The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 463: Chapter 463: Tomb Interior Arrangement_1

Those who practice cultivation attach great importance to their post-death arrangements. This is because once they embark on the path of cultivation, they develop certain extraordinary qualities to varying degrees. The more powerful the cultivator, the truer this becomes!

For low-class cultivators below the Spirit Sea Realm, including those in the Body Tempering and Qi Gathering Realms, it doesn’t matter much if they are indiscriminately buried in any hole after they have fallen. At most, they might be buried in a Yin-Nourishing Land, where their corpses are preserved from decay. Then, their bodies could be exhumed by disciples from immortal sects like the Ghost Corpse School, who refine corpses into Ghouls.

If one finds it too ominous for their corpse to be refined into a Ghoul after death, they can make arrangements in advance, or instruct relatives and friends to cremate their body and bury the ashes!

However, powerhouses at or above the Spirit Sea Realm are different. To some extent, such beings can be said to have transcended the category of ’mortals’. This can be inferred from the fact that Spirit Sea Realm cultivators find it quite difficult to reproduce.

The higher their Cultivation Realm, the stronger their extraordinary characteristics, and the greater the possibility of post-mortem changes!

If their remains are burned to ashes, naturally, no more trouble will arise. However, if they have other ideas and do not want to turn to ashes after death, they need to be exceptionally careful when arranging their post-death matters. Especially when arranging their tombs, a great deal of mental power is required to construct the burial ground.

Firstly, of course, is to prevent their remains from being disturbed after death. Secondly, it is to take precautions against their corpses undergoing unknown changes and transforming into monstrous Evil Spirits!

At the same time, some Seniors in the cultivation world would cremate their own remains after death. However, according to their different last wishes, they would also make varying arrangements within their tombs. Some lay down deadly Formations to kill any ’evildoers’ who dare to intrude upon their tombs and disturb their eternal rest; others leave behind trials to select inheritors of their legacy...

Currently, the Ghost Corpse School has been excavating the tomb of an unknown Heavenly Monarch for two hundred years. According to them, it is believed that his remains are still intact, and there is even a cave paradise within that has not yet fallen into the mortal realm.

This unnamed Heavenly Monarch, for some reason, was unwilling for his corpse to be turned to ashes after death. He set up numerous Formations and Prohibitions in the tomb to prevent tomb raiders from disturbing him, yet it doesn’t seem like he was trying to select an inheritor for his legacy!

Yet, curiously, in the core of the tomb—the cultivation mansion—he arranged numerous trials. Only by successfully passing all of them can one see his bodily remains... This arrangement makes no sense at all.

Firstly, if he had no intention of passing on his legacy, this tomb should be filled with deadly traps at every step. This would serve not only to prevent disturbance from outsiders but also to suppress any abnormal changes in his bodily remains, ensuring he would not be disturbed even after death!

However, although the Ghost Corpse School found excavating this tomb difficult, over the past nearly two hundred years, almost none of their Sect Disciples died due to traps or Prohibitions within the tomb. The Ghost Corpse School attributed this to the kind-heartedness of the Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarch, but Shen Mo certainly didn’t believe it.

Secondly, if he intended to pass down his legacy to a chosen successor, this Heavenly Monarch’s tomb would not have been constructed in such a remote and desolate place as the Southern Poison Zone. Furthermore, the tomb soil on the periphery was meticulously refined, and there are numerous Prohibitions within the tomb. Ordinary cultivators would find it difficult even to enter, let alone overcome these defensive measures one by one.

Yet, the tomb contains no terrifying and lethal killing traps. And at its core, in the cultivation mansion, he set up trial checkpoints...

