Desolate Devouring Art
Chapter 995 - Han Clan

Chapter 995 - Han Clan

Liu Wuxie didn't rest. He immediately set out on his journey.

A heavy sense of foreboding weighed on him. Liu Wuxie was certain that Han Feizi had paid a devastating price to save him.

An ordinary cultivator could never open the astral teleportation array. It demanded extraordinary power.

Liu Wuxie arrived two days later outside the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy's gates.

News of Liu Wuxie's miraculous return had already spread among the disciples.

Jiang Le and the others were in seclusion, focused on their cultivation. They were training with the hope of avenging their junior brother one day.

Elder Madman was surprisingly calm when he saw Liu Wuxie.

"You're back a few months earlier than I expected," Elder Madman said, catching Liu Wuxie off guard.

The two sat face to face on the ground.

Liu Wuxie frowned. "You knew I'd return?"

He sensed a mysterious aura about Elder Madman.

Despite being only at the Quasi-Heaven Profound Realm, Elder Madman grasped truths beyond what cultivators at the Earth Profound Realm could reach.

"I knew," Elder Madman nodded.

Everyone reacted to Liu Wuxie's return with disbelief and shock. Only Elder Madman remained composed as if he had anticipated Liu Wuxie's return from the Heaven-Curtaining Red Luan.

"Master, please enlighten me," Liu Wuxie said.

He couldn't make any sense of it. Elder Madman seemed to have seen through everything.

"You already know the answer, don't you?" Elder Madman replied. "You have to discover the rest by yourself. You should have discovered something after everything you've been through."

Elder Madman always spoke in riddles from when Liu Wuxie had joined the Heavenly Gate Peak. His answers were always vague, demanding that Liu Wuxie figure things out himself.

"The Han Clan!" Liu Wuxie muttered. He had an answer in his mind.

He was certain the Han Clan had played a critical role in his survival and return to the True Martial Continent. But Liu Wuxie still couldn't grasp the in-depth details.

Elder Madman had once spoken of his ties to the Han Clan. Now, Liu Wuxie knew it was time to uncover the truth and understand his connection to them.

Elder Madman stayed silent, and that silence confirmed Liu Wuxie's suspicion.

Liu Wuxie rose to his feet and took his leave. If Elder Madman refused to say more, there was likely a reason.

Uncovering the truth for himself would be far more meaningful than hearing it secondhand, especially when others might never tell the whole story.

With his three senior brothers in seclusion, Liu Wuxie didn't disturb them. He left the Heavenly Gate Peak and headed for the Thousand Divination Court.

Liu Wuxie was aware that Han Feizi hadn't returned to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy after leaving Sacred Ground.

When Han Long first saw Liu Wuxie, he was shocked, but his shock soon turned to relief and a little anger.

Liu Wuxie entered quietly and noticed a hint of sorrow in Han Long's eyes as they sat together silently.

Liu Wuxie got straight to the point. "Court Master Han, can you tell me about Han Feizi's whereabouts?" He knew his only chance of finding answers was from Han Long.

"Why do you want to see him?" Han Long asked. He knew Liu Wuxie and Han Feizi had only been casual friends.

"I have questions only he can answer," Liu Wuxie replied.

He needed to resolve some things in person.

Han Long's sharp gaze locked on Liu Wuxie's face. "And if he doesn't wish to see you?"

To him, Liu Wuxie was responsible for Han Feizi's condition; truthfully, he didn't like Liu Wuxie. Yet, he had to admit that he felt comforted to see Liu Wuxie alive. His nephew's sacrifice hadn't been in vain.

"I just have a few words to say to him. If he doesn't wish to see me, I'll leave after making my statement," Liu Wuxie replied firmly. He could sense Han Long was hiding something from him.

Though Gu Yu's whereabouts were unknown, Liu Wuxie was certain of his safety. His three senior brothers, Liu Feng and Liu Xin'er, were in seclusion. Qiao Bian had returned to the Dragon Emperor Academy. But he hadn't heard anything from Han Feizi.

"It doesn't matter whether you see him or not. Just focus on your cultivation," Han Long said, waving his hand to dismiss Liu Wuxie.

His attitude had shifted drastically. Where he once encouraged Han Feizi to build a close friendship with Liu Wuxie, he now wanted to sever all contact between them.

"And if I insist?" Liu Wuxie rose to his feet with a determined look in his eyes.

He had to see Han Feizi, and nothing could stop him.

Even if Han Long refused to tell him about Han Feizi's whereabouts, he had other ways to find the Han Clan.

Ruan Ying was in the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. As an assassin from the Black Plume Pavilion, she had access to an intelligence network far beyond his, and finding the Han Clan's location wouldn't be difficult.

Han Long sighed heavily, pain flickering in his eyes.

"Senior Han, did something happen to Brother Han?" Liu Wuxie asked, his heart sinking at Han Long's reaction.

Han Long kept trying to stop him from seeing Han Feizi, and Liu Wuxie could think of only one reason: Han Feizi could be dead.

"He's not dead, but he's not exactly in a good condition either," Han Long answered, his bloodshot eyes filled with pain.

