Essence Devouring Art

Nearly a month!

He rested for no more than half an hour each day.

An unending barrage of thunderbolts and astral winds ravaged his body!

His flesh was constantly torn apart and reformed!

His soul and consciousness were incessantly tempered by the Celestial Thunder!

The Celestial Dao rewards the diligent!

This inhuman, extreme, bitter cultivation had paid off.

His Overlord Whale Fist gained five hundred years of Power!

He achieved Great Success on the First Floor of True Intent!

His Dragon Whale Transformation also improved by five hundred years!

His Horizontal Refining reached the Fifth Path of Great Success, and his Qi Blood River now spanned two thousand zhang!

Most importantly, his Essence Devouring Art, nourished by his Body Refinement and Soul Refining, had progressed by 1%!

83% Potential Release!

Eight-Turns Undying Extreme Gold Body!

The Primordial Magnetic Field it generated could now absorb the magnetic fields of all living beings within a ten-li radius for his own use!

All in all,

his strength had increased by at least one ’floor,’ and in his ultimate Divine Void State, he could match a Third Floor expert!

This was equivalent to the peak of the Martial Dao Divine Sea Realm!

(The Martial Arts Celestial Being Realm has three sub-realms: Divine Sea, Divine Technique, and Divine Treasure. Each sub-realm covers three floors of the Celestial Human Twelfth Floor, accounting for nine floors in total. The remaining three floors are for geniuses, or for amplifications from special circumstances such as Mental Realms, Magical Treasures, Body Refinement, and other unique methods.)

If he were to encounter Sikong Lie now,

Wu Dao was confident.

He wouldn’t even need to unleash Divine Ghost Heaven.

He could kill him with a single punch in his normal state!

Finally,

Wu Dao glanced at the number of Teleportation Points required on his attribute panel to advance his Essence Devouring Art to the Human Extreme realm.

After his recent period of bitter cultivation,

and with his increased strength,

the number of Teleportation Points required for the next level had naturally decreased.

Originally, advancing from the Overlord Limit to the Human Extreme realm required twenty-five thousand points.

Now, that number had dropped to twenty thousand!

And Wu Dao had already accumulated fifteen thousand Teleportation Points!

’Only five thousand left...’

Wu Dao put away his attribute panel. With a thought, he used his Communication Jade Talisman to issue a command to his various hall masters:

Expand the search area.

If there’s any intel on abnormalities outside our two Prefectures, investigate it.

Within the current Southern Border,

aside from the Three Prefectures occupied by the Royalist Faction, the rest of the territory belonged to Prince Nanyang, so the Overlord Whale Alliance could naturally move about unimpeded.

’After I reach the Human Extreme realm, perhaps I can formally make contact with Prince Nanyang...’

Wu Dao’s eyes flickered as he muttered to himself.

Although he believed in fate, he refused to submit to it.

But this so-called future, whether real or not,

was known by others while he remained in the dark. The feeling was unsettling, to say the least.

Besides that,

there was another important reason.

During this period,

Prince Nanyang had established a department similar to the Jingzhe Bureau called the Bai Ze Bureau, tasked with policing the dark underbelly of the Southern Border and suppressing all manner of demons and monsters.

If he could cooperate with the Bai Ze Bureau,

and add the Overlord Whale Alliance to the mix,

then the entire Nine Prefectures of the South Border would become his hunting ground!

After giving the order to the Overlord Whale Alliance’s upper echelon,

he remembered something.

Wu Dao searched through the many Spiritual Thoughts within his Communication Jade Talisman and found someone he hadn’t contacted in a long time:

”Chairman Yu, is there any news about the Cultivation Technique I asked for?”

Chairman Yu.

The general chairman of the Black Dragon Commerce Association’s Southern Border branch.

Some time ago, after realizing his Dragon Whale Transformation would reach its limit once it entered the Horizontal Refining Fifth Door,

he had contacted Chairman Yu.

He offered an exorbitant price, hoping to purchase a Horizontal Refining Skill that went beyond the Horizontal Refining Fifth Door to complete the path ahead of him.

The Transverse Refining Techniques of this world,

the more profound their development and tempering of the human body, the better they were as supplementary tools for cultivating the Essence Devouring Art.

Unfortunately,

it turned out Wu Dao had been a bit too optimistic.

He once believed the Black Dragon Commerce Association recognized only money, not people, and would sell anything.

