Essence Devouring Art

WHOOSH~

A furious hurricane raged and swirled.

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable reappeared between heaven and earth without a sound. He showed no injuries; only his robes were slightly disheveled.

But any discerning eye could see it.

On his face, which had until now been one of absolute control and unflappable calm, a barely perceptible change had appeared.

It was neither anger nor shock.

But rather...

It was the delighted smile of one who, after an eternity of boredom, had finally stumbled upon something interesting.

Yes.

Even after being repeatedly humiliated by Wu Dao.

Even after being caught off guard and knocked into the Abyss.

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable did not become contorted with rage or descend into hysteria.

The earlier coldness...

...had only been directed at the leaders of the various factions who intended to interfere.

The leaders of the various factions...

...were not at all surprised by Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s calmness.

Because they would have reacted the same way.

Having weathered the ups and downs of Great Eras for thousands, even tens of thousands of years, cultivating their hearts and their Dao, they had seen far too many monstrous prodigies.

They had also weathered countless great storms. If they were to lose control of their emotions so easily, then their Cultivation would have truly gone to the dogs.

To say nothing of someone like Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable.

He was an immortal titan who had passed four Dao Tribulations, who sat enthroned in the Nine Heavens, who wielded the power to punish endless living beings and Immortal Gods, and who looked down upon the changing of ages.

The disposition of such an existence...

If not for that single sliver of humanity he intentionally preserved, even Divine Beings and Buddhas would feel ashamed in his presence.

"That was a heavy punch, young friend."

With a smile, Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable nodded in approval. He let out a slow breath and chuckled, "This old man also dabbled in Transverse Cultivation in my youth..."

"You really are old. You talk too much!"

Once again, before Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable could finish speaking.

BOOM—DONG!

Wu Dao’s voice boomed like thunder. The instant he retracted his fist, he gathered his Power and erupted once more!

His fist bloomed with infinite light and heat, dragging with it the majestic weight of the starry sky. Once again, he smashed the universe into Chaos, pressing down on Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable with the force of a Demon God opening the heavens!

But this time...

CLANG—!

It was like the beginning of Chaos, a collision of Worlds!

The universe trembled into silence.

Countless white thunderbolts were born from a minuscule point, rapidly expanding and exploding, sending fiery sparks shooting out in all ten directions.

CRACKLE—

At the source of the countless high-frequency, flashing, exploding white thunderbolts, a fair, flawless palm appeared unhurriedly. It closed into a Fist Seal and rose to strike the heavens, meeting Wu Dao’s Heaven and Earth Creation punch.

A contest of strength!

CRACKLE! POP!

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The world-ending storm of thunder, born from the collision of their Power, continued to rage and flash across the universe.

With their joined fists as the core...

Rings of pitch-black shockwaves expanded outward, compressing and annihilating all matter in their path, crushing ten thousand miles of Chaos into a complete vacuum!

’A Half-step Yang God?’

At the core flashing with black and white...

Wu Dao, locked in a contest of strength with Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable, narrowed his eyes. He could also feel a torrent surging within his opponent’s body—the Blood of the Holy Spirit, sacred and scorching hot like a cosmic Divine Sun.

As expected!

VMMM~

As the hidden Holy Spirit Blood in Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s body surged and reawakened, the supreme aura of a Primordial Ancestor, accompanied by gushing streams of Great Dragon Essence Qi, also manifested a deep and ancient starry sky!

What was even more terrifying was...

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s Yang God Power was actually no weaker than Wu Dao’s at this moment. In their contest of strength, they were evenly matched!

’The strong are always strong...’

The spectators from the various heavens watched as Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s Transverse Cultivation and Holy Spirit Blood reawakened. There was no surprise in their eyes, only the sense that this was expected.

The path of Transverse Cultivation was indeed difficult.

The Ten Daoist Sects required a Path-Opener Level of Comprehension just to enter. It was a path exclusive to the monsters among geniuses, individuals who were exceedingly rare anywhere.

But...

...this group of Tribulation Descenders...

...whether in the past or now...

...were all those exceedingly rare monsters!

And Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable, who held the rank of Celestial Venerable over a heaven, was a monster among monsters, regardless of the era!

Even if this was just a clone...

He was still the king of monsters!

When an ancient monster set out to kill a young monster...

The young monster was naturally no longer a monster.

The outcome...

...was already decided.

"Well?"

