Mount Chiyang was incredibly majestic, with range upon range of mountains standing tall and imposing.
A small mountain village, named Long Village, was nestled here. The village was tiny, formed by about ten wooden houses, roughly a li in area, and blended inconspicuously into the mountain range.
Behind the village, a towering peak rose a thousand zhang high, lush with vegetation and ancient trees that reached the sky, soaring into the clouds. It stood like a natural screen, gradually warding off the cold winds.
It was a dark night, a waning moon hung in the sky, and cold stars twinkled.
"The essences of Fire, Earth, Water, Wood, Metal, Darkness, and Light – seven elemental essences fusing into one body, unlocking the supreme Immortal Physique, activating boundless potential..."
On the mountaintop, a youth of about fifteen or sixteen, with a sturdy build and a height of perhaps seven chi, sat on a massive boulder. He held a scroll made of animal hide, gazing intently, his face filled with anticipation.
The youth's name was Wu Tian, a member of Long Village. In his family, there were no other relatives besides his grandfather, who was entering his sixties. The grandfather and grandson lived together, relying on each other, yet their days were quite comfortable.
"One who possesses the Immortal Physique can pluck stars, shatter mountains and rivers, and cover the sky with one hand... Alas! It's easy to say, but to truly achieve it is extremely difficult. My fundamental physique hasn't even been awakened yet, let alone the supreme Immortal Physique..."
Wu Tian's face was flushed, his teeth white, and as he breathed, two streams of white mist exhaled from his nostrils. His dark eyes shifted from the animal hide scroll to the waning moon, where he stared blankly for a moment before finally letting out a sigh.
The animal hide scroll recorded that this continent was named Reincarnation Continent, vast and boundless. The continent was divided into five regions: the central Miao Continent, the western Hu Continent, the southern Que Continent, the northern Xuan Continent, and the Azure Dragon Continent. Each region was boundless and densely populated.
The Chiyang Mountain Range belonged to the Azure Dragon Continent. The Azure Dragon Continent was the most geographically vast, its population numbering in the tens of millions, yet those who could achieve such power were few and far between, let alone covering the sky with one hand!
"Grandfather once said that only if I become strong can I find my parents. But I'm already sixteen, and I still haven't achieved it. Am I destined never to see them in this lifetime!"
Suddenly, Wu Tian's eyes half-closed, his disheveled black hair swayed with the wind, and his hands rested on his knees, forming complex hand seals.
Divination Art!
Wu Tian's grandfather lived by divination, and from a young age, Wu Tian had shown an innate perceptiveness, having truly mastered the art. He could foretell the fortunes and misfortunes of others. He intended to use this art to see his own future and search for his parents' whereabouts.
After a moment of forming hand seals, a milky white light suddenly shot out from the center of Wu Tian's forehead. Before his eyes appeared a vast world, where stars glimmered and brilliant moonlight cascaded down freely. Vaguely, he saw mountains and rivers, flowers, grass, and trees.
At the edge of this world, a majestic colossal peak shimmered in and out of view. Under the hazy moonlight, it resembled a primeval beast in hiding, making one tremble in astonishment.
And on top of the colossal peak, there was a massive palace. Although it was only a vague outline, one could still feel its grandeur and imposing aura, as if it were an Immortal Palace, stunning the observer's sight.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
At this moment, the sky suddenly thundered and flashed with lightning, fierce winds swirled, and torrential rain poured down. Amidst the wind and rain, a giant hand descended with a mighty crash, blotting out the heavens and the earth, obscuring everything.
"Pfft!"
Vô Thiên's body suddenly trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The image before his eyes vanished, leaving only a stretch of darkness.
"Just as Grandpa said, my fate cannot be predicted," Vô Thiên murmured, opening his eyes, his gaze dim. He recalled Grandpa's words: "Tian'er, though Grandpa can divine the fates of others, I cannot see your life. Whenever a crucial moment arrives, it's as if an invisible hand obscures your future, leaving not a single ray of light visible."
Looking at the waning moon, Vô Thiên felt an unspeakable frustration in his heart.
That starry sky felt incredibly familiar to him, as if it were a memory from a past life, or a dream vision, somewhat unreal. In the palace atop that giant peak, Vô Thiên vaguely sensed several nameless auras, intimate yet strange, as if they were calling out to him.
And that gigantic hand, like a mortal enemy, caused hatred to rise in his heart, making him want to tear it to shreds.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a crashing sound rang out from behind him. Startled, cold sweat broke out on Vô Thiên's back, and for a moment, he was so stunned he forgot where he was.
Although this mountain was a hunting ground for the village, there weren't many powerful demonic beasts. However, danger was ever-present, as some demonic beasts, not strong in power but exceptionally terrifying, frequently roamed here.
