Essence Devouring Art

Burial Realm Jun Tian.

The forbidden land.

SPLASH~

A vast ocean stretched to the heavens, upon which a lone boat drifted.

Jiang Han, who had been missing for a long time, stood on the small boat with his hands behind his back. His Red Sun Daoist Robe fluttered in the sea breeze, and his long, dark hair danced wildly.

At the edge of his vision, a magnificent and spectacular scene unfolded.

A silver moon was rising from the sea’s horizon. It radiated an endless chill, filling a space of millions of light-years with a cold mist.

Beneath the sea’s surface, an eternal, unsetting great sun bobbed, its light and heat illuminating the dark depths. It reflected the silver moon in the sky, the Yin and Yang mingling to form a gold and silver Taiji, the sun and moon sharing the same colors.

”Innate Divine Illumination...”

Jiang Han murmured to himself, the sun and moon reflected in his eyes. His heart surged with emotion as the Taiyin Qi within him rose of its own accord, as if wanting to leave him and fly toward the moon.

This was the Three Tribulations Forbidden Land.

He had been guided here by the white-robed child.

It was a gift of guidance after he had managed to humor the child. The ultimate Creation was that golden sun and silver moon, which contained Innate Taiyin and Sun Qi and could be used to forge a Flawless Primordial Divine Body.

Transverse Cultivation, Soul Cultivation, and Divine Cultivation.

Advancing on all three paths at once was practically the standard for the top Celestial Prides of Hongyuan.

Jiang Han, who aspired to transcend the Great Dao, naturally refused to be mediocre. After obtaining the Exquisite Method, he set about shoring up his weaknesses and embarked on the path of cultivating all three simultaneously.

Originally, his Body Refining Technique was the Taiyin Body Casting Technique, which cultivated Taiyin Qi. If he reached the Extreme Realm, he could achieve the Taiyin Saint Body, which was considered quite good in the All Heavens.

But there was still a difference between ”quite good” and ”top-tier.”

Given the choice, Jiang Han would have wanted to cultivate an Emperor Scripture.

Unfortunately, Emperor Level Transverse Refining Techniques that led directly to the fourteen gates of Transverse Cultivation were monopolized by the major powers of Hongyuan. It was practically impossible for a lone cultivator like him to obtain one.

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining.

Although the white-robed child who had taken up residence in his Divine Soul was mischievous and naive, often tormenting him to the point of exhaustion, the child’s identity was anything but ordinary.

Often, a casual word of advice or a random pointer from the child would lead to an epiphany, allowing him to gain a Creation he wouldn’t have dared to dream of before.

This forbidden land was another place the white-robed child had pointed him toward. At its core was the *Innate Divine Illumination Scripture*, a technique for forging an Innate Divine Body, controlling Yin and Yang, and leading directly to the fourteen gates.

An Innate Divine Body!

When he heard this concept, even the level-headed Jiang Han was shocked.

Because in his understanding, the Innate Divine Body was exclusive to the Innate Divine Race. It was an Innate creation of the Great Dao, naturally attuned to all sorts of Dao Laws. A postnatal being simply could not achieve it.

It wasn’t a matter of difficulty.

It was a matter of not having a Divine Format!

But the white-robed child had sworn that as long as Jiang Han successfully cultivated the Innate Divine Illumination Scripture, he would have no problem undergoing a Postnatal Returning to Innate transformation and achieving the supreme and noble Innate Divine Body.

This led Jiang Han to speculate about the white-robed child’s identity. It was most likely some Divine Race magnate from the Three Tribulations. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so intimately familiar with the secrets of the Divine Race and the path of the Divine Dao.

’That Ye Xuan seems to have an Innate Sword Body. To contend with him, I must make up for my own shortcomings...’

Jiang Han’s eyes narrowed.

Due to the many twists of fate, he and Ye Xuan, the Son of Revival from the Luotian Sword Realm, had become irreconcilable enemies.

He had gotten Ye Xuan’s lover killed.

And Ye Xuan had forced him, step by step, into the Burial Realm, forcing him to hide in the shadows like a rat, afraid to show his face.

Between the two of them, there would have to be a final reckoning in the future.

This was true for both him and Ye Xuan.

This was also why, despite his deep-seated vigilance and apprehension toward the white-robed child, he was unwilling to give up on the Innate Divine Illumination Scripture.

Schemes and plots, in the face of an absolute gap in strength, were ultimately useless. Only by standing on the same level would he have the right to truly compete with his fated enemy.

”Hee hee, Xiaohanz.”

