Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 752 - Trouble

Liu Wuxie ignored the mockery around him and continued to flip through the books. He had flipped through over a hundred books in the blink of an eye.

The ridicule from the surroundings gradually faded, and they began to regard Liu Wuxie as a fool. After all, only a fool would read books in such a manner.

With the help of the Celestial Descent Bead and the advancement of the Soul Forge Art, Liu Wuxie's soul energy far exceeded his peers. Though he required some time to digest the contents of the books, it wasn't an issue for him with the Heavenly Dao Book around.

The Heavenly Dao Book could help him filter out repetitive content, saving him time and effort.

Nearby, Liu Xing could only walk to the side to read books. The entire pavilion became quiet, but as more disciples entered, they were curious about Liu Wuxie's unusual reading style.

Some disciples who had planned on leaving after reading decided to stay for a few more days to wait for the result. The news of Liu Wuxie's action in the Book Collection Pavilion soon spread, attracting more disciples to come and see what might unfold.

After Liu Dashan stepped down as acting patriarch, he shifted his focus entirely to cultivation. His aptitude had significantly increased through the cleansing of the seven-colored radiance, and he was also shocked to learn about Liu Wuxie's actions.

Over the past few days, Liu Dashan had observed his son closely and come to realize that Liu Wuxie never acted without purpose. His mysterious yet methodical nature had already proven itself in the main hall.

A group of people gathered behind Liu Wuxie, and half a day had passed without him knowing. He had already read all the books on the first floor and exhaled deeply before he proceeded to the next floor.

He ascended the stairs with a group of people following him. He continued to flip books, but at a faster speed compared to the first floor.

When Liu Yan heard of Liu Wuxie's actions, he could only roar in frustration. He got someone to supervise him while he left the Book Collection Pavilion.

The books on the second floor included topics on astronomy, geography, folklore, and cultural customs.

Although there weren't any martial or cultivation techniques, there were occasionally some personal insights into cultivation. Aside from that, some books documented the power layouts in the Central Plains. That information would be valuable for Liu Wuxie in navigating the region.

By the time he was done on the second floor, another half a day had passed. He didn't stop to rest as he proceeded to the third floor.

The books on the third floor delved into a broader range of topics, covering alchemy formulas, blacksmithing techniques, and the art of crafting spiritual talismans. Among them were compilations addressing common cultivation challenges, written to help disciples avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before. It was a treasure trove of practical knowledge.

Even when night fell, Liu Wuxie continued to flip through the books. He exhaled deeply when he placed the last book on the third floor.

"Big Brother Wuxie, take a break!" Liu Xing said. Even he felt exhausted following behind Liu Wuxie.

"I'm fine!" Liu Wuxie said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. His physique far exceeded ordinary people, and this was nothing to him. However, he needed time to process the vast knowledge in his soul sea.

He sat at the third-floor exit and closed his eyes, summoning the Heavenly Dao Book into his soul sea. Words floated in his soul sea as countless words and images began to merge with him. If such a bizarre scene were known to others, they would be left utterly speechless.

......

"He's just flipping through the books?" Liu Xiaotian grabbed onto Liu Yan's shoulder and verified.

"Absolutely true!" Liu Yan confirmed, as he had personally taken a look before coming.

"He's simply courting death! This is the perfect opportunity for me to get rid of him!" Liu Xiaotian said with a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

"Second Master, it's best if you don't act personally and leave it to us," Liu Yan suggested cautiously. He knew that Liu Xiaotian had recently clashed with the patriarch, and taking action now would only worsen his position. It would be more prudent to let the elders and deacons handle the matter on his behalf.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you. If you handle it well, I won't mistreat you!" Liu Xiaotian patted Liu Yan's shoulder, promising to take responsibility if anything went wrong.

The Book Collection Pavilion was the sacred ground of the Liu Clan, and Liu Wuxie's action was no different from disrespecting knowledge. Many books were collected with great effort, and every disciple was expected to read them carefully and return them in pristine condition.

After resting for fifteen minutes, Liu Wuxie had practically grasped the knowledge in his mind. He didn't hesitate to stand up and head to the fourth floor.

This time, the number of disciples who could follow decreased as only those in the Nascent Transformation Realm could enter the fourth to sixth floors.

