Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 619 - Prodigies Gathered

As for those who practiced fire-attribute techniques, their strength would be weakened in the Heavenly Mountain. Then again, anyone who could attend the Heavenly Mountain was a prodigy who had comprehended multiple attributes.

The warship slowly descended as everyone disembarked one by one. Murong Yi had wrapped herself in a thick snow-fur coat, which only accentuated her beauty, blending her seamlessly with the surrounding landscape like a goddess of ice.

"Stay where you are! There might be dangers in the surroundings as there haven\'t been any visitors throughout the years. Beware of assaults from snowmen!" Elder He said when he disembarked the warship.

The Heavenly Mountain was opened once every few years, and due to the lack of human activity, snowmen could often be found in the snowy plains.

"I heard someone found a ten-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus during the previous Ten Grand Ceremony, which helped him reach the third level of the Nascent Transformation Realm and dominate the Ten Grand Ceremony," whispers filled the air as over a hundred disciples gathered to form several cliques.

Liu Wuxie stood alone, while Murong Yi was quickly surrounded by admirers as she stepped onto the snow-covered platform.

"I don\'t expect to find a ten-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus, but I\'ll be satisfied if I can harvest some Heavenly Mountain\'s Snow Crystal," someone said as everyone\'s spirits ran high.

This was their opportunity to make a breakthrough into the Nascent Transformation Realm. Their progress might have stalled in the pinnacle Astral River Realm, but there weren\'t many capable of reaching the Nascent Transformation Realm.

The Ten Grand Ceremony would last a month, and everyone would compete in their martial techniques, alchemy, blacksmithing, and spiritual arrays. Most importantly, everyone had to explore designated areas to gather items, and they would receive points based on what they found. In that region, everyone\'s life and death would be in their own hands in this trial.

Liu Wuxie looked around as though he was looking for someone.

"You\'re looking for her?" Murong Yi came over with a smile. As their friendship deepened, their conversation became more casual with each other.

"I wonder if she will attend the Ten Grand Ceremony," Liu Wuxie said bleakly. It had been two years since they last met, and he wondered if Xu Lingxue still remembered him.

"Why don\'t you go and take a look?" Murong Yi had already thoroughly investigated Liu Wuxie\'s background, including his ties with Xu Lingxue in the mundane world.

Liu Wuxie hesitated because his marriage to Xu Lingxue was a mere formality, and there was a barrier between them. But in the Imperial Academy, the barrier had dissolved between them, especially when Xu Lingxue had blocked a blade for him on their way back to Azure Billow City.

Since then, Xu Lingxue had held a unique place in his heart that no one else could replace. However, their growing feelings for each other had been interrupted by their separation. Even Liu Wuxie was uncertain about how much of those emotions remained after two years apart.

After all, the cultivation world was filled with prodigies, and it was natural for Xu Lingxue to run into someone she liked. At this thought, a strange and unspoken pain twisted in his chest—a feeling he had never known before.

"Let\'s just leave it to fate," Liu Wuxie said with a wry smile, deciding to let things unfold naturally.

"What are you afraid of? Afraid that she has moved on from you? Or are you afraid you won\'t know what to say when you see her?" Murong Yi asked with her head tilted. She didn\'t expect a fiend like Liu Wuxie to be so timid regarding relationships.

"Afraid? Me?" Liu Wuxie muttered as he questioned himself about what he was afraid of.

"Since you\'re not afraid, why not go and take a look? Whatever it is, it might not be as intimidating as you think," Murong Yi replied because she could understand Liu Wuxie\'s current feelings.

Time could dissolve anything, even relationships. Even if Liu Wuxie and Xu Lingxue had a close relationship in the mundane world, two years were enough to dissolve their bond. Then again, another possibility was that their bond would grow stronger in the two years they were apart.

Liu Wuxie\'s resolve began to waver. Even if they were no longer in a relationship, she was still his wife. His in-laws had entrusted her to him when he had left for the cultivation world.

"Let Elder He know about it when he returns," Liu Wuxie said before he strode toward the Misty Sect\'s direction.

Subsequently, the ten major sects, along with hundreds of second-tier sects and prominent clans, began to arrive. They gathered to chat with each other.

Liu Wuxie strode on the thick snow, but his pace was slow. He was roughly a kilometer from the Misty Sect, and it would only take a breath if he used his movement technique. However, it took Liu Wuxie ten minutes to finally see the Misty Sect\'s zone.

The Misty Sect only consisted of female disciples, who were laughing and playing around in the snow. Other than Liu Wuxie, many male disciples were also gathered in this direction.

After all, who in the Southern Province didn\'t know that the Misty Sect was known for its beauties, and it would be a fortune for any man if they could marry one of their disciples?

Liu Wuxie didn\'t approach the Misty Sect and looked from afar. There were over one hundred thirty disciples from the Misty Sect, ninety percent of them females and barely any men.

A lady raised her head and caught sight of Liu Wuxie, finding him familiar. After all, Liu Wuxie was a hot topic in the Southern Province, and his portrait had already spread like wildfire.

"Who are you looking for?" the lady asked as she ran over.

