Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 495 - Conflict

Liu Wuxie’s name spread throughout the sect in just one day. The main topic of conversation was the mysterious Five Element Talismans. Everyone speculated about where Liu Wuxie had acquired them and whether he had any left. After all, possessing a set of the Five Element Talismans was like having an extra life and the potential to kill someone with higher cultivation.

When Liu Wuxie and his party returned, Bai Lin and Tang Tian had already left because this was the best time to expand the Heavenly Dao Society.

Everyone was busy. Bi Gongyu went into seclusion to familiarize himself with the Spirit Restoration Pill. Fan Zhen and others began to formulate plans because they would be even busier once the Heavenly Dao Society was established.

Not only would they have to collect information for Liu Wuxie, but they also had to engage in business. After all, Liu Wuxie couldn't collect enough resources to nurture so many people alone.

Liu Wuxie's constitution differed from others, and the resources he required were dozens or even hundreds of times more compared to others. He couldn't possibly keep plundering for resources, and the resources distributed by the sect were measly, which meant he had to find a channel to secure more resources.

The purpose of the Heavenly Dao Society was to gather information and earn resources for him.

When Liu Wuxie entered the Contribution Hall, many disciples quickly stepped aside because he was now an elite disciple, possessing the authority of life and death over other disciples.

This meant Liu Wuxie wouldn't be punished by the sect even if he killed some inner disciples, which was why elite disciples were feared.

The deacon who received Liu Wuxie was respectful and immediately prepared everything for him. The deacon even assigned Liu Wuxie a decent abode.

After becoming elite disciples, they would be assigned to a mountain and receive higher privileges.

Within a radius of a few thousand miles of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, true disciples occupied many mountains as their territory.

After Liu Wuxie was done with the formalities, he didn't return to the sect but hurried to the Law-Enforcement Hall to meet someone instead.

Luo He wasn't surprised by Liu Wuxie's arrival upon seeing him.

"Congratulations on making a name for yourself in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion!" This was Luo He's second time seeing Liu Wuxie. When they first met, Luo He was responsible for delivering Liu Wuxie's punishment to him outside the inner sect's cultivation chambers. This time, they interacted as friends.

"Thank you for protecting my family and friends while I was away. This is a small token of my appreciation; please accept them." Liu Wuxie took out an interspatial pouch and handed it over to Luo He, hoping the latter would accept it.

"I was following orders, and Elder Tian Xing tasked me with protecting them. But it's clear that I didn't do a good job because they still got hurt." Luo He didn't accept the gift from Liu Wuxie.

"You may have been following orders, but you could've easily done the bare minimum. Instead, you went above and beyond, even offending many people along the way. If you don't accept this, I'll take it as a sign that you don't consider me a friend," Liu Wuxie insisted.

Luo He had indeed upset several people while protecting Fan Zhen and the others. Many felt he had meddled deliberately, causing friction.

"I won't be polite since you insist!" Luo He said. He knew Liu Wuxie's personality, and acting too modestly would only make their relationship awkward.

Now that Liu Wuxie had killed someone in the second level of the Astral River Realm, even Luo He had to look up to him. There was no harm in making friends because the more friends he had, the better his future path would become.

The two chatted casually after that, and their friendship deepened.

Luo He was quite talkative, and as they conversed, it felt as if they had been long-lost friends. The conversation continued well into the afternoon before Liu Wuxie stood up to take his leave.

"Wuxie, I heard you recently established the Heavenly Dao Society?" Luo He asked suddenly, his brows slightly furrowed as he escorted Liu Wuxie out.

"It's just a small group!" The Heavenly Dao Society had just been established, and Liu Wuxie didn't expect Luo He to have heard of it. He figured the news must've spread when Bai Lin and Tang Tian recruited disciples.

"I believe it's only a matter of time for you to become a true disciple with your talent, and it's normal for you to establish your faction. But I must remind you to be wary of the Lesser Blade Association." This was what Luo He mainly wanted to warn Liu Wuxie about.

After all, it was unprecedented in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion for someone to rise from an outer disciple to an elite disciple in just one year. If Liu Wuxie had a few more years, it wouldn't be impossible for him to become a true disciple, and it was understandable for Liu Wuxie to establish his faction now.

"Senior Brother Luo, how much do you know about this Lesser Blade Association?" Liu Wuxie asked. He was unfamiliar with both the Lan Ling Gang and the Lesser Blade Association, but as an elite disciple, it was only a matter of time before he encountered them. Since Luo He was a seasoned disciple in the sect and a member of the Law-Enforcement Hall, Liu Wuxie believed he must know more.

"The founder of the Lesser Blade Association is called Qin Dao, and he joined the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion a decade ago. Like you, he rose to an elite d disciple in just one year. But he wasn't as monstrous as you and was very low-key in the early stages." Luo He shared everything he knew with Liu Wuxie. He explained Qin Dao's background and some of his deeds further.

"He's a genius!" Liu Wuxie evaluated Qin Dao. Qin Dao came from the cultivation world, but he wasn't a descendant of a prominent clan but a rogue cultivator, and he made a name for himself by relying on a dagger.

His rise became unstoppable after he joined the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, creating countless miracles in one year.

"I heard he obtained a legendary flying dagger technique, and no one has been able to counter it," Luo He said, his face showing a hint of awe as he spoke about Qin Dao. Luo He had joined the sect after Qin Dao, so most of what he knew came from the legends and stories passed down. It reminded him of how the newer disciples now heard tales of Liu Wuxie's rapid rise.

