Essence Devouring Art

The Southern Border Front.

Nanyang Prince’s Mansion.

Inside the familiar study.

Prince Nanyang and his master, Jiang Yuansheng, sat facing each other across a table. After receiving a message from Martial King Mountain, they both wore strange expressions.

”A Celestial Being reaching the summit of Wuliang Mountain... If Tianjing hadn’t said it himself, I would never have believed it...”

Jiang Yuansheng, with his white hair and voluminous sleeves, stroked his beard, his eyes glinting. He still seemed to be reeling from the shocking news of Wu Dao’s ascent.

”Right.”

Thinking of something, Jiang Yuansheng’s expression turned serious. ”This matter must not be publicized. We have to suppress it to prevent the Central Plains from doing something desperate.”

Being one step ahead makes you a genius.

Being a hundred steps ahead makes you a demon.

For someone like Wu Dao, who reached the summit of Wuliang Mountain as a Celestial Being, even ’demon’ is an understatement. His future is unimaginable, and he could very well change the balance of power in the world.

After the incident with the Celestial King,

the Central Plains Imperial Court had become so wary of Wu Dao that they were on pins and needles, sparing no expense to send a group of spies to the Southern Border.

They are watching Wu Dao around the clock.

They’re afraid that this ’human-shaped nuclear weapon’ will go to the front lines and break the current stalemate.

If the news from Wuliang Mountain gets out, there’s no guarantee the Central Plains won’t take drastic measures against Wu Dao.

The survival of the world and the rise and fall of dynasties are at stake.

This is no exaggeration. No emperor would allow such a monster to exist in an enemy camp.

”Of course.”

Prince Nanyang nodded. ”After Wu Dao reached the summit of Wuliang Mountain, Senior Brother Qiu immediately sealed off the news. However...”

His tone shifted, a hint of anticipation appearing in his eyes.

”When Wu Dao left, he asked where Qiu’s disciples were on the front lines. He probably couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer.”

As the head of the Nanjiang Group,

although Prince Nanyang was stationed at the front, his specific location was known to very few—only the core members of the group knew.

It was true that the Dali’s sun was setting,

but they still had quite a few old monsters in hiding. If they got desperate and joined forces, they were fully capable of carrying out a decapitation strike. He had to be on guard.

”The Immortal Black Tortoise Divine Skill...”

A look of regret and longing flashed in Jiang Yuansheng’s eyes. He knew what gave Wu Dao the confidence to face Prince Nanyang directly. He then said,

”It will probably take a little more time. When the time comes, just tell him everything. At his level, it’s about time he knew about those things.”

”I can certainly tell him everything about the Great Tribulation, but as for the karma he carries, I am powerless to help.”

Prince Nanyang reached out to refill their tea, the steam curling upwards. His expression was tinged with melancholy.

”Karma?”

Jiang Yuansheng frowned slightly. ”Have you seen something?”

”Yes. A great deal of karma.”

Prince Nanyang had no intention of being coy with his master and spoke bluntly, ”His roots are not of the Divine Wilderness World. And...”

At this point,

Prince Nanyang’s expression grew unprecedentedly solemn as he asked, ”Master, in all the ancient histories you’ve read, have you ever seen a person with all Three Dantians, with all three being of the Supreme Grade—a Great Dao Foundation?”

’All Three Dantians?!’

’Supreme Grade, a Great Dao Foundation?’

Jiang Yuansheng’s gaze froze. He took a deep breath and asked, ”Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?”

Throughout history,

for a Cultivator to possess even one Dantian was a sign of being blessed by the heavens and earth.

Before the Divine Wilderness World experienced its tribulations, during its incomparably brilliant golden age, such an inconceivable thing as a person with Three Dantians had never once appeared.

Let alone all of them possessing the potential to achieve the Dao!

’Wait!’

Jiang Yuansheng suddenly thought of another problem. It was public knowledge that Wu Dao did not walk any of the established paths and did not possess a Dantian.

