Essence Devouring Art

"A fourth-grade bloom..."

As his thoughts churned.

Wu Dao’s gaze fell upon the fourth-grade Reincarnation Mixed Lotus within Wuchen’s origin. This meant Wuchen had broken his limit four times and could use the lotus to quadruple his combat power.

Twenty-Fifth Cave Heaven.

A fourth-grade bloom.

This achievement was comparable to that of the dead ghost Su Chen.

You have to understand, Su Chen was the Son of Revival of Chaos City. He possessed an Innate Chaos Body forged from a Chaos Dantian, and his cultivation had even reached the Three Paths of Cave Heaven Twenty-Seven Layers.

He might have seemed pathetically weak in Wu Dao’s hands, but in truth, his achievements had already placed him at a height that billions could only dream of reaching.

But even so, when Su Chen had desperately unleashed his full power, he had only managed to release a five-petaled soul lotus. And that fifth petal was a Void Lotus, not a complete one.

For Wuchen, who was one layer below him at the Twenty-sixth Cave Heaven, to achieve a fourth-grade bloom meant his Potential Release had elevated him from a mere monster to the level of a Son of Revival.

But that still wasn’t enough.

’With Mo Chen’s level of Celestial Destiny and Fortune, his foundational achievements are sure to surpass those of a Son of Revival from a mere Common Lord Power!’

"He should be about to break free."

After one last glance at Wuchen being struck down into the Thunder Sea by the Celestial Thunder Punishment Phase, Wu Dao muttered to himself and withdrew his divine senses.

The cage he had set for Wuchen required combat power capable of completely crushing a Son of Revival like Su Chen, even if Wuchen was at the same level or one level lower.

The moment he broke free would be the moment Wuchen, this Fruit-Cutting Blade of his, would finally be transformed and truly unsheathed!

WHOOSH~

In a Grotto Heaven on the periphery of the Cosmic Ancestral Land.

After withdrawing his gaze from the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage, Wu Dao’s consciousness turned inward, observing a Grotto Heaven within him that shimmered with the light of countless treasures.

Divine Fire, Celestial Soldiers, Heavy Artifacts, Great Medicines, minerals, Creation Mother Qi, Desolate God Essence Blood...

Over the past month, he hadn’t just been aimlessly wandering the periphery of the Ancestral Land. While keeping a low profile, he had also collected a massive amount of Creation Resources.

He had also accumulated quite a few Teleportation Points.

However, upgrading his current, second-stage Essence Devouring Art required over three hundred units of Primordial Magnetic Circulation at a time, demanding an astronomical number of Teleportation Points.

It was safe to say that by this point, the attribute panel was basically useless to him. The system was too small to support a behemoth like him.

Its only use was to check his cultivation progress.

Only his self-created Primordial Dao Wheel could continuously accelerate his progress without pause.

WHOOSH~

After withdrawing his consciousness, Wu Dao rose to his feet. With a single step, he vanished from the Grotto Heaven, heading deeper into the Ancestral Land to explore.

His Main Body still had plenty of resources.

Before it completed its seclusion, the "energy" required to operate the many Primordial Artifact Spirits was still sufficient. He didn’t need to return and resupply for the time being.

He decided to take this opportunity to scout ahead and gauge the strength of the Creation Realm guardians protecting the various Taoist Influences. As they say, know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.

BOOOOM—!!

「Half a month later.」

A tremor that shook the entire cosmos echoed from the depths of the Cosmic Ancestral Land. The vast Ancestral Land trembled without end, and the countless stars across the sky wavered and went dark in unison, as if some colossal entity was about to emerge!

At the very core, where the starlight shone brightest, one could look from any corner of the cosmos and see it: a Supreme God Mountain, wreathed in a Star River, soaring to the apex of the Grand Cosmos. Its aura seemed to devour the Ten Directions, and it had finally revealed a majestic corner of itself.

The Emperor’s Weapon—Huanwu Mountain! The All Heavens Martial Vault, the ultimate Creation! It was about to be fully unsealed!

Within the Ancestral Land, amidst the Star Sea.

Cultivators and Celestial Prides from All Heavens stood firm amidst the roiling spacetimes, which were filled with the oppressive might of the Emperor Dao, and gazed at Huanwu Mountain with a mixture of shock and joy.

"Huanwu Mountain, the All Heavens Martial Vault... I can’t even imagine how many legendary figures it has created over the ages. It’s finally opening!"

