Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 601 - Heaven-Sundering Seal

Tian Lie proposed an unexpected challenge that caused an uproar among the crowd. This duel was set to be harsher than a duel of life and death.

This meant the two parties would attack each other with the spiritual talismans they crafted. The stronger the power, the higher the odds of killing the other party. But there was a critical question: who would strike first?

If Tian Lie attacked first and killed Liu Wuxie, it would be pointless even if Liu Wuxie's spiritual talisman was much stronger in power and vice versa. There was another method: the two spiritual talismans were released simultaneously, and Tian Lie should choose this method.

"That's a good idea. You can go first," Liu Wuxie said with a cruel smile.

"Liu Wuxie, no!" Yi Xuan objected. If Tian Lie went first, he would gain the advantage over the duel, putting Liu Wuxie at risk of severe injury or even death.

Everyone was also surprised after hearing what Liu Wuxie said. No one could believe that Liu Wuxie proposed to let Tian Lie go first.

"Thank you, Elder Yi Xuan, but such garbage spiritual talisman won't be able to harm me," Liu Wuxie reassured. He appreciated Yi Xuan's concern, but the power of Tian Lie's spiritual talisman was only comparable to the fifth level of the Astral River Realm at best. Liu Wuxie was confident he could withstand it with his physique.

With the power of the True Dragon Physique and the aura of the desolate world reinforcing him, it was nearly impossible for Tian Lie to kill Liu Wuxie.

Elder Yi Xuan couldn't say anything after hearing Liu Wuxie's confident speech.

Meanwhile, Tian Lie contemplated how to strike first, but Liu Wuxie had proposed it, playing right into his hand.

"Liu Wuxie, you've brought this upon yourself, so don't blame me!" Tian Lie let out a sinister laughter. Without delay, the Heavenly Flame Talisman in his hand streaked across the air like a red comet and descended from the sky, enveloping Liu Wuxie in its blaze.

The Heavenly Flame Talisman erupted into raging flames like a colossal fireball had fallen upon Liu Wuxie, engulfing a radius of hundreds of meters in the fire.

This was a terrifying sight to behold—even someone in the high levels of the Astral River Realm wouldn’t survive the blast.

The heat was so intense that it melted the ground, transforming the stones into molten lava. The walls on the two sides also cracked under the searing temperature.

Trees also caught on fire under high temperatures, transforming their surroundings into a sea of flames.

The temperature soared to thousands of degrees at the core, hot enough to evaporate any cultivator in the Heavenly Phase Realm in a split second.

"What a terrifying Heavenly Flame Talisman! This spiritual talisman is comparable to the eighth-grade spiritual talisman!"

The spectators had already retreated a thousand meters away. Even so, the searing heat still caused them discomfort, and many of their lips started to crack. Those who were the closest even suffered burning wounds on their skin, and they could only continue to retreat further.

Fan Zhen watched an. It wasn't because he didn't believe in Liu Wuxie's strength, but how could someone survive under the flames?

"He's finished! The Heavenly Flame Talisman is incredibly powerful, and Tian Lie has even used it to kill an expert in the sixth level of the Astral River Realm in the past," commented a Lesser Blade Association member. He could also picture the sight of Liu Wuxie being charred beyond recognition.

The fire continued to burn, hissing and popping. But oddly enough, there was no scream coming from the flame. It made no sense because Liu Wuxie should've screamed in pain under the intense temperature, but there was no commotion from the flame.

"Could he have been burned to death by the Heavenly Flame Talisman in that split second?" a cultivator in the Astral River Realm asked, uncertainty evident in his tone. It would explain the silence after the explosion—if Liu Wuxie had indeed been incinerated instantly by the talisman’s flames.

A spiritual talisman lasted only five minutes before its power slowly dissipated. However, only people would use a spiritual talisman in dire situations.

Tian Lie frowned because he was connected with the Heavenly Flame Talisman and could sense everything happening inside. When the spiritual talisman exploded, it unleashed a supercharged shockwave that could tear apart anyone in the Heavenly Phase Realm.

However, he was shocked to discover with his divine sense that a vacuum region was untouched by the flames and unaffected by the spiritual talisman's impact inside.

Five minutes passed as the flames began to recede, the power of the spiritual talisman rapidly dissipating. The ground lay blanketed in ashen-grey dust, remnants of rocks scorched to nothing. Cracks spidered across the parched earth, devoid of life, and even the underground stream had evaporated—serving as undeniable proof of the talisman’s formidable power.

As the temperature fell, the spectators drew closer, eager to see if Liu Wuxie had died.

Elder Yi Xuan was nervous, not knowing if he should kill Tian Lie to avenge Liu Wuxie if the latter had died.

Grandmaster Hai also looked nervous. He knew the caliber of his disciple's attainment in spiritual talismans, and this Heavenly Flame Talisman should be Tian Lie's crowning talisman out of everything he had crafted.

"Senior brother, don't worry about it. He must be clinging to his last breath even if he's alive," Lu Jie said as he walked over to reassure Tian Lie.

On the contrary, Ye Dao frowned because Liu Wuxie wouldn't die so easily based on his understanding—the latter must have had another plan.

Facing the intense flames, even Ye Dao wasn't confident he could come out unscathed unless he could avoid it right from the beginning. On the other hand, Liu Wuxie was courting death to take the spiritual talisman head-on.