As Jiang Han’s thoughts drifted, the white-robed child, who was playing hide-and-seek with a few puppet children in his Grotto Heaven, suddenly seemed to sense something and said with a mischievous grin,

”You’re about to fall into the water... Hmm, here it comes.”

What?

Jiang Han froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. He thought the white-robed child was getting playful and was about to push him into the sea.

This was no ordinary sea.

It was suffused with Innate Taiyin and Sun Qi.

Only the special Divine Ship beneath his feet could traverse it.

If he fell in, the resulting Yin and Yang chaos would be an absolutely excruciating experience!

BUZZ—

But before Jiang Han could react, a world-ending tide, like an eruption from the Ancient Evil Abyss, surged over from the distance. In less than an instant, an ominous, blackish-red bloody light dyed the Yin Yang Sea into a Blood Prison!

”That is...”

Jiang Han caught a fleeting glimpse from the small boat.

His pupils instantly constricted to their limit!

Outside the forbidden land!

At the core of the world’s end!

A crimson great sun, bright enough to illuminate the entire Burial Realm, rose into the sky. The faint sound of a tolling bell echoed from within it.

And then...

Burial Realm Jun Tian, the Red Dust Realm, the Ten Thousand Realms!

Like filth being wiped from paper, they were instantly blasted into tribulation ash by the bell’s toll, leaving behind a vacuum Abyss!

The Red Dust Realm was gone!

BOOM!!

Jiang Han was given no time to react.

The aftershocks of the world-slaughtering tide struck the Ten Directions of spacetime, kicking up a storm that could obliterate the Nine Heavens. Even the Yin Yang Forbidden Area seemed to have become a lone boat on a raging sea!

It rocked violently, on the verge of capsizing.

Waves billions of layers high crashed against the starry sky, instantly slapping Jiang Han into the terrifying surge, sweeping him away to some unknown place amidst the roaring Chaos.

What a completely undeserved disaster!

Jiang Han cursed inwardly.

In his Grotto Heaven, the white-robed child’s gaze, however, crossed the chaotic, boundless spacetime to stare directly at the black bell at the source of the destruction. He clapped his hands incessantly.

”Is the little psycho done hiding? Hehehe, let’s play together then. It’s sure to be interesting.”

...

「Taiyi Emperor Star」

The Slaughter Emperor also sensed the appearance of the Extreme Dao Bell and the white-robed child who had spoken. For once, his tone was grave.

”So *He* isn’t dead either... I hope He doesn’t cause any trouble.”

”Is that possible?”

The being within the starlight sighed. ”Just be more careful. With His nature, once He finds out you’re not dead, there’s no telling what kind of chaos He’ll stir up.

Not to mention, you dealt with Him back then in order to leave behind a contingency.”

”...”

The Slaughter Emperor fell silent for a moment.

Then, the bloody light faded and vanished.

Now that the unpredictable bastard who never considered the bigger picture—only his own whims—was not dead and had fully returned, he had to speed up his plans.

「Daluo Celestial Domain.」

「Juntian.」

Although the ripple from the Extreme Dao Bell’s appearance was extremely brief, it was still sensed by some ancient beings who were paying attention to the Burial Realm.

”That madman’s weapon... and the Burial Realm again...”

「The Supreme Luotian Sword Realm.」

A supreme existence lowered their gaze, looking down upon the All Heavens and Myriad Realms. All things were reflected with clarity, except for the Burial Realm, where Tribulation Qi churned, obscuring the view.

But by pinching their fingers to divine the Celestial Secret, they could still confirm that the source of the ripple was within the Burial Realm.

Their gaze moved away from the Burial Realm.

The supreme existence then looked toward a Celestial Domain in the Nine Heavens that was shrouded in divine light, where a certain aura also seemed to be stirring restlessly.

”Heh. It’s only been a few hundred thousand years since the Five Tribulations. Can’t you hold it in any longer?”

They coldly retracted their gaze.

A single thought descended upon Luotian, transforming into a supreme decree.

In that instant, across the various regions of the Luotian Sword Realm, ancient beings opened their eyes. Countless streams of killing intent were directed at the Burial Realm, causing its Tribulation Qi to churn and roil. Signs of great catastrophe arose, and innumerable Demon Cultivators trembled in fear.

RUMBLE—

「Within the ruined spacetime of the Red Dust Realm.」

Wu Dao sat cross-legged in the Emperor’s Temple, devouring Cosmic Essence to recover. He, too, felt something and looked up at the churning Tribulation Thunder in the Nine Heavens, sensing the streams of malicious intent.

”The Extreme Dao Bell, or...”

Wu Dao’s eyes flickered.

