Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 541 - Reunion of Old Friends

Liu Wuxie hadn't expected to run into Jia Fengmao here, and was surprised by his cultivation. However, his expression remained unchanged, and he turned his head away, unfazed by the murderous intent Jia Fengmao gave off.

Jia Fengmao stepped out of the crowd and slowly approached Liu Wuxie. A group of people followed behind him, all curious about Liu Wuxie's background.

Whether they were the prodigies from Serene Sea City, the three major sects, or disciples of the Grand Banner Sect, they all surrounded Liu Wuxie.

When Jia Fengmao was five meters away from Liu Wuxie, he stood still because he had to stay on his guard in case of a surprise attack from the latter.

"Liu Wuxie, I didn't expect to see you here." Jia Fengmao's voice was cold, and murderous intent was gushing out of him.

"I also didn't expect to see you here!" Liu Wuxie remained calm. It wasn't an understatement to say that enemies surrounded Liu Wuxie, but his expression didn't change; he was terrifyingly calm.

This wasn't the demeanor one would expect of a young man, making many people praise him inwardly. Based on his demeanor alone, he was unrivaled among his peers.

"You're not in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and you dared to come to the Azure Crimson Gate's territory? Today will be your last!" Jia Fengmao’s words made everyone's faces change. They hadn't expected Liu Wuxie to be a disciple of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

"So, you're a disciple of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion? You're dead!" Yin Jingwu sneered. The Azure Crimson Gate and Heavenly Treasure Pavilion were enemies, and it was rare for Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's disciples to visit the city.

Likewise, the Azure Crimson Gate's disciples rarely venture into the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's territory, except for occasional encounters in the Scarlet Sun Mountain Range.

"I thought you would learn some humility after I spared your life. But it seems you're still a fool, and you, a bunch of garbage, aren't enough," Liu Wuxie said, sweeping his gaze through the Azure Crimson Gate's disciples. His insult was directed at them all.

His words caused an uproar through the crowd, and all the Azure Crimson Gate's disciples took a step forward.

"You dare call us garbage?! I want to kill him!" The Azure Crimson Gate's disciples were furious and wanted to take action immediately. But their rationale told them not to act now and to wait until they left the boat. This meant Liu Wuxie would die tonight, no matter what.

"Do you think your sharp tongue can save you? You're finished!" Jia Fengmao knew how sharp-tongued Liu Wuxie was, and he had caused a stir in the Battle of Hundred Nations with his explanation of immortal, not to mention how many people he had killed.

"I'll be waiting!" Liu Wuxie was tired of such empty threats, and no one could stop him if he wanted to leave.

"Junior Brother Jia, let's go. There's no need to bother with him because there's no way he can run. Tell us how you two got to know each other." Everyone was curious about Liu Wuxie's background and eager to learn more.

Jia Fengmao was a new disciple who had gained a foothold in the Azure Crimson Gate with his alchemy skills. He often had to rely on his senior brothers, so he nodded and returned to their seats.

He knew only a little about Liu Wuxie's status because he wasn't from the Great Yan Dynasty and could only start his story from the Battle of the Hundred Nations.

Everyone listened intently as Jia Fengmao recounted the Battle of the Hundred Nations events. They listened to how Liu Wuxie swept through all his opponents by himself, and many people found it unbelievable.

The key point was that his cultivation was far lower than his rivals, and he constantly fought a stronger opponent throughout the Battle of the Hundred Nations.

"I didn't expect him to be an ant from the mortal world!" Yin Jingwu sneered. They were born in the cultivation world, and cultivators from the mundane world were nothing more than ants in their eyes.

"Senior Brother Yin, don't underestimate him. He's not as simple as he looks. He's cunning, and his strength cannot be determined from the surface." Jia Fengmao had suffered at Liu Wuxie's hands, and he knew how strong the latter was.

Everyone understood that Jia Fengmao meant well, but praising Liu Wuxie drew more anger among the Azure Crimson Gate's disciples instead.

"He's dead even if he has three heads and six arms!" Yin Jingwu was confident in his strength as someone in the high levels of the Astral River Realm. He could kill someone in the Heavenly Phase Realm with a hand wave.

Servants began to appear as they changed everyone's tea, which was all Jade Bamboo Dew.

"The competition is about to begin, so let's leave the unpleasant matters aside." With the tea replaced, this meant the competition was about to begin.

"Shui Huan, I heard you've also participated in the Battle of Hundred Nations. You should know him, right?" a youth asked Shui Huan where the Sky Rift Valley's disciples were seated.

"I do know him!" Shui Huan nodded. He had noticed Liu Wuxie’s presence earlier when Jia Fengmao stepped forward but hadn’t yet found the opportunity to greet him.

"Is he as despicable as Jia Fengmao claimed him to be?" Another Sky Rift Valley's disciple asked. According to Jia Fengmao, Liu Wuxie was vile and ruthless.

"Quite the opposite, actually. He's someone worth befriending." Shui Huan wasn't familiar with Liu Wuxie and had only met him a few times during the Battle of the Hundred Nations.

