Desolate Devouring Art

The competition grounds stood roughly an hour's journey from Eastern Emperor City, yet the surrounding dozens of miles had already disappeared beneath a sea of people. Experts from nearby cities continued arriving in great numbers.

The disaster inside the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm had inflicted ruinous losses upon many clans, and most had yet to recover. Three tiers of viewing platforms encircled the venue—high, middle, and low. At the heart of Ten-Mile Slope, the central region formed the lowest level.

The middle-tier platforms rested upon flattened ground and commanded an excellent view of the entire basin. Higher platforms ringed Ten-Mile Slope as well, offering a wider perspective at the cost of standing much farther from the central arenas.

Across the center of Ten-Mile Slope, blue stone slabs formed the arenas where the two Dao Halls would confront each other. Every arena provided enough space for hundreds of competitors to enter simultaneously.

The martial path arena stood out in particular. Rare Demonic Lionstone formed the entire stage, earning its name from the natural markings across its surface that resembled a lion's pelt.

Ordinary weapons could barely leave a mark upon the exceptionally durable Demonic Lionstone, making it perfectly suited for martial combat.

Tables and chairs formed orderly rows around the venue. Ye Guhai was among the earliest arrivals to occupy his seat. The patriarchs of Fourfold City's other clans appeared soon afterward. Only the Wen Clan remained absent this year, while the Mu Clan's patriarch sat beside Ye Guhai.

Since the Wen Clan's destruction, the Mu Clan has humbled itself considerably and taken the initiative to align with the City Lord Mansion. Even the owner of the Skyhalberd Auction House attended the event. He appeared to be a scholarly middle-aged man, and Gu Yi sat at his side.

Before long, the patriarchs of Eastern Emperor City's prominent clans arrived in succession, including representatives from the Shen Clan, Zhu Clan, Kang Clan, Yue Clan, and many others.

Shen Guang and Zhu Chaoyang wore grim expressions and spoke only rarely, unlike the representatives of the Kang Clan and Yue Clan, who conversed freely among themselves. All four clans had suffered casualties inside the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm, but the Kang and Yue Clans weren't as badly impacted. The Shen and Zhu Clans had lost their heirs, extinguishing the future hopes of both families.

The sect master of the Stormcloud Sect also arrived. His fierce appearance matched the terrifying Divine Immortal Realm aura emanating from him, and its oppressive weight alone left many nearby cultivators gasping for breath.

By contrast, the sect master of the Heavenly Divination Gate carried himself with remarkable quietness. No one would have expected such an exalted position to belong to a youth still in his teens.

Elder Meng sat respectfully beside the youthful sect master, forming a rather comical picture. More surprisingly, the young man's cultivation had reached only the True Immortal Realm.

At that moment, Gongye Zhang descended from the sky and landed near Ye Guhai, where most of the Divine Immortals had assembled.

The surrounding crowd rose immediately and offered their greetings, "Greetings, Hall Master Gongye!"

"Greetings to all of you," Gongye Zhang replied, returning the gesture with cupped fists.

Soon after Gongye Zhang arrived, an even more violent aura swept over the venue. A black whirlwind roared through the air, and a powerfully built elder stepped from its depths.

"Welcome, Hall Master!" Shen Guang and Zhu Chaoyang said, rising at once to receive the newcomer.

"Patriarch Shen, have you still heard nothing from Mentor Shen Can?" the man asked, a slight frown creasing his brow. A considerable amount of time had passed, yet Shen Can remained entirely unreachable.

Shen Guang answered with a shake of his head. Shen Can's soul tablet had already shattered, proving that both his body and soul had been completely destroyed. Even so, neither man could accept that an eighth-level Origin Immortal had truly died inside the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm.

Most of the prominent experts had arrived by then. Numerous second-tier sects and clans also occupied the venue, though even their strongest patriarchs had reached only the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm.

Students from both Dao Halls who weren't competing filled the viewing areas and watched in relative comfort. Seats along the outer perimeter remained scarce, forcing most spectators to stand.

