Essence Devouring Art

WHOOSH—

Martial King Mountain’s Ancestral Land.

At the foot of Wuliang Mountain.

The gale kicked up by his supersonic start was still swelling, whipping at everyone’s robes.

It was a scene of utter shock.

Something so absurd it had never happened in fifteen hundred years was unfolding before their very eyes.

Whether it was Qiu Tianjing, the accompanying elders, or the disciples observing the ceremony...

...everyone’s minds went blank for a moment. Their expressions froze as they stared dumbly at Wu Dao’s figure, who had just appeared halfway up the mountain.

”This makes no sense. It makes no sense at all.”

Elder Wu, the scruffy old man in charge of the Wuliang Mountain Grand Array, was the first to react. He constantly formed Hand Seals, communicating with Wuliang Mountain.

Although it seemed impossible...

...he still suspected that something might have gone wrong with Wuliang Mountain.

He thought perhaps the Five Elements Magnetic Array below fifteen hundred zhang, as well as the imprints of past experts, had failed to activate when Wu Dao ascended.

However...

...after communicating with it through his mind...

Wuliang Mountain was still as boundless in its Divine Power as ever. All the Arrays were running, without the slightest damage.

It was just that...

”Elder Wu?”

Qiu Tianjing also snapped back to his senses, a hint of anxiety showing on his brow.

Wuliang Mountain was Martial King Mountain’s legacy Supreme Treasure.

If something went wrong with it during his generation...

...he would truly have no face to show the ancestral Martial Kings of the past.

More importantly...

...it had failed in front of an outsider.

’This...’

Qiu Tianjing felt his face burn with heat. It was truly rather embarrassing.

”There’s nothing wrong with Wuliang Mountain.”

Elder Wu shook his head, his expression grave as he gazed at Wu Dao halfway up the mountain.

’Nothing wrong?’

Qiu Tianjing breathed a sigh of relief at his words. ’It’s good that there’s nothing wrong.’ But then a more terrifying problem occurred to him.

If there was nothing wrong with Wuliang Mountain...

...then the problem lay with Wu Dao. ’How did he do it?’

”The Five Elements Magnetic Array below fifteen hundred zhang is running smoothly, but when Wu Dao passed through, it was completely suppressed.”

Elder Wu narrowed his eyes, seeming to have grasped the key point. He said:

”To accomplish something like this, one would have to have cultivated the Five Elements Magnetic Divine Power, just like the founder. But that doesn’t make any sense.”

Wu Dao doesn’t have a Dantian, so he can’t possibly condense Divine Techniques, not to mention he’s only in the Heavenly Human Realm.

”Unless...

Do you know the specifics of that boy’s Celestial Treasure?”

”Elder Wu, are you suggesting...?”

Qiu Tianjing’s expression changed. He thought of Wu Dao’s strange method of wielding Celestial Might.

And also...

...Fang Lie of the Bai Ze Bureau had once reported to him that in addition to wielding Celestial Might, Wu Dao could also bypass the limitations of a Dantian to forcibly command all kinds of Energy in the world.

It was utterly incredible.

It even broke an iron-clad principle of the cultivation world that had stood for millions of years.

The only explanation...

...was that Wu Dao’s Celestial Treasure was never related to his physique, but was another, more mysterious and illogical type of Celestial Treasure.

During the banquet...

...he had also tried to subtly inquire about Wu Dao’s Celestial Treasure.

But Wu Dao had merely offered a faint smile.

He clearly had no intention of revealing anything.

Out of respect for his privacy, Qiu Tianjing hadn’t pressed the matter.

Now, it seemed...

...Wu Dao had come fully prepared!

’I just wonder to what extent Wu Dao has developed his Celestial Treasure.’

’If I’m not careful, not only will Wuliang Mountain’s records be broken today, but Martial King Mountain might also have to pay a hefty price.’

”He’s cheating, isn’t he?”

”Martial King, Elder Wu, has Wuliang Mountain not been officially activated yet?”

”Exactly! Fifteen hundred zhang in less than a breath? How is that possible? Even when Senior Brother Zhou climbed the mountain as a Celestial Being, it wasn’t this absurd.”

At that moment...

...a group of Direct Disciples also realized what was happening.

It wasn’t a matter of their temperament.

It was just too outrageous.

They simply couldn’t accept it, their faces filled with disbelief.

’Wu Dao...’

Qiu Ruoshui, the lead disciple of Martial King Mountain who was like the Guanghan Fairy, gazed deeply at Wu Dao’s figure on the mountainside. Ripples seemed to cross her beautiful eyes, but she did not voice any doubts.

Wuliang Mountain was a Royal Artifact at the level of the Dao Embryo Five Transformations.

With Wu Dao’s power, it was impossible for him to cheat, especially on Martial King Mountain’s home ground, right in front of Elder Wu and the Martial King.

There was only one answer, then.

Wu Dao had indeed reached fifteen hundred zhang in an instant through his own true ability!

She thought back to how she had just wanted to use Senior Brother Zhou to put a damper on Wu Dao’s prestige.

Even for someone as pure and untouched as Qiu Ruoshui, whose heart was like ice and jade, she could still feel a faint blush creep onto her cheeks.

No matter how unwilling she was to accept it in her heart...

...she had a premonition.

Today, Wu Dao might truly break Senior Brother Zhou’s record, and perhaps even achieve something unprecedented.

”Quiet!”

Qiu Tianjing let out a soft breath. He knew he had to give the disciples a reasonable explanation.

After all, Wuliang Mountain held a special status throughout Martial King Mountain, a place of countless honors.

He said sternly, ”There is nothing wrong with Wuliang Mountain. Alliance Leader Wu did indeed ascend by his own power.”

”This...”

The disciples looked at each other. Although they still had their doubts, since the Martial King himself had spoken, there couldn’t be any issue.

Just then...

...on Wuliang Mountain, Wu Dao, who had paused for a moment, finally took another step, charging toward the Heavenly Human Domain above fifteen hundred zhang.

But this time...

...it was even more outrageous!

BZZZZZZ—

As Wu Dao took a step...

...in the domain of Wuliang Mountain between fifteen hundred and two thousand zhang...

...the mountain began to rumble and shake ceaselessly. A vast and brilliant Five-Colored Divine Light surged forth, and the aura of the Five Elements Primordial Magnetism filled the world, pressing down on the void until it constantly collapsed and trembled.

”Take this fist!”

”Face my sword!”

”Blade, come!”

”Your journey ends here, successor.”

Amidst the five-colored magnetic divine light, stone steles manifested from the imprints of Martial Dao experts from past eras trembled and hummed, their Battle Intent surging like waterfalls and waves.

They evolved into one majestic, Celestial God-like shadow after another. Unleashing their respective peak Ultimate Skills, they attacked Wu Dao from all directions—from the heavens above and the earth below—their cold shouts echoing as they sought to halt his ascent.