Desolate Devouring Art

Liu Wuxie naturally understood that Meng Nong and his sister bore him no ill will. Otherwise, Meng Nong would never have lowered himself enough to speak in such a humble tone. The siblings simply had nowhere else to turn.

The Heavenly Divination Gate stood on the verge of destruction, with countless lives hanging in the balance. In their eyes, Liu Wuxie alone could save it.

"Why are you so certain I can help?" Liu Wuxie asked, withdrawing his oppressive aura.

At that moment, Ye Linghan returned with a fresh tea set and poured tea for them.

"I don't know the details. My grandfather only told me that you can help us," Meng Nong replied with a wry smile.

He was merely a Profound Immortal and had barely scratched the surface of divination.

"Then tell me your plan," Liu Wuxie said.

By his calculations, half a month had passed since he had exposed his Immortal Emperor's will. The experts pursuing him would arrive soon. If Meng Nong's grandfather could fulfill his promise, he could offer Liu Wuxie tremendous assistance by deceiving those enemies and luring them elsewhere.

"Destroy the Heavenly Derivation Codex," Meng Nong said.

That was the entirety of his plan. The Heavenly Derivation Codex could no longer be allowed to exist in the world. It had drawn the Shadow Divination Gate onto the demonic path, and as long as it remained, countless lives would be lost.

"You want me to enter the Shadow Divination Gate and destroy the Heavenly Derivation Codex?" Liu Wuxie asked.

That wasn't a plan. It was an invitation to court death.

Shadow Divination Gate was filled with powerful experts. Even if Liu Wuxie somehow managed to infiltrate it, how could he seize the Heavenly Derivation Codex from the sect master? The mission sounded impossible.

However, if he refused, he would need to flee Eastern Emperor City before his pursuers arrived.

"My grandfather said you're the only person who can approach the Heavenly Derivation Codex without suffering a backlash from Heavenly Dao," Meng Nong replied.

That was all Meng Nong could tell him. Liu Wuxie would have to rely on himself to complete the mission.

The Heavenly Derivation Codex was no ordinary object. Anyone who approached it would become bound by Heavenly Dao and would likely suffer heavenly punishment.

After centuries of use by the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master, the Heavenly Derivation Codex had changed into something entirely different from its original form. It had become a demonic object.

Over the years, the Heavenly Divination Gate had repeatedly dispatched people into the Shadow Divination Gate to destroy the Heavenly Derivation Codex. Every attempt had failed, with the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master discovering each intruder.

Liu Wuxie frowned. Meng Nong's grandfather clearly possessed extraordinary abilities and could divine secrets hidden within fate itself.

The Heavenly Dao Book recorded every sequence of Heavenly Dao. Once it encountered the Heavenly Derivation Codex, it would undoubtedly attempt to merge with it. That connection meant Liu Wuxie wouldn't suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao. Even if Meng Nong hadn't sought him out, Liu Wuxie would still have resolved to obtain the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

Once he secured the Heavenly Derivation Codex, the Heavenly Dao Book would ascend to an entirely new level.

Among the six paths of reincarnation, Liu Wuxie had already grasped the Human Path. If he also comprehended the Heavenly Dao, it would profoundly alter his future path.

"There's something I don't understand. How did the Shadow Divination Dao Hall recruit so many people in such a short time?" Liu Wuxie asked.

The question had troubled him for some time. Generous benefits alone couldn't explain such explosive growth.

The Shadow Divination Dao Hall had only recently been founded. Whether in teaching quality or facilities, it remained vastly inferior to the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"The Shadow Divination Gate used the Heavenly Derivation Codex to create a powerful technique known as the Spirit Divination Immortal Art. It can reveal countless secrets, and those who learn of their future through it naturally become devoted to the Shadow Divination Gate," Meng Nong explained.

The Spirit Divination Art was so strange that even Meng Nong couldn't counter it.

A peculiar light flickered through Liu Wuxie's eyes. He hadn't expected such an unusual immortal art to exist.

The celestial realm was boundless, containing countless immortal arts. Even an Immortal Emperor couldn't possibly master every immortal art in existence.

Liu Wuxie nodded slightly. The Spirit Divination Immortal Art struck him as similar to the Great Conversion Mythical Art. According to ancient rumors, a Bewitchment Art once existed that could ensnare people's hearts, spread falsehoods, and unleash calamity upon the world.

Both the Spirit Divination Immortal Art and the Great Conversion Mythical Art originated from the Bewitchment Art.

"It seems the only way to break the Spirit Divination Art is to destroy the Heavenly Derivation Codex," Liu Wuxie said after considering the matter briefly.

"Exactly! If the Shadow Divination Gate continues expanding unchecked, everything within a radius of tens of thousands of miles will be devastated. Countless living beings will become fuel for extending the sect master's lifespan," Meng Nong said, the concern on his face deepening.

In just half a month, the Shadow Divination Dao Hall had already expanded to its current scale. If no one stopped its development, the consequences would become unimaginable.

Only two days earlier, the first group of students had been sent to the Shadow Divination Gate.

"Give me a map of the Shadow Divination Gate," Liu Wuxie said.

They had no time to waste. Liu Wuxie needed to deal with the Heavenly Derivation Codex quickly, or the Azure Flame Dao Hall would be devoured. Once a nest overturned, none of the eggs inside could remain intact.

Meng Yu had just informed Liu Wuxie that Wei Wenbin, Jiang Hongran, and the others had all become mentors within the Shadow Divination Dao Hall. They would soon move against him. However, Liu Wuxie's true concern wasn't them, but the pursuers dispatched by his enemies.

His primary reason for cooperating with the Heavenly Divination Gate was to borrow its power to conceal his tracks and evade his pursuers.

