Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 259 - Golden Marrow

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Liu Wuxie analyzed his mind multiple times before concluding he had a great chance of obtaining the Golden Marrow.

This was the underground world, where his speed was greatly hindered. However, the python king's massive size meant it would be restrained, creating a perfect opportunity for Liu Wuxie.

Long-range attacks were ineffective in dealing with the python king, and the best method was close combat. This was because the surrounding space restricted the python king's movement. Thus, the python king could only move his head to attack, and Liu Wuxie would be safe if he avoided the head.

Should the python king venture outside, Liu Wuxie would face a formidable challenge in approaching it. Fifth-grade demonic beasts, akin to human cultivators, had awakened their divine bridge.

Humans could learn divine art, while demonic beasts would awaken their innate divine art. It was similar to elements, like how some demonic beasts could breathe fire, ice, etc.

Once, Liu Wuxie had faced a rare demonic beast capable of mirroring martial techniques. However, such divine art was a rarity. His goal was straightforward: to reach the Golden Marrow swiftly.

As Liu Wuxie swung the Heretic Blade, sparks flew when it came in contact with the head of the python king. The strike didn’t even leave a scratch. This was the power of a fifth-grade demonic beast; their defenses were impervious to weapons.

If Liu Wuxie wanted to kill him with one strike, he would have to reach the True Core Realm.

The python king was furious and roared. The pythons behind him charged forward to stop Liu Wuxie.

“Get lost!” Liu Wuxie unleashed the Overlord Fist once more, conjuring a vacuum passage that sent the incoming pythons flying, some exploding mid-air.

As Liu Wuxie approached the Golden Marrow, the python king's green pupils were filled with torrential anger. He opened its mouth and spat out venom, which meant Liu Wuxie would have to bypass the venom if he wanted to get close.

No one could get close if they were in his position. The venom was highly poisonous; anyone coming in contact with it would only end up dead.

However, the venom posed no danger to Liu Wuxie. On the contrary, it would further perfect the world in his dantian. He summoned the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and devoured all the venom directly.

This unusual scene naturally shocked everyone present. They were still around, standing near the exit so that they could escape immediately if something went wrong.

“What’s that black goo?” A youth beside Zhao Chen asked. He saw a pitch-black hole but didn’t know what it was.

“I have no idea, but it’s terrifying. It feels like my soul is about to be pulled out of my body.” Everyone was loomed in fear. When Liu Wuxie brought out the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, their bodies were uncontrollably drawn to it.

However, they were fortunate as it only lasted for a breath. All the venom vanished when the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron disappeared.

When Liu Wuxie brought out the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, the python king looked afraid.

“Hmph!” Liu Wuxie snorted and began inscribing runes with his right hand. The moment he started, the python king’s eyes were filled with fear.

Now that he had reached the seventh level of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, his speed of inscribing immortal runes increased. The python king also retreated upon sensing the danger caused by fear in his soul. An incomplete immortal rune was enough to scare the python king into retreating.

Zhao Chen and everyone else were baffled when they saw this scene. They had no idea what was happening and why the python king retreated.

With the Golden Marrow revealed, Liu Wuxie stopped inscribing the immortal rune because the entire underground world would collapse if he continued. If that happened, he would also be buried underground with the rest. His goal was simple: to scare the python king.

“Rise!” Flames manifested under Liu Wuxie's command, encircling the Golden Marrow and bringing it into his grasp. This was the mastery of divine art, eliminating the need for him to retrieve it manually.

All was accomplished stealthily, leaving Zhao Chen's group unaware of the unfolding events. First, the python king retreated as Liu Wuxie secured the Golden Marrow, all in one seamless motion.

Upon grabbing the Golden Marrow, Liu Wuxie retreated, not allowing the python king to respond.

The python king roared angrily after realizing he was deceived when he saw Liu Wuxie taking the Golden Marrow. He had realized that Liu Wuxie’s purpose in inscribing an incomplete immortal rune was to force him to retreat.

As the python king stirred, the earth trembled, sending rocks cascading from above. The entire underground chamber shook violently, instilling fear in Zhao Chen's group. Their expressions changed in alarm, and they hastily made for the exit, unwilling to linger for even a moment longer.

Liu Wuxie performed the Seven Dipper Steps and appeared behind Zhao Chen’s group.

The python king was still roaring furiously. Right then, a group of people appeared outside the mountain. They also found this place and tried to break the seal to the underground palace. But the rumble from the underground palace scared them into fleeing.

When everyone left the cave, Liu Wuxie headed straight toward the safe zone at the base of the mountain.

Zhao Chen’s group wished they had another pair of legs as large rocks rolled down. If the rock struck them, they would be heavily injured even if they managed to survive.

The waist of the mountain exploded, and a massive head burrowed out from the underground world, releasing an overwhelming demonic aura. This left everyone outside dumbfounded.

