Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 209 - Forcing You Out

The four instantly realized that they had underestimated Liu Wuxie’s strength. During the alchemy competition, Liu Wuxie was merely in the Xiantian Realm, and they could have easily defeated him then.

But in just a few months, Liu Wuxie had undergone a drastic transformation, growing to a height beyond their reach.

“Use the formation!” Shangguan Cai was calm and composed as they had rehearsed some formations before coming. They took four positions, forming the Four Symbols Array, instantly boosting their combat power.

“You dare to use such a worthless formation against me?” Liu Wuxie vanished, only to reappear behind Heng Zheng, intending to inflict excruciating pain by tearing him to pieces. By the time he disappeared, it was too late for the four to evade his attack.

Two pieces of flesh the size of an infant’s fist flew out from Heng Zheng’s back. The pain elicited a scream from Heng Zheng. Although the injury was minor and not life-threatening, if such minor injuries were to accumulate, they could eventually lead to Heng Zheng’s death from pain.

With a flash of the blade ray, Liu Wuxie appeared behind Cong Jun, slicing two pieces of flesh off the same spot.

Seeing Liu Wuxie’s calm and composed demeanor in the face of their Four Symbols Array left Shangguan Cai and Ji Yang in shock. They couldn’t comprehend how Liu Wuxie had become so formidable.

“Your turn!” Liu Wuxie declared, moving with the agility of the Seven Dipper Steps. He didn’t even need to resort to the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance when dealing with them. His Heretic Blade transformed into a multitude of afterimages, weaving through the four adversaries.

Flesh rained down like snowflakes, accompanied by a shower of blood. The gruesome scene forced Xu Lingxue to avert her gaze. It was too violent. However, given Heng Zheng\'s earlier remarks, she knew these individuals deserved their fate, which had ignited Liu Wuxie’s fury.

Liu Wuxie hastened his steps, knowing he had to reach Azure Billow City as quickly as possible. With over fifty swift slashes, the ground was soon littered with chunks of flesh, all within the span of a few breaths.

Shangguan Cai was reduced to a near-skeletal state, writhing in pain on the ground. The other three were in no better condition, but Ji Yang managed to endure the pain, his eyes turning bloodshot.

“HOW! HOW ARE YOU STRONGER THAN ME WHEN I’M A GENIUS!” Ji Yang roared. He was nurtured with countless resources since he was young, while Liu Wuxie was merely garbage. How could Liu Wuxie possibly surpass him in just a few months?

He couldn’t accept it and wanted to retaliate, but Liu Wuxie swung his blade ruthlessly, slicing Ji Yang’s flesh down.

“You? A genius?” Liu Wuxie sneered. “In my eyes, you’re not even worthy of being called trash.”

That was the truth because Liu Wuxie hadn’t found anyone in the Great Yan Dynasty capable of impressing him. Ji Yang could only be considered a larger piece of trash, but he was still trash.

After all, Ji Yang had only managed to reach the first level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm by consuming a lot of pills and resources. How could he not be considered trash?

Ji Yang clenched his teeth in hatred, but the relentless pain served as a stark reminder that his impending death was a reality.

Five minutes later, there weren’t any intact pieces of flesh on the four of them aside from their heads. They were only left with a skeleton, and it wouldn’t take long before they died.

Despite their grievous injuries, their organs were still functioning, and none of their internal organs were damaged, all thanks to Liu Wuxie’s precise techniques. The four could hardly fathom the pain they were experiencing.

Liu Wuxie had been suppressing his murderous intent ever since he learned about the danger facing the Xu Clan. The four\'s ambush and provocative words ignited the anger he had been holding back, compelling him to vent his fury.

“Liu Wuxie, you’re a demon!” Heng Zheng, who had committed numerous evil deeds over the years, exclaimed. Upon reflection, he found Liu Wuxie to be far more terrifying than himself. To him, Liu Wuxie was a demon who had crawled out from the depths of hell.

The four were reduced to mere skeletons, their flesh completely stripped away. However, Liu Wuxie’s Heretic Blade had severed their nerves, rendering them incapable of feeling any pain.

“Ji Yang, I bet you didn’t expect this outcome when you schemed to kill me!” Liu Wuxie ignored Heng Zheng. It didn’t matter to him if he was a demon or an immortal. After all, the path as an immortal was filled with thorns, to begin with.

Ji Yang’s face contorted in disbelief. He hadn’t anticipated this outcome. When he learned that Liu Wuxie had crippled Bai Zhan, his first thought was of his master. After all, two tigers couldn’t coexist on the same mountain, and he couldn’t allow himself to be overshadowed by Liu Wuxie.

Alas, he hadn’t expected this turn of events. Even Liu Wuxie hadn’t expected Ji Yang to seek him out, and he had no interest in hunting down and killing Ji Yang. In his eyes, Ji Yang was no different from a mere fly. But since Ji Yang had come looking for him, he might as well kill him.

“I didn’t expect this, but don’t get cocky because of it. Qin Shi will soon kill you!” Ji Yang’s gentlemanly facade crumbled, replaced by raw fury.

This was his true self, having put on a pretense for years. After all, he had to present a perfect image to others if he wanted to become a leader among his generation.

