Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 542 - Poetry Contest

The mysterious force was unlike anything that Liu Wuxie had encountered; his primordial spirit couldn't resist it. It was only resolved when the Heavenly Dao Book unfurled.

Murong Yi was surprised, and a smile rose on her lips, but her veil concealed it from the crowd.

“Lady Murong, the hour is growing late. Let's begin the challenge!" an impatient voice called out from the crowd, eager for the competition to proceed. The prize was enticing—anyone who claimed first place would earn a private audience with Murong Yi, with rumors swirling that the winner might even spend the night in her company.

"There’s no rush. I want to give everyone a toast with tea instead of wine!" Murong Yi stood up and raised the tea with one hand. She gently placed her right hand before the cup, which was a traditional etiquette for women when drinking tea.

Everyone quickly raised their cups to return the gesture. Most people drank wine, and only a few people drank tea.

However, Liu Wuxie didn't move because his brows had been locked together since Murong Yi had appeared. He could sense danger coming from this woman.

He could maintain his composure even when facing enemies in the surroundings, but he felt uneasy when he looked at Murong Yi. He didn't know if it was because her cultivation was higher than his or if there was another reason.

As for the actual reason, he was still investigating, which was why he had come tonight.

Murong Yi placed her cup down and looked at the crowd below, where everyone returned their cups to the table.

"Young Master Liu, do you not like the drinks here?" Murong Yi suddenly looked at Liu Wuxie. Her voice was filled with charm that always stripped everyone of the will to resist.

However, her voice did not affect Liu Wuxie, with the Heavenly Dao Book guarding his soul sea.

When everyone turned to look at Liu Wuxie, they noticed nothing touched on his table—a clear sign of disrespect to the host!

"That's not it!" Liu Wuxie couldn't deny that the wine here was exquisite and specially brewed. Liu Wuxie could tell it had aged for decades from the fragrance it gave off.

"Why didn't you drink then?" Murong Yi asked.

Liu Wuxie didn't know how to answer, and this was the first time he had been placed in such a situation. Although he could usually navigate through any confrontation, this was the first time he had been placed in a difficult position.

"I will drink when I choose to," Liu Wuxie replied, his brows furrowed in tension. He could feel the weight of Murong Yi's gaze on him, even though the room was filled with people. Her constant attention was like a beacon, drawing hostile looks from every corner of the gathering. It was as if her focus on him alone had turned the room’s collective atmosphere into a field of blades; each one pointed his way.

"In that case," Murong Yi responded smoothly, "I would like to offer an individual toast to Young Master Liu. I hope you will honor me." She exchanged her teacup for a wine cup, filling it slowly and holding it out toward him, her gesture inviting the entire room's attention.

If he refused on the spot, it would be disrespectful to the host, and he would undoubtedly spark a public outrage. This placed Liu Wuxie in a dilemma because he didn't want to touch any food here. The last time he drank the Jade Bamboo Dew back in House of Tea Art, he received a warning from the mysterious tree.

Enraged roars echoed from the surroundings.

"Liu Wuxie, don't be ungrateful! Lady Murong is offering you a toast, and you're refusing it?" Voices from the Azure Crimson Gate, the Demonic Heart Palace, and other sects echoed the sentiment, each filled with disdain.

For the onlookers, receiving a toast from Murong Yi was a rare honor, something they could only fantasize about. Liu Wuxie’s hesitation ignited a fierce envy within them, fueling their growing frustration. Some were so incensed that they itched to rush over and put him in his place.

Murong Yi had finished her cup of wine as she looked at Liu Wuxie quietly. She would keep looking at him this way, making the situation more awkward if he didn't drink.

"Liu Wuxie, what do you mean by this? If you're not going to drink, you should get lost!" Yin Jingwu slammed his palm on the table and asked Liu Wuxie to leave. The other Azure Crimson Gate's disciples stood up to condemn Liu Wuxie.

"Everyone, calm down. Perhaps Young Master Liu is wary of the House of Tea Art, and it's understandable why he refuses to drink." Murong Yi's sweet voice was soothing and made everyone feel like their bones would melt.

As she finished speaking, a servant came over to Liu Wuxie and poured a cup of wine before drinking it to prove it wasn't poisonous. She replaced Liu Wuxie's cup with a clean one and personally filled it for him.

At this point, it would only embarrass Murong Yi if he continued refusing.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Lady Murong!" Liu Wuxie raised the cup. He didn't have to worry because he had the Heavenly Dao Book and the mysterious tree in the desolate world.

He could use this opportunity to investigate what was in the wine that prompted a warning from the mysterious tree. The wine was mild and not a strong drink.

An intense fragrance filled his senses when the wine entered his mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste behind. There was no doubt that this was a fine wine.

As the wine flowed down his throat to his stomach, it swiftly spread throughout his body like every pore absorbed the wine's energy. If someone drank this wine regularly, they could increase their cultivation while strengthening their physique.

Things went as Liu Wuxie had expected when he received a warning from the mysterious tree, alerting him to a problem with the wine.

A mysterious force entered the desolate world and was instantly absorbed by the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

Murong Yi's eyes never left Liu Wuxie for a moment, and she was slightly nervous when the latter drank the wine.

"Excellent wine!" Liu Wuxie casually complimented, but there were no changes in his expression. With the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, the mysterious force couldn't enter his body.

