The First Immortal of Destiny

Given Lin Zhaozai’s Cultivation Realm, after escaping the confines of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, he would have a multitude of ways to conceal his tracks. By now, he might have already recovered a portion of his strength and left the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons.

However, Shen Mo still harbored a glimmer of hope. Since the matter concerned his future enlightenment tribulation, no amount of caution was excessive. If he could find Lin Zhaozai’s trace before he fully recovered to the Divine Bridge Realm, he could eliminate him completely, thus alleviating some of the calamity when he attempted to build his Divine Bridge in the future.

Qin Wenzhen was also well aware of this. To prevent this Evil Monarch from recovering his strength and seeking bloody revenge on the Ancient Vine Sect, she had invested more than half of the cultivation resources earned by the sect in recent years into constructing the Mountain Protection Array. She not only invited a Grandmaster of the Array Path from the Profound Invisible Sect, but also ensured the various materials chosen for the formation were of the highest quality.

Currently, the Ancient Vine Sect’s Mountain Protection Array was still being constructed and enhanced. They would only stop when it had enough Spirit Stones and cultivators providing Mana to withstand an attack from a Divine Bridge Realm expert.

Qin Wenzhen felt a touch of guilt that Shen Mo had attracted such a formidable enemy because of her sect. However, Shen Mo did not blame the Ancient Vine Sect. The deeper his cultivation level became, the more he could perceive the mysterious and unpredictable workings of Fate.

From the moment he, Lady Scarlet, and the others barged into the Demon-Suppressing Tower, their entanglement of Cause and Effect with Lin Zhaozai had begun. Perhaps it began even earlier. When he first arrived at Wangxian Mountain and met Lady Scarlet, the wheels of destiny started turning, gradually pushing the cloud of tribulation over his head. Even if he hadn’t become an alien minister of the Ancient Vine Sect, or hadn’t intervened when Lin Zhaozai initially ravaged the sect, he would still have inevitably ended up in mortal enmity with this Evil Monarch for various reasons.

「...」

HUM!

Within Caiyi Country, and even in more distant regions, the nature’s spiritual energy suddenly began to fluctuate violently. The misty radiance of the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons burst forth with a resplendent and dazzling divine, precious light, then, amidst a kaleidoscope of colors, it gradually faded into nothingness until it vanished without a trace.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators still inside were ”expelled” instantaneously as the ancient battlefield vanished. Many collided in the vast airspace, their proximity posing a mutual threat. Instantly, magic treasures were activated and magic unleashed, leading to a chaotic and bloody melee.

Shen Mo blended in with the onlooking cultivators, quietly observing everything. Only when the misty radiance had completely disappeared did he sigh softly and, with a wave of his Soul Refining Flag, recall the Demon Soul Generals scattered in all directions.

Throughout the entire event, he had been unable to detect any trace of Lin Zhaozai. This Evil Monarch might have left the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons much earlier, or perhaps slipped away quietly just as the misty radiance disappeared. His movements were too secretive; neither Shen Mo, his Class IV Demon Soul Generals, nor the Yuan Dan Cultivators he had commissioned could find him.

The possibility that Lin Zhaozai had vanished along with the ancient battlefield was minute, but it existed. Lin Zhaozai was originally a cultivator from the Vacuous Realm. Thanks to the Demon-Suppressing Tower and his cultivation of the White Bones Path, he had managed to ”survive.” Over countless years, he might very well be the only human from the Vacuous Realm left in existence. After all, in millennia of exploring the ancient battlefield, the Heaven Patrolling Zone had never found any other living humans, be they mortals or cultivators.

Therefore, Lin Zhaozai could have remained within the ancient battlefield when it vanished, without being expelled. However, when the great changes occurred in the Vacuous Realm, he was already imprisoned in the Demon-Suppressing Tower. He had likely been reduced to a pile of white bones by then, unaware of the external changes, much less knowing where the Vacuous Realm—the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons—had gone.

Considering this point alone, he would not risk staying in the Vacuous Realm but would choose to enter the Heaven Patrolling Zone.

