Desolate Devouring Art

Liu Wuxie had nearly emptied his interspatial ring, leaving behind only the crystals he had recently condensed through the Desolate Devouring Art. Each crystal held powerful primal chaos energy; however, he had hesitated to expose them without good reason.

Before Liu Wuxie could even open his palm and reveal the crystal, it vanished from his grasp. By the next instant, the creature already held it.

Without hesitation, the creature tossed the crystal into its mouth and began chewing. Its teeth crushed the crystal into fragments before it disappeared down its throat.

Even after swallowing the crystal, the creature remained unsatisfied and extended its hand for another.

Under the black creature's expectant stare, Liu Wuxie had little choice but to produce five more crystals. It devoured all five in an instant.

The longer they remained together, the more Liu Wuxie's vigilance toward the creature receded. He could sense no danger from it. If the creature had truly wanted him dead, his life would have ended long ago.

Once it ate the five crystals, the creature held out its hand again and silently demanded more.

No matter how thoroughly Liu Wuxie searched his memories, he could not identify the creature's species. No ordinary immortal beast could withstand the violent primal chaos energy sealed within those crystals.

"I'll give you more, but first, you let me examine the staff in your hand," Liu Wuxie said.

From the moment the creature had appeared, Liu Wuxie's divine sense had remained fixed upon that black staff. He had never encountered anything resembling it, and even the memories of his past life as an Immortal Emperor offered no clue to its origin. He could certainly tell that the strange patterns carved across its surface did not come from the celestial realm.

The mystery surrounding the staff had naturally piqued Liu Wuxie’s curiosity, making him eager to examine it more closely. To ensure the creature understood his intention, he pointed directly at the staff as he spoke.

The creature immediately pulled the staff behind its back, clearly fearing that Liu Wuxie intended to steal it.

Its reaction revealed just how much the weapon meant to it. Not once since appearing had the creature allowed the staff to leave its grasp.

"I only want a closer look. You'll get it back afterward," Liu Wuxie said, repeating the message through a series of gestures.

Even then, the creature kept its guard raised and refused to relax its vigilance in the slightest.

Hoping to gain its trust, Liu Wuxie produced fifty crystals in one breath.

Brilliant light flared in the creature's eyes. For the first time, a spark of intelligence emerged as it stared at the fifty crystals, seemingly balancing temptation against danger.

Temptation ultimately prevailed. The creature extended its right hand and offered the staff to Liu Wuxie, though its fingers never released their grip.

Allowing Liu Wuxie to inspect the staff from such proximity already represented the greatest concession the creature would make.

The instant Liu Wuxie touched the staff, his right hand jerked backward on instinct. A fresh burn had appeared across his palm.

Even the heartfire inside the Heart Palace had failed to wound him, yet this unremarkable-looking staff had scorched his skin with a touch.

A sinister laugh escaped the creature, which appeared thoroughly entertained by Liu Wuxie's misfortune.

Liu Wuxie refused to surrender so easily. He circulated ice-attribute energy through his right hand, then reached toward the staff a second time.

Sizzling erupted the moment his palm met the staff, and thin streams of green smoke curled into the air. Liu Wuxie endured the searing pain and forced his immortal energy into the weapon, determined to uncover its secrets. To his astonishment, its surface rejected every strand of immortal energy.

"How is something like this possible?" Liu Wuxie muttered, stunned beyond words.

Even if the staff had been an Immortal Emperor Realm artifact, Liu Wuxie felt certain that he could have detected some trace of its nature. Yet this plain black weapon sealed itself completely against his immortal energy, denying him the slightest glimpse within.

Liu Wuxie tested Ghost Pupil and the Divine Tribulation Pupil next, but both attempts yielded nothing. With every method exhausted, he finally withdrew his hand. Before abandoning the inspection, he memorized each pattern on the staff and recorded them all in the Heavenly Dao Book.

As soon as the patterns entered the Heavenly Dao Book, its pages began fluttering with violent intensity.

