Chapter Three: The Enigmatic Art—A Bewitching Practice

Wang Fan answered seventy-eight questions correctly, thus earning the inheritance of a supreme Great Emperor.

A Great Emperor—such a being could shatter the starry rivers, an invincible figure of an era, bearer of the mandate of heaven. To be granted the legacy of such an existence! And this particular inheritance was from a Great Emperor Wang Fan knew well.

The most dazzling genius in history, the most gifted woman in all of antiquity! The Ruthless Empress, proud and peerless through the ages—she defied heaven, earth, and even her own limits. She was not born with extraordinary talent, yet by her own strength alone, she slew all kings, stood alone in the nine heavens, and not even the gods could bar her path. With a constitution weaker than that of ordinary mortals, she climbed to the very summit, becoming one of the greatest figures in all history. To her, physique meant nothing; no matter what bloodline stood in her way, she could slay them all!

Few in all of history have dared call themselves Emperor of Heaven, but she was one—her name known throughout the world as the Southern Ridge Heavenly Empress!

The Southern Ridge Heavenly Empress was the very first incarnation of the Ruthless Empress, the path by which she rose to power. Wang Fan had obtained her Devouring Heaven Demon Art, a supreme technique capable of consuming all things—one could devour the physiques and cultivation of others, grow stronger by consuming them, a peerless method!

Wang Fan received the entire Wheel Sea Secret Manual of this inheritance. Beyond that, he also gained the supreme divine art associated with the Devouring Heaven Demon Art—the Dao Treasure Vase. Once one’s comprehension of the Dao reached a certain level, the Treasure Vase would be forged.

As the inheritance entered Wang Fan’s memory, he gradually digested it. When all the memories were finally absorbed, Wang Fan was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

The first life’s inheritance of the Ruthless Empress—for Wang Fan at this moment, it was like fuel to a fire in the dead of winter. If he could master this volume and devour countless physiques, perhaps his own future could mirror that of the Ruthless Empress, growing ever stronger and eventually attaining the rank of Great Emperor!

With endless excitement in his heart, Wang Fan gazed at the resplendent hall of inheritance. A faint smile played at his lips, and a glint of confidence flashed in his eyes. Silently, he thought to himself, “Before crossing over, I was as ordinary as dust. In this life, I, Wang Fan, shall soar like a dragon to the very heights of the nine heavens, never to fall, becoming the strongest of all!”

With these thoughts, Wang Fan strode out of the great hall. As he emerged, he noticed that those who had hesitated before were still hesitating; even as the police arrived, none dared step inside.

“Heh! This is the way of ordinary people, always hesitating. I was no different before I crossed over.”

Wang Fan took a deep breath, the smile on his lips turning self-mocking. Then, with bold steps, he began to leave the place altogether.

Yet as he was leaving, several police officers and many citizens of Z City surrounded him, urgently asking what had happened.

“There’s an opportunity inside—a chance to attain immortality, to become a celestial or a Buddha! You’d best hurry inside, for to refuse a gift from heaven is to invite disaster. This is a supreme opportunity!” With those words, Wang Fan spread his arms, parted the crowd, and strode away.

He left with unruffled grace, while the citizens and police exchanged bewildered glances. None knew whether to trust this stranger’s words. Some still hesitated, but a few gritted their teeth and entered the hall of inheritance.

…

In Huaguo, the machinery of government had swung fully into motion. The authorities acted with lightning speed; in the time since Wang Fan obtained his inheritance, the military had already seized control of many inheritance halls. The government now knew exactly what lay within those halls!

And this was not limited to Huaguo alone. Across the world, the same story unfolded—armies from every nation moved quickly, seizing one inheritance site after another. Though no country yet knew whether these halls truly contained techniques for immortality or methods to traverse the stars in the flesh, even the slightest possibility was enough to provoke immediate action.

In the military zone of Z City, someone had already obtained a Profound-grade inheritance, while elsewhere in Huaguo, others had acquired Earth-grade legacies.

Across the globe, inheritors of Earth-grade legacies had appeared.

A citizen of Huaguo had received the Earth-grade inheritance of the Sword Demon, Lone Seeker of Defeat.

Meanwhile, someone from M Country had obtained the Earth-grade inheritance of Voldemort, a master of magic.

…

One after another, inheritors emerged. Those who received Earth-grade legacies were flushed with pride, believing themselves already at the pinnacle of this new extraordinary era, convinced their inheritances were the finest, the very first sequence.

Yet what they did not know was that, in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of Z City, there lived a man who had acquired a Great Emperor-level inheritance.

A Great Emperor’s inheritance—far surpassing Earth-grade, not by a single rank, but by many; the gap in power was as vast as the heavens and the abyss.

The Southern Ridge Heavenly Empress—the Ruthless Empress’s Wheel Sea Secret Manual!

Upon returning to his tumbledown home, Wang Fan immediately began to study the inheritance now imprinted in his mind.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Art, the Wheel Sea Secret Manual, a Great Emperor’s legacy—Wang Fan leafed through it in his mind, and endless arcane knowledge surfaced before him, each character glowing with profound meaning.

Every line of the Devouring Heaven Demon Art was laden with depth, infinite mysteries hidden within. Even the mightiest would marvel at its terror, amazed that such a technique could make cultivation so effortless.

From the very outset, the Devouring Heaven Demon Art differed vastly from ordinary methods. It began with the Great Emperor’s guidance technique, leading one to sense the location of the Wheel of Life within, then urging the art to perceive all things in heaven and earth, drawing upon their vital energies as nourishment, allowing one to shatter the Sea of Bitterness and become a true cultivator. This method of opening the Sea of Bitterness was nothing short of demonic.

Other techniques—even those of other Great Emperors—relied on the practitioner’s own energy to break through the Sea of Bitterness. The Devouring Heaven Demon Art, however, was utterly different: it drew upon the vital energy of all creation, filled with demonic allure—a supreme imperial law, worthy of the Ruthless Empress herself!

Once Wang Fan had thoroughly studied the first step of the Devouring Heaven Demon Art—opening the Sea of Bitterness and embarking on the path of cultivation—a brilliant light flashed in his eyes. He walked to the window, gazing out at the boundless grasslands of the suburbs beyond his house. His eyes shone even brighter: “To seize the essence of all things and refine myself? I like this path—one step ahead is a lifetime ahead. If I am to become the greatest in Earth’s history, I must cultivate and become strong as quickly as possible!”

Muttering to himself, Wang Fan sat cross-legged on his bed and began to use the guidance technique from the Devouring Heaven Demon Art to attune himself.