Desolate Devouring Art

The Ji Clan disciples' groveling had wounded Ji Pei's dignity by association. Nevertheless, as a pinnacle Immortal Venerable, he would not lower himself to dealing with Liu Wuxie personally.

Without joining the discussion, the remaining elders turned their attention to Liu Wuxie.

An hour was not especially long, yet it was no brief interval either. As the trial continued, participants kept admitting defeat, leaving more space inside the ring. Those in the center seemed comparatively at ease. Their soul energy exceeded that of ordinary cultivators, giving them confidence that they could withstand the ordeal.

"Show me this year's list," a stern-looking female Immortal Venerable requested, extending her hand.

Elder Kong promptly handed her a thin crystal sheet covered in densely packed names. Each time an applicant failed, their name erased itself from the surface.

The strand of soul energy placed inside each registration token linked it to the crystal sheet. Failure stripped the token of all spirituality, turning it transparent and erasing its owner's name from the list.

Even this arrangement offered a glimpse of a superpower's might. Its methods reached far beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

"Has the Long Clan sent no one?" the stern-looking female examiner asked, looking toward Elder Kong after reviewing the names.

"They have. You'll find them at the bottom," Elder Kong replied, pointing to the end of the crystal sheet.

"Then where is Long Yuanxiong?" she asked, a crease forming between her brows.

The ancient Long Clan had long maintained close relations with the Azure Jade Palace. Although its fortunes had waned in recent years, it still produced prodigies in steady succession. Foremost among them was Long Yuanxiong, reputed to be a talent who appeared only once in ten thousand years. At twenty, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal Realm.

"According to the rumors, he encountered trouble while training outside and was delayed. He's making his way here as quickly as possible," another examiner explained.

"Extend the assessment for as long as you can. If Long Yuanxiong is coming, we should wait for him," the stern-looking examiner instructed, passing the crystal sheet back to Elder Kong.

No one objected. Her cultivation at the pinnacle of the Immortal Venerable Realm was not her only source of authority; she also enjoyed close ties with the Long Clan.

"Elder Xia Ru, word has just arrived. Long Yuanxiong will be here in another two hours."

The stern-faced Xia Ru occupied an exceptional position within the Azure Jade Palace. Rumor had it that she and Shui Yao had known each other before Shui Yao became an Immortal Emperor, and had formed a close bond. As a result, the Immortal Venerables around her addressed her with deference, even putting aside their own dignity.

Yan Yongwen, who had brought the news, was on good terms with Xia Ru. The exchanges laid bare the complicated relationships among the ten elders. They were anything but united.

Below them, the first trial pressed onward, its mounting weight bearing down on Liu Wuxie. The energy lodged within his body slowly dissolved beneath that pressure, steadily raising his aura.

Pain tightened Huang Zechang's face beside him. Most of his soul energy had gone toward sheltering Liu Wuxie from the crushing force.

Liu Wuxie didn't need that shelter, but he did not stop Huang Zechang.

At best, Huang Zechang possessed average talent. His third-level Divine Immortal Realm cultivation did little to set him apart from the other applicants, making admission to the Azure Jade Palace a difficult prospect. His body was already trembling from diverting his soul energy toward Liu Wuxie. If he continued, he might not last even an hour.

Another fifteen minutes passed. More participants withdrew from the platform.

"They've all held through the first wave. Not bad."

The first trial comprised three stages, with its harshest demands coming at the beginning and the end. The opening assault struck before participants could prepare; the final stage would fall upon them after their soul energy had been severely depleted. For now, endurance determined the outcome, exposing the purity of each applicant's soul energy.

"How strange. Why hasn't he dropped out?" Xu Rui asked. Her attention had wandered to other participants, but when she looked back toward the center, she found Liu Wuxie still enduring.

"Perhaps he's cheating," suggested the middle-aged man beside Ji Pei, displeasure darkening his face.

"What are you implying, Elder Cao? Do you think Immortal Venerables like us would fail to notice someone cheating?" Elder Kong demanded, turning toward Cao Qizheng in displeasure.

"Elder Kong is correct. None of us would turn a blind eye to cheating," Xia Ru said, speaking up. Despite her stern demeanor, she possessed a warm heart. Her divine sense had long since enveloped the entire platform, making it impossible for anyone to cheat without her noticing.

The longer Liu Wuxie remained, the more attention he commanded. Outside the platform, tens of thousands watched incredulously, including Immortal Kings, Golden Immortals, and applicants who had already failed.

Famed prodigies had come to this year's assessment, yet Liu Wuxie had drawn attention away from every one of them. How could a Profound Immortal last so long?

