Essence Devouring Art

WHOOSH~

It was early autumn.

A bitter wind blew, and a cold rain fell, shrouding the world in mist.

Within a certain county city south of Guangqing Prefecture.

"The Black Dragon Commerce Association has posted the new lists!"

The light of dawn was faint, and the fog hung heavy.

A shout suddenly pierced the quiet streets of the county city.

"The last list was only two years ago. Aren’t they updated every three years?"

"Heh, rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"True, especially with everything that’s happened recently..."

Amidst the clamor of discussion, a large crowd of Jianghu people and curious onlookers gathered beneath the tall archway at the entrance of the Black Dragon Commerce Association’s Inner City branch. The flow of people was endless, their breath like smoke in the air, creating a chaotic scene.

The archway had no gate and was adorned with carvings of soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes.

Three gilt-edged lists were posted upon it, the calligraphy vigorous and powerful. Written from bottom to top were the names of famous and powerful figures, along with brief accounts of their deeds.

The Weapons List, the Martial List, and the Immortal List.

These were the three great lists.

They had been established by the Black Dragon Commerce Association several centuries ago to increase its own influence, created by leveraging its vast intelligence network to gather information on all the world’s capable individuals and extraordinary talents.

There were Prefecture Lists, Regional Lists, and a World List.

The top experts from every realm of cultivation were recorded on them. The lists had never been wrong, and they had become an almost official authority.

Although the lists only recorded the top ten in each region, there were no fakes among the famous.

Anyone who made the lists was an overlord at the pinnacle of their field, acknowledged by thousands of cultivators and draped in countless honors. The prestige they held was immense.

The Prefecture Lists were updated once every three years.

However, because many major events had occurred in Guangqing Prefecture in a short period, the landscape of the cultivation world had drastically changed. The old list was no longer applicable, so it was updated ahead of schedule.

"The top spot on the Weapons List still belongs to Hero Yang Wufeng of Fangcun Sword Hall. If I’m not mistaken, he’s held that title for nearly twenty years straight."

The Weapons List was unchanged.

This was just as the onlookers had expected.

Yang Wufeng had become famous in his prime. His Bladeless Sword Technique was said to be capable of breaking through anything, and he was renowned throughout the entire Southern Border Land.

His virtue and strength were both acknowledged as being the best among the righteous path within the prefecture. Over twenty years ago, he had stepped into the Land Immortal Realm, which had solidified his unshakeable position at the top of the Weapons List.

In those twenty years, countless challengers had come to test their swords against his.

But he had never been defeated. His holding the top spot once again was what everyone had hoped for, and no one questioned it.

After the Weapons List came the Martial List, which everyone was most excited to see.

This was because, during this period, a fierce dragon had stirred up the winds and clouds of the entire Guangqing Prefecture, creating one monstrous wave after another, the repercussions of which had yet to fade.

"Hiss... First place! He’s in first place!"

As the crowd’s gaze traveled past the names on the Golden List to the very top, they all froze and gasped sharply—

Guangqing Martial Arts List—Number One: Wu Dao!

The two characters, imbued with a domineering True Intent, sat at the head of the list, shining brilliantly. They were like an overlord roaring at the heavens from a mountain peak, eclipsing the radiance of the nine names below.

Destroying Lin Village, annihilating Yellow Dragon, pacifying the Four Seas, uniting the north and south of the prefecture...

These well-known deeds were famous throughout the prefecture; there was no need to elaborate.

What truly convinced everyone was the final achievement, a feat most of them were unaware of—

"Ten days ago, in Qingyuan City, defeated Xu Sheng of the Cyan Pine Fist with a single punch!"

This was the crucial proof that secured Wu Dao’s place at the top of the Guangqing Martial Arts List!

And who was Xu Sheng?

A Half-Step Land Immortal with Half-Step Boxing Dao True Intent!

The Commander of Guangqing for the Jingzhe Bureau. Like Yang Wufeng, he had held the top spot on the Martial List for many years, an insurmountable mountain in the hearts of Guangqing Prefecture’s countless Martial Artists.

A figure of such stature was defeated in a single punch?

Just one punch...

’Could it be that the Overlord Whale King’s Martial Dao has already entered the Land Immortal Realm?’

"A Golden Carp is not a creature meant for a small pond; it transforms into a dragon at the first sign of a storm. In such a short time... a True Dragon has emerged in Guangqing Prefecture."

