Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 963 - Lesser Severance Art

Qiu Zhengyi unleashed hundreds of sword strikes in succession, but Liu Wuxie effortlessly dodged each attack. Qiu Zhengyi grew increasingly frustrated as the prolonged battle placed him at a disadvantage.

Throughout the entire fight, Liu Wuxie hadn't even drawn his weapon. This meant he hadn't even unleashed his full strength.

The Black Plume Pavilion's assassins reigned supreme across the Central Plains in assassination techniques, their methods honed to perfection. But in direct confrontation, they couldn't even compare to ordinary disciples.

The sword ray split into two and struck Liu Wuxie from both flanks, aiming to force him into disarray.

As expected of someone at the Quasi-Earth Profound Realm, Qiu Zhengyi's combat strength was terrifying. He had far surpassed those at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm, and his sword aura had already closed in on Liu Wuxie's sides.

At last, Liu Wuxie drew the Heretic Blade and slashed, repelling Qiu Zhengyi's sword aura. When the two forces came in contact, a storm of sword and blade aura erupted and blasted Qiu Zhengyi backward.

Meanwhile, Liu Wuxie only swayed briefly.

In the days spent upgrading the Heavenly Dragon Seal, Liu Wuxie's true essence had grown purer after absorbing the dragon's soul and the laws within the Dragon Pearl. Though his cultivation had not risen, his combat strength had soared tremendously.

Their eyes locked, and sparks crackled between them. Even the other battle had stopped as everyone's attention turned to Liu Wuxie.

"Quasi-Earth Profound Realm? Doesn't look so impressive after all," Liu Wuxie said with a smirk.

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and he slashed the Heretic Blade without warning. He unleashed a torrential blade aura that swept toward his opponent, unleashing an oppression that suffocated everyone.

The other buildings in the ancient castle had long since been reduced to rubble, and only a few damaged stone walls remained, scarred with sword marks.

Qiu Zhengyi's face was terrifyingly grim as he lifted his sword to the sky, and his aura continued to climb.

Blazing flames roared across the hall, and Liu Wuxie silently invoked the Spatial Dao Art in response.

Only blade and sword rays flashed through the hall as the two pushed their mastery over sword and blade techniques to the limit.

Had Qiu Zhengyi not been an assassin from the Black Plume Pavilion, Liu Wuxie might have even admired him. The former's swordsmanship was the finest Liu Wuxie had encountered thus far.

Given time, Qiu Zhengyi's achievements could have been monumental. But it was unfortunate that he was an assassin of the Black Plume Pavilion, and they were destined to be enemies.

Relying on the Spatial Dao Art, Liu Wuxie sealed the surrounding space, further restricting Qiu Zhengyi's speed and the space he could maneuver.

Each time Qiu Zhengyi tried to escape, he found the very space of the hall shifting and rearranging. Even breathing became a struggle under the compression.

Off in the distance, the shorter assassin's expression turned grave at the sight. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance either if Qiu Zhengyi fell. Thus, he began to seek a way out of this situation.

However, Liu Wuxie had laid down a spiritual array around the hall. He never intended to let them leave the moment they entered.

"Great Boye Sword!" Qiu Zhengyi roared, unleashing a sword aura to tear apart the restrictions around him.

To Liu Wuxie's surprise, Qiu Zhengyi tore through the Spatial Dao Art's restraints. Then again, Liu Wuxie's surprise only lasted for a moment, as it wasn't difficult since all Qiu Zhengyi had to do was tear through the surrounding spatial laws.

As the Heretic Blade descended, Liu Wuxie fused the Golden Flame Strike, the Spatial Dao Art, and the Great Dragon Aspect Art into a single devastating blow.

The clash between their techniques sent a terrifying ripple across the battlefield, slamming Lu Liang and the others against the battered stone walls.

Qiu Zhengyi's face grew grim as he failed to suppress Liu Wuxie even after resorting to the laws belonging to the Earth Profound Realm.

"It's time to end this," Liu Wuxie said and sheathed the Heretic Blade.

The gap between their strength wasn't wide, making it difficult for Liu Wuxie to capture Qiu Zhengyi.

He raised his right hand and took the stance of the Great Five Elemental Palm.

Qiu Zhengyi's pupils shrank as he recognized this stance, and fear crept into his heart. Though he was an assassin of the Black Plume Pavilion, the fear of death was an instinct of all lives.

All three thousand dao techniques possessed their own strengths and weaknesses. Frost Dao Art, for example, could be countered with an earth-attribute-based dao technique.

But those with a higher rank were nearly flawless, like the Buddhist Clan's Great Yin-Yang Art, the Human Race's Great Five Elemental Art, and the Dragon Clan's Great Dragon Aspect Art.

The dao techniques represented the pinnacle of each race's arts, which they had perfected through generations. Even so, there was no truly invincible dao technique.

"Lesser Severance Art!" Qiu Zhengyi abandoned his sword and began forming seals.

The laws began to change in the void and took on jagged forms. He intended to cut through Liu Wuxie's Great Five Elemental Art, severing one element to dismantle the dao technique.

"Interesting! I didn't expect you to know the abyssal race's Great Severance Art," Liu Wuxie commented.

The abyssal race possessed a formidable dao technique, the Great Severance Art. Upon unleashing, it could even tear a rift in heaven and earth.

