Essence Devouring Art

Because...

After crossing the Endless Sea of Suffering.

That mysterious old monster had shamelessly revealed its scheme.

The Eighteen Netherworlds.

During the countless ”death” punishments.

If Wu Dao had shown even a shred of fear of death or the thought of giving up on life, he would have truly died in the Mud Prison.

The old monster would have usurped his body.

And taken everything he had.

It would have lived on in his stead.

The same went for the Endless Sea of Suffering that followed.

Amidst countless desperate lives, where things only went from bad to worse.

If any of Wu Dao’s ”reincarnated” selves...

...had even the slightest thought of giving up the fight against a fate of ordinary suffering and actively chose to end their life.

He would have lost all the same.

One could only imagine...

...in this game of life and death that was unfair from the very start, just how perilous the situation had been for Wu Dao, who didn’t even know the rules.

If, during the process, he had dared to rely on luck, to feel a trace of fear or a shred of despair.

Then the one who revived and returned at this moment...

...would absolutely not have been him.

However.

It was over.

It was all in the past now.

In the end, he had won!

He had won yet again!

And from this game of courage, he had received a gift—

The Three-Phase Divine Punishment Fist!

BZZ—BOOM!

With a single thought.

His Spiritual Consciousness, like an Immortal Divine Fire, erupted like an abyssal ocean trench suppressed for eons, flooding and shaking the heavens.

His vast and majestic Spiritual Will...

...materialized behind Wu Dao as three towering Gods and Demons wearing Emperor’s Crowns, their spines holding up the heavens and their feet suppressing the Netherworld.

CRACKLE—

RUMBLE—

ROAR—

Celestial Punishment on the left, wielding Celestial Thunder.

Nirvana on the right, suppressing Purgatory.

Sea of Suffering in the center, holding up all worlds in its palm.

Heaven, Earth, and all living beings.

Three Phases, three gods.

Three types of supreme punitive power.

Forged in a single furnace, three in one.

Creating this unprecedented technique!

The Three-Phase Divine Punishment Fist, generating three momentums in a single punch!

One momentum, one phase.

Three Phases, three momentums.

With three great Seventh Transformation Fist Momentums combined...

...once they were three in one...

...the Mighty Power was far greater than the sum of its parts.

This Fist Technique...

...had only three moves—

Celestial Punishment, Nirvana, and Sea of Suffering.

Each move more terrifying and brutal than the last.

Anyone struck by one of these moves...

...would be in for a real treat.

Struck by celestial lightning, the Mud Prison Abyss, or the Endless Sea of Suffering.

Three great ”Immortal Realms” for you to choose from.

’Undying Transformation has only just reached Minor Achievement? Too low.’

After considering the Three-Phase Divine Punishment Fist...

...Wu Dao’s focus shifted to his Undying Transformation, which had been left to its own devices during this time.

After four months.

This Transverse Refining Technique had already advanced to Minor Achievement in the Ninth Daoist Sect’s Eighteen Extreme Yang Heavens. His body’s qi and blood were so vigorous they could manifest ten great suns of qi and blood.

The Horizontal Refining Ninth Gate.

The Eighteen Extreme Yang Heavens.

Horizontal Refiners at this step correspond to Fifth Transformation to Ninth Transformation Great Divine Power Users.

At the same time...

...the gap between each stage of this Gate is enormous.

Initial entry corresponds to a Fifth Transformation Great Divine Power User.

Minor Achievement corresponds to a Seven Transformations Great Divine Power User.

Great Success corresponds to a Nine Transformations Great Divine Power User.

The Limit is the level of the Martial King Mountain Ancestor, who was rumored to be able to roam freely within a Divine Power Domain.

In other words, after reaching this step...

...setting aside all other abilities...

...an entry-level Horizontal Refiner could physically fight a Sixth Transformation Great Divine Power User.

This data...

...was based on comparisons from a thousand years ago.

As for the present.

Aside from Wu Dao, there was only one other Horizontal Refiner in the world at the Ninth Daoist Sect: the Saint Elephant Ancestor from the Central Plains, who had reached Great Success in the Nine Daoist Sects.

During the campaign to unify the Southern Border...

...the Saint Elephant Ancestor had fought Prince Nanyang.

The result...

According to rumors from those who watched the battle...

...the Saint Elephant Ancestor unleashed his full power.

But Prince Nanyang was as casual as if he were taking a stroll.

Using only his Fist Momentum...

