Chapter 494: If There is No History, Then Create History

"This Young Cult Leader Lu is a formidable adversary." Bai Ming and the others looked grim, their vigilance heightened as they stared at the young leader commanding the arena.

"He won't be easy to handle." Yan Tianzhi also felt the oppressive weight emanating from him, a pressure born not only of the youth himself, but of the Heavenly Court Cult behind him.

The attitude of the five great immortal sects and the imperial court spoke volumes of how terrifyingly powerful this cult truly was.

Lan Ting's eyes mirrored a growing perplexity; she couldn't shake the uncanny feeling that this Young Cult Leader's mannerisms closely resembled someone she knew well.

Lu Yang's opponents were a pair: Mo Wenli, a true disciple from the first-tier Thunderfire Sect, and Su Mo, hailed as an unprecedented prodigy among rogue cultivators. As they watched Lu Yang’s relaxed, effortless posture, cold sweat beaded on their brows.

"Hold nothing back, we strike together!" Su Mo commanded in a low, heavy voice, directing Mo Wenli. To a man of his pride, a joint assault was a humiliation, but before the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Court Cult, pride had to be cast aside if they wished to survive the round.

Mo Wenli frowned, wondering what right a fellow merely lauded as a prodigy by rogue cultivators had to command him.

"Listen to me if you want to win!" Su Mo’s brow furrowed, displeased by the junior’s ignorance of the situation, his voice carrying an innate, majestic authority that brooked no argument.

Mo Wenli shuddered, genuinely intimidated by Su Mo's sudden intensity.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to glimpse the shadow of his own master within the man.

"You had better have a plan," Mo Wenli muttered, reluctantly accepting the direction.

Seeing that Mo Wenli knew when to advance and retreat, Su Mo’s expression softened slightly, and he transmitted his voice: "As the art of war dictates, delays breed trouble; we must end this swiftly."

"Your lightning arts should have already reached a level of true mastery. If sword techniques reign supreme in pure offense, then lightning is surely second. I shall use my Golden Core abilities to restrain him first. Gather your strength in the rear, and once you are ready, strike him with everything you have!"

"Fine, but are you certain your Golden Core can hold him?"

Su Mo offered no reply. He had dispersed his cultivation to rebuild it from scratch, exhausting his heart and soul to condense the Devouring Golden Core, which could siphon an opponent's spiritual energy. Anyone subjected to such a phenomenon would inevitably lapse into a moment of panic.

In a battle between Golden Core cultivators, a single moment of panic was all it took to decide the outcome.

Su Mo’s calves flexed rigid as a drawn arrow, and with a sharp whistle of wind, he shot forward like a feathered shaft directly toward the Young Cult Leader. The sheer velocity he displayed instantly eclipsed Mo Wenli's capabilities!

Yet the moment they clashed, Su Mo realized just how troublesome the youth truly was. The adversary possessed rich combat experience and an incredibly sharp adaptability; trying to gain the upper hand through mere veteranship was a fool's dream.

How could someone so young possess such devastatingly abundant combat experience? It did not seem forged from fighting peers of the same realm, but rather hammered out through clashes against those of far higher cultivation—and certainly more than one person.

Of course, he was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Court Cult; he undoubtedly had grandmasters feeding him moves to accumulate such terrifying martial prowess.

But what of it? His goal was merely to restrain him, and that would suffice!

"Devour!"

Su Mo chanted silently within his heart, summoning his Golden Core. The Devouring Golden Core spun frantically, plundering spiritual energy with every instance of physical contact made with the Young Cult Leader.

This technique had never failed him.

To his utter astonishment, just as he activated his core, he saw the Young Cult Leader subtly part his lips, preparing some unknown counter.

The answer manifested instantly. As Su Mo was devouring the youth's spiritual energy, the youth was simultaneously devouring his own, the two forces locking into a delicate, eerie equilibrium!

How could this be possible!

Could it be that the opponent also possessed a Devouring Golden Core?!

Su Mo gritted his teeth. Things had already reached this point, and there was no room for hesitation; he felt the magnificent, swelling power of lightning behind him. Mo Wenli's lightning art was fully gathered!

