Chapter 1258 - Luring the Enemies Out

"One million five hundred thousand astral stones!" someone shouted, raising the bid even higher. The auction-like frenzy showed no signs of stopping. At that level, astral stones held little value for cultivators at the high stages of the Primal Origin Realm. What truly mattered was the immortal aura in the soup — drinking it would not only refine their bodies but also forge a faint connection to the celestial realm.

"Not for sale," Liu Wuxie said flatly. Without hesitation, he split the soup into three portions and handed them to He Yingwu and Xiao Luo.

"Drink," he commanded, raising his own bowl and downing it in one gulp.

Xiao Luo had been waiting impatiently. She drained her portion in one breath, savoring every drop. He Yingwu didn't even bother to taste; he tilted the bowl back and swallowed it all at once.

A marvelous sensation burst through their bodies, immediate and undeniable.

Cracking sounds echoed, resembling the breaking of eggshells. Xiao Luo successfully broke through to the fourth-level Transcendent Realm, and He Yingwu advanced to the third-level Origin Conversion Realm.

Though Liu Wuxie's cultivation didn't change, he still gained something from it. A faint golden glow enveloped the Heavenly Dao Book.

"What a waste!" The high-level Primal Origin Realm experts wore bitter expressions, but none dared move inside the Heavenly Gale Pavilion. Had they acted earlier, they might have snatched the soup; now that the trio had drunk it, killing them offered nothing.

Special means created the food; no longer ordinary fare, it manifested from laws. The moment it entered the stomach, the body absorbed it completely.

Ignoring the venomous glares from the surroundings, Liu Wuxie rose to his feet and led his companions downstairs.

"Master, those people didn't go far," Xiao Luo whispered after they descended from the pavilion.

"Don't bother with them!" Liu Wuxie said and quickened his pace. Xiao Luo and He Yingwu followed him, and together they headed for the outskirts of Mount Dragon City.

"Wuxie, did you come to the Heavenly Gale Pavilion on purpose? You revealed your identity to eat, and it sounded like your commentary on the dishes was meant for others, not us," He Yingwu finally said, unable to keep the suspicion to himself any longer.

Xiao Luo could sense it too. Her master's behavior had been deliberately high-profile.

Far behind them, Duan Li and his men followed. They dared not act within Mount Dragon City because they feared drawing unwanted attention, but once Liu Wuxie left the city, they seized the golden opportunity.

"You're right. I've heard of the Heavenly Gale Pavilion from the Book Collection Pavilion. Its owner is obsessed with food, and I've heard he once risked his life to steal a rare immortal fruit from a Heaven Gaze Realm cultivator and nearly died for it," Liu Wuxie replied with a nod. His stop at the Heavenly Gale Pavilion was not only to lure Duan Li out.

"He dared steal from an expert at the Heaven Gaze Realm?" He Yingwu exclaimed in shock. Cultivators at the Heaven Gaze Realm stood at the pinnacle of the astral domain.

Xiao Luo listened with fascination, though she wondered why neither her master nor He Yingwu seemed worried about their pursuers. He Yingwu, who had spent half a year with Liu Wuxie, knew his nature; if Liu Wuxie dared to lure Duan Li out, he must have prepared. For Xiao Luo, it was thrilling.

"Master, your motive isn't to eat, but the White Emerald Jade Soup?" Xiao Luo asked, piecing things together.

"That's right," Liu Wuxie replied with a smile. "I knew the owner had a secret dish that even cultivators at the Heaven Gaze Realm couldn't coax him to serve. I have only come to try my luck, and as you can see, I've succeeded."

After drinking the soup, the cultivation of the three of them had risen significantly. When golden radiance appeared in the Heavenly Dao Book, Liu Wuxie felt a faint connection to the Fleeting Cloud Celestial Realm. However, the benefits wouldn't be immediately apparent.

An hour later, the trio slipped out of the city and quickened their pace toward a desolate mountain range on the horizon. Night fell, and the roads lay empty.

Duan Li and the others increased their speed. They were all at the Primal Origin Realm, and they soon caught up to Liu Wuxie.

"Liu Wuxie, let's see where you can run now!" Duan Li snarled, eyes bloodshot with hatred. He had failed at the Heavenly Gale Pavilion, but now his chance had finally come. The palace master had given him three months to kill Liu Wuxie, and the deadline was nearly up.

"Run?" Liu Wuxie smiled. "Since when did I ever say that I wanted to run?"

A terrifying aura swept out from Liu Wuxie. With his cultivation at the second-level Origin Conversion Realm, his combat strength had skyrocketed compared to before.

