Desolate Devouring Art

The Heavenly Derivation Codex lay almost within Liu Wuxie's grasp.

From the corner of his eye, he watched the interspatial ring resting nearby. Inside him, the Heavenly Dao Book churned with growing restlessness, straining as though it wanted to burst free and merge with the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

Pus continued peeling from the sect master's body, exposing crimson flesh that had already begun to rot beneath it. Enchantress produced a specially prepared medicinal liquid and spread it carefully over the decayed flesh. Almost immediately, poisonous insects began wriggling out one after another and dropping into the pool.

For years, Enchantress had endured this revolting ordeal every month. Every time she returned to her palace afterward, she spent three days and nights vomiting.

Among the Four Great Guardians, Enchantress occupied the largest and most luxurious residence. Black Tiger and Venomous Viper had complained about the favoritism repeatedly, yet the sect master always ignored them. Perhaps granting her that palace was his way of compensating her.

After all, the sight of two naked men sharing the same pool would have been awkward. Throughout the entire Shadow Divination Gate, Enchantress was the only woman the sect master trusted enough to attend him in such a vulnerable state.

"That's it," Liu Wuxie muttered, rejoicing quietly with a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.

Elder Meng had already exhausted every method at his disposal to conceal Liu Wuxie's identity and win the sect master's trust.

Without making a sound, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron plunged deep underground and began consuming everything in its path. As it hollowed out the earth beneath the pool, the ground suddenly convulsed. Massive boulders sank around the water as though an earthquake had torn through the mountain, catching even the sect master by surprise.

A fissure split the shore beneath the interspatial ring, causing it to tumble into the crack. The sect master reacted instantly. Extending his hand, he released a powerful suction force from his palm and dragged the ring back into his grasp.

The entire sequence unfolded in less than a ten-thousandth of an instant. Even so, the opening was far too brief for Liu Wuxie to seize the Heavenly Derivation Codex without alerting anyone.

"Heavenly Dao Book, go," Liu Wuxie commanded with a thought.

From the beginning, he had not intended to retrieve the Heavenly Derivation Codex from the interspatial ring physically. The sect master's soul imprint protected the ring. Had Liu Wuxie attempted to force his way inside, the sect master would've detected the intrusion. So, only one solution remained.

Liu Wuxie sent the Heavenly Dao Book into the interspatial ring and ordered it to merge directly with the Heavenly Derivation Codex. The book transformed into a streak of golden light and slipped effortlessly inside.

The sect master sensed nothing. Because the Heavenly Dao Book governed the Heavenly Dao itself, ordinary restrictions could not obstruct its passage.

As soon as the Heavenly Dao Book entered the interspatial ring, it found an enormous tortoiseshell shrouded in black miasma.

So this is the Heavenly Derivation Codex? Liu Wuxie wondered.

The Heavenly Dao Book carried a wisp of Liu Wuxie's consciousness into the ring. Even then, he kept his consciousness pressed close to the book, unwilling to let it wander far enough for the sect master to discover.

The tortoiseshell measured roughly the size of a washbasin. Mysterious characters crowded every inch of its surface, yet no human hand seemed capable of carving such markings. They resembled natural imprints born directly from heaven and earth, each radiating the weight of an ancient age. Once Liu Wuxie looked upon them, he could barely drag his gaze away.

After returning the interspatial ring to his left hand, the sect master abruptly rose from the pool and wrapped himself in a cloak.

Enchantress followed his lead and got up.

"Sect Master, what caused that earthquake?" she asked, alarmed.

The tremor had lasted only half a breath. Aside from opening several cracks in the ground, it had caused no significant damage.

"Clean this place," the sect master ordered, his brows drawn into a frown.

His cautious nature compelled him to extend his divine sense into the interspatial ring and inspect every object within it. Only after confirming that nothing was missing did his tension ease. He examined the Heavenly Derivation Codex with particular care, then departed once he felt certain everything remained in order, leaving Enchantress and Liu Wuxie behind.