Meanwhile, the creature consumed all fifty crystals within only three breaths. After devouring the last one, it released a satisfied burp, unmistakable contentment spreading across its face.

Liu Wuxie slowly walked around the creature, his eyes shining brighter with every step. He could not detect a trace of aura from its body, yet an unfathomable power clearly slumbered within it.

If Liu Wuxie persuaded the creature to serve as his personal guard, he would immediately gain an overwhelmingly powerful ally capable of protecting him. More importantly, it showed him no hostility because the Desolate Devouring Art could continuously create the crystals it craved. In theory, Liu Wuxie could produce as many as it needed. He only had to discover how to make the creature submit to him willingly.

"I'm going now," Liu Wuxie said, turning away and deliberately testing the creature's response.

The outcome unfolded exactly as Liu Wuxie had expected. Liu Wuxie had barely taken his first steps when the creature fell in behind him, refusing to lag by even a single pace. Its reaction confirmed that the crystals created through the Desolate Devouring Art held an irresistible attraction for it.

"Then why are you still following me?" Liu Wuxie asked.

The crystals had made the creature noticeably more receptive to him, so Liu Wuxie continued relying on gestures to communicate.

This time, understanding seemed to reach the creature. It pointed at Liu Wuxie's interspatial ring, apparently explaining that staying beside him guaranteed an endless supply of crystals.

The Ancient Origin Spatial Realm had lain dormant for countless years, making Liu Wuxie wonder how the creature had survived for so long. Even he could not solve that mystery. Perhaps it had slept through those endless ages and awakened only when the secret realm reopened.

"You can keep eating the crystals, but in return, you must listen to me and follow my instructions," Liu Wuxie said, using gestures to reinforce every word.

The creature cocked its head and struggled to decipher his meaning. Roughly five breaths passed before comprehension finally dawned. Anger instantly twisted its features, as though it believed Liu Wuxie had used the crystals to threaten it.

Without a moment's hesitation, the creature brought its staff crashing down toward Liu Wuxie. If the strike landed, Liu Wuxie would die.

Liu Wuxie did not move a single step as the staff descended. He knew evasion was impossible because the creature's combat strength was simply too terrifying.

"Kill me, and you'll never taste another crystal like that," Liu Wuxie said, spreading his hands with a helpless expression.

The moment the creature grasped that the crystals would disappear with Liu Wuxie's death, the descending staff stopped abruptly, only an inch from his body.

Only then did Liu Wuxie notice the cold sweat drenching his back. He had wagered his life on that gamble. Had the creature lacked all reason, he would already have become a corpse.

Fortunately, his gamble succeeded. In truth, he didn't have any other choice.

The creature suddenly lifted one finger. Its intelligence might have resembled that of a three-year-old child, but it was no fool. It clearly intended to negotiate.

"One finger... You mean you'll do only one thing for me each day?" Liu Wuxie asked after considering the gesture briefly and understanding its meaning.

The creature nodded its acceptance. It would agree to Liu Wuxie's proposal, but only if he limited his demands to a single task each day.

Liu Wuxie accepted without hesitation. This arrangement already offered an excellent beginning. With enough time, he believed the creature would slowly place its trust in him and eventually submit to him completely.

Thus, Liu Wuxie and the creature finalized their agreement, and their relationship improved swiftly afterward. Liu Wuxie would give it one hundred crystals each day, while the creature would complete one task for him in return.

Liu Wuxie had not yet decided what those tasks would involve.

He briefly entertained the idea of forming a soul contract with the creature, only to discard it almost immediately. His divine sense could not penetrate its soul sea, making such a contract impossible to establish. Besides, he already felt fortunate that the creature had not attempted to impose a soul contract upon him instead.

Powerful immortal beasts commonly used soul contracts to enslave humans. Such incidents happened throughout the celestial realm with alarming frequency.

"Do you have a name?" Liu Wuxie asked, accompanying the question with gestures as they continued traveling together.

