Desolate Devouring Art

After their demotion, Qu Su and the other elders chose to remain in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. They went into seclusion, withdrawing from worldly affairs as they quietly waited for a turning point.

They never expected Liu Wuxie's return to be that turning point.

Countless disciples grew unsettled by the grandmaster's sudden appearance. They couldn't explain why, but his aura filled them with a deep and instinctive discomfort.

The black-robed figure descended from the sky and landed just a short distance away from Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie narrowed his gaze on him. He was the same man who once tried to form an alliance with him atop the Heavenly Gate Platform.

Back then, Liu Wuxie hadn't seen his face. Now, he could clearly see that the man looked exactly like the grandmaster.

"So, you've finally shown yourself," Liu Wuxie said coldly, his tone devoid of any courtesy.

If he were the real grandmaster—the one who once saved his life—Liu Wuxie would show restraint. Unfortunately, he was simply wearing the grandmaster's face and wasn't the grandmaster himself.

"Liu Wuxie, you're a smart man," said the black-robed figure. "Surely you understand your situation. The only way for you to stay alive is to work with me."

He wasn't wrong. Liu Wuxie faced overwhelming odds. Refusing meant courting death, especially in the face of someone at the Heaven Profound Realm. If the black-robed figure truly wanted to kill him, no one present could stop it.

"If I refuse... are you going to kill me here and now?" Liu Wuxie asked, smiling faintly as he activated Ghost Eye.

In Liu Wuxie's eyes, the black-robed figure stood completely exposed. He had neither bones nor flesh; he was just a hollow existence.

"Yes."

Liu Wuxie received a simple answer.

Upon hearing that, Miao Hanxuan's eyes lit up with anticipation. He was finally about to witness Liu Wuxie's death.

"Sorry," Liu Wuxie replied with a shake of his head. "If you were human, maybe I'd consider it. But it's a shame that you're not."

His direct claim that the grandmaster wasn't human sent a jolt of shock through the crowd. Was Liu Wuxie truly not afraid of being killed for such insolence? After all, the grandmaster had mercilessly slaughtered dissenters over the past month. Everyone had seen it for themselves.

The black-robed figure's eyes narrowed. Liu Wuxie had seen through him.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll fulfill your wish," the figure growled, raising his palm and striking down.

Unleashing his Heaven Profound Realm power, the blow split the Heavenly Gate Peak apart before the energy could even land. A tide of destruction surged toward Liu Wuxie.

Even at his current level, Liu Wuxie couldn't endure a blow from a Heaven Profound expert.

The Curse Dao Art held immense power, but if Liu Wuxie were to use it against someone of that level, it would backfire. Worse still, if the creature shared a connection with the real grandmaster, the curse could hit the grandmaster.

As the palm neared, Qu Su and the other elders grew frantic. They wanted to help, but they knew that they couldn't stop the blow.

Unless another Heaven Profound expert intervened, Liu Wuxie had no escape.

Elder Madman left the academy after ending his seclusion, and his whereabouts were unknown.

There were still other elders in the Heaven Profound Realm, but they remained in deep seclusion. The only one with the token to awaken them was the grandmaster himself, and the token was in the black-robed figure's possession.

Liu Wuxie raised his hands, readying multiple dao techniques. If death were inevitable, then he would meet it in a blaze of glory.

Just as the palm was about to strike him, the black-robed figure let out a piercing shriek. He froze, and a black vortex began to spin violently at his chest.

"You'd damage your cultivation just to stop me?!" the black-robed figure howled, writhing in pain.

The crowd stared, baffled. Who was he talking to?

"Elder Qu Su! Please help me! This isn't the grandmaster—it's his inner demon! He doesn't even have a real body!" Liu Wuxie roared.

Qu Su and the other demoted elders had long suspected something was wrong. The moment they heard that, they sprang into action.

Their loyalty to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had never wavered. There was no way they would let some impostor destroy it.

The four elders who moved were all at the pinnacle of the Earth Profound Realm.

"Liu Wuxie, what do you need us to do?" Qu Su asked. Though unsure of the specifics, he placed his trust in Liu Wuxie.

He had seen firsthand what Liu Wuxie had accomplished in Astral Glory City—how he'd stood against three great clans alone. If anyone could resolve the academy's current crisis, it was he.

"That isn't the grandmaster; it's his inner demon. I'll give you a Demon Purging Scripture. You can use it to dispel the curse while it's being restrained," Liu Wuxie said.

He tapped the air, and four golden rays shot into the elders' soul seas. Upon contact, the golden lights exploded and transformed into the full text of the Demon Purging Scripture.