He Yingwu drew his sword and prepared for battle. Xiao Luo, facing her first real fight, looked worried, her expression a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Still trying to be stubborn even when you're going to die!" Duan Li said, advancing toward Liu Wuxie with murderous intent radiating from him.

"Since you've all come out, stop hiding and show yourselves!" Liu Wuxie yelled, sweeping his gaze over the surroundings.

Duan Li's heart skipped a beat when he heard what Liu Wuxie said. He began to wonder if Liu Wuxie had allies in an ambush, but how was that possible? From the information he gathered, Liu Wuxie had almost no friends in the Heavenly Dragon Sect.

The surroundings fell silent with no response aside from a faint breeze.

"Don't tell me that the Sky Cloud Star and the Tranquil Meteor Star don't want to kill me?" Liu Wuxie chuckled.

Right then, space suddenly rippled around them, and five figures emerged from hiding, all at the Primal Origin Realm.

Seeing this, He Yingwu staggered at the sheer number of enemies. Duan Li and his men cultivated only to the fourth-level Primal Origin Realm and posed little threat. The five newcomers, however, all stood at the pinnacle of the Primal Origin Realm.

"Liu Wuxie, how did you find us?" The eldest of the five demanded, his sharp gaze fixed on him. They confidently concealed their aura, yet they couldn't figure out how Liu Wuxie discovered them.

"How could you people miss out on such a golden opportunity to kill me?" Liu Wuxie replied with a smile. His objective was to lure out those who wanted him dead. Once he dealt with this trouble, he would be able to focus on his development. After all, these people would remain in trouble if he didn't deal with them. This was his trap right from the very start: to lure his enemies out.

"You're smart, but smart people rarely live long," the old man admitted. But intelligence was nothing compared to absolute strength, as he released his aura that descended in the form of an oppressive presence.

Duan Li and his men were dumbfounded, but they soon grinned. They didn't expect there to be others who wanted Liu Wuxie's death aside from them.

Liu Wuxie smiled and quoted, "Have you heard the saying: when the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole waits behind?"

This trip out of the Heavenly Dragon Sect had been risky, and none of them suspected he would openly appear in Mount Dragon City.

Xiao Luo grew nervous as time passed, but admiration filled her for her master, who maintained such composure even at this time. He Yingwu also remained composed. He knew Liu Wuxie had prepared a trap for them, but he didn't expect that the trap would lure out experts from the Laman Astral Domain, the Tranquil Meteor Star, and the Sky Cloud Star.

"Hmph, even with three heads and six arms, you won't escape today!" The elder at the center struck immediately. They had long known Liu Wuxie was cunning; better to strike fast than fall into one of his schemes.

Liu Wuxie's achievements in wilderness training had long reached the Sky Cloud Star and the Tranquil Meteor Star. So, to ensure Liu Wuxie's plan succeeded, they dispatched five experts at the pinnacle of the Primal Origin Realm. With such a massive formation, even those at the low levels of the Void Realm wouldn't dare to face them head-on. The elder's attack descended like a colossal mountain, crushing the trio.

"Liu Wuxie, prepare to die!" The old man roared, his voice swept out in the form of shockwaves that reduced the surrounding trees into ashes. The shockwaves he produced cracked the ground, akin to an earthquake.

Duan Li and his men could only watch in silence. The other four experts organized themselves into a netlike formation and created a giant barrier to block Liu Wuxie's escape.

Yet there was no panic on Liu Wuxie's face; instead, a hint of satisfaction touched his lips. His plan had finally come to fruition.

"Old Blindie, have you seen enough? Isn't it time you revealed yourself?" Liu Wuxie called into the air.

Space suddenly distorted, and Old Blindie stepped out from the void, donning a black robe that gave off a chilling aura.

"Grandfather? Isn't he supposed to be in seclusion?" Xiao Luo asked, her mind reeling in confusion. She had a feeling that something wasn't right, but she couldn't put it into words. After all, her grandfather had told them that he would have to go into seclusion for a day, and yet he had shown up here. Did that mean that her master had orchestrated everything?

The moment Old Blindie revealed himself, He Yingwu couldn't help but clutch his stomach and burst into laughter.

"Take them to safety and leave this garbage to me," Old Blindie said, nodding toward Liu Wuxie; he did not want his granddaughter caught in the aftermath.

When they saw Old Blindie radiate Void-Realm aura, the five experts from the Tranquil Meteor Star and the Sky Cloud Star turned pale. Duan Li's heart sank; he finally realized Liu Wuxie had never been alone, and a formidable protector had always stood at his side.

Liu Wuxie stepped out of the battlefield with his companions, leaving the fight to Old Blindie.

"Liu Wuxie, you're despicable!" Experts from the two planets roared, unable to contain their rage.