Essence Devouring Art

Move not, but if you move, shake the heavens.

But now was not the time.

「At the same time.」

As the Primordial Demons crossed their Celestial Tribulation, their fighting spirit soaring, Wu Dao’s attention turned to his second disciple, Jiang Han.

Because at that very moment, Jiang Han was undergoing a transformation.

Wu Dao was somewhat surprised.

He didn’t know what great fortune Jiang Han had stumbled upon, but he had somehow managed to break through the Cave Heavens Realm in just six months.

Judging by the strength of his Life Magnetic Field, the Creation Realm he was about to achieve was no small matter. It seemed he was advancing along three paths simultaneously!

After all, just six months ago, Jiang Han had only been at the Single Dao Cave Heaven level. Aside from his temperament, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

For him to undergo such a carp-into-dragon transformation in such a short time was truly incredible.

’Is this related to the Divine Race?’

Wu Dao detected an exceptionally pure divine aura within the information from Jiang Han’s Magnetic Field, leading him to make some guesses about his ’benefactor’.

The Burial Realm was the main battlefield of the Three Tribulations Great Luo Heaven Domain, a place where many ancient Great Gods lay buried. Obtaining a Creation from a powerful member of the Divine Race was not inconceivable.

He just didn’t know which Great God it could be.

Wu Dao observed for only an instant before retracting his consciousness, because the Great God responsible for Jiang Han’s rise seemed very curious about him.

Every time he observed Jiang Han, an unknown power would try to trace the connection back to its source and find him.

SWOOSH~

The Sea of Yin and Yang churned and roiled.

The golden sun and silver moon at the source of the currents had vanished at some point, leaving only wisps of dense Taiyin and Sun Qi lingering in the sea.

All around the sea’s surface, numerous Celestial Prides from the Daluo Celestial Domain were searching for something.

”With such potent Taiyin and Sun Qi, a great treasure must be hidden here! Keep searching! There will be handsome rewards for whoever unearths it!”

The Celestial Pride leading them had white eyebrows, blood-red hair, and a Blood Sword strapped to his back. His eyes were vacant and indifferent, his voice like ancient ice, laced with a bone-chilling killing intent.

”Yes, Daoist Child!”

The surrounding Celestial Prides were filled with both respect and fear, not daring to look directly at him. They hastily accepted their orders and set off to explore the depths of the Sea of Yin and Yang.

BUZZ~

A moment later, the Celestial Pride on the surface with the Blood Sword received an urgent transmission—

”Daoist Child, in a world beneath the sea... someone is Crossing the Tribulation! The Creation is being cut off— AHHH!!”

Before he could finish, a blood-curdling scream rang out!

It seemed he had been killed instantly, unable to even deliver the complete message!

”You’re courting death!”

The blood-haired youth’s gaze turned icy. His sword descended like an apocalyptic torrent, cleaving open the very space-time of the Sea of Yin and Yang. He vanished from his spot before the water even had a chance to roil.

SWOOSH—

The sea’s surface closed over, its waves churning violently.

Faintly, one could see flashes of lightning and glints of sword light erupting from the seabed. The Taiyin and Sun Qi began to boil, churning up immense waves that seemed to crash against the stars. A great battle had broken out.

But the great battle did not last long.

”Fallen God Smoke... You despicable coward!!”

With that final, indignant cry, the battle on the seafloor came to an end. Only the Celestial Tribulation continued to rumble.

Before long, the Celestial Tribulation dissipated. In its place rose a light of Taiyin and Taiyang, a light where the sacred and the sinister coexisted. Like a sun and moon cleansed of all impurities, it rose slowly, casting a dreamlike glow across the vast surface of the sea.

HAAAAH~

Deep within the sea, in a world shattered by the thunder tribulation.

His clothes were in tatters and his hair was a mess, but the horrific wounds on Jiang Han from the great battle were healing at a visible rate as he devoured the Creation from the Thunder Pool.

As his eyes opened and closed, he resembled a Divine Being who commanded day and night. One eye was gold, the other silver, both glowing with the light of Yin and Yang. They contained a sacred, three-veined world where Yin and Yang coexisted, so resplendent and majestic that they could not be looked upon directly.

”A flawless, three-path Creation Realm!”

Jiang Han clenched his fists. He took a deep breath, feeling the unprecedented Power within him. As his gaze swept over his surroundings, he could perceive the very framework of the world’s rules.

The Creation Realm.

A state where one forges a World Dragon Vein, devours Creation Qi, and masters the embryonic form of a Power of Rule, gaining the ability to create and destroy worlds!

