Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 384 - Shi Chui

Liu Wuxie cupped his fists to congratulate Yun Lan.

When Yun Lan’s consciousness returned to his body, his face was grateful as he remembered what had just happened.

He knew this enlightenment would influence him throughout his life. He said from the bottom of his heart, “Junior Brother, I will always remember this favor, and words can't express my gratitude. I've just made a breakthrough and need to comprehend it. Let's have a drink after the competition.”

Based on his original talent, becoming an elite disciple was his limit, and he might’ve been trapped in the Heavenly Dipper Realm till his death. But through the enlightenment, a new door had opened for him, allowing him to experience the broader world.

“Alright!” Liu Wuxie wasn’t pretentious because Yun Lan was worth befriending.

Yun Lan departed for his residence to enter seclusion. Upon completing his seclusion, he would advance to the rank of inner disciple.

After Liu Wuxie returned to his area in the Heavenly Trigram Peak, everyone looked at him with mixed emotions. Even those who had previously mocked him now lowered their heads and avoided eye contact.

They had ridiculed Liu Wuxie for attempting to guide Yun Lan, but Yun Lan's enlightenment and breakthrough were a resounding slap to their faces.

Liu Wuxie sat alone like before, closing his eyes to meditate. This was because Yun Lan’s breakthrough had inspired him, and he needed time to settle down.

Elder Tian Xing gave Liu Wuxie a deep look before sighing. He regretted not taking Liu Wuxie as his disciple, realizing he had missed a significant opportunity. He could see that Liu Wuxie's talent was far greater than it appeared.

The competition resumed, involving over a thousand participants, and stretched into the late night before ending with five hundred people advancing to the next round.

Although the number of casualties decreased this time, the number of injuries increased. Many participants gritted their teeth and endured severe injuries to defeat their opponents.

"Rest for fifteen minutes before proceeding to the lottery!" Elder Tian Xing announced, giving everyone a break to recover from the exhausting night.

Dozens of strange beads hovered above the martial field, emitting a faint radiance that illuminated the entire area. The white radiance was comfortable, although it wasn’t as bright as the day.

Those weren’t ordinary beads but were comparable to Nascent Transformation Realm expert’s origin artifacts. The light they released could envelop a few hundred miles of radius.

The remaining participants did their best to recover their true essence, swallowing pills in large quantities.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly, and the fourth day finally arrived. The champion would be crowned tomorrow.

The lottery box was set before the participants. Some were nervous, others excited, while a few maintained their composure.

Having come this far, no one wanted to lose, and everyone strove to reach the top two hundred. Each participant drew their lot and then stepped aside.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the deacons reconstructed the arenas. Three hundred arenas were merged into one hundred, and each arena was much bigger.

Glancing at his number plate, Liu Wuxie wore a playful smile. He had drawn the number 66, continuing his streak of unusual, identical two-digit numbers. Moreover, he was consistently among the first batch to head to the arena.

Liu Wuxie made his way to Arena 66, noting that it was significantly larger than before. It took him half a minute to reach the stage.

When Liu Wuxie stood in the arena, a mighty gale swept, lifting the dust off the ground. A burly figure appeared, and the arena shook when he descended.

This person was a giant compared to Liu Wuxie, standing three meters tall. An ordinary person would barely reach his waist, and his legs were like two massive pillars rooted to the ground, giving him an intimidating presence.

Liu Wuxie had to tilt his head back to see the face of the towering figure before him. The person resembled a solid wall with bulging muscles, gripping a large hammer in each hand. The fierce gale was caused by these hammers.

“It’s Shi Chui the Tower!” exclaimed voices from the crowd, recognizing Liu Wuxie's opponent as Shi Chui. It was rumored that Shi Chui was already over a meter tall at the age of three, and by the age of ten, his strength had surpassed that of adults.

Upon reaching adulthood, Shi Chui exhibited extraordinary strength and could lift a thousand-pound elephant with one hand. Moreover, his strength had increased after joining the sect and undergoing systematic training, making him almost invincible among his peers.

“Liu Wuxie is in danger now. I heard Shi Chui killed someone in the Heavenly Dipper Realm with one strike recently.” An uproar broke out among the crowd after a brief silence. The students from Profound Inscription and Terrain Summit Peaks were particularly eager to witness Liu Wuxie's demise onstage.

“Shi Chui, finish him!" Roars erupted from the disciples of Terrain Summit Peak, urging on their fellow disciple. Among the various peaks, there was a consensus that those without hopes of reaching the top ten should obstruct other contenders by any means necessary.

Shi Chui served as Terrain Summit Peak's frontline, clearing obstacles to pave the way for Dong Yan. Even if he couldn't secure a kill, his formidable strength could deplete his opponent's energy reserves significantly, giving Terrain Summit Peak an advantageous position.