The prodigies present had extraordinary talent, and they were beyond ordinary people. They could deduce many things just from one incident.

"Since that's the case, why don't we visit him?" A few Sky Rift Valley's disciples stood up, planning to befriend Liu Wuxie.

“Senior brothers...you guys...” Shui Huan stood up. He hadn't approached Liu Wuxie earlier because he was afraid that his senior brothers were also after Liu Wuxie's treasures, so he pretended not to know him.

When he saw his senior brothers standing up, he wondered if they genuinely wanted to befriend Liu Wuxie or if they were after his treasures.

Shui Huan naturally wanted the Sky Rift Valley to be different from the Azure Crimson Gate and Grand Banner Gate to resort to such dirty deeds for treasures.

"You've misunderstood. We just want to get to know him." The few senior brothers patted Shui Huan's shoulder, telling him not to worry. They had no intentions of robbing the treasures of others because such people wouldn't go far in life.

Hearing their words, Shui Huan felt at ease.

"Let me act as the middleman and introduce him!" Shui Huan led the Sky Rift Valley's disciples over to Liu Wuxie, and their actions drew much attention from the surroundings.

"Look, even the Sky Rift Valley's disciples have headed over. Do they also want a share of Liu Wuxie's treasures?" The discussion came from the surroundings because who didn't covet the ancient fragment and Saint Glazed Liquid?

"The Sky Rift Valley boasts of being gentlemen, but they're no different from us!" The Grand Banner Gate's disciples mocked because the Sky Rift Valley's disciples had always claimed to be honorable, but they didn't expect them to stoop so low today.

There were also sneers coming from the Azure Crimson Gate's faction.

The Demonic Heart Palace's disciples remained indifferent. If they were to rob Liu Wuxie, they wouldn't do it here but strike secretly. This had always been their style, and they would kill Liu Wuxie first before robbing them.

Liu Wuxie locked his brows together and started getting irritated by the constant trouble. The gathering hadn't started, and he had been harassed several times. Anyone in his position would be annoyed.

"Brother Liu!" Shui Huan took a step forward and cupped his fists together.

"Brother Shui Huan!" Liu Wuxie stood up, looking slightly emotional at seeing an old friend in a distant land. He hadn't had much of an impression of the participants of the Battle of Hundred Nations, but Shui Huan was an exception.

They both looked excited, and Shui Huan hugged Liu Wuxie. This action surprised everyone when they learned that Sky Rift Valley's disciples weren't there to rob Liu Wuxie's treasures. Anyone could tell that Liu Wuxie and Shui Huan's relationship wasn't ordinary.

"Brother Liu, let me introduce you. This is Hua Chenye, Senior Brother Hua," Shui Huan first introduced a youth called Hua Chenye.

On his way over, Liu Wuxie had heard of Hua Chenye's name and learned that he was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He was the favored candidate to obtain first place in this competition.

"Brother Hua!" Liu Wuxie cupped his fists together.

Hua Chenye returned the greeting, and his eyes were clear without ill intent.

Shui Huan introduced his senior brothers, and Liu Wuxie greeted them politely. They chatted for ten-odd minutes before stopping when a bell rang, marking the start of the competition.

"Brother Liu, why don't you come over and sit with us?" Shui Huan invited Liu Wuxie over to care for him because he stood out too much there.

After all, everyone had come with companions and sat together at a table, but Liu Wuxie was by himself.

"It's fine. I prefer the serene here," Liu Wuxie refused politely. He knew Shui Huan meant well.

Shui Huan didn't push any further after seeing Liu Wuxie's persistence. He could only return to his seat with his senior brothers.

When everyone took their seats, many servants came over with exquisite dishes sent to their tables. The Jade Bamboo Dew had already been removed and replaced with fresh tea.

"Thank you all for attending the gathering tonight. To express my gratitude, the tea and wine are all free, so please don't hold back." A soothing voice echoed, and a graceful figure emerged from the second floor.

She wore a light veil covering her face, revealing only her eyes. But just those eyes were enough to captivate everyone. They couldn't imagine what kind of eyes those were because the slightest look seemed to convey a message.

It was often said that the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Murong Yi's eyes were the perfect example.

She had a smooth forehead with flowing black hair. Paired with her costume, she exuded a charming fragrance that no one could resist.

Everyone present had already forgotten about earlier events because their attention was focused on Murong Yi.

Liu Wuxie remained secretly guarded because Murong Yi wasn't ordinary. Not only did she cultivate the Blissful Melody Scripture, but she also mastered a mind-reading technique.

Her eyes seemed capable of seeing through a person's soul, a form of soul technique that wasn't inferior to Liu Wuxie's Ghost Eye.

Her mesmerizing eyes swept through everyone before stopping on Liu Wuxie. When she nodded her head lightly, it made everyone go insane; they couldn't fathom why she would nod her head at Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie nodded in return because he wouldn't miss out on the manners when displaying proper courtesy.

When their eyes met, Liu Wuxie's eyes rippled with a mysterious force trying to enter his body and read his soul. But the Heavenly Dao Book unfurled and blocked that mysterious power out.