Essence Devouring Art

「The next day.」

「In Lancang County City.」

「Morning.」

The autumn heat was relentless.

In the main assembly hall of the Overlord Whale Alliance headquarters.

The hall was solemn and majestic, with ornately carved beams and painted rafters.

Two rows of armchairs stood empty.

All the experts of the Overlord Whale Alliance at the Divine Power Realm and above had arrived. They were gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves and wondering what major event was about to unfold.

”The Alliance Leader arrives!”

On the luxurious high platform.

Standing beside the Dragon Whale Throne, Zhao Jianji suddenly cried out. The discussions in the hall fell silent at once. Every face grew solemn as the members arranged themselves in rows according to their rank.

WHOOSH~

A towering figure strode out from a side hall with a dragon’s gait and a tiger’s prowl. He sat upon the Dragon Whale Throne with an imposing air, his abyss-dark eyes gazing down at everyone in the hall, radiating an effortless authority.

”We greet the Alliance Leader! May you live for millennia and unite the Jianghu!”

The moment Wu Dao appeared.

From the top down.

The Alliance Leader’s Guardian, the Commander-in-Chiefs of the various prefectures, the Squad Leaders of the counties, and the Town Hall Masters all clasped their fists and bowed in reverence, their eyes burning with fanatical adoration.

Even without the use of Mind Control.

Wu Dao’s very existence and his many legendary deeds inspired a reverence that came from deep within their hearts.

”Be seated.”

Wu Dao nodded slightly, his expression indifferent. He accepted their worship calmly, his dark eyes sweeping over the crowd in the hall, generally satisfied with what he saw.

To this day.

Within the Overlord Whale Alliance.

Over fifty had Broken the Cocoon!

The number of those in the Divine Power Realm had reached three hundred!

Below them, over a thousand in the Inner Strength stage weren’t even qualified to be present!

As for those below Inner Strength.

Their numbers were countless, enough to form an entire army.

It was no exaggeration to say they had a wealth of experts and a mighty force.

If this were an ordinary world where the Extraordinary was not manifest.

With just the Overlord Whale Alliance in his hands.

Wu Dao could have conquered the entire world without even having to lift a finger himself.

Unfortunately...

This was an Extraordinary World.

The Overlord Whale Alliance was still far too weak, and what it could accomplish was severely limited.

But Wu Dao didn’t care about that.

The Overlord Whale Alliance was merely a tool for his initial accumulation of power.

Once he himself grew powerful enough.

He would be able to sweep through the world all by himself.

The existence of the Overlord Whale Alliance would no longer matter.

”Thank you for granting us our seats, Alliance Leader.”

After receiving Wu Dao’s approval.

Everyone in the hall bowed once more before taking their seats, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity.

Since Wu Dao had taken control of the Overlord Whale Alliance.

He had been a hands-off leader. Grand assemblies like this were unheard of; even small meetings at headquarters were rare.

They had a feeling.

Wu Dao must have something major to announce.

”I have summoned you today for one reason: to bestow upon you a great Creation.”

Wu Dao’s voice boomed like thunder, and a small smile touched his lips.

CRACKLE~

The black box he held in his palm opened with the sound of crackling electricity.

Hundreds of crimson-gold spheres of flesh and electricity flew out, like a series of small suns illuminating the slightly dim hall.

’This is...’

Zhao Jianji stared at the crimson-gold suns hovering in the air, pulsing like disembodied hearts. From the Demon Embryo within his own chest, he felt a strange mix of affinity and fear, and his expression faltered.

’How...’

’This feels a little more advanced than mine.’

’Alliance Leader, don’t you favor me anymore?’

A look of comical grievance surfaced in Zhao Jianji’s eyes.

’Creation?’

The many Overlord Whale Alliance experts in the hall watched as the small suns began sprouting fleshy, writhing tentacles. Feeling the terrifying Demon Nature emanating from them, they couldn’t help but swallow hard.

’This looks just like a Demon Dao technique, no matter how you look at it.’

”Go!”

Wu Dao wasted no words.

He cared even less about their thoughts.

His immense Spiritual Will enveloped the entire hall, and its pressure instantly made the expressions of the Overlord Whale Alliance experts go blank. They became completely numb, like wooden puppets.

BUZZ~

The Life Origin Magnetic Field Domain began to turn.

The various magnetic fields generated by the people and objects in the hall instantly linked with Wu Dao’s own Magnetic Field, becoming a part of him.

Then...

Wu Dao manipulated the Magnetic Field Power to perform a remote ’heart transplant’ surgery on the several hundred people, implanting a ’Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryo’ into each of their hearts.

The Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryos took root in their hearts.

