Essence Devouring Art

’He’s completely lost his mind.’

Seeing this, the many members of the Jinxiao Sect couldn’t help but shake their heads and sneer, thinking the Sect Master of the Observing Cave Sect didn’t know his place.

A Nascent Soul Human Immortal.

The Overlord of a Grotto Heaven.

When he struck in anger, a single palm could obliterate a continent tens of thousands of miles wide, turning it into a bottomless abyss.

The Sect Master of the Observing Cave Sect was merely a True Monarch.

Praying to a god?

Even praying to the king of all gods wouldn’t save him from being crushed!

But in the next instant, their ridicule turned to utter shock.

VMMMM—CRACKLE! POP!

Just as Zhao Yuanming’s massive, starlit golden palm descended...

The Purple Mansion between the eyebrows of the Observing Cave Sect’s Sect Master split open.

A torrent of thick, star-river-colored lightning bolts surged forth like ten thousand dragons bursting from their nest. Rumbling, they spun into the eye of a thunderous vortex, which erupted with a formidable gravitational pull. It tore the golden palm to shreds, which fell like colorful ribbons into the eye.

"This is impossible!"

Seeing this reality-shattering scene, Zhao Yuanming’s pupils contracted, and he let out a pathetic shriek like a common grunt.

It was too absurd, too fantastical!

The Sect Master of the Observing Cave Sect was merely a Three-Change Divine Ability User, worlds away from the Dharma Realm. Even if he threw his life away, there was absolutely no way he could have blocked an attack from a Dharma Aspect, let alone tear it to pieces!

"By the grace of Divine Power... Blasphemer!"

The space between the Observing Cave Sect Master’s eyebrows became like a magnetic black hole. His aura climbed frantically, stirring the magnetic fields for tens of thousands of miles around. His very pores spewed countless bolts of draconic magnetic lightning, as if an arbiter descending to pass judgment on a heretic.

Within the Divine Country Grotto Heaven, tens of thousands of miles away,

Wu Dao was constantly ramping up the Magnetic Field power, pouring Primordial Magnetic Power into the body of the Observing Cave Sect’s Sect Master.

When a Divine Being bestows power upon a believer,

it is called Divine Grace.

Wu Dao, having constructed the Divine Fire of the Primordial Divine Monarch,

was, in a sense, no different from a Divine Being. He too could bestow Divine Grace through a Faith Channel, temporarily elevating a believer’s strength.

Of course,

such power came at a price.

For one with sufficient strength, it was Divine Grace. For one without, it was a path to self-destruction.

Guan Dong True Monarch was at the level of Divine Power Third Transformation.

He was currently the strongest among the three thousand Polluted Bodies, and also the best vessel for a descent of Divine Grace.

If he were to burn everything to charge up, regardless of the cost,

he could channel one hundred and fifty revolutions of Primordial Magnetic Power. But the lifespan of this "battery" would be shortened to a mere thirty seconds.

After those thirty seconds,

well...

he would be returning completely to the embrace of a True God.

But thirty seconds was more than enough.

Although the Jinxiao Sect Master had cultivated in the Dharma Realm for five hundred years, his was the lowest, unranked grade of Dharma Aspect, so his power was extremely limited.

However,

to avoid any accidents,

Wu Dao decided to take the controls and pilot him personally.

After all, no one understood Primordial Magnetic Power better than him!

BOOM—

In the span of a thought,

a sliver of Wu Dao’s vast consciousness separated and surged down the ceaseless current of Primordial Magnetism. It shot into the Dantian of the Observing Cave Sect’s Sect Master, taking effortless command of this magnetic-field-powered armor.

VMMMM~

Pitch-black eyes opened.

It was as if an Abyssal Demon God that devoured all things had descended. A terrifying, fundamental pressure swept across the Ten Directions. The sky grew dim, and the sun and moon lost their light.

"Who in the world are you?!"

This strange and overwhelmingly powerful aura made every hair on Zhao Yuanming’s body stand on end.

