Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 740 - Shocking Performance

Liu Po’s performance was solid, earning a respectable nod from onlookers. The unpredictability of the rolling logs made the challenge especially tricky, and for many instructors, stepping onto the field might have been far more embarrassing. Yet Liu Po had managed to emerge with only one hit.

“It’s your turn now!” Liu Po returned to the ground and looked at Liu Wuxie.

“Big Brother Wuxie, be careful!” Liu Xing called out with concern laced in his voice.

Liu Wuxie nodded before he stepped forward. Like in the previous trial, he started with the first level and stopped briefly before moving on to the second, which Liu Po had previously used.

The logs had already sunken into the ground so that the sequence could be rearranged. He paused briefly before continuing on to the third level.

“What is he trying to do? Is he going to challenge two hundred logs?!” Many people were left dumbfounded. They all felt that Liu Wuxie was courting death.

Liu Xing felt shocked at this sight and nearly fell to the ground, but Liu Yue supported him right in time.

“He’s a madman! He’s not going to attempt to challenge two hundred logs, is he?” Everyone felt that Liu Wuxie had probably walked over because he wanted to look at it. After all, even those in the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm would have a hard time against two hundred logs, and it was no different from courting death if Liu Wuxie chose it.

“He’s a madman, but I’m starting to like him!” Many disciples were supportive of Liu Wuxie. Since he was going to challenge, he might as well crush his opponent entirely.

“Brat, get back down while you can! The logs will crush you!” Many warned. What Liu Wuxie was about to attempt was no different from courting death. Even if he didn’t die, he would still be left heavily injured if the logs struck him.

However, Liu Wuxie ignored the calls from the surroundings and strode up the slope, calm and composed. When he reached the designated position, retreat was no longer an option, and he raised a hand to signal for the trial to begin.

When the green flag fell, the ground began shaking violently, like an earthquake had struck. Many spectators covered their ears, unable to bear the deafening rumble.

The first wave began to descend with thunderous force, and the descent of the logs was even more unpredictable than the hundred logs, moving at a faster speed and more tricky trajectory. It wasn’t surprising that Liu Po didn’t attempt the third level, as he would’ve only embarrassed himself if he did.

Many female disciples covered their eyes, unable to bear the sight. According to their predictions, Liu Wuxie would soon be buried under the logs and severely injured.

But with Ghost Eye, Liu Wuxie could observe the trajectory of every log; each magnified in his eyes. With all their trajectory captured by Liu Wuxie, the speed of the logs began to slow down.

Suddenly, Liu Wuxie vanished, performing the Nine Heavenly Crane Dance without circulating his true essence. He maintained a steady pace, relying on his body alone. Each leap and shift seemed meticulously calculated.

Everyone held their breath as they watched the logs hurtling past Liu Wuxie. They began to question whether it was pure luck that he landed precisely where he had stood before, a feat that seemed impossible to repeat, let alone surpass.

Thirty logs crisscrossed that formed into a giant web, trapping Liu Wuxie within.

“Let’s see how he’s going to dodge this time!” sneered the disciples who had mocked Liu Wuxie earlier. They couldn’t find any gaps in the logs, which was impossible to dodge unless Liu Wuxie used his true essence.

Before Liu Wuxie finished, he suddenly shot into the air and performed an odd maneuver in mid-air like a bent shrimp. It didn’t take long before his body began to twist, taking on various shapes as he wished.

He was like a butterfly weaving through the logs. His body wove between two converging logs as he tapped his foot on the log.

“What a beautiful move—like a dragonfly skimming across the water.” The spectators were struggling to keep up with Liu Wuxie. He was like a dragonfly in one moment, and he would transform into a butterfly in the next, tapping his foot on a log and shooting out like a comet, passing through the three logs.

“Beautiful! Beautifully done!” Applause came from the surroundings, and they were stunned by Liu Wuxie’s maneuver.

Even the disciples who had mocked Liu Wuxie earlier were silent now, unable to deny the brilliance of his technique. It was as if Liu Wuxie had calculated every log’s position with uncanny precision, and each movement was flawlessly executed.

Liu Wuxie wasn’t just challenging the rolling logs trial; it was a visual spectacle. The female disciples who had covered their eyes earlier lowered their hands, and their eyes sparkled with admiration, mesmerized by his performance. He had successfully evaded the first wave of logs with an elegant slide.

The ground began to tremble once more as over seventy logs fell simultaneously. They were like galloping horses charging in his direction, forming into an unstoppable torrent that left many people’s faces pale with fear.

Each log was as thick as a water barrel, and the sheer force of seventy logs falling at once was overwhelming. Yet Liu Wuxie remained motionless, standing calmly as though he were unfazed. The logs reached him before anyone could react, their speed and force far surpassing anything Liu Po had faced earlier—a stark contrast, like night and day.