Such as venomous snakes, poisonous insects, venomous scorpions, and mysterious types of poisonous creatures. Though their cultivation wasn't high, their venom was astonishingly potent; if bitten, and the venom wasn't extracted quickly, the poison would attack the heart, leading to death.
Such incidents were not unheard of.
"Blood-Devouring Insect!"
Vô Thiên turned his head and immediately gasped in alarm, his expression changing. His body twisted and he leaped, hiding behind a boulder, every pore on his body on high alert, carefully on guard.
It was a flying insect, only about the size of a fist, its entire body glowing crimson. Its two blood-red wings flickered, emitting a buzzing sound. A small, long, sharp barb protruded from its mouth. In the dim light, it looked like a predator, ready to snatch a life at any moment.
In front of it was a black panther, perhaps a meter long, with a ferocious appearance, exuding a menacing presence.
Yet, when it looked at the Blood-Devouring Insect opposite it, traces of fear were revealed in its enormous eyes, and its large body trembled slightly and continuously.
As the two beasts confronted each other, Vô Thiên dared not make a single sound. Whether it was the Blood-Devouring Insect or the black panther, both were terrifying demonic beasts, especially the former. The barb from its mouth was exceptionally sharp, capable of piercing through anything, and its speed was incredibly fast, like a phantom, utterly impossible to guard against.
"Roar!"
The black panther roared, its fierce gaze flickering. Its two claws scraped the ground, kicking up dust, but it didn't advance. Its fierce eyes occasionally darted in all directions, seemingly looking for an escape route.
"Screech!"
The Blood-Devouring Insect shrieked, sharp and piercing, possessing immense penetrative power. From the black panther's two ears, strands of blood began to seep out, its face revealing pain.
"The Blood-Devouring Insect's sound can kill people; the rumors are indeed true," Vô Thiên muttered, covering his bleeding ears, his heart filled with endless astonishment. If not for the considerable distance, he feared he would have been killed by the sound waves, truly terrifying.
In that instant, the Blood-Devouring Insect flapped its blood-red wings, cutting through the air like a crimson comet in the darkness, heading straight for the black panther. As it approached, the barb from its mouth suddenly grew, reaching an inch long.
With a "Pffft!", a red light streaked past, and a fist-sized hole immediately appeared on the head of the human-headed black leopard. Blood spurted three meters. Before it could even scream, it collapsed to the ground, its life extinguished.
"Hiss!" The Blood-Devouring Worm landed, its sharp proboscis piercing the black leopard's skin. Instantly, the massive body rapidly withered and shriveled, as if its flesh and blood were draining away.
The Blood-Devouring Worm's eyes glowed with a bloodthirsty light as it ravenously enjoyed its delicious meal.
Wu Tian was terrified. The Blood-Devouring Worm was too horrifying! The black leopard's body was so tough that even blades couldn't cut through it, yet now it had been easily pierced. It was utterly dreadful!
He instinctively recoiled, not daring to continue watching. He lay prone, afraid of being discovered by the Blood-Devouring Worm. If it found him, not even the King of Heaven descending to earth could save him; it would be certain death!
"Great God Dugu, Immortal of Time and Space, all you immortals, please protect this humble one."
Wu Tian, who originally believed in no gods or deities, now couldn't help but secretly pray, seeking protection.
However, it seemed the great gods had no intention of protecting him. A shriek rang out, and the boulder in front of him exploded with a "Boom!", scattering debris everywhere. Wu Tian bore the brunt of it, struck in the chest by several pieces of rock, sent flying sideways, and left dangling from the cliff face.
"Swoosh!"
The sound of rushing wind rang out as the Blood-Devouring Worm, fast as lightning, appeared above Wu Tian's head. Its blood-red eyes gleamed with excitement, and its sharp barbs, shimmering with a bloody halo under the moonlight, were utterly terrifying.
"Damn it."
Wu Tian cursed inwardly, his hands gripping the cliff face tightly. Even with such careful concealment, he hadn't escaped the Blood-Devouring Worm's detection. It seemed his chances were slim this time.
In front of him was the terrifying Blood-Devouring Worm; behind him, a thousand-zhang cliff. Unless a miracle occurred, he would not escape death.
But Wu Tian had never believed in miracles. If miracles truly existed, then after sixteen years, he wouldn't be unable to unlock his physique, and he wouldn't have encountered such a terrifying beast in the dead of night.
"Buzzing!"
The Blood-Devouring Worm moved, then descended. Its sharp barb, glowing with a crimson light, was like a sharp arrow, swift and merciless!
Wu Tian's blood ran cold. A myriad of thoughts flashed through his mind. Finally, gritting his teeth, he prepared to let go and fall into the abyss, hoping there might still be a chance of survival. But facing the Blood-Devouring Worm, there was no hope, only certain death, leaving not even bones behind.
