Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 595 - Talisman Event

They easily found out about Liu Wuxie's recent activities after asking around, and they didn't expect the situation to be more complicated than they had anticipated—Liu Wuxie, astonishingly, came from the mortal world.

Yu Bu's avatar had also returned and gradually merged with his physical body, becoming one again.

"Liu Wuxie is no ordinary disciple," the female elder said with a faint smile.

"He has accomplished what we couldn't when we were his age," another elder added. They had already forgotten about the conflict, and their attention shifted to Liu Wuxie, and they were filled with praise for the latter.

"He's courageous, intelligent, and thoughtful. If this young man continues to grow, he'll become the sect’s treasure."

The high regard for Liu Wuxie was unanimous, and more grand elders stepped in to support Mu Tianli's decision.

"I think we should just let this matter go. I don't think what Mu Tianli did was wrong," one grand elder said.

The other grand elders nodded in agreement, hoping to resolve the situation quietly. Escalating matters would only tarnish the sect’s reputation. After all, Qing Mu was directly responsible for the issues with the pills; if not for his master, Yu Bu, he would have been demoted to a minor position—or even expelled—long ago. Everyone understood this, including Yu Bu himself. Yet, Yu Bu couldn’t simply accept it, as it would damage his own prestige.

“If you want me to let this go, then have Mu Tianli come here and kneel before me to admit his mistake,” Yu Bu suddenly demanded.

The other grand elders frowned, recognizing the absurdity of the request. Mu Tianli had done nothing wrong; if anything, his only fault was tolerating Qing Mu’s mismanagement, allowing Treasure Pill Peak to fall into such disorder. Qing Mu’s removal as chief alchemist was long overdue.

“Yu Bu, don’t push your luck!” Gao Gu growled, fury evident in his tone. He unleashed a powerful surge of energy, causing the lesser realm to tremble.

Yu Bu wasn't willing to back down either, so he released his aura, shaking the lesser realm with even greater intensity.

"No one can stop me if no justice is given to my disciple!" Yu Bu's voice boomed. He already had said he would let it go if Mu Tianli came to apologize.

"Getting rid of Qing Mu will only bring the sect to newer heights. Now that the Treasure Pill Peak is developing rapidly, it's only a matter of time before we seize the Azure Crimson Gate's market. You want a successful sect master like Mu Tianli to kneel before a failure like you; don't you feel ashamed?" Gao Gu’s voice was sharp, his words carrying a sting that cut deep—a deliberate insult directed at Yu Bu.

During Yu Bu's tenure as the sect master, he was an utter failure, accelerating the sect's decline. But Mu Tianli, despite his flaws, had managed to halt the decline and even elevate the sect by several ranks.

The faces of all the grand elders changed because they didn't expect the situation to escalate this far.

A terrifying outburst of murderous intent emanated from Yu Bu. His failure as the sect master was his lifelong pain, an open wound that no one dared to speak of before him. Yet, here was Gao Gu, rubbing salt into his wound.

"Gao Gu, I challenge you to a duel!" Yu Bu roared like an enraged lion. Though he had practiced self-restraint for years, his rage erupted like a volcano with searing flames.

"Why must you two take it so far?" another grand elder stepped forward to intervene, trying to mediate before an actual fight.

"Since Mu Tianli is the current sect master, we should support his decisions as long as he doesn't violate the sect's rules. We are no longer in charge of any duties, and we should remain impartial and not interfere with the sect affairs as grand elders," another elder said, stepping out from the crowd. He was speaking out from a neutral position.

As grand elders, they didn't interfere with the sect's affairs because that was meant for the sect master. They would only intervene if the sect master made decisions that violated the sect's rules or did something unforgivable.

Judging from the current situation, Mu Tianli had proven himself to be a capable sect master, and they had no issue with his decision.

"I agree with Elder Wang. The sect has long needed reformation, and this is an excellent opportunity. Why don't we give Mu Tianli a few years and see how this goes? If the reformation fails, we can hold him responsible at that time. But if he succeeds, it will prove that he is leading the sect on the right path," another grand elder chimed in.

The situation became increasingly unfavorable to Yu Bu, and only a few elders who had close personal relations with him maintained their silence. However, having a good relationship with Yu Bu didn't mean they would blindly take his side, with their judgment clouded.

"How about this: Why don't we give Mu Tianli three years and let Qing Mu endure it for now? Anyhow, three years will pass in the blink of an eye," said another grand elder, agreeing with the other two elders.

Time was the fairest judge, and it would be unreasonable to hold Mu Tianli responsible for anything when Qing Mu was at fault. If Mu Tianli had no authority, how was he supposed to manage the entire sect?

No one dared to say it openly, fearing they would further provoke Yu Bu into taking more drastic actions. This was why they proposed three years of patience.

"Elder Gao, what do you think?" The three elders turned to look at Gao Gu.

Gao Gu nodded, as it was the best plan. He hoped Mu Tianli could have a newly transformed Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in three years.

