Essence Devouring Art

”Nangong Li...”

Wu Dao’s consciousness watched the old acquaintance from the Divine Wilderness enter Nirvana City, and many distant memories surfaced in his Sea of Consciousness.

Back then, in the Divine Wilderness.

He had only been the Alliance Leader of the Overlord Whale Alliance.

Having just attained Heavenly Human Battle Power, he had made a deal with Prince Nanyang to attack Pingliang City and annihilate several of its defending factions.

The Nangong Race was among them.

This event subsequently planted the seeds of karma.

After Prince Nanyang rebelled, Wu Dao traveled north to the warzone to learn the truth of the Divine Wilderness. On his way back, his Incarnation was ambushed by the Southern Alliance.

And among the ambushers was Nangong Li.

The Clan Leader of the Nangong Family whom Wu Dao had killed was Nangong Li’s biological father, creating a blood feud between them.

However, Prince Nanyang’s master later intervened.

He wiped out some of the assassins, but Nangong Li managed to escape with his life.

Wu Dao had investigated afterward.

Nangong Li possessed a Celestial Treasure called the ’Heaven and Earth Profound Sect’. It specialized in survival in desperate situations, which was how he had stayed alive.

”Heaven and Earth Profound Sect.”

Wu Dao’s gaze fell on Nangong Li, his eyes profound.

Every Celestial Treasure in the world possessed an unreasonable, conceptual Mighty Power, somewhat akin to the authority of a Great Dao, and was often beyond belief.

The Heaven and Earth Profound Sect was a path to the heavens and a gate into the earth.

Its primary abilities were to resolve calamities and overcome hardships, allowing its Treasure Master to survive even the most desperate, dead-end situations without dying.

Of course, this was all relative.

A Celestial Treasure’s power was linked to its Treasure Master.

If the level of danger far exceeded the Treasure Master’s own, even the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect couldn’t protect Nangong Li.

For this fellow to have escaped the Great Tribulation of the Divine Wilderness, he had most likely paid a steep price.

Wu Dao noticed that Nangong Li’s cultivation was only at the Immortal Celestial Immortal realm, which was the Grotto Heaven level. This was highly illogical.

As long as a Treasure Master completed the rituals, their cultivation would advance.

Even if Nangong Li had been extremely cautious, it was impossible for him to have such a low cultivation level after wielding a Celestial Treasure for over twenty years.

After sending him out of the Divine Wilderness back then, the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect had probably gone dormant for a long time.

”Karma... Fate?”

With a thought, Wu Dao sent an Incarnation into Nirvana City, which silently made its way toward Nangong Li.

Everything was predestined.

Since entering the Divine Wilderness, he had increasingly felt that the concept of destiny was no longer illusory, but real. Pulled by the threads of karma and fate, one could never avoid the encounters they were meant to have.

Perhaps the appearance of Nangong Li, a man from his homeland, was a sign that this person would be of some use to him in the future. The key to this was most likely the Celestial Treasure Nangong Li controlled: the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect.

...

Within Nirvana City.

”Ancient treasure maps! Only one Dharma Soul Coin! Don’t miss out, folks, step right up!”

”Sigh, why did the value of Scorching Sun Golden Crystals suddenly plummet? Yesterday, the exchange rate for a Dharma Soul Coin was one-to-five, but today it’s suddenly one-to-ten! I stockpiled for nothing.”

”Less complaining, more paying attention. That’s just how it is in Nirvana City. Prices rise and fall. If you’re not sharp, you’ll be the one left crying.”

...

Nangong Li walked through the vast Nirvana City wearing a mask. Everywhere, he could hear passing Demon Cultivators discussing the Soul Coin market, and from time to time, he could see scenes of joy and sorrow playing out in the various exchange houses.

’A Demon Cave on earth... this is it.’

Nangong Li watched the surrounding Demon Cultivators, who were all accustomed to this scene, and a chill crept into his heart.

Dharma Aspects...

In the Divine Wilderness, they were supreme figures.

Even Ten Tribulations experts didn’t exist.

But here in Nirvana City, they had become currency for trade. It was as if every random passerby was carrying several lives in their pocket.

And what he had seen and heard was merely the tip of the iceberg in Nirvana City.

It was hard to imagine just how shockingly massive the daily throughput of Soul Coins for the entire city truly was.

And the vast majority of these Soul Coins would ultimately flow to Nirvana Valley.

Nangong Li subconsciously glanced at the two-colored lightning and fire churning and blotting out the sky at the end of Nirvana City. Faintly, from those unknown depths, it seemed as though a Demon God was watching his every move.

