Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 751 - Book Collection Pavilion

The atmosphere in the room was heavy, mixed with awe and longing. The family gathering only ended late into the night before everyone retired.

When Liu Wuxie returned to his quarters, he replayed his grandfather's words in his mind. He knew it wasn't sustainable for him to stay in the Liu Clan.

Though the laws in the Central Plains provided better cultivation conditions for him, the clan's environment was far too comfortable. Under the protection of his grandfather and parents, it would be tough for him to obtain much growth. This wasn't what he wanted, and his goal in coming to the Central Plains was to search for his parents and explore the grandeur of this continent.

"I must join the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy!" Liu Wuxie vowed to himself. He obtained critical information from his grandfather; the Astral Domain Path had to be unlocked to ascend to immortality.

There were no immortals in the True Martial Continent, and they could only be found in astral realms. He would have to join one of the two academies if he wanted to leave the True Martial Continent to the astral domain. This was a deadlock unless Liu Wuxie abandoned his dream to return to the Celestial Realm.

The minimum recruitment requirement was the Nascent Transformation Realm, and recruitment was open to prodigies from the entire continent. This meant intense competition.

The True Martial Continent was brimming with talent, and there were also geniuses capable of challenging those with a higher cultivation than them. So, he could foresee it wouldn't be easy for him to stand out from the masses.

Time was slipping away for Liu Wuxie. With the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy’s recruitment set for the following month, his chances of reaching the ninth level of the Astral River Realm—let alone the Nascent Transformation Realm—were slim. The clock was ticking, and his only viable path forward was to enhance his combat power.

Since he couldn't make a breakthrough in his cultivation, he could only increase his combat power to the point where he could easily defeat cultivators in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy would naturally value personal strength over artifacts, so he couldn't rely on treasures such as the Earth-Binding Chains and Heavenly Dragon Seal. As for the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, it was too dangerous for him to reveal it.

After all, there were experts from the astral domain in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and experts in the Heaven Profound Realm. Thus, it would be dangerous for him if it revealed the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

The assessment for the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy was likely not focused solely on combat but on comprehensive ability—something Liu Wuxie knew he lacked compared to the prodigies of the Central Plains. Starting cultivation late had put him at a disadvantage in knowledge and mastery of martial techniques, areas where others had decades of preparation.

For example, the top-tier disciples in the Liu Clan were groomed from birth to enter the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, and Liu Feng, the eldest son of Liu Wuxie's second uncle, was one of them. If Liu Wuxie wanted to catch up with them, he would have to race against time.

Liu Wuxie spent the entire night in deep thought. First thing in the morning, he sought out Liu Xing to visit the Book Collection Pavilion. His first task was to immerse himself in the books to deepen his understanding of the Central Plains.

Though he had read some along the way, they were only fragments compared to the knowledge in the Book Collection Pavilion. The Liu Clan had a long legacy of over ten thousand years and a collection of many precious books with secrets unknown to the outside world.

"Big Brother Wuxie, you'll need the patriarch's approval if you wish to enter the Book Collection Pavilion," Liu Xing said. It was fine if they were ordinary books, but Liu Wuxie had to obtain the patriarch's approval to enter the Book Collection Pavilion.

"I have already asked Grandfather about it, and here's my permit," Liu Wuxie waved the token as they left the courtyard for the Book Collection Pavilion.

Liu Wuxie was shocked to see the Book Collection Pavilion's scale. It was a six-edged pavilion with nine floors, and an engravement of a guardian beast was at each corner.

"Big Brother Wuxie, ordinary disciples can only gain access to the first three floors without the approval. The next three floors are reserved for those in the high levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm, and the last three floors require the patriarch's token," Liu Xing explained.

When free, he would visit the first three floors, but he hadn't had the opportunity to visit the fourth to sixth floors.

“Let’s go together,” Liu Wuxie said. As they reached the Book Collection Pavilion, it was already bustling with activity. Many disciples had arrived before them, though most appeared to be ordinary members of the clan. The two quickened their steps, only to be stopped abruptly at the entrance.

"The first three floors are full, and you can come back at noon," the elder guarding the Book Collection Pavilion said, trying to make things difficult for them.

Not many disciples visited the Book Collection Pavilion early in the morning, and this was the first time Liu Xing heard that it was full.

"Elder, how is this possible? How can the Book Collection Pavilion be full at this time?" Liu Xing said unhappily. He knew that this elder belonged to Liu Xiaotian's faction.

"Since I said it's full, that means it's full. Now, move along and don't block the way," the elder said, waving his hand and nearly hitting Liu Xing's face. But Liu Xing was lucky because Liu Wuxie pulled him back, or he would've taken a slap on his face.

"Elder Liu Yan, don't push it!" Liu Xing was enraged. Now that his father had recovered his cultivation, he would soon be promoted to a grand disciple. This meant his position in the clan would also increase.

"That's right. So what can you do to me? This is my territory, and even the patriarch has no right to interfere," Liu Yan said with a hint of mockery on his face, glancing at Liu Wuxie from the corner of his eyes.

He said it so bluntly because he was disregarding the patriarch. The patriarch was busy with many affairs and couldn't pay attention to such a small matter. Thus, it was no wonder Liu Yan dared to be so arrogant.

