Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 1091 - Great Changes

Liu Wuxie pushed open the stone door and stepped inside.

As soon as he stepped in, he froze. Seated cross-legged on the stone bed was the Barefooted Elder's lifeless figure entirely in stone.

He was gone.

Liu Wuxie stared at the statue in silence, and a wave of conflicting emotions surging in his chest. Words eluded him. Had he truly lost all hope of reaching the Astral Domain? Without a path forward, how could he ever hope to save Han Feizi?

The Ghost Emperor walked through the stone door. When his eyes rested on the stone figure, he let out a deep sigh.

"He died for you," the Ghost Emperor said.

"What?" Liu Wuxie turned abruptly. "What do you mean? The Barefooted Elder died... because of me?"

"He asked me to give you this," the Ghost Emperor said. He sent a letter floating toward Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie caught the letter and unfolded it.

"When the Astral Tower appears, the abyss rises, nine stars align; the sun and moon ascend."

Liu Wuxie stared at the strange message, puzzled. He pondered the lines—heaven held the Astral Tower, earth bore the abyss, the cosmos carried the nine stars, and the sky bore the sun and moon.

The Astral Tower symbolized the heavens. The abyss stood for the underworld. The stars represented fate, and the sun and moon embodied the cycle of life.

Still holding the letter, Liu Wuxie looked up. "Senior Ghost Emperor, you said the Barefooted Elder died for me. What exactly do you mean?"

He knew there had to be a hidden message in the words the Barefooted Elder left behind. If he could unlock it, he could uncover the path to the Astral Domain.

"He revealed the secrets of heaven," the Ghost Emperor said, glancing at the statue before leading Liu Wuxie out of the stone house. He didn't wish to disturb the elder's rest any further.

To reveal celestial secrets was forbidden. The Barefooted Elder defied that rule and sacrificed his life. The curse drained his soul, leaving only a stone husk behind.

Liu Wuxie's heart grew heavy. He hadn't anticipated his presence would lead to such a tragic outcome.

"Don't blame yourself," the Ghost Emperor said, his voice now softened. "He's been waiting for you—for ten thousand years."

Perhaps the Barefooted Elder's death shifted the Ghost Emperor's outlook, as logically, he ought to blame Liu Wuxie for his old friend's demise, but he didn't.

It could also be because of the Cursed Stone. At the moment of change, the Ghost Emperor glimpsed a thread of destiny.

Liu Wuxie blinked, stunned. "He... has been waiting for me?"

"That's right. He's been waiting for you," the Ghost Emperor confirmed. His tone darkened slightly, as though the solitude ahead loomed larger. With his old friend gone, he would have no one left to speak to.

"Senior, can you tell me more?" Liu Wuxie bowed respectfully. He hoped the Ghost Emperor could explain the connection between him and the Barefooted Elder.

"Everyone called him the Harbinger of Misfortune," the Ghost Emperor said with a sigh. "But without him, the Eastern Domain would've perished long ago. It's tragic... and admirable."

Destiny had already woven everything into place. The Ghost Emperor believed Liu Wuxie would one day uncover the whole truth on his own.

"I met a mysterious old man at the Cursed Mountain," Liu Wuxie said. "What's his relationship with the Barefooted Elder?"

He didn't push further. The Ghost Emperor likely wouldn't say more. Still, Liu Wuxie held on to the belief that he would eventually piece everything together.

"They're spiritual twins," the Ghost Emperor said softly. His voice carried a faint note of sorrow as his eyes drifted toward the distant Cursed Mountain.

Liu Wuxie sank into thought, trying to organize all the clues he had gathered. As the puzzle came together, a flicker of realization and respect shone in his eyes.

"I understand now," he murmured. "The Barefooted Elder didn't possess a Cursed Physique. When the Cursed Stone struck the Eastern Domain, he used his own body to protect this continent."

Had he truly possessed the Cursed Physique, he would have perished long ago without mastering the Curse Dao Art.

The Barefooted Elder infused the tea with only the framework of that art, and it was something the Barefooted Elder had spent countless years deciphering before passing it on.

He had endured it all alone. He bore the curse willingly, shouldering the Cursed Stone's power while carrying boundless compassion in his heart. Despite the slanders, he never wavered.

The mysterious old man shared his soul as a spiritual twin, whose only purpose was to remain behind and suppress the cursed energy.

Now it all made sense. Liu Wuxie noticed something unusual when he first entered the Eastern Domain. A true Cursed Land ought to have been devoid of life, but this region thrived.

It was all because the Barefooted Elder had absorbed most of the cursed energy, shielding the land. However, the prolonged exposure had twisted his fate, bringing misfortune wherever he went. Hence, people feared him and called him the "Harbinger of Misfortune."

He had no choice but to retreat to Ghosthead Mountain, living out countless years in lonely silence. To the outside world, there was only one Barefooted Elder. No one knew that he had a younger twin guarding the Cursed Mountain in secret.

The two shared one soul across two bodies; it was a spiritual bond that transcended physical form.

"Since you've received your answer, leave now before I change my mind," the Ghost Emperor said, waving his hand. His voice carried a faint threat, one Liu Wuxie understood clearly. If the Ghost Emperor wished to kill him, it would be too late for him to run away.

"Farewell, senior. Thank you... for enlightening me," Liu Wuxie said with a deep bow.

There was no time to linger. He had gotten the answers he came for. Now, he had to return to the Central Plains.