Large numbers of people had traveled from Fourfold City to witness the grand occasion. The result would determine how the two Dao Halls divided recruitment rights for the following year. The wagers between the Dao Halls provided another powerful attraction, especially with all manner of rare treasures being offered as rewards.

"The Celestial Moon Dao Hall's students are here!"

The students who had arrived earlier were only spectators and lacked the qualifications to enter the competition.

Dozens of mentors appeared in the distance, leading one hundred students toward the venue. Powerful auras rolled from every member of the approaching contingent. More importantly, each student representing the Celestial Moon Dao Hall had already entered the True Immortal Realm. They advanced with raised heads and straightened chests, confidence radiating from every stride.

"Is that Sun Xuan? Wasn't he a mentor at the Azure Flame Dao Hall before?"

Several mentors among the dozens had joined the Celestial Moon Dao Hall only recently, yet they now stood among its representatives for the competition.

"He abandoned the Azure Flame Dao Hall a long time ago," Elder Wu mocked from his seat beside Ye Guhai.

Discussions followed Sun Xuan from every direction as countless people pointed fingers at him, but he showed no concern. Just as a bird selects a suitable tree upon which to perch, a person would naturally seek a wise lord worthy of loyalty.

The mentors and students of the Celestial Moon Dao Hall entered their assigned area. They would remain there throughout the duration of the competition.

"The Azure Flame Dao Hall's representatives have arrived!"

Shortly after the Celestial Moon Dao Hall settled into place, Liu Wuxie arrived. Dozens of mentors followed him, accompanied by one hundred students. Their presence lacked the imposing force of the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's contingent. Many students looked visibly nervous, their uneasy gazes wandering across the enormous venue as they walked.

Little could be done about their condition. Liu Wuxie had only three days to train them, and assembling a complete group of 100 students within that time was already an achievement.

The Celestial Moon Dao Hall, in comparison, had spent half a year preparing for the competition, patiently waiting for this day.

"What's happening? Why has the Azure Flame Dao Hall brought High Immortals into the competition?" An uproar rolled through the spectators when they saw the Azure Flame Dao Hall's lineup. In cultivation alone, the group was far inferior to the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's.

Confused voices rose throughout the venue. "Something doesn't add up. The Azure Flame Dao Hall may have lost many students, but finding one hundred True Immortals shouldn't have been impossible." They struggled to make sense of the Azure Flame Dao Hall's strategy.

The Celestial Moon Dao Hall's students turned toward their opponents, undisguised mockery spreading across their faces.

"Liu Wuxie selected every one of those hundred students himself. What kind of scheme could he possibly be planning?" someone said. Everyone had already heard that Liu Wuxie was responsible for choosing each representative competing for the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"People call Liu Wuxie a master strategist and claim no one can rival his brilliance. Looking at him now, I can't see anything extraordinary," another person mocked.

Word had spread throughout the region that Liu Wuxie had destroyed the Wen Clan with three interlocking schemes. Yet his present decisions left everyone utterly baffled.

"Gu Yi, can you understand what he's attempting?" the scholarly middle-aged man beside Gu Yi asked.

The owner of the Skyhalberd Auction House hadn't attended the auction and had learned about everything that had occurred only through Gu Yi afterward.

"I can't decipher his intentions, but he excels at walking unconventional paths. Until the final moment arrives, no one can know which side will win."

Gu Yi trusted Liu Wuxie to a certain extent. A man capable of so many earth-shaking accomplishments couldn't possibly have overlooked the fact that this competition would determine the Azure Flame Dao Hall's survival.

The scholarly middle-aged man nodded, fixed his gaze upon Liu Wuxie, and released his formidable divine sense.

Countless divine senses converged upon Liu Wuxie from every direction the moment he arrived. The Heavenly Dao Book immediately unfolded and barred every one of them from approaching. Under the influence of his mental energy, a faint force field enveloped Liu Wuxie, preventing even the divine sense of a ninth-level Divine Immortal from penetrating it.

The owner of the Skyhalberd Auction House smiled. "Now that is interesting!"

"So, that man is Liu Wuxie?" the hall master of the Celestial Moon Dao Hall asked coldly.