Inner demons were real. Although formless, they could still manifest. Elder Madman's inner demon was a minor case, but the grandmaster's case was far worse, as his inner demon had taken shape and form.

Once it manifested, an inner demon would absorb its host's memories, cultivation, and abilities. It would absorb everything the host had except for their personality.

And once the original was dead, the inner demon would die as well. The black-robed figure hadn't been able to kill the real grandmaster for that sole reason.

Just now, the real grandmaster had sacrificed part of his cultivation. The inner demon was writhing in pain, momentarily immobilized.

Liu Wuxie swiftly explained the situation to the elders, who were stunned by how much he knew. It was like he had anticipated all of it in advance.

During their first meeting, Liu Wuxie had already questioned the grandmaster about the black-robed figure. Although the grandmaster had remained silent, Liu Wuxie cast a meaningful wink at him. It was an unspoken question about whether someone else was eavesdropping or not.

The inner demon had no physical form and could exist anywhere. At the time, it was indeed present in the cave. It captured their entire exchange, except for the crucial, silent wink.

A simple meeting marked the beginning of a silent agreement between Liu Wuxie and the grandmaster. Everything happening now was set in motion a long time ago.

"So that's the grandmaster's inner demon. No wonder he's so bloodthirsty!" murmured several bystanders as realization dawned on them.

Every cultivator faced the risk of developing an inner demon. Inner demons lived within all practitioners, especially those who harbored negative emotions or walked a darker path. They lay dormant like seeds, waiting for the moment to sprout.

Upon sprouting, they could seize the practitioner's body, replacing their original consciousness. For years, the grandmaster had been relying on his formidable cultivation to suppress his inner demon.

Liu Wuxie was no exception. He, too, carried an inner demon, but after each breakthrough or cultivation phase, he would always take the time to stabilize his mind and resolve any budding darkness within. That was how he maintained his clarity and control over himself.

As one's cultivation increased, one's inner demon would become more dangerous. Overwhelming emotional trauma—like losing a loved one—or the strain of a breakthrough, could make it erupt.

In his past life, Liu Wuxie had encountered many high-level cultivators and even immortals who harbored inner demons. Some managed to conceal them. Others used raw power or sheer will to keep them at bay.

Often, an inner demon began as a whisper. A seductive and persistent whisper that slowly eroded a cultivator's will. If it were allowed to grow, it would eventually override the cultivator's consciousness, feeding off their weakening will.

The grandmaster's inner demon had likely emerged during one of his breakthroughs.

The four elders, each at the pinnacle of the Earth Profound Realm, took only half a breath's time to absorb the full contents of the Demon Purging Scripture that Liu Wuxie had transmitted to them.

Meanwhile, the black-robed figure struggled to regain his strength, little by little.

"Begin the chant—now!" Liu Wuxie commanded. He immediately sat cross-legged, forming a five-point formation with the four elders around the black-robed figure.

"NAMO RATNA TRAYĀYA, NAMA ĀRYA JÑĀNA SĀGARA VAIROCANA VYŪHA RĀJĀYA..."

Their chanting echoed throughout the heavens. A radiant Sanskrit seal wove itself into a massive net, triggering a strange phenomenon that descended from the sky like a divine talisman.

The talisman, glowing with brilliant golden light, took on the shape of a pentagon and descended slowly. Its radiance locked onto the black-robed figure. A sizzling sound erupted as tendrils of black miasma rose from the figure's body.

Just as Liu Wuxie had declared, this man wasn't the grandmaster, but the embodiment of his inner demon.

"Liu Wuxie, curse you!" the black-robed figure howled in fury.

If someone hadn't immobilized him, he would have already attacked Liu Wuxie. He knew that once Liu Wuxie was dead, the Demon Purging Scripture would lose its effect and wouldn't be able to destroy him.

High on the central peak, the real grandmaster sat within his cave abode. He thrust his hand into his chest, and his face was twisted in agony.

Beside him, the Divine Sun Sword stood silently, unmoving.

Sharing the grandmaster's will, the inner demon commanded influence over the Divine Sun Sword. This was why the sword remained still, ignoring the chaos the black-robed inner demon had wrought across the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

The black miasma swelled and rapidly engulfed the Heavenly Gate Peak.

"Everyone, fall back!" several elders roared. "If any of you absorb this demonic energy, your inner demon will awaken, and you'll fall onto the demonic path!"

With urgency, the elders drove away the surrounding disciples, keeping them at a safe distance from the overwhelming black fog.