...he suppressed the Saint Elephant Ancestor, who had achieved Great Success in the Nine Daoist Sects, to the point that he couldn’t advance a single inch.

What did this imply?

After the Nine Tribulations...

...once the upper limit of Cultivation became the Divine Power Nine Transformations...

...over the past thousand years...

...with the path forward cut off...

...and cultivators only able to expand their power internally...

...a huge gap had appeared even among Great Divine Power Users in the Nine Transformations Domain.

The data from a thousand years ago was no longer comparable.

That’s why Wu Dao felt that reaching Minor Achievement in the Ninth Daoist Sect of horizontal refining was a bit too slow.

In his estimation...

...he should have entered the Ninth Daoist Sect in two months...

...and completed the Minor Achievement stage of the Ninth Daoist Sect in another two months.

But the reality was that he had only just entered the Minor Achievement stage.

What was the reason for this?

Wu Dao’s Magnetic Field stirred, connecting with the world to inspect the changes in heaven and earth.

A moment later.

His brow furrowed slightly.

In his perception...

...the quality of the various Extraordinary Factors in the world...

...had not only been reduced by more than half compared to four months ago, but they were also much harder to absorb.

The Great Dao seemed to be suppressing the Path of Transcendence in the Divine Wilderness, and even his Essence Devouring Art was affected.

It had become more difficult to advance.

Absorbing and mastering the Magnetic Field Power of all things with his Primordial Magnetic Power had also become much more difficult than before.

It was obvious.

This was a comprehensive suppression by the Great Dao.

No matter what kind of being you were, or what path you walked.

As the Great Tribulation drew ever closer...

...progress would gradually become nearly impossible.

”No wonder...”

After understanding this...

...Wu Dao’s expression remained as calm as an ancient well, showing no disappointment.

The Great Dao’s suppression.

Even when his body was operating passively, like a machine...

...his physical body had still been able to break the shackles of the Eight Daoist Sects and enter the Ninth Daoist Sect.

Now that his True Self had returned...

...his speed would only be faster with active, arduous Cultivation.

As for the Energy of the Earth and Heaven Magnetic Field...

’It’s lessened and harder to absorb?’

’I’ll just increase the absorption rate.’

Now that he possessed his True Self...

...he was no longer an empty shell, a simpleton that could only run a program without adapting.

”However, I should start preparing early.”

Thinking of the path to the Yang God Sacred Spirit after the Nine Gates, a glint flickered in Wu Dao’s eyes.

How to become a Sacred Spirit.

He already had a method.

’All kinds of Holy Spirit Techniques, forge my Holy Spirit Body!’

After merging with the Immortal Black Tortoise Divine Skill...

...his bloodline already contained the aura of a Sacred Spirit. He just needed to continuously integrate Holy Spirit Techniques to step into the Human World Yang God Realm.

However...

...Transverse Refining Techniques of the Ninth Daoist Sect...

...especially those related to Sacred Spirits...

...were truly hard to find.

Currently, besides the Immortal Black Tortoise Divine Skill, Wu Dao knew of only one: the ”Holy Elephant Heaven-Equalizing Force” cultivated by the Saint Elephant Ancestor in the Central Plains.

The Ancient Golden Holy Elephant.

Its strength was unrivaled throughout the universe.

Among the many ancient Sacred Spirits, it was ranked among the most domineering—a genuine Holy Spirit Technique.

”Four months have passed. The conflict between the various lands and the Central Plains must have reached a fever pitch. Saint Elephant Ancestor...”

After finalizing his next few plans...

...Wu Dao glanced one last time at the new Great All Heavens Divine Technique on his attribute panel—Reversed Celestial Spirit.

Heh.

He sneered.

Wu Dao closed the attribute panel.

That old monster claimed it didn’t want him to be tainted by karma.

But in the end, it still pulled a fast one on him.

It had forcibly instilled in him the Reversed Celestial Spirit, a Great All Heavens Divine Technique that, at Great Success, could allow one to traverse the universe.

Cultivating a Human Cultivation Technique meant being tainted by karma.

The old monster clearly wanted Wu Dao to be on its side, to use him for its own benefit in the future.

Unfortunately...

...what the old monster didn’t know was...

...Wu Dao didn’t give a damn about this Divine Technique.

Even though its Mighty Power was unfathomable and profound, enough to form a brand new cultivation system on its own.

Any other person...

...even an Absolute Peak expert of the current age...

...would probably guard it like a family heirloom.

But to Wu Dao...

...it was tasteless to keep, and no pity to discard.

