Essence Devouring Art

Wu Dao’s figure gradually receded into the distance.

At the Bridge Entrance, the people of the caravan were wretched. The women wept uncontrollably, while the others wore looks of gloomy, bewildered despair.

Behind the crowd.

Two middle-aged men, each carrying a crimson spear, stared for a long time at Wu Dao’s departing back. The slightly older one, dressed in blue robes with graying temples, let out a low sigh.

"I thought he was a man of loyalty and righteousness, but it turns out he’s just another predator baring its fangs."

"The world is what it is. We are willing, but powerless."

The relatively thinner, black-robed man looked utterly exhausted and said with a self-deprecating smile:

"Sometimes, I almost wish that Prince Nanyang would raise his army soon. He’s not a brutal and tyrannical man; he cares for the common people, and there’s no rampant lawlessness in the lands under his rule..."

"Watch your words!"

The blue-robed man admonished him sternly. "For generations, our families have received the Celestial Emperor’s grace. Everything we have was bestowed by him. It is our duty to share our sovereign’s worries and to protect our country and its people. No matter how chaotic the world becomes, we must not waver from the principles in our hearts."

"It was just some idle grumbling."

The black-robed man gave a helpless, bitter smile.

Thinking about the purpose of their trip, he sighed again.

"The White Whale Martial Arts Hall, after all, originated from the once-infamous Giant Whale Sect. Qi Canghai himself is a man who sways between good and evil.

"What’s more, the Imperial Court expended great effort in the destruction of the Giant Whale Sect back then. With that bad blood between them, he’s unlikely to lean toward the Royalist Faction like the Fangcun Sword Hall.

"This trip is a long shot."

"Let’s just do our best and leave the rest to Celestial Mandate. This journey isn’t entirely for the White Whale King, anyway."

The blue-robed man’s expression grew slightly more solemn.

"Those bastards have been getting more and more restless lately. Some have even been brazenly colluding with humans to bring disaster upon the common folk.

"The Xiaoman Commander and a good number of the Hundred Households have been tied up investigating this matter. Once they unearth the Alien Species behind it all, there will surely be a major move.

"Before that happens, we, the stationed Jingzhe Guard from various regions, will have to bear the burden of dealing with the Alien Species disasters in Guangqing Prefecture.

"Scouts have recently reported Alien Species causing trouble in many parts of Lancang County.

"We can’t control man-made disasters, but dealing with calamities caused by Alien Species is the duty of the Jingzhe Guard. We cannot sit by and do nothing."

After speaking, the blue-robed man glanced again at the mournful caravan ahead. He wanted to do something, but in the end, he was willing but powerless. He could only sigh and depart in shame.

...

He quickly covered the tens of miles of mountain road.

At noon, when the scorching sun hung high in the sky, Wu Dao finally arrived at his destination—

Lancang County City!

At the end of a wide official road that could fit eight horses abreast.

A colossal, majestic, and imposing city sat upon the plain like a coiled dragon and a crouching tiger. Within its walls were thousands of buildings, bustling with a deafening roar of activity. Even from a distance, one could feel the aura of the Human Dao soaring to the heavens.

The heavy, black city walls, over thirty meters thick, snaked across the plain like a giant dragon. In comparison, the stream of carriages, horses, and people entering and exiting the city gates looked as tiny as ants.

It was hard to imagine just how much manpower and resources had been expended to forge such an impregnable fortress of iron and bronze, capable of repelling an army of thousands.

ROAR—

As he drew closer, he could hear the rushing sound of the vast and hazy Lancang River, which flowed from north to south. The river was dense with painted pleasure barges and multi-storied ships, passing in and out of the water gates on either side, transporting merchants and goods from all corners of the land.

Standing in the queue to enter the city, Wu Dao felt the clamorous, lively, and prosperous atmosphere from within, and for a moment, he felt a sense of temporal and spatial disorientation.

He had simply encountered too many scenes of suffering on his journey, which had led him to believe that the entire world had fallen into complete chaos and should be filled with cries of misery everywhere. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

But on second thought, it was normal.

Lancang City was, after all, a County City.

In the Da Li Territory, the world was divided into five regions: the Central Plains, the Southern Border, the Northern Lands, the East Sea, and the Western Desert.

Beneath them were:

Prefectures, Counties, Towns, Villages.

The status of a County City was already equivalent to a major city’s administrative district from Wu Dao’s previous life.

