refuse,” Liu Wuxie responded, accepting any challenge that came at him, whether it was a talisman duel or a martial combat.

A dragon’s roar echoed from within Liu Wuxie upon sensing the powerful blade intent, shattering the blade aura released by Ye Dao.

Ye Dao narrowed his eyes, sensing the threat emanating from the short blade in Liu Wuxie’s hand. He could tell this wasn’t an ordinary weapon, and the dragon-like roar it emitted only faded once Liu Wuxie sheathed the Heretic Blade.

“Let’s go!” Ye Dao left with everyone else from the Lesser Blade Association. The duel hadn’t started, and he knew Liu Wuxie wouldn’t flee since he had given his word.

As the group departed, the crowd gradually dispersed as well. Many had taken the Lesser Blade Association’s disparaging remarks about the Heavenly Dao Society’s talismans seriously. Reputation was everything for spiritualists, and poor publicity could harm the popularity of their products.

“Senior Brother Ye, why didn’t we just kill him?” Bing Kaifu asked after they returned to the Lesser Blade Association’s territory. The others were also baffled as they looked at Ye Dao, waiting for an explanation.

That seemed like the perfect opportunity to eliminate Liu Wuxie. Without Liu Wuxie, the Lesser Blade Association could slowly regain its former strength. Due to the recent setbacks, the Lesser Blade Association’s income was greatly affected, leading many disciples to quit.

“He’s not as simple as you think. He might be in the Heavenly Phase Realm, but his combat power is comparable to the Astral River Realm. I suspect that he killed Xu Zhi and Du Weihe,” Ye Dao said with furrowed brows. Ye Dao had initially considered killing Liu Wuxie, but after meeting him in person, he reconsidered.

He had sensed immense pressure from Liu Wuxie, so he had suggested a talisman duel instead.

“How is that possible? Senior Brother Xu Zhi and Du Weihe were both at the second level of the Astral River Realm! Together, they should have easily overpowered Liu Wuxie,” Bing Kaifu and the others exclaimed in disbelief, convinced there had to be someone else behind their deaths.

“Better safe than sorry. Ye Dao replied. “He’s cunning. Let’s start with a talisman duel, and if that fails... we can consider more direct measures.” But even he saw that as a last resort.

A heavy silence fell over the group as they all recognized this approach as the safer option. They’d already seen Liu Wuxie’s power firsthand, having lost two of their own to him.

If Ye Dao himself was hesitant to engage, none of them dared to push him into a direct fight.

The talisman event was already halfway through, and a large stage was ahead with many spiritualists gathered around.

“Master, the showcase has started. We must build our reputation to sell our spiritual talismans,” Lan Yu said. He had already familiarized himself with Treasure City’s market during his time with Old Century Trading.

Currently, the best-selling spiritual talismans come from shops run by Grandmaster Hai’s disciples, and the Lesser Blade Association’s spiritual talismans could only be considered mid-tier.

Grandmaster Hai was a revered nine-star spiritualist renowned for his deep accomplishments in spiritual talismans. Over the years, he had taken in many skilled disciples. Their spiritual talismans weren’t cheap either, often priced nearly double the average market price. Even so, their supply couldn’t meet the demand.

“Let’s go take a look there!” Liu Wuxie said. Fan Zhen accompanied him while Lan Yu stayed behind.

The crowd surged forward in waves. Many people weren’t drawn there to buy spiritual talismans but to watch the showcase. There would be duels each month for spiritualists to test their skills.

Spiritual talismans were different from the martial path. While the martial path relied on fists and kicks, spiritual talismans heavily depended on one’s comprehension of spiritual runes. Two similar spiritual talismans could vary in power when crafted by different spiritualists.

The stage was large, and Liu Wuxie saw about fifteen spiritualists. They were all familiar faces to the crowd.

“Wuxie, are you going up?” asked Fan Zhen, standing beside Liu Wuxie.

“No rush!” Liu Wuxie wasn’t hurrying to go up on the stage and wanted to observe the standard of these spiritualists.

“Those three on the left are disciples of Grandmaster Hai. The one on the left is the eldest disciple, Tian Lie. The one in the middle is his second disciple, Lu Jie, and the one on the right is the youngest, Wei Pengtian. Though Wei Pengtian is the youngest, he has the highest talent,” Fan Zhen said as he introduced the three disciples of Grandmaster Hai.

Most people on the stage were seven-star spiritualists, and the only eight-star spiritualists were disciples of Grandmaster Hai.

Liu Wuxie took note of their names, waiting for the arrival of the Lesser Blade Association’s members. He waited roughly five minutes before Ye Dao and Bing Kaifu entered the stage.

They were both spiritualists. In addition to the spiritualists imprisoned by the Lesser Blade Association, most talismans came from them.

“Liu Wuxie, come up!” Ye Dao said, looking at Liu Wuxie. The impending duel between them was well-known, so no one was surprised.

With a flash, Liu Wuxie appeared on the stage in response to Ye Dao’s words.

Upon hearing Liu Wuxie’s name, Grandmaster Hai’s disciples turned their attention over. They were all disciples of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and had also heard of Liu Wuxie’s name.

However, no one stepped forward to greet Liu Wuxie due to his notorious fame.

“Liu Wuxie, I challenge you to a duel. The power of the spiritual talismans will determine the winner,” Bing Kaifu said, not allowing Liu Wuxie to speak.

The other spiritualists turned over in surprise. It was mainly because they were here to contemplate the flaws in their spiritual talismans by learning from others and promoting their products.

It had been a long time since there was a duel between spiritualists. After all, no one would duel unless they had a life-and-death feud. Most feuds could be resolved peacefully; this was the first time anyone would publicly conduct their duel.

“Life and death on the line!” Liu Wuxie replied. This meant whoever lost the duel would have to die.

“Agreed!” Bing Kaifu agreed without any hesitation.

Murderous intent filled the stage; it was too late for the other spiritualists to intervene. Bing Kaifu had issued his challenge the moment he went onto the stage to prevent anyone from stopping him.

“Grandmaster Hai has arrived!” An uproar came from the crowd as a grey-robed elder descended onto the stage, filled with a sage-like demeanor.

When he arrived, his three disciples rushed forward. They greeted in unison, “Greetings, master!”

Only Grandmaster Hai had the luxury of visiting the talisman event each time. He waved his hand and said, “Rise.”

When he noticed the murderous intent on the stage, he frowned and turned his attention over. He saw many unfamiliar faces, including Liu Wuxie and Ye Dao. As Bing Kaifu had participated in the talisman event in the past, he naturally recognized the latter.

“What’s going on here?” he inquired. Though new faces occasionally appeared at the event, today's murderous intent was unusual.

Tian Lie quickly explained the due that was about the start between Liu Wuxie and Bing Kaifu to Grandmaster Hai.

Upon hearing Liu Wuxie’s name, a hint of murderous intent flashed in Grandmaster Hai’s eyes with his brows knitted. Though subtle, Liu Wuxie caught the shift, leaving him puzzled as to why Elder Hai harbored such enmity toward him on their very first meeting.