Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 119 - Retort

The moment the spiritual array was formed, a layer of fog had enveloped it, making it impossible to see the situation inside. Without any evidence, there was nothing the academy could do.

“Brat, do you dare to claim that their deaths have nothing to do with you? I might not have witnessed it with my own eyes, but they died inside while the two of you came out alive. How are you going to explain that, then?” Gao Yingzhang was furious. If he couldn’t bring Liu Wuxie to justice, he might as well dissolve Advanced Class Three and resign. After all, such a high death toll was unheard of in the Imperial Academy.

“What a joke! Who said we couldn’t survive? Since you admit that you didn’t witness us killing them, I can accuse you of defamation now. Do you really think you can slander us because we’re new students?” Liu Wuxie said, and his words made Gao Yingzhang speechless. It was as though they had fallen into Liu Wuxie’s trap right from the start.

Liu Wuxie’s words dumbfounded the surrounding students; they had overlooked a crucial point. What Liu Wuxie said was right, and no one had witnessed them committing the murder!

Since there were no witnesses, there wasn’t any evidence. Judging from the state of Jiang Hua and the other students in the spiritual array, they seemed to have killed each other and had nothing to do with Liu Wuxie or Song Ling.

“You’re still trying to argue. The flags that Song Ling inserted must be a lethal spiritual array, and they died in that spiritual array!” Everyone could be sure that Liu Wuxie didn’t kill the twenty students, but they overlooked something. They were competing in spiritual array, not martial techniques!

Liu Wuxie erupted into laughter upon hearing Gao Yingzhang’s words, leaving everyone puzzled.

Jin Jianfeng drank a mouthful of wine through his gourd and maintained his silence. He had been quietly observing after blocking Gao Yingzhang’s attack.

On the other hand, Song Ling looked nervous but could only stand behind Liu Wuxie obediently, fearing that he might give it away.

“What are you laughing at?!” Gao Yingzhang’s face became dark. He felt humiliated after being mocked by someone who had just joined the academy. If not for Jin Jianfeng, he would’ve charged forth and killed Liu Wuxie.

“I’m laughing at an idiot like you. For someone like you to become a teacher is a waste of the academy’s resources and a disservice to the students,” Liu Wuxie retorted impolitely, which infuriated Gao Yingzhang, prompting him to lunge at Liu Wuxie again.

“Gao Yingzhang, are you courting death?” Jin Jiangfeng moved when Gao Yingzhang moved. In terms of strength, Gao Yingzhang was only in the third-level Marrow Cleansing Realm, while Jin Jianfeng was in the high levels of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, and he easily sent Gao Yingzhang flying with a slap.

Then again, being labeled an idiot and accused of misleading students was the ultimate insult to a teacher. It was akin to comparing an Emperor to a beggar.

Jin Jiangfeng didn’t anticipate Liu Wuxie’s sharp tongue. He also didn’t dare to reprimand Gao Yingzhang for misleading the students, as it was a severe insult. If Gao Yingzhang couldn’t discipline Liu Wuxie today, his future at the academy would be in jeopardy.

“Brat, if you don’t give me a reasonable explanation today, I will kill you even if this matter reaches the headmaster!” Gao Yingzhang was furious because Jin Jiangfeng stopped him. In the worst scenario, he could blow up the matter to let the headmaster deal with this issue.

“Explanation?” Liu Wuxie smiled calmly, looking composed right from the beginning. “Since you want an explanation, let me ask you a question. How long have we been enrolled in the academy?”

Liu Wuxie unexpectedly asked Gao Yingzhang a simple question.

“You joined yesterday, and he joined five days ago,” Gao Yingzhang replied truthfully. He had investigated the information about these two in advance, including Liu Wuxie’s involvement in the Nine Stars Illumination.

“I have another question for you. Do you think someone who joined the academy for less than a week can set up a spiritual array capable of killing students in the Spirit Cleansing Realm?” Liu Wuxie’s question left Gao Yingzhang speechless again, including all the students and teachers present.

That was an absurd question. If a new student who joined the academy for less than a week could set up a spiritual array of this level, there would be no need for teachers like them.

If Gao Yingzhang claimed that Liu Wuxie had set up a spiritual array that killed the twenty students, it would reflect his own incompetence and misguidance of the students. But if Gao Yingzhang denied that Liu Wuxie had set up that spiritual array, it would imply that the twenty students didn’t die at Liu Wuxie’s hands. After all, the vast difference in their power levels made it impossible for Liu Wuxie and Song Ling to kill the twenty students.

This posed a dilemma for Gao Yingzhang as he would fall into Liu Wuxie’s trap regardless of his answer.

“Why is Teacher Gao hesitating? How could a new student possibly construct a spiritual array capable of killing the twenty students?” The surrounding students began to discuss among themselves, finding logic in Liu Wuxie’s words.

