Chapter 465 - 412: Assaulting Stage 4

The endless, boundless Sea of Chaos.

Without up or down, where nothing could exist.

It was filled with the Chaotic Qi Flow of the world’s primordial state. Any matter below the Saint Level that entered would be broken down into primordial Chaos.

Even Saint Realm experts...

...could not survive for long in the Sea of Chaos.

The Power of Chaos Origin Resolution would grow increasingly terrifying, continuously breaking down and grinding away a living being’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Only those at the Emperor Realm, who had forged an Inner Universe and whose own Dao had become an element of the Great Dao, could survive for long in the Sea of Chaos by relying on the power of their Great Dao’s blessing.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

The Chaotic Qi Flow churned endlessly.

In an unknown corner of the Chaos.

"Three years..."

Wu Dao gazed toward Hongyuan, sensing that his own microscopic particles had reached their assimilation limit within the increasingly dangerous Power of Chaos Origin Resolution.

’If this continues,’

’I’ll be completely dissolved into Chaos.’

HUM~

Countless magnetic particles converged.

Wu Dao ended his Cultivation, took the Star Mother with him, and left the Sea of Chaos. He descended into a silent, empty universe to restore himself.

Recover, cultivate, recover, cultivate...

After the war in the Burial Realm, Wu Dao knew that All Heavens was hunting for him.

For three years, he hadn’t caused any major disturbances, and had been hiding in the Sea of Chaos and this particular universe, engaged in monotonous Cultivation.

He didn’t lack resources.

His three thousand branches were also complete.

Naturally, there was no need to stir up trouble; he just needed to peacefully cultivate these three thousand branches to perfection.

The only things he needed to plunder...

...were the Divine Soul Energy to turn the Primordial Dao Source, and the Primordial Magnetic Dao Fruits from the Primordial Magnetic Mother Tree that would nourish him in return.

To resolve these two matters,

the Primordial Sect was born.

The Primordial Divine Format guaranteed resource transmission regardless of distance, and with the Star Mother—a walking encyclopedia—creating cultivation techniques was an instantaneous affair.

Absorbing high-energy magnetic fields, analyzing the magnetic field information, constructing low-level material energy, and creating rewards out of thin air were all easy tasks.

He had preliminarily realized his old idea of a Main God system.

The generous rewards had also attracted numerous workers from the All Heavens and Myriad Realms to become his believers, continuously supplying Wu Dao with Divine Soul Energy and materials from Primordial Magnetic Contaminated Bodies.

Combined with the host of Primordial Demons and low-level Incarnations, even as Wu Dao’s Cultivation demands grew ever larger, he never once faced a resource shortage. His progress could be described as advancing by leaps and bounds.

Today, he had once again reached a point of transformation.

WHOOSH~

His thoughts returned to the present.

Wu Dao opened his attribute panel—

[Physique: Primordial Magnetic Dao Body]

[Extraordinary: Essence Devouring·Three Lives (3000/3000)+]

[Transverse Cultivation: Infinite Primordial Scripture: Minor Achievement of the Sacred Body (1000/1000)]

[Divine Cultivation: Juntian Creation Scripture·Great Saint Perfection (1000/1000)+]

[Soul Cultivation: All Phenomena Divine Luo Scripture·Great Saint Perfection (1000/1000)+]

[Divine Format: Primordial Perfect Great Saint God]

[Celestial Treasure: Bitter Dust Robe (Emperor’s Artifact 100%)]

...

[Teleportation Points: ...]

Three years!

Even though the Extraordinary path grew harder to advance upon the further one went, Wu Dao had maintained a staggering growth rate, cultivating the three stages of the Essence Devouring Art to perfection!

Looking within himself now, at the end of the Tree Diagram, each of the super-massive number of Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles—raised to some unknown power—unfurled into a perfect and flawless Middle Thousand World.

Even more microscopic particles, level by level, further down, unfurled into even more Small Thousand Worlds, Creation Worlds, Grotto Heavens, Dharma Aspects...

He truly resembled a humanoid embodiment of the Great Dao itself, encompassing ten thousand paths and giving birth to all existence!

The Magnetic Field Power he now possessed had surpassed what he had in the Burial Realm by an unknown number of times.

At this moment, according to the Star Mother’s assessment, Wu Dao’s combat power, with the essence of a Great Saint, had reached the perfection level of the Flawless Saint Master Realm!

He was just one step away...

...from stepping into the level of a Cosmic Venerable, one who unifies the myriad veins of rules!

This was utterly incredible.

After all, in the Hongyuan System, the higher one went on the Extraordinary path, the greater the qualitative gap between each Heaven—a gap even larger than that between the major realms of the past!

But Wu Dao!

