Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 567 - Blade Tip

The sudden outburst of the blade ray caught everyone by surprise, not to mention that it was incredibly powerful after being sealed inside the stone for countless years.

Even Liu Wuxie couldn’t hide the flicker of shock in his eyes from the blade ray. The stone suddenly split apart and crumbled into dust.

Without warning, a blade tip the size of a palm flew out from the stone, and not even Liu Wuxie could contain it. The blade tip soared into the air and drew various crimson arcs.

“Step back!” Li Hongda was on the verge of crying. Who could’ve imagined that the stone picked by Liu Wuxie would contain a blade tip? Just the blade tip alone could unleash such a terrifying blade ray.

The only plausible explanation was that this blade tip was broken off during a fight, and the blade ray had remained on the blade tip when it was encased in stone. This was akin to sealing the blade ray within the stone, which resulted in the sudden outburst of the blade ray when it was cut open.

It was too late for the Azure Crimson Gate disciples to react because the blade tip had already closed in on them.

The blade tip streaked through them, leaving behind a downpour of blood and heart-wrenching screams.

In the span of one breath, it left behind heavy casualties among the Azure Crimson Gate disciples, with over thirty disciples killed under the blade ray. The wounds they sustained also varied; some had their hearts cut open, some had a hole in their chest, and some were cleaved into two.

Even cultivators in the Nascent Transformation Realm had to avoid the blade ray.

The blade tip had gone out of control now, and more lives would be lost if left unchecked.

“Now!” Murong Yi said, and Madam Li vanished with the powerful aura of the Nascent Transformation Realm to suppress the blade ray, and the blade tip was frozen in mid-air.

“Thank you, Madam Li!”

Had Madam Li not intervened, the blade's tip would have struck, leaving only chaos and bloodshed in its path.

Only the Azure Crimson Gate suffered because they had chosen to stand close to Liu Wuxie and had even stepped forward after his reminder to step back.

As a result, those who stood too close were dead without an exception, slain by the blade tip.

Jia Fengmao looked with horror, and he was fortunate that he didn’t step forward. He understood Liu Wuxie well, and the latter wouldn’t act unless necessary.

Out of over a hundred Azure Crimson Gate disciples, they lost nearly half of their disciples, which was a significant blow to the Azure Crimson Gate.

“He’s truly something else!” Hua Chenye muttered with a wry smile. He was a prodigy in poetry, and there was no way he could compete with Liu Wuxie regarding stone betting.

“This is getting interesting now,” someone gloated. “Let’s see how he gets out of this one after killing so many disciples of the Azure Crimson Gate!”

However, this wasn’t entirely Liu Wuxie’s fault—he had warned everyone, but the Azure Crimson Gate disciples had chosen to remain and even step forward, which led to their demise.

Li Hongda’s eyes burned with rage. There was no explanation he could offer the sect for the loss of so many disciples, and the only way to quell his fury was by killing Liu Wuxie.

After Madam Li subdued the blade tip, she sealed it inside the box, and the blade ray finally dissipated.

“What a powerful blade ray. If someone focuses on using the blade, their blade technique and intent would soar if they could study it daily.”

The aura on the blade tip was precious to anyone who used a blade. Whether the blade or the sword, their principles often converged together.

Many recalled paintings painted by experts, allowing others to perceive the profundity within.

In the mundane world, Liu Wuxie had once acquitted a painting that contained blade intent during an alchemy competition.

The members of the Ling Clan were dumbfounded. They could’ve never imagined that Liu Wuxie would cut out such a treasure, which dashed their already slim chances of victory. The blade tip had become the final straw that crushed their hopes.

But before the Ling Clan’s members could say anything, there was already an uproar from the Azure Crimson Gate’s members.

“Liu Wuxie, how dare you kill over thirty-odd disciples of our Azure Crimson Gate! I want you dead!” Li Hongda lunged forward. He was so determined that even the House of Tea Art couldn’t stop him.

“Stand down!” Madam Li stomped the cane on the ground, throwing Li Hongda backward, stumbling dozens of steps before he regained his footing.

“House of Tea Art, are you declaring war against the Azure Crimson Gate?!” Li Hongda stood up, his voice trembling in anger. His determination to kill Liu Wuxie was strong, even if he had to wage war with the House of Tea Art.

With so many disciples dead, the upper echelons wouldn’t let this matter slip.

“Ask your sect master if you want to wage war against the House of Tea Art. You’re not qualified,” Madam Li retorted with a sneer. Li Hongda was only an ordinary elder and could not speak for the Azure Crimson Gate.

No one had predicted the current development of this matter. A stone-betting event was held every month, but nothing like what had happened this month had ever occurred in the past centuries.

“Elder Li, this is your fault, and you can’t blame Liu Wuxie for that. He warned everyone to retreat, but your Azure Crimson Gate disciples stepped forward on purpose instead. Since they’re engaged in stone betting, it’s natural to cut open blade ray from the stone,” Wei Qisheng said, standing on Liu Wuxie’s side.

