Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 1783 - Dragon Burial Mountain Range

The long-dormant Ghost Pupil finally throbbed with violent force, as though some mysterious power had awakened and drawn it forth.

"This is the power of the Eight Divine Pupils!" Liu Wuxie's heart jolted violently, yet his expression remained perfectly composed. The Eight Divine Pupils had disappeared into the depths of history long ago, and even his Ghost Pupil had originated from Ghost Eye. He wondered whether the mysterious eyeball that had appeared might be one of the Eight Divine Pupils.

A mysterious connection bound the Eight Divine Pupils together. He could not tell whether his Ghost Pupil had drawn out the mysterious eyeball or whether that mysterious pupil was summoning him toward the Dragon Burial Mountain Range.

The vast Dragon Burial Mountain Range stretched across hundreds of thousands of miles. It connected to Fourfold City in the east and bordered Eastern Imperial City in the south, making it an ideal cultivation ground for countless cultivators.

Ye Guhai, the city lord of Fourfold City, was ambushed by the Wen Clan within this exact Dragon Burial Mountain Range and had nearly lost his life.

The violent throbbing of the Ghost Pupil gradually subsided, settling into a slow, rhythmic pulse so subtle that an ordinary person could scarcely detect it.

"We'll set out immediately!" Liu Wuxie declared.

Every one of the Eight Divine Pupils wielded unfathomable powers. The Ghost Pupil, also known as the Eye of Darkness, granted the ability to see through objects.

Ye Linghan had intended to do precisely that.

"Alright!"

They could entrust the classes to Yi Zhong and the other mentors, since there was not much they needed to teach.

Several students began tailing them shortly after they departed from the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Notify the clan immediately that Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan have left the Azure Flame Dao Hall!" Other Wen Clan disciples remained hidden near the Southern Lake, secretly monitoring Liu Wuxie's every movement.

The five questions had only intensified the Wen Clan's desire to eliminate Liu Wuxie. They understood that the consequences would become unimaginable if they allowed him to continue growing.

Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan raced onward at full speed. Rather than entering Eastern Emperor City, they followed a mountain trail and took another path into the Dragon Burial Mountain Range.

The two abruptly halted.

"Do you know where the mysterious eyeball appeared?" Liu Wuxie asked. The Dragon Burial Mountain Range was so immense that even if they searched for an entire year, they could never cover every inch of its territory.

Ye Linghan pointed, saying, "To the east!" The location lay several days away, and vast numbers of cultivators were already rushing in that direction.

Liu Wuxie activated Ghost Pupil and gazed toward the east, immediately sensing its throbbing grow stronger.

Just as the pair prepared to resume their journey, Ye Linghan suddenly froze. A talisman hidden inside her clothes lit up before a voice rang from it, "Young Lady, the Wen Clan has launched a full-scale assault on the City Lord Mansion. We need reinforcements immediately!"

The voice belonged to one of the City Lord Mansion's guest elders, who had sent the urgent message to Ye Linghan.

"Damn it!" Ye Linghan erupted with fury upon learning that the Wen Clan had dared to attack the City Lord Mansion.

Liu Wuxie knitted his brows. Less than fifteen minutes had passed since they had left the Azure Flame Dao Hall, yet news had already arrived from the City Lord Mansion. The timing was far too coincidental.

"Wuxie, I must return to Fourfold City!" Whether the message was genuine or not, Ye Linghan had no choice but to return and investigate. After all, her father had once nearly died at the Wen Clan's hands, and she naturally refused to let history repeat itself.

Liu Wuxie wanted to speak, but the words refused to leave his lips. Even he could not determine whether the Wen Clan had created a diversion or had truly launched an assault against the City Lord Mansion.

If this was a diversion, the Wen Clan intended to lure Ye Linghan away and seize the opportunity to kill him. However, if the attack was genuine and he stopped Ye Linghan from returning, he would become the sinner once the Wen Clan conquered the City Lord Mansion.

"You should return by yourself," Liu Wuxie said.

"I'll escort you back to the Azure Flame Dao Hall first. The Dragon Burial Mountain Range is far too dangerous, and I can't allow you to enter it alone," Ye Linghan replied.

After all, Liu Wuxie had offended numerous mentors during this period, especially those from the Wen Clan. Without her beside him, the Wen Clan would seize the opportunity to strike.

"There's no need. I can protect myself," Liu Wuxie replied, offering no further explanation as he urged her to leave quickly. Judging by the message transmitted through the talisman, he could tell that the Wen Clan had mobilized its entire force.

Ye Linghan could only stamp her foot in frustration. She understood Liu Wuxie's temperament all too well; once he reached a decision, no one could ever change his mind.

"Take this flag with you. It can save your life at a critical moment," Ye Linghan said as she reached into her clothes and produced a palm-sized flag. She normally kept the flag close to her, constantly nourishing it with her own energy.

Liu Wuxie's eyes brightened at the sight of it. Back in Moon Reverence City, he had personally witnessed Ye Linghan use this very flag to kill the Azure Bamboo Gang's leader.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Linghan thrust the flag into Liu Wuxie's arms before speeding away in another direction, her heart gripped by the fear that something might happen to her father.

Liu Wuxie lowered his gaze toward the flag in his hand, which carried a faint fragrance. As he inhaled that delicate scent, a thread of warmth quietly flowed through his heart.

He had no time left to waste. He needed to hurry before the mysterious pupil fell into someone else's hands. With a quick flash, he plunged into the Dragon Burial Mountain Range and vanished among its strange trees.

However, the trees were not the most terrifying aspect of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range. The true danger came from the immortal beasts that inhabited its depths.

