Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 746 - Undercurrent

Liu Wuxie was eager to find out who Liu Xiaotian had brought to the clan and who could possess the skill to poison someone in the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm. If he had guessed correctly, that person must be in the Earth Profound Realm, which was why he could execute everything flawlessly.

"That person's name was Jiao Ba. Liu Xiaotian claimed he was a friend he met outside, and they had a good relationship," Liu Dazhi gritted his teeth as he recalled. If it wasn't for Liu Xiaotian, Liu Dashan wouldn't have been forced to leave the Central Plains, and Liu Wuxie wouldn't have been in the mundane world for over a decade.

Liu Wuxie engraved that name in his memory. If not for that person, his family wouldn't have been left in such a state, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill if he ran into that person.

"Did no one investigate his whereabouts later on?" Liu Wuxie asked. He believed his grandfather must've suspected Jiao Ba.

"We did, but we gave up because your grandfather's condition worsened in recent years, not to mention I experienced a deviation when I was at a bottleneck. By the time we tried to find him, he was already nowhere to be seen," Liu Dazhi sighed. It had been so many years, and Jiao Ba might've changed his name completely. Finding such a person in the Central Plains was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.

They had even questioned Liu Xiaotian about Jiao Ba, who had claimed the latter was merely an ordinary friend.

"Uncle, I suspect Liu Xiaotian might've colluded with outsiders," Liu Wuxie said. After all, it was nearly impossible for Liu Xiaotian to usurp the patriarch's position by colluding with several elders. Liu Xiaotian might've colluded with outside forces to cause trouble and seize the opportunity to obtain the patriarch's position.

Liu Dazhi fell into a contemplative silence after hearing what Liu Wuxie said. Even if what Liu Wuxie said was true, who would remember it when it had happened so long ago? There was nothing they could do to Liu Xiaotian without concrete evidence.

What Liu Xiaotian did now hadn't brought any harm to the clan, and the majority of the elders were on his side.

"We can investigate it again after your grandfather recovers. We must maintain stability for now, and the clan can't afford internal conflict anymore," Liu Dazhi sighed.

Liu Wuxie could only nod reluctantly after hearing what Liu Dazhi said. The clan couldn't afford conflict anymore, as it had been divided into two factions over the years, and it would only lead to mutual destruction if they oppressed Liu Xiaotian now.

He had shared the same thoughts earlier in the main hall, focusing on stabilizing the Liu Clan. Chasing Liu Xiaotian away or pushing him too far would only hasten the clan's collapse.

"Uncle, I'll begin your treatment now," Liu Wuxie said. There was no need to dwell on that as over a decade had passed. He began to retrieve needles and inserted them into Liu Dazhi's acupoints. This was because he had to direct the flow of energy segment by segment to ensure the meridians wouldn't collapse under the sudden influx of pressure. He had to take it slow and continue once the meridians had adapted.

He took out a porcelain bottle and let his uncle consume its contents. Then, he placed his hand on Liu Dazhi's back, channeling his true essence.

When Liu Dazhi consumed the porcelain bottle's contents, his meridians began to recover after being nourished. It felt comfortable, and Liu Wuxie first treated Liu Dazhi's lower abdomen, where his dantian resided.

The meridians around the dantian were also nourished and began to recover. The sensation was like being bitten by countless insects, simultaneously painful and comfortable.

After an hour, Liu Dazhi had recovered most of the meridians around his dantian. However, if he wanted to recover to his prime, he would have to cultivate his true essence slowly in the future.

The following process was critical as Liu Wuxie had to open a slight gap in the needle to allow the flow of true essence. He placed his right hand on Liu Dazhi's lower abdomen with a faint suction force.

The suction force made Liu Dazhi tremble as though he had been struck by lightning. The intense pain covered his forehead in a cold sweat. He would experience such pain daily, but today was particularly severe.

The needle created a small hairline gap as the true essence began to rush out, coursing through the recovered meridians. Liu Dazhi finally felt his strength returning.

Then again, this was only the beginning, and Liu Wuxie had to increase his speed. If he couldn't find an outlet for the true essence flowing out, the same problem would soon arise again.

As Liu Dazhi consumed more spiritual liquid, Liu Wuxie focused on repairing the meridians around the chest area. Nearly an hour later, Liu Wuxie began the next segment of recovery.

When Liu Wuxie removed the silver needles he planted, the true essence coursed through Liu Dazhi's chest, refreshing him.

Treatment of one segment followed another. Eventually, it was midnight before dawn arrived. Without them knowing, it had already been the second day's noon.

A meeting would be held the next day, and it was uncertain if Liu Wuxie could overcome the crisis. True essence circulated toward Liu Dazhi's spine and feet before returning to his dantian to complete a cycle.

This meant Liu Dazhi's true essence could flow throughout his body, and the only obstacle left was to remove the silver needle lodged in his dantian.

"Uncle, the next step will be painful, and you must endure it no matter what!" Liu Wuxie said. Removing the needle would unleash a torrent of true essence that might tear through some of the meridians, and the pain was unbearable for most people.