Several Golden Immortals sat in the center. They were gifted cultivators who should have been the focus of the crowd's admiration. Instead, all eyes followed Liu Wuxie.

"How has he not been eliminated yet?" Many who raised the question had seen his dispute with the Ji Clan disciples beside the rice paddies.

"He has to be cheating," shouted several eliminated high-level Divine Immortals. They refused to accept their failure and raised their voices, hoping the ten elders would listen and grant them another attempt.

What did their own cultivation amount to if a mere Profound Immortal could outlast them? Shame burned across their faces. They had failed, yet Liu Wuxie remained.

The elders paid no attention to the accusations. Instead, they increased the pressure.

Blood burst from Huang Zechang's mouth as his soul energy neared exhaustion. Had he stayed near the perimeter and conserved his strength instead of shielding Liu Wuxie, he could have lasted an hour. Yet only fifteen minutes into the trial, he was already coughing up blood.

Just as he could endure no more, a surge of soul energy wrapped around him, turning the crushing pressure aside. Huang Zechang opened his eyes to find Liu Wuxie looking at him.

"Concentrate. Don't say anything," Liu Wuxie instructed, then closed his eyes once more.

Huang Zechang could only smile wryly. He had come here to protect Liu Wuxie, yet now he was the one who needed protection.

"Did you see that? How unusual. That brat is using his soul energy to help someone else. Could his soul energy already match that of Golden Immortals?"

Nothing escaped the ten elders above. Their perception blanketed the platform, allowing them to monitor every applicant and observe Liu Wuxie's intervention.

Everyone was struggling against the pressure, even the Golden Immortals in the center. None would risk diverting soul energy to assist another participant. Liu Wuxie, however, had done precisely that.

"What is his name?" Xia Ru asked Elder Kong.

The other Immortal Venerables looked toward him with the same curiosity. Their interest had initially rested on the gifted applicants, but Liu Wuxie's efforts to protect Huang Zechang had drawn it away.

"Liu Wuxie," Elder Kong replied, without needing to check the crystal sheet.

"Did you say Liu Wuxie?" The other nine Immortal Venerables looked at one another. That name was familiar to them all. One of the ten Immortal Emperors had borne it, so how had this young man come to share it?

"I know what's on your mind. Plenty of people share a name. This is only a coincidence," Elder Kong explained. He had reacted much the same way when he had first heard it.

The other nine elders soon dismissed the question. Elder Kong had a point. Across such a vast realm, identical names were hardly remarkable.

As the trial progressed, the area surrounding Liu Wuxie grew steadily emptier. Before long, only he and Huang Zechang remained in their immediate vicinity.

The three Golden Immortals sat dozens of meters away. All appeared to be in their mid-twenties, an age at which attaining the Golden Immortal Realm marked each of them as an outstanding prodigy.

Initially, they had barely spared Liu Wuxie a glance, treating him as little more than another face in the crowd. Now, only a handful of participants remained in the center while most clustered around the edge. Ignoring him was no longer possible.

"Elders, will Zechang last?" the other Huang Clan disciples asked anxiously. Every one of them had failed, leaving Huang Zechang as their sole remaining participant.

"His expression suggests he's quite comfortable," observed the Immortal King on the left, who had been watching Huang Zechang closely. Approaching his limit should have left him in pain. Instead, he almost seemed to be enjoying the experience.

"I don't understand it. Zechang went to the center to protect Liu Wuxie. He should have exhausted his soul energy already. How is he managing to stay so calm?" asked the Immortal King on the right, unable to hide his disbelief.

Excitement rose among the spectators as the hour neared its end. "Only ten breaths to go!" Fewer participants were failing now; most of those still holding on possessed formidable soul energy.

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Three... Two...!" the spectators chanted together, their voices rolling over the platform.

Within the ring, participants gritted their teeth against the strain. Some went so far as to ignite their blood essence, desperate to reach the final moment.

"One!" rang the last count. Many participants collapsed, utterly spent, but the soul energy pressure did not relent. Under Xia Ru's instructions, the elders were extending the trial until Long Yuanxiong arrived.

"It still isn't enough. I won't reach the fourth-level Profound Immortal Realm at this rate," Liu Wuxie murmured, his anxiety growing. An hour fell far short of what he needed. More than half the stored energy remained undissolved inside him.

He was considering giving up when a low hum vibrated through the air. An even stronger wave of soul energy crashed down, forcing over a thousand participants to spit blood.

"Those who lasted an hour have passed. Move to the left and wait for the next trial. Those who wish to continue may stay," Elder Kong announced.

Pressure of this kind offered cultivators more than an ordeal. It also provided a means of refinement. Many had used it to temper their soul energy, including Liu Wuxie.