He hated Liu Wuxie and wanted to kill the latter. Liu Wuxie had forced his nephew to burn away his lifespan.

To save Liu Wuxie from the void realm, Han Feizi had sacrificed himself. If he killed Liu Wuxie, he would nullify Han Feizi's sacrifice. Thus, Han Long was in a dilemma.

Han Long's words hit Liu Wuxie like a thunderbolt, freezing him in place.

"Senior Han, please tell me about Brother Han's whereabouts. I must see him!" Liu Wuxie said. He fell to one knee and clasped his hands together in a plea.

"Have you thought it through?" Han Long sought confirmation.

He knew Liu Wuxie would bear the guilt forever if he learned Han Feizi had burned his life away to save him. The Heavenly Fate Soul had bought him three more years of life, but it didn't change the fact that he would die eventually.

Han Long didn't want to burden Liu Wuxie with too much grief, and it was better for the latter not to know. If Liu Wuxie had stayed unaware, he might have continued cultivating in peace as always.

"Senior Han, please!" Liu Wuxie insisted. He wouldn't leave if Han Long didn't agree to his request.

"Very well... this is all fate..." Han Long muttered and turned around. He sighed and retrieved a map, handing it to Liu Wuxie. The map clearly marked the Han Clan's exact location.

Liu Wuxie could follow the map straight to the Han Clan's hidden domain.

"Thank you, Senior Han," Liu Wuxie said. He rose to his feet and left the Thousand Divination Court without delay.

He skipped rest entirely and departed the academy, heading straight for the Han Clan. Han Feizi consumed his thoughts, and he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Without a special teleportation array, the normal journey from the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy to the Han Clan would take days.

Five days later, Liu Wuxie crossed mountains and rivers before he arrived at a primeval mountain range.

At the second-level Spirit Profound Realm, Liu Wuxie had little concern for his safety unless he crossed paths with someone at the higher levels of the Earth Profound Realm.

After his return, the other forces had yet to make their move against him. The Black Plume Pavilion, the Profound Cloud Sect, the Wang Clan, and the Yuan Clan remained silent.

They were waiting.

As Liu Wuxie approached the vast Han Clan territory, a disciple at the Spirit Profound Realm stepped forward and blocked his path.

"Who are you? This is a restricted area. Leave at once!" he barked.

"I am Liu Wuxie. I have come to meet Senior Han Shanzi," Liu Wuxie declared, his voice echoing for miles.

The disciple's face twisted in anger upon hearing Liu Wuxie's name.

"You're Liu Wuxie?!" the disciple yelled, drawing his sword in a hostile manner.

Liu Wuxie nodded. "I am."

"You're the one who ruined our young master! Prepare to die now!" he shouted and lunged toward Liu Wuxie with his sword.

Liu Wuxie easily dodged the incoming attack with a sidestep. Ordinary cultivators at the Spirit Profound Realm posed no threat to him.

"Let him in," a voice echoed from the depths of the mountain range.

The Han Clan's disciple snorted before stepping aside.

Clasping his hands politely, Liu Wuxie continued forward. He crossed several streams before he reached a long bridge.

The Han Clan was on the other side, hidden from the outside world. Mist veiled the bridge and concealed everything beyond it.

However, Liu Wuxie could make out the rough shape beyond the bridge with Ghost Eye. Guarding the bridge alone was enough to keep outsiders from finding the Han Clan.

The bridge stretched for roughly a hundred meters, suspended between two cliffs, connecting the two gorges.

The Han Clan hid deep in the gorge. Rows of houses clung to the cliffs while a martial field and herb garden stretched through the center.

Liu Wuxie's voice rang out, startling the members of the Han Clan. One by one, they stepped out of their homes, drawn by curiosity.

As he walked the path, they pointed and whispered, curious, skeptical, and visibly baffled by his presence.

A servant appeared before Liu Wuxie and informed him, "The Patriarch has tasked me to bring you over to him."

"Thank you!" Liu Wuxie said with a nod and followed him.

They walked past rows of buildings and entered a grand hall.

Ancient architecture adorned the hall, each surface etched with strange and intricate patterns that Liu Wuxie had never seen before.

Inside the hall—

Han Shanzi sat alone. Even after an entire month had passed since Han Feizi had activated the Celestial Astral Stage, his expression remained sorrowful.

Liu Wuxie bowed when he stepped into the hall. "Greetings, Senior Han!"

Han Shanzi said nothing. He stared at Liu Wuxie's face for nearly a full minute before giving a faint nod.

"Come, have a seat."

Liu Wuxie took the seat opposite Han Shanzi. The atmosphere between them was heavy.

He grew uneasy that Han Feizi still hadn't emerged after all this time.

"Senior, may I ask about Brother Han's whereabouts?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He had one purpose in the Han Clan: to learn about the truth. If Han Feizi was safe, his heart could finally be at ease.

"He's not here. You've come for nothing," Han Shanzi said after a pause.

"With all due respect, I've already spoken to Court Master Han. I know something's happened. I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth," Liu Wuxie said, standing with resolve.

He was determined to get answers from the Han Clan.

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