"Do you know Xu Lingxue?" Liu Wuxie asked. He could only ask if Xu Lingxue was present, representing the Misty Sect for the Ten Grand Ceremony. After all, not anyone could rise from an outer disciple to a true disciple in just two years.

"Are you another one of those lechers coming over to swoon over Senior Sister Xu\'s beauty?" The lady pouted. Many admirers had come to ask about Xu Lingxue lately, and she assumed that Liu Wuxie was one of them.

Liu Wuxie frowned, but it was easy to tell from the lady\'s words that Xu Lingxue was present. He didn\'t dare to disclose his relationship with Xu Lingxue in case he might cause any trouble. He replied, "You\'re mistaken. I\'m her friend."

"Everyone comes claiming to be Senior Sister Xu\'s friend. You should leave because Senior Sister Xu won\'t see anyone," the lady said, pouting as she chased Liu Wuxie away. Upon learning that someone was here to look for Xu Lingxue, more disciples of the Misty Sect came to glare at Liu Wuxie furiously.

"Who\'s that brat? Does he think he can meet a beauty like Lady Xu with his cultivation in the first level of the Astral River Realm?" Several young prodigies gathered, all in their mid-twenties with cultivation in the fifth level of the Astral River Realm.

Anyone who could reach the fifth level of the Astral River Realm at their age could be considered a prodigy, and they were just a little older than Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie frowned because Elder He had forbidden them from leaving the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion\'s zone out of fear that they might cause unnecessary trouble. After all, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had offended many people recently, and someone might threaten Liu Wuxie\'s life.

"Get lost. This isn\'t the place for someone like you," sneered a man clad in the uniform of the Indigo Cloud Gate, his expression filled with disdain. His sharp gaze fell on Liu Wuxie as he gestured dismissively, clearly intent on driving him away. "We’ve been waiting here for a long time, and someone like you has no place here."

"Didn’t you hear what Senior Brother Peng said? Get lost!" mocked another disciple standing behind him, emboldened by the presence of his peers. The surrounding group echoed the sentiment, jeering at Liu Wuxie with scornful laughter.

To them, every person they drove away increased their chances of meeting Lady Xu, and they had already made a habit of turning away anyone who approached.

Liu Wuxie\'s face turned cold, and he swept his gaze through the disciples from the Indigo Cloud Gate. He didn\'t want to kill, but that didn\'t mean he wouldn\'t. He said, "Get lost unless you want to see me angry."

The Ten Grand Ceremony hadn\'t begun, and he didn\'t want to do anything too shocking.

However, the Indigo Cloud Gate disciples laughed upon hearing what Liu Wuxie said. They were teased by the fact that someone on the first level of the Astral River Realm dared to speak to them in this manner.

"Well then, I\'ll be glad to teach you a lesson. Your Heavenly Treasure Pavilion\'s position has declined, and you better get lost from the Heavenly Mountain," said the Indigo Cloud Gate\'s disciple as he charged at Liu Wuxie.

"Stop it right there! This is the Misty Cloud\'s territory. Take your fight elsewhere," a sharp voice echoed as an elderly woman appeared. Her fierce presence created a swirl of gusts around her when she stepped forward, forcing all the Indigo Cloud Gate\'s disciples to take ten steps back under her aura in the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm.

The commotion alarmed many people, who began to gather. Many Misty Sect disciples came out from their tents to look around with curiosity. This wasn\'t the first fight, and they weren\'t surprised by it.

Seeing that the incident had escalated, Liu Wuxie could only take a deep breath and leave. He wasn\'t in a hurry because he would meet Xu Lingxue sooner or later when the Ten Grand Ceremony began.

However, Liu Wuxie was surrounded by four disciples from the Indigo Cloud Gate the moment he stepped out of the Misty Sect\'s territory. As Liu Wuxie had no feud with the Indigo Cloud Gate, he didn\'t want any trouble and questioned, "What are you people doing?"

"We\'d have met Lady Xu by now if not for you. The Misty Sect has closed their grounds now, and no one can enter. This is all your fault!" Peng Bin said, putting all the blame on Liu Wuxie.

Because there were too many uninvited guests, the sect had activated their spiritual array to prevent anyone from stepping into the Misty Sect\'s territory.

"You want to pick a fight with me?" Murderous intent swept out from Liu Wuxie, sending the surrounding snow flying away and raveling the stone beneath.

"We won\'t kill you, but we\'ll teach you a lesson!" Peng Bin said and lunged at Liu Wuxie. The Ten Grand Ceremony hadn\'t begun, but the atmosphere was already filled with animosity.

Many of the Misty Sect\'s disciples gathered in the surroundings to watch. The Misty Gate had a decent location for their camp because a towering mountain behind the tents sheltered them from the cold wind. Right at this moment, two people came down from the mountain.

"It\'s an honor that I can speak with Lady Xu for so long," the youth on the right said. He donned a white robe that further highlighted his elegance.

On his right was a woman in a white dress. She was an icy beauty who radiated a noble air.

"It\'s getting late, so let\'s return," the lady said without changing her expression. She walked down the mountain and even kept her distance from the youth.

When they walked to an area where they could overlook the entire Misty Sect\'s territory, cheers erupted, attracting their attention.

The woman was stunned because she seemed to hear a familiar voice, and she quickened her pace with the youth following closely behind.