The one being performed by Qiu Zhengyi was the Lesser Severance Art, a significantly weaker version of it. Even so, it was enough to resolve Liu Wuxie's Great Five Elemental Art.

After all, Liu Wuxie had barely scratched the surface of the Great Five Elemental Art. In its fullest capacity, the technique could summon the Five Elemental Millstone, capable of crushing even the stars when it rotated.

For now, Liu Wuxie and Qiu Zhengyi used only traces of their respective dao techniques.

Liu Wuxie frowned as the Great Five Elemental Palm hadn't failed him until now. However, the Lesser Severance Art performed by Qiu Zhengyi was a perfect counter to his dao technique.

This was why Liu Wuxie never stopped comprehending dao techniques, as his odds of winning would increase with each dao technique he mastered. If an enemy happened to wield a dao technique that could counter his own, the situation could turn highly unfavorable for him, similar to this situation.

Fracturing sounds rang out as the Lesser Severance Art pierced the weakest link in the water element. When a gap was carved, the Great Five Elemental Art fell apart as it couldn't form a cycle.

"Liu Wuxie, did you think you're invincible just because you mastered the Great Five Elemental Art?" Qiu Zhengyi sneered, revealing the trump card he had been saving.

"That Lesser Severance Art... the Black Plume Pavilion must've taught it to you before you came, didn't they?" Liu Wuxie asked.

Even with his dao technique perfectly countered, Liu Wuxie remained unfazed. After all, the Great Five Elemental Palm was just one of the many dao techniques he had mastered.

The Black Plume Pavilion had learned about his mastery of a Great Five Elemental Art and specially trained Qiu Zhengyi to counter him.

"You're right. I have been comprehending the Lesser Severance Art since entering this world. Otherwise, I would've found you sooner," Qiu Zhengyi replied. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

He had spent an entire month comprehending the Lesser Severance Art instead of pursuing Liu Wuxie. He had only come to the ancient castle to regroup after grasping the essence of the Lesser Severance Art.

After the Great Five Elemental Palm shattered, Liu Wuxie calmly waved his hand to summon a swirling vortex to dissolve the Great Severance Art.

This was the first time the Great Five Elemental Palm had failed him.

Qiu Zhengyi took a step forward. "I wonder how much longer you can hold on!"

His confidence soared after resolving Liu Wuxie's Great Five Elemental Palm, and his attacks grew fiercer.

"I think you're mistaken," Liu Wuxie said mockingly. "I didn't kill you earlier because you might be useful to me, but that doesn't mean I can't."

He had deliberately dragged the battle, waiting for an opportunity to capture Qiu Zhengyi. But since Qiu Zhengyi was courting death, he would fulfill the latter's wish.

"Hmph, let's see what other tricks you have!" Qiu Zhengyi taunted.

He was convinced that Liu Wuxie had already run out of his trump cards.

"Since you're so curious, let me show you the dao technique I've recently mastered," Liu Wuxie replied calmly.

He wanted to use Qiu Zhengyi as a whetstone for the Great Dragon Aspect Art he had just comprehended. On its own, the technique wasn't quite enough. But when paired with the Heavenly Dragon Seal, it was a different story entirely.

As Liu Wuxie finished speaking, a terrifying seal materialized above the hall, radiating an overwhelming dragon aura. The pressure was so oppressive that Qiu Zhengyi couldn't lift his head.

"What?! This is the aura of an earth-spirit artifact!" Qiu Zhengyi's voice trembled.

Though Liu Wuxie wasn't entirely sure if the Heavenly Dragon Seal had reached the level of an earth-spirit artifact, he was confident that its power was already on par.

There was a fundamental difference between artifacts wielded by humans and those belonging to dragons. Even at the same rank, a dragon's artifact was always superior.

The other assassin watched with a grave expression.

They had already been stunned by Liu Wuxie's mastery of Dao techniques. Still, they hadn't expected someone so young, and only at the True Profound Realm, to have comprehended so many techniques, let alone wield an earth-spirit artifact.

"Not bad. So, you do recognize an earth-spirit artifact," Liu Wuxie said.

He performed a swipe with his finger as the draconic laws began to manifest in the sky. This was the stance for the Great Dragon Aspect Art.

Responding to the summons, the Heavenly Dragon Seal erupted with dazzling radiance and released an overwhelming pressure that caused the floor to sink by more than a meter.

"Run!" Qiu Zhengyi's survival instinct screamed at him.

He planned to escape to inform the Black Plume Pavilion of Lu Liang and Ruan Ying's betrayal.

"Do you think I'd let you escape?" Liu Wuxie mocked, allowing Qiu Zhengyi to dash toward the exit.

An invisible barrier surged from the ground, knocking Qiu Zhengyi backward. Liu Wuxie's spiritual array had trapped him.

"Liu Wuxie, you knew we were coming and set up a trap for us!" Qiu Zhengyi snapped, his face twisting with realization.

When they had contacted Lu Liang and Ruan Ying, Liu Wuxie must have learned of their arrival.

"You're right. I lured you here and set up a trap," Liu Wuxie admitted.

His goal was to kill all of the Black Plume Pavilion's assassins.

"I'll kill you!" Qiu Zhengyi roared.

He unleashed a powerful sword ray that engulfed the entire hall.

Lu Liang and Ruan Ying hastily retreated, unable to withstand the crushing pressure of the sword aura.

"What pitiful tricks!" Liu Wuxie scoffed and completed his last drawing, completing the Great Dragon Aspect Art.