’So where did his Three Dantians go?’

Combined with what Prince Nanyang said about Wu Dao’s roots not being in the Divine Wilderness World...

’Doesn’t that mean...’

’What kind of existence possesses such methods?’

HISS!

’The karma involved is too immense!’

The being behind this was likely on the same level as the Slaughter Emperor, the one who brought about all the tribulations in the Divine Wilderness.

”It’s not just the Dantians.”

Prince Nanyang then dropped an even bigger bombshell. ”His incredibly precious Celestial Destiny and Fortune have also vanished completely, seemingly stripped from him by force.”

Celestial Destiny and Fortune!!

At Jiang Yuansheng’s level, he naturally knew what those four words meant—

A Child of Destiny!

Someone with such fortune was practically a god descended to the mortal world to cultivate. They could trip over a windfall of Creation just by stepping out the door. Moreover, they would never die prematurely and were destined to reach the absolute peak of the universe, looking down, invincible, through the river of time.

But such a precious destiny...

had still been plundered.

The existence standing behind the scenes...

was completely beyond Jiang Yuansheng’s imagination.

”This is also what I can’t figure out.”

Prince Nanyang let out a soft breath. ”A person cannot live without fortune. To survive in this world without it... ’finding it hard to move a single step’ isn’t even enough to describe it. How on earth has Wu Dao survived until now?”

”The Celestial Treasure?”

Jiang Yuansheng guessed.

’A Celestial Treasure itself carries great fortune...’

’No, that’s not right!’

’If Wu Dao has no fortune, how could he have gained the acknowledgment of a Celestial Treasure? It’s a contradiction.’

’No wonder...’

’No wonder Prince Nanyang said last time that Wu Dao might not be the Celestial Treasure Master.’

’So that was the problem.’

’Then how exactly did Wu Dao survive to this day and achieve such heaven-defying accomplishments?’

A deep mystery.

It shrouded Jiang Yuansheng’s mind, refusing to dissipate.

Amidst his confusion,

Jiang Yuansheng thought of another question and said,

”A person who should have died young has defied all logic to live to this day, and has even evaded the one who set this all up. Could it be that someone is protecting him? The Slaughter Emperor, perhaps?”

”It’s absolutely not the Slaughter Emperor.”

Prince Nanyang stated decisively, ”The Slaughter Emperor’s techniques are based on the Martial Dao Dantian, and he’s the ultimate egoist. Helping someone who has lost their Dantians offers him no benefit.”

”If not the Slaughter Emperor, then...”

WHOOSH~

He let out a slow, turbid breath.

Jiang Yuansheng didn’t dare to think any deeper. The karma involved in this scheme was too terrifying; it was something they couldn’t possibly touch.

”In that case...”

Prince Nanyang’s complex expression faded, replaced by a smile. ”Master should now understand why I was so certain he would become one of our companions.”

”This... we should do our best not to tell him. At least, not before he’s strong enough.”

Jiang Yuansheng said, his tone sympathetic.

The current Divine Wilderness lacks the power to orchestrate such a heaven-defying scheme.

The person behind the scenes can only be from outside the Divine Wilderness.

And they stand in a realm far beyond their imagination.

’Putting myself in his shoes...’

’If I were Wu Dao,’

’I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t be consumed by a Heart Demon of hatred after learning of such a profound enmity, and my thoughts would never be clear again.’

On the path of Cultivation,

regardless of the path, clarity of thought is paramount. If one’s state of mind is troubled and their Essence, Qi, and Spirit are not in harmony, even the greatest talent will be reduced to mediocrity.

”I naturally understand the stakes.”

Prince Nanyang nodded slightly, then continued, ”But once the Dragon Mud Cave Heaven opens and the ambient qi of the Divine Wilderness World connects with the outside, we might not be able to keep this a secret.