"Why are you still standing there? Come over and help," Enchantress ordered. Clad in nothing but an almost transparent undergarment, she remained standing in the blackened pool.

Left with no choice, Liu Wuxie stepped forward and diverted the stream feeding the pool. He waited until the filthy water drained away completely, then redirected the stream into the basin and allowed fresh water to refill it until the pool became crystal clear again.

Enchantress remained in the water and scrubbed herself repeatedly, applying so much pressure that she seemed determined to tear the skin from her body.

Liu Wuxie kept his back toward her and sat atop a large boulder. His consciousness stayed hidden deep within the Heavenly Dao Book to avoid the sect master's detection while he patiently waited for the proper moment to act.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Enchantress climbed from the pool, fully dressed once more.

"Let's return," she said, leaving without waiting for him.

Liu Wuxie briefly considered using the opportunity to escape the Shadow Divination Gate, but the timing was wrong. Fleeing now would immediately arouse suspicion.

Demon King, Black Tiger, and Venomous Viper had already taken a personal interest in him. Remaining beside Enchantress offered him the best chance at staying alive. More importantly, the Heavenly Dao Book still needed time to finish merging with the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

His final concern involved contacting the Heavenly Divination Gate. Once the Heavenly Dao Book completed the fusion, the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master would inevitably notice. Heavenly punishment would then descend upon him, creating the perfect opportunity to destroy the Shadow Divination Gate.

The moment they returned to the palace, Enchantress rushed into her bedchamber and began retching.

"You will never speak of what happened today," she warned after emptying her stomach, turning a vicious stare upon Liu Wuxie. "If a single word escapes you, I'll make you regret ever being born."

Only the three spectral envoys knew about the sect master's monthly bathing ritual.

"Are you all right?" Liu Wuxie asked, his brows tightening with concern.

He had not yet accomplished his objective, so Enchantress couldn't die yet.

"I'll survive," Enchantress replied before withdrawing deeper into her bedchamber.

The next two days passed in relative peace. Liu Wuxie devoted himself to guiding the fusion between the Heavenly Dao Book and the Heavenly Derivation Codex, watching as the characters carved upon the codex appeared inside the book one by one.

The golden page that had opened by itself gradually filled with characters Liu Wuxie could not decipher. They resembled written words without truly being words, appearing more like the natural patterns through which heaven and earth expressed themselves.

Enchantress remained secluded within her bedchamber throughout those two days, granting Liu Wuxie a rare interval of calm. Yet despite the silence surrounding him, worry never faded from his face.

His calculations showed that the Heavenly Derivation Codex would fully merge with the Heavenly Dao Book within another day. Once the fusion was complete, the sect master would undoubtedly turn his suspicions toward Liu Wuxie, leaving his chances of escaping impossible to predict.

At that moment, an invisible force swept across the entire Shadow Divination Gate. The bodies of countless disciples began rotting where they stood, and a nauseating stench rapidly spread through the sect. Panic erupted everywhere.

Even the Four Great Guardians reeled beneath the shock. Not one of them understood what had happened.

"We need to see the Sect Master immediately."

The Four Great Guardians frequently opposed and fought one another, but the crisis united them without hesitation.

Enchantress emerged from her bedchamber as well, seemingly presenting Liu Wuxie with the perfect chance to flee the Shadow Divination Gate.

Liu Wuxie knew the opportunity was an illusion. Experts were almost certainly hidden throughout the shadows, observing every movement. If he left the palace without permission, they would execute him immediately.

Pretending to be lost in thought, Liu Wuxie wandered through the garden. A gardener approached from the opposite direction and accidentally collided with him. Liu Wuxie felt a folded slip of paper pressed discreetly into his palm.

"My apologies," the gardener said before hurrying away without looking back.

Liu Wuxie behaved as though nothing had occurred and leisurely returned to his courtyard. The moment he stepped inside, he activated the spiritual array and unfolded the hidden note.