HISS!

He shivered.

Nangong Li stopped letting his thoughts run wild. He rented a secluded training ground in Nirvana City, preparing to settle down.

But... when he arrived at the training ground, he found steam curling up from a cup of tea inside a pavilion. An old acquaintance had been waiting for a long time.

”You...”

The moment he saw that familiar yet strange, domineering figure that seemed to prop up the heavens, Nangong Li’s pupils shrank, and he felt an instinctive fear.

Then, he was filled with a complex, indescribable emotion—a mixture of warmth and bitterness that left him choked up and speechless.

They hadn’t seen each other in twenty years.

The old acquaintance’s bearing was the same as ever, perhaps even more impressive than before.

But he, on the other hand, had lost all his drive. All he wanted was to live out the rest of his days clinging to an impossible dream, barely getting by.

The comparison made him feel small and inferior.

”Sit.”

Wu Dao’s gaze passed through the curling steam as he looked at the silent, standing Nangong Li. His expression was calm as he spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

’Still so domineering, so composed.’

’It seemed even if the heavens collapsed and the earth was destroyed, the man before him would not show the slightest flicker of emotion.’

HUFF—

Nangong Li let out a faint, heavy breath and gave a self-deprecating, resigned smile. He stepped into the pavilion and sat down, looking slightly constrained.

”Are you the only one?”

Wu Dao stroked the teacup in his hand, his gaze distant. He wanted to know if Nangong Li was a special case or if there were other survivors from the Divine Wilderness.

”I don’t know.”

Nangong Li shook his head and didn’t try to hide anything, sighing as he said:

”Back then, after Alliance Leader Wu’s battle with the All Heavens, the Great Tribulation of the Divine Wilderness descended. The World collapsed and all life was extinguished. In the final moments... Alliance Leader Wu should already know what happened.”

At this point, Nangong Li added with some uncertainty:

”King Bao Tong, Qian Kuiyun, seems to have survived. I saw him take the Daoist artifacts of Prince Nanyang and the others into the Dragon Mud Pocket World Passage. I don’t know if they made it through safely.”

King Bao Tong...

Wu Dao was slightly surprised.

Then he recalled that King Bao Tong had once traded the Immortal Black Tortoise Divine Skill with him. Perhaps it was because of that Cultivation Technique that he had escaped the tribulation.

Moreover, King Bao Tong had also taken the Daoist Golden Lotuses of Prince Nanyang and the other children of great destiny from the Divine Wilderness.

If handled properly, there would be no problem for Prince Nanyang and the others to be ’reborn’.

Including King Bao Tong himself.

Back then, the four kings and one emperor of the Divine Wilderness were all Celestial Treasure Masters, a situation extremely rare even in Hongyuan. If nothing unexpected happened, they should have achieved considerable success by now.

As for the Nangong Li before him...

”You’ve never left the Burial Realm?”

Wu Dao was genuinely curious.

This guy was clearly a Celestial Treasure Master, so how did he end up in such a sorry state? He had barely managed to reach the Grotto Heaven realm, and a King Grade one at that—the lowest tier.

”I am ashamed...”

Nangong Li lowered his eyes meekly, completely lacking the bearing of the favored son of heaven he once was. He said with a self-deprecating laugh:

”Back then, the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect brought me out of the Divine Wilderness. After we landed in the Burial Realm, it fell dormant and only recovered in recent years.

I was worried about exposing my identity, so I didn’t dare to rapidly improve my strength or leave the Burial Realm. I’ve just been struggling to get by in the Black Mountain Demon Realm.

Recently, the Black Mountain Demon Saint perished, and the Black Mountain Realm has been thrown into chaos... You can laugh if you want, Alliance Leader Wu, but all I want now is to find a stable place to live out the rest of my life in peace.”

”You don’t want revenge?”

Wu Dao took a sip of his tea. He didn’t mock or belittle Nangong Li, but instead asked him seriously.

Celestial Treasure Masters were very special.

Their treasures couldn’t be plundered and were bound to them.

If a Treasure Master’s sense of self disappeared, or if the information defining their True Self changed, the Celestial Treasure would vanish as well.

Furthermore, Nangong Li controlled the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, which could pay a price to transport him across worlds to escape whenever he was in mortal danger.

Therefore, if Wu Dao wanted to use Nangong Li as a tool, he couldn’t be simple and crude about it. He needed to guide him skillfully, ensuring he felt no resistance.

”I do! How could I not!”

