Essence Devouring Art

The 74th year of the Xuanwu era.

Autumn.

The Da Li Dynasty had grown increasingly corrupt and weak.

After barely clinging to life for several decades, it had completely lost control over the four territories, existing in name only.

The world’s power structure was being reshuffled.

Ambitious warlords, powerful clans, Vassal Kings, and great noble families...

After decades of open conflict and covert strife, of forging and breaking alliances, the political landscape gradually consolidated into a massive bloc of warlords led by four kings.

The late-blooming Prince Nanyang of the Southern Border.

The cruel and violent King of the Living Prison from the Northern Lands.

The fabulously wealthy King Bao Tong of the East Sea.

The skilled and battle-hardened King of Ten Thousand Victories from the Western Desert.

Among the four kings, Prince Nanyang, whose title was hereditary, and the King of the Living Prison—formerly Prince Anbei before he renamed himself—were considered orthodox members of the Royal Family, descendants of the Great Li Ancestor.

As for the other two, King Bao Tong and the King of Ten Thousand Victories, one hailed from a top noble family that had resided on the shores of the East Sea for a thousand years, standing strong since the Warring States period, while the other was the former Grand Western Governor, who had commanded all the garrisons in the Western Desert.

After the War of the Six Princes, the Da Li Dynasty had lost more than half of its civil and military officials. The foundation its ancestors had built was all but exhausted, and Imperial Authority could no longer reach the local territories, rendering it a mere formality.

After the Da Li Jingzhe Bureau withdrew and consolidated its remaining forces, King Bao Tong and the King of Ten Thousand Victories cast aside all restraint.

They used every means at their disposal to suppress dissent, seizing complete control of their two territories and declaring themselves kings, establishing their own domains.

But as the four kings rose to power, the Central Plains Imperial Court, which had been on the verge of collapse, also began to change.

Xuanwu Emperor Zhou Heng!

This last emperor of the Da Li Dynasty, mockingly nicknamed the ”Gatekeeper Emperor” by all sides, seemed to have finally realized he could not let his ancestral inheritance fall to ruin.

As autumn began, he did the unthinkable: he abandoned his post as a gatekeeping disciple at the Scripture Pavilion of the Taihua Immortal Sect—the leader of the Central Plains’ Immortal Dao—a position he had held for decades. He descended the mountain to once again take control of the Imperial Court.

Perhaps it was a sudden awakening. After descending the mountain, Zhou Heng made a flurry of moves: he knelt in worship at the Grand Ancestral Temple, issued an imperial edict of self-criticism, purged the court of corruption, rooted out traitors while supporting the loyal, and reformed the laws to protect the people...

In a short period, his thunderous methods swept away the corruption in the Central Plains, restoring a measure of the Royal Family’s authority.

The world was stunned, and everyone began to see this ”Gatekeeper Emperor” in a new light.

Loyal old ministers, righteous men, and orthodox factions across the land were moved to tears.

They proclaimed that the True Dragon had finally opened its eyes and that Da Li would never perish. They rallied to the emperor’s side, giving the Central Plains just enough strength to contend with the various kings.

Thus, the power struggle between the four kings and the one emperor was firmly established!

There is a saying: what has long been divided must unite, and what has long been united must divide.

With a storm brewing, the entire Da Li Dynasty seemed to have returned to the Warring States period of seven hundred years ago, a time of uncertainty. No one knew who would be the dark horse to unite the realm this time.

But...

There was another saying.

When a state rises, the people suffer; when a state falls, the people suffer.

In a chaotic age that was neither rising nor falling, the common people’s suffering was indescribable. Their lives were worth less than grass, lived in a daze, with their fates completely out of their own hands.

In this increasingly chaotic world, it was inevitable that the forces of yin would flourish while yang waned. Various demons and monsters, once hidden in the shadows of the mortal realm, began to bare their fangs.

...

「North of Guangqing Prefecture, in Chenliu County.」

CREAK~

In the dead of night, Wang Wu, who lived in the outer city, tiptoed out of his house.

After carefully closing the door, he thought about the place he was headed. A flash of hesitation crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination as he hurried off into the darkness.

’As long as I can obtain Divine Power.’

’I can rise above the common folk.’

’I’ll never have to go hungry again!’

’I’m sure of it!’

A storm of emotions churned within him as Wang Wu carefully avoided several patrolling Overlord Whale Alliance Martial Artists. He wound his way through streets and alleys, finally arriving at the entrance of a secluded mansion in the outer city.

