Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 149 - Twin Brothers

The refinement of the Soul Refining Pill posed a more stringent demand on the flame’s temperature. The flame couldn’t be too intense or too weak. This was due to the extreme fragility of the herbs containing soul energy—an overly strong flame would destroy them, while a flame too weak wouldn’t dissolve them.

Not even Master Mao could refine a pill of this level. After all, the skills of every four-star alchemist varied. Liu Wuxie could refine ten-odd fourth-grade pills, while Master Mao could only refine three kinds of fourth-grade pills, and that was the difference between them.

Liu Wuxie tossed the herbs into the cauldron, simultaneously controlling the flame and forming seals with his hands. When the profound seals merged with the cauldron, the cauldron became volatile, with the flames morphing into various forms such as a tiger, flowers, and other shapes, each representing a change in the seal.

There were countless alchemy techniques, and Liu Wuxie had mastered them, turning them into his unique technique. The cultivation of the soul was complicated because there wasn’t a corresponding cultivation technique. If one practiced it recklessly, it would be easy for them to run amok.

That was the same for the Soul Refining Pills. If there were a slight mistake, it would cause irreversible damage to the soul. Thus, Liu Wuxie stared at the cauldron with full concentration. This was the first time he had become so serious about refining pills ever since his rebirth.

He only had enough herbs for one attempt and couldn’t afford any mistakes. The true essence in his dantian was rapidly depleting, and he relied on it to sustain him. This was why only those who reached the Marrow Cleansing Realm could refine fourth-grade pills. The true essence of someone in the Spirit Cleansing Realm simply couldn’t support the entire refining process.

But Liu Wuxie’s dantian was unlike others. The true essence in his dantian was denser than those in the Spirit Cleansing Realm, thus giving him the confidence to refine fourth-grade pills.

Only some herbs remained on the shelves, and Liu Wuxie tossed them into the cauldron. As the flames enveloped these herbs, a dense herbal fragrance spread, filling Liu Wuxie’s nostrils.

“This is it!” Liu Wuxie formed a profound seal with his hands, and the cauldron flew up. The two-day deadline he had set for himself was fast approaching, and he couldn’t afford any further delays. After all, he needed to use the remaining time to refine the pills and make a breakthrough in his cultivation.

Meanwhile, the academy was teeming with activity. All the disciples of the Xue Clan had returned, setting the stage for an impending storm.

“Senior Brother Ji, leave this matter to us. When that brat comes out, we’ll take his life immediately!” In Ji Yang’s courtyard, a pair of identical twins stood, each holding a sword—one on the right and the other on the left.

Both were strong, with cultivation in the third-level Spirit Cleansing Realm. They were Profound Grade students who had joined the Imperial Academy two years ago. They also had an extraordinary relationship with the Ji Clan.

Ji Yang approached them with a task: killing Liu Wuxie.

The younger twin, Bo Er, questioned Ji Yang, “Senior Brother Ji, didn’t you go to the Treasure Pill Pavilion to refine pills yesterday? Why did you return so quickly?” The one who spoke earlier was the elder brother, Bo Yi.

The mention of this topic caused Ji Yang’s face to flash with a trace of ferocity and murderous intent.

“The Treasure Pill Pavilion rejected me and refused to let me borrow their alchemy chamber!” Ji Yang exclaimed, his voice laced with indignation. He had been rejected despite being a respected four-star alchemist. Many people had witnessed this incident, which had become a source of embarrassment for him.

When Ji Yang had ascended to the rank of a four-star alchemist, he was approached by the Treasure Pill Pavilion, who hoped he would join them. However, since the offer wasn’t for the position of the chief alchemist of the Treasure Pill Pavilion, Ji Yang had declined. After all, at the time of his promotion, Ji Yang was the youngest four-star alchemist in the Great Yan Dynasty and had every right to be proud of himself.

However, he hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to pass the test smoothly to become a four-star alchemist in just a few days and obtain the title of Treasure Pill Pavilion’s chief disciple.

The Treasure Pill Pavilion’s refusal to let Ji Yang use their alchemy chamber was straightforward. Jiang Yue had covertly leaked the answers to the alchemy competition, tarnishing the Pavilion’s reputation. To rectify this, the Pavilion had to distance itself from Ji Yang.

“How is that possible? What is the Treasure Pill Pavilion trying to do?! You’re the youngest four-star alchemist in the Great Yan Dynasty!” Bo Yi was baffled that the Treasure Pill Pavilion would reject a four-star alchemist.

“Calm down, Young Master Ji Yang. The Treasure Pill Pavilion isn’t the only place you can refine pills, and you can switch to another place,” Bo Er consoled. The Treasure Pill Pavilion monopolized seventy percent of the alchemy market in the Imperial Academy, with the remaining thirty percent in the hands of others.

As long as Ji Yang spread the news, countless people would come to invite him.

“We can discuss this later. The priority now is to eliminate that kid!” Ji Yang didn’t want to dwell on this topic any further. He believed that once Liu Wuxie was out of the picture, the Treasure Pill Pavilion would naturally alter their stance towards him.

He had met with Jiang Yue the previous day to comprehend the situation. The Treasure Pill Pavilion had turned him down due to Liu Wuxie, and if Liu Wuxie were to be killed, everything they had lost would be regained, and it was just a matter of time.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head out now!” Bo Yi cupped his fists together as the two brothers left Ji Yang’s courtyard for the Alchemy Hall.

When Ji Yang returned to his room, he took out a massive cauldron and began to refine pills in his courtyard. He initially wanted to kill Liu Wuxie, but the backlash of making a breakthrough to the Marrow Cleansing Realm forcibly was starting to manifest, and he had to resolve that issue quickly.

