Essence Devouring Art

A restricted route in the Primordial Star Domain.

”Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Wei Tianlong. How may I be of service?”

Wei Tianlong’s Divine Thought manifested, his resonant voice booming like a great bell. Neither servile nor overbearing, he cupped his fist at Wu Dao in greeting, carrying a certain air of the secular Jianghu.

’Wei Tianlong?’

Controlling the body of the Golden Cloud Sect Master, with its altered aura and appearance, Wu Dao couldn’t help but glance at the fierce and savage Red Dragon relief carving on the surface of the Star Shuttle upon hearing the name.

The Red Dragon Thieves.

A group of infamous interstellar bandits from a neighboring Star Realm. They had no fixed base, roamed the Star Sea hunting for prey, and reveled in every treasure they could find.

Their leader was Wei Tianlong.

Although his Martial Dao Dharma Aspect was ungraded, he had perfected the Horizontal Refining Ninth Gate and possessed the Celestial Dragon Fist Aspect. He was far stronger than the Golden Cloud Sect Master.

Under his command were thirty great thieves.

All of them were Nine Transformations Great Divine Power Users.

They held a fair amount of renown in this Border Wilderness region.

From his earlier Magnetic Field reading, all thirty members of the Red Dragon Thieves were aboard the Star Shuttle; they had come out in full force.

’It seems something truly incredible is about to emerge in the Star Ruins. Even a reviled power like the Red Dragon Thieves is willing to risk it all to strike gold.’

Thinking this, Wu Dao adopted the air of an outsider and asked with curiosity:

”I am a mere Loose Cultivator from the Star Sea, passing through this route to enter the restricted zone for arduous training. However, I’ve seen many others traveling the same path. Has something changed in the restricted zone?”

’A Loose Cultivator?’

Wei Tianlong’s Divine Thought scanned the surrounding starry sky. Sure enough, he saw no Star Shuttle or Starship, and he was somewhat surprised.

’This Loose Cultivator is really poor and stubborn. He can’t even afford a Star Shuttle, insisting on crossing the Star Sea on ’foot’. By the time he reaches the restricted zone, the show will be long over.’

However, as the old fox he was, Wei Tianlong didn’t fully believe Wu Dao’s words.

’In the vast Star Sea, trusting someone of unknown origins is a very dangerous thing.’

Therefore, Wei Tianlong just wanted to send Wu Dao on his way.

As for any malicious intent, the man’s aura was at the Human Immortal level. Who knew how many hidden cards he held? It wasn’t worth the trouble for a potentially meager reward. If his luck was bad and he capsized in a calm ditch, there would be nowhere to even cry.

It was better to form a friendly connection. Perhaps he could even be an ally in the restricted zone.

”Haha, it’s normal for an outsider like you not to know,” Wei Tianlong laughed heartily.

”We’re all rushing to the restricted zone because we heard that a Mountain and Sea Mirage has appeared within the Star Ruins, and a Desolate God is about to descend. We’re hoping to get a piece of the pie, even if it’s beyond our capabilities.”

’The Mountain and Sea Realm, a Desolate God...’

’So that’s how it is.’

Upon hearing this information, Wu Dao instantly understood, and all his doubts vanished.

The Mountain and Sea Realm was similar to, yet different from, the ”Mountain and Sea” he knew from his past life.

Before the Four Tribulations, the Mountain and Sea Realm had also been part of Hongyuan.

It was even allied with the Human Race, and together they had resisted the Third Tribulation and the Second Tribulation.

But as the saying goes, ’those not of our race are sure to have different hearts’.

After losing their common enemy, conflict between the humans and the Alien Species was inevitable. They could not coexist under the same sky.

Tens of millions of years ago, the Fourth Tribulation, the Mountain and Sea Tribulation, erupted.

The Mountain and Sea Realm tore up the alliance treaty and completely turned against the Human Race.

The Great Tribulation engulfed the entire Primordial World.

Supreme Daoists from both races fell, and many Emperors whose might had shaken the ages also perished in that tribulation.

The final result was a pyrrhic victory for the Human Race.

The supreme being of the Mountain and Sea Realm stripped their realm away, fleeing into the infinite void and separating from the Hongyuan Great World. They have had no contact for tens of millions of years.

But the Mountain and Sea Realm was, after all, born from Hongyuan. Their space-time shared the same root and origin.

Although it had been separated from Hongyuan, occasional space-time gravitational phenomena would occur between the two, which were known as Mountain and Sea Mirages.

Whenever a mirage appeared, Fierce Beasts and Desolate Gods from the Mountain and Sea Realm would descend, causing catastrophic disasters, slaughtering the Human Race, and devouring all things.

In his past life, this kind of behavior was no less than randomly dropping nuclear-weapon-level kamikaze squads on an enemy nation. The harm was imaginable.

If they were lucky, a Desolate God would descend into a territory governed by a major power and be quickly suppressed and killed.