He sent his consciousness toward the Extreme Dao Bell, which had fallen silent within him. Though damaged, it still appeared as a complete black bell, containing a heavy and vast source of destruction.

’The Slaughter Emperor isn’t that kind.’

’The Extreme Dao Bell’s previous reawakening and exposure was most likely his doing as well, a way to tie his inheritor completely to his ship.’

It was a double-edged sword.

Once used, it would attract, just as it had today, the killing intent of the magnates of the All Heavens.

If not for the Burial Realm’s special status as the source of the Daluo Heaven’s Tribulation Qi from the Three Tribulations, not even a Great Emperor would dare act recklessly.

The instant the Extreme Dao Bell reawakened, a heaven-shrouding hand might have descended and completely obliterated the Burial Realm.

HUUU~

He let out a slow, turbid breath.

Wu Dao rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of rare Creations within the Emperor’s Temple, no longer paying attention to the earlier malicious intent.

The Extreme Dao Bell was just a necessary trump card for him, the confidence he needed to contend with the magnates of the All Heavens.

He wouldn’t use it lightly unless in a desperate situation. With the Bitter Dust Robe to conceal it, he wasn’t afraid of it being exposed just by carrying it.

What he needed to do now was to devour the Creations in the Emperor’s Temple!

The commotion from the Extreme Dao Bell’s reawakening was too great.

It had even obliterated the Red Dust Realm. If it attracted any old monsters, that would be a huge hassle.

”Earth...”

Wu Dao first turned his gaze to the continent-sized Eight-Colored Earth Divine Soil. He reached out a large hand, pulled it directly into his body, and planted the slumbering Star Mother within it.

During that earlier collision, the Star Mother, under his command, had forcibly bloomed the Two Hundred Grade Evil Lotus to revive the Quasi-Emperor Weapon, the Infinite Holy Hall. The very essence of her existence as a magnetic field information life form had nearly been burned away.

After the great battle ended, the Star Mother had fallen into a deep slumber.

She needed a massive amount of Soul Energy to nurture her back to her peak. With the Earth to accelerate the process, her recovery would surely be very fast.

Thinking of this, Wu Dao opened his treasury again and poured a sea of Soul Coins into the Eight-Colored Earth as fertilizer.

BUZZ~

After the ’fertilizer’ was added, the intricate Dao patterns within the Earth immediately revived, and its conceptual Mighty Power activated.

Like a network of roots, it connected to the slumbering Star Mother, breaking down the Soul Coins into the purest Innate Soul Energy and injecting it into her body.

”An Innate Spirit Root is truly extraordinary.”

Wu Dao marveled softly.

He could clearly feel that the Earth had removed all the postnatal impurities from the Soul Coins, breaking them down and converting them into an Innate Dao Material similar to Divine Fire.

After absorbing the Innate Soul Energy material, the Star Mother’s slumbering will rejoiced. It wouldn’t be long before she made a full recovery.

Unfortunately, normal living beings couldn’t enjoy such treatment.

Otherwise, Wu Dao would have been tempted to bury himself in it. With a bit of daily fertilizer, he could have grown and progressed rapidly.

After scattering the Soul Coins, Wu Dao also scattered the shattered Heaven-Opening Divine Axe Fragments into the Earth.

The materials of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe were Quasi-Emperor Weapon grade.

Even after shattering, they were still at the Great Venerable Level.

The Earth could absorb them to enrich itself. Perhaps in the future, this piece of Earth could even evolve to the Nine-Colored Quasi-Emperor Level.

At the same time, the Star Mother’s main body was also due for an upgrade.

With the fragments of the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe as fertilizer, the moment she reawakened might also be the moment she was promoted to a Holy Soldier.

”Emperor Scriptures, Divine Medicines, Cosmic Divine Liquid, Divine Weapons...”

After settling the Star Mother, Wu Dao’s gaze fell upon the various treasuries within the Emperor’s Temple. His eyes lit up, and without the slightest hesitation, he sorted and collected everything into his body.

The quantities were simply staggering!

Furthermore, most of the consumables, like the Holy Medicines, had been created from Cosmic Essence Divine Liquid. The unused portions had formed vast oceans of it.

The Dao Source contained within was of a higher nature than the Dao Source from a Celestial Tribulation. It was the condensed essence of an entire universe and would be of great use to him later when he sought to perfect his three thousand branch meridians!

Besides the consumables, Wu Dao also found a full fifty Emperor Scriptures in the Emperor’s Temple. They had clearly been collected by the Heaven-Burying Emperor back in the day, and now they were all his for the taking.

After looting the Emperor’s Temple clean, Wu Dao stepped into the core treasury of the Emperor’s Tomb. The treasures in here were the main event!