Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 4 - Spirit Origin

Lei Tao squinted his eyes with his mouth agape when the resounding slap echoed in the Treasure Pill Pavilion. As for the others, they were even more dumbfounded that Liu Wuxie dared to make a move in front of the boss himself.

“ARRGGGHHHH!” The purple-robed man let out a scream with his hair disheveled. The slap only knocked off a few of his teeth, so he was generally fine. He sprang up and let out a deafening roar, and the shockwave made the Treasure Pill Pavilion’s beams quiver and crack. He coughed up a mouthful of blood with a few broken teeth in it.

“Little bastard, I’ll kill you!” The ruler in the purple-robed man’s hand shone brightly, intending to take Liu Wuxie’s life.

“Say another word, and I’ll kill you first.” Liu Wuxie disappeared and reappeared before the purple-robed man, choking him by his throat. He wished to conceal his strength and avoid trouble but would gladly grant this man’s wish if he sought death. As long as he could restore his heart meridian, reaching the Xiantian Realm with the Desolate Devouring Art wouldn't take long. At that time, he could use some means of an Immortal Emperor.

The Treasure Pill Pavilion went pin-drop silent because the publicly despised trash had suddenly become so strong. He even mastered a profound movement technique and could easily subdue someone in the fifth level of the Houtian Realm.

Lei Tao withdrew his gaze because even he couldn’t see through the bizarre movement technique Liu Wuxie used. He couldn’t figure out how a piece of trash like Liu Wuxie suddenly became so strong.

“Young Master Liu, you must justify your repeated assaults on our staff. Otherwise, I will not be polite, and no one can save you, not even the Xu Clan’s patriarch.” Lei Tao’s words were obvious. Liu Wuxie would perish in the Treasure Pill Pavilion if he didn’t give Lei Tao an explanation, even if the Xu Clan’s patriarch came.

The crowd slowly regained their senses with fear on their faces. The few martial cultivators who taunted Liu Wuxie earlier cowered in the back of the crowd, fearing that Liu Wuxie might target them.

“Here, take this and bring someone higher up to talk to me.” Liu Wuxie ran out of patience. He pulled out the pill formula and threw it at Lei Tao. The paper was as thin as a cicada’s wing and caught everyone’s attention.

Lei Tao was in the Treasure Pill Pavilion for many years, and he could tell that Liu Wuxie had someone backing him. So he didn’t dare to take it too far. After he caught the formula, he slowly opened it.

He trembled when he scanned the formula. He was an alchemist when he was younger but became a manager in the Treasure Pill Pavilion because of his limited talent. Even now, he could only refine some first-grade pills. But he could tell with a glance that this formula was extraordinary.

“What do you want to discuss?” Lei Tao’s tone shifted. The Treasure Pill Pavilion might deal in pills, but most were first-graded Energy Condensing Pills and a few Heart Nourishing Pills. The pill formula on this paper was between the second and third grades, and he clearly knew what that implied.

“Are you sure you want to discuss it here?” Liu Wuxie frowned. He didn’t like noise, and this place was boisterous.

“Come with me!” Just like that, Lei Tao openly invited Liu Wuxie to the inner chamber, leaving everyone else speechless because they expected to see Lei Tao defeating Liu Wuxie. But the unexpected turn of tables caught them by surprise, making them eager to know what was written on the paper that Liu Wuxie hurled at Lei Tao. n0ve(l)bi(n.)co/m

When Lei Tao and Liu Wuxie entered the inner chamber, they were greeted by a splendid sight. The Treasure Pill Pavilion spared no expense in adorning the place with lavish furnishings, showing off their immense wealth. They made their way to a cozy private room that spanned twenty square meters. The room was furnished with elegant tables and chairs, and fresh fruits were laid out on the table.

Meanwhile, the hall broke into an uproar with disbelief on everyone’s faces.