Many people gathered in the surroundings, squinting their eyes to watch the argument. Liu Yan's objective was simple: to prevent Liu Wuxie from entering the Book Collection Pavilion.

"Who gave you the audacity to stop me!" Liu Wuxie was enraged. If Liu Yan hadn't been someone in the True Profound Realm, he would've been a corpse by now.

"Boy, don't think being the patriarch's grandson will grant you privilege. I suggest you get lost now," Liu Yan said with mockery filled in his tone. If it hadn't been for Liu Wuxie, Liu Xiaotian would've become the patriarch yesterday, and the failure was a significant blow to Liu Xiaotian's faction.

The elders and deacons who had once backed Liu Xiaotian wasted no time distancing themselves from him. Their swift retreat left Liu Xiaotian isolated, and his authority within the clan plummeted, unraveling the influence he had worked so hard to build.

"What if I insist on entering?" Liu Wuxie asked, suppressing his anger. He knew he had to keep a low profile before his strength matured. As long as he could reach the high levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm, those in the True Profound Realm would be nobody before him.

"I'll put it plainly today. If you get inside, I'll kneel and kowtow to you," Liu Yan said, his voice reaching hundreds of meters.

The commotion drew the attention of nearby disciples, who paused to watch, their expressions a mix of curiosity and schadenfreude. Many couldn’t hide their smugness, eager to see Liu Wuxie challenged. After all, his recent accomplishments had overshadowed them, leaving them feeling inadequate. Compared to Liu Wuxie, they had little to show beyond their cultivation levels.

"Oh? I wonder if this token will allow me to enter?" Liu Wuxie suddenly smiled and pulled out a token.

When he saw the token, Liu Yan narrowed his eyes with a hint of panic. It belonged to the patriarch, granting Liu Wuxie free access to the Book Collection Pavilion.

"H-How can you possess the patriarch's token!" Liu Yan panicked. After all, Liu Wuxie was only in the Astral River Realm, and there was no way he could gain access to the seventh to ninth floors. However, with the patriarch's token, he could enter the Book Collection Pavilion freely, and this was the rule of the clan. Liu Xing had informed Liu Wuxie about it on their way there.

"So, can I go in now?" Liu Wuxie put away the token and strode into the Book Collection Pavilion. This time, Liu Yan didn't stop him and could only watch Liu Wuxie enter with a hint of viciousness in his eyes.

"Big Brother Wuxie, why didn't you make him kneel after he lost?" Liu Xing asked as he caught up to Liu Wuxie quickly.

"Do you think he'll kneel?" Liu Wuxie replied with a question instead.

"That's impossible!" Liu Xing replied. He knew Liu Yan wouldn't kneel even if he were killed.

"Exactly. Why waste the effort if he won't kneel? We must learn to endure before our strength surpasses theirs, and it's only a temporary solution for us to rely on our grandfather's protection. We have to work hard to cultivate and increase our cultivation to receive true respect," Liu Wuxie explained as they walked.

Liu Xing nodded, deeply moved by Liu Wuxie's words. In the past few days, he had gained many valuable insights into life from Liu Wuxie.

Although Liu Yan didn't kneel, he had been utterly embarrassed by Liu Wuxie before so many disciples, and he could only roar out in frustration.

"Boy, you're dead even if you enter the Book Collection Pavilion!" Liu Yan roared, and his words drew weird gazes from the surroundings.

When the two entered the Book Collection Pavilion, they dove into the ocean of books. While Liu Wuxie had visited many libraries, including the one in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, he had already read through all the materials.

"Big Brother Wuxie, where should we start?" Liu Xing asked. He had only read half of the books on the first three floors.

"I'll stay here for the next few days to read all the books. You're free to do as you please," Liu Wuxie replied. He had already shifted his focus to reading.

"You want to read all the books?" Liu Xing exclaimed in shock. There were millions of books in the Liu Clan, and it would take decades for someone to read through them normally, but Liu Wuxie planned to read all of them in the next few days.

Liu Wuxie's words naturally drew contempt from the surroundings.

"Such impudence! I have never seen someone so arrogant before!" Some of Liu Clan's disciples didn't conceal their mockery of Liu Wuxie, feeling that he was too arrogant. After all, no one had managed to read all the books in the history of the Liu Clan, including the grand elders. They had only read ninety percent of the books at best.

"Let's see how he explains himself later. I want to see how he is going to read all the books in the next few days," many people said, lowering their books and turning to look at Liu Wuxie.

Hearing the discussion from the surroundings, Liu Xing looked embarrassed, as he was also shocked by Liu Wuxie's declaration.

"I have a special method to read books, so there's no need to worry," Liu Wuxie said. He walked over to the first shelf and began his reading.

To everyone's astonishment, he flipped through the books rapidly and finished one in just three breaths. Once he had finished one, he set it aside before picking up the next and repeated the process.

"That's it?" Liu Xing was dumbfounded as he stood by the side. How was that reading? That was merely flipping through the books.

There were millions of books, and since Liu Wuxie planned to read through all of them, did that mean he intended to flip through all the books and mark them as read?

Seeing Liu Wuxie's actions, a burst of laughter came from the surroundings.