The estate had been abandoned for years.

Its plaque was so decayed you could no longer tell which prominent family had once lived there.

WHOOSH

A chilling night wind swept by, rustling the overgrown weeds and adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Wang Wu looked up.

The stone lions guarding the entrance were covered in moss. In the glow of the bright red lanterns, they no longer looked majestic, but rather savage and bloodthirsty.

Gazing at the hazy red lanterns swaying in the cold wind, Wang Wu shivered involuntarily. A sense of unease crept over him, but the thought of a wonderful life free from hunger soon suppressed his anxiety.

Haaah~

He let out a long breath. Wang Wu took out a black cloth to cover his face and walked stealthily to the mansion’s entrance.

More than ten people had already gathered at the gate. Some wore coarse hemp, others wore cotton or fine brocade.

But all of them were masked with black cloth, standing in silence, revealing only dark eyes filled with desire.

CREAK... CREAK... CREAK...

The silence didn’t last long.

With the sound of the dilapidated mansion’s peeling, vermilion gate opening, a powerfully built old man in red with a deathly air appeared before them.

His deeply sunken eyes glowed with a faint green light, like a wolf in the night. Just one glance was enough to make the hair on Wang Wu’s body stand on end.

”Silence. Follow me.”

The green light in the red-robed old man’s eyes vanished, as if it had just been Wang Wu’s imagination. After spitting out the words in a hoarse, stiff voice, he turned and walked into the courtyard.

The people at the gate exchanged glances.

Even in the darkness, they could see the unease in each other’s eyes.

But driven by their desires, they still entered the gloomy courtyard, following closely behind the old man.

They walked on in silence.

When they reached a dried-up pond in the rear courtyard, the red-robed old man reached a hand as shriveled as a claw out of his sleeve and activated a mechanism on a rockery.

RUMBLE~

Amidst a faint tremor, a section of the rockery parted, revealing an underground passage behind it that glowed with a sinister, bloody light, like the gaping maw of a Fierce Beast.

WHOOSH~

A backdraft of wind blew out from the passage, carrying the foul stench of a wild animal.

Faintly, they could hear the indistinct sounds of chanting and kowtowing: ”The Immortal Gods are cruel... The Human Dao is in turmoil... The Saint King descends... All living beings shall be masters...”

’This seems a bit like...’

As Wang Wu listened to the demonic-sounding praise echoing from the passage, his face paled.

After the Great Li Ancestor pacified the realm, he had shown zero tolerance for all illicit worship and Mao Gods. No form of the Evil Dao that deluded the people and destabilized the world was allowed to exist among the common folk.

Harsh laws reshaped the people’s thinking over generations.

To this day, even a simple peasant in these chaotic times would feel disgust for the Evil Dao and scoff at it. There was simply no ground for the Evil Dao to take root.

The moment one appeared, everyone would cry out for its destruction.

Whether they followed the righteous path or a wicked one, all would be eager to kill followers of the Evil Dao and stamp them out completely.

But now...

’It’s fine. I just want the Divine Power. I don’t have to join them.’

Gritting his teeth and steeling himself, Wang Wu once again suppressed his fear and, along with the dozen or so equally anxious people around him, followed the sinister old man into the blood-red passage.

”Impure miasma uncleansed... eternally fall into the abyss... Saint King’s divine radiance... wash my filth... reshape my true soul...”

The deeper they went underground, the louder the insane, bewitching murmurs became, and the red light emanating from the end of the passage grew brighter.

The insidious murmurs bored their way into one’s very soul.

Yet, they also brought a strange sense of peace, making one want to abandon everything and throw oneself into the red light.

Wang Wu didn’t even notice that his once-determined eyes had gradually softened as he drew closer to the red light, becoming tender, intimate, and obsessed.

At the end of the underground passage was another dark, black door.

Blood-red light streamed from the cracks in the door, staining the passage and the strange smiles on the faces of Wang Wu and the others.

CREEEAAAK~

The dark, black door swung open.

It was as if the gates to Abi Hell itself had been opened.

An ominous, bloody light instantly flared, completely engulfing Wang Wu and the others.

Through the deep crimson glow, a vast underground space could be seen behind the dark door.

People in various attire knelt in all directions, prostrating themselves in worship before a ten-foot-tall vermilion statue on a bronze altar in the center.

The statue was exceptionally bizarre.

