Essence Devouring Art

After a brief moment of shock, the faces of the three twisted into savage masks of rage. They let out terrifying roars as they tore through their skin, revealing their true forms.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

A wild, fetid, bestial aura instantly filled the entire rear garden.

In the sunlight, a mottled great tiger, a red-furred wild boar, and a vicious white wolf stood revealed. Each was ten feet tall, casting terrifying shadows upon the ground.

What’s more, the strength of these three Fierce Beasts was far beyond that of the wolf from Chenliu County. Their Demon Qi was dense, their power at least equivalent to that of a seven-hundred-year-old Transformed Demon Species!

In other words, the Second Rebirth!

"Heh. Demons may be strong, but they’re useless in the face of absolute power!"

Facing the three savage Fierce Beasts, Li Shan and his two companions remained unfazed. With a cold snort, they drew their blades and charged forward.

After receiving Wu Dao’s order, the Overlord Whale Alliance’s Pojian Masters and the minor Divine Power experts from the surrounding area had raced to Jianshan County. They then split into smaller groups, secretly infiltrating the city to hunt for Saint King Daoist Disciples.

Based on the varying heat emanating from their Tokens, they had naturally been assigned to match strength with strength.

Li Shan and his two companions were core Guardians of the alliance, all at the Third Rebirth. They naturally had no fear of these three Demon Beasts, whose strength was merely equivalent to the Second Rebirth.

ROAR ROAR ROAR—

As the three men and three beasts clashed in a chaotic melee, ferocious roars erupted from all directions within the city, most originating from the estates of the three great families.

However, no sooner had the roars begun than they were silenced by the experts of the Overlord Whale Alliance.

In an instant, the sounds of fierce combat between men and beasts filled all of Jianshan City. Houses collapsed, rubble flew, dust and smoke billowed, and the entire city descended into chaos.

「At the same moment.」

Outside Jianshan City, on Holy Bull Mountain.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—

The mountain shattered and the earth cracked as molten rock flew everywhere.

Boulders weighing hundreds or thousands of tons shot out in all directions like a meteor shower, accompanied by sonic booms, smashing huge craters into the ground.

Wu Dao, his black robes fluttering, stood tall in the sky. Countless flying fragments of rock were crushed into dust by his Magnetic Field Power before they could even get near him.

"Heh, still not coming out?!"

When the hidden demon still didn’t appear after he blew up the Divine Temple on the peak, Wu Dao couldn’t help but grin savagely. He raised his hand again. A hole tore open in his palm, and another blast of Supreme Yang, Crimson Gold True Dragon Breath, thick as a rainbow column, shot through the void to slam into the ruins.

After arriving in the Jianshan City region, he had unleashed his Spiritual Perception, scanning the entire city only to find a few small fry.

There wasn’t even an Innate Great Demon.

Unsatisfied, he immediately expanded his search range.

Finally, on the peak of Holy Bull Mountain outside the city, he discovered a huge Divine Temple enshrining a statue of the Saint King.

Beneath the Divine Temple was a rich, mouth-watering aroma. It had to be, at the very least, a 1,500-year-old Great Demon!

Without any hesitation, he went with his usual strategy: bomb the area to force out the monster.

He raised his hand and fired a Dragon Breath, instantly obliterating the Divine Temple and the entire peak of Holy Bull Mountain.

As for the Daoist Disciples in the Divine Temple, they were instantly vaporized, wiped from existence. They were all just Little Kalami like Black Wolf, anyway. He didn’t feel the slightest bit of remorse.

ROAR!

The True Dragon Breath echoed between heaven and earth.

At the moment of impact, a massive fireball erupted. Blinding light and intense heat lit up the sky as the expanding shockwave shredded everything in its path. The entire upper half of Holy Bull Mountain was turned to ash.

"MOOO!!!"

A bellow, as if from the ancient Primordial Chaos, shook the heavens. Savage, frenzied, blood-red Demon Qi erupted from the base of Holy Bull Mountain like geysers.

After two blasts of True Dragon Breath, the demonic creature hiding beneath Holy Bull Mountain could finally conceal itself no longer.