Even after searching every detail from his previous life's memories, Liu Wuxie found no clue that might reveal the creature's identity.

The creature merely shook its head, confusion clouding its expression. It knew neither what kind of being it was nor whether it even had a name. Its earliest memory was of awakening alone within the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm.

"You don't have a name, so I'll call you Blackie from now on," Liu Wuxie said after glancing over its pitch-black fur.

A name would make communication far easier in the future, and Blackie offered no objection. From its perspective, one name mattered no more than another.

"I'm Liu Wuxie. Can you try saying my name?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He patiently taught Blackie how to speak, but despite its repeated efforts, it could pronounce only Liu Wuxie's surname.

As they traveled, Liu Wuxie continued asking questions while Blackie responded however it could. From their fragmented exchanges, he learned that Blackie had existed within the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm for an unimaginably long period, so long that even Blackie had forgotten how many years had passed.

Liu Wuxie also asked about Blackie's race, but Blackie knew no more about that than he did. During their journey, Liu Wuxie even exchanged several moves with Blackie to measure its combat strength.

The result left no room for doubt. One sweep of Blackie's staff hurled Liu Wuxie through the air, and the violent impact made him cough up blood.

Instead of taking offense, Liu Wuxie burst into delighted laughter. The greater Blackie's strength, the more effectively it could protect him.

After they crossed another mountain, the ground continued descending beneath them. By that point, Blackie had shed much of its earlier vigilance, and its trust in Liu Wuxie had deepened considerably.

"Liu Wuxie. Stop right there," Shen San roared.

His long pursuit had finally brought him within reach of Liu Wuxie. A few swift leaps carried Shen San directly into the path ahead, where he landed and barred the way forward.

Shen San's arrival drew no trace of nervousness from Liu Wuxie. Instead, a mischievous smile curved across his lips. Liu Wuxie had been wondering how best to test Blackie's combat strength. Since he could not contend with Blackie himself, he needed someone else to perform that task, and Shen San had arrived at precisely the right moment.

Liu Wuxie remained motionless and calmly watched Shen San descend like a falling meteor. The instant Shen San noticed Blackie standing behind Liu Wuxie, however, an involuntary tremor passed through his body.

Blackie presented a terrifying sight, particularly with that eerie dark glow radiating from the staff in its hands.

Shen San quickly forced aside his unease. He could not sense even the faintest aura from Blackie, making the creature seem entirely ordinary. He therefore assumed that Liu Wuxie had merely raised it as some kind of pet.

"You took your time," Liu Wuxie said.

Liu Wuxie had deliberately slowed his pace so Shen San could keep up. Otherwise, the Divine Ninefold Step would have carried him far beyond Shen San’s reach.

A powerful foreboding suddenly tightened around Shen San's heart, though its source remained elusive. He had finally caught Liu Wuxie after such a long pursuit, and retreat was no longer an option.

"This is where you die, Liu Wuxie," Shen San roared.

He drew his longsword and released the aura of a ninth-level Profound Immortal. Crushing pressure swept over the ground, lifting countless grains of sand into a raging storm that swallowed Liu Wuxie within it.

"Blackie, he's yours. Just make sure his corpse remains intact," Liu Wuxie said.

Their exchanges throughout the journey had allowed Blackie to understand Liu Wuxie's words despite its inability to speak. Tightening its grip around the black staff, Blackie stepped forward and placed itself protectively before him.

As soon as Shen San met Blackie's gaze, the unease inside him intensified, and every hair across his body rose.

"You expect a monster like that to defeat me? Don't make me laugh," Shen San scoffed. He drew a deep breath, suppressed his mounting unease, and swung his longsword down at Blackie.

Cultivators at the Origin Immortal Realm could not enter the Ancient Origin Spatial Realm. Shen San therefore assumed that nothing living inside could possess cultivation beyond the Profound Immortal Realm, regardless of how formidable it appeared. That belief allowed him to dismiss the warning gnawing at his heart.

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