Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 456 - Tide of Events

Chapter 456 – Tide of Events

No one believed Liu Wuxie and wanted to kill him to live for a few more days. It was even worth taking the risk if they could live for two more hours.

A man struck out with his palm, unleashing a forceful gust that shook the walls of the narrow underground tunnel. The confined space made the risk of collapse high; if a major battle erupted, it could bury everyone, including Liu Wuxie, beneath tons of debris.

Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu needed to end the battle quickly, like how they had killed the three men, not giving them a chance to destroy this place.

That was precisely what Xiao Yanlong was thinking—let them all perish because he had no intention of sparing those thirty-odd men. It would have been the best outcome if everyone died in the mine, saving him from having to explain things to the higher-ups.

“Gu Yu, end the battle quickly!” Liu Wuxie gave the order, and an ancient sword appeared in Gu Yu’s hand. The two charged into the crowd like tigers among a flock of sheep, causing screams to echo from this narrow tunnel.

The Heretic Blade swept through the crowd with the precision of a scythe, severing heads and claiming lives with every swing. In mere moments, Liu Wuxie had decimated over twenty of their attackers, leaving the remaining foes in shock. They barely had time to react, let alone mobilize their true essence.

As Gu Yu reached the Heavenly Phase Realm, his combat strength increased exponentially. His killing speed might not be comparable to Liu Wuxie, but he was equally ruthless because each sword caused blood to spray around.

The dozen or so people at the back were scared to the point they wet their pants and fled from the tunnel. They forgot about destroying the mine and only wanted to get out of this place, not wanting to stay in this underground world for another moment.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Liu Wuxie naturally wouldn’t let them escape and had to kill them to avoid future troubles.

When the last person fell, the ground was littered with corpses, and Liu Wuxie devoured all the bodies with the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and turned them into spiritual liquid.

After reaching the Heavenly Phase Realm, they needed a battle to temper their cultivation, which was finally consolidated through this battle. With so much spiritual liquid pouring into the desolate world, Liu Wuxie’s cultivation had risen significantly.

“Clean up the battlefield, and don’t leave any traces behind.” The two cleaned the mine so well there weren’t any clues left, not to mention the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron could devour everything.

Gu Yu was no longer surprised and knew Liu Wuxie had something terrifying within his body that made his heart tremble whenever it was used. Since Xiao Yanlong could send thirty-odd people today, he would surely send more people tomorrow.

Liu Wuxie braced himself for the impending battle, knowing it was crucial to eliminate any potential threats before the chaos erupted. The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was steeped in a palpable sense of war, with the tension hanging heavy in the air.

Many of Wild Lion Gate’s higher-ups had secretly left the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, which wasn’t a good sign. In his fury, Kuang Shi ordered the death of three hall masters in a row to quell the escape attempts.

This naturally didn’t escape the eyes of the Ding Feng Hall and Wolf Fang Regiment, who were increasing their manpower to seize the Wild Lion Gate’s territory.

Some people were still talking about the appearance of the spiritual clouds and were under the impression there were treasures underground, and they didn’t want to let the Wild Lion Gate have it all to themselves.

The night wasn’t peaceful. Even though Liu Wuxie was still in the mines, Ghost Eye could penetrate the rocks and reach the surface. Many Wild Lion Gate members guarded the mines’ entrances to protect the area.

Regardless if there were any treasures underground, they wouldn’t let anyone else set foot there. After all, this mine produced the most Blood Abyssal Stones in the entire Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

This was all thanks to Liu Wuxie, who used Ghost Eye to locate the Blood Abyssal Stones and had nothing to do with the environment. Even if they switched to another mine, Liu Wuxie would still find Blood Abyssal Stones quickly with the help of Ghost Eye.

“The battle will start tomorrow evening at the latest,” Liu Wuxie whispered, retrieving Ghost Eye. The news brought a spark of excitement to Gu Yu, who was eager to leave the oppressive underground environment.

It was dark and damp underground, with no sunlight all year round. This was no place for people to stay, and the time spent here felt like an eternity. After all, Gu Yu was still young, unlike Liu Wuxie.

Although Liu Wuxie was a bit older than Gu Yu, his past experiences as an Immortal Emperor had made him accustomed to all sorts of harsh environments. He had endured much worse—once lying in a mud pit for ten days and nights, covered in poisonous insects, where even the slightest movement could have led to a fatal bite.

They increased their speed and dug out all the Blood Abyssal Stones the Ghost Eye could see, accumulating about fifty in just five days.

Liu Wuxie stored them safely, planning to give Gu Yu half when they left.

The following day, Xiao Yanlong arrived two hours later than usual, expecting to find Liu Wuxie dead. To his surprise, the tunnel was spotless, with no signs of blood, causing him to frown in confusion. As he stepped onto the clean ground, his frustration deepened.

Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu were resting, each clutching a Blood Abyssal Stone, and greeted Xiao Yanlong with unsettling smiles. No one spoke, but Xiao Yanlong’s mood darkened further as he noticed the absence of the men he had sent.

Xiao Yanlong began to wonder where they had gone, and he even asked those who guarded the mines, but no one had left the place yesterday. Thirty-odd people couldn’t disappear without a trace.

