Essence Devouring Art

BZZZ—

As the grand army approached the front lines,

Wu Dao’s Battle Merit Order began to vibrate.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. When he poured his consciousness into it, he found a message from Wanjiang—

”The Primordial Army indirectly caused Mountain and Sea’s disastrous defeat in the Reincarnation Battlefield last time, for which they paid a heavy price. Be extra careful later.”

”Thank you for the reminder, Military Lord.”

Wu Dao’s expression was calm as he replied respectfully, but his heart had turned ice-cold.

Mountain and Sea’s losses last time had indeed been enormous.

Two Ancestral Kings were killed in battle, one Ancestral King’s Soldier was stolen, and numerous West Mountain Primordial Chaos experts suffered the Great Dao Celestial Punishment, likely sustaining severe Dao injuries.

On top of that, there were the losses they incurred from resisting the Great Dao’s repulsion.

It was safe to say they had lost their shirts.

Under these circumstances,

everyone who had contributed to their great defeat was surely on a kill-on-sight list. If they were ever encountered, they would be targeted with lethal intent!

In fact,

before coming to the Dragon-slaying Battlefield,

Wu Dao had already anticipated this consequence.

But so what?

’If they dare to come, I dare to kill!’

...

The Dragon-slaying Battlefield’s army was moving out with such immense momentum that it was impossible to conceal.

The advance scouts from the True Dragon Fortress had spotted them long ago.

Not to mention, there were moles from Mountain and Sea within the upper echelons of Hongyuan. Any major movement from any Celestial Gate would be reported to Mountain and Sea immediately so they could respond.

For this reason,

the Dragon-slaying Battlefield had never planned a surprise attack from the start. With their strong soldiers and sturdy horses, they arrived with aggressive momentum, intending to steamroll the True Dragon Fortress directly.

「True Dragon Fortress」

The Golden Dragon Clan’s frontline command headquarters.

”Understood. Rest assured, Elder... I will ensure they never return!”

Geng Cang, Marshal of the Golden Dragon Clan for the Six Celestial Passes, held the Desolate God Order as he communicated with his superiors, preparing to deal with the aggressive army from the Dragon-slaying Battlefield.

He had the head of a dragon and the body of a man, with a wild, golden mane.

His physique, like a Golden Divine Mountain, was majestic and tall, suppressing layers of space-time. As his draconic eyes opened and closed, golden light sliced through the cosmos, exuding an intimidating aura without any display of anger.

The Golden True Dragon Clan.

They are born with a natural affinity for Innate Geng Metal Qi. One of their Lifebound Divine Techniques, the *Great Geng Dragon Body*, allows them to attain a Sacred Body without arduous cultivation. The might of their physical bodies ranks among the top of the Dragon Race.

It was also for this reason

that they could thrive like fish in water within the extremely harsh Mud Flesh Forbidden Area, engaging in a long-term stalemate with the Horizontal Refining Martial Artists of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield.

”Gentlemen,”

After putting away the Desolate God Order,

Geng Cang’s draconic eyes swept across the fortress leaders in the great hall as he said coldly, ”The Dragon-slaying Battlefield has gathered a great army to attack us, foolishly attempting to breach the fortress and reclaim their territory. Will you allow it?”

”Hahaha, what a joke!”

”Just with Gu Tianhuang? He’s overestimating himself!”

”We’ll make sure they never return!”

The various Marshals of the Golden True Dragon Clan sneered. They had always been the ones suppressing the Dragon-slaying Battlefield. Did their enemies really think reinforcements would be enough to turn the tables?

The Vacuum Fortress was a stable channel.

The cost for Mountain and Sea to send reinforcements was far lower than in other battlefields. In an emergency, they could even transport some over-spec forces.

Furthermore... they knew exactly how many hidden forces the Dragon-slaying Battlefield had. Trying to win through a power disparity was a complete fantasy!

”Well said. Since they’re seeking death, we’ll grant their wish. However...”

Geng Cang also gave a cold smile. Then, his tone shifted as he waved a hand, projecting an image of Wu Dao and the Primordial Army into the air. He said ominously,

”Remember this army, especially their leader, the Primordial King. He is very special. The giants from West Mountain have specifically ordered him to be captured alive!”

The reason he was special was not the numerous Big Killing Artifacts Wu Dao controlled, but the Dao he cultivated, which was simply too bizarre and outrageous.

Moreover,

during that battle, a West Mountain Primordial Giant had used the West Mountain Scripture to vaguely sense that Wu Dao’s bloodline was unbelievably extraordinary—

even nobler than that of the Four Great Ancestors!

This made his value terrifyingly immense.

Among the Mountain and Sea Desolate Divine Seed,

the purer the Ancestral Bloodline, the greater one’s future achievements, the stronger their attraction to females, and the more outrageous their offspring would be.

To ensure the purity of their bloodlines,

the Four Great Primordial Races and all the top Di Races would only reproduce internally, creating a completely rigid class structure.

