The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 616: Chapter 616: Retreat in Shock_1

If the chase continued, Shen Mo could persist for quite a long time. At least for several months, Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit wouldn’t be able to touch the hem of his garment. Even if they caught up with him, Shen Mo was confident he could escape their grasp alive!

However, he was tired of this endless evasion, which greatly wasted his time. This was especially true since he had encountered Lady Scarlet and her group, who were already planning for the third fortuitous location—the ancient tomb group. Meanwhile, he could only waste his energy evading Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit, thereby missing other opportunities in the ancient battlefield.

I thought this one person and one spirit, after chasing for about ten days to half a month, should have reached their limit.

It seems I underestimated them... In this situation, they either have high-class elixirs for replenishment or have started to consume their origin power. Either way, it’s not easy for them.

”If I could scare them away, that would be best!” Shen Mo said to Flower Fairy Mi with a calm expression.

Mi nodded, immediately took out the Mother Tree Green Leaf from the Golden Flowery Realm, held it with both hands, and placed it on top of her little head, ”Understood, this isn’t difficult. Leave it to Mi!”

Shen Mo smiled faintly, then stopped his escaping light. Standing still in the void, he began recovering his True Yuan and quietly waiting for Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit to catch up.

At this time, these two experts were about twelve to thirteen hundred miles away from Shen Mo.

Given their escape speed, they would have caught up in less than a quarter of an hour. However, when they approached within about a hundred miles, both Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit stopped, as if by tacit agreement.

Of course, the two were also wary of each other and kept about a hundred miles apart.

”Thief, return my clan’s sacred fire at once, or I’ll make you regret it!” The Fire Spirit Powerhouse, which resembled a ball of flame, was the first to speak to Shen Mo.

Zhu Zhao glanced at it but didn’t speak aloud. Instead, he secretly transmitted to Shen Mo via Divine Sense, ”Shen, if you hand the Samadhi True Fire to me, the past grievances between you and my Taiyi Sword Alliance can be written off.”

”Furthermore, if you are interested, you can join my Sword Alliance as an alien minister Elder. Besides the prestigious status, you will also receive a monthly sect allowance.”

”If you don’t want to be bound by sect rules, that’s fine too. I also have some influence within the Heaven Patrolling Temple and can mediate on your behalf, preventing the Temple from sending experts to hunt you down!”

He sounded amicable, but in reality, it was the same old carrot and stick approach.

He essentially wanted to inform Shen Mo that if he didn’t hand over the Samadhi True Fire, or if he gave it to the Flame Fire Spirit, then Zhu Zhao, as a powerful elder of the Taiyi Sword Alliance and a cultivator of the Heaven Patrolling Temple, would use all his power to hunt down and kill Shen Mo.

”Heh.”

Shen Mo smiled faintly and reached out to flick Mi’s wings.

Flower Fairy Mi, receiving the signal, immediately circulated her Mana, activating a trace of the Mother Tree Green Leaf’s power.

HUM!

Suddenly, a terrifyingly potent aura surged from the Mother Tree Green Leaf, sweeping towards Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit like a tidal wave.

A verdant projection also materialized before Shen Mo, indistinctly resembling a dense forest. However, this forest concealed boundless killing intent; if fully unleashed, it was doubtful anyone could leave it alive.

A Heavenly Monarch-level magic art? Damn it!

Zhu Zhao’s expression changed drastically. He immediately activated his escaping light and fled a great distance. He dared not gamble with his life and fortune, betting that Shen Mo and the Outer Zone creature on his shoulder were bluffing, or that he himself could withstand an attack from this Heavenly Monarch-level magic!

The Flame Fire Spirit reacted similarly, transforming into a streak of fierce fiery light and escaping hundreds of miles away!

Only then did Shen Mo speak, ”Since the Samadhi True Fire has entered my possession, there’s naturally no reason to hand it over. You two should stop wasting your breath.”

”If you continue to pursue me, Shen Mou will have no choice but to fight you to the death!”

”While there’s still room for maneuver, consider your options carefully. Don’t wait until your souls are utterly destroyed to feel regret and remorse.”

If this Mother Tree Green Leaf were Shen Mo’s own magic treasure... he wouldn’t have bothered with words and would have directly used the potent magic within it to try and kill them on the spot.

Alas, this item belongs to the Flower Fairy clan, and even Mi is only borrowing it.

Otherwise, given Shen Mo’s nature, he wouldn’t have acted this way. Although it could intimidate Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit, it also, to some extent, exposed his trump card, making him vulnerable to targeted attacks!

”...”

Zhu Zhao’s expression flickered uncertainly. After a cold snort, he transformed into a streak of escaping light and disappeared over the horizon, departing with utmost decisiveness.

Whether he had truly given up on the Samadhi True Fire, or if he intended to seek aid from the Taiyi Sword Alliance or the Heaven Patrolling Temple to trouble Shen Mo again, only he himself knew!

The Flame Fire Spirit, however, did not leave. It merely retreated another few hundred miles to avoid being instantly killed by the Mother Tree Green Leaf.

Shen Mo advanced, it advanced; Shen Mo retreated, it retreated.

It maintained a distance of nearly a thousand miles, not daring to get too close...

Evidently, it was unwilling to give up its clan’s sacred fire. Knowing its current methods were insufficient against Shen Mo, it could only continue to follow and wait for an opportunity!

Shen Mo wasn’t overly concerned about this.

He had Mi return to the Golden Flowery Realm to cultivate, then, with a turn of his escaping light, he flew towards Lady Scarlet and the others.

Lady Scarlet and her companions were still lingering outside the ancient tomb group, discussing matters. They hadn’t expected Shen Mo to return so quickly, and it seemed he had managed to shake off his pursuers.

”Shen, how did you provoke Zhu Zhao and his people?”

Lady Scarlet was slightly taken aback upon seeing Shen Mo. Noticing that the Fire Spirit Powerhouse was still trailing him, she couldn’t help but ask with curiosity, ”Zhu Zhao is nowhere to be seen; did you reach an understanding with him? And what’s going on with that Fire-type Spiritual Monster?”

In her words, she made no mention of Shen Mo hiding his strength, nor of the suspicions in their hearts.

”It’s no life-or-death feud. Cultivators from the Sword Alliance seized a fortuitous chance from the Fire Spirit tribe, and I merely intercepted it...”

Shen Mo briefly explained his conflict with Zhu Zhao and the Flame Fire Spirit. ”As for the Fire Spirit Powerhouse following me, don’t worry about it. It wouldn’t dare attack me recklessly!”

”By the way, why don’t I see Song Han? Could he have unfortunately perished while seeking opportunities?”

Hearing this, Lady Scarlet, Fu Jianghuo, and the Peng Siblings all showed complex, indescribable expressions.

...

With Shen Mo joining them, the group’s confidence in exploring the ancient tomb group grew considerably.

After all, although Lady Scarlet and the others didn’t say it aloud, they had already concluded in their hearts that this Shen Qingyun had hidden his true cultivation level. As for whether the matter of the lost soul memories was related to him, it was hard to judge, and not something they could directly ask about!

After some further planning, the group no longer hesitated and boarded the Fleeting Boat, heading into the ancient tomb group together.

The Flame Fire Spirit, naturally, followed them in.

Initially, Lady Scarlet and the other three were rather uncomfortable. Having a peak Class IV Fire Monster constantly at their heels would make anyone feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.

But as time passed, and they saw it truly dared not approach within a thousand miles, they began to believe Shen Mo’s words. Their gazes towards him then held a greater degree of fear and curiosity!