The instant he met that pair of cold, indifferent black eyes,

he felt as if he were gazing upon the very Primordial Ancestor of life, as if the magnificent Great Dao itself had manifested before him. The chasm-like gap between their beings nearly made him drop to his knees and kowtow on the spot.

BOOM—

Wu Dao’s black eyes looked down upon all living things with cold indifference. An explosive Primordial Magnetic Field erupted from his pores. Like a world-ending god descending, he had no intention of wasting words.

He channeled the Magnetic Field Power of all creation.

A great hand reached out, its fingers wreathed in great dragons of starlit magnetic energy that formed Heaven-Supporting Divine Pillars.

As his five fingers closed,

the layers of void in its path shattered like glass into a million pieces. The world for tens of thousands of miles around was first turned into a vacuum, then erupted into Chaos, all to be crushed within his palm.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—

Space rapidly compressed and collapsed.

Caught in the Chaos Storm, the Heart Lake Alarm Bell in Zhao Yuanming’s mind rang with frantic intensity. He felt as if his very being was about to disintegrate!

"Don’t even think about it!"

At this moment of life and death,

Zhao Yuanming unleashed the full power befitting a Human Immortal.

Within his Purple Mansion, his Nascent Soul glowed brightly, spewing endless, colorful divine light that formed into a wrathful Vajra Divine General clad in battle armor, a great golden sun floating behind its head.

The Vajra Divine General was impossibly majestic and imposing.

It resembled a Guardian divine general from the Celestial Court.

Its limbs were pillars supporting the heavens, its rippling muscles were like majestic mountain ranges, and its star-sized head burst through the atmosphere, towering into the Nine Heavens Gang Wind.

The fierce light and heat from the golden sun floating behind its head were Transcendent, surpassing even the Eighteen Extreme Yang Heavens. It was the manifestation of his Nascent Soul, Dharma Aspect, and Daoist cultivation, its light shining upon the world for hundreds of thousands of miles.

The Great Sun Vajra Aspect!

It was derived from the Human Immortal Technique, the Great Sun Vajra Scripture.

Supreme Yang energy, unrivaled in power!

Its origins could be traced to the Celestial Soldiers and Generals of the Celestial Court; this was the greatest Creation Zhao Yuanming had achieved when he certified his Vajra Dharma Aspect five hundred years ago.

"Break for me!"

Zhao Yuanming roared, his eyes blazing with fury. His Purple Mansion spewed a sea of immortal light and Dao Patterns, while various Elixir Pills, immortal Talismans, and the Imperial Artifacts he’d kept in reserve all exploded as if they cost nothing.

BOOM!!

For a moment,

the Vajra Divine General’s Dharma Aspect grew even more imposing.

Drawing upon all the energies of heaven and earth, the great sun behind its head blazed with ultimate incandescence. Its feet stomped and shattered the landscape for tens of thousands of miles. With unparalleled tyrannical might, it raised a fist to smash the descending, star-filled hand, as if attempting a Heaven and Earth Creation!

’Does he think he’s the Horse Groom?’

A strange thought flickered in Wu Dao’s mind as he watched this strangely familiar scene. He then sneered. ’If you’re Sun Monkey, then I’m the Tathagata Buddha!’

’Don’t even think about escaping my palm!’

VMMM!!

At his thought,

the star-filled hand constructed of Primordial Magnetism became infinitely heavier and vaster, releasing an aura of absolute nothingness that could seal the heavens and sunder the earth, severing all Magnetic Field Power!

The Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage!

With only thirty seconds,

Wu Dao had no interest in trading blows with Zhao Yuanming. If he hadn’t wanted to capture him alive, he could have swatted him dead on the spot in an instant!

In the Dharma Realm,

the combat power of different Dharma Aspects varied immensely.

An unranked Dharma Aspect like Zhao Yuanming’s, even at its peak, couldn’t defeat a King Grade Celestial Pride who had just entered the Dharma Realm.

What’s more,

he was facing Wu Dao, whose potential was Emperor Grade across all Daos of the Thirty-Three Heavens!