He was sure the Barefooted Elder's letter contained a deeper meaning. Once back, he would scour the ancient records to find the truth.

He turned to leave, and Tian Wucang joined him. Together, they departed the Dark Canyon, vanishing swiftly into the distance.

The Eastern Domain was undergoing a quiet transformation. Cultivators began retreating from Ghosthead Mountain, dispersing and returning to their homelands. News of the Barefooted Elder's sacrifice spread quickly.

When Tian Wucang heard of it, a tide of emotions rose in his heart—grief, awe, and unresolved questions.

"Brother Tian, I'm leaving the Eastern Domain. Until we meet again," Liu Wuxie said, his tone calm yet resolute. He had no intention of returning to the Eighteen Peak Cities. His journey would take him beyond the domain's borders.

"Until we meet again," Tian Wucang replied. He didn't try to stop him. He knew Liu Wuxie bore far greater burdens than most.

With his breakthrough to the Earth Profound Realm and his grasp of the Curse Dao Art, Tian Wucang had become a crucial figure among the Abyssal Race. With his pure abyssal bloodline, he could inherit the mantle of the Abyssal Emperor one day.

They parted ways.

Liu Wuxie took off into the sky, his figure streaking like a comet across the horizon.

Half a month later, he returned to the very place where he entered the Eastern Domain. The cursed aura that blanketed the border had vanished. With the Cursed Stone removed, the land was finally free.

He turned to face Ghosthead Mountain in the distance and bowed deeply. That bow was for the man who had borne everything alone—the Barefooted Elder.

At that moment, far away in the stone hut, the elder's stone statue quaked and crumbled into countless fragments.

Liu Wuxie knew that without the Barefooted Elder, none of this would have been possible. He would never have uncovered the secrets of the Chosen One, the path to the Astral Domain, or the Curse Dao Art. He would never have refined the Cursed Stone.

He owed him a debt he would never be able to repay.

Now that the Eastern Domain was no longer a forbidden land, Liu Wuxie managed to leave without encountering any obstructions. He moved quickly across the continent with many matters still demanding his attention.

He had crushed much of the power behind the three great clans, but their roots ran deep. It was only a matter of time before they rose again. And beyond them, he still bore bitter grudges against the Scarlet Dragon Cult, the Profound Cloud Sect, the Black Plume Pavilion, and the Golden Cauldron Pavilion.

The True Martial Continent stood at the brink of collapse. Signs of collapse were everywhere; the land began transitioning into a Sacred Ground.

Two months after his departure, treasures surfaced, and countless experts emerged. Many cultivators at the Earth Profound Realm's peak broke through to the Heaven Profound Realm. Others at the Spirit Profound Realm had advanced as well. These were omens as the end of the continent drew near.

Even the profound beasts became more aggressive, gathering into hordes to attack cities. As the strength of mankind grew, so too did that of the beasts.

Shortly after entering the Central Plains, Liu Wuxie's Communication Talismans flared to life one after another, and messages flooded his soul sea.

The Eastern Domain's isolation had been blocking them, but now, the floodgates burst open.

"Master, there's been a change in Eternal Spirit Mountain—come here, quick!" An urgent message from Ruan Ying and the assassins.

"The Heavenly Dao Society is under attack. The three clans have allied with the Scarlet Dragon Cult and the Profound Cloud Sect, supported by the Spirit Jade Pavilion," his father-in-law reported.

"Wuxie, Liu Xiaotian has returned. He's stronger now and has taken some of the Liu Clan elites to challenge our authority," said Liu Xiucheng, his grandfather.

"Junior Brother, our master left after breaking through to the Heaven Profound Realm. The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy is changing. Don't come back for now," warned his third senior brother, Shen Rong.

Liu Wuxie knew his senior brothers well. For Shen Rong to send such a message, something significant had to have happened.

The grandmaster had once bestowed a clone projection for his protection, but its silence proved that the grandmaster had not intervened. Whatever was happening at the academy, it was beyond even him.

Whether it was good or bad, Liu Wuxie couldn't tell. The shadow of the black-robed figure still loomed, and they were an enemy even the grandmaster couldn't deal with.

Each message spoke of crisis. The Liu Clan teetered on the edge, and the Heavenly Dao Society stood under siege. Eternal Spirit Mountain could wait, but the situation with his senior brothers had unfolded twenty days ago.

There was no time to waste. He took off toward the nearest major city, his heart heavy with urgency. He couldn't afford to let more people die for his sake.

Han Feizi had paid the price, and so had the Barefooted Elder.

......

A month earlier, shortly after Liu Wuxie left the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, the grandmaster's personality changed abruptly. He became harsh, unpredictable, and began favoring petty and narrow-minded individuals.

The grandmaster stripped Elder Qu Su and the others of their positions. The academy had fallen into chaos.

Many left, replaced by strangers. Miao Hanxuan, once scheming in the shadows, had risen in favor and been appointed as the head of all grand elders, second only to the grandmaster himself.

The Seven Peaks, Five Institutions, and Three Courts underwent sweeping reform.

Han Long completed his mission and returned to the Han Clan. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Liu Wuxie remained unaware of these. The academy had plunged into corruption. Daily violence broke out over resources, and countless disciples perished. Those who could no longer endure chose to leave.

It wasn't until Liu Wuxie neared the academy that he learned the truth from others. He hadn't expected so much to change in just two months.