Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 750 - Two Academies

The news of the patriarch's recovery soon spread throughout the clan. Many disciples cheered, as they considered it a momentous event worth celebrating.

Liu Xiucheng took everyone to Liu Dashan's courtyard for a family gathering that night.

"Dashan, you've raised an exceptional son!" Liu Xiucheng had grown fond of Liu Wuxie the moment he had seen him. He kept Liu Wuxie by his side and asked about his life over the past decade.

He even reprimanded Liu Dashan and Yan Yu for leaving Liu Wuxie in the Southern Province's mundane world, which had caused him to suffer so much hardship.

"Wuxie became so outstanding relying on himself. We've failed as parents to fulfill our responsibilities," Liu Dashan replied with remorse. He owed Liu Wuxie too much for all these years.

The family shared a warm and joyful time, making Liu Wuxie happy.

"Grandfather, you've all forgotten about me now that you have Big Brother Wuxie!" Liu Yue pouted by the side with displeasure.

"Haha! It's my fault. Yue'er, come and sit beside grandfather!" Liu Xiucheng laughed, and the room was filled with laughter.

......

Meanwhile, the mood in Liu Xiaotian's courtyard was enveloped in a heavy and somber mood.

"Where are the Fourth and Nineteenth Elders?" Liu Xiaotian asked with a gloomy expression as he scanned the room.

No one dared respond and even avoided his gaze. During the event in the main hall, everyone's attitude had shifted significantly, and those who stood by Liu Xiaotian were hesitating now, neither expressing their support nor outright rejection.

The grand elders wouldn't have left Liu Xiaotian's faction so quickly if it was a competition for the patriarch's position. But it was mainly because they now had a question lingering in their minds if Liu Xiaotian was the culprit who had poisoned the patriarch a decade ago. If so, they wanted no part in aiding a traitor.

"Xiaotian, we have to tread carefully now," said the Fifth Elder. His tone lacked the assertiveness it once held, and the memory of Liu Xiucheng's gaze sent a chill down his spine.

To make things worse, Liu Xiucheng had reached the Earth Profound Realm, which meant even the neutral grand elders would lean over to his side.

"Do you think we can stop now at this point? He dared to kill my man today, and what makes you think he won't kill you tomorrow? We will all die if he doesn't die!" Liu Xiaotian scoffed, gritting his teeth. His facial expression was distorted, and his veins popped.

His words made everyone silent. They knew Liu Xiucheng's act of killing Liu Xue wasn't only for Liu Xiaotian but a message to everyone.

"This is all Liu Wuxie's fault! If not for him, you would've already seized the patriarch's position," said the Tenth Elder. He was a loyal supporter of Liu Xiaotian, and he pushed all the blame to Liu Wuxie.

Upon hearing Liu Wuxie's name, Liu Xiaotian released an outburst of murderous intent. Regret filled his heart for not killing Liu Wuxie in the main hall three days ago. If he had dealt with him then, Liu Xiucheng wouldn't have recovered, and his plan would have succeeded by now.

"Xiaotian, didn't you say that the patriarch's poison was incurable? Could his recovery be a facade?" asked the Fifth Elder. He refused to believe that the patriarch could recover from his poison. After all, they had all gone to look at the patriarch, whose poison had reached his heart meridians back then.

Even powerhouses in the Heaven Profound Realm were helpless against the poison, but Liu Wuxie had helped the patriarch recover in three days.

"I also suspect the patriarch might've consumed some mysterious pills to regain consciousness temporarily. We have to start with Liu Wuxie if we want to uncover the mystery. We still stand a chance as long as the patriarch's recovery is temporary," said the Tenth Elder, who agreed with the Fifth Elder.

The three deacons in the room agreed. They also refused to believe that the patriarch had fully recovered.

"I will send someone to get the secrets out of him. If he refuses to reveal, there's no reason for him to keep living. I might leave the sect for ten days for now. Until I return, all of you keep a low profile," said Liu Xiaotian.

Only Liu Wuxie knew if Liu Xiucheng had healed completely or if it was just a temporary recovery. With that, a series of schemes directed at Liu Wuxie began.

As Liu Wuxie had speculated, Liu Xiaotian planned to leave the Liu Clan soon.

......

The atmosphere was lively as everyone celebrated, their faces flushed with the warmth of drink and laughter. Liu Dazhi lowered his cup and turned to his father with a thoughtful expression. "Father, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy is hosting its recruitment soon, as it does every five years. Do you think Wuxie has any chance of being admitted?"

Upon hearing the mention of Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, everyone became silent as they looked at Liu Xiucheng.

Even Liu Wuxie perked up, intrigued. He had heard whispers of the academy when he first arrived in the Central Plains but hadn’t had the chance to learn much about it. It was said to be shrouded in mystery, with little information available, even in books.

"The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy and the Dragon Emperor Academy," Liu Xiucheng began, his voice heavy with reverence, "are the two greatest institutions, the dream of countless cultivators. But alas, Wuxie is still in the Astral River Realm. The lowest requirement for admission is the Nascent Transformation Realm."

