Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 480 - Night Raid

The Hou Clan had repeatedly ambushed Liu Wuxie after he left the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, but he had managed to kill the Four Guardians and Hou San in self-defense.

There had even been someone from the Hou Clan who had followed Liu Wuxie to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island, but he never found an opportunity to ambush him. That person hadn’t dared to act rashly and had intended to send a message back to the clan.

Who would've thought that an internal war would break out among the humans in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island and that cultivator from the Hou Clan would die in the underground world?

Before his death, he didn't even have the time to relay the news that Liu Wuxie had killed Li Xiaohai. This meant no one would know that he could slay someone in the second level of the Astral River Realm apart from Gu Yu.

"We'll strike tonight. We can't let him leave!" the old man with a goatee declared viciously. Upon learning that Hou San and the others had been killed, the Grand Elder had been furious, prompting him to send them on this mission. Failing would mean facing the Grand Elder's wrath.

"What about that brat traveling with him?" another man asked. Their target was Liu Wuxie, and they had no grudge against Gu Yu.

"Kill them both! We mustn't leave any trace behind." A decision was made to eradicate the both of them.

Liu Wuxie was utterly unaware of the conspiracy against him next door. After entering the courtyard, he relaxed and lay on the bed to rest, keeping his senses alert to prevent unexpected attacks.

His nerves had been tensed for every moment over the past three months. A four-hour rest following the nightfall restored Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu to their peak condition.

"There's a murderous intent!" Liu Wuxie suddenly sat up after sensing a murderous intent approaching them.

The Dugu Clan's warship had left, and the murderous intent didn't seem to come from the Dugu Clan.

They had just arrived in the city and were unlikely to have offended anyone. So, Liu Wuxie couldn't figure out who was trying to kill them.

Upon sensing the murderous intent, Gu Yu instantly became alert, gripping the Divine Dragon Sword and preparing for battle.

The murderous intent only flashed by before disappearing quickly, but it had indeed appeared above their courtyard.

"Gu Yu, prepare for battle!" Liu Wuxie didn't know who targeted them, but they had to be prepared. He wouldn't take them seriously if they were some ordinary thieves, and he could kill as many enemies that came at them as long as there were no cultivators in the Astral River Realm.

The two swiftly exited the courtyard and guarded the two sides to prevent the enemies from catching them off guard.

Rustling sounds finally emerged in the middle of the night, signaling that someone had sneaked into their courtyard.

Five figures surrounded the courtyard, ensuring no escape routes were left. Liu Wuxie, however, remained patient, waiting until the intruders reached the courtyard's center. Then, with a calm voice, he commanded, "Activate the spiritual array!"

Instantly, rows of array flags sprang up, forming a defensive barrier that enveloped the entire courtyard. This barrier was designed to contain the battle and prevent any disturbances from spilling out, ensuring no unnecessary attention was drawn.

"This isn't good!" The five were shocked because they had been very stealthy and couldn't figure out how they had been discovered.

Gu Yu held a torch to illuminate the courtyard, revealing the faces of the five intruders. Upon seeing them, Liu Wuxie gradually relaxed; they were only at the fifth level of the Heavenly Phase Realm.

"Who are you, and why have you broken into my courtyard in the dead of night?" Liu Wuxie asked with deliberate politeness, giving them a chance to explain themselves. He didn't wish to harm anyone unnecessarily if they had merely made a mistake.

"Liu Wuxie, today will be your death!" Since these people could call out his name, it was clear that they had come prepared to assassinate him.

Gu Yu, sensing the gravity of the situation, placed the torch securely in a groove on the wall. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, gripping the Divine Dragon Sword. Confident in his abilities, he prepared to confront one of the attackers head-on.

"Who are you people, and why do you know my name? I don't seem to know any of you," Liu Wuxie asked. He wasn't hurrying to act because he wanted to find out who these people were.

"Do you still remember the Four Guardians and Hou San you killed? We're here to avenge them!" The elder with a goatee said in a sinister tone and paid no attention to the spiritual array in the surroundings.

Although they hadn't revealed their identities, Liu Wuxie already knew who they were.

"The Hou Clan!" When he had just returned from the sea, Liu Wuxie didn't expect to run into the Hou Clan.

"Are you going to take your own life, or should we do it for you?" The old man didn't want to waste time talking to Liu Wuxie and planned to end the battle quickly.

"I'm curious how you people ended up in the city at just the right time when I came back?" The Heretic Blade appeared in Liu Wuxie's hand as he asked his final question. He was curious how these people had managed to find him.

"That's because we were about to board the warship heading for the Blood Sea Abyssal Island and saw you disembarking from one. Perhaps this is fate!" The group of five closed in to surround Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu.

The atmosphere became tense, and an overwhelming pressure in the fifth level of the Heavenly Phase Realm crushed Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu.

A bizarre scene unfolded because Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu were unfazed when facing the pressure from cultivators in the fifth-level Heavenly Phase Realm, showing no signs of being overwhelmed. Their opponents were surprised and wondered if they had misjudged the situation.

"I have no grudges with your Hou Clan, but why do you people keep coming after me?" Liu Wuxie was starting to lose his patience. After all, he wouldn't be at odds with the Hou Clan if Hou Chi hadn't tried to kill him.

