Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 927 - Soaring Bloom Order

Countless gazes turned towards Liu Wuxie the moment he stepped into the Astral Moon Valley.

"Wuxie, when did you return?"

Liu Feng and Liu Xin'er pushed their way through the crowd, clearly surprised. They had only heard about the duel earlier that morning.

Liu Wuxie had just returned to the academy a day ago and had not seen them yet.

"I just got back," he said with a nod, offering a brief greeting before continuing toward the center of the valley, where the duel would take place.

"Wuxie, you have to be careful. I have a feeling something's off about Liu Sheng," Liu Feng said with a frown. He couldn't tell what was happening but believed that Liu Sheng had changed.

Liu Wuxie remained calm. "Even if he's reached the higher levels of the Spirit Profound Realm, he'll die today."

Even if Liu Sheng had a fortuitous encounter the night before, at most he could have broken through by one or two levels. It wasn't as if Liu Wuxie hadn't slain cultivators at the seventh level of the Spirit Profound Realm before.

"Still, you need to be careful," Liu Feng said in a low voice. "There's a rumor going around... Someone has secretly issued a Soaring Bloom Order within the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. Whoever kills you will receive a reward of one hundred million spirit stones. I've heard that many have already accepted the task."

While Liu Wuxie had been away, the Soaring Bloom Order had quietly spread through the academy's shadows. Few knew of it, but those who did were keeping it hushed.

Liu Feng had managed to break into the Spirit Profound Realm thanks to the pill Liu Wuxie had given him, and had since been promoted to holy son status within the Promotion Hall. He had overheard two figures whispering about the Soaring Bloom Order while passing through a secluded alley.

"Do you know who issued it?" Liu Wuxie asked, stopping in his tracks.

The Soaring Bloom Order was an assassination bounty on his head. There was no limit to the participants; whoever could complete the mission would receive the reward.

"I don't know," Liu Feng replied, shaking his head. He didn't know where the news came from, and no one knew who had issued the Soaring Bloom Order. It was as if it had appeared out of nowhere.

"Then, where will they claim the reward after killing me?" Liu Wuxie asked.

After all, whoever completed the mission would have to go somewhere to claim the reward, which would expose the mastermind.

"The Black Plume Pavilion!" Liu Feng replied in a grim tone.

The bounty had been issued through the Black Plume Pavilion, which meant anyone who delivered Liu Wuxie's head would receive a reward of one hundred million spirit stones.

The Black Plume Pavilion was a mysterious organization specializing in assassination, known for training countless killers. What made it truly dangerous, however, was the fact that its assassins could be anyone, possibly even people within the academy or the Liu Clan itself.

After all, there were no restrictions for one to become an assassin. All they had to do was register themselves in the Black Plume Pavilion to become one of their assassins. This meant they could be anyone, even disciples from prominent sects. The dual identities wouldn't interfere with each other.

However, they would have to swear a soul oath the moment they joined, never to reveal any secrets of the Black Plume Pavilion. This was why, to this day, the organization's origin remained a mystery, and no one knew who the pavilion master was.

Liu Wuxie knew most of the significant forces across the Central Plains, but there wasn't much information on the Black Plume Pavilion.

Over the years, many Black Plume Pavilions' assassins had been captured, but everyone had chosen suicide over betrayal.

"This is getting interesting now," Liu Wuxie said with a faint smile rising on his lips, but he wasn't too concerned.

It could've come from within the sect, from an external force, or even from another prominent clan. Since the academy's disciples had already caught wind of it, it was likely that those outside the academy had heard of the bounty as well.

One hundred million spirit stones wasn't a small sum, and even cultivators at the higher levels of the Spirit Profound Realm would go insane over it.

By the time Liu Wuxie stepped into the center of Astral Moon Valley, Liu Sheng was already there, having waited for some time.

"Liu Wuxie, I thought you'd be too scared to show up," Liu Sheng sneered.

He did seem different today, with a strange confidence gleaming in his eyes.

"Make your move," Liu Wuxie said flatly, unwilling to waste time exchanging words with Liu Sheng.

It was a duel to the death, and words were meaningless now.

Liu Lin stood beside Liu Sheng with his fists clenched together. He wanted to witness Liu Wuxie's death with his own eyes.

"What arrogance!" a disciple at the high levels of the Spirit Profound Realm from the Treasure Institution scoffed.

After all, destroying a forging chamber was an enormous loss to the Treasure Institution. Building one cost more than two thousand points—easily in the hundreds of thousand.

It was no wonder why the Treasure Institution's disciples were furious at Liu Wuxie. However, they could do nothing as the explosion wasn't Liu Wuxie's fault. The chamber simply couldn't withstand the Heretic Blade's power.

"That arrogance won't last long," another disciple sneered. "He's just a True Profound Realm cultivator who doesn't know his place."

However, Liu Wuxie remained unmoved by the surrounding mockery, calmly observing every expression in the crowd, especially those of the White Dragon Peak disciples. The humiliation his three senior brothers had suffered was still etched deeply in his heart.

"Liu Wuxie, you hear that? So many people want you dead. You'd better kneel and beg for mercy while you can," Liu Sheng sneered, gesturing toward the crowd.

The taunts mainly came from the White Dragon Peak and Treasure Institution, as the other peaks and institutions merely watched silently.

"What nonsense!" Liu Wuxie snapped.

Without a moment's hesitation, he struck with his palm. A thunderous boom erupted as a violent storm of energy surged forward, roaring toward Liu Sheng like a raging tempest.