More importantly, Lin Zhaozai had made a Dao Vow to become Shen Mo’s tribulation for attaining the Heavenly Monarch Realm. Thus, he couldn’t possibly wait seven hundred years to return. Otherwise, if he missed it, Lin Zhaozai would suffer a severe backlash; a drop in his cultivation Realm would be the least of his worries.

Therefore, Shen Mo was more inclined to believe that this Evil Monarch had already left the Vacuous Realm and was now lurking in some corner of this world, licking his wounds, quietly waiting for the moment Shen Mo would attempt to erect his Divine Bridge...

When I achieve enlightenment, I can ask a Heavenly Monarch-level individual to be my protector. Or, I could follow the Ancient Vine Sect’s example and set up the most powerful formation in the mortal world.

If I choose the former...

The Heavenly Monarch-level being I’m most likely able to enlist is, naturally, the Protector of the forbidden land, Fairy Flower Valley—the one Mi calls Big Moro.

Since the great upheaval of heaven and earth, my cooperation with the Flower Fairy clan has been quite amicable. As long as I demonstrate sufficient sincerity, the Class V Flower Fairies in Fairy Flower Valley should not refuse my request.

Moreover, many years have passed. The Class V powerhouses from the forbidden lands that descended upon the Heaven Patrolling Zone can now move about freely. The same should hold true for the Red Flame Zone. The Class V Flower Fairies should be able to leave Fairy Flower Valley, so there shouldn’t be any complications for them to act as my protectors then!

Additionally, when I return to Wangxian Mountain, Lady Scarlet will introduce me to her father, Duanmu Yuan. Perhaps through this Sect Master of the LiMountain Elixir Sect, I can make contact with their Divine Bridge Realm Ancestor, Danchen Zi!

When Lady Scarlet left the Hidden Phoenix Mountain Range, she revealed many things to Shen Mo. This included her birth name—a single character, ”Xiang.” Her mother, when alive, had called her ”Xiang’er.” If she took her father Duanmu Yuan’s surname, she would be Duanmu Xiang. She also shared some information about the LiMountain Elixir Sect’s Divine Bridge Realm Ancestor, Danchen Zi, allowing Shen Mo to learn the name of this Alchemy Sect Heavenly Monarch.

Danchen Zi, with a Lifespan of 2,500 years, had been a Heavenly Monarch for over 2,000 years and now had only 500 years remaining. Therefore, he was desperate to cultivate a Divine Bridge Realm expert to take over his responsibilities. Lady Scarlet’s biological father, Duanmu Yuan, the current Sect Master of the LiMountain Elixir Sect, was the one in the entire sect closest to the Divine Bridge Realm.

Over the long span of more than 2,000 years, Danchen Zi’s initial Direct Disciples had all perished, either due to tribulations or the exhaustion of their Lifespans. Duanmu Yuan was his last disciple, and the two shared an extremely close relationship. Through Lady Scarlet and Duanmu Yuan, there was a high probability of contacting Danchen Zi, this Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarch.

However, aside from Lady Scarlet, I have no connection with the LiMountain Elixir Sect.

Moreover, the LiMountain Elixir Sect and Danchen Zi have not officially acknowledged that Lady Scarlet is Duanmu Yuan’s daughter. So, I can’t really leverage that relationship.

If I were to ask Danchen Zi to be my protector on the path of enlightenment, I’m afraid I would have to pay an immense price.

Unlike Big Moro of the Flower Fairies, that clan would at most seek mother plants of rare flowers, exotic herbs, and spirit mushrooms. Over the years, Shen Mo had collected quite a few spiritual plants for Mi, which should help offset part of the cost.

As for Danchen Zi, whose Lifespan was dwindling, he might demand that Shen Mo take a Dao Vow to protect the LiMountain Elixir Sect for a period after becoming a Heavenly Monarch, until a new Heavenly Monarch emerged within the sect. If Duanmu Yuan failed in his attempt to reach the Divine Bridge Realm and perished, and no new Heavenly Monarch appeared for a long time, this period could extend to as long as 2,900 years.

Of course, Shen Mo hadn’t met Danchen Zi yet. All of this was just his speculation. What conditions Danchen Zi might actually propose would only be known after meeting this Ancestor of the Alchemy Sect.