Chapter 1061 - Slapped Flying

Liu Wuxie approached the Celestial Lunar Lake at speed.

Dense spiritual energy blanketed the sky, clashing with waves of pure yang energy that danced and twisted together. They resembled two schools of fish weaving together mid-air, eventually transforming into spiritual rain that cascaded gently over the lake.

Was the lake water this saturated with spirituality? Could there be a supreme-grade spirit vein beneath the Celestial Lunar Lake?" Liu Wuxie muttered in surprise as he moved closer.

The lake's surface shimmered with spiritual liquid, yet no one dared set foot in it. Everyone remained at the lake's edge, quietly absorbing the spiritual energy and laws drifting from its depths.

Disciples of varying cultivation levels gathered around the shore. Some had reached the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm, and a few even stood at the Earth Profound Realm. The weakest, at the lower levels of the Spirit Profound Realm, could only cultivate on the fringes, unable to approach the best spots already claimed.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy upheld the rule of survival of the fittest. The elders rarely interfered, even if someone died in competition. Brutal as it was, such a trial by fire forged the academy's elite.

Liu Wuxie advanced along a winding path, advancing steadily toward the location he had previously marked. As he progressed, he noticed the crowd thinning around him.

"Strange. Why is no one here?" he murmured, puzzled. By all signs, this spot was ideal for cultivation. Yet, the area was completely deserted.

He scanned his surroundings, but sensed no danger. So, he lowered his guard.

"Look! Someone's heading over there!" a disciple exclaimed, spotting Liu Wuxie approaching the overgrown path.

"Another fool courting death," someone sneered before closing their eyes and returning to their meditation.

No one cared to waste energy on strangers. Each had come for the lake's rich spiritual energy, and few wanted distractions.

Liu Wuxie reached a grassy patch with no one else within fifty or sixty meters. The lake stretched like a silver mirror across half the mountain range, glimmering beneath the constellations. Ripples spread across its surface with each passing breeze.

After clearing the grass, Liu Wuxie unfurled a mat and planted several array flags in the grass. He hadn't set them up for defense but to alert himself to intrusions and warn others to stay away.

The limited space around the lake made large defensive formations impractical. Liu Wuxie intended to draw in spiritual energy and break through to the sixth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.

However, his true purpose in returning to the academy was to request an audience with the grandmaster. Han Feizi's time was running out, and Liu Wuxie knew he had to grow stronger, fast.

He activated the Desolate Devouring Art. The art had since evolved, now capable of drawing not only spiritual energy but also the laws of the world.

The Celestial Lunar Lake was no ordinary place. The laws within it were more complete than anywhere else Liu Wuxie had encountered.

A colossal vortex swirled above him, pulling in spiritual energy from every direction.

"What's going on? Why is all the spiritual energy flowing in that direction?" the disciples exclaimed as they opened their eyes, jolted by the abrupt shift.

The academy typically kept the Celestial Lunar Lake filled with an abundance of spiritual energy for everyone. But now, it was all being drawn toward a single point.

"Over there!" someone pointed.

A thick concentration of spiritual energy had gathered above Liu Wuxie, condensing into a glowing mist; it streamed into the vortex above his head.

"Who is that?" a pinnacle Spirit Profound Realm cultivator asked coldly. He had been on the brink of breaking through to the Earth Profound Realm, but now his progress had been forcefully interrupted.

"No idea. I've never seen him before," others replied, shaking their heads.

Although most true disciples widely recognized Liu Wuxie's name, many holy sons had secluded themselves for months and missed the events that had taken place in Astral Glory City.

"He dares steal our spiritual energy? He's dead!"

Several disciples stood, glaring at Liu Wuxie. To them, he had robbed them of their share, and that was a challenge they wouldn't ignore.

"Has anyone noticed how terrifying his cultivation art is?" one disciple asked. Fear flickered across a few disciples' faces. None had ever seen someone absorb spiritual energy on such a scale.

