Desolate Devouring Art

The Heavenly Divination Gate began clearing the devastated battlefield, yet no one asked what had become of the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

"Senior Meng, this is where I'll take my leave," Liu Wuxie said, cupping his fists in farewell.

His journey into the Shadow Divination Gate had rewarded him beyond imagination. He had obtained the Agarwood Essence, mastered the Divine Ninefold Step, and, most importantly, claimed the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

"Are you certain you won't come with us to the Heavenly Divination Gate?" Elder Meng asked.

Elder Meng had extended the invitation several times and even promised Liu Wuxie the position of guest elder if he joined. To anyone else, the idea of a mere True Immortal receiving the same treatment as an elder would have sounded inconceivable.

Liu Wuxie's path, however, did not lead to the Heavenly Divination Gate. Sooner or later, he would leave Eastern Emperor City behind.

"Perhaps another day," Liu Wuxie replied, neither accepting nor rejecting the invitation.

He might require the Heavenly Divination Gate's assistance in the future. A sect whose legacy stretched across thousands of years was not a force anyone could afford to underestimate.

"In that case, I won't detain you any longer," Elder Meng replied in farewell.

Meng Nong and Meng Yu personally accompanied Liu Wuxie to the teleportation array.

"Brother Liu, take care until we meet again," Meng Nong said, cupping his fists as visible reluctance shadowed his expression.

"Until we meet again," Liu Wuxie replied. He stepped into the teleportation array, and a dazzling corridor of distorted space engulfed him instantly.

An hour later, Liu Wuxie emerged from the teleportation array in Moonveil City. The moment he returned, he released the youth from the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron.

The liquid immortal energy had nourished the youth during the journey, allowing him to recover completely from his injuries.

"Brother, you saved my life, and words can't express my gratitude. Please accept my bow," the youth said, bowing deeply to Liu Wuxie.

"You can leave," Liu Wuxie replied, dismissing him with a casual wave.

Saving the young man had been nothing more than a fortunate coincidence. No meaningful bond existed between them.

Since ascending to the celestial realm, Liu Wuxie had grown steadily colder and more indifferent. The realization made him wonder whether the Heavenly Dao Book had severed some part of his mortal emotions.

Only a few months had passed, yet thousands of cultivators had either died at Liu Wuxie's hand or perished indirectly because of him. Many had lost their lives in the Dragon Burial Mountain Range because of the Divine Tribulation Pupil. He had not personally killed every member of the Wen Clan, but his actions had directly caused the clan's destruction. The downfall of the Shadow Divination Gate had likewise unfolded through his intervention.

Liu Wuxie began to suspect that an unseen force had drawn him into a struggle over the Heavenly Dao, one that had already escaped his control. If he wished to survive, his only path forward was to become stronger.

An invisible tide seemed to be sweeping across the entire celestial realm, dragging almost everyone into its current. Whoever survived that struggle over the Heavenly Dao would ultimately rise as a supreme powerhouse.

"My name is Qin Shuang, and I'm a disciple of the Qin Clan in Moonveil City. May I ask your name?" Qin Shuang said, formally introducing himself.

The Qin Clan ranked among Moonveil City's prominent clans. Even so, Qin Shuang had fallen into Enchantress' hands after entering the Yin Market.

"Liu Wuxie," Liu Wuxie replied. With the Heavenly Dao concealing his destiny, he no longer needed to fear exposing his identity.

"It's an honor to meet you, Brother Liu!" Qin Shuang said, bowing respectfully once more.

"We'll part ways here," Liu Wuxie replied.

He had no intention of lingering in Moonveil City. He planned to rent an immortal beast and depart as soon as possible.

"Brother Liu, if you aren't rushing to leave, please allow me to host you during your stay in Moonveil City. I want the chance to repay you for saving my life," Qin Shuang said earnestly.

Qin Shuang sincerely hoped Liu Wuxie would remain a little longer, giving him a proper opportunity to repay his kindness.

"That won't be necessary," Liu Wuxie replied before turning away, his distant manner unchanging from beginning to end.

