"Save me!"
Feeling the threat of death, the disciple's expression became a mask of terror as he shrieked hoarsely.
"What... what's going on?"
Nearby, Xia Zhen and the other three disciples looked on, bewildered. They stared in horror at the devouring vortex, still completely clueless as to what was happening.
But at their companion's wretched cries, they reacted quickly, shooting forward like arrows loosed from a bow. They placed their hands on the disciple's shoulders, preparing to yank him out with brute force.
However, they quickly discovered to their horror that as soon as their hands touched the disciple, a terrifying Devouring Power latched onto them as well. Their Cultivation Power began to drain away.
How could this be!
A look of utter terror instantly flashed across Xia Zhen's face.
Ye Wushuang, in contrast, was stunned.
In that moment, he felt an inexplicably pure power surge into him, coursing through his meridians and cleansing his body.
BZZZT!
A soft buzz emanated from his body, as if some shackle had been broken.
"Body Tempering Third Layer, the Washing Marrow Realm!"
To Ye Wushuang's utter disbelief, he had broken through a layer, advancing to the Body Tempering Third Layer: the Washing Marrow Realm.
In the Grand Emperor Domain, the known Cultivator Realms could be divided into six Grand Realms:
the Body Tempering Realm, Qi Vortex Realm, True Essence Realm, Spiritual Spring Realm, Yin Yang Realm, and Nirvana Realm. A vast chasm separated each Grand Realm. The Body Tempering Realm was divided into ten layers, while the rest were all divided into nine.
The Body Tempering Realm, as its name implies, was for tempering one's own body and polishing one's foundation, which was essential to advance further on the path of Cultivation.
The Body Tempering Tenth Layer was divided into: Strengthening Body, Training Power, Washing Marrow, Vein Cutting, Refining the Skin, Blood Refining, Bone Refining, Divine Power, Spirit Communication, and Transforming Truth. The Third Layer, Washing Marrow, was of critical importance for a Cultivator's initiation.
Once the Washing Marrow was successful, one could shed their mortal coil, perceive nature's spiritual energy, and temper their body.
For three years, Ye Wushuang had been stuck at the Body Tempering Second Layer, unable to break through to the Body Tempering Third Layer. He never expected that now, on the brink of death, he would have such a miraculous and bizarre breakthrough.
"Wh-what's going on? I really broke through!"
Ye Wushuang was also shaken by this sudden development. He stared blankly at the changes in his Dantian. 'Could this be the work of that "Big Glutton"?' he wondered.
All at once, his thoughts turned to the mysterious object in his Dantian.
Ye Wushuang, in fact, came from a small family, the Ye Family. He had been adopted as a child by the Patriarch, Ye Xuan.
Because he was adopted, he was often ostracized and bullied. His father, Ye Xuan, however, doted on him, fiercely protecting him and even sending him to a legacy Sect, the Ancient Spirit Sect.
Ye Wushuang was grateful to his father, Ye Xuan. He resolved to cultivate diligently, vowing to become Ye Xuan's pride, prove himself to the rest of the Ye Family, and make his father proud.
And so, upon entering the Ancient Spirit Sect, he lived up to everyone's expectations by passing the entrance examination and becoming known as a genius.
Just as he was entering the Sect, full of anticipation and ready to display his talent, the world suddenly went dark. A terrifying beam of light descended from the heavens, smashed into him, and vanished inside his body.
At that time, Ye Wushuang had vaguely seen what looked like a strange tomb within the light. Its origins were a mystery, so he searched frantically, desperate to understand what had happened.
But after searching for a long time, he couldn't find any trace of the object. Since it didn't seem to pose any threat to his life, he eventually stopped worrying about it.
Who would have thought he would later discover that the mysterious object had been hiding in his Dantian all along? It acted like a "Big Glutton," snatching away his Cultivation Resources and devouring every last scrap.
As a result, Ye Wushuang's Cultivation stagnated, and the genius was reduced to trash!
And yet now, to his astonishment, that very same thing had miraculously saved his life and even helped him break through to the Body Tempering Third Layer. It was beyond unexpected.
"...Save me! Quickly, save me!"
The four disciples were trapped by the suction, their strength continuously draining away as they screamed in terror. Within just a few breaths, they went silent.
BZZZT!
Suddenly, Ye Wushuang's mind jolted as a stream of unfamiliar information flooded it.
"Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique. Devour all things in heaven and earth to gain power. Forge the world's strongest physique, the 'Chaos Heaven-Devouring Dragon Body.' Devour the heavens and consume the earth, suppress Divine Demons, defy the heavens, and smite the Dao!"
An ancient, desolate voice chanted these words continuously in Ye Wushuang's mind.
"The Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique!"
Ye Wushuang was dumbfounded. A Heaven-Defying Cultivation Technique had just appeared in his mind. Not only did it possess the power to devour all things, but it could also forge the strongest physique between heaven and earth: the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Dragon Body!
According to the information, the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Body was the body of the strongest overlord of the Taichu Era: the Chaos Heaven-Devouring Dragon. Not only could it devour Chaos itself, but it was also an indestructible Dragon Body.