His combat power had defied realms, leaping across the great divide of the Thirty-Three Levels of Qualitative Change. If word got out, even the titans would start to question their existence!

’After the fourth stage, the Primordial Magnetic Dao Source will fully possess the authority of a Great Dao and become a true Dao. Normal resources will be completely useless to me.’

Wu Dao’s mind was as still as water.

He contemplated the path ahead.

A body like the Great Dao.

This path was unique in all of history and unprecedentedly difficult. The further he went, the fewer the resources available for him to advance.

A body like the Great Dao must naturally devour the Dao!

Wu Dao had long come to this realization.

If he stepped into the fourth stage, his sustenance would be of one kind and one kind only: the origin of a Great Dao’s magnetic field!

Any other resources... would be of such a low level they would be like eating chaff.

So, where could he find the nourishment he required?

Shanhai Pass!

Where civilizations clash and the Great Daos manifest!

As long as his methods were sufficient, there would be an endless supply of Hongyun Dao Source!

Six months ago, of the Seventy-Three Primordial Demons, with the exception of Nangong Li, Wu Dao had sent all the other Primordial Demons to the battlefields of Shanhai Pass to lay a foundation and plant his flag.

By now, the Primordial Demons couldn’t be said to hold high positions of power in Shanhai Pass, but they had established a foothold, saving him a great deal of trouble.

Most importantly, if he entered Shanhai Pass, he would no longer have to live with his tail between his legs.

He would have far fewer scruples.

In the years since his arrival in Hongyuan, this feeling of hiding and skulking was truly unpleasant.

’Although Shanhai Pass has a transcendent status, the core members of its ruling Elder Council still come from the Overlord Forces of the Hongyuan Heavenly Realms!’

Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He reviewed the vast amount of information he had on Shanhai Pass.

Shanhai Pass.

It was established at the end of the Four Tribulations.

Its Guan Lord was Panwu Emperor, who achieved his Attainment Dao through the Martial Dao during the Second Tribulation of Buzhou Heaven.

Below him was the Commander Elder Council.

Its nine Grand Elders came from the Common Lord Powers of the Nine Heavens of Primordial Chaos, each representing a military faction and commanding numerous territorial garrison cities.

For example, the Grand Emperor Heavenly Venerate of Taihuang Heaven, who served under the Celestial Court’s Profound Celestial Great Celestial Venerable, held the position of Second Elder in the Elder Council. He was a person of great power and authority, overseeing all the Shanhai Pass military districts belonging to the Celestial Court Faction.

After the Four Tribulations, although Panwu Emperor suppressed Shanhai Pass, and established iron-clad rules that all grievances were to end at Buzhou Mountain, and that All Heavens must not interfere with the military and political affairs of Shanhai Pass, the nine Grand Elders also intended to cut ties with the Common Lord Powers behind them and establish themselves as independent rulers.

But old ties die hard.

Within the military factions of the Common Lords of All Heavens, there were bound to be conservative factions.

Considering the things Wu Dao had done, once he was exposed, the military of the Daluo Celestial Domain would be the first to come after him. They might not dare to launch overt attacks, but defending against covert plots would be all but impossible!

’To act without restraint, I’m still a long way off.’

’The foundation for establishing myself comes from strength. Once I reach the fourth stage and achieve the combat power of a Venerable, the Extreme Dao Bell will be able to recover even more of its power.’

Wu Dao’s gaze was profound as he looked at the fully repaired Extreme Dao Bell within his origin.

Three years ago, the Extreme Dao Bell had withstood too many rounds of Celestial Punishment.

It had also been besieged by Great Emperors from the Daluo Celestial Domain wielding Emperor’s Weapons, causing significant damage to the bell’s body.

However, in the Heaven-Burying Great Emperor’s Tomb, Wu Dao had obtained a large amount of Holy Spirit Mother Gold, used for forging Emperor’s Weapons. For a Supreme Treasure of the Extreme Dao Bell’s level, self-repair was not difficult as long as it had the materials.

In the past three years, after devouring a massive amount of Holy Spirit Mother Gold, this great Killing Artifact had once again returned to its peak state. Its reserves of Chaos Mother Liquid were also ample, ready to be used at any moment.

Beyond that, there was something else worth mentioning.

Wu Dao cast his gaze into the Star Mother Origin Space.

There, a piece of Nine-Colored Divine Soil shimmered brilliantly. Countless Dao Patterns crisscrossed within the soil, making it resemble a nine-colored, embryonic Little Cosmos.

That’s right.

After devouring the Mountain-Opening Axe and numerous Quasi-Emperor Celestial and Earthly Treasures, the former Eight-Colored Earth had evolved into the nine-colored, Quasi-Emperor rank.

