Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 1000 - Northern City

Elder Black's control over his dao techniques declined sharply after deathly energy significantly dimmed his primordial spirit.

Liu Wuxie hadn't expected deathly energy to be so effective. Though it couldn't kill Elder Black outright, the energy had left him utterly helpless.

The Heaven-Earth Merciless Slash lost so much power that it could no longer threaten Liu Wuxie.

The Great Dragon Aspect Art descended with unstoppable force, and the pressure pinned Elder Black in place.

As deathly energy eroded his soul sea, illusions flickered before Elder Black's eyes. He felt dizzy and was on the verge of collapsing.

Liu Wuxie decided to take a gamble.

"Conversion Art!"

If he could convert Elder Black into a devotee, he could extract vital intelligence about the Black Plume Pavilion, including any future orders concerning him.

Initially, Liu Wuxie had planned to kill Elder Black to avoid any risk. After all, the consequences would be disastrous if the Conversion Art failed and backfired on him.

What made Liu Wuxie change his mind was Elder Black's identity as a member of the Wang Clan. He planned to target the Wang Clan next, and having a mole within their ranks would grant him a strategic advantage in planning.

Moreover, the Wang Clan had ties to the Golden Cauldron Pavilion, and Elder Black was likely the key to uncovering information about the organization.

Considering all these factors, Liu Wuxie decided to take the risk. He was also confident that his soul energy rivaled typical experts at the Earth Profound Realm.

The Pool of Faith began to stir, and a dazzling golden radiance erupted. The golden radiance shot into Elder Black's primordial spirit, exploiting its moment of weakness.

Liu Wuxie couldn't have converted Elder Black if he had been at his peak condition since his primordial spirit would have reacted instantly when Liu Wuxie used the Conversion Art.

But now, Elder Black had focused most of his strength on resisting the deathly energy, leaving him vulnerable to the Conversion Art.

The golden radiance soon flooded the center of Elder Black's primordial spirit, freezing him in place as if under a spell.

Even so, Liu Wuxie kept the Great Dragon Aspect Art active to ensure he could kill Elder Black if the conversion failed.

Time ticked by, and a minute passed in the blink of an eye.

Then, a change came over Elder Black's eyes. They gradually filled with reverence as he looked at Liu Wuxie.

He greeted, "Master!"

If anyone else had witnessed it, they would've frozen in terror. A dignified expert at the Earth Profound Realm was addressing Liu Wuxie as his master. More shockingly, Elder Black was an assassin from the Black Plume Pavilion!

"What's your name?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He had been monitoring the Pool of Faith closely. Just moments ago, a phantom image had surfaced within it, which was a perfect replica of Elder Black.

Its appearance confirmed what he had been waiting for: Elder Black had been fully converted.

"Wang Chen!" Elder Black replied without hesitation.

Liu Wuxie nodded slightly and continued his interrogation. "What position do you hold in the Black Plume Pavilion, and who's the pavilion master?"

As an expert at the Earth Profound Realm, Wang Chen had to have more information about the organization.

"I'm merely a lowly deacon responsible for delivering orders. With my status, I'm nowhere near the pavilion master," Wang Chen answered with a helpless look in his eyes.

Liu Wuxie didn't expect the Black Plume Pavilion to enforce such a strict hierarchy and keep things so secret that even Elder Black couldn't reach the pavilion master.

Liu Wuxie pressed. "Then who's your direct superior?"

If someone from the higher ranks had assigned the Wang Clan to deliver orders, then someone else likely issued those commands.

Anyone could see the Black Plume Pavilion operated like a chain. Its leaders controlled every link with ruthless precision.

Assassins like Lu Liang were at the bottom, and Wang Chen was the link that kept them bound to the organization.

"Guardian Blue!" Wang Chen answered.

Liu Wuxie noticed something strange: the Black Plume Pavilion used color instead of real names for its members' titles.

Liu Wuxie pursued. "What is his strength?"

"He's at the eighth-level Earth Profound Realm," Wang Chen replied.

The reply made Liu Wuxie abandon any thoughts of targeting Guardian Blue. He didn't possess that strength, and everyone present couldn't put up a fight even if they joined forces.

"What's your position in the Wang Clan?" Liu Wuxie asked. He could only shift his focus away from the Black Plume Pavilion to the Wang Clan.

"I'm an elder," Wang Chen answered respectfully, his hands lowered like a servant awaiting orders.

Liu Wuxie cut to the chase. "What's the Wang Clan's connection with the Golden Cauldron Pavilion?"

Once this was over, he planned to launch a decapitation strike on the Wang Clan. If he could kill Wang Yuanhou, the Wang Clan would collapse without interference.

"We're in an alliance," Wang Chen replied, revealing everything he knew.

Years ago, a mysterious person had approached the Wang Clan, seeking collaboration. Very few people knew about it, and even the Wang Clan's upper echelons had received only limited information. The patriarch dealt with everything alone.

Liu Wuxie also learned that Wang Qi, whom he had killed in the Sacred Ground, was Wang Chen's biological nephew.

"How much do you know about the Golden Cauldron Pavilion?" Liu Wuxie asked.

Despite Wang Chen's status as an elder in the Wang Clan, the top-level secrets were likely only known to the patriarch.

"They're extremely secretive. They possess the means to control others, and I suspect that they are controlling Wang Yuanhou," Wang Chen said, and Liu Wuxie reeled at his words.

Liu Wuxie couldn't believe that the Golden Cauldron Pavilion had secretly exerted control over Wang Yuanhou. The news was too explosive.

