Desolate Devouring Art

With that final palm strike, Wen Changxing took his own life before everyone. His skull shattered from the blow, and his body toppled backward.

A dignified patriarch of a mighty clan had ended his own life before their eyes, sending a shiver through the crowd as a cold wind swept across their faces. His death also closed the curtain on the centuries-long conflict between the Wen Clan and the City Lord Mansion.

The City Lord Mansion began clearing the battlefield. At Ye Guhai's command, Wen Changxing received a grand burial, while the surviving Wen Clan elders were executed.

Liu Wuxie briefly considered refining Wen Changxing's corpse and using the laws of the Divine Immortal Realm to reach the sixth-level True Immortal Realm, but he soon discarded the idea.

Whatever conflict existed between them, Wen Changxing could still be regarded as a hero. Ye Guhai had also promised to bury him with honor.

The crowd soon dispersed, carrying news of the Wen Clan's destruction into every corner of Fourfold City.

Liu Wuxie's name resounded throughout the city until everyone, from elderly men to children, knew it.

After returning to the City Lord Mansion, Liu Wuxie moved back into his former courtyard.

Ye Guhai remained occupied for the next two days. Shortly after the Wen Clan's destruction, the Mu Clan's patriarch visited him. Their conversation consisted mainly of courteous formalities, with the Mu Clan promising to strengthen its relationship with the City Lord Mansion.

Gu Yi also visited once and requested to see Liu Wuxie. Liu Wuxie refused because he had no desire to meet anyone.

Two days went by in the blink of an eye, and calm gradually returned to Fourfold City. At dawn on the third day, Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan departed the City Lord Mansion beneath Ye Guhai's watchful gaze.

"Wuxie, you're welcome to return whenever you wish. The City Lord Mansion will always be your home," Ye Guhai said.

In his heart, he had already accepted Liu Wuxie as his son-in-law.

"Farewell, City Lord Ye," Liu Wuxie replied with a nod.

He cupped his fists toward Ye Guhai and the others before departing with Ye Linghan.

The pair entered the teleportation array and returned to Eastern Emperor City. The moment they arrived, they sensed something was amiss. They had been gone for only half a month, leaving them to wonder what had happened during their absence.

The Azure Flame Dao Hall normally operated smoothly, giving Liu Wuxie little reason for concern. He now needed to teach only once a month.

Several young men dressed in black suddenly hurried past them in the distance.

"That's strange. Aren't they students from the Azure Flame Dao Hall? Why are they dressed like that?" Ye Linghan asked with a frown as the youths disappeared into the distance.

Those youths weren't her students, but she could still vaguely remember their faces. Liu Wuxie merely frowned.

"Let's return to the Azure Flame Dao Hall first," he said.

He had no desire to become entangled in more trouble.

News of everything that happened in Fourfold City would soon spread to Eastern Emperor City, and Liu Wuxie naturally wanted to maintain a low profile.

Ye Linghan nodded, and the two quickened their pace toward the Azure Flame Dao Hall. They encountered several more black-clothed students along the way, but none spared Liu Wuxie a glance before vanishing into the distance.

When the pair entered the Azure Flame Dao Hall, they were greeted by an eerie emptiness. Numerous classes had been suspended because there were no mentors to teach them, and only a handful of students remained.

Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan wondered what had transpired during their absence. They headed directly toward the Southern Lake and discovered that even the compound had become quieter than usual.

The area had once bustled with the activity of a thousand students.

"Mentor Ye, Mentor Liu, you've finally returned," Yi Zhong exclaimed from a distance.

He hurried toward them with a grave expression.

"Mentor Yi, what happened? Shouldn't you be teaching a class right now?" Ye Linghan asked.

Today wasn't a rest day, and this period was normally the busiest time within the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Why were so many classrooms closed, and where had all the students gone?

"It's a long story. We should speak inside," Yi Zhong said with a heavy sigh before leading them into the residence.

Liu Wuxie swept Ghost Pupil across the entire compound and discovered that only about five hundred of the original thousand students remained. Nearly half had disappeared, making the situation exceptionally strange.

After hearing of Liu Wuxie's return, the other four mentors emerged from their classrooms with equally troubled expressions.

They had moved into the Southern Lake only a few short months ago, yet upheaval after upheaval had already struck them.

Xiang Rulong, Shi Wa, and the others hurried over from their classrooms and gathered before Liu Wuxie.

"Greetings, Mentor Ye and Mentor Liu," Xiang Rulong and the others said, bowing respectfully.

"Why are only ten of you here?" Liu Wuxie asked with a frown.

When Liu Wuxie had first taught them in the small courtyard, he had seventeen students. Now, only ten remained, with the other seven nowhere to be found.

"They withdrew from the Azure Flame Dao Hall," Zhang Dashan replied.

Shi Wa and Xiao Qian stood to the side silently.

"Why would they withdraw?" Ye Linghan asked with a frown.

She wondered whether the past conflicts had driven the students away.

However, that explanation made no sense because students had vanished from many other classes as well. The Azure Flame Dao Hall had stood for centuries, possessed a deep foundation, and taught an extensive range of knowledge. Where else could those students possibly have gone?

"Half a month ago, the Shadow Divination Dao Hall was established and poached many of our students," Xiang Rulong explained, quickly recounting the recent events.

"The Shadow Divination Dao Hall? Could it be connected to the Shadow Divination Gate?" Liu Wuxie murmured.

