Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 844 - Malevolent Vein

The news of Lu Funian's breakthrough to the Spirit Profound Realm began to spread in the city like wildfire, and the clans who once stood on equal footing with them now rushed with congratulatory gifts and well-wishes.

Liu Wuxie spent the ten-odd days in seclusion. Lu Qiang and Lu Hua visited once, but Liu Wuxie avoided them under the pretext of seclusion. He kept his ties with the Lu Clan minimal, as he would leave after finishing his business there.

Finally, under the full moon, the Lu Clan had gathered all the materials he had requested. He came out of the room and was only one step away from the ninth-level Nascent Transformation Realm through the past month of seclusion. If he could absorb more baleful energy, he was confident to make a breakthrough.

"Young Master Liu, here are the materials, including a hundred-year-old black dog's blood, fire crystals, and fire spiritual wood..." Lu Funian said, pointing at the prepared materials.

The Lu Clan had spared no expense, spending tens of thousands of high-grade spirit stones to obtain them.

After Lu Funian's breakthrough to the Spirit Profound Realm, news of his plan to eliminate the source of the crimson cloud spread throughout the city. Many clans and individuals voluntarily donated materials to support the cause.

After all, the crimson cloud had plagued the city for years, and eliminating it would be a blessing for all.

"Let's get going!" Liu Wuxie said, planning to enter the mountain range before nightfall or the baleful energy would leave.

In addition to Lu Funian, the Lu Clan sent several experts along, and Lu Qiang even insisted on joining as this was a rare opportunity to gain experience.

At first, Lu Funian refused to let Lu Qiang join the expedition. He was his only son, and the Lu Clan's bloodline would be severed if anything happened to him.

But Lu Qiang naturally wouldn't give up on such a great opportunity. After much pleading, Lu Funian finally agreed, but with a strict condition to remain at a safe distance.

After completing their preparations, the group of seven sped toward the mountain range. In this mission, overall strength mattered far more than numbers.

Liu Wuxie's goal was to confront the Earthly Fiend—against baleful energy, sheer quantity was meaningless.

A seven-member team was ideal for setting up the Vanquishing Fiend Array.

Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.

After they entered the mountain range, the dusk didn't affect their view as the moon in the sky turned red again. The blood moon was an omen, signifying more bloodshed.

"Bring out the black dog's blood!" Liu Wuxie instructed once they were deep in the mountain range, and a Lu Clan's deacon quickly took out a basin of blood that reeked with a pungent metallic smell.

"Set up the array!" Under Liu Wuxie's instruction, the seven quickly moved to their assigned position, which they had rehearsed many times before coming.

Once the array was fully activated, the stench of blood spread far and wide. If the Earthly Fiend was within a thousand-mile radius, it would sense the scent and be drawn to it.

After everything was prepared, the seven returned and hid behind the bush, waiting for the crimson cloud to arrive.

It was already late into the night as time passed, but the crimson cloud was nowhere to be seen. This made Lu Funian anxious—if it bypassed their trap and headed straight for the city, it might vent its wrath on the Lu Clan.

"Young Master Liu, are you sure the baleful energy will come?" Lu Funian asked.

"This is the only path to the city, and the baleful energy will have to pass through this place," Liu Wuxie explained. He had calculated every possibility and concluded that there was a high chance of success. Then again, there were unpredictable situations, such as the Earthly Fiend leaving.

Just as everyone began to relax, the moonlight overhead dimmed.

"It's here!" Liu Wuxie's voice echoed in everyone's minds, urging everyone to remain vigilant as they couldn't afford any mistakes. If the Earthly Fiend escaped, tracking it down again would be nearly impossible. It would surely retreat deeper into the mountain range, vanishing beyond their reach.

If that happened, there would be nothing he could do—he would have no choice but to leave the city's fate in its own hands.

Lu Qiang crouched low in the thicket, his eyes fixed anxiously on the approaching crimson cloud. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest. He had grown up in the city, hearing tales of the crimson cloud from a young age. This was why he feared it to his very core.

The crimson cloud drifted closer, drawn by the black dog's blood. It hovered in the sky, hesitating, as if sensing something was amiss.

For a few tense moments, it remained still—perhaps wary of the unexpected stench.

Then, after a few minutes, it finally descended, hovering directly above the black dog's blood before greedily devouring it.

"Activate the array!" Liu Wuxie commanded. In an instant, everyone—except Lu Qiang—leapt from the bushes, each holding an array flag. They swiftly plunged them into the ground.

Dazzling radiance illuminated the sky and enveloped the entire crimson cloud. All the materials used in the formation emanated powerful yang energy. As Liu Wuxie hadn't comprehended the light element, he could only rely on materials containing yang energy, like the fire crystals, which shone with dazzling radiance the moment they were activated.

The crimson cloud began to tumble, and baleful energy dissipated under the dazzling brilliance. Liu Wuxie had secretly summoned the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron to devour the baleful energy.

Although the baleful energy was deadly poison for others, it was a treasure to him—the key to his next breakthrough.