Since his childhood, he had harbored the ambition to become the youngest four-star alchemist in the Great Yan Dynasty, dedicating immeasurable effort to realize this dream. However, just as he attained his goal, Liu Wuxie emerged unexpectedly, shattering the fruits of his decade-long labor.

“You think Qin Shi can kill me?” Liu Wuxie scoffed, offering no further explanation. He naturally wouldn’t tell them that no one in the world could kill him so easily. With a hint of mockery and aloofness in his gaze, he looked at Ji Yang. Having achieved his goal of tearing them to pieces, it was time for him to send Ji Yang on his way.

Four heads soared into the sky as the Heretic Blade released a ray of light. All four heads bore expressions of regret as their eyes closed for the last time. After executing the four, the anger simmering in Liu Wuxie’s chest subsided slightly. He collected their interspatial pouches and resumed his journey to Azure Billow City.

The two hurried their journey silently. But weirdly, Xu Lingxue said nothing, nor did she stop Liu Wuxie from killing them.

......

With a thunderous explosion, the defensive array of the Xu Clan vibrated violently, and large cracks appeared on its surface. Seven experts were jointly attacking the defensive array, their combined assault highly destructive.

The array, set up by Liu Wuxie, could easily resist the attacks of ordinary Marrow Cleansing Realm experts. However, with seven of them attacking simultaneously, it was uncertain whether the array could withstand the onslaught.

The higher-ups and guards of the Xu Clan emerged as their clan was under attack again, disrupting the peace they had enjoyed for several months.

“Who dares to attack the Xu Clan?!” Xu Yilin came out from the main hall and stood at the gate, looking at the seven experts who had suddenly appeared outside the Xu Clan.

“Listen well, Xu Clan! My name is Shao Dongli, and my objective is not to annihilate you all. As long as you cooperate and open the defensive array, I assure you that no one will be harmed,” Shao Dongli declared, stepping forward.

“Our Xu Clan doesn’t know any of you. So why are you all attacking the array?” Xu Yilin naturally didn’t trust Shao Dongli’s words. The moment they opened the array, they would lose control of their lives and deaths.

“You all have fifteen minutes. If the array still isn’t opened by then, I will kill everyone here.” Shao Dongli smiled sinisterly and signaled to the two experts who came with him to head to the Xu Clan’s businesses, wanting to capture people to force Xu Yilin to open the array.

Xu Yilin was furious because the Xu Clan had just settled down, and they had to face another crisis again. Although he had reached the Marrow Cleansing Realm, there was a significant gap between his abilities and those of the attackers.

It was already evening, and the Xu Clan’s deacons had already returned home after work. However, someone suddenly barged in and captured them, forcing them to kneel before the Xu Clan.

Over a dozen deacons and around twenty guards were subdued in a matter of minutes. The incident sent shockwaves throughout Azure Billow City, akin to an earthquake.

Upon hearing about the situation at the Xu Clan, Qi Enshi immediately rushed over. He stood a thousand meters away, sneering at the unfolding chaos.

“Xu Yilin, I won’t make things difficult for your Xu Clan. As long as you surrender yourself and become our hostage, I will let everyone go. Otherwise, I will start killing one person every ten breaths.” Shao Dongli said, placing his sword on the neck of a guard. He wanted to force Xu Yilin to come out of the array and become his hostage to threaten Liu Wuxie.

More people began gathering on the streets, but none dared to get close. Just the aura released by the seven was enough to make them tremble in fear.

“What’s going on? Why are they targeting the Xu Clan?” Many people were baffled. They couldn’t remember who the Xu Clan had offended in the past few months to have so many experts attacking them.

“Most likely, it’s that troublemaker who brought this upon us.” The first person everyone thought of was Liu Wuxie, who had implicated the Xu Clan in the past.

“It has been ten breaths!” Shao Dongli raised his sword, beheading a guard that couldn’t even put up any resistance.

This made everyone from the Xu Clan furious, including the higher-ups. After all, each guard was like family to Xu Yilin, which made him furious. He clenched his fists, itching to charge out of the array.

“Patriarch, don’t come out! We’re not afraid of death!” The guards kneeling outside yelled, telling Xu Yilin not to come out because of them. They would rather die than drag the clan down.

“Kill all of us if you have the guts! We won’t even frown!” The deacons raised their heads with unwavering determination in their eyes.

“I will slowly torture you all and make you all die a miserable death!” Shao Dongli swung his sword down, cutting the arms of three guards. The pain made the guards break out in cold sweat, but not a single one of them screamed.

Xu Yilin’s heart ached. The other higher-ups beside him gritted their teeth when they saw this scene.

“Patriarch, let us go out and fight them!” Deacon Lan’s grip on his weapon tightened as he prepared to charge out. He would rather die a noble death than perish like a coward.

Xu Yilin remained silent. He had nurtured these people, and seeing them in pain was more agonizing for him than anyone else.

“Let’s see how long you all can keep hiding!” Shao Dongli taunted, raising his sword and severing the legs of three guards. Despite the scene\'s brutality, the guards didn’t scream.

But Shao Dongli didn’t stop there. He continued to swing his sword, aiming for the arms of the remaining guards, hoping to force Xu Yilin to emerge.