Two days flew by in an instant, and it was already dark outside. However, the academy was brightly lit as if it were daytime. The Alchemy Hall was relatively tranquil compared to other areas in the academy. After all, fewer than a hundred alchemists were in the academy, making them a rare breed.

When the flames disappeared, Liu Wuxie sat on the ground in exhaustion, with faint soul energy filling the alchemy chamber.

“What powerful soul energy!” Liu Wuxie exclaimed, taking an Origin Yang Pill and swallowing it. His true essence began to replenish rapidly in no time, enabling him to stand up. He then retrieved a porcelain bottle to store the ten Soul Refining Pills from the cauldron.

Liu Wuxie poured out one of the pills and swallowed it. The relentless pill refining over two days and nights had taken a significant toll on his soul energy and physical strength, leaving him utterly exhausted. Consuming the Soul Refining Pill triggered a powerful surge of soul energy that stormed into his soul sea.

As Liu Wuxie’s soul sea trembled violently, it felt like an earthquake as he clutched his head and sat on the ground, clasping his hands together to practice Ghost Eye. His golden soul sea started to glow even brighter, with the golden threads multiplying to over a thousand, filling up every corner of his soul sea.

His spiritual sense was like mercury, flowing out from his eyes and easily penetrating the walls of the alchemy chamber. He could clearly see everything outside the alchemy chamber, with a distance of one hundred and fifty meters, according to his estimation.

This meant he could capture everything that happened within one hundred and fifty meters without using his sight. Consuming a Soul Refining Pill had increased his soul energy by ten percent, much higher than his estimation. After all, the cultivation of the soul was meant to be slow to begin with.

“It’s time to leave!” Liu Wuxie took out the key and opened the door to the alchemy chamber, returning to the main hall and handing the key to the elder in charge.

“Young Master Liu, please wait!” The elder came out from behind the counter and called out to Liu Wuxie.

“What’s the matter?” Liu Wuxie asked. The hall was quiet, with everyone having retired for the night. After all, who would come here to refine pills at night?

“Someone asked me to deliver a message to you to be cautious when you’re outside,” the elder relayed before turning to leave.

Just as Liu Wuxie was about to inquire about the person who had sent the message, the elder closed the doors, leaving him with no choice but to let it go.

“Could it be Zuo Hong?” Liu Wuxie pondered, shaking his head. Zuo Hong wasn’t aware that he had come to refine pills. But then, who could it be? It certainly couldn’t be Song Ling. Among the students, he only knew Zuo Hong and Chen Leyao.

However, Liu Wuxie soon dismissed these thoughts, deciding to face whatever came his way. He headed back towards his courtyard. It was late at night, and few people were on the road.

Nestled against a mountain, the Imperial Academy was surrounded by trees and slopes. Patches of small, untouched woods were scattered throughout, a testament to the academy’s commitment to preserving the original environment during its construction.

After ingesting the Soul Refining Pill, Liu Wuxie’s spiritual sense had significantly amplified, enabling him to perceive everything occurring within a radius of one hundred fifty meters.

Suddenly, Liu Wuxie’s ears twitched, and a cold smirk spread across his lips. As he had anticipated, someone was tailing him. Given that he had just emerged from seclusion, it was clear that this person must have been lying in wait for him.

Intentionally taking a detour, Liu Wuxie ventured into a small, dimly lit grove. Two swift swooshing sounds echoed in the darkness, quickly materializing before Liu Wuxie.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Liu Wuxie could discern two vague figures in the faint light. Two young men were blocking his path. Strangely enough, they appeared to be identical.

“Are you both here to assassinate me?” Liu Wuxie cut straight to the chase. Their late-night encampment was hardly an invitation for a social call. Their palpable, murderous aura had already provided him with the answer.

“That’s right!” The two were straightforward with their intentions, admitting that they were there to kill him. The two wielded their swords in different hands, and they were twins who practiced the Left-Right Sword Art. This combination technique allowed two people to coordinate seamlessly in their attacks.

“Did Ji Yang send you?” Liu Wuxie, his face devoid of emotion, quickly deduced their patron. The Xue Clan was likely plotting a fatal strike against him, and they wouldn’t waste their time sending such low-level operatives.

“A dead man does not need such information. Your time ends now!” Bo Yi’s sword emitted a powerful beam, cleaving through the darkness and bearing down on Liu Wuxie. Bo Er’s attack swiftly followed, their strikes tracing a complex path. Their coordination was flawless; this was Liu Wuxie’s first encounter with such a tactic.

The twins were in sync, their hearts connected, enabling them to cover each other’s weaknesses in their attacks. Their sword technique was custom-designed for their unique bond.

Striding the Seven Dipper Steps, Liu Wuxie dodged an incoming attack as two trees blew apart under the sword aura. When the first strike failed, the second strike soon followed. The attacks were continuous and unending, like a tidal wave. Over the years, there hadn’t been anyone capable of withstanding ten attacks from these brothers.

The twins might not be in the Profound Grade’s elite class, but they weren’t someone to be underestimated as they had significant fame.

Liu Wuxie nimbly dodged their attacks, each one barely grazing his clothes but failing to inflict any harm. This gradual failure began to erode the twins’ patience, fueling their anger.

Their attacks became more frequent, trapping Liu Wuxie in the middle and shrinking his evasion space. If Liu Wuxie didn’t fight back, he would surely fall to their blades.

After consuming the Bone Refining Pill, Liu Wuxie still needed time to adapt to his changes. With such a great and sudden boost in his physique, Liu Wuxie used the two brothers’ relentless attacks to digest the energy of the pill in his body.