Desolate Devouring Art

Liu Wuxie said nothing more, not wanting to worry the others. Deep down, he hoped he was overthinking it.

The tent was spacious, and someone had laid out soft bedding, making it a comfortable place to rest for the night.

Liu Wuxie sat outside by a bonfire, his gaze fixed on the distant forest, watchful and silent.

"Big Brother Liu, you should rest. I'll keep watch," Murong Yi said, stepping out to relieve him.

"You should go back inside. Tonight might not be peaceful," Liu Wuxie replied gently, brushing her cheek with a tender touch.

Among the four women, only Murong Yi shared such intimacy with him.

"But didn't you say there wouldn't be any danger?" Murong Yi asked, concern flickering in her eyes.

She had grown up in comfort, shielded from danger her whole life. Naturally, she found it challenging to stay calm in moments like this.

Back in the Southern Province, she'd been the pampered young mistress of the House of Tea Art. When she first arrived in the Central Plains, she had nearly died at the hands of the Scarlet Dragon Cult if not for Master Yi's intervention.

Since then, she had remained in seclusion at the Heavenly Dao Society to cultivate. Strictly speaking, this was the first time any of the four women had ventured out into the Central Plains on their own.

"I suspect someone deliberately released the Drought Wraiths... to harvest human blood," Liu Wuxie said in a low voice.

The two of them leaned against each other, Murong Yi resting her head on his shoulder as they looked up at the night sky.

Murong Yi stiffened with shock. "You mean... someone is raising those monsters on purpose?"

Just the word "monster" made her tremble.

"It's very likely," Liu Wuxie said. "Drought Wraiths can absorb human blood essence to nourish their master, helping them cultivate."

Though he wasn't entirely sure, the puzzle was beginning to fit together.

As night deepened, Liu Wuxie urged Murong Yi to return to the tent. After seeing her off, he added more wood to the fire, raising the temperature to ward off the chill.

The other three women remained awake but silent, unwilling to interrupt the quiet moment between Murong Yi and Liu Wuxie. When Murong Yi returned to the tent, they exchanged a few meaningful glances, making her blush.

The four had long developed a strong bond, and they respected one another enough to give space when one of them shared a quiet moment with Liu Wuxie.

Suddenly, rustling echoed from the forest—something was crawling through the underbrush.

Liu Wuxie stood up and activated his Ghost Eye. In an instant, the world turned clear and crystalline. The dense trees became transparent in his vision, and he spotted a black creature slinking through the foliage.

It stood about 1.5 meters tall, hunched over on four limbs, with claws lined in deadly talons. Its face was skull-like, and its body pitch-black, blending seamlessly into the night. Poisonous spines covered its hide—just one prick could mean certain death.

"A Drought Wraith... just as I thought," Liu Wuxie muttered. Their lifeforce must've drawn it.

Summoning the Heretic Blade, he stepped beyond the protective barrier of the spiritual array. With the formation active, the four women would be safe for now.

"Don't come out, no matter what happens," Liu Wuxie instructed before vanishing into the dark.

He picked a location about fifty meters from the tent, spacious enough to fight, but close enough to return instantly if needed.

With a rustle, the Drought Wraith burst from the woods like a black comet, its fangs glinting with fresh blood as it leapt forward. Though it couldn't speak, its snarling expression made its hostility clear.

Liu Wuxie studied its movements carefully with the Ghost Eye. But as he did, his frown deepened.

"Its skin is incredibly tough," he muttered.

From within the safety of the spiritual array, the four women saw the creature and reacted instinctively.

"So ugly," Chen Ruoyan whispered, disgusted.

"It's revolting," Jian Xing'er added, her blood boiling at the sight of the creature. Knowing it fed on human blood only made her more furious.

The Drought Wraith suddenly lunged at Liu Wuxie with terrifying speed, faster than before. Its movements weren't wild or erratic—it followed a pattern, as if someone had trained it.

Liu Wuxie swung the Heretic Blade in a sharp arc aimed at its abdomen.

Sparks flew as the blade struck, but it failed to pierce the creature's hide.

"What incredible defense..." Liu Wuxie was shocked. With his current strength, he could slay peak Heaven Profound experts, but he failed against this creature.

Enraged by the pain in its abdomen, the Drought Wraith howled, grinding its fangs as it charged at him again.

The grotesque sight of it under the moonlight sent a chill down the spine.

Liu Wuxie dodged repeatedly, trying to find its weakness. Though he'd read about Drought Wraiths, he had never fought one, not even during his time as an Immortal Emperor.

The creature screeched again, louder this time, as if calling for help.

"Is it summoning more?" Liu Wuxie's expression darkened.