As a ninth-level High Immortal, Liu Wuxie should have remained within the outer range of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range. Venturing any deeper would be tantamount to throwing his life away.

Even divine immortals could not guarantee their safety within the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, let alone a high immortal like Liu Wuxie.

The moment Ye Linghan appeared in Eastern Emperor City, the Wen Clan's disciples discovered her. After all, the city's teleportation array connected directly to Fourfold City, making travel between them extraordinarily convenient.

Messages swiftly spread. "Notify the clan immediately that Ye Linghan has returned to Fourfold City! This means Liu Wuxie is alone in the Dragon Burial Mountain Range!" The Wen Clan immediately mobilized its elites toward the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, determined to trap Liu Wuxie inside.

Many mentors and students from the Azure Flame Dao Hall also learned that Liu Wuxie had entered the mountain range. Restlessness surged among them, for the talent Liu Wuxie had displayed had awakened the greed in countless hearts. Whoever killed him could extract his soul and seize every secret he possessed.

All of this unfolded without Liu Wuxie's knowledge. With Ghost Pupil activated, he strode across a carpet of withered yellow leaves, maintaining constant vigilance against every hidden danger.

The Dragon Burial Mountain Range stretched across an impossibly vast expanse, and Liu Wuxie could not fly, leaving him no choice but to continue on foot. Fortunately, Ghost Pupil gave him the means to pinpoint the mysterious eye's location before anyone else.

Meanwhile, a group of people appeared upon a mountain path, comprising mentors and students from the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Liu Wuxie entered from here. Let's hurry!"

The students split into dozens of teams and rushed into the Dragon Burial Mountain Range before night descended.

The mountain range became more treacherous after nightfall. Once darkness swallowed the sky, even Liu Wuxie halted his journey and sought shelter inside a hollow tree for the night. He also took out several array flags and planted them throughout the surrounding area, guarding himself against attacks from immortal beasts while he rested.

As the night deepened, vast numbers of immortal beasts emerged from their nests to hunt for food. Since Liu Wuxie remained within the outer range of the mountain range, none of the beasts he encountered possessed particularly formidable strength.

A Phantom Venom Beast even went directly past him without detecting the slightest trace of his presence.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, refusing to squander even a single opportunity to cultivate. The mountain range brimmed with dense immortal energy, allowing him to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

The surrounding immortal energy surged like a rising tide, pouring relentlessly into Liu Wuxie's body.

Three miles away, a seven-person team had stopped to rest. "We've been pursuing him for so long, so why haven't we found any trace of him?" one of them said.

The strongest among them had reached the Spirit Immortal Realm, while the remaining six were all true immortals.

"He won't be able to escape!" the spirit immortal said as he sat beside the bonfire, a bizarre smile curling across his lips.

"Assistant Jin Ren, I've heard that you've cultivated a tracking technique. Why don't you use it to find him?" The true immortals gathered eagerly around the spirit immortal. They were all students from the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"Assistant Jin, show us your tracking technique already. Let us broaden our horizons!" the students urged, their faces brimming with excitement.

Unable to resist their persistent requests, Jin Ren rose to his feet and assumed a stance. He began forming a series of strange seals that left the students completely bewildered. As time passed, the seals flowed together one after another, gradually forming a map that pointed toward the depths of the Dragon Burial Mountain Range.

"That's it?!" the students asked, staring at the map in confusion.

"I understand now!" a student exclaimed, slapping his thigh with such force that his face twisted in pain before he continued. "As long as we follow the route shown on this map, we'll be able to find Liu Wuxie!"

"Assistant Jin Ren, Liu Wuxie doesn't seem to be far from the location shown on this map." The surrounding students rubbed their hands excitedly. After making a rough calculation, they determined that Liu Wuxie was only three or four miles away at most, far closer than any of them had expected.

"Since he's so close, let's use the cover of the night to catch up with him." Restlessness immediately swept through the students. They all belonged to the advanced class, and by now, news concerning Liu Wuxie had already spread throughout the entire Azure Flame Dao Hall.

Ultimately, under Jin Ren's leadership, the seven-person team followed the route on the map, closing in on Liu Wuxie step by step.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie was immersed in cultivation when he abruptly trembled, as though some mysterious power had locked firmly onto him.

"How strange. Who could possess the means to pinpoint my location from such a great distance?" Liu Wuxie murmured. Although he did not know who had located him, he knew that he had to take precautions.

He immediately left the hollow tree, intending to continue traveling through the night.

"How strange! The map is changing!" the seven-person team exclaimed upon noticing the sudden shift on the map.

"Could Liu Wuxie have discovered us?" The seven exchanged looks, disbelief flickering across their faces.

Jin Ren shook his head firmly, for his tracking technique had never failed him before. "That's impossible! He must've resumed his journey. Let's hurry!" he urged.

The seven-person team accelerated, streaking through the mountain range like meteors tearing across the darkness.

Liu Wuxie had no specific route in mind, but he already knew that someone had pinpointed his position. Therefore, he allowed Ghost Pupil to guide him as he traveled onward.

Without warning, a powerful shockwave hurtled toward Liu Wuxie's face. He swiftly flipped backward, and a Heavenly Yin Wingwolf emerged before him.

This vicious immortal beast harbored pure yin energy within its body. The mere sensation of its gaze could send waves of discomfort through its target.

Liu Wuxie had focused so intently on his journey that he neglected to monitor his surroundings.

The Heavenly Yin Wingwolf had been hunting nearby, and the moment it discovered Liu Wuxie, it leaped toward him.

"Get out of my way!" Liu Wuxie brandished the Bloodthirst Blade as a terrifying aura erupted from his body.