Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 598 - Inexplicable Feud

The murderous intent released by Grandmaster Hai upon meeting Liu Wuxie for the first time was baffling. Noticing this, his disciples were left terrified. Over the years they had spent studying under Grandmaster Hai, this was the first time they had seen such murderous intent coming from their master.

"So, you're Liu Wuxie?" Grandmaster Hai approached him. As an elder of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, he was a lofty existence, and wouldn't resort to something like killing Liu Wuxie in public. Still, a flicker of rage could be seen in his eyes.

"That's me. What guidance do you have for me?" Liu Wuxie asked, curious about what this person had to say and even briefly wondering if Grandmaster Hai was affiliated with the Lesser Blade Association.

However, he soon dismissed that thought because Ye Dao wasn't familiar with Grandmaster Hai's three disciples.

"Do you realize that the sect’s pill sales have plummeted because of you?" Grandmaster Hai questioned, suppressing his anger.

Liu Wuxie finally found the reason for the inexplicable murderous intent from earlier. After all, news had already spread about the demonic trait in the pills, leading many people to cancel their orders and turn to the Azure Crimson Gate instead. This was a significant blow to the sect, and Liu Wuxie would become a sinner if he couldn't reverse the damage he had inadvertently caused.

"How high and mighty! Even the sect master hasn't punished me for it; who are you to question me?" Liu Wuxie replied. Since Grandmaster Hai wasn't going to be polite, he saw no need to be polite either.

Everyone knew that Liu Wuxie exposing the demonic traits in the pills refined by the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would ultimately benefit the sect rather than harming it. After all, if the issue became too widespread to contain, the damage would be irreversible. However, it could still be rectified for now, and there were already advertisements for the new pills introduced by Liu Wuxie.

The pills were twice as effective as the Earth Origin Pills, yet they cost only half the price. Not only were they non-toxic, but they could even cleanse the body. Everyone was waiting to see the pills’ effects before placing their orders.

There was nothing wrong with Liu Wuxie’s words. If the sect intended to punish him, they would've done it long ago.

Deep down, Grandmaster Hai also knew that the sect's alchemists were to blame and that the demonic traits in the pills would eventually be exposed sooner or later.

"This isn't a place for someone like you. Get lost!" Grandmaster Hai barked, ordering Liu Wuxie to leave. He was a nine-star Spiritualist with a revered status, and anyone wanting to attend the event would need his approval.

"I respect your status as an elder, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you. This is a public venue, so who the fuck do you think you are to order me to leave?" Liu Wuxie said with a sneer, his words causing Grandmaster Hai's body to tremble in anger.

"Liu Wuxie, how dare you speak to my master this way!" Grandmaster Hai's eldest disciple immediately defended his master. Being disrespectful to their master was the same as being disrespectful to them, and they naturally had to stand up for their master as disciples.

"You're right, but what can you do to me?" Liu Wuxie retorted, his fighting spirit blazing. So what if Grandmaster Hai was an expert in the Nascent Transformation Realm? If he dared to stand in his way today, he wouldn't mind killing an elder of the sect.

Liu Wuxie stood unyielding on the stage, and no one could challenge his resolve. If he left because Grandmaster Hai ordered him to, what face would he have to remain in Treasure City?

"Qing Mu was right. He should've killed you when he had the chance," Grandmaster Hai said, his body trembling in anger. He couldn't act because many people were present, not to mention Liu Wuxie wasn't at fault, nor did he violate the sect's rules.

In fact, Grandmaster Hai could not judge him even if he had violated the sect's rules. That was Elder Tian Xing's duty.

Liu Wuxie's lips curled into a sneer, and he finally knew why Grandmaster Hai had such a grudge against him.

"If I'm not mistaken, you must have a good relationship with that old bastard, Qing Mu, right?" Liu Wuxie was probably the first to address an elder of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion as an old bastard.

Many spectators were left shocked because that was the same as burning every chance of reconciliation with Qing Mu. Then again, Liu Wuxie had no need to be polite since they already had a feud.

"Brat, if not for you, Qing Mu wouldn't have been demoted to an ordinary elder, and lost his position as the chief alchemist. This is all your fault!" Grandmaster Hai roared.

Liu Wuxie didn't know that Qing Mu had been demoted to an ordinary elder as he had been in Treasure City for the past few days. Thus, he was unaware of what had transpired within the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"Just for those words, I swear that I will take your life!" Liu Wuxie told Grandmaster Hai.

"What arrogance! You must get through us first before getting to our master!" With Tian Lie taking the lead, Grandmaster Hai's three disciples stood in a row before Liu Wuxie, their murderous intent fully released.

This scene brought a smile to the faces of the Lesser Blade Association's members. They didn't expect Grandmaster Hai to be at odds with Liu Wuxie, and the situation was increasingly favorable to the Lesser Blade Association.

"Liu Wuxie, you have sparked public outrage. I advise you to end your life now," Bing Kaifu said with a laugh. He was determined that today would mark Liu Wuxie's death, and no one, including Lan Yu and the others, would leave this place alive.