“F-Fifth-grade demonic beast?!” All the cultivators in the surroundings were frightened out of their wits, scrambling to catch up with Zhao Chen and the others.

The python king's head emerged while its body remained trapped. He couldn’t control his size freely until he underwent another evolution.

Liu Wuxie stopped after running over a hundred miles away, gasping for his breath with lingering fear. That was too risky; he had almost died for the Golden Marrow.

When Liu Wuxie stabilized himself, Zhao Chen’s group also caught up. They exchanged a gaze before fifty-odd of them surrounded Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie’s gaze became cold with a hint of anger. His gaze pierced Zhao Chen because fifty-three others were acting under Zhao Chen’s instigation. He questioned, “You all want the Golden Marrow?”

As for everyone else, they merely observed from the side, as they weren’t familiar with Zhao Chen.

“Liu Wuxie, you already obtained the Golden Fruit and Blood Flame Devil Blue. Now, you even obtained the Golden Marrow. Why don’t you take one of it out and share it with everyone?” Zhao Chen said with a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.

His experience in the Python Mountain Battlefield wasn’t smooth. He had visited multiple locations, but others had gotten ahead of him, or he had failed to find any treasures there. Now that he had managed to enter this ancient tomb with great difficulty, Liu Wuxie had obtained the Golden Marrow.

They were in the ancient tomb for seventeen days, meaning there was no time to head to another location. This was why Zhao Chen could only go after Liu Wuxie.

Those who had joined the group late were baffled when they heard Liu Wuxie’s name. After all, this inconspicuous man looked nothing like Liu Wuxie.

Having his identity exposed, Liu Wuxie removed his disguise, revealing his actual appearance.

“How is this possible?! According to calculations from previous years, a person can only obtain two treasures at best, and most people can’t even obtain anything. He obtained three treasures?!” Even those in the surroundings began to show greed in their eyes. That was especially the case for those in the pinnacle of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

After all, any of the three treasures could help them reach the True Core Realm, and Liu Wuxie had three. So, how could everyone not be envious?

“I didn’t expect him to be so lucky.” Envious voices sounded in the surroundings. At times, fortune was also necessary. Those fortunate would encounter treasures, while those without fortune would find nothing.

“You want them? Ask my blade if it agrees!” Liu Wuxie couldn’t be bothered to waste words with these people. He would give them a fight since they yearned for one.

Liu Wuxie had only revealed one percent of his strength inside the python cave. Even if he had to fight the Python King for real, Liu Wuxie still would have won. Yet, did these people think they could take the Golden Marrow from him?

“Brother Zhao, we’ll follow your lead. What should we do?” Lu Cheng took a step forward to heed Zhao Chen’s call.

"We'll follow Brother Zhao's lead, just don't forget about us when you claim the treasures!" Zhao Chen's prowess made him the leader among them, and everyone who survived owed him their gratitude.

Being praised by so many people made Zhao Chen wear a smug face.

In the cave, Liu Wuxie had slaughtered countless pythons, but those pythons were demonic beasts, characterized by their slower reaction speeds. The situation outside was vastly different, as fifty-four experts held the power to suppress anything.

“Liu Wuxie, you’ve heard it. So, are you willing to hand the treasures over?” Zhao Chen sneered, his confidence bolstered by the numerous allies standing by his side. Ordinary people couldn’t accomplish this; someone with prestige and leadership was required.

“Cut the crap!” Liu Wuxie mocked. These people were no different from garbage in his eyes.

“Why waste time talking to him? We can just kill him!” Zhao Chen and the others hadn’t witnessed Liu Wuxie’s performance at the Mountain Seeking Lake and merely heard rumors about it. If they had seen Liu Wuxie kill Xue Shihong and the others with one blade strike, they wouldn’t be so arrogant.

“Let’s go!” Zhao Chen ordered, and fifty-four people attacked. Their attacks formed a torrential wave because no one dared to hold back, unleashing their strongest attacks immediately.

Various martial techniques intertwined and formed into a powerful wave, with Liu Wuxie in the middle. At any moment, they would be swept away by it.

“Trash!” Bone-chilling frost swept out from Liu Wuxie.

Zhao Chen was enraged by Liu Wuxie’s taunt, and his sword split into three. All experts present were geniuses from various places. There were also students from the Imperial Academy; they pretended to be unfamiliar with Liu Wuxie when they attacked.

Since these people had taken it so far, Liu Wuxie didn’t mind being ruthless. He raised the Heretic Blade with faint blade intent spreading out. As the blade aura began to form, this perfect move drained fifty percent of his true essence. He had already mastered the Fatality Blade Art’s first form.

Before Liu Wuxie swung his blade, countless blades were manifested, enveloping the fifty-four people.

“What a powerful blade aura!” The spectators’ expressions changed at this sight as they quickly retreated.

Zhao Chen’s group was blinded by greed and forgot what fear was. When death descended, they finally realized the terrible mistake they had made.

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