Qin Shuang could do nothing but sigh as he watched Liu Wuxie's figure recede into the distance.

Liu Wuxie returned to the inn where he had stayed before entering the Yin Market and ordered several simple dishes. As he reflected upon everything he had experienced during the past half month, a chill crawled down his spine. One mistake inside the Shadow Divination Gate would have cost him his life.

Fortunately, he had survived every danger and escaped with the Heavenly Derivation Codex.

The inn remained as lively as ever, drawing rumors and news from every corner of the region.

Liu Wuxie lifted his wine cup and looked toward the distant mountain range. A streak of purple light suddenly flashed across the sky.

Countless cultivators noticed the purple radiance. They rushed onto rooftops and other elevated positions, each trying to secure a clearer view.

"Could the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm be reappearing after five hundred years?" cultivators whispered while staring at the purple light.

"The Ancient Origin Spatial Realm?" Liu Wuxie murmured.

The name stirred an elusive sense of familiarity. He felt certain that he had encountered it before, yet no matter how thoroughly he searched his memories, he could not immediately remember where.

Liu Wuxie activated the Heavenly Dao Book and searched everything he knew about the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm. Before long, scattered fragments began rising from the depths of his mind.

The Ancient Origin Spatial Realm had once been an ancient continent whose status rivaled the celestial realm. According to legend, the continent had already been destroyed when the celestial realm was still in its infancy.

No one knew what calamity had caused the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm to fall.

Countless worlds filled the universe, making the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm merely one plane among many.

In his previous life, Liu Wuxie had needed only a century to rise as an Immortal Emperor. That rapid ascent had left him no opportunity to explore those distant planes, so everything he knew about them came from ancient records.

Every plane possessed a finite lifespan, and the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm was no exception. When the universe approached the end of its existence, the celestial realm would decline with it and eventually perish.

That marked the limit of Liu Wuxie's knowledge. Even he knew nothing about the treasures or dangers concealed within the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm. It had vanished long ago, leaving behind only the faintest traces in the surviving ancient texts.

Liu Wuxie had not expected the cultivators of Moonveil City to know anything about the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm.

"Five hundred years ago, the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm had appeared," a cultivator standing on a rooftop announced loudly, making no effort to hide his knowledge from the crowd below. "It remained open for more than a month. Many cultivators who entered returned with treasures from the Primeval Era, and every one of them eventually became an overlord of the celestial realm."

"Now I remember!" another cultivator exclaimed. "Five hundred years ago, a Qin Clan disciple entered the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm and obtained a mysterious mirror. That treasure became the foundation of the Qin Clan's prosperity!"

Most cultivators gathered in Moonveil City were locals. Many had lived for centuries and knew that the Qin Clan's rise was inseparably linked to that mysterious mirror.

Liu Wuxie had originally intended to return to Eastern Emperor City after finishing his meal, but the imminent opening of the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm changed his plans. His cultivation was far too weak. At the seventh-level True Immortal Realm, he lacked the strength to venture far beyond the region surrounding Eastern Emperor City.

News of the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm's return swept outward like a raging storm.

Many clans from Fourfold City maintained branches within Moonveil City. The moment those branches learned what was happening, they transmitted the news to their main clans.

The Shen Clan, Zhu Clan, and other major clans immediately dispatched the elites of their younger generations after receiving the reports.

It was rumoured that the laws inside the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm possessed extraordinary density. Some even speculated that its former inhabitants had been primordial giants whose bodies towered over those of the modern Giant Clan.

Spirit Immortals and Profound Immortals soon flooded into Moonveil City.

The purple radiance continued intensifying, but the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm remained closed. Everyone could only wait.

Not long afterward, Ye Linghan sent Liu Wuxie a message informing him that the Shadow Divination Dao Hall had collapsed. The Azure Flame Dao Hall had also clashed directly with the Eastern Emperor Pavilion, though both sides had temporarily brought the situation under control.

The Azure Flame Dao Hall soon resumed normal operations. However, it expelled every mentor who had previously defected.