"Get out of the way!"

Mo Wenli growled through clenched teeth, the weight of the lightning so immense that merely holding it caused his arms to tremble violently.

Su Mo dodged frantically just as a violent surge of lightning exploded behind him, scattering brilliant light, weaving a chaotic dance of silver serpents, and sending energy rippling through the air.

The silver serpents of lightning entirely swallowed the Young Cult Leader.

Yet before joy could surface in the hearts of Su Mo and Mo Wenli, a sharp hiss resounded. A flash of sword light cleaved the mass of lightning cleanly in two.

The sphere of lightning burst apart, and from the debris emerged the sword-wielding figure, walking out of the explosion with complete ease.

"Decent power, but the force is too scattered. If you could concentrate it into a single point, perhaps even I would have to suffer a little," the Young Cult Leader casually critiqued Mo Wenli’s lightning art.

This Young Cult Leader was a sword cultivator, master of the supreme art of offense!

In the brief moment Mo Wenli stood dazed, Su Mo was the first to react, leaping away abruptly—there was no room for dazing on a battlefield!

He opened his mouth to warn Mo Wenli, only to see another flash of sword light, and Mo Wenli was already tumbling off the stage.

"That's one dealt with."

The tip of the sword dragged across the stone-littered arena, producing an irregular, scraping sound that made Su Mo’s skin crawl with dread.

Soon, anger consumed Su Mo. He was a great cultivator who had dispersed his core to rebuild his path, possessing two thousand years of cultivation experience. He was destined to ascend higher peaks; how could he allow himself to be slaughtered like helpless prey?

He would make this boy understand just how terrifying a great reborn cultivator could be when driven to desperation!

"The victor: the Heavenly Court Cult."

The referee announced the conclusion of the match.

On the arena stage, the Young Cult Leader sheathed his sword with impeccable posture and exquisite elegance, raising his eyes toward the judges' seats. "Well? Do I possess the qualification to continue competing?"

"This Sect Master keeps his word. You may continue."

"However, this Sect Master has one question."

"Please ask, Sect Master Lu."

"Just now, when Su Mo utilized the Devouring Golden Core to siphon your spiritual energy, you were siphoning his as well. Could it be that what you executed was the Taotie clan's innate divine ability—the oldest, most primordial form of 'Devouring Heaven and Earth'?"

The Young Cult Leader looked at Sect Master Lu with surprise, not expecting him to recognize it.

"Sect Master Lu has an exceptional eye."

"Is there a difference between the oldest 'Devouring Heaven and Earth' and the one used today?" Qiu Jin'an inquired perfectly on cue.

The Young Cult Leader remained silent, waiting for Sect Master Lu to provide the explanation.

Sect Master Lu spoke in a deep, resonant voice that carried across the entire venue: "You all should know that I, too, have cultivated 'Devouring Heaven and Earth.' During my studies, I uncovered a secret of the Taotie clan."

"In ancient times, the Taotie clan was brutal to the extreme. It is instinct for demon beasts to feed on living spirits, yet the Taotie clan was different. They never partook in consuming living beings; they devoured the spiritual energy of the world, feeding upon the very earth and stars. Thus, they were known as the Calamity Beasts of Heaven and Earth!"

"And how did they manage to devour spiritual energy and the earth itself? They relied precisely on the oldest form of 'Devouring Heaven and Earth'!"

"That original version was far too savage and was crusaded against by all races. Under immense pressure, the Taotie clan altered the technique to its current form. Though it claims to devour all things, its true power is a mere shadow of its former self!"

Sect Master Lu continued, "Even within the current Taotie clan, no one knows the oldest form. To think the Young Cult Leader could employ this technique... it seems the legends are true. The Heavenly Court was indeed the number one power of the ancient era."

Hearing this, the crowd below gasped in unison, utterly shocked by this hidden history of the Taotie clan.

Within the spiritual space, the Immortal Fairy excitedly kicked her small feet, her pearly, delicate toes twitching with delight.

"How was it, how was it? Did this Immortal perform well?"

"Excellent, that's exactly the feeling!"

The second update will be at eleven o'clock.