"The Seventy-two Heavenly Great Divine Techniques, the Five Gates and Ten Strongest Divine Techniques, countless Emperor Scriptures... obtaining just one would be the fortune of three lifetimes, enough to transform a carp into a dragon!"

"You? Give me a break. Huanwu Mountain has special rules. From the foot to the peak, it’s covered in Enlightenment Platforms. The Seventy-two Great Divine Techniques are only found from the mountainside up."

"That doesn’t sound too hard. As long as you succeed in your enlightenment, won’t you master a Divine Power Emperor Scripture?"

"Fool! How many Divine Power Emperor Scriptures are there, and how many Celestial Prides from All Heavens have entered the Cosmic Ancestral Land? You think you can hold onto an Enlightenment Platform? Getting knocked off the Dao Platform would be a light punishment. Someone with a bad temper would just smack you to death right there!"

"That’s true. Besides the competitors, the higher you go, the stronger the Emperor’s Weapon’s rules become. In this era, I estimate only those from the Twenty-four Heavens and above will have a chance to reach the mountainside."

"The Creation Realm experts are entering the fray. Just you watch. I have a feeling that once it officially opens, Huanwu Mountain will be dyed in blood!"

...

As Huanwu Mountain revealed a part of itself, cultivators from the Ancestral Land and the Star Sea—whether they were fighting for Creation or just watching the show—all converged on the core of the Ancestral Land, unwilling to miss the grand event.

Wu Dao, for his part, had naturally noticed the commotion of the magnificent, Celestial Pillar-like Huanwu Mountain emerging in the core of the Ancestral Land’s cosmos.

"This saves me some trouble."

He watched the cultivators pour in from the Ten Directions like a meteor shower, a joyful smile spreading across his face as if he were looking at a bountiful harvest. ’They look like a school of plump, thriving fish.’

VMMMM~

After pulling back his gaze, Wu Dao lingered no longer. Taking the spoils he had gathered during this time, he made his way toward the transit station at the All Heavens Dojo.

Huanwu Mountain had revealed a part of itself and would fully open in about half a month. Now that he had a precise timeline, there was no need to waste any more mental energy on it.

However, before leaving, Wu Dao didn’t forget to check on Wuchen’s progress in the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage.

’Hm.’

’Not bad at all.’

’He should have no problem escaping before the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage self-destructs.’

Time continued to pass.

The mysterious veil over Huanwu Mountain, once like flowers seen through a fog, continued to lift. The assembled powers and Celestial Prides were now as numerous as the hairs on an ox, all rubbing their hands in anticipation, waiting to ascend the mountain and seize its treasures.

「Three days before Huanwu Mountain was to fully open.」

Deep within the Taiyi Emperor Star.

Inside a certain Creation Land.

Great stars had fallen, and mountains and rivers were shattered.

An ocean of blood surged and churned, while resentful unwillingness echoed between heaven and earth. It was clear a great battle had just taken place here.

HUFF... HUFF...

At the highest point in the center of the sea of blood stood Yaya. Her mane of silver hair was dyed red, her body was bathed in blood, and she looked like a savage Female Demon God descended upon the world.

After crushing the head and Divine Soul of the last enemy under her bare foot, the frenzied bloodlust in her abyssal, crimson eyes finally began to fade.

"We were too late to protect you! Please punish us, Your Highness!"

In all directions around the sea of blood, Celestial Prides and War Servants of the Soaring Snake Race, having just finished their own battles, knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

They bowed their heads, begging for punishment, not daring to face the Yaya of this moment—a being whose bloodline was boiling, whose aura was absolutely crushing, like an Ancient Fierce Beast.

"Hmph! A bunch of useless, killjoy servants! Do you really think the young miss needs your help?"

Perched on Yaya’s shoulder, the Little Caique, its own feathers disheveled, chided the surrounding Celestial Prides, borrowing its master’s might like a fox riding a tiger’s coattails.

Then, it sidled up to Yaya like a little sycophant and said fawningly:

"Young Miss, how can such filth stain your perfect, noble body? Let Xiaocai lick it clean for you."

SMACK!

Yaya sent the Little Caique flying with a single slap.

A flash of divine light washed over her, and the filth covering her body vanished completely. Her crystalline silver hair fluttered, and she returned to her flawless, cold beauty that made the starry sky itself seem pale in comparison.

Her crimson eyes gazed beyond the realm’s border as Yaya asked calmly, "Has Huanwu Mountain appeared?"