Liu Wuxie didn't take Wei Wenbin and the others seriously. Ye Linghan alone could kill them all. His pursuers were an entirely different matter, though, as Immortal Regnants could be among them.

The moment Liu Wuxie agreed to enter the Shadow Divination Gate, the Heavenly Dao Book suddenly turned to a new page and released a dazzling golden radiance. Bewilderment seized him. Never before had he witnessed such a phenomenon from the Heavenly Dao Book.

The newly revealed golden page remained empty, waiting for the birth of another sequence.

"Did the Heavenly Dao Book detect the Heavenly Derivation Codex?" Liu Wuxie murmured.

If that were true, he had no choice but to hurry toward the Shadow Divination Gate.

His pursuers were drawing closer, and the Heavenly Dao Book had opened a new page. Every available path now pointed in the same direction.

Meng Nong immediately retrieved a detailed map from his interspatial ring. Beyond the surrounding terrain, it depicted the Shadow Divination Gate's internal layout in detail, ensuring that Liu Wuxie wouldn't enter blindly.

With the Heavenly Dao Book and Ghost Pupil, Liu Wuxie needed only fifteen minutes to see through every document spread across the table.

"You're already finished?" Meng Nong asked in disbelief.

The Heavenly Divination Gate had sacrificed several disciples to gather this intelligence. When Liu Wuxie returned the documents after only fifteen minutes, Meng Nong couldn't help feeling confused.

"To approach the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master, I first need the approval of one of the four guardians," Liu Wuxie said.

He didn't answer Meng Nong directly. In the past, he had memorized an entire library in a single day. These few documents were insignificant by comparison.

"That's correct. All four guardians have reached the ninth-level Origin Immortal Realm. If you want to approach the sect master, I suggest choosing Ji Yao. She's less guarded than the other three," Meng Nong said as he stored the documents.

The intelligence was far too valuable to discard and might prove useful again.

Liu Wuxie gave Meng Nong a meaningful look, immediately understanding the meaning hidden behind his words.

Ji Yao was the only woman among the four guardians. Although breathtakingly beautiful, she possessed the venomous heart of a serpent. She enjoyed harvesting yang energy from men, and countless people had died at her hands over the years.

Meng Nong was suggesting that Liu Wuxie use his appearance to approach Ji Yao. The other guardians were far more vigilant, and a fifth-level True Immortal approaching them without reason would immediately arouse suspicion.

Fearing that Ye Linghan would kill him, Meng Nong dared not state his intentions outright. He merely presented Liu Wuxie with a possible course of action and left the final decision in his hands.

Liu Wuxie nodded. Once he reached the Shadow Divination Gate, he would assess the situation and act accordingly.

"I'll leave tonight. Don't provoke the Shadow Divination Dao Hall for now. Wait until you receive word from me," Liu Wuxie said.

His warning was directed primarily toward Ye Linghan because he feared she would act impulsively.

"No! I'm going with you. Entering that place alone is far too dangerous," Ye Linghan said, rising to her feet.

She intended to infiltrate the Shadow Divination Gate alongside Liu Wuxie and protect him.

"You're an Origin Immortal. Your presence would attract too much attention, and someone could easily recognize you," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head.

Ye Linghan also needed to remain within the Azure Flame Dao Hall. If both of them disappeared, it wouldn't take long for every remaining student to abandon the Southern Lake.

"No! I won't let you risk your life alone," Ye Linghan insisted.

Anxiety brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't stand aside and watch him leap into a fire pit by himself.

Despite the danger, Liu Wuxie had made up his mind to visit the Shadow Divination Gate the moment he had learned about the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

Meng Nong signaled to his sister, and the siblings quietly departed, leaving Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan alone.

"I promise I'll return alive," Liu Wuxie said, gently patting her shoulder to comfort her.

"I feel scared," Ye Linghan sobbed.

Tears spilled from her eyes as she threw herself into Liu Wuxie's embrace.

Liu Wuxie said nothing and gently held her. It soon got dark, yet Ye Linghan still refused to release him.

"It's getting late. I need to reach the Shadow Divination Gate as quickly as possible. I know you don't want more people to die," Liu Wuxie said.

Ye Linghan didn't know precisely why the students had been sent to the Shadow Divination Gate, but she could already foresee that none of them would return.

"If anything happens to you, I won’t be able to go on living,” Ye Linghan said, finally releasing him from her embrace.

She knew that once Liu Wuxie made a decision, no one could change his mind.

Liu Wuxie could only sigh. Of all the debts in the world, those born from feelings were the hardest to repay.

After bidding Ye Linghan farewell, Liu Wuxie vanished into the night and quietly departed the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Despite the distance to the Shadow Divination Gate, he had no intention of using the teleportation array.

Eastern Emperor City was undoubtedly filled with scouts from the Shadow Divination Gate, while the Eastern Emperor Pavilion would have stationed people around the teleportation array. Attempting to leave through it would only expose him to greater danger.

Liu Wuxie traveled through the mountain range, covering a thousand miles before dawn. A small city appeared on the horizon, where he could rent an aerial immortal beast and travel to the next major city.

The city wasn't large and held relatively few residents. Its scale was roughly half that of Moon Reverence City.

Liu Wuxie spent three thousand immortal stones to rent passage on an immortal beast. The beast handler was a middle-aged man who had traveled between the surrounding cities for years and knew the terrain intimately.

"Everyone, rest for now. We'll reach Moonveil City before nightfall," the man said.

Their mount was a Spotted Eagle with an enormous wingspan. Those seated upon its back couldn't feel the surrounding air currents, allowing Liu Wuxie to close his eyes and cultivate undisturbed.

Several other cultivators sat not far from Liu Wuxie, and their destination was also Moonveil City.