Essence Devouring Art

No one knew when it started.

But within the Jianghu of Lancang County City,

a rumor began to circulate in certain circles.

Enter the Joyful Forest, and find bliss like an Immortal.

Fair maidens add fragrance to your study, their smiles can topple cities.

The greatest beauties of the mortal world, all gathered in this forest.

Fueled by such rumors,

the "ambitious men" of the Jianghu flocked to it like moths to a flame.

One man would bring another, and he in turn would bring another, and in a short time, they had forged a den of indulgence renowned throughout high society, unmatched in all of Guangqing Prefecture.

However,

few people knew

that the Joyful Forest wanted more than just money.

Because those who did were already enjoying their eternal bliss.

...

The great sun sank in the west, and the Star River of night unfurled.

In Yulan Mountain, fifty li outside Lancang County City and forty li from Tan County.

It was the end of summer.

Yulan trees bloomed all over the mountains. When the night wind blew, their petals drifted down, blanketing the ground in a vast expanse of white.

In a valley deep within this sea of Yulan trees,

a hazy white mist shrouded pavilions and terraces. The sound of songbirds and graceful dancers mingled with the glow of red lanterns and green wine. Set against the backdrop of Yulan petals drifting like snow, the scene was dreamlike and intoxicating—a true paradise on earth.

But tonight,

this realm of bliss was brutally shattered.

RUMBLE—

The thunderous sound of hooves rolled from far to near, drowning out the decadent music of the Joyful Forest.

The riders galloped onward, trampling everything in their path.

They crushed the snow-like Yulan petals—so admired by scholars and aesthetes—into mud and filth.

From a distance,

a wild and tyrannical evil aura washed over them like a wave, jolting the patrons from their reverie and sparking panicked whispers.

"What’s happening?"

"I don’t know. Sounds like a large group of men on horseback is approaching."

"Isn’t that just asking for death? The power behind the Joyful Forest is incredibly mysterious. Anyone who’s ever caused trouble here has vanished without a trace."

"It couldn’t be some brainless bandits who’ve set their sights on this place, could it?"

Before the people inside the Joyful Forest could discuss it for long,

"WHOA!!"

the sound of reins being pulled and horses coming to a halt rose from all around.

Beneath the red lanterns of the gatehouse, shrouded in the hazy mist,

a group of nearly a hundred men appeared. They stood in deep shadow, exuding a fierce and sinister air. Not a single one of them looked friendly; they looked for all the world like bandits descending from Black Wind Stronghold.

Especially their leader...

He was dressed all in black, stood nine feet tall, and had a towering physique. His arms were thicker than an ordinary man’s waist, and the tyrannical aura he unconsciously exuded was so intense that no one dared to look him in the eye.

Standing there beneath the gatehouse,

he seemed like a Demon Lord descended upon the mortal realm, looking down upon a world where all things were as insignificant as ants.

"Hiss... The Overlord Whale King, Wu Dao!"

Among the curious patrons gathered before the gatehouse, someone quickly recognized Wu Dao, their expression a mixture of shock and terror.

A man’s reputation precedes him, just as a tree casts a shadow.

After Wu Dao killed the Yellow Dragon Daoist, his fearsome reputation spread throughout Guangqing Prefecture, and his portrait had been copied countless times.

Not to mention,

a physique that immense, if not entirely unique, was like a beacon in the night—impossible to miss wherever he went.

"The Overlord Whale King is no kind-hearted soul. And bringing so many men... he does not come in peace, he does not come in peace at all."

"Indeed. I’ve never heard that the Overlord Whale King was fond of women."

"Heh heh, you never know. Appetite and lust are part of human nature. He’s not a true Immortal God, how could he... urk."

The last lewd voice was cut short. Blood streamed from the man’s seven orifices, the light faded from his eyes, and he fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

"Clear the area."

Wu Dao’s expression didn’t change as he retracted his gaze. The crimson-gold flames in his pupils vanished. He gave the order to Zhao Jianji and then strode toward the depths of the Joyful Forest.