The books on the fourth floor were significantly fewer than those on the third, as reading them would not benefit those who did not reach the required cultivation. It might foster arrogance and affect one's cultivation path.

The books here were more precious, and Liu Wuxie began to flip through them again. A few disciples on the fourth floor didn't know what had happened on the previous floors, so they watched with displeasure as Liu Wuxie flipped through the books.

"Boy, who the hell are you, and do you know where you are right now?" a roar disrupted Liu Wuxie as two youths approached. They were unfamiliar faces to Liu Wuxie.

"What do you want?" Liu Wuxie turned to look at them. They were only in the fifth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm and were no different from mere ants in his eyes.

"What are you doing? How dare you treat such books with disrespect!" The two questioned. Books were meant to be read, not flipped through.

"How did you come to the fourth floor with your cultivation in the Astral River Realm?" the other youth roared.

"I have no time to deal with your nonsense. Don't bother me, and mind your own business," Liu Wuxie said. He was in a hurry and didn't want to waste even a second.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's recruitment was imminent, and he had to raise his cultivation as soon as possible. Knowledge was part of cultivation as one's experience would increase alongside their cultivation.

The two youths' faces were clouded with anger. They were disciples of the inner court, and they couldn't tolerate being disregarded by someone in the Astral River Realm and wanted to teach him a lesson.

"Big Brother Wuxie, the one on the left is Liu Cheng, and the one on the right is Liu Sheng," Liu Xing whispered hurriedly as he approached. "They’re not part of Liu Xiaotian’s faction, but they’re not from our lineage either." Liu Wuxie gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable as he studied the two.

"Get out, or don't blame us for being impolite!" Liu Cheng said coldly, his murderous intent directed at Liu Wuxie.

None of the disciples behind Liu Wuxie intervened and merely watched. Instead, they silently hoped for the conflict to escalate—anything to make the morning more entertaining.

"How annoying!" Liu Wuxie stepped forward and released an even more terrifying aura, shattering Liu Cheng's murderous intent. An even more terrifying scene unfolded as Liu Cheng was forced to take a few steps back under Liu Wuxie's oppressive aura.

Being pushed back in front of so many disciples was a humiliating blow for Liu Cheng, particularly after he had stepped forward to reprimand Liu Wuxie.

"Liu Cheng, don't you feel ashamed to be pushed back by someone in the Astral River Realm when you're in the Nascent Transformation Realm?" someone taunted from behind Liu Wuxie, trying to stir trouble.

Initially, the conflict wasn't that serious, but Liu Cheng's face became even darker when someone taunted him. This placed him in a tough spot because he would lose his footing in the clan if he did nothing.

"You're dead!" Liu Cheng roared as he leaped into the air.

The Book Collection Pavilion was vast, providing enough space for them to fight. The books were also arranged on the fourth floor's walls.

Liu Cheng's sharp claws tore through the air and made the surrounding books flutter, and Liu Xing stumbled backward under the oppressive aura of someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

However, Liu Wuxie stood calmly as he allowed the attack to approach. Just when the claw was about to reach him, Liu Wuxie suddenly vanished and leaped three meters into the air, kicking Liu Cheng's chest.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and Liu Cheng was sent flying with a thunderous impact, smashing into the stone pillar. The impact made the entire fourth floor tremble, and dust fell from the ceiling.

"How is this possible?" Everyone was stunned at how Liu Wuxie suddenly vanished. It was a mystery to them, as no one could see clearly.

When Liu Cheng got up, his face contorted with rage. Beside him, Liu Sheng drew his weapon and charged at Liu Wuxie.

"Time to die!" Liu Sheng was convinced that Liu Wuxie had only won because of his movement technique.

The moment Liu Sheng drew his weapon, it ignited Liu Wuxie’s murderous intent. The air around them grew frigid, and the temperature plummeted so rapidly that some disciples began trembling, their breaths forming a white mist in the icy atmosphere.

With a finger tap, Liu Wuxie shot out a cold ray that froze the surrounding air. Relying on the Celestial Descent Bead, his comprehension of his ice dao technique had reached a new height.

Liu Sheng swayed with an overwhelming sense of danger that gripped him. When he tried to dodge, he found himself immobilized with a frightening cold that enveloped him, covering him in a layer of ice.

This scene surprised the surrounding disciples, who could only watch in stunned silence.