Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 880 - Returning to the Southern Province

The moment the wall collapsed, everyone rushed to push it down further.

With Liu Xiaotian's influence shattered, the people's loyalty naturally drifted away, and all his efforts crumbled. Those who had initially chosen to leave felt only guilt, but the road ahead was long and uncertain.

In the blink of an eye, the hundreds who once stood with Liu Xiaotian had disappeared. Only the fifth and eighteenth elders remained at his side, and it was a pitiful sight. The eighteenth elder's face twisted with pain.

He harbored deep resentment toward the Liu Clan. Years ago, his son had violated clan rules and suffered the consequences; Liu Xiucheng himself had crippled his cultivation. Unable to recover, his son had perished outside, and the eighteenth elder, consumed by bitterness, had sided with Liu Xiaotian ever since. He knew he had gone too far to turn back now.

Liu Xiucheng looked at the three of them without a word of persuasion. He had played the family card with the others, but if these three stayed, they would only bring disaster to the clan.

"What are you three still standing here for? Leave the clan!" The deacons on Liu Xiucheng's side stepped forward to expel them.

"Get out of the Liu Clan!" More voices joined in, their shouts growing louder as the crowd urged Liu Xiaotian and his remaining supporters to leave.

People's fury had been ignited when the truth about Liu Xiaotian's involvement in the patriarch's poisoning had come to light. Now that his faction had crumbled, this was the perfect time to cast him out.

Glancing at the enraged fifth elder and the dejected eighteenth elder, Liu Xiaotian's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness and a sinister glint.

"Liu Xiucheng, don't you think it's over between us?" Liu Xiaotian said, his hatred reflected in his eyes. At this moment, he had become enemies with the Liu Clan.

"You have three breaths to leave. Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless!" Liu Xiucheng's murderous intent was ignited. If they didn't leave now, they would never get the chance again.

"Let's go!" Liu Xiaotian knew Liu Xiucheng wouldn't show mercy the moment he decided to kill. He left the main hall with the two elders.

"Patriarch, why did you let them go? Isn't it like letting the tiger back into the mountain?" The fourth elder and the others were baffled. They couldn't understand why Liu Xiucheng had let Liu Xiaotian leave instead of killing him.

After all, letting Liu Xiaotian leave would only breed future trouble.

"It's not as simple as you think," Liu Xiucheng said, shaking his head. If Liu Xiaotian had died there, the trail would have gone cold, and they would never have been able to find the mastermind behind him.

Liu Wuxie had long suspected that someone was pulling the strings behind Liu Xiaotian, which explained why he had allied with Jiao Ba against the clan.

This time, Liu Xiaotian had disappeared for over a month before returning. The moment he came back, he rallied his allies and launched a second impeachment against Liu Xiucheng, leading to today's confrontation.

If they couldn't expose the true culprit behind Liu Xiaotian, killing him would only allow the mastermind to retreat further into the shadows.

And so, this family farce ended in a way no one had expected.

The fourth elder had fully expected Liu Xiaotian to seize the position of vice-patriarch—a fate that would have turned into the clan's worst nightmare.

However, Liu Wuxie had saved the Liu Clan when he appeared.

"Wuxie, we owe it all to you this time!" Liu Xiucheng said after dispersing the crowd. Those who had betrayed the clan were stripped of their positions and demoted to the bottom ranks. But they were also promised promotions if they performed well in the future.

No one objected to this punishment as they had been in the wrong.

Only Liu Xiucheng's trusted aides remained in the hall. Several elders and Liu Xiucheng's three sons were also present.

"Thankfully, it ended without disaster," Liu Wuxie said. His back was soaked in cold sweat, and he still felt a lingering fear when he thought about it.

Had Liu Xiaotian prepared well for the split, Liu Wuxie's gamble would have backfired, throwing the Liu Clan into chaos.

Though losing a portion of people wouldn't cripple the clan, it would still strike a heavy blow to the clan's morale and unity.

"Wuxie, why did you come back?" Liu Dashan asked as he approached his son. While his return was a pleasant surprise, it would be a serious concern if it delayed his cultivation.

"I'm planning to leave the Central Plains for the time being," Liu Wuxie said, sharing his plan to return to the Southern Province.

"I won't stop you from leaving, but you must bring some people along. I'm afraid someone might ambush you along the way," Liu Dashan proposed. After all, his sworn brother had raised his son, and it was proper for Liu Wuxie to return and report his safety.

Liu Wuxie had left out any mention of the Ten Grand Assembly, simply stating that he was going back for a visit.

"That's not necessary. The Liu Clan has enough problems, and I'll be safer alone. Don't worry about it, Father," Liu Wuxie replied. No one could threaten him if he didn't run into anyone in the Earth Profound Realm.

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The Liu Clan had to undergo restructuring this time, and many arrangements were required after Liu Xiaotian's departure. They also had to absorb Liu Xiaotian's faction.

However, after failing to convince Liu Wuxie to let someone accompany him, they could only warn him to be careful along the way.

The family gathered that night. Liu Xing had advanced rapidly in his cultivation and reached the Nascent Transformation Realm.

