Essence Devouring Art

"Regardless, you saved my life. If you ever need my help in the future, I will not hesitate."

The Iron Blood Marquis’s face twitched.

But he understood the situation and was genuinely grateful. If Primordial Pass hadn’t blocked that Great Saint of the Luo Fish Race, his crime would have been even greater!

The battle ahead seemed to have come to a temporary halt.

No sooner had the Iron Blood Marquis arrived at Primordial Pass...

...than a squad from the Commander’s Law Enforcement Team arrived, tearing through spacetime. Their auras were chilling, their blood armor clanked, and every member was in the Great Saint Realm. Their leader, his gaze as sharp as a falcon’s, spoke bluntly:

"Iron Blood Marquis, you’re coming with us. Don’t make this difficult for yourself."

The Commander’s Law Enforcement Team held authority rivaling that of an Imperial Envoy and answered directly to the Elder Council. They were stationed in every Celestial Gate, territory, and Garrison City, and they were incredibly powerful.

Their duties included supervising the various armies, apprehending traitors, and punishing those who neglected their duties. Essentially, they handled all legal matters on the battlefield, preventing direct superiors from playing favorites.

"You must be joking, sir."

The Iron Blood Marquis’s expression stiffened, but he suppressed his killing intent. He had no intention of resisting, as the consequences would be dire.

After dealing with the Iron Blood Marquis, the leader of the Law Enforcement Team glanced over the blood-soaked battlefield of Primordial Pass. His eyes lingered on the slain Great Saint of the Luo Fish Race, and he nodded before turning to Chen Ergou with an appreciative look.

"Killing a Great Saint is a feat worthy of promotion to Military Marquis. Lujue King City will arrange your official appointment and assign you a Garrison City to command."

Lujue King City was the military district overseeing Iron Blood Pass. It was governed by the King of Annihilation, a Venerable Realm expert. All appointments, adjustments, and deployments for the armies of its subordinate Garrison Cities required his personal approval.

In truth, this was merely a formality.

Promotions to Marquis and King on the battlefield were recognized by the Dao Celestial Stele and were not subject to the whims of the high command. The saying that battlefield merit was all that mattered was no empty boast.

Of course...

...where one was stationed had nothing to do with the Dao Celestial Stele.

...

After the Iron Blood Marquis was taken away by the Law Enforcement Team, the Seventy-Two Primordial Demons could no longer suppress their excitement. As Wu Dao stepped out of spacetime, they dropped to one knee in a respectful salute.

"Your subordinates greet you, Alliance Leader!"

"Rise."

Wu Dao gave a calm nod. Once they were on their feet, he turned to Zhao Jianji and asked,

"In the Sea of Death, which theater of war has the most intense fighting, and where is the Deadly Evil Qi the most concentrated?"

’Intense fighting means an endless supply of Dao Source to harvest, and the densest Deadly Evil Qi provides a stable place for my cultivation.’

"Alliance Leader, that would be the Reincarnation Battlefield, which is under the command of the Reincarnation Heavenly King. It’s the closest to the Six Celestial Passes, so the fighting is the most intense and the Deadly Evil Qi is the most concentrated!"

Zhao Jianji immediately replied.

Celestial King was a battlefield title reserved for Great Venerables.

’Reincarnation Heavenly King...’

Hearing the title, Wu Dao couldn’t help but think of his first disciple, Wuchen. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is he connected to the Reincarnation Emperor?"

’The Reincarnation Emperor. A companion of the Five Tribulations World Slaughter Emperor. He has intricate connections to the long-lost Netherworld—or rather, the Dao Artifact known as the Eighteen Nili Abysses.’

"Your guess is correct, Alliance Leader."

Zhao Jianji nodded.

"The Taoist Technique that the Reincarnation Heavenly King cultivates is indeed related to the Reincarnation Emperor. Just like Wuchen, he belongs to the Reincarnation Emperor’s lineage.

Oh, by the way, Alliance Leader."

Speaking of Wuchen, Zhao Jianji added,

"Wuchen is also in the Sea of Death, it seems. He became a Saint not long ago. His achievements are so remarkable that his image was manifested by the Dao Celestial Stele in the region."

’He became a Saint...’