Even if Liu Wuxie hadn’t warned everyone, the deaths of the Azure Crimson Gate disciples couldn’t be blamed on him. After all, he didn’t do it on purpose, and the Azure Crimson Gate had brought it upon themselves for ignoring his warning.

“Old Wei, are you lecturing me on what to do?” Li Hongda was fuming. Not only did the House of Tea Art intervene, but even the Sky Rift Valley, which had always maintained a neutral position, supported Liu Wuxie. This further fueled his anger.

“I’m merely stating the facts. If the Azure Crimson Gate continues to be like this, it’s only a matter of time before you lose the people’s favor,” Wei Qisheng warned Li Hongda. The Azure Crimson Gate’s reputation had declined in recent years, and they would lose their position if they lost the people’s favor.

Wei Qisheng’s remark made many people nod in agreement. The Azure Crimson Gate had grown increasingly tyrannical over the years, slowly losing the people’s support.

Although most people mocked Liu Wuxie, they knew he had done nothing wrong with the blade ray. He had warned everyone, but the Azure Crimson Gate disciples had ignored the warning and even stepped forward.

When Li Hongda and the Azure Crimson Gate disciples heard his warning, they were enraged because that was no different from mocking them.

“Very well! Anyone who dares to stand in my way today will become an enemy of the Azure Crimson Gate!” Li Hongda took a deep breath. He wanted to see who would stand in his way.

Wei Qisheng was about to speak, but the other elder from the Sky Rift Valley stopped him. The situation had already strayed too far from the course, and the Sky Rift Valley had already offended the Azure Crimson Gate by saying so much.

The crowd stepped back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. The tension was high, but the Azure Crimson Gate didn’t dare to act rashly because Madam Li was present. They were waiting for the right moment to strike and claim Liu Wuxie’s life.

“Elder Li, let’s be patient and wait. The Ling Clan has lost and will surely try to kill Liu Wuxie. We can sit back and watch them fight,” Jia Fengmao whispered into Li Hongda’s ear.

Li Hongda nodded in agreement with Jia Fengmao’s words. They did not need to dirty their hands because the Ling Clan would settle the score with Liu Wuxie. After losing, the Ling Clan wouldn’t just sit and do nothing.

“The Ling Clan lost. Will they really leave Serene Sea City?” someone whispered.

The Ling Clan’s three elders stood in disbelief at their losses, unable to accept the outcome.

A ten-meter radius around Liu Wuxie had become an empty space, with no one daring to approach. The bodies of the deceased Azure Crimson Gate disciples had been moved aside to prevent further damage to their remains.

“Liu Wuxie, you cheated! You must’ve cheated!” The Ling Clan’s three elders cried out. The loss was too overwhelming for them, and the blade ray released by the blade tip was far more potent than any ancient fragment they had seen.

“Which eye of yours saw me cheat?” Liu Wuxie asked, looking at the Ling Clan’s three elders with a smile. He cast the Azure Crimson Gate aside for the time being because he knew they wanted to use the Ling Clan to get rid of him.

“You must’ve conspired with the Sky Rift Valley! That blade tip must’ve been hidden within the stone beforehand!” the Ling Clan’s third elder accused, dragging the Sky Rift Valley into the matter.

“You dare slander our Sky Rift Valley?!” Wei Qisheng was enraged. The Sky Rift Valley had always conducted themselves with integrity, and they would never stoop so low, resorting to such dishonorable tactics.

This time, only a few sided with the Ling Clan. Everyone widely knew and acknowledged the Sky Rift Valley’s reputation, and they believed the Sky Rift Valley would never resort to such underhanded means.

“Hmph, the dragon’s blood and blade tip don’t have any spirituality seeping out, so how does he know there are treasures inside? The Sky Rift Valley must’ve told them beforehand!” The Ling Clan’s third elder sneered, garnering support from many people with his words.

After all, it seemed coincidental that Liu Wuxie would pick three stones containing three different treasures.

“So, you’re saying that the Ling Can can detect the leaked spirituality?” Liu Wuxie interrupted with a smirk. If the Ling Clan could detect spirituality, they could walk through the hall and buy all the stones containing spirituality.

“That’s impossible! No one can sense the spirituality inside the stone unless they cut it open,” someone quickly interjected to refute Liu Wuxie.

“Liu Wuxie, stop bullshitting. You must’ve cheated, and you should be killed according to the rules!” The Ling Clan’s three elders were adamant that Liu Wuxie had cheated and that they hadn’t lost the gamble.

More people stood on the Ling Clan’s side because Liu Wuxie was an outsider. It made no sense for him to be more proficient in stone betting than the Ling Clan.

The situation grew increasingly perilous for Liu Wuxie, the Azure Crimson Gate pressing in and the Ling Clan trying to frame him.

Strangely, the House of Tea Art didn’t intervene and allowed the situation to escalate. They only had to ensure Liu Wuxie’s safety and nothing else.

“I cheated?” Liu Wuxie sneered with a devilish smile. “If anyone’s cheating here, it’s your Ling Clan!”