To Shen Mo, it seemed as if this unnamed Heavenly Monarch had calculated that his tomb would be discovered in the future. He even calculated that the Red Flame Country would face the Heavenly Demon catastrophe and would desire his cave paradise, leading the Ghost Corpse School, and even the Five Great Sects, to join forces to excavate his tomb! And he didn’t seem to want to prevent his tomb from being excavated, merely using his various arrangements to delay the progress of the excavation. As for the various trials at the core, they must also have been intentional. However, with the limited information Shen Mo possessed, he couldn’t deduce the specific reasons! However, having come this far, retreating was no longer an option. Besides, Shen Mo believed in his heart that Sect Master Yuan Qingshi and the three Supreme Elders must have also considered everything he had thought of! Only by proceeding according to the original plan and overcoming the challenges within the ’Heavenly Monarch’s Mansion’ one by one could they hope to dispel the fog and glimpse the true intentions of this great Divine Bridge Realm expert.

Thinking this, he kept his doubts hidden in his heart and did not voice them to anyone.

Next, he began discussions with Zhao Lingyin’s Master, Wu Gong, as well as Elder Guo Baige, Elder Xu, and Elder Ji.

Because of his relationship with Zhao Lingyin, Wu Gong regarded Shen Mo as a junior. Coupled with Shen Mo’s special status as the only publicly acknowledged Grade IV Alchemist in the Riverside Sect, therefore, when Wu Gong faced the newly promoted Peak Master Shen Mo, he directly addressed him by his given name and said, ”There’s not much for me to say. I, of course, choose the Alchemy Room. It’ll be good to compare Alchemy skills with this Divine Bridge Heavenly Monarch!”

Compared to this veteran Grade IV Alchemist, Shen Mo’s Elixir-crafting skills were still somewhat lacking. Currently, his Alchemy Path had been at Grade IV for a long time, but his progress bar was not yet halfway. Wu Gong, on the other hand, according to Zhao Lingyin, was already attempting to refine Grade Six Elixirs, clearly indicating he had touched the threshold of a Grade V Alchemist.

Based on this, Shen Mo had considerable confidence in him.

”Alien Minister Wu’s skills in the Alchemy Path are superb. With you taking action, we can surely overcome the challenge of the Alchemy Room!”

Shen Mo nodded and then said to the group of Qi Gathering disciples behind him, ”Those of you confident in your own Alchemy skills... may accompany Alien Minister Wu to the Alchemy Room.”

Among them were many registered Grade III Alchemists, including Liu Yuan, formerly a genius of the Alchemy Zone, who was also in the group.

Upon receiving Shen Mo’s command, Liu Yuan and several other Alchemists stepped forward and flew with Wu Gong towards the Alchemy Room within the Heavenly Monarch’s Mansion.

Following that, Guo Baige of the Guo Clan and Elder Xu from the Forge Hall also accepted their tasks, leading a group of disciples with considerable talent in the Forging Path towards the Forge Room!

In addition, Elders and Elite Disciples were also heading to other locations such as the Flower Garden, the Book Collection Tower, and the Star Observation Deck.

The Riverside Sect, Heaven Sword Sect, Seven Stars Altar, and Profound Moon School were all in similar situations. Many cultivators from these immortal sects broke away from the main group and flew towards the cultivation mansion, the core of the tomb.

Only the Ghost Corpse School was different. Over the years, they had already solved what could be solved... Now, they couldn’t find anyone with exceptional talent to attempt breaking more Prohibitions, so most of their disciples remained outside the mansion, awaiting good news!

In the blink of an eye, the Riverside Sect’s team of forty had diminished by more than half. Only seven or eight people remained, still hesitating over which challenge to choose.

Zhao Lingyin and the Clam Girl, Ming Yu, did not immediately enter the mansion but stood beside Shen Mo.

”You are now a Grade II Forgemaster, Ming Yu. You can go to the Forge Room and give it a try.”

”Being able to witness a Heavenly Monarch-level figure forging magic treasures would be immensely beneficial for improving your Forging skills!” Shen Mo said to Ming Yu with a smile.

The Clam Girl, Ming Yu, nodded and then flew into the mansion.

It’s a pity that among the many challenges, there was no trial related to ’Spatial Skills.’ Otherwise, with Ming Yu’s [The Smallest and The Largest] Skill, she would likely be able to break through the Prohibition successfully.

”Lingyin... why aren’t you going to the Alchemy Room with your Master?”