Essence Devouring Art

Time flew by. Several months had passed since the decisive battle in the Central Plains.

No wars raged in the Divine Wilderness. The land was placid, so quiet it was deathly still.

The ever-worsening natural and dao-related calamities were like a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone’s head.

The heroes and powers across the land all lay dormant.

Like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displayed their unique abilities.

Some focused on arduous cultivation, others on gathering fortune...

All strove to reach the peak to face the coming Great Tribulation.

「Three months after the decisive battle in the Central Plains.」

Hmm?

On this day, Wu Dao, who was multitasking his arduous cultivation in the outer heavens, had a thought. His consciousness shifted to a clone that was traveling the world, currently passing through a region in Donghai Da Feng.

WHOOSH~

It drifted in the bitter wind and miserable rain.

Under a sky of roiling ink-black clouds, as far as the eye could see, the vast landscape was a scene of desolate, gray decay. The oppressive atmosphere was even heavier than it had been a month ago.

However, Wu Dao paid no mind to these things he had long grown accustomed to. His vast magnetic field radiated outward, enveloping a distant county.

’Is it enough, or...’

Wu Dao’s perception focused on the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple, which sat at the core of the region’s magnetic field. His brow twitched slightly.

Within his perception, the flow of the Human Dao’s Power of Faith, which had been gathering at the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Temple from all directions, had suddenly been cut off.

It was as if an invisible hand had deliberately closed an oceanic trench, causing the converging Power of Faith to fall into turbulent magnetic currents before dissipating back into the world.

’This situation...’

A flicker in Wu Dao’s eyes showed he had already formed a theory.

’The Demon Suppression Emperor laid his plans for nearly six hundred years.’

’He abandoned his physical body and gathered faith.’

’He intended to walk the path of the Incense Fire God, using an unorthodox method to shatter his shackles and advance to the realm Above Divine Techniques.’

’Among those at the Absolute Peak, this was no secret.’

’The intricacies of the matter... Wu Dao had learned from Prince Nanyang long ago.’

’Back then, the Demon Suppression Emperor’s Divine Techniques had reached the pinnacle. A few years after the founding of Dali, he used the fortune of the world to take that half step.’

’But after that, the Demon Suppression Emperor profoundly understood the meaning of a heavenly-blocked path. For decades afterward, the way forward was like a Divine Wall before him, and he could not advance even a single inch.’

’If nothing changed, even with several more centuries of arduous cultivation, even when the Great Tribulation descended, he would never be able to take that final half step.’

’After realizing this, in order to shatter his shackles, the Demon Suppression Emperor searched the entire world.’

’He secretly sought a Celestial Treasure that could, to some extent, bypass the Great Dao’s suppression.’

’Celestial Treasures are found by chance, not by searching.’

’But with the Demon Suppression Emperor’s status, the most prosperous lands in the world were all under his control. No matter how rare a Celestial Treasure was, if one appeared, someone would deliver it into his hands.’

’A few years later, the Demon Suppression Emperor’s wish was granted.’

’He obtained a newly manifested Celestial Treasure.’

’What its specific abilities were, no one knew. Anyone who found out was silenced by the Demon Suppression Emperor.’

’But judging from his many unusual actions later, it wasn’t hard to guess it was related to the path of the Incense Fire God from folk legends.’

’Over six hundred years of accumulated incense fire... to suddenly stop.’

’There were only two possibilities.’

’One, he had accumulated enough incense fire and was preparing to break through to the next level, just like a normal cultivator breaking through a barrier.’

’As for the second possibility: incense fire is like Spiritual Qi and Primordial Qi... After six hundred years of uninterrupted cultivation, the Demon Suppression Emperor had already taken that half step.’

Wu Dao was more inclined to believe the first possibility.

’Although a Celestial Treasure could bypass the Great Dao’s suppression to some extent, the suppression of this tribulation is too terrifying.’

’As of now, in the Extraordinary Realm, another dao-calamity had occurred half a month ago—the path to the Innate realm was severed!’

’If even the lower-level Extraordinary paths are like this, for someone at the Demon Suppression Emperor’s level, trying to advance would be no easier than a mortal trying to chisel through a bronze wall. It’s an almost impossible task.’

’Of course, this was just a guess based on his own understanding.’

’The Demon Suppression Emperor was able to take that half step hundreds of years ago; his talent and aptitude made him the most dazzling star of his era.’

’Perhaps he really did have a chance to defy the heavens.’

At this thought, Wu Dao took out his Communication Jade Talisman and contacted Prince Nanyang—now the Great Xu Country Lord, Chenjing Emperor.

As a blood descendant of the Demon Suppression Emperor, Chenjing Emperor should have some sense of whether his ancestor had successfully advanced.

Chenjing Emperor simply sent back a rather complex, four-word reply, his tone tinged with a sorrow Wu Dao couldn’t quite place: ’Both yes and no.’

’Both yes and no?’

Wu Dao put away the Communication Jade Talisman and let out a soft breath, understanding dawning in his heart.

’The peak of a half step. A pseudo realm Above Divine Techniques?’

’But no matter how you put it, in the end... he failed to break through the shackles and suppression.’

’Dali... never mind.’

He thought of something. Wu Dao’s eyes flickered slightly, but he then shook his head and gave up on the idea.

His interest in the Demon Suppression Emperor wasn’t because he was a meddler or driven by idle curiosity.

’Dali holds the remains of the Demon Suppression Emperor’s body.’

’In essence, it is a Corpse Demon.’

’Only through his ruthlessness was Zhou Heng able to suppress the Corpse Demon’s consciousness and make it his own.’

’It was said the Corpse Demon went on a rampage not long ago, but Zhou Heng suppressed it again. Who knows how much more blood of the imperial family he had to feed it.’

’Originally, Wu Dao’s plan was to reach the Unparalleled Peak, then storm Dali and devour that Corpse Demon in one go.’

’But then the various kings declared themselves emperors, and the chaotic era ended. This dampened his enthusiasm for the idea considerably.’

’Dali has five experts at the Absolute Peak.’

’One is at the level of a king, and another is considered the strongest in the world.’

’With the world’s upper limit locked down, unless he could achieve 100% Potential Release and be the first to take that half step... otherwise, with his strength alone, it was simply unrealistic.’

’Not to mention, the Demon Suppression Emperor has now fully returned. Even if his return is ambiguous, he is definitely not someone at the Absolute Peak could contend with.’

’Given his domineering, tyrannical, and egocentric nature from ’before his death,’ how could he possibly allow Wu Dao to destroy Dali and devour his physical body?’

’Of course, there was one more, most important reason.’

’His fusion of the fourth Holy Spirit Technique was at a critical juncture, 99% Potential Release was imminent, and the Dragon Mud Cave Heaven was about to open again.’