"A... a man is dead!"

Only then did the crowd before the gatehouse react. The more timid ones cried out in alarm, a bone-chilling cold seeping into them.

’This is too tyrannical.’

’He kills at the slightest disagreement.’

’No, that’s not right. He didn’t even lift a finger. He killed him with just a look.’

Rumor in the outside world had it that the Overlord Whale King was cruel and vicious.

It seemed those rumors weren’t baseless after all.

"Shut your damn mouths and scram! The Tan County Branch is taking over this place for the night!"

Zhao Jianji had also been startled by Wu Dao’s ruthlessness.

But he had seen enough to be used to it. He recovered quickly and, borrowing the tiger’s might, let out a roar.

"Yes, yes, this lowly one will scram immediately."

Most of the crowd, intimidated by the might of the Tan County Branch, immediately nodded like chickens pecking at grain and scrambled inside, practically pissing themselves in terror.

"You’re being too tyrannical! We paid our money too! By what right do you tell us to scram?"

"That’s right! Besides, we’re all from the White Whale Martial Arts Hall."

"Master Zhao, heh heh, have you forgotten? I just toasted you a few days ago."

However,

a few troublemakers, who considered themselves a cut above the rest, failed to read the situation.

And then...

"Fuck you! I gave you a chance and you spat on it!"

Zhao Jianji kicked over the young master who had stepped forward to claim a connection, all trace of their previous drinking-buddy camaraderie gone.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

The moment Zhao Jianji moved,

Chen Ergou and Lv Tiezhu also shot forward, leading several grim-faced Divine Power Realm experts into the crowd.

Blades flashed.

They cut down the troublemakers on the spot, and the thick stench of blood instantly filled the air.

"Stop fighting! We’re leaving, we’re leaving now!"

"Just let me put on my pants!"

"My father is... Aah! I won’t do it again!"

In no time at all,

the men from the Tan County Branch stormed through every area of the Joyful Forest like a pack of hungry wolves.

It didn’t matter if you were chatting over tea or in the middle of "business"; with kicks and blows, they drove out everyone who wasn’t part of the Joyful Forest staff.

The whole scene

looked just like an anti-vice squad raid.

"That’s about everyone. Time to get to business."

After driving out all the irrelevant people,

Zhao Jianji and the other two exchanged a look.

With a large group of Divine Power and Inner Strength Realm experts, they took the Grand Array Plate looted from the Yellow Dragon Temple and used it to seal every exit from the valley.

Meanwhile,

inside the Joyful Forest’s Heaven-tier Room Number One,

fragrant silks and pink curtains hung, bathed in the soft, enchanting lamplight.

"M-Master Wu... why go to such lengths? I don’t know how the Joyful Forest has offended you."

Ji Chang, the person in charge of the Joyful Forest,

was a middle-aged man with a common face, at the Inner Strength Realm.

He was currently bowing low with his head down, his forehead covered in cold sweat, as he cautiously questioned Wu Dao, who sat at the table toying with a wine cup.

It had all happened so suddenly.

He never expected that the Overlord Whale King, whose fame had been shaking Guangqing Prefecture recently, would storm the Joyful Forest without any warning.

Moreover,

the moment he arrived, he had started tyrannically and unreasonably trashing the place!

Although the Joyful Forest had its own security forces,

their strongest were only a few at the Cocoon-Breaking Realm. If they were to step forward, it would only escalate the conflict; they couldn’t possibly stop Wu Dao.

So, Ji Chang had chosen to submit directly.

But ten thousand questions swirled in his mind.

He had no idea how they had offended this Evil God.

"I’ll ask, you’ll answer."

Wu Dao didn’t respond to Ji Chang’s question. His Stinging Dragon Pupil flared with a Red Gold Flowing Flame, and his immense Spiritual Will instantly hypnotized and controlled the man.

"Yes."

Ji Chang’s expression immediately went slack as he replied mechanically.

"Who is behind the Joyful Forest?"

"I... I don’t know. A strange fox-headed person approached me, gave me a great sum of money, and had this lowly one find people to build and manage the Joyful Forest."

