Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 110 - Choosing Class

The sudden appearance of a fearsome-looking individual would typically instill fear in the average person. However, Liu Wuxie, having encountered a wide array of individuals, remained unfazed by the arrival of the man in grey, much to the latter’s bewilderment.

The grey-clothed man’s face was disfigured in a battle, resulting in him becoming an outcast among his peers, and even those he was close to began to distance themselves from him. Even if he wore a mask, he would still be an outcast wherever he went, putting him in a difficult position in the Imperial Academy as no one was willing to befriend him.

Even the woman he liked had abandoned him because of his appearance. This resulted in him becoming more resentful, which fostered his murderous intent. People would look at him with fear and disgust regardless of whether they were strangers or acquaintances.

Left with no other options, he sought to guard the final stage of the Profound Gate Pass, where he spent years in solitude. His days were filled with relentless practice of his swordsmanship. As no one had ever reached this far in previous assessments, he led a solitary existence.

Year after year, he honed his sword aura to the point that he would comprehend sword intent in three years at most. Liu Wuxie was the only person who treated him as a genuine opponent, his eyes devoid of emotions.

Before he had a chance to contemplate further, Liu Wuxie’s blade appeared three inches away from his neck. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and it was too fast for anyone to respond. It might not be Liu Wuxie’s strongest blade, but it was more than enough to deal with typical cultivators in the second-level Spirit Cleansing Realm.

The grey-clothed man, a peerless genius in the outside world, could exert power beyond his cultivation level. His life’s misfortunes had, regrettably, marred him. Despite his unparalleled swordsmanship among his contemporaries, he found himself completely overpowered upon encountering Liu Wuxie.

The battle concluded with the blade already at the grey-clothed man’s neck before he could even respond.

Zhao Enzhu was taken aback by Liu Wuxie’s attack. He couldn’t keep up with the trajectory of Liu Wuxie’s sword unless he used his cultivation to suppress the latter.

Stumped, the grey-clothed man raised his hand to touch his neck; the blade had left behind a superficial cut on his neck.

“Thanks for the battle,” Liu Wuxie cupped his fists after sheathing his blade. With that, the Profound Gate Pass had ended, and the gate ahead gradually began to open.

Unexpectedly, the grey-clothed man dropped to his knees, bowing deeply to Liu Wuxie. This left Liu Wuxie puzzled, as he had only inflicted a minor wound and had no intention of taking the man’s life.

“I vowed to become the sword servant of whoever bests me in the Profound Gate Pass!” The grey-clothed man lifted his head, his eyes gleaming with resolve. Anyone capable of defeating him was bound to be extraordinary, possessing potential beyond imagination. Thus, becoming such a person’s sword servant could be seen as a mark of honor.

He was willing to become Liu Wuxie’s sword slave even if the latter was only a fifth-level Xiantian Realm expert. After all, even someone in the fourth-level Spirit Cleansing Realm couldn’t get three steps near him, but Liu Wuxie had easily defeated him. A sword slave’s position was no different from that of a slave, and one needed immense courage to make that kind of oath.

“I don’t need a sword slave!” Liu Wuxie shook his head. His personality had undergone significant changes after his transmigration. He aimed to protect his family and return to the Immortal Realm for revenge. He wanted to seek vengeance against those who had ganged up on him, resulting in his death.

“You despise my appearance!” The grey-clothed man wasn’t willing to get back up and raised his sword to his neck. If Liu Wuxie didn’t agree to let him become his sword slave, he would take his life immediately. If he couldn’t even qualify for the role of a sword slave, his life would become meaningless.

“You don’t have to degrade yourself like this!” Liu Wuxie waved his hand dismissively. They weren’t related, and the grey-clothed man’s life and death had nothing to do with him. He walked away, leaving the grey-clothed man seated powerlessly on the ground with Liu Wuxie’s voice rumbling in his mind.

After all, he was abandoned by everyone ever since he was disfigured, which resulted in a drastic change in his personality, making him more ferocious. However, this was a form of self-degradation, as it was not reflective of his past self. This served as a stark reminder of how one’s environment could alter and even shatter a person.

Gazing at Liu Wuxie’s silhouette, the grey-clothed man suddenly stood up with determination. He sheathed his sword and walked towards another exit, leaving the Profound Gate Pass.

Upon exiting the Profound Gate Pass, sunlight bathed Liu Wuxie, casting a long shadow. Zhao Enzhu was waiting outside. Surprisingly, he was the only one there, as the other participants had failed and were waiting at the entrance.

“Congratulations, you’re the seventh person to pass through the Profound Gate Pass successfully,” Zhao Enzhu sincerely congratulated. He had just witnessed the birth of a genius who had broken all the records since the establishment of the Imperial Academy by obtaining first place in the three rounds of assessments. This unequivocally established Liu Wuxie as the unrivaled top rank.

“Teacher Zhao, you flatter me. I assume you have something to discuss with me since you’re waiting here?” Liu Wuxie bowed. He knew there would only be benefits in establishing a good relationship with a star teacher of the academy.

Zhao Enzhu’s eyes lit up. He was indeed there to discuss something with Liu Wuxie, and the latter had correctly guessed it.