If they were unlucky... if the descending Desolate God was too strong and appeared in a weak Border Wilderness region... the Primordial Divine Monarch who perished with a Desolate God three thousand years ago, and the Primordial Sect, an Overlord of its Star Realm that was completely crippled, were excellent examples.

Of course, everything had its pros and cons.

While the Desolate Gods brought disaster to Hongyuan, their bodies were also full of treasures, presenting opportunities of Creation for Hongyuan’s Extraordinaries.

Essence blood, Treasure Flesh, claws and fangs, Demon Pills and Nascent Souls...

All of them were top-tier treasures.

More importantly—the Desolate Divine Body Soldiers!

During the war between the two races in the Four Tribulations, a peak Emperor of the Human Race created a supreme Taoist Scripture that ranked among the Ten Great Creation Divine Techniques: the ”Original Soldier Resolution.”

It allowed one to forge and merge with all sorts of wondrous weapons from the All Heavens. It even included a Chapter specifically targeting the Mountain and Sea Alien Race: the Desolate God Armament.

By refining Desolate Divine Treasure Bones into Body Soldiers, one could not only unleash the Mighty Power of a Desolate God, but the Body Soldier would also grow along with its Soldier Master. It was truly incredible.

For tens of millions of years, there had been no shortage of individuals with poor aptitude who got lucky, obtained a Desolate Divine Body Soldier, and defied fate to become a Great Power, making countless cultivators in the world burn with envy. Once a Desolate God appeared, people would fight tooth and nail for it, no matter the risk.

Of course, such a heaven-defying item couldn’t be forged by just anyone.

One had to find a Soldier Resolution Master who had inherited a Chapter of the Original Soldier Resolution.

’A Desolate God...’

A flicker of light crossed Wu Dao’s eyes. He wasn’t interested in the Desolate Divine Body Soldiers; what truly interested him was the Desolate God Essence Blood.

The Innate Ancestral Bloodline within the Desolate God Essence Blood was a super-accelerant for achieving the Innate Divine Demon Body of the eleventh gate of Horizontal Refining!

The path of Horizontal Refining and Body Refinement was about Postnatal Returning to Innate, and Innate Returning to Demon.

The main focus was on continuous Ancestral Return and evolution.

The ultimate philosophy was to become the first living being of the Heaven and Earth Creation, to possess the primary karmic foundation, and to attain the Dao through the body.

The Human Race arose from humble beginnings at the dawn of creation. Their karmic foundation couldn’t compare to the first Sacred Spirits who were born with the mighty power of Gods and Demons. To achieve an alternative form of Dao Attainment through the physical body, they could only fuse the bloodlines of the Ten Thousand Races, evolving from Postnatal back to Innate.

Before the Four Tribulations, because of the existence of the Mountain and Sea Realm, Horizontal Refiners did not lack resources. They would often sneak into the Mountain and Sea Realm to hunt Sacred Spirits and Desolate Gods.

The Mountain and Sea denizens did the same. You eat me, I eat you. This was likely the main reason for the conflict between the two races.

In that era, Body Refiners beyond the Ninth Daoist Sect were not as rare as they are today.

But after the Four Tribulations, when the Mountain and Sea Realm separated from Hongyuan, the Horizontal Refining path became incredibly difficult.

Although great talents from generation to generation forged new paths, there was still a fundamental difference between having just enough to eat and feasting on delicacies from the mountains and seas.

Therefore, whenever a Desolate God appeared, it was the Horizontal Refiners who were most attracted to it.

”If you have no other questions, fellow Daoist, then I must continue on my journey. I wish you good luck.”

Seeing that Wu Dao had no further questions, Wei Tianlong smiled, cupped his hands again, and bid his farewell.

As for inviting him to travel with them, with a heart as fierce as a tiger yet as meticulous as one smelling a rose, he never considered it.

BUZZ—

The Dragon-Shaped Star Shuttle vibrated slightly. Its internal Little Grotto Heaven engaged the space-time field of the Grand Cosmos, and like a long shuttle entering water, it vanished into the void before Wu Dao’s eyes.

Wu Dao calmly watched the Red Dragon Ship disappear.

For the moment, he had no particular thoughts on the matter.

He wasn’t some devil who killed people without reason, and punishing evil had nothing to do with him.

...

After returning to the Jinxiao Ship, Wu Dao once again merged the Golden Cloud Sect Master into the Primordial Dao Wheel and set off, quickly and silently leaving the Red Dragon Thieves far behind.

「Within the Divine Country」

Recalling the information he’d gotten from Wei Tianlong, Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’The Vacuum Sect, off-world powers, a gathering storm... My current strength is far from enough to take down a Desolate God.’

WHOOSH—

The jumbled thoughts dissipated.

Wu Dao closed his eyes and focused his spirit. He activated the Divine Ghost Heaven, spun the Primordial Dao Wheel, and, multitasking, once again immersed himself in the cultivation of his various Daos.

Time slowly passed.

Aboard the Jinxiao Ship, the Primordial Dao Wheel spun without pause, devouring the Magnetic Field Power of the Grand Cosmos and providing sustenance for Wu Dao.

