Just as Miao Hanxuan was about to strike down the trio, a sudden force burst through the massive palm he had conjured, shattering it instantly. The blast rippled outward in a shockwave, sweeping up nearby disciples and throwing the scene into chaos.
Miao Hanxuan let out a furious roar and scanned the area, his gaze sharp and murderous.
A lone figure stepped out from the distance, and their killing intent sharpened with every step.
"Liu Wuxie!" the crowd gasped as disciples scrambled to their feet, disbelief etched across their faces.
However, no one was more stunned than Jiang Le, Yu Zhibai, and Shen Rong. They had already sent Liu Wuxie a message, urging him not to return.
"Junior Brother, run!" Jiang Le cried, trying to get him to escape. "Don't worry about us!"
"So you've finally shown yourself!" Miao Hanxuan sneered, locking eyes with Liu Wuxie. He had waited long enough, and his prey had finally returned.
Liu Wuxie nodded silently at his senior brothers. Now that he was here, he had no intention of retreating.
Thanks to the Ancient Breath-Concealing Art, his appearance and aura were unchanged, concealing his actual cultivation beyond the fifth-level Spirit Profound Realm. Truth be told, he had already reached the eighth level.
"You truly deserve to die," Liu Wuxie growled, eyes cold. Had he been stronger back then, Miao Hanxuan would have already paid for his crimes. Today, he would settle the score once and for all.
"How bold of you to return to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. Prepare to die!" Miao Hanxuan bellowed. Without hesitation, he sent a palm strike crashing toward Liu Wuxie.
Compared to two months ago, his strength had increased drastically.
"You think awakening your inner demon made you stronger? Pathetic," Liu Wuxie said in a low voice, just loud enough for Miao Hanxuan alone to hear.
Miao Hanxuan froze for a brief moment, his expression twitching in shock. Fear flickered in his eyes. He had relied on his inner demon to enhance his cultivation, but how did Liu Wuxie know that?
"That's all the more reason I can't let you live!" Miao Hanxuan growled, concealing his panic with rage. He struck again, this time unleashing a palm imbued with terrifying force.
His strike made the Heavenly Gate Peak tremble. Cracks split the mountainside, and a deep rumble echoed across the mountain range.
Last time, Elder Qu Su had stepped in to stop their fight. However, someone had removed Qu Su from his position, and no one knew where he was. None dared to interfere in this fight.
"Perfect." Liu Wuxie shot into the sky, unleashing a surge of cursed energy. This was his chance to test the true power of the Curse Dao Art he had mastered.
The Curse Dao Art was unlike any other, purely offensive and utterly insidious. It came without warning, no visible energy waves—just a creeping fog that swiftly wrapped around Miao Hanxuan.
"With my heart, I curse the heavens. With my life, I curse all lands..." Liu Wuxie chanted softly, his voice barely audible yet filled with eerie resonance. The curse took effect, empowered by ancient incantations.
Miao Hanxuan's heart shuddered. The mist surrounding him brought an inexplicable dread. The cursed laws seeped into his flesh like a plague, latching onto his bones and soul.
"Liu Wuxie, I'll kill you!" he shouted, panic overtaking him as he realized something was wrong. His lifespan began to stagnate, and his cultivation speed slowed abruptly.
"Miao Hanxuan, I won't kill you today," Liu Wuxie said calmly. "Instead, I curse you to live eternally as the Harbinger of Misfortune. Suffer forever."
Killing him would be merciful. Liu wanted him to rot in endless torment.
That was the true horror of the Curse Dao Art. It distorted a person's fate, doomed them to endless misfortune, and trapped them in lifelong suffering.
A sudden force blasted through Miao Hanxuan's descending palm and countered it. Liu Wuxie raised his hand and unleashed frost laws into the sky, effortlessly neutralizing the attack.
The crowd gasped in shock. No one could believe how Liu Wuxie had grown so powerful in such a short time—he now held the upper hand against even someone approaching the Heaven Profound Realm.
With a thunderous boom, Miao Hanxuan's palm exploded in mid-air, releasing a burst of energy. The surrounding disciples learned from their previous experience, so they kept their distance and weren't caught in the blast.
The single exchange made it clear that, even though Miao Hanxuan struck first, Liu Wuxie had absolute control. To make matters worse, Miao Hanxuan was afflicted with a curse. He sensed that something or someone had altered his destiny.
The Curse Dao Art was one of the rarest dao techniques in the world. Only those born with the Cursed Physique could even begin to comprehend it, and it was a physique rarer than one in tens of billions.
Even then, those born with such a constitution were often seen as omens and killed at birth, even by their parents.
Tian Wucang survived only because his father, the Abyssal Emperor, had protected him. Anyone else with that physique would have been killed at birth.
