The First Immortal of Destiny

The other figure was Ming Yu the Clam Girl, enveloped in a shimmering aquatic radiance.

In the fifth year after Shen Mo’s return to the sect, she had advanced to Class IV under the guidance of her mother, Demon Lord Ming Cang.

Originally, upon reaching Class IV, she could have carved out a territory in the waters near the Immortal Burial Sea, raised the banner of a Demon King, and ruled over countless members of the Marine Race. However, she chose not to, returning instead to Chong’a Mountain.

Shen Mo considered Ming Yu’s decision not to claim a kingdom in the sea undoubtedly wise.

The situation in the Red Flame Zone was unlike previous years. The waters near the Immortal Burial Sea now harbored forbidden lands and descending Evil Spirits. Coupled with the Marine Race’s lack of skill in deploying large arrays, forcing them to rely solely on the protection of the deep sea, their circumstances were far more perilous than before.

Decades ago, of the Five Great Demon Kings, Demon Lord Lin Gu and the Human-faced Fish Demon King had both fallen. Only a clam, a tortoise, and a Flood Dragon remained. Of course, new Demon Kings had risen among the Marine Race in the intervening years, but their lives were also quite difficult.

Ming Yu had chosen to stay with the Riverside Sect. Her monthly stipend as an alien minister was assured, and she could continue to delve into forging techniques with Shen Mo. This offered her a Carefree existence and, in his opinion, a more promising future than being a regional Demon King.

「...」

So as not to disturb the two women practicing their Spells, Shen Mo deliberately concealed his aura and landed softly outside the mountain hollow.

Ming Yu’s Water-type Spells had become truly masterful. With every gesture, watery light shimmered, and the sound of tides roared like thunder, transforming an area of over ten miles into a miniature ocean.

Although Zhao Lingyin had yet to form her Golden Core, her Thousand Laws Mirror was exceptionally potent, granting her access to over three hundred and sixty Spells to use at will. For a time, she managed to hold her own against Ming Yu.

However, no matter how powerful a magic treasure, it still required someone to wield it.

Activating the potent Spells within the Thousand Laws Mirror heavily taxed its wielder. Before long, Zhao Lingyin’s internal Mana was nearly depleted, and Ming Yu firmly trapped her within a large net of water light.

Only when the two women put away their magic treasures and dispersed their Spells did they notice Shen Mo, who had been observing from outside the hollow for some time.

”Darling...”

Zhao Lingyin, her eyes smiling, flew into Shen Mo’s embrace. ”You’ve come out of seclusion! Have you reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm?”

Due to the intense Spell practice, she was drenched in fragrant sweat. Shen Mo didn’t mind. He embraced her, and a faint spirit light flickered around him as he used a Spell to cleanse her body.

”I broke through not long ago.”

Shen Mo nodded with a smile, then whispered some sweet nothings in Zhao Lingyin’s ear, causing her cheeks to flush and her eyes to sparkle.

While they were sharing an affectionate moment, Ming Yu stood aside, covering her mouth and chuckling. When Shen Mo’s gaze turned to her, she quickly adopted a dignified expression, bowed, and said, ”Congratulations, elder brother, on taking another step forward on the path of immortality. Longevity is within your grasp!”

「...」

Back at Guanyun Mansion, Shen Mo personally brewed Enlightenment Tea for the two women.

Afterward, he carefully inquired about Zhao Lingyin’s experience using the Thousand Laws Mirror and whether any improvements were needed.

When he had forged this treasure, he had been unable to preserve both the one thousand two hundred-odd Spells mastered by Turi Ke and the full power of each Spell. He had to choose one or the other. After careful consideration, he had ultimately reduced the number of Spells to retain their individual potency.

Zhao Lingyin pondered for a moment, then voiced her thoughts one by one.

Overall, Zhao Lingyin was quite satisfied with the Thousand Laws Mirror. However, she found that activating its embedded Spells consumed a vast amount of her Mana. Furthermore, she expressed some reservations about it being refined from the remains of a demon, making her reluctant to integrate the Spiritual Artifact into her Dantian for nurturing.

Even with Shen Mo’s exceptional forging skills, on the verge of reaching Grade Six, he couldn’t resolve the issues Zhao Lingyin raised.

