Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 100 - Killing

Without any forewarning, Feng Bingquan’s fist rocketed towards Liu Wuxie’s face, the force of it creating a gust of wind. The impact, if it were to connect, would undoubtedly flatten anyone’s face. Yet, no one intervened in the escalating conflict. Chen Leyao and Xue Pinzhi had already departed to report the day’s assessment results.

The initial day of the assessment was paradoxically the simplest yet most demanding. It aimed to gather data on all participants and identify the gifted disciples for further scrutiny in the subsequent day’s evaluation.

As Feng Bingquan’s fist neared Liu Wuxie’s face, the wind it generated caused Liu Wuxie’s hair to billow wildly.

“Finish him!” The crowd egged Feng Bingquan on, encouraging him to end Liu Wuxie. The assessment was still ongoing and they were yet to be official students of the Imperial Academy, making them exempt from the Academy’s rules. Therefore, even if Feng Bingquan were to kill Liu Wuxie, the academy wouldn’t hold those instigating Feng Bingquan to kill Liu Wuxie accountable.

Only upon receiving the status medal would they officially be recognized as students of the Imperial Academy. Given the Xue Clan’s style, it was likely they would take every opportunity to hinder Liu Wuxie from joining the Imperial Academy or try to get him kicked from the assessment. This was because if Liu Wuxie became a student of the Imperial Academy, it would be hard for the Xue Clan to kill him.

Seeing that Feng Bingquan’s punch was about to land on Liu Wuxie’s face, many women shut their eyes as they couldn’t bear to see such a handsome face being deformed.

Feng Bingquan also let out a sinister laughter as though he could already see Liu Wuxie being sent flying away. However, just when the punch was about to come in contact with Liu Wuxie’s face, Liu Wuxie swiftly raised his right hand and slapped Feng Bingquan. Despite Feng Bingquan’s speed, Liu Wuxie was quicker, his hand making contact with Feng Bingquan’s face before the punch could land.

The resounding slap left everyone dumbfounded. Feng Bingquan, a cultivator in the sixth-level Xiantian Realm, was sent flying away before he could even react. His muscular body traced a graceful arc in the air before crashing into a corner of the square, his mouth filled with blood and scattered broken teeth. Liu Wuxie had shown no mercy, using seventy percent of his strength in that slap.

“Uhh...” The entire square was in dead silence. Many people were prepared to applaud, expecting to see Liu Wuxie flying away. However, it wasn’t Liu Wuxie who was sent flying, but Feng Bingquan.

Bai Yu narrowed his eyes. The slap seemed simple, but the speed and trajectory appeared calculated, as if every move had been meticulously planned. The timing was too perfect for Feng Bingquan to react, resulting in him being sent flying.

Bai Yifan shared Bai Yu’s sentiments. Even he wasn’t confident of achieving such precision. His approach would have been to retaliate instantly, not giving Feng Bingquan the opportunity to attack. Consequently, everyone assumed it was a fluke and that Liu Wuxie was merely fortunate.

In terms of age, Liu Wuxie was one of the youngest among everyone, and his cultivation wasn’t high either.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!” Feng Bingquan got back on his feet with a sinister expression. Without bothering to wipe the blood off his lips, he drew his weapon and charged at Liu Wuxie. He had already lost his rationale at this moment. Terrifying murderous intent swept out from Feng Bingquan as he turned into a blurred shadow, charging at Liu Wuxie.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie stood outside the tent calmly with his right hand resting on the interspatial pouch, waiting. As Feng Bingquan’s sword came within an inch of Liu Wuxie, it was clear to all that the sword was aimed at his heart, intending to end his life.

With a swift, unadorned movement, Liu Wuxie’s right hand moved in a blur, leaving Feng Bingquan frozen in place as if time itself had halted, the surrounding air growing icy.

“Cross this line, and you die!” Liu Wuxie declared, drawing a line three meters from his tent with his blade. Once done, he disregarded the onlookers and retreated into his tent.

“What happened? Why isn’t Feng Bingquan moving?” Many people were baffled about why Feng Bingquan had stopped at the last moment. Those familiar with Feng Bingquan knew him to be ruthless, with a body count in the double digits. It was inconceivable that such a man would back down after being slapped, making his immobility all the more perplexing.

“He’s dead!” a cultivator at the ninth-level Xiantian Realm said. Liu Wuxie’s blade strike had been so swift and breathtaking that if not for the blade in his hand, no one would have known he had made a move.

“He’s dead?” An uproar broke out from the surrounding area. Even if they weren’t students of the Imperial Academy yet, it was against the academy’s rules to kill within the boundaries of the academy.

What a fast blade! Yu Yifan thought to himself and returned to his tent. He didn’t want to get involved in this matter. Despite being in the Spirit Cleansing Realm, he wasn’t confident he could counter that blade without using his full strength.