"Liu Wuxie, what did you do to me?!" Miao Hanxuan howled, his voice filled with hysteria.
To the disciples watching, the last exchange appeared evenly matched. They couldn't understand why Miao Hanxuan had suddenly lost control. Judging from his voice, it was clear that Liu Wuxie had done something to his body.
Even the nearby elders failed to explain it.
That was the terrifying aspect of the Curse Dao Art. It left neither visible wounds nor traces, but its effects were insidious and irreversible.
"I'll make you suffer for all eternity!" Liu Wuxie declared coldly. The power of the Curse Dao Art was too shocking, and he had no intention of letting the public understand just how terrifying it truly was.
"What a joke! You're the one who's going to die today!" Miao Hanxuan roared, clearly not taking Liu Wuxie's threat seriously. Without hesitation, he lunged forward.
The moment he took his first step, his foot slipped on a loose stone, and he crashed face-first into the dirt. A wave of laughter erupted from the crowd. The sight of a peak Earth Profound Realm expert tripping so ridiculously was just too absurd.
Staggering to his feet, Miao Hanxuan suddenly felt a draft at his mouth. When he touched his lips, he recoiled in horror. Two of his front teeth were knocked out, and blood dripped from his mouth.
More laughter echoed through the crowd, louder than before. None of them had ever witnessed such a ridiculous scene.
Miao Hanxuan tried to gather himself, but something felt off. For a cultivator of his level to suddenly slip? That was impossible.
"How does it feel?" Liu Wuxie asked calmly, though even he hadn't expected the Curse Dao Art to take effect so quickly. He finally understood how the true Curse Dao Art could plunge an entire world into eternal suffering, according to some ancient legends.
Just as the authentic Death Dao Art could destroy worlds with ease, the Curse Dao Art could do the same, and it wasn't something that was meant to exist within the bounds of reason.
"I don't care what trick you've pulled. Everything will reset once I kill you!" Miao Hanxuan snarled, wiping the blood from his lips. And he wasn't wrong—if Liu Wuxie ended up dying, the curse would dissipate.
This time, Miao Hanxuan didn't dare touch the ground again. He hovered in mid-air cautiously, trying to avoid any unlucky mishaps.
Liu Wuxie, however, stood still, making no move to dodge or attack. The moment Miao Hanxuan charged again, a lightning bolt split the sky with a deafening crackle. It struck the Heavenly Gate Peak and slammed directly into him.
"ARGHH!" Miao Hanxuan screamed in agony.
Even as a peak Earth Profound Realm cultivator, the lightning strike left him trembling. His entire body felt numb, and smoke even emanated from him.
Liu Wuxie could have finished him right then, but he refrained from doing so. He had already said it, after all—death would be too easy for Miao Hanxuan. He had to suffer.
One unlucky incident could be called a coincidence, but what about two?
The laughter in the crowd died down, giving way to murmurs of unease. Disciples who had previously mocked Miao Hanxuan now stared at Liu Wuxie with a trace of fear in their eyes. How exactly was Liu Wuxie making this happen?
"T-this is impossible!" Miao Hanxuan groaned as he stumbled back to the ground. Flames charred his figure and scorched his hair into a blackened mess. Aside from his two missing front teeth, he resembled a lump of burnt charcoal.
"T-this has to be a coincidence," he muttered, refusing to accept the truth unraveling before his eyes.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself again. This time, he moved cautiously, checking the ground for loose rocks and scanning the sky for thunderclouds.
After confirming that everything looked safe, he cautiously took to the skies again.
This time, he ascended even higher, reasoning that even if lightning were to fly toward him, he would have room to dodge. He swore to kill Liu Wuxie, no matter the cost.
Liu Wuxie rose into the air as well. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he looked calm and composed. He merely watched, allowing Miao Hanxuan to make the next move.
Below them, Jiang Le, Yu Zhibai, and Shen Rong exchanged bewildered looks. They had no idea what was happening.
Meanwhile, Miao Hanxuan began forming a series of hand signs. His aura surged violently, causing the clouds above to disperse and leaving a temporary vacuum in the sky.
This was his strongest move; he planned to end Liu Wuxie in one decisive strike.
From behind the dissipating clouds, a flock of aerial profound beasts suddenly swooped down. The aerial beasts had been hiding in the clouds, escaping notice until now.
Just as Miao Hanxuan prepared to strike, the flock arrived directly in his path.
"NO!" Miao Hanxuan shouted, his voice cracking with panic. He had considered many possibilities, but he had never expected this one.
He never expected a group of aerial profound beasts to be flying above him, obscured by the clouds, until the very moment he scattered them. Each beast radiated a terrifying aura; they were also formidable and fast.
And now, it was far too late to escape.