Even though Wu Dao hadn’t officially started his journey, and even though he could only descend with a fraction of his power into a Polluted Body,

he could still play with his opponent however he pleased.

Exactly however he pleased!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—

The moment the Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage formed,

it sealed the heavens and sundered the earth.

It severed and isolated all Magnetic Field connections.

Zhao Yuanming discovered to his horror that he had lost the connection between his Nascent Soul and his Dharma Aspect. The immense power surging from him was rapidly dissipating!

In the ensuing chain reaction,

the once world-shaking and majestic Vajra Divine Aspect seemed to deflate in an instant, nearly collapsing with weak knees. The Dao Patterns and immortal light dimmed, and its heaven-smiting fist became a soft, weak little punch.

"Jinxiao Sect disciples, quickly, lend me your strength!"

In a flash,

Zhao Yuanming had not yet given up hope of survival. He roared into the Chaos, attempting to activate the Grand Array he had inscribed on the Immortal Ship to forcibly borrow power from the Jinxiao Sect’s disciples.

But it was useless!

The Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage severed and sealed all Magnetic Fields!

His Divine Thought couldn’t leave his body at all!

He was utterly without hope!

"Insolent. What do you mean ’your power’? It is mine!"

Wu Dao’s voice boomed out in correction, a thunderclap from Chaos that resounded through the Nine Heavens Cloud Sea.

Then,

before Zhao Yuanming’s disbelieving eyes,

every single disciple of the Jinxiao Sect aboard the Immortal Ship silently turned traitor. As if encountering a True God descending, they began to kowtow and worship Wu Dao frantically.

The Energy from their Purple Mansions swirled like tornadoes, transforming into star-colored magnetic power that converged into the closing, star-filled hand, augmenting its might.

"You are... an Evil God!"

In his final moments,

Zhao Yuanming seemed to have a moment of realization. He roared in absolute terror, never having imagined that the resurrected Primordial Divine Monarch of the Primordial Divine Sect would turn out to be a vile Evil God!

BOOM!

Wu Dao had no interest in explaining.

The great hand snapped shut.

It crushed and annihilated the space for tens of thousands of miles around.

The Vajra Dharma Aspect shattered on the spot, and all of his Divine Communication Technique were forcibly compressed and squeezed back into Zhao Yuanming’s body.

Then,

from the walls of the central Primordial Magnetic Celestial Prison Cage,

countless Primordial Magnetic Arms shot out. They burrowed madly into Zhao Yuanming’s flesh and soul, forcibly converting him, opening a Faith Channel, and dyeing him in Wu Dao’s colors.

As for the elites of the Jinxiao Sect,

time was limited.

Wu Dao would first infect them into a half-finished state; subduing Zhao Yuanming was the priority.

BOOM!

The thirty seconds were finally up.

The lifespan of the "battery"—the Sect Master of the Observing Cave Sect—had reached its limit. He self-destructed, exploding into a brilliant great sun.

WHOOSH~

A long, turbid breath escaped him.

It was as if his entire past had turned to smoke and vanished.

"I, Zhao Yuanming, a wayward Sinner, have only today come to know the Primordial Dao. I kowtow in gratitude to the Divine Monarch for the grace of his enlightenment."

As if reborn, Zhao Yuanming radiated a light of conversion. His eyes held not a trace of their former cunning, malice, or rage. Utterly docile and serene, he prostrated himself completely, facing the direction of the Primordial God Mountain in a pious kowtow.

"We kowtow in gratitude to the Divine Monarch for the grace of his enlightenment."

Aboard the Immortal Ship,

tens of thousands of Jinxiao Sect members kowtowed in unison. The strongest among them were only at Divine Power Nine Transformations, and their resistance was far weaker than Zhao Yuanming’s.

After Wu Dao’s essence descended, he had quickly infected their Magnetic Fields, turning them into fanatical believers, one step below the Polluted Bodies.

’Sigh... I’m still too constrained.’

