Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 500 - With Your Mouth?

When Huang Tao emerged from the depths of the Treasure Pill Peak, he was surrounded by a large group of disciples. He wore a luxurious robe, and dozens of disciples were by his side as they walked toward the square. The crowd erupted in applause at their appearance.

"Master Huang, teach this arrogant brat a lesson and let him get lost from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion!" Most of the disciples gathered in the surroundings were from the Treasure Pill Peak, and plenty of people wanted to curry favor with Huang Tao.

"That's right! Who does he think he is to cause trouble in the Treasure Pill Pavilion?" The voices grew louder and could be heard throughout Treasure Pill Peak.

When Liu Wuxie entered the square, he sat on a chair prepared in advance while Bi Gongyu and others stood on either side. He sat on the same level as the elders, and this drew ten-odd unfriendly gazes directed at Liu Wuxie because they were all alchemists from the Treasure Pill Peak seated opposite of Liu Wuxie.

"Liu Wuxie, you have quite the nerves to provoke the Treasure Pill Pavilion! We'll teach you how 'death' is spelled today!" A seven-star alchemist taunted. He had received guidance from Huang Tao and was the first to jump out.

“With just words?” Liu Wuxie’s smile never wavered as he looked at the seven-star alchemist with disdain, his tone light but filled with mockery. The other man was left speechless, unable to find a comeback. Liu Wuxie was right—whether in martial arts or alchemy, real skill mattered, not empty talk.

Another seven-star alchemist stepped forward, clearly offended. In most places, seven-star alchemists commanded immense respect, and yet here, Liu Wuxie was treating them with contempt.

The gathered alchemists, already on edge, now glared at Liu Wuxie with open hostility. He had humiliated them in front of their peers, sparking a collective anger.

"You're right. So what if I'm arrogant? I'm open to all challenges today aside from Huang Tao!" Liu Wuxie said with an overbearing tone, which had utterly enraged the Treasure Pill Peak.

Liu Wuxie's words also enraged the other peak's disciples because he showed complete disregard for the Treasure Pill Peak's alchemists.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. This includes nine-star alchemists!" Liu Wuxie said, and his words made Yi Xuan tremble.

Tian Xing had happened to land on the ground, and he nearly fell over when he heard that Liu Wuxie wanted to challenge the entire Treasure Pill Peak.

"Is he insane? He's too conceited!" Even the older generation couldn't stand Liu Wuxie's arrogance any longer because what he just said had offended all the alchemists in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

Liu Wuxie was a madman who challenged the Treasure Pill Peak and all the alchemists in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

The Treasure Pill Peak's alchemists were stunned and didn't know how to respond. After all, Liu Wuxie declared he was open to all challenges and that anyone could challenge him if they weren't satisfied.

Liu Wuxie wasn’t interested in hearing more nonsense; if these people wanted to compete, they could do so with skill, not words.

"Liu Wuxie, you're too arrogant! I'll tell you what it means to reap what you sow today!" A chilling voice came from Huang Tao's eldest disciple, Mo Lan. He stepped forward and headed towards the center.

Liu Wuxie raised his head and looked over; his gaze wasn't on Mo Lan but on Huang Tao. He noticed that Huang Tao was communicating with Qing Mu.

"Mo Lan, who do you think you are to speak to my master in this manner?" Bi Gongyu stepped forward, and his aura wasn't weaker than Mo Lan.

Mo Lan sneered, “You again? The same trash who dared call himself an alchemist here at the Treasure Pill Peak just three months ago with those pitiful skills? If you want to challenge my master, you’ll have to get through me first!”

Bi Gongyu didn't flinch. "You're not worthy of my time. The one I'm challenging today is him!" He pointed directly at Huang Tao. Mo Lan, a mere seven-star alchemist, wasn’t even a concern—Bi Gongyu could handle him effortlessly.

"My master isn't someone anyone can challenge. You must get past me to compete with my master!" Mo Lan's words drew much agreement from the surroundings.

Bi Gongyu glanced at Liu Wuxie, caught off guard by Huang Tao’s refusal to compete personally and his decision to send his disciple instead. He hadn't expected this tactic.

Liu Wuxie nodded to Bi Gongyu because he had already anticipated this move. After all, it would be beneath Huang Tao to accept anyone's challenge.

Sending his disciple to fight first would protect his reputation, and if Mo Lan won, it would only enhance Huang Tao’s prestige. After all, if Bi Gongyu couldn't even defeat the disciple, he stood no chance against the master.

"Fine. In that case, I'll defeat you first before dealing with that old rascal," Bi Gongyu said, looking at Huang Tao.

"You're courting death!" Mo Lan was enraged to hear his master insulted. Even Huang Tao's other disciples stood up to confront Bi Gongyu, and it looked like a fight could break out at any moment.

However, the elders intervened before a large-scale fight could break out.

"Senior Brother Mo, teach him a lesson! Let him know the consequences of provoking the Treasure Pill Peak!" Even the other disciples couldn't stand it any longer. Humiliating Huang Tao was the same as humiliating the Treasure Pill Peak's alchemists.

No one knew what Liu Wuxie was trying to do, and his actions had offended ninety percent of the Treasure Pill Peak's alchemists.

"Let's begin and stop wasting everyone's time!" Bi Gongyu looked impatient. Perhaps he was influenced by Liu Wuxie, but he didn't want to waste words with these people.