Although it was humanoid in shape, its head, limbs, body, facial features, fangs, and tongue were all constructed from a dense mass of animal skulls of various sizes, resembling a swarming anthill.

A single glance conjured countless phantom beasts roaring ferociously in one’s mind, causing dizziness, nausea, and a gut-wrenching terror that made one want to scream.

Strangely, however, everyone in the underground space regarded the statue only with devout worship, not a hint of fear in their eyes.

”Pray with all your heart. The Saint King will answer and help you wash away your mortal filth to be reborn.”

The red-robed old man spoke in his hoarse voice, a greedy glint appearing in his eyes.

’I’ve been planning this for half a month.’

’I’ve finally gathered enough people to activate the Saint King Statue.’

’After the Saint King bestows his Divine Power,’

’the number of Holy Soldiers will skyrocket. We won’t have to keep hiding anymore.’

”Saint King... Saint King...”

A fanatical light bloomed in the dazed eyes of Wang Wu and the others. They moved like puppets, joining the crowd kneeling in worship.

An enchanting, bloody light pulsed faintly, flowing like water from the statue of a million beasts as the prayers in the underground space grew louder and more devout.

”The Saint King descends, all living beings shall be masters.”

”The Saint King descends, all living beings shall be masters.”

...

The chanting and praise grew even louder.

The bloody light emanating from the Saint King Statue had become almost tangible.

Savage Evil Beasts materialized above the heads of the crowd, extending tentacles that wrapped around Wang Wu and the others’ heads like jellyfish.

BOOM!!

At that exact moment, a violent, explosive tremor shook the cavern.

The dark door at the entrance to the underground space was struck by a tremendous force, shattering into a thousand pieces that shot out in all directions.

VMMMM~

The moment the explosion sounded, the red light in the chamber receded into the Saint King Statue like a frightened beast, and the entire space was plunged into darkness, lit only by the faint glow of torches on the walls.

”All of you, get your heads down! On the ground, now!”

The furious, bell-like roar scattered the eerie atmosphere in the underground space.

As the voice faded, SWISH SWISH SWISH~

Dozens of imposing, broad-shouldered men, looking as menacing as Fierce Gods and carrying all sorts of weapons, flooded through the entrance like a tide.

They were all clad in uniform black outfits.

Embroidered on their chests was the emblem of a tyrannical, ferocious Evil Beast—part dragon, part whale!

A wild, masculine aura filled the air.

It made the entire gloomy underground space feel scorching hot. Struck by this wave of potent yang energy, the kneeling worshippers instantly snapped out of their stupor.

’The Overlord Whale Alliance!’

The haze in Wang Wu’s mind had just cleared when he looked up and saw the dozens of burly, black-clad men who had burst in. His face instantly turned deathly pale.

Everyone in Guangqing Prefecture knew that the Overlord Whale Alliance had placed a bounty on all demonic heretics.

Rumors in the Jianghu claimed that the Overlord Whale King was the reincarnation of the Demon Suppression Emperor and couldn’t tolerate the slightest hint of demons or monsters!

And now, they had gotten mixed up with the Evil Dao.

And they had been discovered by the Overlord Whale Alliance.

’It’s over...’

All color drained from Wang Wu’s face, leaving it ashen.

”You’ve got some real nerve, don’t you?”

Lv Tiezhu, who stood like a black iron tower, hefted a Copper Hammer the size of a millstone. His fierce eyes swept over the people kneeling in a heap on the floor.

Finally, his gaze landed on the statue on the central altar. Even without its sinister red glow, it was still utterly horrifying. He sneered,

”Pulling this kind of crap on the Overlord Whale Alliance’s turf, and worshipping such a disgusting thing... I’d say you all are tired of living!”

After Wu Dao seized power and established the Overlord Whale Alliance, his old comrades, Lv Tiezhu and Chen Ergou, hadn’t completely ascended with him, since they were only at the Divine Power Realm.

However, under the care of Zhao Jianji, the ”second-in-command,” they had still been given positions as County Hall Masters.

And Chenliu County was precisely the branch under Lv Tiezhu’s jurisdiction.

A few days ago, he had received a report from his disciples on night patrol.

They said that in the dead of night, all sorts of people were furtively gathering at an abandoned mansion in the outer city.

When they came out, they were all acting strangely, and it was suspected they were involved with the Evil Dao!

Upon hearing that the Evil Dao was involved, Lv Tiezhu immediately took the matter seriously.