"Croak!"
But at this moment, a fist-sized black shadow sprang from the mud. Its long tongue lashed out, and a bizarre scene unfolded: the Blood-Devouring Worm, which was roughly the same size, was directly swallowed into its mouth.
"Crunch!!!"
Then, a crisp, continuous sound, like bones being crushed, echoed.
Hearing that sound, Wu Tian's hair stood on end, his heart filled with dread. The creature that had suddenly appeared had actually bitten and crushed the Blood-Devouring Worm, which could pierce anything, and then swallowed it alive.
Such a sight was too bizarre, too astonishing.
The mysterious creature quickly devoured the Blood-Devouring Worm. Its narrow, elongated eyes showed an insatiable hunger. It looked at Wu Tian, its long tongue flicking in and out, saliva splattering. It hopped in place several times, as if it had found another delicious meal, utterly thrilled.
Under the faint moonlight, it was very difficult to clearly make out the mysterious creature's form. However, the mere fact that it could easily devour the Blood-Devouring Worms was enough to prove it was even more terrifying than them. Vô Thiên's heart sank to the abyss; he had thought he had escaped one calamity, but unexpectedly, he still couldn't escape death in the end.
“Oa!”
With a single leap, the mysterious creature jumped to the edge of the cliff. It sniffed Vô Thiên's finger with its tiny nose, its two eyes gleamed, and then it opened its jaws and bit down.
“Rather than being swallowed alive, leaving nothing behind, I'd rather fall to my death. Perhaps grandfather could still collect my body.” Despair in his eyes, Vô Thiên let go of the fingers gripping the cliff edge and began to fall. But the mysterious creature seemed to have no intention of letting him go; it followed, leaping down at the same time, heading straight for his head.
However, just as the mysterious creature was about to touch Vô Thiên's forehead, a milky-white light burst forth, like a bolt of lightning, shooting straight into the sky and illuminating all directions.
The moment this light appeared, it instantly enveloped Vô Thiên's body, like a silkworm cocoon, emitting a milky-white glow. His falling body suddenly stopped, then unexpectedly floated upwards, slowly ascending into the air, and finally settling on the mountaintop.
The sudden turn of events left Vô Thiên somewhat flustered. His mind was in a whirl as he stood wide-eyed on the ground, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, his face full of surprise and doubt.
“Oa oa!”
A frantic cry roused him. He looked up to see a fist-sized, pitch-black creature frantically struggling, trying to escape. But it was ensnared by the milky-white light, as if fixed in place, unable to break free.
“A Demon Toad? No, that's not right. Demon Toads are just ordinary animals; they couldn't possibly devour Blood-Devouring Worms.” Seeing the mysterious creature bound by the light, Vô Thiên took out a scroll of beast hide from his waist and examined it carefully.
Before long, Vô Thiên's gaze stopped at a certain point. His arm suddenly trembled, and the beast-hide scroll fell to the ground, but he didn't notice. His eyes gleamed with a brilliant light as he stared intently at the continuously crying creature, his body trembling incessantly.
“Its entire body is as black as ink, covered in round, granular protrusions, unevenly distributed. Its forelegs are straight and quite short, while its hind legs are long and winding. Its eyes are like pearls, its teeth like steel, capable of crushing iron and stone. Similar to a Demon Toad, with an ugly appearance. This beast is the tenth-ranked creature on the List of Exotic Beasts: the Origin-Devouring Toad.”
The description on the beast-hide scroll was almost perfectly consistent with the mysterious creature before him. This meant that this fellow, who could easily devour Blood-Devouring Worms, was none other than the terrifying Origin-Devouring Toad.
But this alone wasn't enough to make Vô Thiên so excited. The most important thing was that the Origin-Devouring Toad possessed an ability that countless people coveted: it could devour all things, extract their essence, refine it into essence cores, and provide them for others to cultivate.
The Origin-Devouring Toad also had another characteristic: In its nascent stage, it fed on flesh and blood, extracting its vital energy to grow. In its juvenile stage, it could devour plants, spirit stones, and the like. In its mature stage, upon entering this phase, it could swallow mountains, rivers, and the very earth, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. It could change its size, becoming as small as a speck of dust or as large as a mountain, possessing power that defied the heavens.
However, the Devouring Origin Toad's growth is incredibly arduous. Not only is it slow, but at each stage, the heavens will unleash the Nine Yang Lightning Tribulation. Undergoing the supreme lightning tribulation's tempering, most perish prematurely during their juvenile phase. Consequently, throughout history, very few have ever managed to reach the mature stage.
And this Devouring Origin Toad before us was clearly in its nascent stage.