1327 Absorbing The Vital Essence

Duan Ling Tian had already felt that something was wrong in the beginning.

As the Island Master of Half Moon Island, he should have no lack of successors. However, he still asked the other three great Overseas Saint Islands to send him powerhouses at the prime of their lives. This was really unfathomable.

Previously, Duan Ling Tian had learned from Wang Ba that Martial or Dao Cultivators below the age of seventy were considered as being at the prime of their lives in Dao Martial Saint Land.

After all, as long as a Martial or Dao Cultivator in the Dao Martial Saint Land made a breakthrough to the Mortal Shedding Stage, their lifespan would increase to about 300 years old. When they made another breakthrough to the Saint Rudiment Stage, another 200 years would be added to their lifespan.

As for a Saint Stage powerhouse, it was even more appalling.

Even the weakest could live up to at least 1,000 years old.

Those at the top possessed an eternal lifespan. As long as they were not killed by someone else, they would share the same lifespan as the universe.

Due to this reason, those below seventy years old were all considered as being in their prime in the Dao Martial Saint Land.

"No wonder the Hidden Fog Martial Competition only allows those who are tested by the Age Measuring Pearl to participate… Aren't people whose age are able to be tested by the Age Measuring Pearl seventy years old or younger?" Duan Ling Tian finally understood the situation when he put all the pieces together.

From the very beginning, the announcement that Di Yong, the Island Master of the Half Moon Island, made about taking in a direct disciple to be the next successor of Island Master of the Half Moon Island was just a bluff.

His intention was to let the three great Overseas Saint Islands send powerhouses in their prime over so he could absorb their vital essence.

"Absorbing the vital essence of Martial and Dao Cultivators in their prime to raise his own strength… Such a Devil Technique is the lowest level Devil Technique in Dao Martial Saint Land," Wang Ba's voice echoed in Duan Ling Tian's mind. It was filled with disdain.

As a former Saint Stage Devil Cultivator, he had his own pride. The thing he looked down on the most was those Devil Cultivators who cultivated low-level Devil Techniques.

In his opinion, this type of Devil Cultivator was trash!

They were not even worthy to carry his shoes for him.

"The lowest level Devil Technique? Is it because such a Devil Technique only brings a small elevation to one's strength?" Duan Ling Tian asked.

"As long as there is enough vital essence provided by these Martial and Dao Cultivators in their prime, the elevation would be huge and the cultivation speed wouldn't be inferior to those who cultivate mid-level Devil Technique," Wang Ba explained.

"Since the elevation is huge and the cultivation speed is fast, why is it considered a low-level Devil Technique?" Duan Ling Tian was confused.

"This type of low-level Devil Technique is not even comparable to other low-level Devil Techniques… Sometimes, a huge elevation and a fast cultivation speed might not necessarily be a good thing." Wang Ba snorted. "Well, if these people who cultivate this Devil Technique are willing to stay in the Mortal Shedding Stage forever then it's still acceptable. However, if he dares to try and enter the Saint Rudiment Stage, he'll most likely end up dead! The cultivator of this low-level Devil Technique won't notice anything amiss in the early stages of his cultivation period… However, when he begins to approach the Saint Rudiment Stage, he'll realize the bane he had unknowingly taken on is the root of the trouble that'll take his life!" Wang Ba finished in one breath.

Duan Ling Tian finally understood. "So it's like that."

"Wang Ba." Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian remembered something. "Does this Di Yong have any requirement when absorbing the vital essence of powerhouses in their prime?"

"Of course!" Wang Ba answered, "Those powerhouses in their prime who are more powerful will have a greater vital essence… Otherwise, why do you think he asked the three great Overseas Saint Islands to pick 90 of the most outstanding people?"

Duan Ling Tian nodded, he finally understood everything now.

"Boy, you've yet to answer me… Do you know why I want to absorb your vital essence?" Di Yong's voice reverberated in the air and took Duan Ling Tian by surprise.

When Duan Ling Tian snapped back to reality, he was horrified by the scene before his eyes.

Dear Lord!

What did he just witness?

Di Yong was standing in the distance. Somehow, streaks of black ray stretched out of his body. Each of these black rays was connected to one person. They were all connected to the 86 powerhouses in their prime.

At this moment, apart from Di Yong and the three Vice Island Masters of Half Moon Island, only 88 people, including Duan Ling Tian, had entered the deep mountain.

There were originally 90 people, but Han Xue Nai had killed two men from Coral Island so now, there were two fewer people.

When Duan Ling Tian destroyed the Illusory Formation and snapped back to reality, he discovered that Han Xue Nai was already gone.

Due to this reason, there were only 86 people left, excluding him.

At this moment, these 86 people were all connected to the black rays that were stretching out from Di Yong's body. The black rays were emitting waves of terrifying aura.

"This aura… seems familiar." As horror dawned on Duan Ling Tian, his heart jolted. He felt as though he had come in contact with such an aura before, but he could not recall it at the moment.

Di Yong hovered in the air as the 86 black rays stretched out of his body, giving the appearance of a spider web. He was like the spider that was situated in the center of the spider web.

As for the 86 people who were connected to the 86 black rays, they were like his prey.

Bang!

Suddenly, a deafening sound reverberated in the air.

An impact wave rushed out of Di Yong's body and swept out. It shook Duan Ling Tian until his vital blood and energy were in chaos. As a result, he almost vomited blood.