Wu Dao was taken aback. ’When we left the Emperor Star, Wuchen hadn’t even reached the Creation Realm. He entered Shanhai Pass less than four years ago and he’s already a Saint?’

However, when he considered the unique nature of Shanhai Pass, it made sense.

As long as one accumulated merit by killing enemies and obtained enough Hongyun Dao Source, making lightning-fast progress within the Mountain and Sea was not hard to imagine.

’Wuchen not only possesses the Ten Great Supreme Divine Techniques, but he also has the aid of the Reincarnation Emperor’s Abi Blade Emperor Spirit, Yuan Tu Dao King. As long as he isn’t foolish, developing his power quickly should be easy.’

’I just wonder if the Reincarnation Heavenly King knows that Wuchen also carries the Reincarnation Emperor’s legacy.’

’If those two successors were to meet, I doubt it would be a friendly reunion.’

’Still, I don’t need to worry.’

’Infighting is forbidden within the Garrison Cities. As long as Wuchen doesn’t go looking for trouble, it’ll be difficult for the Reincarnation Heavenly King to move against him.’

’As for the remnants of the Slaughter Emperor’s faction, I’m not particularly concerned.’

’Even though he is a Great Emperor.’

’One of my reasons for coming to Shanhai Pass was to find the last fragment of the Extreme Dao Bell, and the Demon Awakening Emperor might have information about it.’

’But that can’t be rushed. I’m currently no match for a Great Emperor.’

’The Extreme Dao Bell is a last resort. I can’t risk revealing it until I have a solid footing, because the last time it was involved, the repercussions were enormous. There’s no telling how the Elder Council would react.’

...

「About half a day later.」

Someone arrived from Lujue King City.

They were here to assign the newly promoted Chen Ergou to an unfamiliar Garrison City, where he would take over the duties of a Military Marquis who had recently fallen in battle.

However, on Wu Dao’s instruction, Chen Ergou refused the assignment and volunteered for a transfer to the most dangerous front: the Reincarnation Battlefield.

In response, the official from Lujue King City simply gave Chen Ergou a look as if he were an idiot, then went to request instructions from the King of Annihilation.

Personnel deployment for major Garrison Cities wasn’t a matter of personal preference; that would lead to chaos. A lack of discipline and organization was a grave taboo in the military.

For Wu Dao and his group to go to the Reincarnation Battlefield, they needed the King of Annihilation’s recommendation and for him to communicate with the battlefield’s high command. The transfer would only happen if the other side was willing to accept them.

This wasn’t difficult.

The old Primordial Pass had always kept a low profile and was largely insignificant, so they had no history or grudges with the King of Annihilation.

Furthermore, the Reincarnation Battlefield had recently fought a major battle against the main force of the Luo Fish Race, losing many Great Saints in the process. They were in desperate need of reinforcements to fill the gaps.

Wu Dao and his men were walking right into a prime opportunity.

An offer like this was a godsend for the Reincarnation Battlefield.

"Good luck to you."

In the end, the official from Lujue King City gave Chen Ergou a King of Annihilation Token—a letter of recommendation—and left with a simple "good luck."

With the "letter of recommendation," things became much simpler.

Wu Dao led the Seventy-Two Primordial Demons back to Fengdu City via the Teleportation Array in Primordial Pass. They located the Recruitment Hall for the Reincarnation Battlefield and received an enthusiastic welcome.

It couldn’t be helped.

What kind of people gathered in a place like the Sea of Death?

They were either remnants of the Tribulation Master’s faction or what other battlefronts called "Evil Demons and Outsiders."

They were looked down upon by other military factions.

They had no backing in the Elder Council.

And this was for the Reincarnation Battlefield, the most dangerous front of all, which made recruitment incredibly difficult.

Unless a territory was on the verge of being completely overrun, other regions were unwilling to set aside their prejudices and send aid.

Consequently, troop shortages were a chronic problem. As long as they met the basic requirements, the Reincarnation Battlefield would turn almost no one away.

After the Heaven-Stealing Alliance officially registered to join the Reincarnation Battlefield, they continued to operate under the banner of the Primordial Army. The commander, naturally, was the newly promoted Marquis, Chen Ergou.

