Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 543 - Soaring of Dragons and Serpents

How would Liu Wuxie refuse when someone eagerly delivered a treasure to his doorstep? The jade scepter wasn't an ordinary spiritual essence but was close to a spiritual core. Ordinary people couldn't detect it, but Liu Wuxie's Ghost Eye allowed him to see through the jade scepter and see its internal structure.

The outer layer was spiritual essence, but he could see ink-green the size of a mung bean in the core—that was the spiritual core. Spiritual essence wasn't rare, but spiritual cores were extremely rare.

The quality was beyond supreme-grade spiritual essence, and he didn't know where Yin Jingwu had obtained it. The latter probably didn't realize the value of the jade scepter, so he dared to bet.

If he could shatter the outer shell and absorb the spiritual core, the effect wouldn't be inferior to the ancient spiritual bamboo shoot.

"Liu Wuxie, just hand over the ancient spiritual bamboo shoot. I bet you don't know that our Senior Brother Yan has the title of the Lesser Poetry Immortal." Several Azure Crimson Gate's disciples spoke in a flattering tone. They were all under the impression that Liu Wuxie would lose.

Only a few people among the guests could defeat Yin Jingwu, and they didn't think Liu Wuxie was one of them.

The audience's interest was piqued. Many people who weren't initially interested found the idea of poetry duel exciting. Those around Yin Jingwu began to form a circle around him to prevent his poem from being leaked.

"Senior Brother Hua, you're not going to write?" Over in the Sky Rift Valley's corner, only Hua Chenye had the highest chance of winning among them. The other disciples were just here for the fun. Even if they could develop a poem, it wouldn't amount to much.

"There’s no hurry!" Hua Chenye smiled and closed his eyes, with no one daring to disturb him.

"Senior Brother Bai Zhi, you must win the first place and remove Murong Yi's veil personally. It's even better if you can get her in your arms," an outburst of lascivious laughter came from the Demonic Heart Palace's corner.

The popular candidates to win were Hua Chenye, Bai Zhi, and the Azure Crimson Gate's Qiu Baihao—not Yin Jingwu.

Time ticked, and most people began writing their poems.

"A Fair Lady and a Gentlemen's Pursuit...what a fine poem!"

"You were nowhere to be seen in the winding roads, only leaving behind horse tracks in the snow...magnificent!" Many people who had finished their poems eagerly displayed them to everyone.

"Lady Murong, please offer your guidance for my poem!" An Azure Crimson Gate's disciple stepped forward with his poem for Murong Yi to give her opinion.

Everyone turned to look over because it was no secret that Murong Yi was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

"May I be a wolf and you a fox, growing old together in the glowing nights..." The crowd erupted into laughter after reading that person's poem. This was a love confession directed at Murong Yi before everyone.

"Peng Li, that's a great poem you have there!" Many people teased because this person was the first to flirt with Murong Yi openly in such a manner.

The poem's intent was clear: he wished to be a wolf while Murong Yi would be a fox, and they would spend the nights in the wild, growing old together.

Murong Yi frowned at the sight of the poem. While there was no issue with it, it carried a vulgar undertone.

Everyone turned to look at Murong Yi and wanted to know her evaluation of this poem.

"Young Master Peng's poem is quite rhythmic, but it'll be better if you change it to 'May I be a star and you the moon, glowing together with purity each night.' It will be more fitting this way," Murong Yi deliberately emphasized that his poem was somewhat rhythmic than praiseworthy.

Rhythm alone wouldn't make a good poem because both the words and meaning needed to rhyme well.

Everyone was stunned because they didn't expect Murong Yi to elevate the poem's elegance with just a few changes. Stars matched with the moon, glowing brightly with each night. Wasn't that a perfect example of the scenery in the surroundings?

After all, the Mooncave Lake was illuminated by the moon, with stars twinkling in the sky, forming a scene of stars accompanying the moon.

"What a beautiful poem! Lady Murong has remarkable insight!" Applause came from the surroundings, and Peng Li's original poem was quickly forgotten. Compared to the poem altered by Murong Yi, Peng Li's poem was no different from garbage.

Many people approached Murong Yi for advice on their poems, and she would precisely pinpoint the flaws each time, deepening everyone's respect for her.

Even Liu Wuxie was secretly impressed. Not only was she proficient in the Blissful Melody Scripture, but she was also proficient in all arts. Such women were rare.

Many people had only joined for fun because their poems were terrible.

As time passed, all eyes focused on Yin Jingwu because he had an ongoing duel with Liu Wuxie.

The Demonic Heart Palace's Bai Zhi had only started writing while most people had finished.

The Sky Rift Valley's Hua Chenye opened his eyes and left behind graceful characters flowing on the paper like sword strokes. He breathed when he was done, all done in one go. His characters were graceful and elegant, like dragons and phoenixes dancing on the paper.

"What beautiful calligraphy!" The Sky Rift Valley's disciples applauded. The poem remained a secret for now and waited to be revealed.

When Bai Zhi's brush moved on the paper, each stroke would produce rustling sounds from the paper.