"Don't worry about it. What pain haven't I experienced before?" Liu Dazhi said in a resolute tone. He wasn't afraid of death, not to mention pain.

When Liu Wuxie's gaze pierced into Liu Dazhi's body using Ghost Eye, his true essence formed into yin and yang energies in Liu Dazhi's dantian to protect his meridians.

A powerful suction force suddenly appeared, pulling out the needle from Liu Dazhi's dantian. An outburst of energy swept out from the dantian, rushing into the meridians that had yet to heal fully.

The tearing pain made Liu Dazhi take a cold breath. Despite his mental preparation, the intensity of the pain still caught him off guard. But he quickly composed himself and circulated his true essence to repair his meridians.

The aura Liu Dazhi gave off began to rise. Although he was only in the Astral River Realm a moment ago, he had reached the Nascent Transformation Realm in the blink of an eye and was advancing toward the True Profound Realm.

Liu Wuxie retreated to the side to give his uncle some time. He gently opened the door and stepped outside. When he stood in the courtyard, a silver needle the length of a fingernail appeared in his hand. The needle was slim and small, and he wouldn't have noticed it if he had relied on his divine sense instead of Ghost Eye to examine his uncle's body.

The needle had been expertly hidden, embedded in a fine vein near the dantian. Its position was calculated; any approach by most divine senses would be disrupted and devoured by the overwhelming true essence of the dantian, rendering it almost undetectable.

"What a venomous needle," Liu Wuxie murmured, his expression darkening. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a barbed hook at the needle's tip. If someone had tried to extract it without sufficient skill, the hook would have torn the dantian, permanently crippling the victim’s cultivation. His ability to remove it without causing damage was only possible thanks to the precision of Ghost Eye.

He kept the needle as evidence, and he vowed to undercover the mastermind and make them suffer the same agony.

Recalling that Liu Xing and Liu Yue were likely training at the martial field, Liu Wuxie gently shut the doors and departed, making his way back to his quarters.

His father wasn't around as the meeting was set to resume tomorrow, and he had to discuss plans with some elders. Upon returning to his room, Liu Wuxie immediately began to meditate. Yet, even as he focused his mind and energy, an invisible sense of danger loomed over him.

Though the Liu Clan seemed peaceful on the surface, there was an undercurrent. He needed to be careful; one wrong move could lead to the Liu Clan's fall, and the consequences would be unimaginable the moment the patriarch's lineage fell.

Not only would his parents be expelled from the clan, but even his uncles would be implicated. The same went for their lineage. Not to mention, Liu Wuxie had an ongoing bet with Liu Xiaotian. If he failed to fulfill his promise, he would have to end his life in public.

After finding his parents, he had thought it would be peaceful, but the reality was brutal, forcing him to remain on constant alert. Yesterday's incident on the martial field was the best example, as many people were eyeing him.

"Strength...I need more strength! I have to reach the True Profound Realm as soon as possible," Liu Wuxie said, clenching his fists together. He knew he needed to reach the True Profound Realm to protect his family.

As he circulated the Desolate Devouring Art, he didn't dare to rest even momentarily and devoured the surrounding spiritual energy. The spiritual energy in the Central Plains was much denser, not to mention he had just joined the clan. Even if he was a first-tier disciple, he could only receive meager resources each month.

Due to Liu Wuxie's unique physique, the resources he received from the clan weren't enough for him to cultivate. This was why he had to find a way to earn resources.

Though there were many channels to obtain resources, his current position made it difficult for him to act.

When Liu Wuxie paused his meditation at night, his father returned, stopping briefly when passing by his room. He must’ve heard about what had happened on the martial field yesterday.

"Dear, tomorrow is the family meeting. If we don't have a choice, why not surrender the patriarchal seal? We can leave the clan and live in peace," Yan Yu said with worry etched on her face as the meeting was tomorrow.

"Don't worry about it. I have my plans," Liu Dashan said, caressing Yan Yu's head to comfort her worries.

Even as the night deepened, the Liu Clan remained brightly lit, with everyone waiting.

......

As the first rays of dawn illuminated the ground, a new day began, one destined to shape the future of the Liu Clan. The main hall, reserved for only the most critical discussions, was ceremoniously opened.

Twenty grand elders entered the main hall one by one, followed by the ordinary elders and deacons.

Liu Xiaotian arrived in immaculate attire; his appearance revitalized as though he had shed decades. His confident demeanor drew the attention of many.

"Xiaotian, congratulations in advance!" Many deacons stepped forward to congratulate Liu Xiaotian in advance. It was almost certain Liu Xiaotian would become the new patriarch to lead the clan.

Liu Xiaotian accepted their flattery and replied with a faint smile.

When Liu Dashan and Liu Dayue walked in, Liu Dazhi was nowhere to be seen, as he was still recovering. When they stepped into the main hall, Liu Dashan let out a cold snort, and the entire hall fell silent. He walked over to the patriarch's seat and looked around with a faint smirk hanging on his lips, capturing everyone's expression.

"Liu Dashan, it has been three days, as promised. Do you still remember our agreement?" the deacon who was dismissed by Liu Wuxie three days ago asked, addressing Liu Dashan by his name instead of his title as acting patriarch.