“With your talent, you could easily be assigned to the Earth Grade’s elite class, but I don’t recommend you to join the elite class!” Zhao Enzhu cut straight to the chase, dissuading Liu Wuxie from pursuing the elite class.

“I’m all ears, Teacher Zhao!” Liu Wuxie initially expressed surprise, then regarded Zhao Enzhu with a touch of curiosity. Zhao Enzhu was not known for being manipulative, and there had to be a reason behind his advice.

“The Earth Grade’s elite class is filled with cunning foxes. Joining them might not be advantageous and could even prove detrimental. After all, they’re prideful about their talent and hostile towards newcomers, especially someone with exceptional talent like yours!” Zhao Enzhu candidly outlined the pitfalls of the elite class.

Everyone in the elite class was prideful of their talent, and they often suppressed newcomers. Therefore, Liu Wuxie’s growth could be stifled if he chose to join. The only distinction between the advanced and elite classes was the resources they had access to.

“So, which class do you believe would be the best fit for me?” Liu Wuxie refrained from expressing his opinion. To him, whether it was the elite or elementary classes was irrelevant, as his primary reason for joining the Imperial Academy was to gain access to more cultivation resources.

“The elementary class wouldn’t do justice to your abilities. I have a good friend who instructs the Earth Grade advanced class, and his standards are on par with those of the elite class. Despite his tendency to be a bit lazy, he takes his responsibilities towards his students seriously, and I would recommend you consider his class. As for resources, I can assure you they will be sufficient.”

Liu Wuxie could tell that Zhao Enzhu was trying to poach a genius for his friend. The students' performance was directly linked to the reputation of the teachers; the better the students performed, the higher the teacher’s standing.

The fact that it took Zhao Enzhu over forty years to attain the status of a star teacher underscored the arduous nature of teacher promotions.

“I will consider it!” Liu Wuxie nodded. He accepted it as it was beneficial to have an acquaintance around. He walked out and saw Chen Leyao waiting outside.

“He teaches the Earth Grade’s Advanced Class Seven. Remember not to go to the wrong place!” Zhao Enzhu’s voice echoed in Liu Wuxie’s ears. With that, the assessment concluded, and the remaining tasks, such as class and dormitory assignments for the students, were handed over to Chen Leyao.

Chen Leyao approached with a smile. She was already aware that Liu Wuxie had successfully completed the Profound Gate Pass and had meticulously recorded the details. All that remained was for her to organize everything before submitting the performance reports of all the students to the Imperial Academy.

“What did Teacher Zhao discuss with you?” Chen Leyao had arrived early and was waiting outside.

“He wants me to join the Earth Grade Advanced Class Seven!” Liu Wuxie didn’t hide it from Chen Leyao. She had helped him twice, and they had now become closer than before. Therefore, he saw no reason to withhold this information from her. After all, it was common for academies or sects to recruit geniuses.

“Advanced Class Seven?” Chen Leyao expressed surprise, her face reflecting her astonishment.

“Is there a problem with it?” Liu Wuxie asked. Could it be that there was a problem with the Advanced Class Seven?

“I understand Teacher Zhao’s predicament. The Earth Grade elite class is complex and may not be conducive to your personal growth if you were to join. But Advanced Class Seven...” Chen Leyao hesitated, feeling it was inappropriate to criticize an arrangement made by Teacher Zhao behind his back.

“Lady Chen, you don’t have to worry. You can tell me directly as I haven’t agreed to Teacher Zhao’s suggestion yet.” Liu Wuxie hadn’t made a commitment, implying he still had the final say in the matter.

“There’s not much of a problem with the Advanced Class Seven. The teacher’s name is Jin Jianfeng, and his teaching philosophy contradicts that of the other teachers. Most of the time, the students practice independently, and he rarely interferes. He occasionally gives guidance once a week, unlike other classes where teachers insist on daily classes.”

Every teacher had their own teaching method, and it couldn’t be said which was better. However, Advanced Class Seven was entirely different because the teaching method was unusual. Students weren’t required to attend daily classes, which was acceptable as long as they could pass the tests.

Liu Wuxie’s eyes lit up because that was precisely what he needed. He didn’t require daily classes and didn’t want to be bound by the rules of the Imperial Academy. This meant that the Advanced Class Seven was perfect for him. This would free up much time for him to do more things and earn resources.

If he was stuck in a monotonous class daily, Liu Wuxie feared he might lose his sanity. After all, his theoretical knowledge was already more than enough to surpass the entire Imperial Academy.

The two walked as Liu Wuxie made up his mind after hearing what Chen Leyao said. When they returned, the eliminated participants had already been sent away. This year, only eighty-seven participants made it through to become students of the Imperial Academy.

Everyone knew that Liu Wuxie had passed the assessment, and their gazes towards him were filled with a mix of emotions. That was especially the case with Xue Pinzhi, as he had failed the task given to him by the patriarch since Liu Wuxie had successfully joined the Imperial Academy.

“Everyone, follow me. We will now assign your classes.” They all followed a path paved with blue slabs and arrived at a large hall. Upon joining the academy, each student would have to choose their class.