But instead of reflecting on their actions, Hou Clan kept sending people repeatedly to kill him like he was a pushover.

"I'll tell you when you're dead!" The old man with the goatee said and gave the order as everyone unleashed their attacks on Liu Wuxie.

A violent surge of power swept out in all directions, but they didn't have to worry about the commotion getting out due to the spiritual array.

"Big Brother Liu, leave one for me!" Gu Yu knew how strong Liu Wuxie was, and these five couldn't even pose a threat to him. The latter could kill them all with one strike if he wanted.

"Alright!" Liu Wuxie nodded and charged at the other four with his Heretic Blade. He didn't release his aura in the fourth level of the Heavenly Phase Realm but suppressed it in the first level.

When Liu Wuxie swung down with the Heretic Blade, he created a whirlwind with a powerful blade aura crashing down.

The old man's expression shifted when he realized that Liu Wuxie's blade emanated powerful laws characteristic of the Astral River Realm, indicating that it was on par with a monarch artifact.

The sudden attack caused the faces of the five intruders to change dramatically. Gu Yu engaged the remaining opponent, and his every movement was meticulously balanced between offense and defense.

Although it wasn't difficult for Gu Yu to defeat a cultivator at the fifth level of the Heavenly Phase Realm with his current strength, he appeared to be using the fight to sharpen his skills.

When Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu had sparred for three days and three nights on the isolated island, they hadn't unleashed their full strength, mainly focusing on stabilizing their cultivation. But this time, it was different, as both sides were fighting to kill each other.

The old man wielded a smoking pike and swung it to block the Heretic Blade.

Sparks flew when the weapons clashed, illuminating the courtyard like daytime. Terrifying ripples were formed as everyone was sent flying away while Liu Wuxie stood by the side with the Heretic Blade.

The four Hou Clan cultivators who fought with Liu Wuxie, especially the old man with a goatee, wore a grim face. He looked at his smoking pipe with heartache because there was a long crack on it, and it was nearly snapped into two by the Heretic Blade.

The smoking pipe was a xiantian treasure, and he couldn't believe it was incomparable to Liu Wuxie's blade.

The situation might have seemed to be in the Hou Clan's favor, but they instantly realized that Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu's combat strength was far beyond their expectations. Regardless of strength, cultivation, true essence, or weapons, Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu had far outclassed their opponents.

"Everyone on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island has died except for the two of you. Liu Wuxie, you're like a cockroach!" The news about Blood Sea Abyssal Island had long reached the mainland.

......

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion also learned that all the humans had perished on the Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

When Elder Tian Xing received the news, he let out a long sigh. He turned to look at a young man by the side and said, "Luo He, help me look after Liu Wuxie's family and friends!"

This was the same person who had delivered Liu Wuxie's punishment to him.

"Hall Master, is it worth it when he's dead?" Luo He's voice was low.

Since Liu Wuxie was dead, there was little value left in him, and his five companions, who had been brought into the sect, were of only average talent, unable to achieve much.

Despite becoming inner disciples, everyone knew it was solely due to Liu Wuxie’s influence. Without him, they would likely revert to their former status.

"I promised him I would care for his friends and family." Elder Tian Xing waved his hand and urged Luo He to take care of it immediately.

The news would soon spread among the other disciples, and the announcement of Liu Wuxie’s death would likely trigger a fierce backlash against his loved ones.

The incident in the Scarlet Sun Mountain Range, where Hou Ye had nearly killed Fan Zhen and others after hearing of Liu Wuxie’s supposed death, was a grim reminder of what could happen.

"I can't do it alone. He has offended many people in the past six months." Luo He looked helpless. Even if he carried out his duty, it was impossible to help Liu Wuxie's family and friends unless the sect intervened.

However, the sect wouldn’t intervene on behalf of a few inner disciples, just as they had remained silent when Liu Wuxie had killed other disciples.

"Just do your best. Advise them to stay in their courtyard and avoid going out," Elder Tian Xing said, his tone tinged with irritation as he urged Luo He to leave quickly. It was up to fate how much protection could be provided, and Elder Tian Xing knew there was only so much they could do.

......

Liu Wuxie had no idea about that as he was still immersed in his battle. The two sides exchanged thousands of attacks, but Hou Clan's group of five couldn't break through the defenses of Liu Wuxie and Gu Yu.

"Big Brother Liu, I'm going to finish the fight now!" Gu Yu yelled after he was done honing his martial techniques. He raised the Divine Dragon Sword and swung it down, unleashing a dragon's roar.

His opponent was so terrified that his soul nearly left his body, shocked by the power of Gu Yu's sword. That was no ordinary xiantian treasure, and it was a monarch artifact, unleashing immense power pouring down.

Gu Yu’s sword cleaved the fifth-level Heavenly Phase Realm cultivator in half, spilling blood across the floor. The sight of their fallen comrade instilled deep psychological fear in the remaining four Hou Clan cultivators.

They knew it was nearly impossible for them to escape if the two joined forces.

"What exactly did you obtain in the Blood Sea Abyssal Island for you to become so powerful in just three months?" The goatee-bearded old man roared in fury.