As for Yin Jingwu, he was more or less done. They were all the ones with the highest chance of obtaining first in this contest.

On the contrary, Liu Wuxie gazed out at the lake, seemingly unconcerned with the duel.

"It's raining!" someone said as rain began pouring from the sky, creating an even more picturesque atmosphere.

Bai Zhi quickly picked up his brush to revise his poem, making a few alterations, likely inspired by the sudden downpour.

"Liu Wuxie, why are you still dawdling when we've all finished?" Everyone grew impatient because Liu Wuxie hadn't moved, and everyone was waiting for him.

As Liu Wuxie turned away from the lake, his gaze fell on the blank sheet of paper before him. He didn’t reach for the brush right away. Instead, he calmly began to grind the ink.

After careful grinding, the high-quality inkstone produced a black liquid, and he finally lifted the brush.

No one cared what Liu Wuxie was about to write; they just wanted him to hurry up and finish. After all, no one felt that Liu Wuxie could win the duel with Yin Jingwu because they had all seen the latter's poem before, which was magnificent.

Only one person watched Liu Wuxie the entire time, and that person was Murong Yi. Her attention was focused on Liu Wuxie, and she followed his wrist movements.

Each of Liu Wuxie's strokes was powerful, producing a soft tapping sound when it moved across the paper. The strength was perfectly balanced because he would tear the paper if he exerted more force. If it were too light, the characters wouldn't be impactful enough.

The brush danced across the paper like a dragon soaring through the clouds. The technique was fluid with no hesitation, and each word seemed perfected thousands of times.

No one initially paid attention to Liu Wuxie because they focused on Murong Yi. Even if a veil covered her face, it didn't stop them from looking at her.

When they noticed Murong Yi's attention was on Liu Wuxie, everyone turned to him.

"What exquisite brushwork!" Many people's eyes lit up at the sight of Liu Wuxie's brushwork, even if they didn't know what he was writing. Each stroke seemed effortlessly natural.

"Look around him!" someone exclaimed as wisps of energy began to form around Liu Wuxie. They looked like words hovering and swirling around him.

No one could tell what the characters were because they kept changing shape.

"Soaring of dragons and serpents—he created a natural phenomenon?!" Hua Chenye gasped in amazement because it was the highest level of poetry to evoke a natural phenomenon from heaven and earth.

It was unbelievable that Liu Wuxie had managed to achieve it. Those who had mocked him earlier quickly shut their mouths, looking as though they had eaten a rotten egg.

There was a gleam in Murong Yi's eyes when she looked at Liu Wuxie.

"This is impossible! Is there a mistake? How can he evoke a natural phenomenon from heaven and earth when he's not even twenty?!" Many people were skeptical and felt that it was a coincidence.

Masters of the art required years of diligent practice, and it wasn't something that could be achieved overnight. This was the same as cultivation because no one could grasp a powerful martial technique in one day.

"Maybe he got lucky!" Despite their reluctance to admit it, Liu Wuxie had the airs of a grandmaster when he wrote on the paper as if he was lost in his world.

Liu Wuxie was no longer youthful but similar to an elder. When he finished the last stroke, the swirling energy around him dissipated into the surroundings like mist.

He gently put the brush down—his poem was finished. Most people already had their poems evaluated by Murong Yi, and only a few were left to be judged.

"Lady Murong, please give me some guidance!" Bai Zhi stood up, and the paper on his table hovered in the air, making it visible even from a few thousand meters away through divine sense.

The crowd gathered by the lakeside had swelled.

"You ask when I will return, but there is no set time. The autumn rain fills the moon cave this moonlit night. When will we sit together by the western window, trimming the candle as we speak of the rainy nights in Mount Ba," the surrounding crowd read the poem aloud, echoing throughout the boat.

"Magnificent poem!" Regardless of those in the boat or by the lakeside, they praised the poem because the scenery and people fit the description of this gathering well.

The first line subtly asked Murong Yi when they could have a date, while the second line referenced Cavemoon Lake, not to mention a drizzle from the sky.

It was autumn, and the water in the lake was rising, which matched 'autumn rain fills the moon cave this moonlit night.'

The third line's meaning was even more apparent. It expressed a longing to have a moment with Murong Yi, possibly referring to the desire for dual cultivation. The last line provided a rhymed ending, expressing his desire to enjoy the scenery and rain together.

Most of the poems tonight were practically love confessions for Murong Yi. After all, if anyone could marry such a beauty combined with the mysterious House of Tea Art, they would be able to be on par with the ten major sects.

It was no wonder why so many people flocked to her. The House of Tea Art had a powerful background, and Murong Yi was the sole owner. In addition to her peerless beauty, no one could resist being captivated by her.

"Young Master Bai truly deserves your reputation as one of the four great scholars in Serene Sea City. Well written!" Murong Yi praised because his poem wasn't too explicit compared to others.

“It is my honor to have caught Lady Murong's attention!" Bai Zhi said with a respectful bow as his poem floated gracefully to Murong Yi's table. The gesture carried more meaning than words alone—if she accepted his poem, she would also be accepting his unspoken affection.