The moon hung like a silent judge over the quiet village.Its silver glow poured through the mist, painting the rooftops in ghostly light. Beneath that ancient sky, Xiao Wang stood alone before the ancestral altar of his late father — a faint wisp of incense curling into the darkness.
The villagers slept, unaware that tonight marked the death of their peace… and the birth of a storm.
The air was heavy, humming faintly — the faint pulse of something alive within his blade.
"Devour… rise… transcend…"The voice seeped into his thoughts — low, ethereal, almost divine."The heavens have mocked you long enough, child. Now, let them watch you devour their light."
Xiao Wang's fingers tightened around the hilt of his black sword.The metal was cold, yet it thrummed with warmth — a hunger so ancient it seemed older than heaven itself.
He closed his eyes.The memories returned in waves — the ridicule, the blood, the fire.
The Path So Far
He had once been the boy no one believed in.The orphan of a disgraced warrior — the "Qi-less cripple" who could not even sense the flow of energy that ruled their world. His father's name, once respected, had been dragged through the mud by the Azure Sky Sect after a mission gone wrong. The Sect claimed he had betrayed them. But Xiao Wang had always known the truth — his father had been framed.
For years, he lived beneath that shadow, humiliated, powerless.Until the night the heavens broke their silence.
He had stumbled into the Forbidden Forest, chased by cruel villagers. The moment his blood struck the ground before that eerie altar, the Black Hole Orb awakened — spinning in a void of darkness, pulling at the threads of his soul.
And within that void lay the sword.A relic older than memory. A being that slept through eras, waiting for a mortal foolish enough — or destined enough — to awaken it.
When he touched it, the world fell silent.The pain that followed was indescribable — as if every star in the heavens was being swallowed whole.And when he opened his eyes again, he could see Qi.Not just see it — consume it.
From that night on, his fate was rewritten.The weak boy had died in that forest.What emerged was the first Devourer, a cultivator not bound by realms or techniques — but by hunger itself.
The Black Hole Orb fed upon energy, life, and even the essence of spirit beasts.It was a path of damnation and divinity — one that defied the very laws the sects worshipped.
"Devour to ascend. Devour to survive."That was the creed whispered by the sword.And Xiao Wang had obeyed.
The Tournament of the Village
Now, dawn painted the world in fire.The square was alive with chatter, laughter, and tension.
Flags of crimson and gold swayed above the crowd.Disciples of minor clans gathered — all hoping to impress the Azure Sky Sect emissaries rumored to be watching from afar.
It was the day of the Village Ascension Tournament, the one chance for any low-born cultivator to rise into the heavens.
And there he was — Xiao Wang, stepping into the arena draped in black.
The people's voices followed like daggers.
"He actually came? The cripple?""Maybe he's here to beg, not fight.""If he's lucky, they'll throw him out before he embarrasses himself."
He ignored them all.
Each insult, each mocking word — they were fuel.The orb within his chest pulsed faintly, like a heart forged of void.
The judge raised his hand.
"First match — Xiao Wang versus Liang Hu!"
The crowd cheered for Liang Hu — the village's golden boy, first among the outer disciples, arrogant and untouchable.He stepped forward, spear in hand, flames coiling around its tip like dancing serpents.
"You?" Liang Hu sneered. "You're not even worth dulling my weapon on."
Xiao Wang said nothing. His eyes remained calm, detached.But the sword on his back trembled — faint, hungry, alive.
"Feed me," it whispered. "Let me taste pride once more."
The gong struck.
Liang Hu charged — his spear moving with thunder, leaving trails of red fire. The crowd gasped as flames swallowed the stage, heat searing through the air.
But when the smoke cleared — Xiao Wang was gone.
A voice, cold and steady, echoed behind Liang Hu.
"Too slow."
The black sword descended.A single stroke — silent, yet absolute.
Clang—!The spear shattered into dust.Boom!A shockwave of black mist burst forth, devouring every wisp of Qi around them.
Liang Hu screamed as the energy was pulled from his veins.His eyes hollowed, his body crumpled.
"Wh-what… what kind of technique is that!?""He's… absorbing Qi? That's impossible!"
The murmurs turned to fear.Even the village elders — once dismissive — now stared in uneasy silence.
Xiao Wang's gaze didn't waver.He lifted the blade slightly, watching as dark mist coiled around the edge before vanishing into the sword.
"Devoured," he muttered."Next."
The next battles were a blur of power and screams.
Five opponents came. Five fell. Each one left weaker than the last, their strength sucked into nothingness.
By evening, only Xiao Wang remained standing.The square was silent — too silent.
The head elder rose slowly, voice trembling.
"Winner… Xiao Wang of the Wang Clan."
The announcement rippled through the crowd.Some cheered in disbelief, others stepped back as though standing near him was dangerous.
But he didn't bask in their awe.His eyes lifted toward the mountains where the Azure Sky Sect awaited.
"The same sect that destroyed my father's name…" he whispered."Good. Let them see what they created."
Behind him, the sword pulsed with approval.
"Vengeance and hunger — both are paths to power. But beware, my wielder. Every soul you devour… devours you in return."
"Then let them try," Xiao Wang said. "If the heavens wish to take from me again — I'll devour the heavens themselves."
The Sword's Whisper — The Call of the Abyss
That night, under a scarlet moon, Xiao Wang sat atop the village cliff.The wind howled like a beast. The sword lay beside him, its surface reflecting starlight that seemed to twist unnaturally.
"The path opens," the sword murmured, its tone calm yet infinite."The Azure Sky Sect awaits. But beyond it lies more — beasts with celestial cores, sects that devour stars, and emperors who command realms."
Xiao Wang's breathing slowed.Each word was a promise, each whisper a temptation.
"Then that is where I'll go," he said softly."To devour them all."
The sword's laughter was ancient — like a storm breaking the world.
"So be it… my Emperor of Devouring. May the heavens tremble beneath your rise."
The Shadow Beyond the Heavens
Far away, beyond mountains and clouds, within a temple carved from the bones of dragons —a figure stirred.
Draped in white, the being opened his eyes — eyes that mirrored the stars themselves.
"So… the Devouring Sword awakens again," he murmured."After ten thousand years… it has chosen another host."
A faint smile crossed his lips.
"Then the heavens shall bleed once more."
Lightning cracked across the skies.From that moment, the world began to shift — fate itself quivering as Xiao Wang's name etched itself into destiny.
The Celestial Devouring Path had begun.