He sighed, shaking his head. "The recruitment process will be held next month. Reaching the Nascent Transformation Realm in such a short time is nearly impossible for him."

“Father, Wuxie’s strength isn’t something that can be measured by his cultivation level,” Liu Dayue said confidently. “Even those at the fifth level of the Nascent Transformation Realm wouldn’t stand a chance against him. I believe he should try. Only the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy is worthy of nurturing his talent—it’ll just be wasted here in the Liu Clan.”

The Liu Clan might’ve been strong, but they couldn't compete with the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy in terms of nurturing disciples.

"Dazhi, Liu Feng has been at the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy for five years, right? Contact him and see if he can secure an examination slot for Wuxie through his connections," Liu Xiucheng said after pondering briefly. If Liu Wuxie missed this opportunity to be admitted into the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, he would have to wait another five years.

"Yes!" Liu Dazhi agreed without any hesitation. Liu Feng was his son, who was admitted to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy five years ago.

"Grandfather, what exactly is the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy?" Liu Wuxie asked curiously. After all, everyone in the Central Plains praised it.

"It’s the best institution in the continent that gathers all the finest prodigies. The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy is in the south, while the Dragon Emperor Academy is in the north. The two institutions corresponded and had countless dao and cultivation techniques..." Liu Xiucheng said with a sense of longing. It had been a lifelong regret that he couldn't be admitted into the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

Liu Wuxie also felt a longing as he listened to Liu Xiucheng. He hadn’t expected such a place to exist in the Central Plains; it would accelerate his growth if he could join.

"Our Liu Clan might be prominent in the Central Plains, but we can't even be compared to one of their top-tier disciples," Liu Xiucheng said. He didn't want to dampen Liu Wuxie's spirits, but that was the harsh truth.

A top-tier disciple from the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy was enough to annihilate the entire Liu Clan.

Everyone, including Liu Wuxie, Liu Xing, and Liu Yue, took a cold breath after hearing that. They realized they had been frogs in a well and thought the Liu Clan held a noble position since it was one of the Four Great Clans.

"Grandfather, what is the purpose of these two great academies? Why are they gathering the prodigies from all over the continent?" Liu Wuxie asked. He was baffled why they had such a strict admission process once every five years.

"To pave the way to the Astral Domain Path," Liu Xiucheng said in a deep voice.

Liu Wuxie was shocked at the sudden mention of Astral Domain Path. He had heard about it in the Divine Light Mountain from the divine race, which was why they were heading to the Central Plains.

"Grandfather, what exactly is this Astral Domain Path?" Liu Wuxie asked. The others also lowered their chopsticks and turned to look at Liu Xiucheng. Even Liu Dashan was unaware of such secrets.

"Do you really think the True Martial Continent is a complete world?" Liu Xiucheng asked, scanning everyone in the room.

Everyone shook their heads, unsure of the answer. They felt this question was too profound for them.

"The truth is, the True Martial Continent is nothing more than a fragment of a domain. Legend has it that tens of thousands of years ago, a war took place, shattering the domain into countless fragments. The True Martial Continent is only one of them, and our continent has lost contact with the astral domain since then," Liu Xiucheng explained. This information was true and could be tracked, but it was only available to those in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

Everyone gasped, shocked by Liu Xiucheng's words. Though Liu Wuxie had some suspicion, he was shocked to hear it personally from his grandfather.

“So, our world isn’t whole?” Liu Dazhi muttered, his expression a mix of disbelief and confusion. Why had their father never shared this knowledge with them before and was only sharing it now? The unspoken answer was clear—it had to do with Liu Wuxie, and likely the challenges he had faced, including being poisoned.

Liu Wuxie’s gaze sharpened as he pieced things together. “Grandfather, does that mean the ancestors of the two academies knew something about the astral domain? And that’s why they established the institutions—to find a way back?”

When the astral domain shattered, countless experts found themselves trapped on the True Martial Continent, severed from their origins. Desperate to return, they sought ways to rebuild the Astral Domain Path but lacked the power to do so alone. The only solution was to unite the entire continent, pooling its strength to construct a bridge back to the astral domain.

“That’s correct,” Liu Xiucheng said with a nod. “The two academies hold countless inheritances from the astral domain, and that’s their key advantage. If you manage to join one of them, it will be a tremendous opportunity for growth. And if you rise to the rank of core disciple, the benefits you’ll receive are beyond imagination.”

Everyone also turned to admire Liu Wuxie, who had guessed the purpose and origin of the two academies.

“But joining one of the academies won’t be easy, will it?” Liu Wuxie asked, his expression thoughtful. He understood that an institution gathering the most exceptional talents from across the continent would naturally come with fierce competition.

"That's right. The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy is vast, comparable to a nation with countless disciples. They have existed for tens of thousands of years with a legacy far surpassing our Liu Clan," Liu Xiucheng said with a grave expression. He had personally witnessed how prodigies entered the two academies and vanished. This was because the competition in the two academies was far more intense than in the Central Plains.