Then again, it was no surprise. After all, the Golden Cauldron Pavilion had already taken control of the Liu Clan's grand elder.

One could easily imagine Wang Yuanhou had fallen prey, too.

"Do you have a way to contact the Golden Cauldron Pavilion?" Liu Wuxie asked. He wanted to capture one of their elites.

If he could convert just one into his devotee, he could extract intelligence on the Golden Cauldron Pavilion.

"It has always been a one-sided contact from the Golden Cauldron Pavilion. We have no way of initiating contact," Wang Chen answered wryly.

"Go back and compile all intelligence on the Wang Clan and get it to me as quickly as possible," Liu Wuxie ordered.

He decided to spare Wang Chen's life to gather information on the Wang Clan.

"Yes, Master!" Wang Chen bowed and left the canyon.

The four assassins still struggled to recover from the Great Five Elemental Palm's injuries.

"You four, head to the Astral Glory City to gather intel for the Heavenly Dao Society," Liu Wuxie instructed.

If the Black Plume Pavilion issued any orders, Wang Chen could notify him directly, which meant he no longer needed the four assassins to act as messengers.

"Yes, Master!" The four assassins stood up and departed for the Astral Glory City.

After arranging everything, Liu Wuxie heaved a long sigh. His expression softened with a burden lifted from his chest. freёnovelkiss-com

Though he still didn't know the identity of the Black Plume Pavilion's master, learning that Wang Chen's direct superior was Guardian Blue was progress. Sooner or later, he believed their paths would cross.

The Golden Cauldron Pavilion remained shrouded in mystery. He planned to crush the Wang Clan first and force the Golden Cauldron Pavilion to expose themselves.

The only thing that still troubled Liu Wuxie was his lack of cultivation. He had to deal with the Black Plume and the Golden Cauldron Pavilions.

After leaving the canyon, Liu Wuxie chose not to return to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and headed straight for the Liu Clan. He needed to share the intel he had collected with his grandfather, and the clan needed to prepare for war at any moment.

He knew the Wang Clan would strike at the Liu Clan even if he didn't seek revenge.

Two days later, Liu Wuxie finally returned to the Liu Clan.

But before he could share his plan with his grandfather, the latter revealed they had found news of Xu Lingxue's whereabouts.

More than a year had gone by since Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi had vanished, and there hadn't been a single day he wasn't worried about their safety.

Now that he had received news of their whereabouts, Liu Wuxie was overjoyed. He finally felt some relief; it was enough as long as they were alive.

"How did they end up in the Northern City?" Liu Wuxie asked.

The message came from the Northern City that someone had spotted Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi in that region.

"Grandfather, I'm planning to visit the Northern City personally!" Liu Wuxie said. He then shared his plan with his grandfather and departed for the Northern City that night.

He feared that even the slightest delay might endanger Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi.

"Go and return quickly," Liu Xiucheng replied. He didn't object to Liu Wuxie's departure.

They were his wives, and he needed to reunite with them.

At first, Jian Xing'er and Chen Ruoyan had wanted to go with him, but he stopped them. The world was too chaotic, and it was dangerous to bring them along. It was safer to leave them in the Liu Clan, not to mention this wasn't a sightseeing trip. He would return as soon as he found them.

"Grandfather, keep a close eye on the Eternal Spirit Mountain!" Liu Wuxie said before he left.

Liu Lin had vanished after he had sent back intelligence. No word had reached them since.

Liu Wuxie suspected that Liu Lin might have been killed in the Eternal Spirit Mountain, possibly discovered by the Golden Cauldron Pavilion.

Liu Xiucheng nodded. He knew what to do.

His grandson had laid out an extensive plan, and a tough battle lay ahead for the Liu Clan. It was no understatement to say that various forces had besieged them from all sides.

Aside from the Wang and the Yuan Clans, the Liao Clan had begun making moves against them. But they were acting secretly, and several teams of the Liu Clan had vanished without a trace. During their investigation, the Liao Clan had become the prime suspect.

Before dawn, Liu Wuxie left the Astral Glory City, taking the teleportation array to the Northern City.

......

The Northern City stretched endlessly, sprawling across the horizon.

In the Heavenly Nether Battlefield, Liu Wuxie had befriended a couple from the Northern City: Tang Hong and Ji Qiu.

Now that he was heading to the Northern City, he could rely on them to find Xi Lingxue and Murong Yi, as he wasn't familiar with the new terrain. Having connections would prove invaluable.

The Northern City's overall strength surpassed the Southern Province. Though they weren't on par with the Central Plains, they couldn't be underestimated.

That was especially true for the city lord, Bei Ming, who had likely reached the Heaven Profound Realm.

After ten long days of travel, Liu Wuxie braved the weariness and arrived at the Northern City's border.

An endless stretch of glaciers lay before him.

The Northern City's harsh environment forced humans to adapt or perish. Desperation forced humans to unite and construct a fortress to withstand the blizzard.

Initially, it was a small city focused solely on providing warmth. However, as more people had joined, the city had gradually expanded over the years and evolved to its current size.

The Northern City was a colossal city built at the center, but it was more like a miniature world than a city.

Inside were mountain ranges, sects, clans, and countless human cultivators. They had rooted themselves in the city, where Bei Ming ruled as city lord, and it was vastly different from the other regions.

The ten major sects had established themselves across the region in the Southern Province, while powerful factions and experts dominated the Central Plains.

Only the Northern City remained unified because City Lord Bei Ming commanded absolute authority over the region.

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