Because he had something better.

However.

Since it was already in his mouth, even if he wasn’t going to eat it, he wouldn’t let the good stuff go to waste.

After all, no matter what...

...the essence of this Great All Heavens Divine Technique was extremely high, containing countless dazzling crystals of wisdom.

The stones of another mountain can be used to polish jade.

He could learn from its strengths to make up for his own weaknesses.

His Primordial Magnetic Dao would surely improve as well.

So, he could cultivate it.

But he would deconstruct every step and merge it with his Primordial Magnetic Gang Shield Divine Technique before practicing it.

As for merging it completely...

Hmm...

It’s important for a person to know their limits.

Besides the Reversed Celestial Spirit...

...the old monster had also given him many so-called ”rewards” after he won the game.

But they were all basically outside the Divine Wilderness.

It didn’t take a genius to know it was bait set by the old monster.

The more he took...

...the deeper the hook would set.

Until he was completely hooked by the old monster, unable to ever break free.

Therefore.

Unless it was absolutely necessary...

...Wu Dao had no intention of touching any of those things.

As for that old monster...

...just as he had said.

He would find the Mud Plow Abyss, and he would find the Endless Sea of Suffering.

And do unto it what it had done unto him!!

WHOOSH~

His chaotic thoughts settled.

”Four months. The Overlord Whale Alliance and the Bai Ze Bureau must have saved up quite a few snacks for me.”

Thinking of the pasture that was the Southern Border.

It had been four months since the last harvest.

With a thought, the flesh and bone of Wu Dao’s body surged and squirmed, forming a large, glazed cocoon on his back that resembled a Black Tortoise’s Back.

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP~

RIIIP—

The thumping of a heart, like a Divine Being beating a war drum, resonated.

A large, glazed hand tore through the cocoon.

Another Wu Dao was born from within the cocoon.

”Not bad.”

He sized up the Incarnation for a moment.

Wu Dao nodded with satisfaction.

After his Undying Transformation reached the Nine Daoist Sects...

...he could finally unleash seventy to eighty percent of the power of the Black Tortoise Incarnation, a physical Divine Technique.

The Incarnation he produced...

...was now only a notch below him in all aspects of strength. It could replenish its own Energy without needing regular ’refueling’ and could exist indefinitely.

In the current Divine Wilderness World...

...it could be said that aside from the Nine Transformations Domain...

...this Incarnation could solve ninety-nine percent of all problems.

As for how strong his Main Body was now...

...Wu Dao had no way to measure it.

However.

He would soon have a chance to stretch his muscles.

Over on the Central Plains Battlefield.

Once he understood the current situation...

...he would definitely have to pay a visit.

It wasn’t just for the Saint Elephant Ancestor.

Anyone who wanted to kill him...

...he would not allow them to continue living.

Once he found an opportunity...

...he would cut down the weeds and pull out the roots!

The matter of the Great Dali’s Wantu Emperor trying to kill him last time.

That old debt.

He had kept it firmly in mind.

...

「Guangqing Prefecture.」

Lancang County City, Overlord Whale Alliance Headquarters.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~

Zhao Jianji knocked on the gate of Wu Dao’s courtyard as was his routine, asking with anticipation, ”Alliance Leader, the Bai Ze Bureau sent over another ’fish’ the other day. Do you have an appetite?”

For two months.

Zhao Jianji had knocked on the courtyard gate every single day.

Hoping to hear that supremely domineering, yet familiar and kind voice.

However...

...every time, the only response...

...was the cold, silent gate.

It seemed Wu Dao had completely abandoned his ’boys’ and would never return to the Overlord Whale Alliance.

Zhao Jianji was filled with shame.

He wondered if they were just too useless, causing Wu Dao to decide they were a lost cause not worth propping up.

”Sigh...”

Having received no response for a long time.

Like a lost child whose mother had run away, Zhao Jianji wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Thinking of Wu Dao’s face and smile, he turned to leave, dejected.

But just then—

”Stop your sniveling, it’s a disgrace. Come see me in the assembly hall at once!”

The long-awaited, domineering, and cold rebuke...

...rang in Zhao Jianji’s mind like the music of the heavens.

”Alli... Mengzhu! You’re finally... Hahaha... Wuwuwu...”

Zhao Jianji was instantly overcome with tears of joy, laughing and crying at the same time. With tears and snot streaming down his face, he bolted toward the assembly hall like a baby swallow returning to its nest, running so fast his shoes flew off.