"You're courting death!" Liu Sheng roared in fury, feeling utterly insulted by Liu Wuxie's direct assault. He countered with his own palm strike.

The moment their palms collided, a massive shockwave exploded outward, sending both of them flying in opposite directions. The force of the impact shook the valley, forcing the surrounding disciples to retreat in alarm.

"What a powerful palm strike!" gasps and exclamations rang out as the spectators tried to steady themselves, eyes wide in disbelief.

After all, Liu Sheng was at the fifth level of Spirit Profound Realm, but he failed to kill Liu Wuxie in a single strike.

There was no expression on Liu Wuxie's face when he landed on the ground, but he soon frowned. By all logic, it shouldn't have been a challenge for him to deal with someone at the fifth-level Spirit Profound Realm, but it felt like Liu Sheng had changed overnight.

Where did he get his power from?

"Liu Wuxie, everyone told me that you're capable of slaying cultivators at the Spirit Profound Realm. Now that I look at you, it's nothing impressive," Liu Sheng scoffed. His heart settled, believing he had already grasped the extent of Liu Wuxie's power.

"If I'm not wrong, someone helped you last night, didn't they?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He could sense a foreign energy coursing through Liu Sheng's body, something unnatural and forcibly infused. It carried the distinct mark of someone at the Earth Profound Realm.

The change in Liu Sheng's eyes was subtle, too subtle for most to catch, but not for Liu Wuxie. And in that instant, he knew he was right.

Someone had aided Liu Sheng, and the reason was obvious—they wanted Liu Wuxie dead in today's duel.

"Liu Wuxie, I'll avenge my grandfather and kill a disgrace like you!" Liu Sheng roared, interrupting Liu Wuxie. As long as he could kill Liu Wuxie, his grandfather would have a chance to return to the Liu Clan and regain influence.

"Then I'd like to see for myself who's backing you up," Liu Wuxie said, his murderous intent surging. When he took out the Heretic Blade, the surrounding space began to tremble, unable to withstand the blade's aura.

The blade had already merged into one with heaven and earth.

"What weapon is that? Such terrifying fluctuation of laws!" Those in the surroundings were ordinary disciples at the True Profound Realm, and they had never seen such a formidable weapon before. The aura released by the Heretic Blade alone was enough to kill ordinary cultivators at the True Profound Realm.

Liu Sheng's expression shifted the moment the Heretic Blade appeared. He had heard Liu Wuxie possessed a powerful weapon, but seeing it in person far exceeded his expectations.

A longsword appeared in Liu Sheng's hand, causing the surrounding space to tremble with ripples spreading out in every direction.

"This is weird. That sword doesn't seem to belong to Senior Brother Liu Sheng," said a voice among Treasure Institution's disciples. Many of them knew Liu Sheng well, and they immediately noticed the discrepancy of his weapon.

The sword was slightly longer than an ordinary sword, with a broader body, exuding a chilling and murderous aura.

"That's the Heavenly Star Sword! It once belonged to the city lord of Heavenly Star City. How is it in the hands of Liu Sheng?" Someone recognized the sword used by Liu Sheng. The Heavenly Star City's city lord had died several years ago, and his sword had vanished.

"The city lord was an expert at the Earth Profound Realm, and I heard someone at the higher levels killed him. What does it have to do with Liu Sheng?" Discussion erupted from the surroundings, and everyone was curious about the origin of Liu Sheng's weapon.

"Could it be that the sword was sold off after the city lord's death and Liu Sheng had bought it?" someone asked as it was highly possible.

"Absurd! The Heavenly Star Sword isn't just an ordinary dao artifact. It was nurtured for countless years by an Earth Profound Realm expert, and its power already rivals that of an earthen spirit artifact," a disciple sneered. "There's no way someone like Liu Sheng could afford such a weapon."

A weapon comparable to an earthen spirit artifact couldn't be bought with spirit stones alone.

Many disciples nodded in agreement, finding sense in what that disciple said. They wondered if Liu Sheng had someone helping him like Liu Wuxie had pointed out.

"Liu Wuxie, your blade is impressive, but my sword is better. You can die now!"

A powerful surge of power erupted from the sword, further boosting Liu Sheng's confidence. Deep down, he knew that without the help of that black-cloaked figure, he might not have stood a chance.

"You think you can beat me by relying on borrowed power?" Liu Wuxie sneered, and the Heretic Blade descended. He didn't hesitate to unleash his strongest attack.

"Golden Flame Strike!"

The blade aura that was unleashed formed into a prison that descended upon Liu Sheng, who didn't dare to be careless and raised his sword to counter with a decent technique.

Liu Wuxie instantly recognized the martial technique Liu Sheng had unleashed—it was from the Exquisite Pavilion, a sword art known as the Seven Beast Sword, based on the movements of seven distinct animals. The first stance: Rooster Style.

This opening move mimicked the sharp, piercing cry of a rooster at dawn, its blade like a beak striking directly at Liu Wuxie's head. Despite its name, the technique contained endless variations, much like dao techniques. And when executed with the Heavenly Star Sword, its power surged to a level comparable to the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm.

It easily ripped through the oppression created by the Golden Flame Strike upon being unleashed.

"What powerful swordsmanship!" gasped several disciples nearby. Many had attempted to practice the Seven Beast Sword technique before, but none had ever displayed such mastery, not until Liu Sheng.