"That's him," the elder beside him confirmed. Liu Wuxie's portrait had already circulated throughout the surrounding ten-mile radius.

Liu Wuxie guided the hundred students into the area directly across from the Celestial Moon Dao Hall. Once there, they settled down and waited for the competition to begin.

A furious roar suddenly thundered from the opposing side. "Liu Wuxie, clean your neck and wait. I'll be coming to take your head," an ugly middle-aged man said, dripping malice with every word.

Liu Wuxie lifted his head toward the speaker. Murderous intent slowly gathered within his eyes.

"That's Li Baoshu. He teaches spiritual arrays at the Celestial Moon Dao Hall and is infamous for his ruthless, vicious nature," Ye Linghan whispered into Liu Wuxie's ear. She had faced Li Baoshu in the previous year's competition and ultimately suffered defeat.

"You can't be blamed for being born ugly, but whoever let you off your leash to bark in public certainly deserves the blame. Didn't your master ever teach you that a dog that bites people is a bad dog?" Liu Wuxie asked, openly ridiculing Li Baoshu's hideous appearance.

His words ignited an uproar throughout the venue. Li Baoshu lost control of himself at once and charged directly toward Liu Wuxie.

Li Baoshu's mother had suffered complications while giving birth to him. The severe pressure of childbirth had deformed his skull, twisting his facial features and leaving him with his current appearance. Anyone who dared call him ugly ended with a broken neck. A saying even circulated throughout the Celestial Moon Dao Hall that it was better to offend its upper echelons than to provoke Li Baoshu.

Liu Wuxie hadn't merely mocked Li Baoshu's appearance. He had humiliated him further by comparing him to a dog, since only a rabid dog would run around biting people indiscriminately.

"Get the hell back," Ye Linghan snapped. Her cultivation had soared during the past few months and now surpassed Li Baoshu's. A casual sweep of her palm sent him flying backward.

Li Baoshu had reached only the first-level Origin Immortal Realm. During the previous year's competition, Ye Linghan had lost to him by a single move, mainly because she stood only at the pinnacle of the Profound Immortal Realm. If they fought again this year, however, their battle would end very differently.

Li Baoshu slammed heavily into the ground, shattering the stones beneath him and blasting fragments in every direction. Ye Linghan had clearly shown no restraint with her strike.

The competition had yet to begin, but the atmosphere already carried the acrid promise of violence.

Li Baoshu attempted to charge again, but the surrounding mentors quickly restrained him. They would get plenty of opportunities to kill Liu Wuxie during the competition, so rushing now served no purpose.

Then again, Liu Wuxie had never shared any previous feud with the Celestial Moon Dao Hall. Why, then, had they already placed his name upon their kill list?

"That tongue of his is vicious. He must be the first person bold enough to mock Li Baoshu's hideous face in public," the nearby cultivators whispered. Even many high-level Origin Immortals avoided ridiculing Li Baoshu because they knew he behaved no differently from a rabid dog.

"A sharp tongue is all he has. Let's see how miserably he dies later," another cultivator replied.

Almost no one at the venue was optimistic about Liu Wuxie. In both cultivation and experience, they believed he was weaker than the veteran mentors.

A figure suddenly appeared in the arena, and his voice sliced cleanly through the surrounding commotion. "Everyone, settle down."

The clamor gradually faded as countless eyes focused upon the elderly man standing at the arena's center.

"Both hall masters have honored me with their trust, so I will preside over this year's competition," the elderly man announced.

His name was Qian Yao. Since he belonged to neither Dao Hall, he could maintain a neutral position without favoring either side. He also possessed an excellent reputation throughout Eastern Emperor City.

Liu Wuxie slowly surveyed the gathered crowd before fixing his gaze on the right. A man there had been studying him since he had arrived.

"Who's that man?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"He's the pavilion master of the Eastern Emperor Pavilion. People know him as the Thousand Hands Yama," Ye Linghan whispered.

The Eastern Emperor Pavilion stood among the foremost powers within a ten-thousand-mile radius of Eastern Emperor City, surpassing even the Xiang Manor by a narrow margin.