Desolate Devouring Art

Not only did Meng Yu look confused, but even Meng Nong turned to his grandfather with bewilderment in his eyes. He and Liu Wuxie had clicked almost instantly, and their conversation had only just begun to grow enjoyable. Meng Nong had even planned to stay for a few more days, yet their grandfather had suddenly decided to leave.

"The Shadow Divination Gate has appeared in Eastern Emperor City," the old man said. He glanced at his grandchildren, then turned his gaze toward the distance.

The moment they heard the name Shadow Divination Gate, Meng Nong and Meng Yu's expressions turned solemn.

"The Shadow Divination Gate doesn't operate in this region. Why would they come all the way here?" Meng Yu asked.

The Shadow Divination Gate was incredibly far from Eastern Emperor City. Logically speaking, they should never have appeared here, since this region did not fall within their territory.

"We still don't know the details. We need to investigate this properly," the old man replied with a frown. Deep down, he hoped the news was false. The Shadow Divination Gate had countless followers, and if they expanded into Eastern Emperor City, it would not take long before everyone in the city became one of them.

"We have to stop them somehow. The Shadow Divination Gate has been spreading chaos for years, and who knows how many people have died because of it?" Meng Nong said.

A flash of murderous intent always crossed Meng Nong's face the moment someone mentioned the Shadow Divination Gate.

"Don't alarm them yet. We'll watch quietly for now," the old man advised. He remained composed as he brought his grandchildren into Eastern Emperor City, where they settled down in secret.

As the sky slowly darkened, Liu Wuxie withdrew from his cultivation. Tonight, he had an appointment with the manor lord of the Xiang Manor.

"Assistant Liu, it's getting late. We should head out," Xiang Rulong said from outside the courtyard.

When Liu Wuxie stepped out of the courtyard, the aura around him had become purer than before. A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, stirring the leaves on the distant trees until they rustled loudly.

Xiang Rulong looked shocked when he witnessed the scene.

When Liu Wuxie had left, he had only been at the ninth-level High Immortal Realm. In just half a month, he had reached the second-level True Immortal Realm. The thought that Liu Wuxie had caught up to them in only one month felt almost unbelievable.

"Let's go," Liu Wuxie said, signaling Xiang Rulong to lead the way.

Ye Linghan stayed close to Liu Wuxie to protect him. The Azure Flame Dao Hall had expelled Wei Wenbin, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he tried to attack Liu Wuxie.

The underground fight club was also watching Liu Wuxie closely. If he went out alone, he would become an easy target.

Everything unfolded exactly as Liu Wuxie expected. Not long after they left the Azure Flame Dao Hall, several people began trailing them, though they kept a distance of several hundred meters.

Ye Linghan wanted to confront them, but Liu Wuxie stopped her. These people were only small fries, and killing them would serve no real purpose. It would only alert the enemies behind them.

The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion was famous throughout Eastern Emperor City, and it was nearly packed with guests every day. Anyone who wanted to reserve a private room had to book far in advance.

Of course, some people naturally enjoyed special privileges because they held shares in the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. They had private rooms of their own, and Xiang Zicheng was one of them.

The Xiang Manor owned thirty percent of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, and that stake brought them millions of immortal stones every year, providing a steady stream of income.

The moment Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan entered the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, waves of noise greeted them from every direction. The first floor served ordinary guests, and when seats ran out, guests had to share tables with strangers. Roughly fifty tables filled the first floor.

The second floor was much more elegant, with around twenty tables arranged across a wider space. Screens separated the tables, and anyone who could enter this floor was either rich or noble.

The third floor consisted of private rooms, where a single meal could easily cost tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of immortal stones. Ordinary people could never afford such extravagance.

As for the fourth floor, only a handful of private rooms existed there. Each one was lavishly furnished and served by dedicated attendants.

Xiang Zicheng had already been waiting for a long time. Lao Kaiyu sat beside him, and strangely enough, both men sat with unusually upright and formal postures.

Logically speaking, a Divine Immortal and an Origin Immortal were already influential figures in Eastern Emperor City, so what could make them look so solemn?

The door to the private room creaked open, and Xiang Rulong gestured for Liu Wuxie to enter.

When Liu Wuxie strode into the room, Xiang Rulong closed the door behind him. He did not enter the private room, knowing that he was not qualified to attend a banquet of this level.

"Assistant Liu, Mentor Ye, please take a seat," Xiang Zicheng said.

Xiang Zicheng and Lao Kaiyu rose one after another, personally stepping forward to welcome them.

If ordinary people witnessed this, their jaws would likely fall to the floor. After all, Liu Wuxie had only reached the second-level True Immortal Realm.

"Manor Lord Xiang, Instructor Lao, it's good to see you," Liu Wuxie said, cupping his fists. He knew that without the two stepping in earlier, Shen Guang would have made his move. Their mere presence had been enough to deter him.

"Assistant Liu, there's no need to be so formal. Please, sit," Lao Kaiyu said, gesturing for Liu Wuxie to take a seat.

When the four sat down, Liu Wuxie could clearly sense that Lao Kaiyu and Xiang Zicheng treated him differently from before. It was not merely politeness; there was now a faint trace of respect in their attitude.

From one side of the private room, two beauties emerged and began pouring wine for the four. Servers also brought out dishes.

Xiang Zicheng exchanged a few formal pleasantries and raised his cup to toast Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan. Only after three rounds of wine did Xiang Zicheng let out a sigh.

"Manor Lord Xiang, is something weighing on your mind?" Liu Wuxie asked. He set down his cup and looked at Xiang Zicheng. From the moment they had entered, they could already tell Xiang Zicheng had something to say.