Everyone turned to Yu Bu, waiting for his reply. As the former sect master, it was his responsibility to consider the greater good of the sect.

"Fine, I'll give that brat three years. If the sect fails to improve, then I will petition the Elder Council to impeach him!" Yu Bu snorted and returned to his abode, grabbing Qing Mu by the shoulder.

......

Liu Wuxie remained oblivious to the turmoil unfolding in the lesser realm. His focus was entirely on preparing for the talisman event in Treasure City, scheduled for the following day.

Though he couldn't get involved in pills, it was different for spiritual talismans—no restriction prevented his venture in this field.

The Lesser Blade Association's spiritual talismans were popular, though their quality left much to be desired.

"Wuxie, there's news from Lan Yu that everything has been arranged, and we only have to show up tomorrow," Fan Zhen said as he entered the room.

Everyone was preoccupied with preparing for the talisman event tomorrow, while Liu Wuxie focused on cultivating in the inn.

The Golden Spirit Fruit tree had borne several fruits in the desolate world, shifting from green to purple. However, it took a few more days for the fruits to ripen.

"Got it. You can return to your tasks now," Liu Wuxie replied, nodding before he resumed his seclusion.

The sect had sent word that the new shop would open in five days, and the appearance of the latest pills had spread like wildfire.

Earth Origin Pills were gradually being phased out of the market and replaced by new, cheaper, and higher-quality pills.

On the opening day, the shop would offer a thousand pills for free. If the customers were satisfied, they could purchase more.

Liu Wuxie suggested this marketing strategy mainly to revive the sect's dwindling popularity. A thousand pills were valued at tens of millions of spirit stones, and it was surprising that the sect did not oppose his idea.

When Fan Zhen left, he closed the door behind him. Right then, Liu Wuxie's Communication Talisman lit up with a message from Bai Lin.

"They've all been eradicated, and the mortals rescued!" This message confirmed that the people captured by the Lesser Blade Association were free.

For the past few days, Bai Lin had tirelessly handled this matter, and Liu Wuxie was not surprised by the outcome.

The talisman event in Treasure City wasn't particularly grand because it was held every month. Spiritualists often gathered to share their knowledge and complement the flaws in their spiritual talismans.

Due to the size of the talisman event over the years, a Talisman Guild was established. Shops that specialized in spiritual talismans could participate by setting up their stalls there.

......

On this day, many cultivators came because the prices of the spiritual talismans were at their lowest. To Liu Wuxie's surprise, the venue was held outdoors, which made sense because this was a grassroots event.

A wide avenue on the eastern street was packed with people, and many stalls were set up on the two sides. The stalls mainly belonged to the shops from Treasure City. They brought their stock of spiritual talismans in hopes of selling as many as possible at this event.

"Wuxie, it's time for us to leave," Fan Zhen and Bai Lin were waiting outside the inn. The event was about to begin, and they would be late if they delayed any further.

When the door opened, Liu Wuxie came out donning a light blue robe that gave him an otherworldly appearance. Fan Zhen and Bai Lin followed behind him as he stepped outside.

"How's the situation at Old Century Trading?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"Bei Chengsi has been cooperative. He didn't contact the Lesser Blade Association, and the Lesser Blade Association couldn't focus on their talismans market, probably due to the eradication of their black market operation and human trafficking," Fan Zhen replied.

Bei Chengsi didn't have high cultivation, but he had been in Treasure City long enough to know the consequences of constantly shifting his allegiances. He knew he only had one outcome if he betrayed the Heavenly Dao Society: death.

"It has been three days since the black market incident. I'm sure the Lesser Blade Association will retaliate today, and we should be prepared for a fight," Liu Wuxie said. He felt that the Lesser Blade Association would show up at the talisman event today to target him.

After all, Liu Wuxie was the reason why their black market operation was ruined. Though they didn't know how their black market activities were thwarted, they felt it was also related to him. Even if Liu Wuxie wasn't the mastermind, the Lesser Blade Association planned to pin it on him.

After all, it was too much of a coincidence for their black market to be affected and their human trafficking operation to be affected next.

"Should we call for reinforcements?" Bai Lin asked, looking worried.

"No," Liu Wuxie replied, waving his hand dismissively. No experts in the Astral River Realm could pose a threat to him unless someone from the Nascent Transformation Realm came. If the Lesser Blade Association dared to resort to violence, he wouldn't show them mercy.

After making their way through several streets, the trio reached the eastern street. The talisman event had already begun, with tens of thousands of cultivators gathered here to buy the spiritual talismans that they had long sought.

Spiritual talismans came in many forms, each representing a different element. This ensured that each talisman was unique, but their power was interlinked with the strength of their creators.

Aside from selling spiritual talismans, a segment of the event allowed spiritualists to showcase and promote their talismans. The more powerful the talisman, the more buyers it would attract and the greater the boost to the spiritualist's reputation.