Liu Wuxie took out a portion of Azure Cloud Pills, Azure Yang Pills, and many spirit stones for the clan to nurture prodigies from their lineage. His goal was to help Liu Xing and Liu Yue to improve as much as possible.

Liu Yan was still young, at the perfect age for cultivation, and needed vast resources.

"Third uncle, Big Brother Liu Tian, hasn't returned yet?" Liu Wuxie raised his head to look at Liu Dayue. His third uncle had two sons, Liu Tian and Liu Yan.

His second uncle had three children: Liu Feng, Liu Xing, and Liu Yue.

Liu Wuxie had met everyone before except Liu Tian.

"He has a wild nature and has been running outside ever since he was young. It has been over twelve months now, and we have no idea about his whereabouts," Liu Dayue said with a helpless sigh at the mention of his eldest son.

With Liu Xiaotian's threat removed from the Liu Clan, Liu Xiucheng needed to reorganize the clan. He didn't even have time to attend the family gathering that night.

"Son, bring your in-laws over when you return from the Southern Province. I miss them dearly," Liu Wuxie's mother said, caressing Liu Wuxie's face. She realized her son had matured in just half a year.

"I'll try my best," Liu Wuxie replied. He would do what he could, but whether they chose to follow him was up to them.

Over the past year, reaching the Astral River Realm was likely their limit. While that made them formidable in the Southern Province, it meant little in the vast and powerful Central Plains.

His father-in-law had been a leader all his life, and it would be hard for him to accept to start over again from the bottom.

At dawn, Liu Wuxie quietly got up while his parents were still asleep and left the Liu Clan. He didn't say his goodbyes, as farewells were always painful. He didn't want to see his mother tearing up for him.

Not long after Liu Wuxie left, two people emerged from a fake mountain. It was his parents. They hadn't slept all night and had been waiting there.

"I believe Wuxie knows what he's doing. We just have to let him go," Liu Dashan said. Yesterday's events had convinced him—his son had grown up.

Liu Wuxie headed straight to the Astral Glory City after leaving the Liu Clan to catch the earliest teleportation array.

He had wandered aimlessly upon arrival but now took the most efficient route back. If all went smoothly, he could reach the Southern Province in less than a month.

Glancing at the Spirit Jade Pavilion, he considered entering to purchase the necessary materials—his current cultivation level made it possible. But time was short, and he quickly abandoned the idea.

Catching the earliest teleportation array, he left the Astral Glory City in a flash.

Two days later, Liu Wuxie entered a city. He had left the Liu Clan's vicinity far behind. He planned to rest there for the night before continuing his journey tomorrow.

There were still twenty days for the Ten Grand Assembly. He would make it on time for the assembly if there weren't any delays.

After checking into the inn, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

"This place is in the southern region of the Central Plains, and the Scarlet Dragon Cult is based in a mountain range a hundred miles from here," Liu Wuxie noted, having long memorized the map of the Central Plains.

The Scarlet Dragon Cult had a poor reputation, and Zuo Wen—the man Liu Wuxie had recently killed—had come from there. However, as long as he avoided them, there wouldn't be any issues.

He spent the entire night cultivating. Since this was a small city without a teleportation array, he would have to rely on his own speed for the journey ahead.

At dawn, Liu Wuxie rode Fiery out of the city. Entering the mountain range, they set their course and swiftly took off.

As Fiery raced forward, the trees on both sides blurred into streaks, their speed allowing them to cover nearly a thousand miles a day.

Deeper into the mountain range, the trees thinned out, and from time to time, they encountered profound beasts venturing out in search of food.

Suddenly, sharp whooshing sounds cut through the air, aimed directly at Liu Wuxie.

Fiery came to an abrupt stop. Someone else was in the mountain range at this hour—but who? More concerningly, there were over a dozen projectiles, not just one.

It was too late for Liu Wuxie to evade. He halted, turning toward the source of the sound.

A moment later, a man and a woman appeared in his line of sight, both covered in blood.

More than a dozen pursuers chased after them, all clad in the uniforms of the Scarlet Dragon Cult.

"You two won't escape! How dare you kill the disciples of our Scarlet Dragon Cult. Even if you flee to the ends of the world, death will still await you!" one of the cultivators roared as more closed in.

Their targets were gravely injured, their true essence nearly depleted. Their speed faltered, and when they finally landed, they could barely stand.

"Big Brother Tian, save yourself! Don't worry about me!" the woman urged desperately.

"We'll stay together, and if we must die, then we die together," the young man declared, unwavering in his resolve.

"How touching. I'll grant you both death, then!"

The couple and their pursuers were rapidly closing in, and Liu Wuxie had no time to avoid them. Without hesitation, he turned Fiery around, intending to leave. He didn't know the couple and had no interest in getting involved.

The pursuers were members of the Scarlet Dragon Cult, and this was their territory. It would be tough for him to escape if he offended them.

However, just as he was about to retreat, Liu Wuxie suddenly froze.

Among the pursuers, a youth stood stunned for a brief moment—before murderous intent erupted from him.

"Well, well. Fancy running into you here!" The youth sneered, his gaze locking onto Liu Wuxie.