Terrifying murderous intent formed into a powerful gale swirling around Liu Wuxie, kicking up dust in its wake.

Liu Wuxie's expression turned serious; opponents relying purely on strength like Shi Chui posed a formidable challenge. Shi Chui could shrug off an opponent's strike as if it were a mere scratch, while a blow from Shi Chui had the potential to inflict severe injury or even death upon his adversaries.

Liu Wuxie possessed formidable strength, matching Shi Chui's power when augmented by his true essence. Yet, confronting Shi Chui was difficult due to his massive stature.

“You...die!” Shi Chui raised his hammer and pointed it at Liu Wuxie with infinite murderous intent filled in his words. He suddenly lifted his right foot and stomped in Liu Wuxie’s direction.

He might seem clumsy, but he was swift. Being born with superhuman strength wasn’t terrifying, but Shi Chui’s cultivation technique and true essence amplified his strength, making him a fearsome opponent.

A massive crater was formed with a stomp, creating a one-meter-long crack on the ground.

There was no doubt Shi Chui was strong, ten times stronger than Liu Wuxie had anticipated. Someone like him even had a chance to make it into the top ten, and even Shao Wendong would have a tough time dealing with him if he could reach the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

Then again, heaven was fair. Due to Shi Chui’s large physique, he had tougher breakthroughs. After all, no one could have it all. In a nutshell, heaven granted him an ability and closed off another.

Shi Chui had superhuman strength, but it came at the cost of his cultivation. He was over thirty years old and still in the True Core Realm after staying in the outer sect for over a decade.

The arena trembled when Shi Chui’s foot landed on the ground.

Suddenly, Liu Wuxie disappeared and reappeared behind Shi Chui. He recognized he couldn't match Shi Chui's strength, so he relied solely on his skill.

Even so, using the Primordial Astral Fist against Shi Chui was unnecessary. He was afraid Shi Chui might be blown to smithereens if he did. Furthermore, Liu Wuxie wouldn’t reveal his trump card easily until the last moment.

Liu Wuxie struck with his right leg on Shi Chui's back and generated powerful shockwaves that propelled the latter forward, leaving a footprint on his back. This kick, lethal to those at the pinnacle of the True Core Realm, didn’t even create a wound.

He frowned and twisted mid-air before retreating. Just as he moved back, Shi Chui’s hammers smashed down where he had been. He barely escaped in time, or he would have been turned into a pile of minced meat if he had been a moment later.

The hammer ripped through the air, creating a mighty gale in the arena, with energy rippling like waves. A sonic boom also followed soon after, and Liu Wuxie had already retreated far away when the hammer descended.

When Shi Chui failed to land a hit on Liu Wuxie, he charged at the latter again. He charged recklessly, relying on his powerful physique, making it impossible for Liu Wuxie to get close. His hammer would strike if Liu Wuxie got within three meters of him.

The giant hammers were half a person’s height and looked terrifying. This meant Liu Wuxie had finally encountered a formidable opponent in the competition, and he had to take it seriously, or Shi Chui might kill him if he was careless.

Elder Tian Xing’s facial expression became grave, and he hoped that such a good seedling like Liu Wuxie wouldn’t die in the arena.

Shao Wendong wore a sinister expression because if Liu Wuxie died, there would be one less competitor, bringing him one step closer to the championship.

Everyone held their breaths and watched the battle. When Shi Chui swung the hammers, the sheer force created sonic booms, causing many people to cover their ears.

“Liu Wuxie, is hiding all you can do? Fight Senior Brother Shi Chui if you have the guts!” Disciples of Profound Inscription Peak stood up and roared with their mockery.

Ignoring the surrounding voices, Liu Wuxie performed the Seven Dipper Steps to maneuver around Shi Chui, which was undoubtedly the best combat strategy.

“Shi Chui, exhaust his true essence! Someone will kill him in the next fight!” someone from the Terrain Summit Peak roared. They weren’t expecting Shi Chui to kill Liu Wuxie but to deplete his true essence so someone else could finish him off in the next fight.

Shi Chui swung his hammers even faster, like two meteorites streaking through the arena, leaving behind afterimages. Each impact of the hammers riddled the arena with craters.

Liu Wuxie was waiting for an opportunity and had ten thousand ways to kill Shi Chui. Killing the latter easily wasn’t the outcome he wanted. He wanted to give everyone a feeling he was doomed before suddenly killing Shi Chui. After all, it would be more interesting this way.

Cheers, roars, and yells came from the surroundings, all hoping Liu Wuxie would die because there weren’t many people supporting him. The dark side of human nature was fully displayed at this moment.

It was because Liu Wuxie was a new disciple who had received massive points, sparking jealousy among others. Jealousy could make one lose their rationale and bottom line.

Only a few people supported Liu Wuxie in defeating Shi Chui.

After Shi Chui’s 104th attack, Liu Wuxie finally made his move.