Chapter 661 - One Palm

No one believed that Liu Wuxie could walk out unscathed from Bai Yuan's grasp. Even if he had slain so many people, his chances were slim, as there were too many experts gathered in the Thorn Peak Valley. Not to mention, they had Xu Lingxue as their trump card, which meant Liu Wuxie would be courting death if he went to confront Bai Yuan.

The Demonic Heart Palace came out at the right moment. It wasn't so much as kicking a man when he's down but seizing the right opportunity when it arose. This was why they grasped this opportunity to recruit Liu Wuxie.

"Sorry, but I have no interest in joining the Demonic Heart Palace," Liu Wuxie rejected the offer without hesitation. He did not intend to align himself with them—neither now, in the future, nor ever.

"Only we, the Demonic Heart Palace, can help you to save your wife. Or are you going to watch her die at the hands of Bai Yuan and the others?" Qu Yang persuaded, hoping Liu Wuxie could reconsider his decision.

"I'll repeat myself: I'm not interested in joining the Demonic Heart Palace. Now, step aside," Liu Wuxie declared firmly. Should they continue to block his path, he wouldn't hold back against them.

"Liu Wuxie, don't be ungrateful! It's an honor to be invited by the Demonic Heart Palace!" Ruan Nian walked out of the group. He wasn't any weaker than Qu Yang, belonging to the first tier of the pyramid.

Though the Demonic Heart Palace wasn't ranked first among the ten major sects, their strength couldn't be underestimated. They had high hopes of reaching first place this year.

"You can give the offer to someone else. I do not need it," Liu Wuxie said and strode forward. If these people dared to stand in his way, he wouldn't mind starting a massacre. He had already offended so many sects, and he didn't mind offending another.

"Liu Wuxie, don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you can withstand my strike and come out unscathed, we'll let you leave," Qu Yang said. He took a step forward and unleashed an overwhelming aura.

Qu Yang had already learned that Liu Wuxie had killed Meng Qi, and his fighting spirits surged out, forming a storm above his head. As someone hungry for battles, he craved a duel with Liu Wuxie even if he couldn't recruit the latter.

"Fine," Liu Wuxie agreed. He wanted to end this entanglement as swiftly as possible. He gathered his terrifying true essence into his palm, infusing a hint of the Annihilation Fist's power, abyssal energy, and ice attribute energy.

A massive vortex appeared around Liu Wuxie, devouring all the spiritual energy from the surroundings.

Qu Yang's eyes narrowed, and he realized that he had underestimated Liu Wuxie's strength. He didn't dare be careless.

"Spiritual Blood Palm!" Qu Yang roared. He leaped into the air, and an ocean of blood appeared around him. No one knew how much blood he had absorbed to cultivate the Spiritual Blood Palm successfully.

A strong wind kicked up all the debris off the ground from the power of the Spiritual Blood Palm.

Murong Yi stepped back with a hint of concern in her eyes. Qu Yang had already touched the threshold of the Nascent Transformation Realm. Or rather, he had already reached the Nascent Transformation Realm, but he had been concealing his true power.

"An impressive palm technique," Liu Wuxie praised.

Though he disapproved of the Demonic Heart Palace, this palm technique was the most formidable he had ever encountered. Every aspect of it had been honed to perfection, and the fact that someone in the Astral River Realm could master a palm technique to such a level was proof that Qu Yang was no ordinary cultivator.

As the tension rose, Liu Wuxie raised his right hand, resembling the starting gesture of the Annihilation Fist. This was an unassuming and ordinary palm strike that looked feeble without any power.

In the distance, the Demonic Heart Palace disciples laughed at Liu Wuxie's palm strike. But only Qu Yang knew that it was just calm before the storm.

The surrounding space became suffocating, like a colossal mountain looming over it, suppressing everyone under the overwhelming pressure that felt terrible.

The sky turned dark, and thunder roared through the heavens. A gigantic palm descended from the sky and obscured half of it, unleashing a suffocating power that swept through the land.

Within a few thousand meters of radius, all the surrounding snow melted into flowing water. The Frost Mice hiding underground, scattered in terror under the commotion. They had been lurking in the surroundings, waiting for humans to fight between themselves before feasting on their remains.

One by one, Frost Mice exploded with their blood and flesh, dying the ground red and filling the air with blood stench.

As Liu Wuxie's aura grew stronger, that ordinary palm suddenly turned into a surging tidal wave. Qu Yang’s expression shifted, the overwhelming force making him feel an imminent sense of danger.

Sensing the threat, Qu Yang unleashed the full might of the Spiritual Blood Palm, refusing to hold back. He released his aura at the Nascent Transformation Realm, revealing his true strength. It was his strongest attack, a move that left the surrounding Demonic Heart Palace disciples in shock.

"Is Liu Wuxie really that powerful?" Ruan Nian and the other disciples looked at each other in disbelief. They couldn't comprehend what was unfolding before their eyes, but that was the undeniable truth.

Before the two palms even collided, a powerful shock wave spread out to the surroundings like a gale, throwing all the Demonic Heart Palace disciples flying into the air.