The Earth was an Innate Spirit Root.

It could rapidly nurture and enhance any Heavenly and Earthly Treasures planted within it.

At the nine-colored, Quasi-Emperor level, this meant that as long as there was sufficient ’fertilizer,’ planting a Saint Master Soldier inside it could quickly cultivate it into a Quasi-Emperor Weapon!

It was a perfect armory!

Since Wu Dao was preparing for Shanhai Pass, he had naturally utilized the Earth to its fullest. He had obtained an absurd amount of high-grade fertilizer from the top Creation Lands in the Burial Realm.

Dozens of Saint Master Soldiers were planted inside. They grew wildly every day as if they were on super-fertilizer, and it wouldn’t be long before they evolved into Quasi-Emperor Weapons!

In addition, he had also planted many single-use great Killing Artifacts like Talismans and Array Plates, enough to arm an ever-victorious army that could dominate the battlefield!

WHOOSH~

He withdrew his gaze from the Star Mother’s origin.

Sensing that he had returned to his peak state, Wu Dao no longer hesitated. He once again left the universe and entered the Sea of Chaos.

The Three Lives stage.

His three thousand branches were already perfected.

There was no further room for advancement.

Only by shattering the shackles of his limits once more and stepping into the fourth stage of the Essence Devouring Art could his sheer volume increase again!

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

Within the boundless Chaos,

Wu Dao threw out the Extreme Dao Bell, sat cross-legged inside it, and unleashed his Divine Image Heaven!

BUZZ!

In an instant!

Countless Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles entered a berserk state, whale-devouring Magnetic Field Power to charge themselves. One after another, the fields of Middle Thousand Worlds unfurled, and his own form rapidly grew to an indescribably majestic scale!

At the same time, he stepped into an irreversible state of self-destruction!

Destruction before reconstruction, breaking limits through nirvana!

This was the essence of the Essence Devouring Art!

The advancement of each stage involved stealing greater potential from the great terror of life and death; there was absolutely no such thing as smooth sailing!

Wu Dao was long accustomed to this.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ—

Within the origin universe of the Extreme Dao Bell, countless worlds began to de-dimensionalize into pure magnetic field energy, transforming into innumerable colorful primordial magnetic threads that intertwined to construct a majestic human figure.

Its entire body vibrated and expanded ceaselessly.

An extremely terrifying destructive magnetic field energy was climbing wildly. When all the Primordial Magnetic Crystal Particles were charged to their limit and the microscopic magnetic particles reached the critical point of self-destruction...

"Star Mother, suspend all work, take control of the Extreme Dao Bell, and protect my Dao with all your might!"

Wu Dao’s consciousness was calm.

He gave the Star Mother the order to protect his Dao.

The Primordial Star Mother was always stronger than him; this was the prerequisite for his empowerment-style advancements.

In the past three years, irrigated by countless divine souls and the Earth, the Magnetic Field Power wielded by the Primordial Star Mother had already grown to the Venerable Level.

It was enough to suppress most dangers and ensure his breakthrough was safe.

Normally, Wu Dao would not have the Star Mother protect his Dao.

Because, he was always completely confident.

But this time, he had used his Future-Seeing Divine Techniques to perform a divination. The path ahead was pitch-black; he would encounter an unpredictable, great crisis!

This proved that the breakthrough from the third stage to the fourth stage would be more difficult and dangerous than any he had faced before. If he failed to overcome it, he might truly die!

Under these circumstances, he naturally had to abandon all wishful thinking and arm himself with every power at his disposal!

"As you command, Father God!"

The Star Mother manifested inside the Extreme Dao Bell as a young Yaya, shimmering with starlight.

Her small face was serious and tense.

She took control of the Extreme Dao Bell from Wu Dao, mobilizing its power to rapidly construct one magnetic field after another, sealing and enveloping the self-destructing Wu Dao.

BOOM!

The very instant the fields were completed,

the Divine Image Heaven completely self-destructed!

Wu Dao’s consciousness dimmed slightly as countless lines once again de-dimensionalized, exploding into an infinite number of basic magnetic particles!

"Continue charging, until assimilation!"

Wu Dao’s voice was indifferent and domineering.

With every promotion, he needed to reshape himself from the most microscopic magnetic field structure, which was also the extremely dangerous domain of assimilating the Great Dao.

Now, relying on his own power alone, even by unleashing the Divine Image Heaven, it was extremely difficult to tear apart the magnetic forces between the Basic Particles and degrade them to the most microscopic domain.

It was like trying to tear apart a Divine Iron Chain.

The most likely outcome... was that his consciousness would die before the basic magnetic particles had even been shattered.

In this situation, external pressure was especially crucial.