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s physique was majestic and divine. Torrents of vital energy and blood erupted from his pores. With an ancient starry sky on his back, he stood firm, his fist raised, and smiled. "Is this old man’s meager strength worthy of your notice, young friend?"

But his only response...

...was that savage smile, like that of a Purgatory Evil Ghost, and a single, flat yet incomparably domineering word—

"Kneel."

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The Heart Lake Alarm Bell rang wildly!

VMMMM!!

In less than the time it took for a thought to form...

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable felt Wu Dao’s physique suddenly become terrifyingly profound. It was as if countless stars were rolling, colliding, and grinding within his body, accompanied by the explosive sound of thunderous electrical currents!

Primordial Magnetic Power!

One hundred rotations, fully unleashed!

In a flash...

The sound of layer after layer of primordial magnetic vortexes exploding and spinning could be heard within Wu Dao’s body. It was as if successive Divine Mountains were pressing down, making his fist suddenly grow ten thousand times heavier!

CLANG CLANG CLANG—

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—

His bones and flesh, unable to bear the load, let out the sound of Divine Iron being crushed and colliding. The majestic, divine starry sky also flickered in and out of existence!

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s face twisted once again!

The blazing light and heat of the Yang God erupting from his physique actually began to recede, dimming under the indescribable, abyss-like pressure...

It even showed signs of gradually being extinguished!

"His Power!?"

"The Celestial Venerable’s physique is actually inferior..."

"A true monster?"

The spectators from the various heavens watched as Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s spine bent once more, and their expressions finally changed!

To overpower a Celestial Venerable with pure strength!

And it was Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable, no less—the one rumored to be second only to the Great Celestial Venerable in the Celestial Court’s Transverse Cultivation!

This monster’s physique!

Just how did he forge it?

Having lived for thousands, even tens of thousands of years...

Even though they had seen countless demonic prodigies and Celestial Prides, this was the first time they had ever witnessed a physique as unbelievable as Wu Dao’s!

THUD!!

It all happened in less than an instant.

Wu Dao, who had suddenly erupted with terrifying Power, had once again made Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable suffer a loss, sending him crashing into the Abyss in a state that could only be described as wretched!

Wu Dao did not give chase.

His God and Demon-like eyes were as black as the Abyss. He looked down from on high, his smile like that of an Evil Ghost, as he stared mockingly at Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable in the Abyss.

’Aren’t you so high and mighty?’

’Fine!’

’I’ll tear your arrogance to shreds!’

’I’ll knock you down into the dust!’

’I’ll break your spine!’

’I’ll shatter all your pride!’

’When you’re kneeling on the ground, powerless!’

’I want to see if that arrogant head of yours can be forced to bow!’

"Good, good, good!"

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s voice, tinged with excitement, echoed from the Abyss again. Before his words had even faded, he reappeared in the sky, his eyes filled with irrepressible admiration:

"With a physique like that, this old man is willing to call you the champion of your realm within Hongyuan! Very well, this old man shall cast aside my dignity for once."

VMM!

As his voice fell.

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s gaze sharpened.

He pointed a finger.

An ancient starry sky seemed to be condensed at his fingertip. The phantoms of various primeval Sacred Spirits swirled and roared around it, releasing a dangerous aura that sent a slight chill through Wu Dao’s physique.

"The Light of the Innate Tribulation Body. It can be cultivated after fully mastering the various Holy Spirit Techniques and completely stepping into the Yang God realm. Although it is a Body Technique, it is no weaker than any of the Great All Heavens Divine Techniques."

A destructive Slaughter Qi brewed at Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s fingertip. Like a senior instructing a junior, he reminded him:

"Below the Yang God realm, all bodies are mortal. This is because the Light of the Innate Tribulation Body is the bane of Transverse Cultivation, as it corrupts and destroys the structure of the physique. Be careful, young friend."

BOOM!

As his voice fell.

The multicolored tribulation light at Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s fingertip suddenly blazed ten thousand times brighter. It shot through the heavens in a spiraling column, illuminating a World tens of thousands of miles wide, and aimed for the spot between Wu Dao’s eyebrows, carrying an ultimate aura of decay and calamity.

The dangerous aura approached at extreme speed!

"A firefly dares to shine?"

But Wu Dao showed not a shred of fear. He just sneered, and in an equally condescending manner, he "educated" Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable by also pointing a finger.

’You’re arrogant? I’m more arrogant than you!’

’You’re proud? I’m prouder than you!’

VMMM—RUMBLE RUMBLE!