He wondered whether the Shadow Divination Gate had established the Shadow Divination Dao Hall. But why would they travel all the way to Eastern Emperor City to compete against the Azure Flame Dao Hall?

"The Azure Flame Dao Hall's upper echelon did nothing to stop this?!" Ye Linghan demanded furiously.

Divine Immortals stood behind the Azure Flame Dao Hall, so establishing the Shadow Divination Dao Hall within Eastern Emperor City should never have been easy.

Yi Zhong, Xiang Rulong, and the others silently lowered their heads.

"More than half of the Azure Flame Dao Hall's mentors have defected to the Shadow Divination Dao Hall," Yi Zhong replied with a helpless sigh.

The students weren't the only ones who had defected. Many mentors had also been lured away by generous offers.

Even some members of the Azure Flame Dao Hall's upper echelon had been poached. Enraged, the hall master had considered destroying the Shadow Divination Dao Hall, but it had unexpectedly joined forces with the Eastern Emperor Pavilion.

Liu Wuxie's brow tightened when he heard the news. He cared little about the Azure Flame Dao Hall's future because he would soon leave Eastern Emperor City. If he wanted revenge against his enemies, he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

Eastern Emperor City was too remote and offered only limited resources. Even someone who became the strongest cultivator here would reach the Divine Immortal Realm at best.

Zuo Yang appeared and addressed them courteously. "Mentor Liu, Mentor Ye, the Hall Master requests your presence," he declared.

He had evidently received news of Liu Wuxie's accomplishments in Fourfold City.

"Continue your lessons. We'll return shortly," Liu Wuxie instructed.

After telling the students to resume their class, he departed with Ye Linghan for the Azure Flame Dao Hall's main hall.

Despite having served as a mentor in the Azure Flame Dao Hall, Liu Wuxie had never set foot inside the main hall.

Several members of the upper echelon were already present when they arrived. Every one of them possessed cultivation at the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm.

A white-haired elder sat in the seat of honor. He was none other than Gongye Zhang, the hall master Ye Linghan had mentioned.

Liu Wuxie had heard of Gongye Zhang long ago, but this marked their first meeting.

"Greetings, Hall Master," Ye Linghan said, cupping her fists.

Liu Wuxie remained standing in silence and calmly met the old man's gaze.

"Both of you, come and sit," Gongye Zhang said, gesturing toward the seats.

"Hall Master, did you summon us because you have orders for us?" Ye Linghan asked.

She had served as a mentor in the Azure Flame Dao Hall for over a year, giving her greater seniority and status than Liu Wuxie. It was therefore more appropriate for her to address the hall master.

"I believe both of you already know what has happened to the Azure Flame Dao Hall," Gongye Zhang said without displaying the slightest air of superiority.

Liu Wuxie formed a favorable impression of Gongye Zhang. When Sheng Guang and the others had joined forces against him, the Dao Hall’s upper echelon had stood firmly by his side.

"Hall Master, what exactly is the Shadow Divination Dao Hall's background? Why are they targeting the Azure Flame Dao Hall?" Ye Linghan asked.

Yi Zhong and Xiang Rulong had already explained the current situation to her.

"Have you heard of the Shadow Divination Gate?" Gongye Zhang asked, getting straight to the point now that no outsiders were present.

Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan exchanged glances. Just as they had suspected, the Shadow Divination Gate was behind the Shadow Divination Dao Hall.

"Even so, the Azure Flame Dao Hall exists only to educate students. We have no quarrel with the Shadow Divination Gate, so why are they trying to poach our students?" Ye Linghan asked.

She couldn't understand their motive at all.

Gongye Zhang could only smile bitterly. Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan were unaware of many hidden matters.

"To tell you the truth, I'm an elder of the Heavenly Divination Gate," Gongye Zhang revealed helplessly.

Judging from Ye Linghan's earlier response, he could tell that both of them already knew about the Heavenly Divination Gate and the Shadow Divination Gate.

Realization dawned upon Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan. They finally understood why Meng Nong and Meng Yu had appeared within the Azure Flame Dao Hall. However, Liu Wuxie still couldn't determine why the pair had chosen to help him.

The conflict was no longer a simple struggle between two dao halls. It was an extension of the feud between the Heavenly Divination Gate and the Shadow Divination Gate.

"Even if you're an elder of the Heavenly Divination Gate, why would the Shadow Divination Gate establish a dao hall specifically to target the Azure Flame Dao Hall? Wouldn't destroying the dao hall directly be much simpler?" Ye Linghan asked, still unable to understand.

"The Shadow Divination Gate harbors great ambitions. They established the Dao Hall to supply fresh blood to their headquarters," Gongye Zhang explained.

The Shadow Divination Gate's ambitions extended far beyond merely poaching students.

"I don't believe they're trying to supply their headquarters with fresh blood. They're supplying it with fresh lives," Liu Wuxie said, seizing upon something hidden within the conversation.

Gongye Zhang shot to his feet, and the other pinnacle Origin Immortal Realm elders throughout the main hall rose with him. Everyone was one of Gongye Zhang's trusted confidants.

Supplying fresh blood meant nurturing promising young disciples for the Shadow Divination Gate. Supplying fresh lives meant something entirely different.

"Wuxie, explain exactly what you mean," Gongye Zhang said, addressing him more casually. He no longer called him Mentor Liu.