RUMBLE—

After the bellow, the mountain’s foundation began to shake like a massive earthquake, trembling and rocking as thousands of wide fissures split its surface. It was as if a behemoth was awakening deep below.

BOOM!

The earth shattered and stone exploded as the ground quaked.

The base of Holy Bull Mountain exploded into a million pieces, and a malevolent, blood-red Demon Qi soared to the heavens, crashing against the world like a tsunami.

From within the billowing dust and smoke...

"MOOO!!"

A hundred-meter-tall, crimson-skinned monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man burst forth from the mountain.

Muscles rippling with a sense of brutal beauty seemed to be piled upon its frame like mountains. It raised its massive bull’s head and let out a heaven-shaking roar, unleashing a terrifying sonic wave.

RUMBLE—

The pillar of sound pierced the void, instantly shattering the countless stone fragments that filled the air.

"It really is a bull? No, that’s not right, a minotaur!"

Wu Dao looked down at the furious red creature, a flicker of novelty in his eyes.

WHOOSH~

Protected by his Magnetic Field, the mighty sonic wave washed over him like a current of water, leaving him completely unharmed.

’Come to think of it,’ he thought.

’I’ve been in this world for so long, and I still haven’t tried beef.’

’Looks like today’s the day I get to whet my appetite.’

’The only shame is...’

’This bull seems to be just an underling, not that blasted Saint King.’

’Its strength is equivalent to the Grandmaster realm at best. It must be a Guardian assigned to watch over this branch.’

...

「At the same moment.」

As Wu Dao destroyed the Divine Temple on Holy Bull Mountain...

Somewhere in the Southern Border.

Amidst vast mountains in a primitive, untamed wilderness.

Within Baiyue Mountain, a place known to few living souls.

Beyond an Array Barrier that rippled like clear water, one could see a hidden paradise where countless flowers bloomed in splendor amidst picturesque mountains and streams.

Deep within this paradise...

Nestled among clusters of flowers...

One could faintly discern unique houses shaped like the heads of foxes. Foxes with fur of every color darted between them, occasionally shifting into human form to laugh and play.

Deep within Fox City.

Beside a lotus pond, in a white-gauzed pavilion.

The harmonious notes of zithers drifted through the air. The scene was thick with romance, a love that would spurn immortality for a life lived together, drawing colorful butterflies and a hundred birds to join in a chorus.

DING~

At a certain moment, the melody faltered.

A handsome young man, dressed in robes whiter than snow, stilled his hands upon the strings. A flash of malice crossed his enchanting red eyes before he stopped playing entirely.

"My love?"

The sweet expression on the face of the devastatingly beautiful sixteen-year-old woman, who was playing a jade flute in the pavilion, faded slightly. She looked at the man in white with confusion in her beautiful, jade-green eyes.

"Just a small worry. It’s nothing."

Lu Hongye concealed the malice in his eyes. He let out a soft breath and said gently, "It’s getting late, Qing’Er. You should head back. Your sister will worry if you’re out too long."

"Hmph, don’t mention her."

The peerlessly beautiful girl, Qing’Er, wrinkled her delicate nose. With a look of adoration, she threw herself into Lu Hongye’s arms and complained indignantly:

"Is bloodline really so important? Main branch or outer clan, aren’t we all of the Fox Race? Why does my eldest sister keep rejecting you?"

"If you hadn’t saved me, I would have died outside the mountains long ago."

"Your sister is the clan matriarch. She bears the heavy burden of restoring our people. Her caution is for your own good, so you mustn’t be angry with her."

Lu Hongye tapped Su Qing’er on the nose. Suppressing the impatience in his heart, he said softly,

"If our love is as deep as the sea, we don’t need to be together every moment. Be good and go home now."

"Alright. I’ll listen to you."

Su Qing’er pouted slightly but nodded obediently. Then, with a twinkle in her clever eyes, she gave Lu Hongye a quick peck on the cheek. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and said mischievously,

"That’s a gift from me. Don’t you dare wipe it off, or else! Hmph!"

With that, she shook a small fist at him, her cheeks flushed red, and skipped away.

’Worthless bitch. You almost ruined everything!’

Lu Hongye watched Su Qing’er’s retreating figure, and the gentle, enchanting expression on his face was replaced by a sinister gloom.