"How much do you know about the Lan Ling Gang?" Liu Wuxie asked. It wasn't hard to tell from Luo He's tone that the Lesser Blade Association was ranked above the Lan Ling Gang.

"The founder of the Lan Ling Gang is called Lan Ling, and he's quite a low-profile person who rarely shows his face. The establishment of the Lan Ling Gang wasn't his idea, but it was organized by people who supported him." Luo He didn't mention the Lan Ling Gang mainly because it didn't pose a threat to Liu Wuxie's Heavenly Dao Society.

There was very little information on Lan Ling, and it was rumored that he hadn't returned to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion for several years. Many people had even forgotten about his existence.

Even though Lan Ling wasn't in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the unity of the Lan Ling Gang was even above the Lesser Blade Association.

"Besides the two factions, are there any other factions?" It was natural for disciples to form factions, whether in the sect or from the same clan.

Even in the mundane world, shop workers would form cliques among themselves, not to mention in a sect.

"There used to be quite a few factions in the past," Luo He continued, "but most were annexed by the Lesser Blade Association in recent years. Whenever a new faction formed, it would either submit to the Lesser Blade Association or, if it refused, its members would mysteriously disappear a few days later."

Luo He’s words finally hit the heart of the matter. With Liu Wuxie establishing the Heavenly Dao Society, it was only a matter of time before the Lesser Blade Association came knocking. They would present two options: submit or dissolve the Heavenly Dao Society. Refusal could mean a mysterious disappearance, just like the others.

"Thank you, Brother Luo, for sharing your information with me. I'll take my leave now!" Liu Wuxie now had a general understanding of the two factions, which would help him in his future actions.

Whether it was the Lesser Blade Association or Lan Ling Gang, Liu Wuxie didn't plan to bother with them. Then again, it was a different story if they bothered him because they would have to face his wrath.

So what if Qin Dao was a true disciple? Liu Wuxie wouldn't hesitate to kill if they dared to anger him.

Once they became true disciples, they could establish their faction in the sect. This was mainly to test their leadership abilities, and the sect wouldn't interfere if they didn't take it too far.

Take the Lesser Blade Association, for example. The sect wouldn't intervene as long as the Lesser Blade Association didn't threaten the sect's foundation.

This was like raising venomous insects to nurture the most poisonous insects. There were so many true disciples, but the resources were limited. There could only be one sect master in the future, so true disciples had to be tested on their comprehensive abilities and talent.

After all, how would they lead such a large sect in the future if they couldn't even establish their faction?

After returning to the inner sect, Liu Wuxie summoned everyone and said, "I'm an elite disciple now. You can all come with me to the area meant for elite disciples."

Liu Wuxie led everyone to leave the inner sect. The abode assigned to him was enormous, covering a few thousand meters, and it would all become his territory.

In addition to the already excavated cave, some houses were also built in the surroundings to accommodate Fan Zhen and others.

As soon as they settled in, Tang Tian rushed over. He and Bai Lin weren't present during the move because they had been busy with matters related to the Heavenly Dao Society.

"What's with your injuries? Where's Bai Lin?" Liu Wuxie asked with a frown. He had just killed Jiang Gongming, and it made no sense for anyone to harm the people around him unless they had a death wish.

"I was in the inner sect to invite some disciples to join the Heavenly Dao Society, but three people suddenly appeared. Not only did they beat up the disciples who wanted to join our Heavenly Dao Society, but they even injured Bai Lin," Tang Tian explained everything swiftly. He could only come and report to Liu Wuxie because Bai Lin had sacrificed his own safety, creating a diversion for him to escape.

"How outrageous!" Liu Wuxie slammed his palm on the table.

The Heavenly Dao Society had just been established a few days ago, and they had already faced such an incident. If they didn't retaliate, who would dare to join the Heavenly Dao Society in the future?

Moreover, Liu Wuxie didn't establish the Heavenly Dao Society to compete for the sect master's position or resources.

Liu Wuxie quickly left with Tang Tian, leaving Fan Zhen and others to clean the place. He grabbed Tang Tian and vanished before they reappeared in the inner sect.

A large crowd had gathered in a small woods in the distance, and Liu Wuxie could smell the scent of blood before he even got close.

“The few of you still refuse to leave the Heavenly Dao Society?” A cold voice echoed through the dense woods, chilling the air. In the center of the clearing, four figures lay on the ground—Bai Lin, Wei Dong, Yun Lan, and Fan Xi, all visibly weakened.

The three had joined upon hearing that Liu Wuxie would establish the Heavenly Dao Society. That was especially the case for Wei Dong and Yun Lan, who had both received favors from Liu Wuxie.

Three youths stood next to the four. They gave off a powerful aura in the Heavenly Phase Realm.

Elite disciples had the authority of life and death over other disciples, and the sect wouldn't intervene even if Bai Lin and the other three were killed here. At most, they would only face some minor punishments.

"Dream on! We won't leave the Heavenly Dao Society!" Yun Lan had blood at the corner of his lips, and he struggled to sit up. He was resolute not to leave the Heavenly Dao Society.

"You're pretty stubborn. Don't blame us since you have a death wish!" one of the three youths said and pointed his sword at the four who were lying on the ground, planning to kill them.

As Luo He had mentioned, the members of a new faction would have to die if they didn't submit. No one knew who the three youths were or why they were targeting the Heavenly Dao Society.

Watching the descending sword, the four closed their eyes. They chose death over compromise.

"Stop!" A cold voice echoed in the woods as Liu Wuxie walked with Tang Tian.