"To be honest, something injured my soul sea many years ago, and it has never fully recovered. After learning that Assistant Liu can refine the Soul Healing Pill, I wanted to ask if you would refine one for me. I would be deeply grateful," Xiang Zicheng said, finally voicing the trouble he had kept buried in his heart.

Lao Kaiyu might have been a grandmaster in alchemy, but even he could not refine the Soul Healing Pill.

Liu Wuxie had initially thought this would be some major matter, but refining the Soul Healing Pill meant little to him. To others, however, the formula for the Soul Healing Pill had been lost for ages, leaving them helpless even if they wished to refine it.

He did not merely possess the complete formula; he could refine it as well. Many alchemists in Eastern Emperor City had already heard the news and were searching for ways to visit him. After learning of his return today, many restless alchemists wanted to consult him about alchemy.

"Manor Lord Xiang, you're making this sound far too serious. If you need one, just say the word, and I'll refine it for you," Liu Wuxie replied politely. After all, building a good relationship with Xiang Zicheng would only benefit him.

Eventually, he would face retaliation from the Shen Clan and the Eastern Emperor Pavilion, and with Xiang Zicheng's help, he could buy himself some time.

Xiang Zicheng had already made his position clear when he stood against Shen Guang. For that reason alone, Liu Wuxie had no reason to refuse his request.

"Then I can finally set my mind at ease. Let me toast to you," Xiang Zicheng said, raising his cup and draining it in one gulp.

Liu Wuxie could only raise his own cup in response, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"Assistant Liu, how do you know people from the Heavenly Divination Gate?" Lao Kaiyu asked.

"The Heavenly Divination Gate?" Liu Wuxie asked, confused.

Even in his previous life, he hadn't heard of the Heavenly Divination Gate. He began wondering whether the Heavenly Divination Gate had risen only in the past few decades.

"That's strange. If you don't know the Heavenly Divination Gate, why would they step forward to help you?" Lao Kaiyu asked.

This time, Lao Kaiyu was the one who looked puzzled.

Judging from Liu Wuxie's expression, he did not seem to be lying when he said he did not know anyone from the Heavenly Divination Gate.

"Are you talking about the Meng siblings?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He finally realised that Lao Kaiyu was likely referring to them.

Even Ye Linghan did not know that Meng Nong and his younger sister came from the Heavenly Divination Gate, but Lao Kaiyu did.

"That's right. They're disciples of the Heavenly Divination Gate," Lao Kaiyu replied with a nod.

Although the two siblings only had ordinary cultivation, the words Heavenly Divination Gate alone were enough to make even the Eastern Emperor Pavilion fear them.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you to tell me more about the Heavenly Divination Gate, Mentor Lao. I'm listening," Liu Wuxie said.

He wanted to learn more about the siblings' background. They had helped him without asking for anything in return, and that alone felt unusual.

"The Heavenly Divination Gate is an ancient sect, and it hasn't walked the world for a very long time. Their return this time should have something to do with the Shadow Divination Gate," Lao Kaiyu explained.

Liu Wuxie did not interrupt. He knew Lao Kaiyu still had more to say.

Ye Linghan chatted casually with Xiang Zicheng, occasionally listening in on Lao Kaiyu's explanation of the Heavenly Divination Gate.

"Several hundred years ago, the vice-sect master of the Heavenly Divination Gate betrayed them and founded the Shadow Divination Gate. From then on, the two forces became mortal enemies. What's hard to believe is that the Shadow Divination Gate caught up with the Heavenly Divination Gate in only a few centuries," Lao Kaiyu continued, disbelief threading through his voice.

The Heavenly Divination Gate had carried an inheritance for over a few thousand years, while the Shadow Divination Gate had only existed for a few centuries. The fact that the Shadow Divination Gate could catch up to the Heavenly Divination Gate in terms of foundation was truly astonishing.

Liu Wuxie's thoughts began turning rapidly, but he still could not find any information on either the Heavenly Divination Gate or the Shadow Divination Gate.

In his previous life, he had spent most of his time cultivating, rarely setting foot in the outside world. Most of his days had passed in the Grand Supreme Mountain Range, where he paid little attention to worldly affairs. During his spare time, he would simply meet with his friends.

"Mentor Lao, you're saying the Heavenly Divination Gate chose to return because of the Shadow Divination Gate. What does that actually mean?" Ye Linghan asked.

For a sect with an inheritance of several thousand years to remain unknown to the world was unusual.

"The Heavenly Divination Gate may have an inheritance of several thousand years, but it never had many disciples. In fact, they've gradually declined over time. To be honest, when I was young, I was lucky enough that they chose me to enter the Heavenly Divination Gate. My talent wasn't enough, so they eventually eliminated me. If I hadn't seen that medal today, I might have forgotten about the Heavenly Divination Gate entirely," Lao Kaiyu explained.

He recounted his experience openly.

"What is the Heavenly Divination Gate built upon?" Liu Wuxie asked, growing even more curious about this force. When he had first seen the old man, he could tell that the latter was no ordinary figure. The old man's cultivation might not have been high, but his eyes carried deep wisdom.

"Divination, just as the name suggests," Lao Kaiyu replied.

Liu Wuxie frowned the moment he heard that. The Heavenly Dragon Sect also had the Spirit Sealing Institute, which was founded on divination as well. But Elder Han and Han Feiyu had exhausted a great deal of their lifespan to calculate the calamity.

Anyone who revealed heavenly secrets had to suffer punishment, and in severe cases, it could lead to the destruction of an entire clan.

Divination in the mortal realm and divination in the celestial realm stood on two entirely different levels. The Spirit Sealing Institute would need hundreds of years to calculate something before it could be certain.

The Heavenly Divination Gate, however, was completely different. They could calculate things quickly.