Regardless of the difficulty, Liu Wuxie’s performance alone won the admiration of many people. When the speed of the falling logs increased, so did Liu Wuxie’s speed. Even if their trajectory became unpredictable, his technique would become even more unpredictable.

Liu Wuxie’s figure was no longer visible—only a flurry of afterimages darting between the seventy logs could be seen. Just as the crowd struggled to process his astonishing speed, something even more unexpected occurred. One of the rebounding logs struck his back.

This surprised everyone as a single misstep would result in Liu Wuxie meeting the same fate as Liu Po. Liu Wuxie had long discovered this as he charged at a rolling log.

“What is he trying to do? Is he trying to crash into it?” Everyone gasped in disbelief as Liu Wuxie’s action overturned their understanding.

“I already said he’s a madman! Only he can do something so insane!” Perhaps only Liu Wuxie dared to charge at a rolling log. If struck by it, he would fall to the ground, marking his challenge as a failure.

As the relentless logs thundered closer, a fierce wind swept through, tearing loose Liu Wuxie’s hair tie. His hair flowed freely behind him, giving him an ethereal presence. In that moment, he looked like an elegant crane soaring across the heavens.

When the rolling logs were a few inches from Liu Wuxie, he suddenly squatted down and leaped downward. Right then, the rolling logs collided with the log behind Liu Wuxie, producing a loud rumble as the first segment of the log, roughly five meters long, shattered into splinters.

One could imagine the crashing force of the impact, and anyone would throw up blood if they were struck. Seeing how Liu Wuxie came out unscathed, everyone’s backs were covered in cold sweat.

Whenever Liu Wuxie was in danger, their emotions would surge as though they were in Liu Wuxie’s position. Due to their intense emotional fluctuation, their backs were soaked in sweat before they realized it.

With a loud rumble, cracks began to spread on the ground, causing the entire platform to sway.

More than a hundred logs were now primed for action, and everyone’s breathing became heavy. They didn’t dare to blink, fearing they might miss out on any segment. Most importantly, the pivotal moment had arrived, and everyone wondered if Liu Wuxie could deal with the third wave of logs.

Before everyone could react, a hundred logs were released simultaneously. The logs naturally wouldn’t give Liu Wuxie the time to respond, raining down with overwhelming force.

Liu Wuxie didn’t dare to be careless and circulated the Ghost Eye at full force. He could defeat Liu Po without using Ghost Eye if he were challenging the second-level difficulty. But this was an excellent opportunity for Liu Wuxie to train himself, and he naturally wouldn’t miss it.

“This is too difficult! There’s no gap, and every inch of space is sealed off. What chance does he have?” sighed several instructors. Even they would fail if they went up, not to mention Liu Wuxie.

The hundred logs were arranged in a preordained pattern, and their trajectories were meticulously set. Then again, there would be a slight flaw since they were rolling logs. Without flaws, it would be impossible for everyone to pass, and the trial would have no meaning.

Even if Liu Wuxie found the first gap, it would be futile. He had to see many others, and each flaw was interlinked. This meant he would need to pay great attention to timing and speed.

He scanned the incoming barrage with Ghost Eye in less than half a breath, mapping out all the vulnerabilities in the logs. But he had no time to analyze, so he sprang into action, weaving through the logs while continuously seeking out the next gap.

“Beautifully done!” Cheers erupted from the crowd when Liu Wuxie dodged the first log. Though many of them didn’t like him, they couldn’t help but admire his display of skill.

Liu Wuxie moved like a nimble monkey, weaving through the logs with an endless stream of fluid movements, switching between an agile fish and a celestial crane. He began to perform a series of unbelievable movements. In one moment, he dashed like a leopard; in the next, he would pounce forward like a tiger. Or he would fly like a divine crane or a hawk soaring across the skies.

Each of Liu Wuxie’s movements would draw applause from the surroundings, and everyone’s eyes were glued to him. Their hearts would pound alongside Liu Wuxie’s movements.

This scene made Liu Po clench his fists with a grave expression, wondering if he could last so long if he were in Liu Wuxie’s position. But the answer was brutally clear—he couldn’t. He speculated that the logs would strike him on the second wave.

Yet, Liu Wuxie displayed a beautiful performance of unmatched agility. Even if he failed now, it was clear he had defeated Liu Po, as Liu Wuxie had passed more than a hundred logs and had already won based on the overall numbers.

What amazed everyone even more was Liu Wuxie’s insane precision in moving in a confined space, retreating rarely. Based on his movements, Liu Wuxie didn’t seem to have a hard time. Everyone went from being nervous to admiring him before becoming silent.

Everyone's earlier anxiety gradually subsided as they began to enjoy watching Liu Wuxie’s graceful figure weaving through the logs. This was their ideal way of passing the trial, and Liu Wuxie taught them a lesson.

They were amazed at how Liu Wuxie handled the trial. In addition to his movement technique, he showed masterclass adaptation ability, and the main objective of this trial was to train the disciples in adaptability.