"We did it!" Lu Funian cheered. They had been tormented by the crimson cloud for years on each full moon. This was why he couldn't contain his emotion when he saw the crimson cloud contained.

"Stay focused!" Liu Wuxie warned. It wasn't over yet, and he knew the crimson cloud wasn't that easy to defeat.

His warning wasn't unfounded, as the crimson cloud began to converge, forming into a skull and unleashing a powerful suction force that devoured all the black dog's blood.

While the black dog's blood had successfully lured the crimson cloud, it had also strengthened it instead.

"This is bad!" Liu Wuxie exclaimed.

With its newfound power, the crimson cloud resisted the effects of the fire crystals—their yang energy was no longer enough to destroy it.

"Young Master Liu, what should we do?" Lu Funian asked. He could tell the crimson cloud was stronger than they had imagined, and the fire crystals could only inflict severe injury. It was impossible to kill it completely, and the crimson cloud would return as long as it was still alive.

"Watch over the spiritual array!" Liu Wuxie said, giving the control to Lu Funian. He shot forward into the air and summoned the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron to devour the baleful energy as it could no longer threaten him.

The crimson cloud realized that its baleful energy had no effect on Liu Wuxie, and the sight of him only fueled its rage. If not for Liu Wuxie, it would not have suffered such severe injuries, forcing it into a long recovery.

As the baleful energy continued to dwindle, the majority of it was devoured by the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron. This sight left Lu Funian and the others in shock. They couldn't see where the energy had gone, but they were certain its disappearance was connected to Liu Wuxie.

The black skull continued to struggle, wanting to escape. But how could Liu Wuxie allow that to happen?

He began to form hand signs as the demonic flame blazed and enveloped the entire crimson cloud. The demonic flame's temperature was terrifyingly high, not any inferior to the True Samadhi Fire, capable of incinerating everything.

Even space began to ignite, and one could imagine the demonic flame's lethality.

"Young Master Liu is too terrifying!" The Lu Clan's deacons exchanged a look with deep shock in their eyes.

Everyone, including Lu Qiang, had a higher cultivation than Liu Wuxie. But none of them could see through his true strength.

Under the combined assault of the fire crystals' radiance, the cauldron's devouring force, and the demonic flame, the baleful energy gradually declined, and the black skull struggled.

The combined assault was no weaker than using light elements. The black skull began to shrink in size as the baleful energy it gave off began to grow weaker. The black skull charged rapidly, wanting to break free, but the spiritual array knocked it back.

The spiritual array stood unyielding as the crimson cloud churned with fury. The rumbling cloud indicated that something sinister was brewing.

Liu Wuxie had a nagging feeling that the crimson cloud still had a hidden trump card. Even after burning for so long, the crimson baleful energy remained dense with no sign of diminishing.

"There must be a malevolent vein supplying it with baleful energy!" Liu Wuxie murmured to himself. He knew he had to destroy the malevolent vein to kill the crimson cloud.

"There's a force supporting the crimson cloud, and we must find its source to destroy it. Maintain the spiritual array with all your might while I find the source!" Liu Wuxie leaped out of the spiritual array.

"Young Master Liu, be careful!" Lu Funian said. His trust in Liu Wuxie was unwavering, as Liu Wuxie could have fled long ago if he had intended to do so. Instead, he had stayed and helped, proving he wasn't an ungrateful person.

The remaining people maintained the spiritual array to prevent the crimson cloud from fleeing.

Liu Wuxie moved swiftly, relying on Ghost Eye to trace a fine crimson thread of baleful energy drifting through the air.

Following the thread, he streaked through the night at lightning speed. Time was against him—Lu Funian and the others wouldn't be able to hold out indefinitely. At best, the spiritual array had only two hours before it collapsed.

If the crimson cloud broke free, everyone would die, and Liu Wuxie didn't want to see that.

After running for about fifteen minutes, Liu Wuxie arrived at a swamp that reeked of a foul stench. The air was thick with decay, and the twisted trees lining both sides had long withered. Their brittle branches scraped against each other, producing eerie, creaking sounds.

No one would dare venture into a place like this.

Liu Wuxie knew the malevolent vein was hidden there—if not on the surface, then deep within the swamp's depths. A piece of withered wood floated atop the murky water, and without hesitation, he swiftly crossed the swamp, stepping onto solid ground on the other side.

The forest was eerie, and harrowing wails could occasionally be heard. It was an unsettling sound that clawed at his nerves.

Activating Ghost Eye, Liu Wuxie steadied his mind and advanced, each step crunching over brittle, lifeless branches.

Everything here had been dead for years.

"The malevolent vein should be nearby," Liu Wuxie muttered, drawing a deep breath. He held onto the Heretic Blade and ventured deeper into the dark forest before stumbling upon a towering tree reaching ten thousand feet tall.

The trunk was massive, with dark, ancient bark and red flowers blooming along its surface—eerie yet hauntingly beautiful.

"This..." Liu Wuxie was shocked at the sight of the massive tree.