"Very well. Since this is an alchemy competition, how can we not have a wager to make things more interesting? Whoever loses has to kneel, kowtow, have their cultivation crippled, and be expelled from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Do you dare to take the bet?" Mo Lan had just received a voice transmission from his master to bet on a wager to cripple the cultivation of the one who lost, and the loser would also have to leave the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

This was a vicious condition, but Liu Wuxie was not surprised. Even Bi Gongyu didn't look surprised, as if he had already anticipated this outcome.

"As you wished!" Bi Gongyu didn't hesitate to agree with Mo Lan's terms. He continued, "Our words alone aren't enough, and I suggest having several elders judge our bet. This ensures no one can return on the bet if they lose."

This was the Treasure Pill Peak, and Liu Wuxie couldn't possibly start a massacre in front of so many elders if the other party refused to admit their bet.

The surrounding elders nodded because Bi Gongyu was right; they should be fair and just if they were going to compete.

Everyone could tell that one side represented Tian Xing, while the other represented Qing Mu. No one wanted to offend either side, so they weren't willing to step forward.

If Liu Wuxie’s side won the bet, it would mean helping Tian Xing while simultaneously making an enemy of Qing Mu. Conversely, losing could antagonize Tian Xing, creating a dilemma where one of the influential figures would inevitably be offended, regardless of the outcome. This left potential judges in a difficult position, as siding with either party could have serious repercussions.

"I'm willing to judge this competition." Yi Xuan suddenly stepped forward, offering to serve as a witness, leaving many stunned.

"Thank you, Elder Yi Xuan!" Bi Gongyu bowed.

Elder Yi Xuan’s decision to step up took everyone by surprise. Ever since his grandson was crippled, he had kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public. No one could quite understand why he had brought his grandson to witness this competition.

"I'm also willing to be a judge of this competition." A voice came from outside as a middle-aged man stood up.

"It's Mo Zhongtian! Why did he step forward? He's a nine-star alchemist of the Treasure Pill Peak!" The crowd stirred into an uproar.

The Treasure Pill Peak had five nine-star alchemists, and Mo Zhongtian was one of them, aside from Qing Mu.

"I know! Grandmaster Mo Zhongtian has some grievance with Grandmaster Qing Mu, which is probably why he stepped forward." Many people finally figured out why Mo Zhongtian volunteered to preside over this competition as a judge.

Though Qing Mu had the loyalty of about seventy percent of the alchemists, there were many who were not on his side. Some had been victims of his suppression in the past but had reclaimed their status through sheer skill and ability, and these individuals held little fondness for him.

Several elders stepped forward one after another and volunteered to judge the competition. With so many people watching, it was impossible to deny the outcome, but the purpose of having judges was to ensure that the bet was enforced. If the losing side refused to admit defeat and uphold the bet, the judges would enforce the bet for them.

Even if they weren't alchemists, they could still determine the quality and grade of the refined pills.

"Since that's the case, let the competition begin!" An elder stepped forward to signal for the two to start their competition.

"Don't accuse me of bullying you. I'll be refining the Spirit Recovery Pill, the simplest among seventh-grade pills," Mo Lan said with a smug grin. "If you can beat me, I'll abolish my cultivation myself."

Spirit Recovery Pills were common pills among seventh-grade pills, primarily used for recovering true essence. This pill was common on the market and could be found in every shop.

This was also an essential pill for cultivators, allowing them to swallow Spirit Recovery Pills if they ran out of true essence during combat.

"This Mo Lan is cunning. He has been refining Spirit Recovery Pills for decades and has long reached perfection with them. On the other hand, Bi Gongyu has only joined the sect for a few months, and it has only been three months even if he spent all his time refining pills," many people discussed among themselves because Bi Gongyu might have had a chance at winning if they were refining other pills.

Mo Lan could refine Spirit Recovery Pills with closed eyes, often reaching a high grade.

"Let us begin!" Bi Gongyu agreed to refine the Spirit Recovery Pill for their competition.

Alchemy skills depended not on the length of practice, but on one’s comprehension and innate understanding. Some could spend their entire lives refining pills and remain stuck as a three-star alchemist, while others could rise to the rank of a five-star alchemist after only a few days of refining.

The former often described ordinary individuals, while the latter were rare prodigies, much like Liu Wuxie.

The elder in charge took out two sets of identical ingredients for the Spirit Recovery Pill when Bi Gongyu and Mo Lan stepped forward to the cauldron.

The age and medicinal effects of the herbs were completely identical, and this was to ensure fairness for both parties.

The two opened the valve, allowing intense flames to surge from the ground.

There was a volcano beneath the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and the purity of the flames was no less than spiritual flames, capable of further purifying the pills.

As expected, Mo Lan was proficient in the refinement process. In just a few breaths, he threw several spiritual herbs into the cauldron, which were soon devoured by the flames and converted into a rich fragrance that permeated the air.

Bi Gongyu was calm and composed as he refined the Spirit Recovery Pill. Time was precious, and he couldn't afford to be careless. His master had told him to always maintain a calm heart because becoming impatient was a major taboo in alchemy. He had to keep a calm heart and never underestimate his opponent.

"What's going on? Why is his order of adding herbs into the cauldron different from Mo Lan's?" A seven-star alchemist suddenly stood up, his voice filled with surprise. He had been closely observing the process and noticed that Bi Gongyu’s method deviated from the standard sequence every seven-star alchemist knew.

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