“Don’t be so sure about that. There’s something weird about that brat, and I suspect this is a trap.” Some remained skeptical about it. However, there wasn’t any evidence that the twenty students died at Liu Wuxie’s hands.

“Gao Yingzhang, why aren’t you replying?” Jin Jianfeng asked with a smile. He felt good seeing how Liu Wuxie’s question placed Gao Yingzhang in a dilemma because none of the two answers benefited him.

Song Ling was just sixteen years old. Even if he was talented and had started learning about spiritual arrays at three, he couldn\'t set up a spiritual array capable of killing Spirit Cleansing Realm experts. As for Liu Wuxie, he was only eighteen. Given their young age, they were considered novices in the grand scheme of the True Martial Continent’s cultivation path.

Xu Lingxue was taken aback, her mouth agape and disbelief in her eyes, as Gao Yingzhang fell into Liu Wuxie’s carefully laid trap. It was common knowledge that even if Liu Wuxie hadn’t directly killed the twenty students, he must have been involved somehow. Yet, no one could find any concrete evidence.

Liu Wuxie’s calculated series of questions rendered a teacher speechless, a behavior not typically expected from a student. Each move was meticulously planned, which was unnerving.

“Senior Sister Xu, that’s your useless husband?” The lady in yellow turned to look at Xu Lingxue with disbelief. If Liu Wuxie was deemed useless, what did that imply about them?

Xu Lingxue remained silent, her feelings towards Liu Wuxie a mix of unfamiliarity and familiarity. This conflicting sentiment clouded her judgment for the time being.

“Master is going to finish her class. We have to return!” Xu Lingxue chose to leave after seeing Gao Yingzhang placed in a dilemma.

“Teacher Gao, according to our agreement, you have to agree to his transfer since he made it out of the spiritual array,” Liu Wuxie looked at Gao Yingzhang with a smile.

Gao Yingzhang clenched his fists together as he had never been pushed to such an extent, especially by a student. His anger was so intense that he wished he could annihilate Liu Wuxie on the spot.

Everyone still had fresh memories of Song Ling setting up the spiritual array earlier, and anyone could tell he had high talent in the path as a spiritual array master. For such a genius to leave Advanced Class Three humiliated the entire class.

“Get lost. Advanced Class Three has no place for you!” Gao Yingzhang waved his hand, accepting Song Ling’s transfer to Advanced Class Seven. Based on the skills Song Ling had displayed earlier, there wasn’t an issue for him to join the Profound Grade.

“Thank you, Teacher Gao. I apologize if I’ve caused any offense!” Liu Wuxie responded with a bow. To everyone present, Liu Wuxie had maintained a polite demeanor from the start, even in the face of Gao Yingzhang’s hostility, always wearing a smile. This attitude naturally earned him the admiration of many.

Song Ling slumped to the ground, drenched in sweat, as he was nervous from the tension earlier.

“Brat, you did well. Your reward has also arrived. This is a fourth-grade pill and a martial technique. As for this medal, you can use it to train in the Flame Sun Cave for ten days.” The rewards were delivered to Advanced Class Seven early that day, and Jin Jianfeng had rushed over after receiving the news.

It was likely Li Shengsheng who had tipped him off to prevent the students of Advanced Class Three from seizing this chance to harm them. Liu Wuxie shot a grateful glance at Li Shengsheng, knowing that things would have gotten complicated today even if he had managed to eliminate Jiang Hua’s group without Jin Jianfeng’s presence.

Jin Jiangfeng’s appearance meant that he would handle the ensuing matter.

“Thank you, Teacher Jin!” Liu Wuxie expressed his gratitude and accepted the three items. The pill was nothing to him. The martial technique was a sword technique, and it was also useless to him as well. Only the opportunity to cultivate in the Flame Sun Cave was crucial in his breakthrough to the sixth-level Xiantian Realm.

“Don’t worry about it. You know the situation about Advanced Class Seven, and I will teach every weekend. This is the medal of Advanced Class Seven, and your credits will be recorded in it if you obtain any in the future. You can ask Li Shengsheng if you have any questions about it,” Jin Jianfeng said, stretching his back with a yawn before leaving.

Henceforth, Liu Wuxie officially became a student of Advanced Class Seven.

“Congratulations, Junior Brother Liu! From today onwards, you’re a member of our Advanced Class Seven!” Li Shengsheng came over with a smile. After all, their Advanced Class Seven had long been the subject of mockery in the past.

“I will not forget the kindness you’ve shown me, and I’m here if you ever need assistance!” Liu Wuxie was the type to remember the good deeds others had done for him, and he would reciprocate when the opportunity arose.

A group of people was on a roof far away, and Xue Pinzhi was among them.

“Pinzhi, is this the individual who had the audacity to disrespect our Xue Clan?” a tall and robust man asked, rubbing his fist.