Hearing the word ’revenge’, Nangong Li clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. It was a feud born from the annihilation of his world and his people; for twenty years, he hadn’t dared to forget it for a single day or night.

This blood hatred completely transcended personal feuds or the fall of a nation.

It had escalated to a great hatred born from the extinction of his entire race!

But what was the use of hatred...?

The worlds that had caused the destruction of the Divine Wilderness were so vast and mighty that their reputation alone terrified him so much he didn’t even dare leave the Burial Realm!

Let alone take revenge.

”I can give you the opportunity, but what are you willing to give in return?”

Wu Dao watched the teeth-gritting Nangong Li, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he spoke in a low voice.

Nangong Li froze.

Only then did he realize that the Wu Dao before him was as deep and profound as an abyss, as lofty and distant as the heavens. He couldn’t see through his strength in the slightest!

’That’s right.’

’In just two short years in the Divine Wilderness, Wu Dao had reached the pinnacle of the world. Now, after twenty years in Hongyuan, it was impossible to imagine how strong he had become.’

’If he was willing to take on this karma, he could definitely do it!’

For some reason, an almost blind confidence in Wu Dao arose in Nangong Li’s heart. He believed that no matter how difficult the task, Wu Dao could accomplish it.

There were two reasons for this. The first was the invincible image Wu Dao had built through his series of legendary deeds in the Divine Wilderness.

The second, naturally, was the influence of his Magnetic Field.

Wu Dao’s current Life Magnetic Field was so immense that if he wished it, he could walk through Nirvana City without suppressing his field, and every Demon Cultivator would become one of his Polluted Bodies.

To say nothing of Nangong Li, who was only at the Grotto Heaven realm. He was even less able to suppress the instinct of life to yearn for perfection, and so, without even realizing it, he let down his guard around Wu Dao and developed an infinite trust in him.

And so...

”I beg for Alliance Leader Wu’s guidance! I, Li, am all alone, muddle-headed and miserable. If I can restore the Divine Wilderness and avenge my great hatred, what does it matter if I must give up my own flesh and blood?”

Nangong Li’s expression was resolute and his tone was firm. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, sincere and immensely respectful, performing a grand kowtow to Wu Dao.

”I don’t want your life.”

Wu Dao set down his teacup and patted Nangong Li on the head. Like a Demon beguiling the hearts of men, he said in a gentle and benevolent voice:

”On the contrary, I am going to give you a heaven-defying, fate-changing Creation, one that will let you live better than anyone else.”

At that moment, in Nangong Li’s eyes, Wu Dao seemed to be glowing with the light of a holy, benevolent father.

A moment later.

”Greetings, Primordial Daoist Venerable!”

Reborn, Nangong Li’s eyes were filled with fervent piety. Utterly devoted and without a hint of resistance, he once again knelt before Wu Dao.

’Primordial Daoist Venerable... Not bad, he gets it.’

Wu Dao smiled faintly and nodded.

”Let’s go. You’ve truly wasted your Celestial Treasure. From now on, you need to focus all your efforts on improving.”

BUZZ—

He took a single step. Space and time shifted, and thunder and fire surged around them.

Wu Dao brought the seventy-third Primordial Demon, Nangong Li, into Nirvana Valley.

That was right.

He hadn’t turned Nangong Li into a fanatical puppet, but had transformed him into a Primordial Demon, just like Zhao Jianji and the others.

They possessed an independent True Self, yet were infinitely loyal to him.

This ensured that the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect would not dissipate, while also turning it into his own private ’transportation device’.

The Heaven and Earth Profound Sect was indeed a terrible waste in Nangong Li’s hands. He was too timid and simply didn’t dare to improve his power wantonly.

Resolving difficulties, overcoming calamities, and surviving desperate situations.

The promotion ritual for the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect was actually very simple compared to other Celestial Treasures that required collection-type tasks.

There were two paths.

The former was to save the world and rescue the living; the latter was to pull chestnuts out of the fire.

Wu Dao could provide for both.

Nirvana City had trillions of Demon Cultivators; there was plenty of suffering for Nangong Li to alleviate.

Within the forbidden zone of Nirvana Valley, the deeper one went, the more terrifying the desperate straits became. As long as Nangong Li was bold enough, the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect could be promoted very quickly.

Since Nangong Li was incompetent,

then he, Wu Dao, would personally take charge and quickly tap into the potential of the Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, making it shine to its fullest.

Combined with the Primordial Magnetism Demon Body,

perhaps in the near future, Nangong Li would come from behind to surpass Zhao Jianji and the others, becoming the number one general of the Heaven-Stealing Alliance.