One could only imagine

what a being like Wu Dao, with a bloodline even more terrifying than the Four Great Ancestors, meant to the various Di Races, and even the Primordial Races.

If he were captured alive and imprisoned,

used as a tool for breeding,

it might be possible to break the curse in the Mountain and Sea Realm where powerful bloodlines have difficulty producing offspring.

If they succeeded,

it was impossible to imagine how terrifying the bloodline of the resulting offspring would be!

”This person... he’s a bit of a problem.”

The many Marshals of the True Dragon Race were not privy to the inside story. They simply frowned at Wu Dao’s image and said,

”His King-Sealing Venerable cultivation is nothing to fear. The problem is the number of Quasi-Emperor Weapons he controls. We’ll need to add another Quasi-Emperor to deal with him.”

At the Six Celestial Passes,

the minimum threshold for repulsion by the Great Dao was the Great Venerable level.

Although the Golden Dragon Clan had constructed a stable channel allowing Quasi-Emperor Level experts to be stationed there long-term, their numbers were extremely limited.

Not to mention,

the Dragon-slaying Battlefield was attacking with overwhelming force this time.

According to their inside source,

they had hidden considerable strength, with more than just the Quasi-Emperor Level Gu Tianhuang.

They feigned contempt, but inwardly they all took this very seriously. After dealing with these main combatants, it would be difficult for Mountain and Sea to dispatch more Quasi-Emperors, or even top-tier Great Venerables.

”Who said we need a Quasi-Emperor?”

Geng Cang, however, gave a mysterious smile.

”You all just need to provide the Primordial King’s precise location during the great battle and hold him off for a short while. A certain power will take care of hunting him.”

”We will do our utmost!”

Hearing this, the eyes of the many Marshals lit up, a certain possibility dawning on them.

’Since the giants themselves have specifically ordered his capture, the higher-ups will certainly give this matter enough importance!’

All they had to do was provide support and stall the Primordial King.

...

「Meanwhile」

Within the fleet of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield’s grand army,

Wu Dao’s brow furrowed. He sensed a faint, chilling crisis looming over him from the path ahead.

It was definitely not an illusion.

Among the many Dao Veins of all creation,

there were more than a few with precognitive Great Divine Techniques like ”Reversing Knowledge of the Future.”

Not to mention,

his body was currently like a nascent Great Dao. Standing at the very source, his perception of future karma, fortune, and disaster was extremely sharp.

The closer he got to the front line,

the stronger this oppressive sense of crisis became.

’After that last battle, it seems I wasn’t just being watched. Mountain and Sea has a mind to kill me for sure!’

Wu Dao’s mind was sharp, and he connected many dots. For instance, the bizarre power he had displayed had likely attracted the greed of the top giants in Mountain and Sea.

And it wasn’t just Mountain and Sea.

After that last battle, everywhere he went in Shanhai Pass, he felt faint, probing gazes upon him. It was only after his main body went into hiding in the Mud Flesh Forbidden Area that they had lessened.

Here in Shanhai Pass, the threat of Celestial Punishment served as a deterrent.

He didn’t need to worry too much.

In the Mountain and Sea Realm, however, they would probably pay any price to capture him.

Thinking of this,

Wu Dao’s thoughts stirred, and he communicated with his Main Body, putting a few countermeasures in place.

There was no hiding.

The Bitter Dust Robe only provided passive concealment. Once he made a move and revealed his Magnetic Field, others weren’t blind; they would still see him.

”Targeting me, heh.”

Wu Dao licked his lips. The more he was targeted, the more excited he became. Killing a bunch of nobodies was truly boring.

”Star Mother, monitor the status of the Primordial Demons and Incarnations. If we encounter an unstoppable enemy, obliterate them directly...”

At the same time,

Wu Dao also placed a ”Chastity Lock” on his Seventy-Two Primordial Demons and all his Incarnations, giving Mountain and Sea no opportunity to study him.

RUMBLE!!

The army advanced with incredible speed.

In less than half a day, they crossed an unknown number of light-years to arrive at the Dragon-slaying Battlefield’s ”firebreak”—the Crimson Sky Curtain.

The Blood Flame was so dense it had nearly become tangible.

Fueled by the ”swamp gas” of the Mire of Flesh and Mud, it blazed furiously, reaching as high as the Ninefold Celestial Universe and stretching for an unknown number of light-years, lying across space-time like a massive dam.

The Mud Flesh Forbidden Area.

It was both a forbidden zone and a defensive barrier.

This barrier was none other than the Crimson Sky Curtain, constructed by Mountain and Sea’s top Celestial Masters, who were proficient in Arrays, by organizing the destructive fields of the Mud Flesh Forbidden Area.

The forces of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield could pass through it unimpeded.

However, for those from Mountain and Sea below the level of a Saint Master, crossing it was impossible. Anyone who tried to force their way through would be burned to ashes by the endless Chixiao Swamp Fire.

Arriving here

also meant that crossing the Crimson Sky Curtain would put them in the territory of the Golden True Dragon Clan.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The war drums thundered, a celestial sound that shook the heavens.