Its scale, population, and economy naturally far surpassed the small county towns he had seen along the way.

Not to mention, Lancang County City was the headquarters of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall, the Overlord of Guangqing Prefecture. Unless a real war broke out, the County City would never descend into chaos.

At most...

’It would just be a matter of swapping one "Prefect" for another.’

Wu Dao glanced at the city gate and the towering walls above. The expected Official City Guard was nowhere to be seen.

In their place...

Were burly men with broad shoulders, thick waists, and powerful builds, their temples high and bulging.

These guards were, at a minimum, experts of the Hard and Soft Realm. Their gazes were sharp, their palms and fingers thick with calluses. All of them wore uniform Armor and carried Shields, Steel Sabers, and Steel Spears, each emblazoned with the White Whale Martial Arts Hall’s insignia.

On the city tower, there were even Crossbowmen, their hawk-like eyes surveying the crowd below. At the first sign of trouble, they would turn the perpetrators into a hornet’s nest.

City Guards!

Armor!

Shields!

Crossbows!

Even if Wu Dao’s knowledge of history was poor, he knew that in a feudal dynasty, these positions and military armaments were exclusive to the Royal Family.

For a commoner to dare produce or possess them was tantamount to treason!

But now...

The White Whale Martial Arts Hall wasn’t even pretending anymore.

They displayed the full bearing of "rebels" using their army to build personal power, brazenly trampling the Royal Family’s authority underfoot.

One could see the whole picture from this small glimpse.

A mere Local Bully in a single prefecture of the Southern Border was already this audacious.

One could only imagine what the situation was like in the other four regions of the Great Li Country, and just how far the Imperial Court’s decay and decline had reached.

’It’s like a prelude to the Three Kingdoms. All sorts of warlords, Rebel Kings, and ambitious men are sharpening their knives. Everything is ready, just waiting for the right signal.’

However...

None of this had anything to do with Wu Dao. In this life, he had no interest in vying for control of the world, much less in becoming a king or an overlord.

His sole purpose for living was to seek the final point of human evolution and ascension.

To him, all things in the world were merely beneficial or harmful; any other attached meaning was as fleeting as smoke and clouds, not worth mentioning.

"Could you be the great hero, Skull Shattering Hand? I, Zhao Jianji, have long admired you."

As Wu Dao was quietly moving forward with the crowd, a handsome young man in front of him, who had been repeatedly turning to look back, seemed to have confirmed Wu Dao’s identity and greeted him with a cupped-fist salute.

The youth was about twenty, with a clean-shaven face and an unusual short wolf-tail braid. A thin sword hung at his waist, giving him the air of a dashing rogue.

"Mm."

Wu Dao gave a lukewarm nod, though his cheek twitched almost imperceptibly. ’That nickname is truly awful. I wonder which bastard spread it. If I ever find him, I’ll smash his brains all over the floor.’

"I imagine a man of your strength, Senior, must also be here to compete for the position of Hall Master at the White Whale Martial Arts Hall."

Seeing Wu Dao’s cool attitude, Zhao Jianji didn’t seem to mind and instead struck up a conversation as if they were old friends.

"Yes."

Wu Dao remained a man of few words. ’This guy is really thick-skinned. Doesn’t he have any Eye Power at all?’

"Then you must be careful, Senior."

Zhao Jianji, still oblivious, continued on his own, "I’ve heard that this time, Guangqing Prefecture has sent out invitations to gather talent from all over. Many long-famous Pojian Masters have converged on Lancang City.

"They are all waiting for the heroes’ assembly tomorrow to contend for the position of County Hall Master and enjoy wealth and glory.

"But there are only three County-level Hall Master slots this time, so the competition will likely be fierce. A huge brawl is unavoidable.

"However, it’s worth it.

"Once elected as a Hall Master, not only do you command all the branch hall disciples in a county, but all sorts of Cultivation Resources, wealth, and women are yours for the asking. You’d be even more prestigious than a County Magistrate.

"Unfortunately, I’m not skilled at fighting and killing. I prefer playing with the brush and abacus, so I can only compete for a County Hall ’Document’ position as a small consolation.

"If we’re lucky, perhaps I could be with you, Senior..."

"Shut up!"

Listening to Zhao Jianji’s incessant chatter, Wu Dao felt as if a thousand flies were buzzing in his ear. He said impatiently, "Are you an idiot, or am I? Do you really need to waste my time with this trivial nonsense?

"Also, how old are you?"