The news finally eased Liu Wuxie’s concerns about Eastern Emperor City, allowing him to remain in Moonveil City and explore the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm. Any fortunate encounter he found within could temper his cultivation.

Within a single day, every inn in Moonveil City filled to capacity.

Liu Wuxie stayed at the same inn and spent each day cultivating quietly in seclusion.

High above the city, the purple fissure widened little by little. An ancient, oppressive aura spilled from it and covered Moonveil City's skies like gathering storm clouds. Its crushing pressure bore down upon everyone, with weaker cultivators suffering the most.

"What terrifying pressure," Liu Wuxie murmured.

He had explored countless secret realms over the years, but none had ever felt as oppressive as the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm.

Many cultivators had already rushed toward the fissure, desperate to enter before everyone else. The instant they approached, however, a tremendous repulsive force erupted from within and hurled them violently backward.

"What's happening? Why is the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm rejecting me?" an Origin Immortal asked with a deep frown.

The laws governing the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm felt extraordinarily unfamiliar, and their power of rejection was astonishingly strong.

"Cultivators above the Profound Immortal Realm may be unable to enter," someone said.

Spirit Immortals and Profound Immortals faced far less resistance. They still could not reach the fissure itself, but they managed to get much closer than the Origin Immortals.

The surrounding Origin Immortals could only stare with bloodshot eyes. They had crossed thousands of miles to reach Moonveil City, only to discover that the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm barred them from entering. Their frustration was overwhelming.

Every secret realm possessed unique laws of heaven and earth. If experts with excessive strength entered, the weight of their auras alone could destroy the realm's natural order. The Ancient Origin Spatial Realm had likely developed a defensive mechanism specifically to prevent Origin Immortals from stepping inside.

Origin Immortals could fly. Liu Wuxie suspected that the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm prohibited flying and therefore rejected cultivators at the Origin Immortal Realm.

Several travel-worn youths soon emerged from the teleportation array.

"Mentor Wei, you've completely ruined me," Jiang Hongran complained bitterly. "If I hadn't joined the Shadow Divination Dao Hall, I'd still be a mentor at the Azure Flame Dao Hall."

Jiang Hongran had previously offended Liu Wuxie, but the Azure Flame Dao Hall hadn't expelled him. After Wei Wenbin was driven out, however, Jiang Hongran followed him to the Shadow Divination Dao Hall and helped him poach mentors from the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

Under Jiang Hongran's encouragement, numerous mentors had defected to the Shadow Divination Dao Hall within half a month. Once the Shadow Divination Dao Hall collapsed, the Azure Flame Dao Hall refused to accept any of them back.

"The Ancient Origin Spatial Realm may be the opportunity we've been waiting for," Wei Wenbin said, resentment twisting his expression. "If we obtain a few treasures there, we can break through to the Origin Immortal Realm. When that happens, the Azure Flame Dao Hall will be begging us to return."

In his heart, Wei Wenbin blamed Liu Wuxie for every misfortune that had befallen him. His status had declined repeatedly since Liu Wuxie's arrival, and even the Wei Clan now regarded him with disdain.

With events already beyond repair, Jiang Hongran could only grit his teeth and continue forward. He understood that no amount of complaining would change anything.

Shen Chao stood nearby. Like the others, he was one of the mentors who had abandoned the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Enough talking. Let's move," Shen Chao urged, looking toward the distant purple fissure.

The three men did not even stop to rest before heading straight into the mountain range.

Liu Wuxie remained inside the inn and showed no intention of leaving. According to his deductions, the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm would require another two days to open.

More cultivators continued pouring into Moonveil City. Even the Yin-Yang Elders from the underground fight club arrived in person.

The impending opening of the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm drew experts from every surrounding region.

Events unfolded precisely as Liu Wuxie had predicted. Two days later, the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm began trembling violently as a colossal fissure tore open and formed a passage connecting it to the nearby mountain range.

The moment the passage opened, countless cultivators rushed into the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm like an unstoppable flood. Every one of them feared that arriving a single step too late would allow someone else to seize the treasures hidden within.

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