This was because Wu Dao had no official military achievements and thus didn’t meet the requirements to command.

Not that Wu Dao cared for such trivialities. Without dallying, he led the Primordial Demons toward the main city of the Reincarnation Battlefield.

After a mountain of paperwork, the Primordial Army was assigned to the command of the King of the Underworld, a subordinate of the Reincarnation Heavenly King. They were to be stationed at Red Sea Pass, a fortress on the periphery.

Of course, once the Heaven-Stealing Alliance took up residence, Red Sea Pass was naturally renamed Primordial Pass.

Its previous master, the Red Sea Marquis, had recently fallen in battle. It was only natural for the new lord to rename his garrison.

It’s worth noting that after the Heaven-Stealing Alliance moved in, all the original soldiers of Red Sea Pass were reassigned to other Garrison Cities.

This was not a breach of regulations.

This was the Extraordinary World.

In the face of true power, numbers were meaningless. As long as they could hold the Garrison City, no one would object even if a single person were to defend it alone.

Once the Seventy-Two Primordial Demons revealed even a fraction of their strength, the King of the Underworld would have gladly let them defend dozens of such fortresses, let alone a single Military-Marquis-level Garrison City.

CRASH~

Outside Primordial Pass.

The crimson sea churned, and a monstrous wave of Deadly Evil Qi surged toward the sky.

Deep within the sea, one could see mountains of densely packed corpses from the Luo Fish Race, their decay corrupting everything. Countless fractured worlds flickered in and out of existence as they plunged into the depths.

From time to time, the laws of reality would collapse in explosive bursts, churning the surface into world-ending tsunamis.

In such a hostile environment, anyone below the Saint Realm could not possibly survive.

However, for Wu Dao and his Primordial Demons, this environment was a paradise, the perfect nursery for their power.

The Sea of Death was unfathomably deep. Even with his current cultivation, Wu Dao couldn’t probe its bottom. The deeper one went, the more terrifying the sludge-like magnetic field formed from the Deadly Evil Qi became, wearing away a creature’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit from every direction.

HUM~

After descending for an immeasurable distance through spacetime, the fantastical ocean of Primordial Magnetic Particles around him burst apart.

Wu Dao had reached his limit.

He placed the Star Mother into the deeper darkness, letting it orbit like a satellite, and began to temper the microscopic structure of his own magnetic field.

At the same time, his consciousness entered the Star Mother’s Origin Space. There, he saw numerous Primordial Magnetic Mother Trees begin to activate.

Within the numerous Primordial Dao Realms of the First Tribulation they housed, Dragon Veins continuously devoured the Dao Source of the Primordial Tribulation Path. This drove the evolution of the Initial-Tribulation-level civilizations of the All-Things branches at an incredible speed, and all the gains were channeled back to Wu Dao.

The Initial Tribulation of the Primordial Magnetism Path consisted of 129,600 Dao Veins in total. Currently, Wu Dao had just begun, having formed 18,000 All Things Dao Veins. The Primordial Magnetic Dao Source created new Dao Veins on its own very slowly, so he was still far from completion.

However, Wu Dao wasn’t worried.

The Reincarnation Battlefield saw constant conflict, and the invading Mountain and Sea Armies were often led by Venerables. He only needed a few major battles; the nourishment from the Five Tribulations Dao Source he could collect would be enough to forge all the remaining Initial-Tribulation Dao Veins.

Once all the Initial-Tribulation Dao Veins were forged, cultivation would become much simpler.

By relying on the numerous "worker bees" of the Primordial Sect and the Primordial Dao Wheel 3.0, he could quickly bring his Initial Tribulation to the level of perfection!

The Reincarnation Battlefield was the most fiercely contested region in the Sea of Death, offering little time to regroup.

The Heaven-Stealing Alliance had been stationed at Primordial Pass for less than five days when the great battle Wu Dao had been anticipating descended without warning!

The regrouped Mountain and Sea Army had once again launched a ferocious assault on the various Garrison Cities!

And this time, the scale of the invasion was terrifying!

The race leading the charge was no longer the Luo Fish Royal Family!

Instead, it was a Mountain and Sea Emperor Clan that should never have appeared before the Six Celestial Passes—the Tuomu Race!