But the reality was,

Cultivation Techniques at or above the Celestial Being level were the core legacies of the major powers; they would never be put up for sale.

The Black Dragon Commerce Association did indeed possess Cultivation Techniques beyond the Horizontal Refining Fifth Door.

But the prerequisite was that Wu Dao had to join the Black Dragon Commerce Association and pledge his life to it to be eligible to purchase one.

For a mere supplementary technique,

Wu Dao would naturally never join the Black Dragon Commerce Association, so he changed his purchase offer into a bounty.

Although the chances were slim,

who could say for sure? Perhaps some destitute, fallen family would be forced to sell their ancestral legacy to survive.

Not long after he sent the message,

Chairman Yu’s voice replied, ”I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, Alliance Leader Wu. Although the association has circulated the bounty in many places recently,”

”but a Transverse Refining Technique beyond the Fifth Door already involves the Celestial Being realm, so it’s truly...”

”If Alliance Leader Wu must have it but is unwilling to join the Black Dragon Commerce Association, this old man does know of a place that might satisfy your needs.”

”Oh? Please, enlighten me, Chairman Yu.”

Wu Dao raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued.

Chairman Yu: ”Within the Southern Border Martial Peak is Martial King Mountain, and on Martial King Mountain, there is Wuliang Mountain.”

”Wuliang Mountain is a Martial Dao Royal Artifact refined by the founding ancestor of Martial King Mountain. The mountain itself records countless Martial Dao Cultivation Techniques from all of history. The higher you climb toward the peak, the higher the grade of the techniques you can obtain.”

”If you are confident, Alliance Leader Wu, you can attempt to climb it. The Overlord Whale Alliance is currently in the same faction as Prince Nanyang, and since Prince Nanyang is the next Martial King, I believe they won’t refuse you.”

Martial King Mountain, a Royal Artifact...

Wu Dao put away the Communication Jade Talisman, a look of surprise on his face.

There was no need to say much about Martial King Mountain.

As the Martial Arts Leader of the Southern Border, he was already familiar with all sorts of information about it.

What surprised him was Wuliang Mountain.

It was actually a Royal Artifact!

Just as people have different cultivation realms,

weapons naturally have varying levels of power.

Innate Spiritual Artifacts, Celestial Soldiers, and only above the Celestial Being level are there Royal Artifacts...

A Royal Artifact.

The weight it represented and the mighty power it possessed were, to some extent, no less than that of a king among men, like Prince Nanyang.

You didn’t need to be a genius to know that a Heavy Artifact of this caliber was the ultimate symbol of a faction’s honor, its foundational trump card.

How could an outsider be allowed to climb it just because they wanted to?

It was true that Prince Nanyang was the next Martial King.

But that didn’t mean the entire Martial King Mountain belonged to him, to do with as he pleased.

Ancestral rules were the foundation for a faction’s longevity and could not be broken lightly.

’I’ll see when I reach my limit...’

He let out a soft breath.

Wu Dao didn’t dwell on the issue any longer.

After he reached the limit of the Fifth Door,

if he really couldn’t find a Transverse Refining Technique above the Celestial Being level, he still had the option of his attribute panel. It wasn’t absolutely necessary.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH—

His Primordial Magnetic Field enveloped the manor, and one by one, Ten Thousand Healing Crystals flew out from the storehouse.

Wu Dao opened his mouth, caught them, and swallowed them down.

Once he had consumed the required amount for one training session, he redirected his magnetic field and shot up into the high heavens, beginning his daily cultivation.

He had just wasted over ten minutes.

’I’ve been slacking off a bit.’

’I’ll have to train a little longer today to make up for it.’

...

The peaceful days did not last long.

A few days later,

an urgent message from Wanshan Prefecture interrupted Wu Dao’s bitter cultivation.

After receiving the news,

he immediately ended his training. A glint of greed shot through his eyes as he redirected his magnetic field and rushed toward Wanshan Prefecture at top speed.

Because—

the Primordial Demon in Wanshan Prefecture had found a big fish!

...

「Two days earlier.」

Wanshan Prefecture, Lanying County.

At dusk, on the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains—a place that had been a primitive, deep wilderness since ancient times.

Two lost medicine gatherers, one old and one young, struggled to find their way home through a deep, eerie, mist-filled forest.

The young man had a handsome face and slightly dark skin. Years of running through the mountains had forged a body of lean muscle. He carried the exhausted old man on his back, staring at the surrounding mist with a look of pure anxiety, calling out loudly from time to time:

”Dahuang, where are you?”