Within the Divine Country Grotto Heaven,

Wu Dao sensed the significant deficit in his Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles from the recent battle and let out a soft sigh.

As long as he remained trapped in this pond,

all sorts of restrictions would prevent him from ever unleashing his full power freely.

However,

just as they say, a pillow arrived just as he was getting sleepy.

With the addition of Zhao Yuanming as a new recruit and the tens of thousands of Jinxiao Sect disciples, he could now construct a Primordial Magnetic Network with two hundred revolutions of power.

Although the Cultivation environment in the Divine Country was poor,

and even with a two-hundred-revolution external Magnetic Field network, he still couldn’t create the extremely harsh environment required by the Essence Devouring Art,

it was still better than being unable to make any progress at all.

’If news of today’s battle is spread by someone with an agenda in the Primordial Cave Heaven, it will probably attract others who covet the Divine Fire.’

As his thoughts churned,

Wu Dao began to consider how to handle the aftermath.

Within Zhao Yuanming’s memories, the current Overlord of the Primordial Star Domain, the Vacuum Sect, seemed very interested in Divine Monarch Level Divine Fire.

The Supreme God worshipped by the Vacuum Sect, the Mother of the Void, was an Upper True God.

An Upper True God among the Divine Race was equivalent to a Human Race member with a King Grade Dharma Aspect at the Fifth Layer of completion or higher, complete with a unique phenomenon. They could capture giant stars and destroy Grotto Heavens with ease.

If the Vacuum Sect were to learn of the ’Primordial Divine Monarch’s’ revival, it would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

He needed to lay low before he could make his official escape. In other words, he could no longer stay in the Primordial Cave Heaven.

Thinking of this,

Wu Dao closed his eyes and focused, descending into Zhao Yuanming’s Divine Sea through the Faith Channel.

Afterward,

he packed up the statue of the Primordial Divine Monarch, the three thousand Polluted Bodies, and the tens of thousands of disciples from the Jinxiao Sect, loading them all onto the Jinxiao Ship.

He then used the believers’ Magnetic Fields to wrap the Jinxiao Ship in a magnetic invisibility cloak, allowing it to vanish completely from the void as it sailed toward the Grotto Heaven’s exit.

A Continent Level Crossing the Heavens Immortal Ship.

Although it couldn’t pass through the Grotto Heaven’s Gang Wind above the Nine Heavens, it could still traverse the Star Sea. With Zhao Yuanming, a skilled pathfinder, leading the way, the journey was naturally unimpeded.

VMMMM~

After passing through the final layer of gang wind,

the Jinxiao Ship officially departed the Primordial Cave Heaven and entered the vast cosmos.

"To pluck the moon from the Nine Heavens and roam the Star Sea... this is a true Extraordinary World."

On the deck,

by borrowing the "battery" that was Zhao Yuanming,

Wu Dao was finally able, in this life, to witness the profound and boundless Grand Cosmos and Star Sea. Once again, he was struck by a deep sense of his own insignificance.

The cosmos was dark and profound.

Only in the far distance could he see the twinkling stars that dotted the darkness and the vast Star Sea that spewed divine light.

Overall,

aside from being filled with all sorts of high-energy Extraordinary Factors, the universe of the Chaotic Star Heaven had the same structure as the Grand Cosmos of his past life.

’To pull down the cosmic Star Sea and forge a Celestial Domain from countless Grotto Heavens and dimensions... that kind of power is truly terrifying.’

Gazing at the boundless Star Sea,

Wu Dao thought of the Taiyi Star Emperor from Four Tribulations ago who had shaped the unique environment of the Chaotic Star Heaven. He took a deep breath and reined in his pride.

Compared to a figure like that,

his own meager accomplishments were truly not worth mentioning.

But Wu Dao didn’t belittle himself, either.

The great, roaring river of nature always flows forward.

Only those who halt their advance and grow complacent with the status quo are eliminated.

One must brave the rapids and surge forward.

Never be satisfied with the status quo.

There was no need to envy the strong.

As long as he kept moving forward, he would eventually become one of the strong—and even surpass them.