If more of them came, he wouldn't fear for his safety, but protecting the four women would be another story. He had to end this fast.

Summoning tenfold more power into his next strike, Liu Wuxie narrowed his eyes and observed the Drought Wraith's rhythm through Ghost Eye.

"Die!" he roared.

He lunged forward the moment an opening appeared, driving the Heretic Blade toward the creature's neck, the weakest point he had identified.

Ghost Eye's partial x-ray vision revealed the thinnest point in its defenses.

With a loud crack, the Heretic Blade sliced cleanly through the Drought Wraith's neck. Blood spurted as the creature shrieked in pain, releasing a piercing sound that echoed through the mountains.

But even after Liu Wuxie decapitated it, the Drought Wraith didn't fall immediately.

Instead, it lowered its head to the blood on the ground and began licking it. As it did, its body began to swell unnaturally. Cracking sounds echoed from its bones.

"A mutated Drought Wraith!" Liu Wuxie narrowed his eyes. He didn't dare to hold back.

Summoning his full strength, he executed the Origin Blade, unleashing a pitch-black blade ray that split through the darkness like a divine judgment. His only goal was to kill the creature before it could complete its transformation.

The night lit up as the blade ray streaked across the sky, tearing through the air with unstoppable force. The sheer force of the strike caused the surrounding space to tremble and collapse inward.

A moment later, a thunderous explosion echoed across the mountains. The force uprooted trees, ruptured the ground, and carved a deep trench in the forest that stretched for several kilometers.

The Drought Wraith stood silently amid the destruction for a brief moment.

Then, as if its body only now realized death had taken it, it split in two and collapsed.

Liu Wuxie sheathed the Heretic Blade slowly, his expression grim and unreadable.

......

Far off in the forest, a black-robed man stood atop an earthen mound, holding a strange bone whistle in his hand. He blew softly into it, and moments later, several dark shadows rushed to his side.

He began counting them one by one.

"...Why is one missing?" he muttered, frowning.

He quickly pulled out a strange black compass and pressed it to the ground. A faint black dot appeared on its surface—only to vanish a second later.

"Northwest. Not far." His voice was low, tight with restrained fury.

"Who is it... Who dares to kill my Drought Wraith?!" the black-robed man roared, his killing intent spread like a poisonous fog.

In response, the remaining Drought Wraiths beside him howled mournfully. They had sensed their kin's death the instant it happened. The bond they shared made them one.

"Go and kill him," he ordered coldly, pointing toward the northwest.

Eleven Drought Wraiths at his feet immediately took off, vanishing into the forest like shadows. They moved in terrifying unison, driven by a shared bloodlust. Through their shared aura, they could sense exactly where their slain kin had fallen and who had killed them.

......

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie didn't return to the tent. He remained exactly where he had slain the mutated Drought Wraith, staring into the dark woods ahead.

His instincts told him the true danger was only beginning.

Minutes passed.

Then—rustling. Louder this time. Denser. The sound of dozens of limbs crawling through leaves and underbrush.

"It begins," Liu Wuxie murmured.

One by one, eleven Drought Wraiths emerged from the forest's edge. They slowly encircled him, their eyes fixed on the corpse of their fallen kin still lying in the clearing.

The creatures let out low, mournful howls—feral cries filled with grief and rage.

One Drought Wraith approached the corpse, crouched, and licked the blood pooling beneath its severed neck. The moment it tasted the blood, its eyes turned blood-red. It screamed and charged at Liu Wuxie without hesitation.

The others quickly joined it. They surrounded him.

From inside the glowing barrier of the spiritual array, the four women watched anxiously.

"Should we help him?" Murong Yi asked, her voice trembling.

"Not yet," Xu Lingxue replied calmly. "He told us not to leave the array. He must have his reasons."

Outside the barrier, Liu Wuxie didn't attack right away. Instead, he kept his gaze on the distant forest, his expression cold.

"I know you're the one who bred these Drought Wraiths," he said flatly. "Come out."

He wasn't speculating—he was certain. No natural Drought Wraith pack would behave this way. Someone had deliberately raised them in secret.

"Interesting..." a cold, playful voice echoed through the forest. "How did you sense my presence when you're merely at the Spirit Profound Realm?"

A figure in black robes slowly stepped into view, emerging from the shadows as if peeled from the night itself. He remained at a distance, expertly hiding his presence. By all logic, no divine sense should have detected him from that distance.

Yet Liu Wuxie had pinpointed his location precisely.

"I have no intention of fighting you," Liu Wuxie said calmly. "Leave with them now."

His tone was not fearful, but cautious. He didn't want unnecessary conflict. After surviving the Black Plume Pavilion's assassination attempt, he was certain more threats would soon follow.

He wasn't about to walk into another trap.