Although he lacked the stimulation of an extreme environment, Wu Dao’s progress was still quite gratifying with the assistance of the Primordial Dao Wheel. The cultivation progress of his various Daos on the attribute panel was advancing steadily.

Of course, Horizontal Refining, Soul Cultivation, the Holy Spirit Technique, and other Outer Path Divine Techniques had high environmental requirements, so their progress was relatively slow.

His cultivation focus was almost entirely on the Seven Great Primordial Magnetic Divine Powers, which didn’t require deliberate cultivation and improved as his Magnetic Field grew stronger.

These Seven Great Primordial Magnetic Divine Powers for slaughter, attack, and defense, despite not yet having achieved a Dharma Aspect, had a Mighty Power no less than any of the Great All Heavens Divine Techniques. Their potential was at the Dharma Emperor Grade Thirty-Three Heavens. If he formally stepped into the Dharma Realm, it would be enough for a Heaven Opening.

「Five days later.」

RUMBLE—

The two-hundred-revolution Primordial Magnetic Vortex Wheel rumbled as it spun, incandescent and explosive. Like a mad dragon bursting from its nest, it churned the Divine Country Cave Heaven completely into a state of Chaos!

”OPEN!!”

Wu Dao’s eyes flew open. Like a Heaven-Opening God Demon roaring in the Chaos, he used his palm as a blade, preparing to create a new heaven and earth!

CLANG!!

The Celestial Blade was unsheathed, its cold glint unleashed like an opened floodgate!

Within the surging Sea of Origin, the formless and colorless Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber was the first to rise, transforming into a divine edge of creation as it slashed toward the sealed All Heaven Gate within his Dao Body!

CLANG—

The Chaos churned, and the All Heaven shook!

Trillions of Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles trembled in unison. Following the impact of the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber, a black dot that was simultaneously immense and infinitesimal appeared in the deepest depths of the Primordial Chaos.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—

The Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber locked onto its target. It continuously bombarded the black dot, as if battering a gate, or like a giant hammer striking a barrier, seeking to smash through all obstacles and reach the new world on the other side!

But the barrier of the divine gate was incredibly hard. The repeated impacts only made it tremble; it showed no sign of shattering or being pierced.

”Primordial Dao Wheel!”

Wu Dao’s mind was calm, neither rushed nor panicked. With a thought, he released the Primordial Dao Wheel’s Divine Ghost Heaven State.

BUZZ—RUMBLE!

Instantly, the countless points of piety on the Primordial Dao Wheel floating inside the Jinxiao Ship transformed into the whispers of Gods and Ghosts, and its rotation speed surged dramatically.

Its three thousand nodes of flesh, bone, and soul ground together frenetically, devouring immense amounts of Magnetic Field energy and boosting the might of the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber that was opening a heaven deep within his Dao Body.

After several hundred more strikes...

CLANG—CRACK!

The sound of the world’s barrier shattering rang out.

BOOM!

It was as if a peerless treasure trove had been opened! A vast torrent of life potential, like a bursting Celestial River, surged forth from the shattered black dot, impacting the trillions of Crystal Grain Bodies and frantically raising the strength of their crystalline structure.

The shackles binding his Life Transition shattered.

He was Breaking the Cocoon to become a butterfly, ascending to a new heaven!

In the Great Blissful State of Freedom, Wu Dao’s consciousness, along with the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber, entered a Primordial Chaos from which a massive amount of life potential was gushing—a nascent world where Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind raged.

”SUPPRESS!!”

Without any hesitation, Wu Dao wielded the Celestial Blade, pierced through the chaotic world, and suppressed the rampaging Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind, stabilizing this Minor Circulation.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Then, a Celestial Domain constructed from infinite, formless sharp edges began to extend from the tip of the blade. It spiraled upward, rising layer by layer around the Celestial Blade, which stood like a Heaven-Supporting Divine Pillar, forming the Thirty-Three Heavens Illusion.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE—

Under the baptism of gushing life potential from the Minor Circulation opened by the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber, the trillions of Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particle cells in Wu Dao’s body also shattered and disintegrated, beginning to reconstruct themselves into a stronger structure from the microscopic level.

During this process, the revolution count of the Primordial Magnetic Vortex Wheel generated by the rotating Magnetic Field also increased wildly.

Two hundred ten revolutions!

Two hundred twenty revolutions!

...

BUZZ—

Finally, the first Minor Circulation was completely stabilized.

The Primordial Magnetic Celestial Saber that pierced through the world became the Minor Circulation’s spine, the cornerstone of its Dao, and the source of all creation and destruction.

The Thirty-Three Heavens Illusion was fully formed.

The trillions of Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles also completed a transformation and leap.

The explosive growth of the Primordial Magnetic Vortex Wheel reached two hundred fifty revolutions!

A stronger, more powerful, and more domineering Magnetic Field Power surged ceaselessly through his body. Once unleashed, crushing a star would be a simple matter.