The Innate Divine Illumination Scripture!

This supreme Body Refining Technique of the Divine Race had allowed Jiang Han to achieve the impossible: to Reverse Innate and forge an Innate Divine Body. With it, he had mastered the Yin Yang Rules, which ranked among the foremost of all rules!

Furthermore, with the advantage of the Innate Divine Body, he was no different from an Innate Divine Spirit born of Yin and Yang itself. His natural affinity for Yin-Yang Power would be a massive advantage in both cultivation and combat.

With a foundation like this, even the All Heavens Daoists and Sons of Revival would be left in his dust. It established his position as a Venerable among his peers!

’The Innate Divine Illumination Scripture was a Divine Technique from a Supreme God of the primordial Divine Court. There are no records of it in later eras...’

As he felt this new power, Jiang Han’s awe and apprehension toward the white-robed child’s identity grew, washing away his joy.

”Thank you for this technique, Senior. I will never forget your kindness.”

Still, Jiang Han offered a heartfelt thanks to the white-robed child, who was currently frowning in vexation within his Inner World.

Without the Innate Divine Illumination Scripture, he would have had a long way to go to close the gap between himself and the supreme Celestial Prides of the All Heavens using only the Exquisite Method.

”It’s gone again... Honestly...”

The white-robed child pouted and muttered to himself, but when he heard Jiang Han’s words of gratitude, he seemed to snap out of a daze.

He then spoke in a world-weary tone, saying something that made Jiang Han’s face twitch:

”Oh? Xiaohanz, you’re not dead? And you even managed to forge the Divine Body. Not bad, not bad. No member of the Human Race has ever succeeded before you.”

”...”

Jiang Han’s expression stiffened. He knew deep down that things weren’t that simple.

But for the white-robed child to say it so bluntly, without even a pretense of hiding it, made that last shred of gratitude vanish into thin air.

From the very beginning, he had been nothing more than this mysterious child’s plaything!

If he tried to deceive himself otherwise, he wouldn’t even know what killed him.

”Heh heh, Yin and Yang both create and destroy one another. Before you reach a certain level, they will only clash and annihilate. You’re supposed to have the Innate Divine Body before you can handle the Divine Illumination Scripture.

A being from an outside race would find it nearly impossible to survive the process without immense willpower and courage. You’re really something else, kid.”

For once, the white-robed child gave Jiang Han a thumbs-up in praise, then stroked his chin and began muttering to himself again.

”With that guy’s incredible will, he’d never cooperate even if I found him... Xiaohanz’s potential isn’t bad, though. He has a good chance of making it through that place. In that case...”

Again, not even bothering to hide it.

He was plotting out loud!

Hearing the white-robed child’s words, Jiang Han felt a chill run down his spine.

Forging the Divine Body with the Innate Divine Illumination Scripture had been excruciating, a torment that made him wish for death. If not for his unparalleled will to seek the Dao, he would have perished during the Celestial Tribulation long ago.

And now, the white-robed child was telling him outright that there were even more terrifying things in store for him, more experiments!

’Do I have any rights at all?’

’And...’

’Fuck this!’

Jiang Han couldn’t stop himself from cursing in his head. He could already foresee his future: a dark life as nothing more than a lab rat.

And the worst part was, he was completely powerless against the white-robed child.

There was no escape!

SMACK!

”Right, that’s what we’ll do!”

After muttering to himself for a bit, the white-robed child clapped his small, delicate hands. He looked up at Jiang Han with an innocent, adorable grin and said:

”Get ready, Xiaohanz. I’m taking you somewhere else fun.”

Jiang Han: ”...”

HAAAAH~

After taking a deep breath, Jiang Han thought about the group of Celestial Prides from the Luotian Sword Realm he had just ambushed and killed. The image of a particular thorn in his side surfaced in his mind, and with a slight chill in his heart, he began to negotiate.

”Senior, I know you are immensely powerful, and I can’t resist whatever you wish to do.

But before we do,

could you grant me one request...?”

”Oh, that? That’s a piece of cake.”

After listening, the white-robed child waved his hand dismissively and agreed. He chuckled, ”Heh heh, you’ll cross paths eventually. It’ll be easy to take care of when the time comes.

Don’t worry.

Stick with a master like me, and you’ll have more good fortune than you know what to do with.”

’Good fortune...’

’Yeah, thank you so much!’

What else could Jiang Han do? He could only follow the white-robed child’s directions, heading toward a destination where fortune and calamity were impossible to predict.