"You think trash like you can kill me? What a joke!" Liu Wuxie sneered in disdain. Even Grandmaster Hai was unworthy of polishing his shoes when it came to the art of spiritual talismans.

The tension grew, and the spectators became frenzied. After all, it had been a long time since the talisman event had been so lively. Previously, everyone would only go onstage to showcase their spiritual talismans.

"Grandmaster Hai, we have signed a Life-and-Death Pledge. Can you act as a judge to ensure that Liu Wuxie doesn’t go back on our agreement when I defeat him later?" Bing Kaifu cupped his fists, seeking to have Grandmaster Hai oversee their duel.

The two had already consented to the Life-and-Death Pledge, and Grandmaster Hai's arrival had interrupted them.

"Very well. I will be your witness," Grandmaster Hai said. The person with the lower talisman level was sure to die in this duel. Such deadly competitions had happened for centuries—be they in martial arts, alchemy, or formations.

"Liu Wuxie, are you ready to die?" Bing Kaifu roared, a spiritual talisman already in his hand. He was a mere six-star Spiritualist, and Liu Wuxie didn't know where he got the confidence to challenge him.

"Let's begin!" Liu Wuxie didn't want to waste time talking and took out a sixth-grade talisman paper from his interspatial ring.

The surrounding discussion gradually died, with everyone's attention locked on the two. Other Spiritualists stepped back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Those two were formidable and weren't someone ordinary spiritualists like them could provoke.

"Where did Liu Wuxie get the confidence to challenge Bing Kaifu? He's courting death!" Discussions of this sort could be heard from below.

Liu Wuxie's name was widely known, but few, if any, had heard of him in the context of spiritual runes. Aside from a handful of close associates, most people only knew him because of his exceptional talent in the martial path and alchemy. Even then, no one had seen his alchemy skills before. Bi Gongyu produced most of the pills made by the sect.

"Perhaps there will really be a miracle," some spectators murmured. They were still optimistic about Liu Wuxie’s victory because of his undeniable achievements in the past year. If he didn't have the strength to back it up, he would've been killed long ago.

Bing Kaifu began engraving spiritual runes onto the talisman paper, and soon, dozens of runes adorned the talisman. His talent was undeniable, but it was a pity that he used it on the wrong path.

His spiritual talismans were violent, with each rune resembling a twisted tree branch. A true spiritual talisman would be smooth and graceful, a mark of a well-crafted talisman.

Liu Wuxie wasn't in a hurry and allowed the talisman paper to hover before him. He waited till Bing Kaifu was half-done before he started on his talisman. The moment he moved, ripples began to appear in the surrounding space.

This made Grandmaster Hai squint his eyes and feel chills down his spine. Liu Wuxie's movement was simple but natural, as if he had embodied heaven and earth.

Spiritual runes hovered in the air and swirled as they gathered towards Liu Wuxie, a scene that shocked countless people. Neither Grandmaster Hai, his three disciples, nor Ye Dao could believe what they were seeing.

"This must be a coincidence!" The Lesser Blade Association members tried to reassure themselves, thinking Liu Wuxie's feat was nothing but a fluke. Forming a resonance with the heavens and the earth was thought of as mere luck, as creating a talisman required extreme control.

With rapid taps in succession, Liu Wuxie's fingers emitted a faint golden radiance that danced around them. Spiritual runes spiraled in the air, and the surrounding Spiritualists exchanged looks of shock.

Regardless of whether Liu Wuxie could create a good talisman, his technique alone had surpassed everyone present. Even Grandmaster Hai couldn't manage it with such ease. Under Liu Wuxie's control, the spiritual runes danced like fishes.

Though many spectators weren't Spiritualists, they had witnessed the crafting of spiritual talismans before. However, none of the techniques they had seen could compare to Liu Wuxie’s. Their eyes were all fixed on Liu Wuxie, mesmerized by his skill.

Just a moment ago, everyone's attention was still on Bing Kaifu. But in just the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of eyes were focused on Liu Wuxie's hand.

As Bing Kaifu crafted his spiritual talisman, he also noticed the surroundings. The unexpected events rattled him and nearly caused his talisman to crumble.

"Bing Kaifu, stay focused!" Ye Dao reminded him.

Guiding and engraving spiritual runes were two different concepts. It was like understanding the cultivation method of a martial technique but being unable to execute it in actual combat due to ta lack of talent.

Although Liu Wuxie had caused a heaven-and-earth resonance, it was still unknown if he could craft an actual spiritual talisman. With gentle taps of his right hand, a complete spiritual rune was embedded on the talisman.

When the spiritual rune appeared on the talisman, the talisman began emitting a faint golden radiance that illuminated the surroundings.

This scene shocked all the spectators. They realized they had severely underestimated Liu Wuxie's talent for crafting spiritual talismans. This was true of Grandmaster Hai as well.

While others couldn't comprehend what Liu Wuxie was doing, he could tell that his skills in spiritual talismans had reached an extraordinary height.