Blood began to pool from Feng Bingquan’s neck, soon forming a small stream. The scent of blood filled the square, causing everyone’s hearts to skip a beat. Feng Bingquan was indeed dead.

Feng Bingquan’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground, his eyes reflecting his deep attachment to this world. He had not wanted to die; joining the Imperial Academy had been his dream. Graduating from the academy would have made him a prominent figure, whether he returned to his clan or joined the military. But his bright future had been cut short by his impulsiveness.

“What are you doing?” Someone quickly stopped a person who wanted to approach Liu Wuxie’s tent to avenge Feng Bingquan.

“How can we let this matter go so easily? We have to kill him and take revenge for Feng Bingquan!” More people stepped forward, seeking justice for Feng Bingquan. However, they were only gathered outside the tent, not daring to cross the line.

Liu Wuxie ignored the voices outside his tent. To him, they were just a disorderly mob incapable of causing him any harm. Even if these people were to join the Imperial Academy, they would merely be a waste of resources.

They shouted for a while, but no one dared to cross the line, and the matter was left unresolved. Everyone was focused on avoiding trouble and preparing for the next day’s assessment. Since Liu Wuxie had committed a murder, it was expected that the Imperial Academy would hold him accountable. Their primary concern, however, was to secure their place as disciples of the Imperial Academy.

As night fell, Liu Wuxie refrained from executing the Desolate Devouring Art due to the potential uproar it could cause. If he were to circulate it, he would consume all the spiritual energy within a few hundred meters radius. If he were to use the cultivation technique at full force, he would likely drain all the spiritual energy in the square.

Instead, Liu Wuxie ingested a Golden Spirit Pill, feeling the energy surge through his body.

“The six hours of tempering with the spiritual array have increased the compatibility between my soul and body...” Liu Wuxie mused to himself. While others struggled under the pressure, he used it to enhance the harmony between his soul and body. If word of this were to get out, it would undoubtedly incite envy among many.

The square soon fell silent as everyone rested, maintaining their optimal state to face the upcoming assessment.

“Are you prepared?” Two men stood in the woods three miles away, one of whom was Xue Pinzhi, the assessor for today’s assessment.

“Senior Brother Xue, rest assured. Don’t you know my assassination skills? Tonight will be his death.” A black-clothed man patted on his chest as he had assassinated many students over the years.

“Good. If you can get this done, there will be benefits for you. I will even try and arrange for your transfer to the advanced class.” Xue Pinzhi patted the black-clothed man’s shoulder, urging him to go quickly as time ran out to avoid missing the best opportunity.

“Thank you, Senior Brother Xue!” Entering the advanced class was the dream of many students. The Imperial Academy was divided into three grades: Earth, Profound, and Heaven. Each grade was further divided into elementary, advanced, and elite classes. If someone wanted to advance to a higher class, they would have to undergo multiple tests.

Some prodigies were placed directly into the advanced class of the Earth Grade upon joining the academy, but these were few and far between. This implied that the hundred individuals here would be assigned to the Earth Grade and would have to undergo a test in two years, with those failing being eliminated. Those who passed would progress to the Profound Grade.

This meant that if someone wanted to enter the elite class, they would also have to undergo tests. However, Liu Wuxie couldn’t wait that long as he had to reach the pinnacle of the Spirit Cleansing Realm or even Marrow Cleansing Realm within a year to wipe out the Xue Clan. After that, he would leave the Great Yan Empire to explore the wider world.

Every year, the Imperial Academy would only recruit a hundred students. As for the real elites, they were long accepted into the Imperial Academy, such as Xu Lingxue. The hundred slots were mainly given to other cultivators, allowing them to climb.

The prodigies from the thirty-six cities had already been scouted. The hundred students admitted each year were those who hadn’t qualified for an invitation from the Imperial Academy and had to take the assessment instead. In essence, these hundred possessed the least talent in the academy.

Those who joined the academy through this method naturally couldn’t be compared to those scouted beforehand. From today’s assessment, it was evident that the teacher was merely fulfilling a formality, leaving only two students to handle the assessment.

The annual assessment targeted the thirty-six cities, not the Imperial Capital. This was due to the Imperial Capital’s population nearing a billion, serving as the primary talent pool for the Imperial Academy.

Liu Wuxie only discovered this after entering the Imperial Capital, and the vastness of the Imperial Capital had far exceeded his expectations. The academy housed tens of thousands of students, rivaling the size of a major sect.

A shadowy figure stealthily approached the square, making no sound and leaving no trace of his presence. A peculiar crossbow materialized in his hand, more formidable than those used by the Terrabreak Army. He positioned himself behind a large rock, aiming the crossbow at Liu Wuxie’s tent, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

“Brat, you can only blame yourself for your bad luck in offending Senior Brother Xue,” the black-clothed youth said and pressed the trigger as an arrow shot out. But weirdly enough, the arrow didn’t produce any sound, and this was enough to show the black-clothed youth’s top-notch assassination skills.