Dahuang was a mountain patrol dog raised by the boy. It possessed a Spirituality that allowed it to find its way home and sense danger, and it had always been an indispensable helper for the boy and the old man whenever they went into the mountains to gather herbs.

But today, as they passed through this part of the forest,

a dense fog had suddenly descended, making it impossible to tell north from south. Dahuang had barked a few times with its fur on end before vanishing without a trace.

Without Dahuang to guide them, the boy and the old man could only stumble blindly through the fog, calling Dahuang’s name repeatedly, their hearts filled with dread.

Humans have a natural fear of the dark.

Especially in the treacherous Hundred Thousand Mountains.

The darker the sky grew,

the deeper the hearts of the old man and the young boy sank.

Darkness crept in, the Yin Fog swirled around them, and all sorts of bizarre and sinister rumors couldn’t help but surface in their minds, causing their pace to slow.

”Hee hee hee...”

Without warning, the sound of women giggling and playing echoed from the depths of the deathly silent, eerie, misty forest. It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Their nerves, stretched to the breaking point, were completely overwhelmed by fear.

”Ah—”

Driven by instinct, the boy was about to scream when a calloused hand clamped over his mouth. ”Iron Child, don’t be a fool!”

The old man on his back was far more experienced.

He naturally knew some of the strange mountain tales that young people didn’t, the rules of engagement between humans and Alien Species, and he was a firm believer in them.

”Pay it no mind. Pretend you didn’t hear anything. We’re turning back.”

The old man’s face was taut. He climbed down from Iron Child’s back and gripped the boy’s hand tightly. The wide, rough palm brought a small measure of security.

”Right, right!”

Iron Child nodded frantically, suppressing the fear in his heart, and silently followed his grandfather in the opposite direction.

But...

”Hee hee hee...”

SPLASH SPLASH~

No matter which direction they walked,

the coy laughter of women followed them like a shadow, growing more numerous, like maggots boring into their bones, seeping into their clothes and flesh until it consumed their very souls.

”Great Immortal, my grandson and I meant no disturbance! If we have caused any offense, please forgive us! When we get back, we will surely prepare fine offerings for you as an apology!”

Seeing that the ’thing’ seemed determined to follow them, Iron Child’s grandfather clenched his jaw, pulled Iron Child to the ground, and kowtowed, begging humbly for mercy.

WHOOSH~

The only response was the cold wind that whistled through the mist.

A cold that chilled him to the bone.

But the strange, giggling laughter of the women had also vanished.

The fog had thinned considerably, too.

They could now see the faint light of the setting sun.

”Let’s go, quickly! Forget about Dahuang.”

As if granted amnesty, Iron Child’s grandfather wiped the cold sweat from his brow, scrambled to his feet, and pulled Iron Child along as they ran for their lives toward the faint glow of the sunset.

That was the direction of home.

They sprinted madly through the forest, leaves and branches whipping past them.

Iron Child’s grandfather was old, after all. He quickly became breathless, his chest heaving like a bellows with every step.

Iron Child, on the other hand, seemed to have been scared stiff.

His eyes were dazed, and he ran behind like a puppet.

SPLASH SPLASH~

The sound of rippling water echoed in his ears.

Iron Child’s grandfather’s face suddenly turned deathly pale. He didn’t remember a lake on the way home.

WHOOSH~

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

As if waking from a dream, Iron Child’s grandfather looked around. There was only deep fog. Where was the guiding sunset?

He looked ahead—

”Hee hee hee...”

”Sister, stop splashing me.”

”Help me catch this little vixen.”

The lake’s surface was shrouded in mist.

By the shore, pavilions and gauze curtains were faintly visible.

In the water—

Jade-like arms, skin as smooth as cream, beauties both slender and plump—their forms, half-hidden and half-seen, were utterly bewitching.

More than ten peerlessly beautiful women,

were frolicking in the water.

What a perfect portrait of ’Fairies’ playing in the water.

”Heh heh... pretty sisters...”

Iron Child was completely mesmerized. His face was flushed, and as if his soul had left his body, he started walking toward the lake.

Even his grandfather,

as if an old tree was blooming again in spring, began to tremble, drool, and take off his clothes.

SPLASH SPLASH...

Beneath the surface of the water,

countless python-like, snake-like tree roots danced joyfully in accompaniment to the frolicking beauties.