Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 778 - Last Stage

The Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar began to shake violently, as though an earthquake had struck. Runes intertwined on it, and the parts that were previously unlit gleamed with brilliance.

Each rune on the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar represented a lamp, with the runes at the center serving as the primary focus. Lighting one of these runes indicated one star, and Ning Hai had successfully lit six stars. However, beyond the central runes, countless smaller runes adorned the pillar's surface.

When Liu Wuxie unleashed his punch, he illuminated the runes at the center and activated the smaller runes surrounding them. The central runes resembled a grand oil lamp, while the surrounding ones burned like smaller lamps, all igniting in unison.

Light burst forth in every direction, illuminating the sky as the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar lit up from its base and continued upward. The brightness spread like a wave, engulfing the entire pillar.

No one could determine how many stars had been activated as there were too many. The entire pillar had been illuminated.

Ning Hai had just completed his assessment, and the commotion caused by Liu Wuxie made him shudder. Even the disciples in the distance were dumbfounded, uncertain of what had just happened.

"Elder Qu, what's going on?" asked the two elders beside Qu Su. Neither had ever seen the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar fully illuminated before.

The entire Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar was practically illuminated like a beacon.

"The purity and density of his true essence and laws rival that of someone in the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm," Qu Su said.

"That's impossible! How can the true essence and laws of someone in the ninth-level Astral River Realm possibly rival those of someone in the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm?" The other elders were equally shocked, but they knew Qu Su wasn't one to speak carelessly—he must have noticed something remarkable.

"The world is vast, and there are many prodigies beyond our imagination," Qu Su said. The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had seen countless talents as they monopolized half of the prodigies in the Central Plains, but someone like Liu Wuxie was exceedingly rare.

The Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar glowed brilliantly, forming a towering beam of light that showed no signs of fading. True essence surged within it, and deep, resonant dragon cries echoed from the pillar—triggered by the trace of true dragon energy that Liu Wuxie had infused into his punch.

One of the eliminated Wang Clan disciples stood frozen, mouth agape in shock. The moment the entire pillar lit up, he bit down hard in disbelief, accidentally severing half his tongue. Writhing on the ground in pain, blood pouring from his mouth, his foolish reaction triggered an outburst of laughter from the crowd.

"This fool!" Wang Yuanhou spat. He knew this incident would turn the Wang Clan into a laughingstock.

The pillar's light lasted for five minutes before gradually dimming.

Liu Wuxie turned to look at the sky again, unsure if he had passed the assessment.

"Congratulations, you have passed the test!" Qu Su's tone had shifted, now carrying a hint of respect. After all, securing first place in all three stages was no ordinary feat, and there was no harm in building a good relationship with such a prodigy early on.

Liu Wuxie bowed in gratitude before he proceeded to the right.

Of the initial participants, only twenty thousand disciples had successfully advanced to the next stage. Roughly ten thousand people were left, awaiting their turn to take the assessment. This meant the final number of people entering the next stage wouldn't exceed thirty thousand.

In just three days, the majority of the 100,000 participants had been eliminated, demonstrating the difficulty of the recruitment test.

Even those disqualified were exceptional talents, capable of securing the prodigy's title in any sect. Yet, they failed to meet the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's requirement.

Shortly after Liu Wuxie's test ended, it was Liu Xin'er's turn. Her result on the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar was slightly lower than Ning Hai's due to the limitations of her current cultivation. When she injected her true essence into the crystal orb, she only managed to light up seven pillars, which meant she had successfully advanced to the next stage.

Three members of the Liu Clan, Liu Wuxie, Liu Xin'er, and Liu Lin, reached the fourth stage.

By sunset, the assessment had concluded. As Liu Wuxie had predicted, just under thirty thousand participants had qualified for the next stage. However, the academy had only five thousand quotas, which meant most participants would be eliminated during the final assessment.

The Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar emitted a series of creaking sounds before descending into the ground as if it had never appeared.

"You will all enter the training ground tomorrow, so prepare well tonight. I will announce the rules for tomorrow's assessment first thing in the morning," said Qu Su, waving his hand. A restriction barrier rose from the ground, dividing the entire platform in half. The disciples who advanced to the next stage couldn't interact with their families.

"You made a spectacle out of yourself today. You could've been more discreet and held back a little," Liu Xin'er said, rolling her eyes as she sat beside Liu Wuxie.

"I would if I could," Liu Wuxie replied, rubbing his nose and looking helpless. He also hadn't anticipated he would cause such a commotion today, and he would've held back if he had known.

After all, there were five thousand quotas and no actual rewards, even if he was ranked first. So, standing out had no meaning, as it made no difference if he was placed first or last.

"You've made a name for yourself now, and I bet the number of people who want to kill you will fill this entire platform," Liu Xin'er said. Her words were blunt, but Liu Wuxie understood her well enough to know she was genuinely concerned.

He merely shrugged in response. After all, what was done was done, and he could do nothing about it. All that remained was to rest well and prepare for the next day's assessment.

The final stage would last seven days within the academy's training grounds. The specifics of the test varied each year, making prior experience useless and leaving everyone to rely on their instincts and abilities.

"Father, do you think Wuxie can make it through the final stage?" Liu Dashan asked. He was naturally happy to see his son shine on the assessment.

