The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 490: Chapter 49: Strengthen the Tao Heart_1

This Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon was coiled atop the Linjiang Mountain Range, deep in slumber, and no one knew when it would awaken. It might sleep for several months, perhaps a few years, or even decades... For such beings, it was not unheard of to sleep until the landscape had radically changed. More importantly, if it awoke, would it resume its feast, consuming vast territories as it had done with a significant part of Qing State? No one could say for sure!

Ancient texts passed down in the Zhou family recorded that such a Soaring Serpent would devour mountains and rivers, then hibernate for several months to several years. Based on this, Patriarch Yuan of the Riverside Sect and the other elders had resolutely decided to abandon their entire sect grounds, relocating all disciples and cultivation resources into the Mountain River Dungeon.

However, the Soaring Serpent recorded in the ancient texts was undoubtedly not the one before Shen Mo and Patriarch Zhou. Based on the descriptions, their strengths were vastly different. The former could merely swallow a large range of mountains and rivers, while the latter had directly swallowed more than half of Qing State. Thus, it remained uncertain when it would awaken from this deep slumber.

At this moment, Shen Mo’s feelings were somewhat conflicted. He hoped this Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon would awaken and leave soon, allowing him to contact Zhao Lingyin, Chen Mengze, and the others in the Dungeon. Yet, he also worried that upon waking, the creature would continue its voracious consumption, devouring the entire Linjiang Mountain Range, including the Mountain River Valley, which could potentially impact the Mountain River Dungeon.

However, soon, the Carefree Sword Heart resounded with a chime, severing his distracting thoughts.

Confusion and procrastination are of no benefit! Only by strengthening my Path Heart, constantly improving my cultivation level, and advancing further on the path of cultivation can I resolve this situation and prevent similar disasters from recurring! I gained the power of half a step to the Golden Core Realm in just a few years after receiving my Destiny Panel! Even if this Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon is a Class V or Class VI creature, given enough time, I can reach its level. If it has awakened and departed by then, all will be well. If it is still hibernating, I will wake it or kill it, thereby eliminating this threat!

Shen Mo also considered several other potential scenarios. For instance, perhaps Zhao Lingyin, Chen Mengze, Uncle Chen, and the others had not been in the sect when the event occurred but were elsewhere in Qing State, like Jiyun Town. Or perhaps, when the Soaring Serpent awoke, it had devoured another small piece of the world, even swallowing the Mountain River Dungeon... If that were true, there would be nothing more to say; Shen Mo would fight it to the death. Once his power was sufficient, he would gut it!

However, these were all concerns for the future. For now, Shen Mo would not give up searching for a way to communicate with those inside the Mountain River Dungeon.

The Riverside Sect had four Supreme Elders. Patriarch Yuan Heming was likely hiding in the Mountain River Dungeon with the other disciples of the sect. Patriarch Zhou Zhiwei, originally stationed in Dingbo City, had rushed to Qing State immediately after the cataclysm. He was currently by Shen Mo’s side. The whereabouts of the other two patriarchs, Gongsun Jiuru and Feng Daogu, were unknown.

Patriarch Gongsun and other Golden Core Realm cultivators of the four sects had led their strongest members into the Heavenly Demon Realm. In the wake of these drastic changes, it seemed the portal to the Heavenly Demon Realm had been severed. It was unclear whether he could find a way back to this realm.

As for Patriarch Feng, he had originally been stationed in the newly built major city near the Black Mountain Demon Suppression Cave in Heishan Town. Patriarch Zhou had once sought him out, only to find the surroundings enveloped in ghastly auras, accompanied by eerie ghostly melodies and majestic patrolling processions. It had likely become a forbidden land, overrun by Outer Zone powerhouses and plagued by evil spirits. Even the Heavenly Demons from the Black Mountain demonic cave dared not venture out to cause trouble, remaining holed up in their lairs. The cities built by cultivators also fell within the range of the ghostly aura, so Patriarch Zhou could not contact Feng Daogu.