Murong Yi sat down and was distracted for a moment. Madam Li had noticed this and turned to look at the young lady.

When Murong Yi lifted her head, she gave Madam Li a slight nod of confirmation, bringing a flash of joy in the depths of Madam Li's eyes.

"I will write four words, and today's competition will revolve around these four words. The one with the most fitting creation will naturally be the winner," Murong Yi regained her composure and looked at all the prodigies present. But her gaze would drift to Liu Wuxie occasionally, making everyone unhappy because the latter stole all the attention.

If they had known they could attract Murong Yi's attention by refusing to drink, they would've also refused the toast earlier.

"Lady Murong, please issue the question!" The crowd grew impatient and urged Murong Yi to issue the question quickly. After all, it would be a great joy if they could spend time alone with such a beauty.

"The first word will be ‘gentleman.' It's best to align it with the current mood and scenery. Everyone can feel free to freestyle!" The maids came out with many papers, placing a few pieces on each table for them to write.

Many people didn't participate because they knew their mediocre skills in poetry and were only here to watch.

Music and painting took too much time to master, and most people dedicated their time to cultivation, leaving them with little time to study these arts. After all, cultivation was everything for cultivators.

The surroundings became silent, and everyone closed their eyes to think. Composing poetry on the spot wasn't easy, but the contest would lose its competitive nature if the topic were revealed beforehand. After all, people could prepare their poems in advance and present them during the contest.

However, it was different when Murong Yi set the topic on the spot.

"Liu Wuxie, I challenge you to a poetry duel!" Yin Jingwu stood up and disrupted everyone's thoughts, naturally drawing many disgruntled looks.

There was a blank sheet of paper before Liu Wuxie, and he had no interest in the contest tonight, so he had no intentions of writing. His purpose in attending this gathering was to investigate what was in the tea and the House of Tea Art's attitude towards him. He planned to leave once it was over.

All eyes turned to Liu Wuxie. Poetry duels had existed since ancient times during the era of Confucianism, with victory determined through poems.

Powerful poems could even materialize as sword intent, becoming a weapon in battle.

Yin Jingwu had issued a challenge to force Liu Wuxie to accept.

"Not interested!" Liu Wuxie remained indifferent. He had seen this provocation many times and was already immune to it.

"Are you afraid?" Jia Fengmao sneered, believing that Liu Wuxie was too scared to accept, not because he wasn't interested. He knew that Liu Wuxie was talented in the martial path but might need to be more gifted in literature.

"Where's your arrogance from earlier, you coward!" the other Azure Crimson Gate's disciples chimed in to hurl their insults.

In addition to Murong Yi's toast to Liu Wuxie, this drew many people's dissatisfaction. Thus, no one stepped out to help Liu Wuxie this time.

Murong Yi frowned amid the mockery. She didn't expect so many people to target Liu Wuxie.

"Liu Wuxie, if you're too scared to face me, then get out of here and never show your face in Serene Sea City again!" Yin Jingwu's voice boomed through the room, dripping with disdain. In his eyes, if Liu Wuxie didn't have the courage to accept the poetry duel, he had no right to remain seated among them.

Liu Wuxie's eyes narrowed, his patience finally snapping. "Who the hell do you think you are? Why should I accept your challenge? You're nothing but trash to me," he retorted, his voice sharp with genuine anger. Even a saint would lose their temper after such relentless provocation.

Being repeatedly insulted as "trash" by Liu Wuxie, Yin Jingwu's fury reached its boiling point. His face twisted with rage as he leaped from his seat, his intent clear—to take Liu Wuxie's life.

"Senior Brother Yin, don't be impulsive!" This was the territory of the House of Tea Art, and anyone causing trouble here was the same as offending them.

Madam Li was prepared to intervene and would throw him into the lake without hesitation if Yin Jingwu dared to make a move.

"Liu Wuxie, I challenge you officially. If I lose, this jade scepter will be yours. If you lose, hand over the ancient spiritual bamboo shoot!" Yin Jingwu took a deep breath and took out a palm-sized jade scepter from his interspatial ring that emitted powerful spirituality.

"What a large piece of spiritual essence!" This was the first time most people had seen such a large piece of supreme-grade spiritual essence, and its value was almost on par with that of the spiritual bamboo shoot.

Yin Jingwu took out a piece of paper and wrote down his challenge. He signed his name and got a fellow disciple to deliver it to Liu Wuxie's table.

This situation left Liu Wuxie with little choice but to accept the challenge, or else risk confirming to everyone that he was a coward. After all, even if he lost, his life wouldn’t be in danger, so what did he have to fear? If he had been bold enough to bet on stone gambling earlier in the day, why hesitate now?

"Are you sure you want to bet with me?" Liu Wuxie's voice turned cold, causing the surrounding temperature to fall. A thin layer of ice formed on the lake's surface around him.

Although the night was cool in autumn, it wasn't cold enough to form ice.

"That's right!" Yin Jingwu said decisively. He was determined to obtain the ancient spiritual bamboo shoot today. His cultivation was at the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm, and the spiritual bamboo shoot could help him reach the Nascent Transformation Realm.

The sky would be his limit once he reached the Nascent Transformation Realm.

"Since you're eager to give me a treasure, I'll fulfill your wish!" Liu Wuxie smiled at the sight of the jade scepter.