Within the Central Army,

Wanjiang, his physique powerful and his face the color of a dark red date, stood clad in clanging battle armor. His voice boomed out, shaking all the armies:

”All armies, prepare for battle! Awaken your Body Soldiers!”

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

A torrent of killing intent, carried by the rousing beat of the war drums, echoed thunderously through the armies. It seemed to carry a type of Great Divine Technique that invigorated their Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Wherever the sound waves of the war drums passed,

the morale of the countless soldiers soared. Their Essence, Qi, and Spirit, and even their weapons, awakened like Fierce Beasts, surging with energy as if injected with chicken blood. Their combat strength increased out of thin air.

”The Bullfighting Drum?”

Wu Dao did not suppress the surge in his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Instead, he looked with great interest toward the deck of the Central Army’s giant flagship, at the Nine Oxen Divine Drum that was spewing forth a boundless, iron-and-blood killing aura.

The Bullfighting Drum.

Its name evoked soaring spirits and invincible battles.

It was one of the foundational treasures of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield, a genuine Celestial Treasure possessing the unreasonable Mighty Power to forcibly boost an army’s morale and combat strength.

In any battle,

as long as the Bullfighting Drum remained intact, the army would never collapse, and morale would never plummet.

And this Celestial Treasure

was in the hands of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield’s Military Lord, the Quasi-Emperor Gu Tianhuang.

Thinking of this,

Wu Dao’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the towering figure seated on the marshal’s throne, beneath the Central Army Banner.

A mane of fluffy, ankle-length golden hair.

An open chest revealed his abdomen, and his hands were covered by Divine Gold Gloves.

His two arms looked as if they were formed from numerous Ancient Cyan Dragons twisted together. With their autonomous movements, they pulsed with a pure, abyssal, and savage power.

He was like a Giant Spirit God from myths and legends, or a primeval beast that had roamed the ancient world. A violent, destructive aura radiated from him, overwhelming the entire army and captivating the soul.

Gu Tianhuang!

Military Lord of the Dragon-slaying Battlefield!

Martial Arts Quasi-Emperor Perfection, Soul Refining Boxing Quasi-Emperor Perfection, and the Third Step of the Perfection Stage of Transverse Refining Sacred Body!

His aura was like an abyss, like a purgatory.

He was utterly a Fierce Beast in human skin.

Even observing from a distance gave Wu Dao the feeling of facing a divine mountain—an insurmountable sense of power.

’If his transverse cultivation also advanced to the Half-step Chaos Body, this man could probably fight and kill an ordinary Royal Ancestor King.’

Wu Dao retracted his gaze, having formed an accurate assessment of Gu Tianhuang’s strength. He was absolutely not someone Wu Dao could currently challenge. Perhaps it would be possible once his Primordial Magnetism Path entered the ’One Tribulation’ stage.

”Advance!!”

As his thoughts fluctuated,

Vice Army Master Wanjiang’s voice once again thundered out.

The grand army, its morale soaring, moved out in a mighty procession. They sailed into the endless blood and fire of the Crimson Sky Curtain, activating their Space-Time Jumps one after another.

The farther they got from the Dragon-slaying Battlefield,

the more unfamiliar the arrangement of Dao Particles became. A primitive, desolate magnetic field permeated the area, as if they were advancing toward the Exotic Mountains and Seas.

Wu Dao had already activated his Primordial Magnetic Armor.

His Seventy-Three Primordial Demons did the same, remaining cold and vigilant, on guard against any ambushes or sneak attacks from the Golden Dragon Clan.

Fortunately,

the forces gathered by the Dragon-slaying Battlefield this time were terrifyingly powerful. A sneak attack within the Crimson Sky Curtain would be meaningless, so the Golden Dragon Clan did not appear.

”Prepare!!”

After jumping out of a space-time channel once more, Wanjiang’s explosive roar echoed from the Central Army again, this time laced with a chilling killing intent.

WHOOSH—

Wu Dao slowly exhaled a breath of foul air and raised his eyes toward the end of the Crimson Sky Curtain. A very unique, elongated Grand Cosmos lay there.

It seemed to have been transcendentally constructed by the unique rules of the Mire of Flesh and Mud’s forbidden zone. Through its crystal walls, one could see countless nebulae and massive stars eternally spewing blood-fire within.

Its Cosmic Ancestor Dragon Vein originated from the Mire of Flesh and Mud, connecting the ten directions and eight poles, endlessly evolving and constructing the Grand Cosmos. The magnetic field was filled with a purely destructive aura.

The Purgatory Grand Universe!

A special universe that couldn’t be destroyed by fighting.

At the same time,

it was also the ”Han and Chu Rivers”—the clear dividing line—between the Dragon-slaying Battlefield and the True Dragon Fortress, the main battlefield where the two sides clashed time and again!

Vaguely,

one could already see the boundless armies of the Golden True Dragon Clan occupying all ten directions within the Purgatory Grand Universe. Their warships and Killing Artifacts were awakened, as if they had been waiting for a long time.