"You’re wrong. The Overlord Whale King, the *Overlord Whale* King! He’s destined to be an overlord who suppresses the four seas. What’s a True Dragon compared to that?"

"Keep your voice down! If someone from the Overlord Whale Alliance hears you talking about their Alliance Leader, they’ll skin you alive."

...

Cries of amazement, flattery, and awe rose and fell.

But no matter the tone, everyone only dared to whisper their discussions, not daring to speak loudly.

Ten days ago, after the Overlord Whale Alliance destroyed the Four Seas Gang, it cemented its status as an overlord. Wherever it went, none dared to disobey.

Ninety-nine percent of the Jianghu powers in the southern lands, large and small, including the remnants of the Four Seas Gang, had been brought under its banner. Its size had swelled, and it now truly possessed the momentum of a whale devouring and a tiger roaring.

In today’s Guangqing Prefecture, it could be said that aside from Prefecture City Pingliang County where the Fangcun Sword Hall was located, there were no rivals left in the north and south. In the Jianghu and among the common folk, the Overlord Whale Alliance was seen as the sky itself.

If this were the Warring States period, they could truly be called a regional king, contending for supremacy over the world.

After the Overlord Whale Alliance took control of the north and south, it adopted a more long-term and stable strategy toward its subordinates: raising sheep to fleece their wool and collecting regular tribute.

This was unlike the Four Seas Gang, which had been vicious and cruel, draining the pond to catch the fish and leaving no way out for anyone, causing them to lose the people’s support and incite immense resentment.

But in essence, the Overlord Whale Alliance was no righteous organization.

Its Alliance Leader, Wu Dao, had a reputation for being domineering and ruthless, seeking revenge for the smallest grievance, and annihilating entire families at the slightest provocation.

For all these reasons, although the southern lands of Guangqing Prefecture had regained some vitality after the cancer that was the Four Seas Gang was removed, when it came to their new master, the Overlord Whale Alliance, most ordinary people still held an attitude of fearing its power, keeping a respectful distance, and avoiding provocation at all costs.

When discussing such a figure, it was natural to be wary and not speak too freely.

After the Martial List was the Immortal List.

Most people didn’t have high expectations for the Immortal List.

This was because there were very few practitioners of the Immortal Dao in Guangqing Prefecture.

The previous number one on the Immortal List had been the Yellow Dragon Daoist, and below him were just a few minor, reclusive sects from On the Mountain.

After the Yellow Dragon Temple was destroyed, there were no Immortal Dao Influences left in the prefecture capable of holding their own. The few that remained were small fry, not even worth mentioning.

But this time, the top spot on the Immortal List had changed.

"Huh? Nangong Hao... Guangyuan Daoist, a Land Immortal. Who is this? I’ve never heard of him."

A strange name sat at the head of the Immortal List.

It drew waves of shock and suspicion.

"Nangong Hao... his surname is Nangong..."

However, a Jianghu veteran’s brow furrowed in thought before he came to a realization:

"That must be the current Clan Leader of the Nangong Family from Pingliang City. The Nangong Family is a reclusive clan with a long history. It’s said they once followed the Grand Ancestor in his campaign across the Southern Border, enjoying boundless glory.

But after World Peace was achieved, the Nangong Family went into seclusion from the mortal world. Now they’ve re-emerged to hold sway over the Prefecture City...

I’m afraid the world is about to fall into true chaos."

"Heh, chaos or no chaos, it’s all the same for us. Instead of worrying about all that, we’d be better off worrying about where tomorrow’s meal is coming from."

"That’s true. We’re just common folk. No matter how the world changes, heh, we’re nothing more than weeds by the side of the road."

...

While Guangqing Prefecture was in an uproar over the Black Dragon Commerce Association’s updated lists,

deep within a desolate, uninhabited mountain range,

a light rain fell through a thin mist, and the mountain forest was damp and gloomy.

On a ridge, a dilapidated Mountain God Temple stood with collapsed beams and broken walls, overgrown with weeds. The sight was one of utter ruin and gloom, enough to send a shiver down one’s spine.

PATTER~

The sound of light footsteps echoed.

A dark green oil-paper umbrella blocked the black water droplets falling from the rotten gate of the Mountain God Temple.

Beneath the umbrella,

a youth with a sinister appearance, deathly pale skin, and vertical pupils looked up at the only intact statue in the temple—a mountain god with the head of a fox. A flash of impatience crossed his eyes as he spoke in a hoarse, cold voice:

"What, do you need me to invite you out?"

