Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 153 - Solitary Pillar

Everyone from Advanced Class Seven nodded as this was an unfair competition. Liu Wuxie had joined the academy less than a month ago and was still unfamiliar with many parts of the academy. So, it was reasonable for him to refuse the challenge.

“I accept your challenge!” Liu Wuxie’s voice reached every corner of the venue. It was already too late for anyone to stop him, and the only thing they could do was cheer him on.

“Junior Brother, you have to be careful. Tao Wenbing has come prepared. So don’t fall for their trap.” Zhao Cheng warned in a hushed tone. Given that Tao Wenbing was at the pinnacle of the Xiantian Realm and still dared to challenge, he must have some level of confidence.

“I appreciate your warnings!” Liu Wuxie responded, disappearing and reappearing in the region of the Solitary Pillars.

The Solitary Pillars were different from ordinary pillars used to practice movement techniques. The height and placement of the pillars varied. Beneath the pillars were mud and poisonous thorns. They weren’t ordinary pillars because they were dangerous. A careless misstep could lead to a fatal encounter with the poison.

Tao Wenbing was already stationed on a pillar, a frosty smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He addressed Liu Wuxie, “You’re quite audacious, Liu Wuxie. I acknowledge your strength, but remember, this is a contest of movement technique, not weapons or martial arts. The first to reach the finish line wins. Are you in agreement with these terms?”

Even a contender at the first level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm might not be a match for Liu Wuxie. Tao Wenbing, who was at the pinnacle of the Xiantian Realm, wouldn’t have dared to challenge Liu Wuxie if he wasn’t confident in his abilities.

“How despicable! If you two aren’t allowed to use martial techniques, this won’t be fair for Junior Brother Liu!” Li Shengsheng was furious because Tao Wenbing was blatantly digging a trap for Liu Wuxie to jump in. If Liu Wuxie couldn’t use any martial techniques or weapons, he might as well let Liu Wuxie compete with him, having his limbs tied up.

“I support Senior Brother Tao. Since this is a competition between movement techniques, why should martial techniques or weapons be allowed?” Many echoed Tao Wenbing’s sentiments, finding no fault in his argument. If martial arts and weapons were permitted, they might as well have chosen an arena for the competition.

Over fifty students from Advanced Class Six rallied behind Tao Wenbing. With Liu Wuxie having stepped forward, there was no turning back for him.

“Sure!” Liu Wuxie replied indifferently, ignoring the surrounding mockery. Nothing could cause a ripple in his heart.

Tao Wenbing’s smile grew wider after hearing Liu Wuxie’s response. He sneered, “The Solitary Pillars stretch seven hundred meters, and we’ll rely on our ability to reach the end. If anything happens, no one will be held accountable!”

This was tantamount to a death match. The Solitary Pillars were designed for practicing movement techniques, and fatalities were rare. However, today was different. The Solitary Pillars had been modified with poisonous thorns on the ground. This raises the question: Who could have altered the arrangement of the solitary pillars?

The Xue Clan had gone to great lengths to eliminate Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie surveyed the three hundred and sixty pillars before him, each varying in size and irregularly placed. The furthest distance between the two pillars was five meters, necessitating a leap to traverse the gap.

The surroundings gradually fell into silence as everyone held their breath, keen to observe every detail of this contest, hoping to glean valuable insights.

“Xue Rui, what are the odds of Tao Wenbing winning this competition?” In the Profound Grade region, a group of Xue Clan disciples had congregated, their gazes fixed on Liu Wuxie with malevolent intent.

“Ninety percent!” A murderous intent flashed in Xue Rui’s eyes. He had been unable to locate Liu Wuxie in the Flame Sun Cave, and all the individuals he had dispatched had vanished. It was likely that Liu Wuxie had killed them, but he had no proof.

“Young Master, please be reassured. This brat will die for sure!” Xue Pinzhi said to Xue Yu in a fawning tone. Xue Yu might not have a high cultivation and was barely in the first level of the Spirit Cleansing Realm, but he had a high status in the Xue Clan that even Xue Rui had to look up to him. After all, Xue Yu was the grandson of Xue Dingtian.

Xue Yu clenched his teeth, the events of Azure Billow City still fresh in his memory, fueling his desire to crush Liu Wuxie. He had never experienced such disgrace before. However, the person he despised the most was the woman who had repeatedly rejected him.

“When this brat is dead, I’ll have my grandfather assist me in proposing to Baili Qing for Xu Lingxue’s hand!” Xue Yu was smitten with Xu Lingxue from the moment he laid eyes on her. Her image distracted him, disrupting his sleep and appetite. While many had heard of Xu Lingxue’s beauty, few had actually seen her.

Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing positioned themselves at the starting line, waiting for the signal to commence. The first two hundred meters consisted of a hundred pillars, the next two hundred meters consisted of a hundred pillars, and the remaining pillars were located at the last few hundred meters.

Executing Ghost Eye, each landing point of the pillar appeared in Liu Wuxie’s mind as he quickly analyzed the perfect landing point.

“Start!”

Like arrows released from a bow, Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing sprang forward. Tao Wenbing, having mastered a formidable agility technique, moved with a swift whooshing sound, with Liu Wuxie trailing close behind.

As more pillars were in the first section, the two were evenly matched in speed. The pillars weren’t arranged in a straight line. If it was someone who came for the first time, they might fall if they couldn’t find the landing point.

Tao Wenbing had spent years on the Solitary Pillars, and he could find his landing with his eyes closed.

“Liu Wuxie is bound to lose. I’ve heard that Tao Wenbing has been practicing on the Solitary Pillars these past few days, and he knows them like the back of his hand.”

As they picked up speed, Liu Wuxie and Tao Wenbing became mere blurs. Their afterimages flickered on the pillars. In a flash, they had covered a hundred meters and, at this pace, they could quickly reach the finish line. But things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

Suddenly, a swishing sound echoed, aimed at Liu Wuxie’s legs. After the first hundred meters, the number of pillars diminished, meaning they had to share a pillar to proceed.

As Liu Wuxie was a step behind, Tao Wenbing seized this opportunity to attack Liu Wuxie’s legs, hoping to send him plummeting into the mud below. The mud had many poisonous snakes and insects. Even if someone survived the fall, the snakes and insects were enough to tear down a layer of skin.

Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd as Tao Wenbing unexpectedly launched a covert attack.

Liu Wuxie was left with no room to evade; there was only one pillar ahead, his sole landing point. Tao Wenbing had meticulously calculated his move, and if Liu Wuxie didn’t dodge, his legs would be severely injured.

“This brat is finished!” Students of Advanced Class Six cheered upon seeing this scene.

“Kill him! Quick, kill him!” Students of Advanced Class Three and elite classes roared as though they could see Liu Wuxie falling into the mud beneath.

This meant Liu Wuxie only had two choices. The first was to take a step back. But this meant that he would lose, making it harder for him to chase up Tao Wenbing. The second choice was to clash with Tao Wenbing head-on and see who was stronger.

Tao Wenbing held the initiative, and Liu Wuxie’s odds were low even if he succeeded. They couldn’t use weapons or martial techniques, so they could only clash head-on.

Time was of the essence, and Liu Wuxie had little to spare for decision-making. He was already airborne, making a retreat unfeasible, and his right foot was on the verge of touching down on the pillar.

This elicited a malicious grin from Tao Wenbing, who abruptly amplified his force.

Xu Lingxue clenched his fist tightly, growing even more concerned. Beside her, Xiao Yanlong’s eyes flashed with a hint of viciousness.

However, a bizarre scene occurred as Liu Wuxie spun mid-air before falling to the mud beneath.

“Haha! That brat gave up!” Everyone thought that Liu Wuxie would clash head-on, but they didn’t expect him to dodge and choose to fall into the mud.

Tao Wenbing was shocked, quickly recollecting himself after his kick missed. He changed tactics and soared to the sky, kicking the second pillar before Liu Wuxie. This ensured that Liu Wuxie would fall even if he managed to leap up from the muddy ground.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. No one expected Tao Wenbing to be so despicable, severing Liu Wuxie’s path.

Li Shengsheng and the students of Advanced Class Seven were left gritting their teeth. They had underestimated the intensity of the competition, not expecting Tao Wenbing to resort to such underhanded tactics to eliminate Liu Wuxie.

As Liu Wuxie neared the mud, a pungent odor filled his nostrils. His landing point was destroyed by Tao Wenbing, but in a surprising turn of events, Liu Wuxie reached out to grab a pillar, using it as a pivot to propel himself forward. This unexpected maneuver left the spectators in awe.

“What an exquisite movement technique!” Many people stood up from their seats, shocked by Liu Wuxie’s movement technique. Regardless of whether they were friends or foes of Liu Wuxie, they couldn’t help but marvel at his performance.

With a 360° rotation, Liu Wuxie landed on the third pillar and appeared before Tan Wenbing. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and each movement was perfectly calculated. A single misstep could cost Liu Wuxie his life.

Liu Wuxie didn’t use any martial techniques or weapons, relying entirely on his agility.

This enraged Tao Wenbing, who let out a deep roar and lashed a kick on a pillar with his left foot. The number of surrounding pillars began to decrease as they fell one after another, reducing Liu Wuxie’s chances of winning.