"Your Highness,"

The Daoist Child of the Soaring Snake Race didn’t dare hesitate, quickly replying:

"It will be completely unsealed in three days at most. Ninety percent of the Celestial Prides from the Emperor Star’s heavens have already gathered at the foot of the mountain."

"Celestial Prides, ha."

A ravenous Battle Intent flickered in Yaya’s eyes. She licked her scarlet lips and asked,

"The person I asked you to look for—have you found any trace of them?"

"Well..."

The Soaring Snake Race’s Daoist Child lowered his head in shame. "The Emperor Star is vast and boundless. We have searched with all our might during this time but have not found anyone matching Your Highness’s description."

"Then forget it."

Yaya’s expression was placid. She glanced at the Little Caique, which had shamelessly perched itself back on her shoulder, and admitted to herself that she hadn’t held much hope to begin with.

’The Emperor Star is huge, and the Hongyuan Heavenly Realms are even larger. Trying to find someone without knowing anything about them... it’s a bit unrealistic.’

"Oh, right, Your Highness."

As if remembering something, the Soaring Snake Race’s Daoist Child quickly added, "We do have news about the other person you asked us to watch, Mo Chen."

Mo Chen... ’That little minnow.’

Childhood memories surfaced.

Yaya’s crimson eyes narrowed. After her bloodline awakened and she came to know her true self, how could she not realize that she had been plotted against by the powers behind Mo Chen?

’They wanted to tie her to Mo Chen, to completely domesticate her into an obedient dog!’

’This karmic debt...’

’It could be said that it’s second only to the grudge she held against her "dear father." If this debt wasn’t settled, the karmic obsession would continue to entangle her, and her Dao would never be clear.’

"Give me the details."

Suppressing the killing intent in her heart, Yaya’s expression remained calm, betraying no emotion. She sounded as if she were merely curious.

Her knowledge of Mo Chen was limited to their time in Dragon Gate Town and the lies fabricated by the schemers. After leaving Dragon Gate Town, they had gone their separate ways, and she knew practically nothing about the Mo Chen of today.

"Reporting to Your Highness..."

The Soaring Snake Race’s Daoist Child immediately began to recount everything he knew about Mo Chen to Yaya:

"That Mo Chen hails from the lineage of the Taiqing Empress in the Profound Yellow World. He is well-connected, has many allies, and is favored by numerous powerful figures.

His own aptitude is at the Absolute Peak, comparable to a Son of Revival. After entering the Emperor Star and establishing his Grotto Heaven, he defeated monsters from several Daoist Lineages in a row, causing quite a stir.

His last known appearance was in the ruins of the Celestial Dao Emperor Sect. At the time, he drove off an opponent named Wuchen, but was later besieged and fell into a perilous domain. His current status—whether he is dead or alive—is unknown."

"The Taiqing Empress..."

Yaya mulled over the information, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The Emperors of Hongyuan were all renowned figures. She had, of course, heard of the Taiqing Empress, who had seized her destiny and attained emperorship during the Five Tribulations. It was now speculated that she had already become an All Heavens Great Emperor.

But given the sheer scale of the Dragon Mud Cave Heaven, a mere All Heavens Great Emperor wouldn’t have had enough influence to place Mo Chen at the very pinnacle of fortune.

’Before the Five Tribulations, the Taiqing Empress was originally a wisp of Pure Qi from above the Heavenly Court’s Nine Heavens, an Alien Species that gained sentience and achieved the Dao...’

A piece of secret lore surfaced in Yaya’s mind.

’The Celestial Court... That would make sense.’

’Spanning across All Tribulations, the Celestial Court—the current uncrowned king of Hongyuan—definitely has enough influence to make All Heavens cede their fortune to Mo Chen.’

’Only the Celestial Court would have had the power to snatch her, a newborn, from the Mountain and Sea Realm’s Juntian, and raise her as Mo Chen’s "pet"!’

In a twisted way, her "dear father" who had awakened her had truly shown her a father’s love as heavy as a mountain.

Except this mountain was far too heavy.

It had nearly crushed her into the eighteenth level of hell, with no hope of reincarnation.

’A pet... heh. We’ll see who ends up wagging their tail and begging!’

A murderous light shot from Yaya’s crimson eyes. A supreme Dao rhythm emanated from her origin, altering her appearance and aura until she was unrecognizable. With a single step, she extinguished the sea of blood and sped toward Huanwu Mountain at full tilt.