They sprouted dense tentacles that rapidly fused with the heart tissue, releasing Dragon Whale Dominating Body Gene Liquid that flowed through their bodies at every level, transforming their physiques.

Then.

With a single thought from Wu Dao.

Zhao Jianji’s chest split open. The Wanyu Treasure Liquid that had been stored in his heart had condensed into a milky-white crystal, smaller than a fingertip.

If not expelled in time.

Perhaps one day.

He would die from his heart being burst by the gradually growing crystal inside the Demon Embryo.

”The quality is not bad. About the same as a mid-grade Spirit Stone.”

Wu Dao weighed the thumb-sized crystal in his palm, assessing the Energy it contained, and was reasonably satisfied.

This crystal.

Its source was the energy from the medicinal herbs and food that Zhao Jianji had absorbed over this period.

Half was converted into Healing Fluid to transform his physique.

The other half was withheld by the Demon Embryo.

It was compressed and converted into a Ten Thousand Healing Crystal.

Ten Thousand Healing Crystals were the preferred energy source for the Overlord Domain and the Human Extreme Domain, and they were also a decent Cultivation Resource for the current Wu Dao.

After implanting Demon Embryos into these three hundred and fifty people today.

From now on, every once in a while.

He would be able to harvest a batch of Ten Thousand Healing Crystals of varying grades, allowing him to always cultivate with the best resources.

Of course.

For him, the best resources were still Alien Species.

But it was never wrong to have a backup plan. Better to be prepared.

After all, encounters with Alien Species weren’t a daily occurrence.

’Having to personally retrieve them every time is a bit of a hassle.’

He glanced at the people in the hall who were undergoing a painful transformation.

Wu Dao crushed the Ten Thousand Healing Crystal in his hand. It turned into streams of liquid that flew into the open hearts of the crowd, rapidly healing the wounds on their chests.

At the same time.

He again manipulated the Magnetic Field to modify the Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryos, allowing them to automatically eject the crystal from the heart once it matured.

Then.

Wu Dao placed a suggestive command in everyone’s consciousness: after receiving the Ten Thousand Healing Crystal ejected from their hearts, they must immediately turn it in to the headquarters.

Thus.

Sprouting, growing, nurturing, maturing, and harvesting.

The entire process from seed to fruit.

He no longer needed to manage any of it personally.

When the fruit was ripe.

The fruit trees would automatically deliver the fruit to his mouth.

A fully automated, free-range system was now complete.

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP—

A moment later, the transformations were complete.

A series of dull heartbeats, like the pounding of war drums, echoed through the hall.

”ROOOOAR—”

Along with a cacophony of terrifying roars, a wild, tyrannical aura, as scorching as a furnace, erupted and flooded the entire hall.

The blazing, crimson light of their qi and blood.

Transformed the great hall into a twisted Asura Purgatory.

One by one, the Dragon Whale Primordial Demons—ferocious and menacing, their muscles bulging as if entangled with ten thousand great dragons—grew extremely agitated. They threw their heads back and roared, venting their violent emotions.

A tidal wave of pure Yang and bloody killing intent surged and crashed, as if the minions of a Demon God had descended upon the mortal realm—boundlessly savage, utterly brutal, and eager to slaughter every living thing in the world!

Three hundred and fifty Primordial Demons.

Three hundred and fifty monsters who had unleashed their Dragon Whale Dominating Body!

The ten among them who had undergone their Third Rebirth were the most terrifying!

After unleashing their Dragon Whale Dominating Body, their physiques swelled to nearly twenty feet tall. Their limbs looked like a tangle of ten thousand dragons, possessing infinite brute force. The Supreme Yang Qi Blood gushing from them had reached the level of the Horizontal Refining Third Gate: Qi Blood Smoke realm!

If they joined forces.

Even an Innate Grandmaster would tremble in fear!

Give them some time to develop and grow.

And they could even take down an Innate Grandmaster one-on-one!

Because the upper limit of the Demon Embryo was determined by Wu Dao’s own strength!

His Dragon Whale Dominating Body had already entered the Fifth-Layer Qi Blood River. Therefore, the upper limit for the Primordial Demons he created was naturally the Horizontal Refining Fourth Gate: Qi and Blood Like a Dragon—a level capable of challenging a Land Immortal!

As for dealing with demonic and strange creatures, that was their specialty.

The Dragon Whale Dominating Body was Supreme Yang. Both its qi and blood and its spirit had a suppressive effect on strange ghouls. It could be said to be the natural enemy of all Alien Species!

”When my Primordial Demons one day roar across the world, I’ll dare any fiend to keep its nerve!”

Atop the Dragon Whale Throne.

Wu Dao was like a Demon God reviewing his Demon Army. His authority surpassed all the demons below as he looked down upon the Dragon Whale Primordial Demons—each one more terrifying than any evil ghost or fiend—and a wild, arrogant smile spread across his face.