The moment his voice fell,

"It has been many years, Brother Chang Yu. Your temper is as fiery as ever."

a decrepit, ancient voice sounded from behind the sinister youth.

From a side hall emerged a stooped, white-haired old woman leaning on a golden, fox-headed staff. Within her wrinkled, peach-blossom eyes, one could still glimpse a trace of the soul-snatching charm she possessed in her youth.

"Of course I haven’t changed. You, on the other hand..."

Chang Yu closed his oil-paper umbrella and glanced at the senile-looking old woman, shaking his head.

"Your cultivation is still there, but your lifespan is nearing its end. We are in the End of the Dharma, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi is nothing like it used to be. You can’t have much time left."

"Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural state of all things. I am not a fox who fears death."

The white-haired old woman was not angered. She seemed to have come to terms with everything, shaking her head with regret.

"If I have one regret, it would be that I was unable to avenge the great enmity from when my clan was nearly exterminated."

VMMMM~

The very air trembled.

An intensely frigid aura suddenly enveloped the mountainside in all directions. The thousands of falling raindrops froze in mid-air, then crashed down in the next instant as ice daggers, piercing through the forest canopy and echoing everywhere.

HUUFF~

The murderous light and hatred in his vertical pupils receded.

Chang Yu exhaled a breath of foul air, his expression turning chillingly cold.

"That’s not necessarily true. The Demon Suppression Emperor may be dead, but Jingzhe still exists, and Dali can’t run. There must be a way to repay the blood debt from all those years ago!

Enough..."

His tone shifted.

Chang Yu said impatiently:

"Why did you seek me out? The relationship between our two clans is not that good."

"Wu Dao."

The white-haired old woman seemed to know the youth’s temper. Leaning on her staff with both hands, she uttered two words, her previously calm tone now laced with a hint of killing intent.

"Wu Dao..."

Hearing Wu Dao’s name, a cold light once again shot from Chang Yu’s eyes, making him resemble a great snake choosing its prey.

A Great Demon with fifteen hundred years of cultivation was already a significant figure among the Demon Race.

But just ten days ago, a Great Demon of the Snake Race had been swallowed and roasted alive by Wu Dao!

Not only that, the Snake Race’s agent in Guangqing Prefecture had also been eliminated by Wu Dao.

With such a blood feud, Wu Dao was naturally already on the Snake Race’s kill list. They wished for nothing more than to skin him and pull out his tendons.

The reason they hadn’t acted immediately was because they weren’t one hundred percent certain of success.

The Snake Race has agents throughout the Southern Border.

They naturally had intelligence sources and knew perfectly well what kind of power Wu Dao possessed.

Horizontal Refining Fourth Gate!

A mysterious and unfathomable Celestial Treasure Master!

Defeated a Half-Step Land Immortal in one punch!

An enemy like this was no longer some ant they could crush at will.

Unless a Demon King-level entity were to revive and take action, otherwise, not even a siege by Land Immortals could do anything to Wu Dao.

This was because Extraordinaries who reached this level had extremely keen perceptions of danger and premonitions.

Unless they were crushed by absolute power at close range, they would not allow themselves to fall into a dangerous situation.

Furthermore, within the Snake Race, only this sinister youth, a single Land Immortal, had revived. They didn’t have the numbers for a siege even if they wanted to.

Therefore, the Snake Race’s stance on Wu Dao was to avoid alerting the enemy for the time being. They would wait for a Demon King from their clan to revive and then crush him with thunderous force.

In that time, even if Wu Dao was a Celestial Treasure Master, it would be impossible for him to grow strong enough to contend with a Demon King!

The Fox Race, which also held a grudge against Wu Dao, was naturally vengeful, but they had not lost their reason. The upper echelons of their clan initially had the same idea as the Snake Race.

However, something happened later that made them change their minds.

Thus, it led to today’s meeting between the two clans.

"So, you’re looking for me because you want to team up?"

Chang Yu saw the old woman’s calm and composed demeanor, which suggested she was confident, but he still frowned slightly and said,

"You should be aware that even if we join forces, if that bastard is determined to escape, there’s nothing we can do to stop him."

"Hehe."

But upon hearing this, the old woman simply gave a faint smile and opened her palm.

"What if he can’t escape?"

Hmm?

Chang Yu’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the old woman’s palm.

In the center of her wrinkled palm, lay a single grain of wheat.

A grain as red as a drop of blood, suffused with a malevolent aura.