Even more frightening, the energy above the lake continued converging toward Liu Wuxie.

"How can anyone withstand that much spiritual energy?"

Any ordinary cultivator would've exploded under such an influx. However, Liu Wuxie remained perfectly fine, almost as if he enjoyed it.

"We're confronting him now! How can we cultivate if he absorbs everything?"

A group marched toward him, but as they neared, the array flags around Liu Wuxie began to hum softly, signaling their intrusion.

Liu Wuxie's eyes opened, his brow furrowed. The Desolate Devouring Art had nearly filled his inner world. He was just about to initiate his breakthrough when the noise disrupted him.

He looked up and found himself surrounded.

"Get up, you brat!" barked a disciple at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm.

"Who are you to interrupt my cultivation?" Liu Wuxie's expression turned cold.

"Are you deaf? Senior Brother Liu An just spoke to you!" the crowd jeered, trying to pressure him.

"Get lost, and don't interrupt my cultivation," Liu Wuxie said flatly.

To him, these so-called experts were insignificant. Even a sixth-level Earth Profound cultivator would struggle to survive a slap from him.

However, those present thought that his words dripped with unbearable arrogance.

"You dare ignore me?" Liu An snarled and unleashed a palm strike.

The array flags shook violently. Though not designed for combat, they flared as a warning.

"You're courting death," Liu Wuxie muttered.

Without even standing, he casually waved his hand, and a terrifying force swept out.

Liu An turned ghostly pale when Liu Wuxie effortlessly crushed his technique. The gap between them was too broad.

With a loud bang, Liu An flew backward like a rag doll, and blood spurted from his lips.

The shockwave blasted nearby disciples into the air.

"Don't disturb me again," Liu Wuxie said icily. He had merely given a warning.

Further away, other disciples watched in stunned silence.

"H-How could a fifth-level Spirit Profound cultivator do that?! He took down someone at the peak of the Spirit Profound Realm along with dozens of others!"

They were dumbfounded.

Cultivators at the Spirit Profound Realm ranked among the elite, even in the Central Plains. Only elders typically reached the rare Earth Profound Realm. To defeat such a group so effortlessly...

Most sects regarded a disciple at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm as a top-tier talent. Even here, within the revered Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy, disciples and elders alike regarded them as the backbone of the academy.

Liu An trembled, checking his wounds with shaky hands. His wounds weren't severe, but he now realized that Liu Wuxie could have killed them all effortlessly.

"Run!" someone finally shouted, finally realizing what kind of existence they had provoked.

In seconds, the area emptied. Liu Wuxie shut his eyes and returned to his cultivation.

"Who the hell is he?" someone asked in awe.

"Why is he so strong? And why haven't we heard of him?"

Their interest in cultivation had vanished entirely. Now, they were all focused on gathering information about the mysterious young man they had encountered.

"I think his name is Liu Wuxie," said a disciple who had just returned to the sect, his voice trembling as he stared at the figure in the distance.

"Liu Wuxie? That name sounds familiar... Where have I heard it before?" Several disciples furrowed their brows, feeling an odd familiarity, but unable to recall.

Before long, the news of Liu Wuxie's identity spread throughout the Celestial Lunar Lake. The moment news of his recent achievements spread, gasps erupted across the lake.

Liu An's face turned bitter. He had provoked someone who had killed a third-level Earth Profound Realm expert and, with an array's help, wiped out multiple seventh-level cultivators. That level of combat strength already matched the academy's legacy disciples, all of whom had firmly stepped into the Earth Profound Realm.

"We almost died just now," many whispered with pale faces, only now realizing the magnitude of the monster they had provoked.

"We're in for a show now," some murmured, their eyes gleaming as they shifted their gaze back to Liu Wuxie.

"He dares to cultivate there? He's finished, even with that kind of strength." Others sneered, unaware they had all missed one crucial detail.

The spot Liu Wuxie had chosen wasn't just any ordinary cultivation location.