"I-It's so powerful!" Ruan Nian said with lingering fear on his face. He had always thought that Liu Wuxie was only talented with an average combat strength. However, the reality proved quite the opposite, as Liu Wuxie's strength far exceeded his imagination.

"Do you think Senior Brother Qu Yang can defeat Liu Wuxie?" The Demonic Heart Palace disciples began to waver. The conversation had shifted from confidently discussing "killing" Liu Wuxie to merely "defeating" him.

"It won't be easy," Ruan Nian said, shaking his head. Five minutes ago, he was adamant that Liu Wuxie was no match for Qu Yang, but his confidence had been shaken.

When the two palms collided, a towering mushroom cloud erupted from the point of impact, unleashing countless whirlpools in the surroundings that devoured all the spiritual energy and caused space to collapse.

The two were caught in the maelstrom, and the turbulence obscured their figures.

Clashes began to reverberate through the heavens, echoing endlessly. The echos lasted five minutes before two people flew out of the whirlpool and soared to the sky. They stood proudly in the heavens as they looked at each other solemnly, allowing the icy vortexes to lash at them.

This was Liu Wuxie's first time fighting someone in the Nascent Transformation Realm. Even if it wasn't a life-and-death battle, he now had a rough gauge of his strength.

"You're strong, and it won't be easy for me to kill you," Qu Yang said, his tone filled with respect. It was heaven-defying that Liu Wuxie could withstand a strike from him with a cultivation in the fourth level of the Astral River Realm.

"You're not bad yourself, and there won't be many people capable of fighting you among the younger generation," Liu Wuxie replied. He was also respectful in his tone.

Though he hadn't fought with Bai Yuan, he was practically sure that Qu Yang wasn't any weaker in comparison. Bai Yuan's sole advantage lay in his identity as Bai Jin's son, which meant he naturally had various protective treasures on him. This was something the other prodigies couldn't compete with.

"As I said, you're free to leave since you could withstand a strike from me. Go ahead," Qu Yang said. Despite the Demonic Heart Palace's infamous reputation, their disciples were known for keeping their word.

Even among the ten major sects, the Demonic Heart Palace was reputed to be the most honorable. Their disciples acted according to their whims instead of being bound by morals.

"Goodbye," Liu Wuxie said and descended beside Murong Yi.

"Are you alright?" Murong Yi asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Liu Wuxie replied. He had no significant injuries besides the slight soreness and minor turbulence in the desolate world. He recovered fully after circulating the Desolate Devouring Art several times.

"Liu Wuxie, you'll only fall into Bai Yuan's trap if you charge recklessly. You won't save anyone, and you will only put yourself in danger," Qu Yang said, maintaining a distance of five steps.

"I'm aware," Liu Wuxie replied. He knew Bai Yuan had likely set up a meticulously prepared trap for him, and rescuing Xu Lingxue would be daunting. However, he had already resolved himself to the possibility of death.

He was determined to head to the Thorn Peak Valley even if he would die.

"Why are you still going if you're aware?" Qu Yang asked, puzzled. There were plenty of women in the world, and the one beside Liu Wuxie was no less stunning than Xu Lingxue.

The idea of risking one's life for a woman felt absurd to Qu Yang. As a demonic cultivator, he could simply take any woman he desired by force, making such sacrifices seem foolish to him.

"Some things must be done, even if they defy reason," Liu Wuxie replied, shaking his head. He knew Qu Yang wouldn't be able to understand him even if he explained, and he sped up his pace.

"There's only one way for you to save her," Qu Yang said.

Liu Wuxie stopped and turned to look at Qu Yang. Despite the slight hesitation, he still asked, "What is it?"

Qu Yang's lips began to move as he performed a sound transmission to Liu Wuxie through his divine sense, ensuring that only the latter could hear it.

After hearing Qu Yang's words, Liu Wuxie hesitated and began weighing his options. Qu Yang's suggestion was too dangerous, and failure would mean utter ruin.

"Thank you," Liu Wuxie said sincerely, even though he wasn't sure if the plan would work. He clasped his fists together and left with Murong Yi. This time, no one from the Demonic Heart Palace stopped him, allowing him to leave.

"Senior Brother Qu, why didn’t you kill him? The sect master instructed us to eliminate him if he refused to join the Demonic Heart Palace," Ruan Nian said as he approached. With their numbers and Qu Yang’s strength, they stood a good chance of defeating Liu Wuxie and seizing his treasures.

"Do you think he displayed his full strength?" Qu Yang asked, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Did he conceal his strength?" Ruan Nian and the other disciples asked in shock. They didn't know what to say after learning that even Qu Yang wasn't Liu Wuxie's opponent.

"He only displayed a small fraction of his true strength," Qu Yang replied. He felt that Liu Wuxie had concealed most of his strength.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's hurry over to the Thorn Peak Valley and witness this legendary battle," said Ruan Nian and the others, their faces alight with anticipation.

They wanted to know who would win between Liu Wuxie and Bai Yuan. After all, there was no room for two prodigies in the Southern Province.