Once cultivated to Great Success, slaying gods and annihilating demons to become the supreme being in all of existence would be a simple matter.
'This is completely heaven-defying!'
Ye Wushuang was utterly shocked as he absorbed the information in his mind.
"Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique, plunder!"
With a fierce roar, Ye Wushuang immediately activated the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique, completely digesting the Cultivation Power he had obtained.
BZZZT!
In an instant, another hum resonated from within Ye Wushuang's body!
"Body Tempering Fourth Layer, the Vein Cutting Realm!"
"Hahaha, I broke through again! Body Tempering Fourth Layer!"
He had broken through yet another layer. Ye Wushuang was finally certain of it—he was no longer trash. He could finally cultivate again!
Ecstasy!
Exhilaration!
At this moment, words could not begin to describe Ye Wushuang's joy.
For three years, his fall from genius to trash had forced him to endure all kinds of humiliation and injustice. He had borne it all, nursing his scars in solitude, cultivating in silence, and never, ever giving up.
He wanted so desperately to become strong, to make his father, Ye Xuan, proud of him!
And only now was his wish finally being granted.
"Father, do you see? My talent has returned! I will—I absolutely will—become your pride!"
Ye Wushuang's fists clenched tight, his eyes bloodshot and filled with unwavering determination.
"M-monster! You're a monster!"
"You'll die a horrible death!"
To the side, Xia Zhen watched the four men die and was so scared he pissed himself.
"Xia Zhen, you deserve to die too!"
Ye Wushuang whipped his head around with a roar. 'That bastard. He failed to kill me, and now he dares to curse me? Despicable!'
Run!
At this, Xia Zhen's face went pale with terror. He spun around and made to flee the courtyard.
BAM!
Ye Wushuang strode forward, swift as a whirlwind, and slammed his foot into Xia Zhen's back.
Xia Zhen cried out as his body shot forward, his head crashing into the main gate's railing.
"How is this possible? How did your strength suddenly increase so much!"
Xia Zhen staggered to his feet, dizzy and disoriented. He was filled with terrified disbelief. He was at the Body Tempering Fifth Layer with a strength of one thousand jin, yet he'd been sent flying by a single kick. Just how much power did Ye Wushuang have?
Of course, he had no idea that Ye Wushuang had just broken through two layers consecutively. His strength now surpassed one thousand jin, making him comparable to someone at the Body Tempering Fifth Layer.
This was the heaven-defying power of the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique!
This filled Ye Wushuang with immense joy. He walked toward Xia Zhen step by step, the devouring vortex around him yet to dissipate.
"Ye Wushuang! Brother Ye! I was wrong, please spare my worthless life!"
Seeing that terrifying vortex, Xia Zhen abruptly dropped to his knees. His voice trembling and choked with tears, he began to kowtow and beg for mercy. The hatred in his eyes, however, did not diminish; on the contrary, it intensified countless times. 'I'll find a chance later,' he schemed, 'and I'll make you pay for this.'
"Spare you? You tried to kill me and cripple my Dantian. You wanted me dead, and you think I'm going to let you go?"
His eyes bloodshot, Ye Wushuang instantly took off a shoe, stepped in front of Xia Zhen, and swung the sole viciously across his face.
SLAP!
The shoe struck Xia Zhen's face with a crisp crack. Several teeth mixed with blood went flying. WHOOSH! They shot into the air.
"Three years ago, I could stomp you like a dog, and today is no different!"
Ye Wushuang grabbed Xia Zhen's collar and backhanded him with the shoe again, roaring in fury, "You wanted to cripple my Dantian, did you?!"
Lifting the sole high, Ye Wushuang unleashed a pure and simple frenzy of slaps across Xia Zhen's face.
"AHH...!!"
Wretched screams echoed one after another. In no time, Xia Zhen's face was swollen like a pig's head.
"Uncle Ye, I deserve to be hit! Please, beat me harder! I only beg you to spare my worthless life." Though his face burned with pain, Xia Zhen knelt on the ground and pleaded with a tear-choked voice.
The moment Ye Wushuang stopped, Xia Zhen scrambled to his feet, trying to seize the opportunity to escape.
BAM!
Ye Wushuang's gaze turned cold, and he kicked Xia Zhen's body, sending him flying out of the courtyard.
"Thank you, Uncle Ye!"
Xia Zhen scrambled up in terror. Clutching his face, now numb with pain, he seized the opportunity to turn and flee.
"Demon! Ye Wushuang, you're a Demon! I will report this to the Sect! The Sect will kill him for sure!"
"Ye Wushuang, you just wait to die!"
As he turned to run, a venomous, cold light gleamed in Xia Zhen's eyes. He was certain that as long as he reported this to the Sect, Ye Wushuang would die without a proper burial.
...
PS: This new book is still short, so you can add it to your library for now and "slaughter" it once it gets "fat." Also, casting your precious recommendation votes would be the greatest support for this new book. Wukong is endlessly grateful!!