It was only after a long time that Duan Ling Tian managed to return to his senses.

"That's…" At this moment, Duan Ling Tian saw the 86 people connected to the black rays suddenly shivered. In the next instant, crimson mists came out of their bodies and were heading toward Di Yong through the black rays.

"Wang Yu?" At this moment, Duan Ling Tian saw one of the people suddenly opened his eyes. It was Wang Yu, the direct disciple of Martial Emperor Qing Xuan.

When Wang Yu opened his eyes, he was horrified when he realized that something was wrong.

Whoosh!

Without any hesitation, he lifted a hand and released a palm blade that cut the black ray that was connected to him easily and broke free from it.

"This weak?" Duan Ling Tian's eyes lit up immediately when he saw the crimson mist was no longer coming out from his body and how easily he had severed the black ray.

This meant he could easily cut off the other 85 black rays and rescue all of them, right?

When Duan Ling Tian was about to make a move, Wang Ba's voice resonated in his mind. His words were like cold water that was splashed on his head. "Boy, unless it's the person who's connected, other people will need strength equivalent to Di Yong if he wants to cut those black rays."

"Huh?" Duan Ling Tian unconsciously frowned when he heard this. "Then, you mean, only those who are connected to the black rays are able to cut it off?"

"Didn't you see it? This boy, Wang Yu, managed to cut off the black ray that was connected to him easily… It was easy because that black ray wants to absorb his vital essence and did not repel him. As for the other 85 black rays, he won't be able to cut them at all." The moment Wang Ba's words left his mouth, Duan Ling Tian saw Wang Yu charged out at lightning-speed and tried to rescue his brothers from the same master. There were multiple people under Martial Emperor Qing Xuan's command who managed to make it to the top thirty during the Hidden Fog Martial Competition.

Unfortunately, no matter how Wang Yu tried to attack it, he was still unable to inflict any damage on the black rays connected to his brothers from the same master even though he had used his Spirit Weapon and innate talent.

Wang Yu's expression turned horrified.

After casting a glance filled with shock at Di Yong who was in the middle of the 85 black rays, Wang Yu looked around. It did not take long before he discovered Duan Ling Tian, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"Duan Ling Tian, what's going on?" Wang Yu asked with a horrified expression as soon as he was next to Duan Ling Tian.

In the distance, the 85 black rays continued to transfer the rich crimson mist into Di Yong's body.

At the same time, the skin of the people who were connected to the 85 black rays began to age. The transformation was more apparent in those who were originally young.

As the crimson mists continued to gush out from their bodies and were transferred to Di Yong's body, wrinkles began to appear on their faces.

The wrinkles kept increasing, and their black hair began to turn white as well.

Compared to their hair turning white in just a few moments, having one's black hair turning white overnight did not seem like a big deal anymore.

In just a few moments, their black hair was completely white.

Just by looking at them with naked eyes, Duan Ling Tian could see their vital essence being drained, and their vitality was decreasing as well… At that time when the final ounce of their vital essence was absorbed, their lives would end.

"What a fast absorbing speed!" Horror dawned on Duan Ling Tian's face. He did not even have time to explain anything to Wang Yu. Instantly, he asked Wang Ba, "Wang Ba, if I use the Devilseal Tablet, will I be able to go against him?"

Duan Ling Tian had already recalled the reason he found the aura emitting out of Di Yong's body familiar. It was because the Devilseal Tablet's aura was more or less similar.

The Devilseal Tablet was a Super Saint Weapon ranked in the Dao Martial Saint Land's Ten Great Saint Weapon Rankings. It was not very powerful, but it had an appalling ability. It could restrain Devil Cultivators.

To be more precise, it could restrain a Devil Cultivator's soul.

"Of course! If you activate the Devilseal Tablet with your cultivation base, it'll be more than enough to go against him," Wang Ba answered.

"Then why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Upon hearing Wang Ba's words, Duan Ling Tian was horrified when he saw how the 85 people were on the verge of dying.

"Because I don't want to talk about it!" Wang Ba replied as a matter of fact.

His words were clear — he did not want to talk about the Devilseal Tablet at all.

As a Devil Cultivator — especially a Devil Cultivator who had been sealed by the Devilseal Tablet for so many years — Wang Ba hated the Devilseal Tablet from the depth of his soul. It was only natural he did not want to talk about it at all.

The lives of those 85 people meant nothing to him.

"I'll deal with you later!" Duan Ling Tian snarled loudly. With a raise of his hand, the Royal Grade Spirit Archery Set appeared. As the bowstring was pulled into the shape of a full moon, an arrow was shot out.

Body and Arrow Synchronization!

At the moment when Duan Ling Tian stepped on the arrow and charged out, he withdrew the strong bow in his hands and retrieved a stone tablet. It was a stone tablet with a chipped corner.

The moment the stone tablet appeared, as though he was injected with booster, he was instantly pulled in Di Yong's direction.

Duan Ling Tian's speed increased immediately.

The Devilseal Tablet was very sensitive to the presence of Devil Cultivators, especially if they did not deliberately hide their souls.

The purpose of its existence was to seal the souls of Devil Cultivators.

"Die!" As Duan Ling Tian appeared close to Di Yong, the Devilseal Tablet soared out of his hand and crashed directly against Di Yong.