One day from now, the Shadow Divination Gate will descend into chaos. Someone will come for you and lead you to a hiding place.

The hurried strokes told Liu Wuxie that the writer had composed the message in great haste. Once he finished reading, he summoned demonic flame and burned the note to ashes.

......

Meanwhile, the Four Great Guardians had assembled inside the grand hall, yet the sect master had not appeared. His continued absence filled all four with a strong sense of unease.

"Could something have happened to the Sect Master?" Black Tiger asked anxiously, turning toward Demon King. "We've called for him several times. Why hasn't he responded?"

"Demon King, you have the closest relationship with the Sect Master," Black Tiger continued. "You should go inside and check on him, just in case something has happened."

No one was permitted to enter the sect master's cultivation chamber. Even the Four Great Guardians could communicate with him only from the main hall.

Demon King hesitated. He understood the sect master's temperament better than any of them. Entering without permission would almost certainly earn him a severe punishment for his insolence.

"Demon King, what are you waiting for?" Venomous Viper urged. "Even if the Sect Master punishes you, the three of us will plead for mercy on your behalf."

After weighing the danger for a brief moment, Demon King finally nodded and walked toward the deepest reaches of the hall. A dark and oppressive passage stretched before him. Only a weak glow illuminated the way, and its strange light strained his eyes.

Beyond the rear hall stood the stone chamber where the sect master frequently entered seclusion.

"Sect Master, please forgive me for entering without your permission," Demon King called as he knelt before the sealed chamber.

If the sect master was inside, Demon King felt certain he would hear the apology. Yet a long silence followed without any response. Demon King's brows tightened as he wondered whether the sect master had left the stone chamber.

Demon King rose to his feet, seized by an irresistible impulse to enter. He pressed the hidden mechanism, and the enormous stone gate slowly lifted, exposing the chamber beyond.

The stone chamber opened into a spacious interior. Although it lacked the grandeur of a palace, it contained every necessity a person required.

Two corpses lay directly at the entrance. Both belonged to servants responsible for attending to the sect master's daily needs.

Demon King immediately crouched beside the bodies and examined them, quickly determining that both had died only recently. After lowering them back to the floor, he ventured farther into the stone chamber, where a nauseating stench assaulted his senses.

Before long, he discovered two additional corpses. Both were completely naked and had most likely been the sect master's playthings, imprisoned within the chamber for his pleasure.

The growing number of bodies deepened the unease clawing through Demon King's heart. Nevertheless, he forced himself to remain calm and passed through the second stone gate, beyond which lay the sect master's true cultivation chamber.

His heartbeat accelerated with every step. Even Demon King, a veteran who had outlived countless dangers, could not suppress the fear steadily rising inside him.

......

Back in the grand hall, Black Tiger, Venomous Viper, and Enchantress waited with mounting anxiety. Demon King had been gone far too long, yet he had shown no sign of returning.

Under ordinary circumstances, the sect master always informed them before entering seclusion.

"Enchantress, did the Sect Master behave strangely at any point during the past few days?" Venomous Viper asked.

Enchantress had been the last of the Four Great Guardians to make contact with the sect master. Neither Venomous Viper nor Black Tiger had seen him since their previous audience.

"Now that you mention it, something unusual did happen two days ago," Enchantress replied after a moment's thought.

"What happened?" Venomous Viper asked urgently. Even Black Tiger temporarily set aside his hostility and turned his full attention toward her.

"An earthquake struck while I was with the Sect Master at the pool two days ago," Enchantress answered truthfully.

The other Guardians already knew that she personally attended the sect master once every month, so concealing the incident served no purpose.

"An earthquake? How could an earthquake possibly occur inside the Shadow Divination Gate?"

Venomous Viper and Black Tiger exchanged disbelieving looks. The extraordinarily favorable geomancy had been one of the primary reasons the sect master had chosen this location in the first place.