Whatever their reasons, the original intention of the existence protecting Wu Dao from behind the scenes was most likely for him to live an ordinary life.

After all, with his Three Dantians and fortune lost, even if he managed to survive, he wouldn’t be able to hold onto any serendipitous opportunities from Creation. It would be impossible for him to achieve anything.

But now...”

”There’s no need to be completely pessimistic.”

A thought struck Jiang Yuansheng. He considered a possibility, his eyes narrowing slightly. ”No destiny, no fortune. Unable to hold onto any Creation, unable to achieve anything. Everything goes wrong, as if possessed by a god of misfortune.

But Wu Dao has gone against fate and accomplished all sorts of incredible things. How could such a world-shaking figure be without fortune?”

”Master, you mean...”

Prince Nanyang was slightly surprised, having understood Jiang Yuansheng’s meaning.

’Once one’s fortune dies,’

’it’s truly dead and gone.’

’Unless...’

’you plant a new seed!’

’Since the seed has been changed,’

’there’s no longer a risk of exposure.’

’But what kind of seed could reach this stage in less than half a year?’

’Unimaginable!’

WHOOSH~

He let out a long, turbid breath.

An inexplicable look of anticipation appeared on Prince Nanyang’s face. He clapped his hands together and said, ”A battle of dragons and tigers, what a grand show! This final tribulation will surely be more spectacular than anyone can imagine!”

The Nine Tribulations of the Divine Wilderness lasted thirty thousand years.

All Nine Tribulations were lost!

Now is the final, the tenth tribulation.

After this tribulation,

if we win, there will be World Peace!

If we lose, the heavens will collapse and the Dao will be extinguished!

Therefore, the appearance of any variable gave tribulation-resisters at Prince Nanyang’s level endless hope.

It all depends on...

how big a wave this mighty dragon, Wu Dao, can stir up in the future.

...

Southern Border.

Guangqing Prefecture, Lancang County.

Black clouds pressed down from above, and snow fell like a waterfall.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

In the sky,

Wu Dao walked slowly through the air. As he neared Lancang County City, he suddenly stopped and looked toward a Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple outside the city.

’It’s increased?’

He gazed at the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple on the mountaintop, his eyes glinting faintly.

His Life Origin Magnetic Field Domain was constantly connected to the heavens and earth, allowing him to clearly sense that the strength of the Power of Faith converging on the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple from all directions had risen by a level.

If before it was thousands of threads,

then now it was a gurgling stream, gathering into a great river. The speed of its convergence was much faster, and it seemed to carry a hint of urgency.

’What is the Demon Suppression Emperor so anxious about?’

Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed. His magnetic field sensed the world, and he could clearly feel that the Extraordinary Energy Factors in the air had decreased significantly compared to when he first entered the Human Extreme realm.

It wasn’t obvious,

but it was definitely decreasing.

And...

as the Extraordinary Energy Factors dwindled, the magnetic fields of all things were also decaying. The qi mechanism of the world was gradually growing heavier, wailing, creating a sense of unease.

’The Dharma Decline Era?’

Thoughts surged in Wu Dao’s mind. He had known for a long time that the world he was reborn into was in a Dharma Decline Era, where the environment would gradually become unsuitable for Cultivation.

But such a rapid rate of decay was truly far too abnormal.

’Is the Demon Suppression Emperor’s urgency related to the reason behind this abnormality?’

The future... it seemed some interesting things were about to happen.

WHOOSH~

He retracted his gaze.

Wu Dao stopped paying attention to the anomaly at the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple and accelerated, flying into the sky above Lancang County City.

One should only consider matters befitting one’s strength.

Although he had some accomplishments now,

he was still far too removed from the Demon Suppression Emperor’s level. Delving into it was meaningless.

However...

it was about time to find Prince Nanyang and get some clear answers.

Otherwise,

this feeling of not knowing his own fate would continue to weigh on his mind, which was, after all, rather uncomfortable.