"I believe Wuxie knows what he's doing. He must have the confidence to make it through the assessment since he dares to take the bet," Liu Xiucheng said. He was trying to reassure his son despite feeling uncertain himself.

Some first-tier clans had suffered a complete defeat and could only lament their losses. As for the sects and clans with participants who had successfully entered the fourth stage, they naturally erupted into cheers.

The entire platform was filled with two drastic emotions.

As the night deepened, Liu Wuxie circulated the Desolate Devouring Art with boundless spiritual energy pouring into his body. Ever since he had reached the ninth level of the Astral River Realm, his desolate world has expanded, bestowing him with more significant reserves of true essence.

Though Liu Wuxie still had over one hundred thousand spirit stones left, he dared not waste them and chose to cultivate steadily.

"My cultivation progress seems to have doubled beside you," Liu Xin'er remarked, noticing the strange phenomenon. Over the past few days, she had been cultivating while seated next to him and realized her absorption rate had increased by twofold.

"Just focus on your training and stop talking so much," Liu Wuxie replied, eyes still closed. His tone resembled that of an elder scolding a junior, which made Liu Xin'er furious as she shot him an icy glare.

Time flowed swiftly, and the night passed in the blink of an eye. When the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, everyone stirred, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. A night of focused cultivation had yielded significant benefits for many.

Many disciples wished to approach Liu Wuxie to greet him, but they soon abandoned the idea after seeing how aloof he was.

The most critical moment had arrived—the final stage of the assessment was upon them. Those in the True Profound Realm held the greatest advantage, as the final test focused on cultivation and combat strength. After all, immense talent meant little without the ability to wield it effectively in battle.

Some participants, unable to contain their impatience, raised their heads to the sky, eagerly anticipating the examiners' arrival.

After roughly fifteen minutes of waiting, ten examiners gracefully descended on auspicious clouds. Their arrival cast a hush over the platform as everyone held their breath.

"I believe everyone's patience is wearing thin," Qu Su said, his voice carrying authority. "This trial will last for seven days. While the rules strictly forbid killing, the academy will not intervene even if such incidents occur."

Upon hearing the announcement, the Wang Clan's disciples smiled knowingly, and many participants turned their attention to Liu Wuxie, their seemingly harmless smiles betraying the murderous intent hidden within their eyes.

"What's going on? I thought killing was forbidden in the past years unless it was an accident. Why did the rule suddenly change this time?" Everyone was shocked, and the recruitment test this year was exceptionally harsh.

Liu Xiucheng froze upon hearing the news. This rule was aimed at Liu Wuxie. If killing was forbidden, Liu Wuxie would have time to develop, and it wouldn't be difficult for him to stand out among the competitors.

He knew that even those in the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm weren't a match for his grandson, and his victory was almost guaranteed as long as he avoided those in the True Profound Realm.

This was why he had been worried in the previous stages but was confident about the fourth stage. But the sudden change went beyond his expectations, and the killing of another participant was permitted this year.

Qu Su was also baffled when he received the grandmaster's directive. The grandmaster had instructed him to continuously place obstacles before Liu Wuxie, believing that the hardships would help the latter grow faster.

As for why the grandmaster was in such a hurry to quicken Liu Wuxie's growth? He had no idea about that. After all, pressure could result in motivation.

Even Qu Su had voiced his concerns to the grandmaster, asking what would happen if Liu Wuxie were to die during the assessment. The grandmaster's response was simple and unwavering: "If he dies, then he was never the chosen one. But if he is, he won't fall so easily."

But since it was the grandmaster's directive, Qu Su could only comply.

Meanwhile, Ning Hai clenched his fists together because he finally had the chance to kill Liu Wuxie and reclaim his rightful first place. Many disciples were eager for the trial even before the rules were announced.

"Things aren't looking good for you. Hide and wait it out if necessary," Liu Xin'er whispered. She didn't want to see Liu Wuxie die there.

In response to her concern, Liu Wuxie merely glanced at her and said nothing. No one could tell anything from his unnaturally calm and composed expression.

"I will now announce the rules," Qu Su said, his voice steady and clear. "Twenty-five thousand participants will enter the fourth stage, and each of you will be given a set of clothing containing a jade token. These sets are numbered from one to five thousand, with each number repeated five times."

"Once inside the training ground, you will all be scattered, and the result will be determined by a point-counting system. For example, if you have the number one and encounter another participant with the same number, you will earn one hundred points by seizing their jade token. You will also earn five points for each token with a number corresponding to your own sequence, such as eleven, twenty-one, thirty-one, and so on."

The rules were simple and easy for everyone to understand.

For instance, if Liu Wuxie received the number nine, five participants would share that same number. Each identical token he seized would earn him one hundred points. He would also earn five points for tokens ending in nine, such as nineteen, twenty-nine, one hundred and fifty-nine, and others.

If he collected jade tokens with numbers unrelated to his, he would gain just one point per token.

This meant that if Liu Wuxie could secure all five jade tokens with identical numbers to his own, he would amass five hundred points, the equivalent of collecting four hundred tokens with unmatched numbers. The strategy was obvious—everyone would prioritize targeting those with matching numbers, as defeating one such opponent could yield the same points as taking out a hundred others.