“What’s going on? Why didn’t the Treasure Pill Pavilion kill him?” Everyone was baffled. The Treasure Pill Pavilion had a strict rule against fighting, and anyone who violated it would face severe consequences. Just last year, a troublemaker was killed for stirring up a commotion. Yet today, Liu Wuxie had not only broken the rule but was also invited into the inner chamber by the Treasure Pill Pavilion. This was simply astounding.

“Hmph, so what if he went in? I bet he’ll be carried out soon.”

“......”

Discussions broke out, and the number of people gathered increased. They even went as far as sitting down and waiting for the outcome.

“Talk. What do you have to say?” Lei Tao was still seething. He hadn’t forgiven Liu Wuxie for what he had done earlier just because he brought him here. If Liu Wuxie didn’t offer him a good reason, he would kill him on the spot.

“You don’t think it’s a fake, do you?” Liu Wuxie smirked. He could tell that Lei Tao was no fool. Lei Tao’s ability to identify the formula of an extraordinary pill showed that he was not someone to be underestimated. Besides, he had been working in the Treasure Pill Pavilion for a long time, and he would have no shame if he couldn’t tell what was precious or not.

“You’ll regret it if it’s a fake.” A cold glint flashed in Lei Tao’s eyes. He wouldn’t spare Liu Wuxie’s life if he tried to trick the Treasure Pill Pavilion, even if he was the son-in-law of the Xu Clan.

“Your Treasure Pill Pavilion should have a two-star alchemist, right? Why don’t you get him to appraise this formula first before we discuss it.” Liu Wuxie grabbed a fruit from the table and bit into it as he sat on the cushioned mat, the juice dripping from his mouth.

Only influential people could negotiate in the private room of the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and this was the first time a known trash had entered here.

“Invite Master Huo here,” Lei Tao shouted at the door. A person promptly answered and left.

The room fell silent again, and Liu Wuxie remained calm, casually munching his fruit under Lei Tao’s fierce pressure. This amazed Lei Tao because anyone else in Liu Wuxie’s situation would have wet their pants in terror. But Liu Wuxie just finished his fruit instead.

The door opened abruptly, and a man with white hair and a piercing gaze barged into the room in a bad mood. He waved his sleeves and asked, “Lei Tao, what do you want? I’m busy refining a cauldron of pills, and you will pay if I fail because of you.”

Alchemists were valuable and esteemed professionals in the True Martial Continent. This was because every martial cultivator relied on pills for their cultivation. To be an Alchemist, one had to master Fire attributes and have a powerful talent in their soul. This was why Lei Tao showed respect when he saw Master Huo.

“Master Huo, this kid brought a pill formula and wants to do business with our Treasure Pill Pavilion. I need you to check this formula and see if it’s genuine. If it’s fake...” Lei Tao drew a hand across his neck as a sign that he would slay Liu Wuxie.

Master Huo picked up the formula from the table, not paying much attention at first. This was because the Treasure Pill Pavilion had the formula for all the pills in the market unless it was a formula for rare pills.

Usually, having the formula was not enough without knowing the steps for refining it, and that was why Liu Wuxie had no qualms about revealing it. After all, he had omitted adding these steps in the formula.

Master Huo had a blank expression as he examined the formula. He had already heard the rumors outside along his way here, so he glanced at Liu Wuxie with contempt. But after he read through the formula, he furrowed his brow because this formula was intricate, and he couldn’t tell with a glance if this formula was authentic.

“Master Huo, what do you think?” Lei Tao asked, eager to know the outcome because he had never seen this pill before either.

“The Heavenly Spirit Pill, this is a new name to me...” Master Huo put down the formula and started drumming his fingers on the table, shutting his eyes and trying to deduce it from the ingredients listed.

“Using the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as core and condensing it into seven layers to make a pill,” Liu Wuxie said, and his words made Master Huo’s body tremble.

When Master Huo opened his eyes, his pupils sparkled with excitement on his face. He cried out, “Spirit origin!”