“What are you looking for?” Liu Wuxie asked with a cold smirk and tossed the Blood Abyssal Stone over to Xiao Yanlong, perhaps for the last time.

“Liu Wuxie, you made me see you in a new light.” Xiao Yanlong took a deep breath. Although he didn’t have any evidence, he knew the thirty-odd people’s disappearance must have something to do with Liu Wuxie, and they were probably dead. But how they vanished remained a complete mystery.

“I would leave the Blood Sea Abyssal Island now if I were you. After all, that’s your only chance at survival,” Liu Wuxie suggested, hoping Xiao Yanlong could understand his intentions.

“You want me to let you go!” Dealing with intelligent people was easy; they understood each other’s meaning with a hint. Xiao Yanlong could tell Liu Wuxie hoped he could let them leave.

“I’ll tell you how to leave the Blood Sea Abyssal Island alive if you let me go.” They were aiming for what they wanted. As long as Xiao Yanlong used his authority to let him out of the mine, Liu Wuxie wouldn’t mind telling him the truth and leaving the island before Kuang Shi lost it.

Once the poison took effect, everyone would be turned into cannon fodders, and Xiao Yanlong wasn’t an exception.

“So, it’s your doing!” Xiao Yanlong took a deep breath. He might’ve guessed it, but he couldn’t help feeling shocked after confirming it.

“You would also do whatever it takes to survive in my position.” Liu Wuxie remained calm and orchestrated everything, guiding it towards his desired outcome despite uncertain success.

But for safety reasons, he still hoped to leave the mine beforehand, as escaping would depend on luck once the battle began.

“Tell me everything, and I will consider letting you out.” Xiao Yanlong wasn’t foolish and wouldn’t let Liu Wuxie leave first.

“Let us out. I’ll tell you when we’re in a safe place!” The two stood their ground firmly, and Liu Wuxie refused to speak unless they were in a safe place, while Xiao Yanlong refused to let them leave until Liu Wuxie spoke.

“It no longer matters because the Wild Lion Gate will clash with the Ding Feng Hall and Wolf Fang Regiment tonight. As slaves, you will all be sent to the frontline.” Xiao Yanlong no longer cared because it wouldn’t change anything that the battle was about to start.

His greatest wish was to see Liu Wuxie’s demise before he died, and he left the mine after collecting the Blood Abyssal Stones.

“Big Brother Liu, why didn’t he tell Kuang Shi that you orchestrated all of this?” Gu Yu was puzzled by their conversation because there were no secrets.

Liu Wuxie had already admitted he was behind it, and Xiao Yanlong could’ve told Kuang Shi to prevent the battle.

“Do you think he doesn’t want to?” Liu Wuxie glanced at Gu Yu. The latter was still too young and inexperienced.

“He knows I’m behind this and can’t stop it. Everyone is under the impression there’s a treasure here, and no one will believe it no matter how the Wild Lion Gate tries to explain.” No one could stop the tide of events.

Xiao Yanlong was helpless. He couldn’t possibly go to Kuang Shi and tell him someone was plotting against him with baseless suspicions. Even if he had a definite answer and Liu Wuxie had admitted it himself now, what could he do about it?

The battle was unstoppable, and Kuang Shi was like a raging lion at this moment—no one dared to come close to him, and Xiao Yanlong didn’t want to be killed.

Kuang Shi no longer had the energy to worry about the mine because all he wanted to do now was to survive. The slaves could charge at the frontline for him, and each slave was precious to him.

If Xiao Yanlong had told Kuang Shi he wanted to kill a few slaves now, Kuang Shi would have probably sent him flying with a slap and suspected him to be a spy.

Xiao Yanlong, once he reached the surface, expelled a mouthful of blood, feeling a strange sense of relief from releasing the pent-up frustration. He had been outmaneuvered by Liu Wuxie, both strategically and in terms of raw power.

He roared at the sky to vent out all the resentment he felt over the past few days.

“I’m a prodigy, so how could I lose to him?! I’ll make sure he’s at the frontline in today’s battle!” Veins bulged on Xiao Yanlong’s forehead, and he looked like a snarling wolf, his eyes turning bloodshot.

Liu Wuxie had become a demon in his heart, and this demon would never be erased as long as Liu Wuxie lived.

Time ticked as the entire mine suddenly fell into silence. Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu stood in place and no longer dug because they had dug out all the Blood Abyssal Stones in the surroundings yesterday.

Suddenly, the surface echoed with loud thuds, like boulders rolling. Moments later, the mine was illuminated by the presence of numerous Wild Lion Gate members charging in.

“All of you come out of the mine!” The few Heavenly Phase Realm captains escorted Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu out of the mine.

As Xiao Yanlong had said, the Wild Lion Gate had abandoned them and planned on using them as cannon fodders on the frontline.

Everything unfolded as Liu Wuxie had planned. The Ding Feng Hall, which had been biding its time, mustered over five thousand people. The Wolf Fang Regiment, not to be outdone, gathered around six thousand.

The Wild Lion Gate had slightly more people, reaching over seven thousand and a few hundred slaves. They were all organized into a battle squad.