The First Immortal of Destiny

TING! TING! TANG! TANG!

The Bronze Bell hanging from the beam suddenly rang, jolting Shen Mo from his cultivation.

Someone triggered the Prohibition?

Shen Mo’s sense swept around. He found it wasn’t Liu Siyun or other maids and disciples seeking an audience; they were all in their respective rooms. Outside the mansion, a Flying Sword was circling, blocked by the Formation’s Prohibitions and unable to break in.

Immediately, he took out a Token, input a seal, and deactivated the internal and external Formation.

Almost instantly, the Flying Sword drilled in. It hovered in front of Shen Mo, trembling incessantly, and carried a jade slip within its Sword Light.

This Flying Sword was a low-grade magic artifact of the spiritual level. On it, Shen Mo detected the aura of Qin Wenzhen, the Law Master of the Ancient Vine Sect. After Sound Transmission Talismans became ineffective, transmitting messages between cultivators had grown troublesome. If beyond the range of sense transmission, cultivators resorted to methods like Flying Swords, puppets, or Spirit Pets.

However, the Ancient Vine Sect was only a little over a thousand miles from Shen Mo’s temporary mansion, well within the range of a middle-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator’s sense.

Even if Law Master Qin has an emergency, she could use an ordinary Flying Sword for a message. Why use a Spirit Sword?

With a hint of confusion, Shen Mo took the jade slip and probed it with his sense.

The next moment, his expression changed slightly. He waved his hand, drawing the Spirit Sword into his sleeve, and with a flash of spirit light, vanished from the Cultivation Room.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Within the borders of Caiyi Country, numerous lights from artifact controlling and Escape Skills still shuttled back and forth. They moved around the misty glow emanating from the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons.

At this time, several powerful escaping lights rose from various temporary shelters, speeding towards the Ancient Vine Sect. Most of these belonged to powerful experts from immortal sects allied with the Ancient Vine Sect, as well as Golden Core Realm alien ministers stationed in various locations. They too had received Flying Sword messages from Qin Wenzhen and Ge Qing.

Shen Mo communicated briefly with them through Divine Sense transmission and learned that someone had already gone to the Heaven Patrolling Temple to report the matter.

However, the Ancient Vine Sect was not a sect founded by a Heavenly Monarch. Even if facing annihilation, the Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarchs cultivating in the Daoist temple might not intervene.

Even if allied sects with Heavenly Monarchs were willing to help, reporting the current situation and waiting for a Heavenly Monarch to reach Caiyi Country would take considerable time. The Ancient Vine Sect likely wouldn’t last that long.

When did the Ancient Vine Sect provoke such a formidable expert?

They’ve drawn upon the sect’s heritage, yet they still can’t handle this person!

The jade slip Qin Wenzhen sent via Spirit Sword detailed the night’s events: an unknown, powerful entity had used Evil Magic to manipulate Ancient Vine Sect disciples. This entity had broken the Formation from within, entered the Ancient Vine Sect, massacred its members, and plundered the sect’s Treasure Hall.

Neither Qin Wenzhen nor Ge Qing were a match for this being. Even the usually secluded patriarch of the Ancient Vine Sect was alarmed and fought using the sect’s heritage, only to be severely injured.

The Ancient Vine Sect had enjoyed a period of prosperity eight or nine hundred years ago, its overall strength comparable to the Clear Heart Sect at its peak.

However, it later became embroiled in the internal strife of the Heaven Patrolling Temple. This led to a decline in its powerful experts, a sharp reduction in its strength, and its sphere of influence shrinking to within the borders of Caiyi Country.

Such a sect naturally possessed a considerable heritage: aside from a powerful puppet comparable to a peak Golden Core Realm expert, there were also several Grade VII Heaven Sword Talismans.

However, the puppet was quickly dismantled into pieces. Furthermore, the Heaven Sword Talismans, theoretically capable of threatening even a peak Golden Core Realm expert, only managed to injure the invader, not kill him.

From Law Master Qin’s description, this person’s cultivation realm shouldn’t have reached the Divine Bridge Realm, though it surpasses a typical peak Golden Core Realm expert. I’ll go assess the situation first. If his combat strength far exceeds mine, I see no need to fight him to the death for the Ancient Vine Sect.

Although Shen Mo had accepted the position of guest Elder in the Ancient Vine Sect and received many benefits, the previously agreed conditions were clear. Any powerful enemies or disasters the Ancient Vine Sect asked him to handle had to be within his capabilities; otherwise, Shen Mo could refuse.

During his contemplation, Shen Mo opened his mouth, and a beam of Sword Light shot towards the Ancient Vine Sect like lightning.

Then, his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already over a hundred miles from the Ancient Vine Sect.

He willingly burdened his soul further to use the Sword Escape Skill, all to reach the Ancient Vine Sect as quickly as possible. Shen Mo would fulfill his responsibilities as a guest Elder to the best of his ability; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to overcome the hurdle in his own Path Heart.

The once lush and extraordinary mountain range of the Ancient Vine Sect was now shrouded in a sea of blood. It was eerily silent, like a blood-filled swamp, with no hint of movement.

If Golden Core Realm cultivators were fighting, it wouldn’t just be the flashes of magic and sounds of impact; the very disturbance to nature’s spiritual energy would alert nearby cultivators. The current scene clearly indicated that the unknown enemy had deliberately set up a screen to avoid alerting other powerful individuals in Caiyi Country.

Because he used the Sword Escape Skill, Shen Mo was the first of the reinforcements to arrive. He didn’t wait for other Golden Core Realm cultivators, instead swinging the Demon Slaying Sword towards the sea of blood.

SCHLICK!

As the Universe Sword Qi descended, the blood light was sliced open like an overstuffed sack, revealing a huge gash.

The remainder of the blood light churned, attempting to repair the breach. Seeing this, Shen Mo didn’t hesitate and charged in amidst a flash of spirit light.

Everything within sight was blood-red.

However, with Shen Mo’s five senses, his perceptions wouldn’t be hindered.

He saw that more than half of the Ancient Vine Sect’s Mountain Protection Array lay in ruins. Judging by the signs, it was clearly destroyed from within, not breached by external force or dismantled using the Array Path.

Further inside, robes and magic artifacts of Ancient Vine Sect disciples lay scattered haphazardly. The clothes were bloodstained, and even the ground was soaked in patches, yet no bodies or remains were visible.

Outside the Ancient Vine Sect’s Ancestor Hall, Shen Mo found the culprit. The moment he sensed this person’s aura and soul fluctuations, Shen Mo’s expression turned grim. The Evil Monarch Lin Zhaozai! How did he escape?

The one ravaging the Ancient Vine Sect was indeed Lin Zhaozai, who had been imprisoned on the seventh floor of the Demon-Suppressing Tower. However, Shen Mo soon discovered that Lin Zhaozai hadn’t truly escaped; primitive iron chains still bound his body.

Above his head hung a Demon-Suppressing Tower, appearing upside-down compared to a normal pagoda. Chains extended from its first level, still firmly binding him!

Outside the Ancestor Hall lay more piles of robes belonging to Ancient Vine Sect disciples, stained with blood. Unlike those near the mountain gate, the style of these robes indicated they belonged to Spirit Sea Realm disciples. Their magic artifacts, Universe Bags, and other items had also been taken.

As for Qin Wenzhen, Ge Qing, and the others, they were desperately resisting Lin Zhaozai’s attacks, relying on the Prohibitions outside the Ancestor Hall.

As Shen Mo’s sense locked onto Lin Zhaozai, the Evil Monarch also turned. A playful look flickered in his eyes as he silently gazed back at Shen Mo.