During his time there, Patriarch Zhou had gathered many disciples who were returning to the sect and sent them to the neighboring Yu State. He aimed to recompile a roster and establish a new subsidiary courtyard of the sect within Yu State’s territory. Choosing Yu State over establishing a subsidiary courtyard within the remaining half of Qing State was a well-thought-out decision by Patriarch Zhou.

Firstly, it was unknown when the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon would wake up and if it would continue to devour this world. Having the subsidiary courtyard too close to it ran a high risk of being devoured in a single bite. Secondly, the Red Flame Zone was now riddled with forbidden lands teeming with dangers. If the subsidiary courtyard were too far, more than half the disciples traveling there would likely perish en route. Establishing the subsidiary courtyard in Yu State placed it at an ideal distance—neither too close nor too far.

This state was originally the territory of the Seven Stars Altar. In the past, such an action would indeed have provoked the Golden Core Realm cultivators of the Seven Stars Altar. However, with the cataclysmic changes that had overturned the entire Red Flame Zone, it was challenging enough for the Seven Stars Altar to protect its own small territory. Naturally, they had no inclination to trouble Patriarch Zhou and his people. In fact, the Golden Core Realm cultivators of the Seven Stars Altar quite welcomed Patriarch Zhou’s establishment of the subsidiary courtyard within Yu State, as it would facilitate mutual support between the two sects.

Shen Mo looked at the roster jade slip compiled by Patriarch Zhou. It listed over a hundred Qi Gathering Realm individuals and more than ten from the Spirit Sea Realm. This list included those who had returned to Qing State in recent days, as well as disciples who were originally stationed in Sea State. He did not see the names of Chen Mengze or others close to him. Perhaps they had entered the Mountain River Realm, or perhaps they had been devoured along with much of Qing State by the Soaring Serpent, or perhaps they were still in another state and had not yet returned...

”Patriarch,” Shen Mo began, bowing to Zhou Zhiwei, ”I wish to visit the other major sects and meet their Golden Core Realm seniors. I hope to find a way to communicate with those inside the Dungeon!”

Patriarch Zhou nodded. ”The journey will be fraught with difficulties,” he cautioned. ”Be careful.”

Considering Patriarch Zhou had already met with the Golden Core Realm cultivators of the Seven Stars Altar, Shen Mo excluded them from his list of visits. He decided to first go to the Ghost Corpse School in You State, followed by the Heaven Sword Sect and the Profound Moon School. After bidding goodbye to Patriarch Zhou and Zhou Ru, Shen Mo transformed into a pale golden escaping light and headed towards You State.

Meanwhile, Patriarch Zhou did not linger long in the vicinity. After all, he too could not predict when the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon would awaken. After setting up steles and carving messages on them with Zhou Ru, they departed for Yu State.

As Shen Mo sped away in his escaping light, he released the Demon Soul General, marked with his soul seal, to scout ahead, carefully avoiding forbidden lands and unknown creatures. Simultaneously, he pondered his future cultivation path.

Whether it was dealing with the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon or coping with other crises and disasters in a more composed manner, his personal cultivation could not be halted. However, with the drastic change in the overall situation, all his income from Spirit Stones and resources had stopped.

As a Peak Master of the Riverside Sect, excluding other intangible income, he could originally receive monthly cultivation resources from the sect worth fifty middle-grade Spirit Stones. Now that the Riverside Sect’s grounds had been devoured and all its disciples were trapped in the Mountain River Realm, this monthly stipend was lost.

Jiyun Town and Hongye City had also been devoured by the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon. Shopkeeper Qian, Gold Toad Tower’s Sect Master Wei Ye, and others had likely been swallowed along with them. Thus, the dividends from his four shops and the trade route with the forces under Demon Lord Ming Cang were both gone.

The only source of income he could rely on was his expertise in auxiliary professions like crafting elixirs, talismans, and artifacts. As long as cultivators in the Red Flame Zone had not been completely wiped out, he could always rely on these proficient skills to earn substantial Spirit Stones and resources.