An old man once said.

You have to use magic to defeat magic.

’Are ghouls and fiends so terrifying? Then I’ll just create devils even more savage and terrifying than they are! I’ll make them tremble! I’ll make them turn pale at the mere mention of my demons! I’ll make them scatter in terror at the very sight of them!’

”Silence!”

A domineering cry, loud as a thunderclap, shook the hall, overpowering the roars of the many demons.

The three hundred and fifty brutal, wanton, and endlessly ferocious Dragon Whale Primordial Demons instantly became like mice that heard a cat’s meow. They immediately reined in their fierce, untamable auras, stopped their roaring, and all knelt and prostrated themselves before Wu Dao on his throne.

BUZZ~

The Magnetic Field turned, pacifying the Demon Embryos.

Accompanied by the grinding sound of bone and flesh.

The three hundred and fifty Primordial Demons in the hall returned to their normal size, and the ferocious light in their eyes faded.

As if waking from a dream.

Everyone felt the terrifying Power hidden within their hearts. Ecstatic expressions appeared on their faces as they prostrated themselves again and shouted:

”Thank you for your gift, Alliance Leader! The Alliance Leader’s Divine Technique is boundless, revered by the sun and moon!”

”Rise.”

Wu Dao’s smile vanished. His voice boomed, ”From now on, if any abnormalities arise in any of the halls or branches, you are to resolve them yourselves, or report up the chain of command as you see fit.

If a Hall Master can’t handle it, call a Squad Leader. If a Squad Leader can’t handle it, call a Commander-in-Chief. As long as it’s not an Alien Species above the Innate realm, or a Three-Layered Black Lotus Fierce Gu, there is no need to report it to headquarters!

I only need results.

Do not disappoint me.”

The moment his voice fell.

”We will not fail you!”

Their unified, resonant voices shook the great hall.

Everyone’s face was flushed red, their Battle Intent surging. There was no fear in their eyes, only a fervent desire to throw themselves into battle and shed blood for Wu Dao at a moment’s notice!

’Indeed. Compared to winning hearts with sincerity, selfless puppets are far more practical.’

Wu Dao looked down at the Overlord Whale Alliance experts, who now resembled zealous fanatics, and his expression was one of satisfaction.

Three hundred and fifty Dragon Whale Primordial Demons.

The weakest among them were Town Hall Masters at the Divine Power Realm. Interlinked like a web, they could cover every human settlement in the entire Guangqing Prefecture.

Combined with the vast number of lower-level members of the Overlord Whale Alliance forming an all-pervasive intelligence network...

If any Alien Species dared to show its face!

Unless it refrained from harming people.

It would have nowhere to hide!

Wu Dao could feel the world constantly changing. The sinister, dark, and gloomy aura was gradually increasing. Before long, it was inevitable that a horde of demons would dance in chaos.

He greatly looked forward to that day’s arrival.

After the many Overlord Whale Alliance experts had dispersed.

Only Wu Dao and Zhao Jianji remained in the great hall.

”Ahem, Alliance Leader, about that...”

Zhao Jianji licked his dry lips, his face a mask of sycophancy, rubbing his hands together like a fly.

Wu Dao glanced at Zhao Jianji. He naturally knew what the man was thinking. With a thought, the last Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryo 2.0 flew out of the black box.

”Thank you for the reward, Alliance Leader!”

Zhao Jianji grinned from ear to ear and hurriedly began to strip off his clothes, revealing a dark chest as solid as a boulder.

”No need. Just press it against your heart.”

Wu Dao stood up, left this one sentence, and also left behind a drop of Wanyu Treasure Liquid for Zhao Jianji. Without further explanation, he walked out of the hall.

”This...”

Zhao Jianji looked at the hovering crimson-gold, electric-fire small sun, spat fiercely, and looked troubled.

A moment later.

”AAAHHH!!”

A blood-curdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, echoed through the great hall.

Outside the hall, Wu Dao, who was preparing to ascend into the sky to train, raised an eyebrow. He paid it no further mind, activated his Magnetic Field, and shot up high into the air, searching for a thunderstorm.

’After the Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryo fuses with the physique, it becomes the equivalent of an Extraordinary’s Dantian—the very core of one’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

If it were removed.

The person would be mostly crippled.

Let alone a Primordial Magnetic Demon Embryo that has grown into the heart itself.

If you want to upgrade it.

The new one can only burrow into the heart and slowly merge with the old one.

So it makes no difference whether I use ’full anesthesia’ or not.

Because afterward, there will still be a period of heart-piercing, soul-twisting pain.

And I don’t have the time to play ’nurse’.’