The sky wept fire.
The Northern Black Forest, once a frozen wasteland, now burned in unnatural golden flames. Mountains had collapsed. Rivers hissed into steam. The battle between Mo Tian and Ye Qingyu had become more than a clash of prodigies—it was the opening war cry of an age-ending conflict.
Their figures clashed midair.
> BOOM!
A phoenix-shaped torrent of flame collided with a black halberd wreathed in devouring shadows. Every strike from Ye Qingyu tore apart the sky. Every counter from Mo Tian consumed light itself.
---
The Genius of the Righteous World
Ye Qingyu floated above the ruined battlefield, breathing heavily but still proud.
> "You've devoured Qi, stolen souls, corrupted Daos—yet you are still beneath me," he declared.
"I am chosen by the heavens. My path is righteous. My flame is endless."
Golden fire coiled around his body—True Heaven Flame, a divine spirit fire said to be the breath of a Celestial Beast. It could purify karma, burn sin, and annihilate demonic energy.
And yet—
> "You burn bright," Mo Tian said coldly, "but fire needs fuel. I'll tear it from you."
He lifted his halberd, its edge glowing darker than void, etched with runes of twisted cultivation.
---
Birth of the Halberd: Soul Maw
As their weapons clashed again, Ye Qingyu finally noticed it.
> The halberd wasn't just a weapon.
It was alive.
The weapon groaned with every soul it had consumed—hundreds, maybe thousands. It hungered, not just for blood, but for memory, Dao, and legacy. Every cultivator Mo Tian killed added to the weapon's consciousness.
Each swing released a whisper.
> "Save me…"
"Why…?"
"My Dao… my Dao…"
The air turned cold. Not from ice—but from emptiness. The kind of stillness found in a graveyard of forgotten gods.
Ye Qingyu's expression finally cracked.
> "You... you've created an artifact from the essence of your victims! That's forbidden even among the demon sects!"
Mo Tian grinned.
> "Who said I followed their rules?"
He dashed forward—faster than before—and for the first time, Ye Qingyu was slower.
---
The Scar that Shattered a Prodigy
In a blinding flash, Mo Tian's halberd carved across Ye Qingyu's shoulder, rending his flesh down to bone. Phoenix blood sprayed into the wind. The divine flames flared, trying to heal—only to be devoured by black mist.
> "You... can devour divine fire?!"
> "I devour everything," Mo Tian whispered. "That's my Dao."
---
Flashback – The Truth of the Devouring Dao
In a dark fragment of Mo Tian's mind, voices echoed:
> "You were born tainted," a robed elder once said to a kneeling child.
"Your mother was a witch. Your bloodline is cursed."
"You will never walk the righteous path."
But the child didn't cry.
He listened.
He remembered.
And deep in his soul, something ancient had listened too.
Something hungry.
Something that whispered:
> "Then walk a path where no one judges you—because there will be no one left."
---
Back to the Battle
Ye Qingyu, coughing blood, plunged his sword into the ground, releasing a blinding column of divine light.
> "Heaven Cleansing Strike!"
The entire forest was vaporized in light. The trees turned to ash. Mountains broke. Space screamed.
And yet—
From the center of the explosion, a figure walked through the smoke, clothes torn, eyes glowing black, and body radiating a swirling maelstrom of consumed Qi.
> "That was a nice trick," Mo Tian said softly.
He raised his halberd.
> "Now watch mine."
---
Forbidden Art – Black Heaven Shatter
Mo Tian's halberd spun in his hand, creating a black sun behind him. Inside that sun were the shattered fragments of dozens of Daos—sword, fire, lightning, wind—all broken, stripped of meaning, and reshaped into pure hunger.
> "This is the art I created from your kind."
He pointed forward.
The black sun fell.
Ye Qingyu screamed—not in pain, but in realization.
> He wasn't fighting a man.
He was fighting a graveyard of heavens.
The sun struck.
---
When the dust settled, Ye Qingyu lay broken. Alive—but barely. His flames had been extinguished. His sword cracked. His pride shattered.
Mo Tian stood over him, halberd at his throat.
> "I told you," he whispered.
"You'll be worth consuming."
But just as he raised the halberd—
> A sword strike faster than time slashed from the sky!
Mo Tian leapt back, eyes narrowing.
A new figure stood between them—masked, tall, clad in silver robes with a floating mirror behind her back.
> "That's enough, Devourer," she said.
Her voice was calm. Cold. Powerful.
> "You've made your point. Now face someone your level."
---
Please wait for Chapter 7.