For someone at the Spirit Sea Realm to contend with a Class IV Demon King was already remarkable, proving the Thousand Laws Mirror’s strength. The more powerful the Spells it generated, the more Mana was naturally required to sustain them. This was a Heavenly Dao Ultimate Truth.

Unless this magic treasure ascended to the level of a spiritual treasure, with its artifact spirit becoming a Class V existence comparable to the Divine Bridge Realm...

Then, like a Heavenly Monarch, it could break its own shackles and establish a close connection with heaven and earth. It would then be able to mobilize nature’s spiritual energy and harness heavenly and earthly tribulations to strike down foes, no longer needing to rely on its wielder for Mana or True Yuan.

However, for a Spiritual Artifact to transform into a spiritual treasure was even more difficult than for a cultivator to reach the Divine Bridge Realm and become a Heavenly Monarch.

In his cultivation journey so far, the highest-grade magic treasure Shen Mo had encountered was merely a top-grade spiritual level item—the Taiyi Sword he had subdued.

As for magic artifacts of the spiritual treasure level, to his knowledge, one likely couldn’t be found even if he scoured the entire Red Flame Zone and Heaven Patrolling Zone. Only the Dragon Rearing Pool, which he had once glimpsed in a vision, seemed to be a spiritual treasure specifically designed to alter and rear draconic creatures.

The fact that the Thousand Laws Mirror was refined from the remains of a Ten Thousand Eyes Demon was also a matter of necessity.

Without the core organs of Turi Ke, successful refinement would have been impossible. At best, he could have forged a magic treasure containing perhaps a dozen or so Spells, and their power would have paled in comparison to the Thousand Laws Mirror.

Since Zhao Lingyin was averse to nurturing this treasure in her Dantian, Shen Mo had no choice but to dedicate some of his energy to help her nurture it using his Spiritual Wisdom.

After all, she was his Dao companion.

Over the years, relying on his Grade V forging prowess, Shen Mo had re-refined Spiritual Artifacts like the Demon Slaying Sword, Green Cloud Umbrella, and Big Dipper Sword. Subsequently, using Spiritual Wisdom, he had helped them advance by a grade.

With his help, elevating the Thousand Laws Mirror to a middle-grade spiritual level would not be overly difficult.

I’m still far from becoming a Heavenly Monarch. If I were to rashly hunt a Class IV Ten Thousand Eyes Demon now, I might provoke retaliation from their Protectors!

Once I’m strong enough, I’ll pay a visit to the forbidden land of the Ten Thousand Eyes Demons!

Slaying more Ten Thousand Eyes Demons will allow me to refine more Class IV magic treasures. I can gift some to Senior Sister Chen and the others for their own use. The remainder can augment the sect’s Treasure Hall and bolster the combat strength of our Sect Disciples... Shen Mo silently resolved.

When one is weak, it is best to be cautious and maintain a low profile. But when one is sufficiently powerful, Outer Zone demons—including the Ten Thousand Eyes Demon clan—and even some Evil Spirits, become excellent cultivation resources.

Later, Shen Mo checked on Ming Yu’s progress in forging.

Due to her recent advancement in cultivation, her forging progress had been slightly delayed, but she had still made considerable strides.

In refining ordinary magic artifacts, Ming Yu could consistently forge high-grade profound level items and occasionally produce a top-grade profound level artifact, officially making her a Grade III Forgemaster. However, when it came to her specialty, bead-shaped artifacts, she could reliably create top-grade profound level Treasure Beads and sometimes even a low-grade spiritual level Treasure Bead. By this measure, her forging attainment had reached Grade IV.

Shen Mo praised Ming Yu briefly before saying, ”I plan to visit Fairy Flower Valley to seek out Big Moro Yao and have her verify some recent insights. If you two are free, you might as well accompany me.”

When Fairy Flower Valley entertains esteemed guests, numerous Flower Fairies dance amidst exotic flowers and plants, creating a truly captivating spectacle.

Shen Mo had mentioned this to Zhao Lingyin once before, and she had been eager to witness it ever since. Today was the perfect opportunity to take both her and Ming Yu to experience the valley’s beauty.