When the cloud of dust settled down, an unscathed figure stood proudly. Liu Wuxie hadn't moved an inch, unyielding, before the weathering storm, wind, and flame.

"That's impossible!" Tian Lie cried in shock, unable to accept that Liu Wuxie was well and alive.

The spectators were awestruck. Not only was Liu Wuxie alive, but his clothes weren't even burnt; they couldn't believe that he was fine and unscathed.

Ye Dao narrowed his eyes, realizing he had underestimated Liu Wuxie's strength. They couldn't believe that Liu Wuxie emerged unharmed from taking a seventh-grade spiritual talisman head-on.

Everyone looked at Liu Wuxie with newfound respect. Even Grandmaster Hai had a tinge of regret on his face. After all, none of those who offended Liu Wuxie in the past year had a good ending; they were either killed or crippled.

Lu Jie looked at Liu Wuxie with an ugly expression. Just a moment ago, he had reassured Tian Lie that Liu Wuxie must've died, and the fact that Liu Wuxie was still alive was a resounding slap to his face.

"He's a monstrous prodigy!" exclamations echoed from the crowd. Only a monstrous prodigy could accomplish Liu Wuxie's feet, where an ordinary person would've been burned to death by the Heavenly Flame Talisman.

Even if they weren't dead, they would be charred and barely holding on to their last breath.

Ignoring the voices in the surroundings, Liu Wuxie dusted his robes to brush away the black ashes before approaching Tian Li.

"Since I've withstood your spiritual talisman, it should be my turn now," Liu Wuxie said coldly. Everyone had witnessed how he had crafted his spiritual talisman earlier, and there was no hint of deception.

The duel was simple: whoever could survive the other party's spiritual talisman's attack would win. Judging from its looks, Liu Wuxie was completely unscathed.

Tian Lie finally panicked as he stumbled backward, turning to look at his master.

If Liu Wuxie's talisman could reach the tenth level, his odds of living were close to zero. A seventh-grade talisman was comparable to an attack of someone in the Astral River Realm, and the tenth level was comparable to the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm.

On the other hand, Tian Lie was only in the low levels of the Astral River Realm and had mediocre strength.

Grandmaster Hai glared at Elder Yi Xuan but didn’t dare intervene. He knew that if he tried to defend his disciple, Elder Yi Xuan wouldn’t hesitate to give him another slap.

Whenever Liu Wuxie advanced, Tian Lie retreated. Liu Wuxie had stood still when facing Tian Lie's spiritual talisman, but Tian Lie stumbled backward like a coward facing him.

"This spiritual talisman of mine is called the Heaven-Sundering Seal," Liu Wuxie declared. "It’s one of the many talismans destroyed by the Lesser Blade Association. Today, I’ll use you to demonstrate its power to everyone." This was the perfect moment to showcase the Heavenly Dao Society’s craftsmanship, and he had no intention of letting it slip by.

From the name alone, everyone could sense the talisman’s potential power, prompting them to retreat, fearing the destruction it might unleash.

After all, a seventh-grade spiritual talisman reaching the tenth level was capable of mass devastation. Many watched with anticipation, hopeful that if Liu Wuxie could prove the potency of the Heaven-Sundering Seal, it would elevate the quality of spiritual talismans in the city, making it a highly sought-after item.

The Heavenly Origin Sect reigned supreme in the Southern Province regarding spiritual talismans, and the talismans it produced were in high demand.

Tian Lie was backed against the ruins, with nowhere left to retreat.

"Senior brother, don't worry about him! He must be bluffing!" Lu Jie and Wei Pengtian yelled to encourage their senior brother.

Tian Lie took a deep breath, and his facial expression returned to normal. He was a seven-star spiritualist and would be ashamed if he allowed fear to overwhelm him.

"Go!" Liu Wuxie said as the spiritual talisman vanished with a flicker. It reappeared before Tian Lie at incredible speed.

There were no outbursts of elements, and this spiritual talisman looked so ordinary that it didn't resemble a threat.

This was the thought that crossed everyone's mind because most spiritual talismans would unleash immense power once used. Thus, it was strange that there was no powerful energy fluctuation coming from the talisman produced by Liu Wuxie, and this made everyone wonder if Liu Wuxie was faking it all along, like what Lu Jie had claimed.

Then, a massive palm appeared in the sky, catching everyone off guard.

"Look up!" someone shouted, all eyes turning to the sky. The spiritual talisman had exploded and turned into a giant palm, like a mountain, sealing off the entire eastern street.

As for Tian Lie, he was like a helpless rodent trapped and immobilized.

"What immense power!" The surrounding cultivators had already retreated a thousand meters away, but they could still feel the suffocating pressure from the Heaven-Sundering Seal.

"This is bad!" Lu Jie yelled. He finally realized that the power of Liu Wuxie's talisman had surpassed the seventh level.

Grandmaster Hai wanted to intervene several times, but Elder Yi Xuan would turn to look at him whenever he budged.

The palm continued to grow until it covered half of the sky, alarming the entire Treasure City. No one knew what had happened, and they thought it was a battle between someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

"Master, save me!" Tian Lie's terrified voice rang out as he collapsed to the ground. He kept struggling to escape, but the Heaven-Sundering Seal had a tight grip on him, ensuring he couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried.

A thunderous rumble echoed as a spatial rift appeared in the sky, displaying the power of the Heaven-Sundering Seal. It was already comparable to a strike from someone in the high levels of the Astral River Realm.