’Fox-headed people?’

’They’re all cut from the same cloth, just as I thought!’

Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed as he continued his questioning:

"Did the fox-headed person ever reveal their identity?"

"Never."

"How many demons are in the Joyful Forest?"

"I don’t know. This lowly one has never seen any."

...

One question, one answer.

Ji Chang answered smoothly, without the slightest hesitation.

But it seemed he was merely a puppet propped up by the person behind the scenes.

He knew nothing of the Joyful Forest’s inner workings.

Wu Dao wasn’t disappointed. If he couldn’t get answers from a human’s mouth, he would get them from a demon’s.

"Bring all the girls of the Joyful Forest here."

The Stinging Dragon Pupil faded.

Wu Dao’s expression remained unchanged as he gave the order to the dazed Ji Chang.

’Huh...?’

’What just happened?’

Ji Chang’s eyes were still a bit vacant, but upon hearing Wu Dao’s unquestionable tone, he nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, this lowly one will inform them at once."

CREAK—

Just as Ji Chang left,

Zhao Jianji pushed the door open and whispered in Wu Dao’s ear:

"Hall Master, everything is in place. Once the array is activated, I guarantee not even a fly below the Innate Realm will be able to escape!"

"Good. Go and keep a close watch. Don’t alert the prey. The moment something happens here, activate the array immediately!"

Wu Dao set down his wine cup and nodded lightly.

Among the inheritance from the Yellow Dragon Temple,

most of the treasures were unusable for his Martial Dao and could only be sold to the Black Dragon Commerce Association.

But Wu Dao had kept one item: a Grand Array called the Chain Fire Wall Array.

This Grand Array

could be powered by the Qi and Blood Power of the Martial Dao.

It just required a large number of people to activate—at least fifty—and even the lowest-level array plate controllers needed to be at the Inner Strength Realm.

Otherwise, they would be squeezed into dried-up corpses.

Once the ring was formed and the array was active,

its power was similar to the Supreme Yang Blood Flame produced by the Horizontal Refining Third Gate: Qi Blood Smoke.

It could form a wall to seal off an area, making it impossible for any evil spirit below the Innate Realm to escape.

"Yes, sir!"

Zhao Jianji replied respectfully and hurried out of the private room.

At the same time,

in the main hall of one of the Joyful Forest’s red buildings,

a hundred flowers bloomed, a flock of chattering orioles and swallows.

Over a hundred women, each with her own unique charm, were gathered in the hall. Their faces were etched with anxiety as they whispered among themselves.

"Sisters, what do you think that Overlord Whale King wants? Don’t tell me the manager offended him?"

"Don’t overthink it. Maybe he really is just here for some fun. Big shots love to make a scene."

"Well... I’d rather believe he’s here to cause trouble. With the Overlord Whale King’s physique... heh heh."

As soon as she said this,

many of the "swallows" turned a little pale. They had seen Wu Dao from a distance when the incident at the gatehouse occurred.

To put it bluntly,

he was a humanoid Fierce Beast.

With their slender, willow-like bodies...

they didn’t dare to imagine it any further.

However,

among the crowd were a few women who outshone all the others. They didn’t join the discussion, their bewitching, beautiful eyes filled with nothing but greed and hunger.

According to outside rumors,

although the Overlord Whale King Wu Dao’s strength was comparable to the Innate Realm,

they possessed treasures bestowed upon them by their Mountain Master.

These treasures not only concealed their Demon Qi, but were also exceptionally adept at Absorbing Yang. Even a Grandmaster at the Innate Second Step would find it difficult to notice anything unusual, so they had no fear of being exposed.

Unlike the girls who were afraid of being chosen,

they were actually hoping to be selected.

It was true that their usual clients were "high-quality goods" starting at the Divine Power Realm,

but a Body Refiner whose strength was comparable to an Innate Martial Artist...

they had never tasted anything like that before.

Right now,

they were already calculating how much of the "soup" they would get to drink after giving the Mountain Master his tribute.