The moment he pointed his finger.

It was as if a hundred Primordial Magnetic Vortex Seas were simultaneously spinning and charging inside Wu Dao’s body!

Like overlapping galaxies gathering all their Energy to erupt in a core pulse, they layered, coiled, and spun, surging toward Wu Dao’s fingertip—

The Primordial Magnetic Tribulation Finger!

BOOM—CRACKLE POP!

The primordial magnetic pulse that erupted from the hundred-rotation charged Magnetic Field was terrifying in the extreme.

The instant it shot across the sky...

A pitch-black current, condensed and as profound as a black hole, swallowed all the light in existence the moment it appeared, turning the World into darkness!

TSS!

An almost inaudible piercing sound was heard.

Reflected in the shocked pupils of the spectators from all sides...

The multicolored Light of the Innate Tribulation Body, the only thing shining in the Dark World...

...was struck by the late-arriving stream of dark current, no thicker than a thumb. It was like straw meeting a steel needle—it couldn’t resist in the slightest!

What was even more horrifying was that!

After piercing through the Light of the Innate Tribulation Body, the pitch-black current, like a Taotie Giant Beast, madly devoured the multicolored light to strengthen itself. In the blink of an eye, it grew into a Black Dragon that bared its fangs and lunged toward Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable.

CLANG!!

At the critical moment.

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable cut off the supply of Divine Power.

He spat out a stream of black and white energy, which evolved into the primordial Yin Yang Diagram of all creation. It seemed capable of creating and destroying all Divine Communication Techniques, and it finally managed to block the Primordial Magnetic Tribulation Finger that had grown into a Black Dragon.

A Great All Heavens Divine Technique—

Yin-Yang Transformation of Three Lives!

But just then...

Wu Dao’s wild and tyrannical voice, like that of a soul-reaping Fierce Ghost, once again exploded in Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s ears:

"Stop bringing out your useless junk to embarrass yourself! Kneel for me!!"

VMM!

Divine, Ghostly, Celestial Release!

BOOM—

The Demon God opened its eyes, illuminating the nine hells!

An ultimate, profound source of darkness!

Countless currents of primordial magnetism, colored like the starry sky, surged and darted about, swelling massively.

They rushed like wild dragons inside and outside his Demon God Physique, briefly forming a majestic human figure. After a flash of brilliant darkness, it vanished.

CLANG CLANG CLANG—

THUD!!

The unprecedentedly frantic alarm bells had just begun to ring when they were crushed by an extremely vast and heavy power, like a cosmic behemoth collapsing the heavens and falling to the mortal world!

As pupils on all eight sides contracted in horror.

That high and mighty...

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable, who had dominated the Hongyuan Heavenly Realms for several tribulations!

His features were slowly crushed until he looked like an Evil Ghost.

His eyeballs, engorged with blood, burst.

A mouth full of teeth harder than Divine Iron shattered and flew out.

His neck caved in, crushed into a pile of mush.

His proud head...

...shattered bit by bit and fell into his chest cavity!

Even more horrifyingly,

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable’s spine was continuously breaking, spraying out plumes of blood like a Star River!

His legs, which etiquette would never have required to bend and kneel even before a Great Celestial Venerable, were slowly breaking and buckling!

Until...

BOOM!!

Tens of thousands of miles of void suffered a heavy kneeling impact, exploding with a deafening blast and kicking up a world-covering tidal wave of hurricanes!

In the four heavens!

The Great Powers and patriarchs felt monstrous waves crash through their Heart Lakes. Their expressions were dazed, and they even felt a momentary suffocation!

Within their wildly contracting pupils...

...was reflected a scene they were destined never to forget!

In the center of the exploding, surging universe!

Wu Dao’s physique was like a Demon God holding up the sky. He hammered down with a single fist, and on his face, where Gods and Ghosts coexisted, was a crazed smile that stretched to his ears.

Beneath his fist!

Cyan Yu Celestial Venerable, who had dominated the countless Immortal Gods and living beings of Hongyuan for three tribulations and hundreds of millions of years...

...had his neck snapped by brute force!

His head had all but collapsed into his chest cavity.

His spine was shattered, his flesh and bone crushed into a ball!

His mangled legs were brutally bent!

His knees knelt into a pile of mush!!

His upper body, forcibly folded in half, brought what was left of his head down—to slam viciously into a kowtow right between the madman’s legs!

The heavens.

Had fallen.