The First Immortal of Destiny

Outside Fairy Flower Valley, the grass and trees were luxuriant, competing in resplendence. Sunlight pierced through the dense leaves, casting a patchwork of light and shadow on the ground. Accompanied by the songs of birds and the chirping of insects, these patterns gently swayed in the breeze.

Zhao Lingyin and Ming Yu sat on a mat of flowers and grass. They watched the Flower Fairies dancing among the fresh flowers and fragrant grass nearby, their faces full of sincere admiration for the beautiful scenery and creatures. These beautiful creatures, only thumb-sized and with three pairs of transparent, thin wings on their backs, danced exquisitely. Their dance was as light and carefree as fluttering butterflies, as cheerful and nimble as soaring spring swallows. Each movement resembled a beautiful and melodious fairy song.

While the two women enjoyed the brilliant scenery, a different atmosphere prevailed high above Fairy Flower Valley, in the Ninth Heaven!

Clad in an azure Daoist robe, Shen Mo stood in the void, swirling clouds and golden light flashing around him. He confronted Big Moro Yao of Fairy Flower Valley.

This time, Big Moro Yao was not an Incarnation of flora but her real body. A couple of years prior, the Protectors of the Flower Fairy clan had finally stabilized Fairy Flower Valley. This ensured the forbidden land would not be assimilated by the Primordial Realm, mitigating the risks of Daoization when they ventured out!

Shen Mo’s purpose in visiting Fairy Flower Valley this time was to find an early-stage Class V Flower Fairy for a Magic Duel. Big Moro Yao, being a master of this Realm, readily agreed to his request.

At full strength, beings like them could shatter the entirety of Yu State. Only areas protected by powerful Formations and forbidden lands would be spared. Everywhere else would be gravely damaged, becoming desolate wastelands where heavenly calamities frequently occurred, Spiritual Qi was scarce, and not a blade of grass grew!

Therefore, Shen Mo and Big Moro Yao arranged their Magic Duel beyond the Ninth Heaven.

As a Human Cultivator, Shen Mo could not distinguish the beauty or ugliness among the Flower Fairies. He felt they all possessed the same delicate, beautiful appearance, far more pleasing to the eye than the bizarre Outer Zone Demons. However, his five senses and [Dharma Eyes] could still detect subtle differences in the Flower Fairies’ appearances. He could also identify specific Flower Fairies by their soul fluctuations and auras!

For instance, Flower Fairy Ami, during their usual interactions, felt like a spiritual grass and did not give Shen Mo any sense of oppression. In contrast, Big Moro Yao standing before him made his heart constrict slightly. Her oppressive presence was somewhat similar to the feeling of the heavenly tribulation he experienced after advancing his Orange Basic Destiny, or like facing formidable demonic beasts when he was weaker!

”Fellow Daoist Shen, we may begin!” Big Moro Yao said, nodding to Shen Mo with a smile.

”Alright! My apologies for any offense I may cause,” Shen Mo replied, cupping his fist in a salute.

The moment he finished speaking, he activated the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique and transformed into the aspect of a Demon God.

The next moment, the Demon Slaying Sword, Taiyi Sword, Big Dipper Sword, Soul Refining Flag, Green Cloud Umbrella, Mountain Pearl, Ruyi Soul Stealing Needle, and other formidable magic treasures emerged all at once. They either hovered beside him, were held over his head, or were gripped in his six arms, adding to his fierce aura!

Big Moro Yao also unleashed a shower of green light. Within the light was a seed that fell at her feet, sprouted, and rapidly grew into a sapling. Then, under the urging of her Mana, it transformed into a large tree, sheltering her beneath its canopy. This scene clearly indicated it was the defensive Spell previously imbued into a leaf of the Mother Tree!

CLANG!

WHOOSH!

RUMBLE...

In the blink of an eye, the two engaged in combat.

Shen Mo’s Cultivation Realm was initially inferior to Big Moro Yao’s, so he attacked with his full strength from the outset! Special Destinies such as ”Insight into All Beings”, [Dharma Eyes], [Indestructible Body], and [Danger Perception] were activated one after another. Skills like Sword Body, Control Wind, By the Stars, and Cloud Transformation continuously bolstered his combat power. Active Skills such as Pure Yang Pupil, Sword Escape, Universe in the Sword, immunity, Cloud Thunder Wing, and Crystal Brahma Flame, along with Palm techniques, swordplay, Soul Curses, and other magic and martial arts, were all unleashed to their fullest potential!

Big Moro Yao had initially intended to merely instruct a junior, but upon witnessing this impressive display, she immediately became serious. Her every move was accompanied by a surge of green light, like a tide. She defended against his various attacks using a tree that embodied a concept similar to the Green Cloud Umbrella’s ”Cycle of Life and Death.” After absorbing a large amount of sword Qi and Killing Magic, the tree converted it all into nourishment for itself. It quickly grew to a thousand zhang high, its canopy obscuring the sky like a towering mountain. Its vigorous vitality and formidable defensive power were far superior to the Spell engraved on the green leaf of the Mother Tree!

She also launched a fierce counterattack against Shen Mo with a Spell resembling a purgatory forest. Her most powerful attack was a spiritual bamboo arrow shot from her verdant wooden bow. This arrow gave Shen Mo the oppressive feeling of facing the power of heavenly tribulation alone, directly piercing through his Wall Palm and Green Cloud Umbrella defenses.

Although it was extremely difficult, Shen Mo managed to neutralize and block these powerful Spells originating from Big Moro Yao herself. However, what followed immediately was her invoking the might of heaven and earth, bringing down the power of heavenly tribulation upon him.

Even though they were in a void devoid of Spiritual Qi, celestial phenomena, or terrain, Shen Mo’s five senses still perceived violent storms, thunder and lightning, volcanic eruptions, flash floods, landslides, falling meteors, and other such tribulations. These were not illusions, nor were they Spells. They were the external manifestations of the power of heavenly tribulation being inflicted upon Shen Mo! If he did not treat these perceived tribulations seriously, he would be flayed by the wind, his bones shattered by the torrential rain, incinerated by lightning, or crushed to pulp by collapsing mountains and earth.

「Three days later.」

Two beams of light, one large and one small, descended from the sky, returning to the beautiful floral scenery outside Fairy Flower Valley. The larger beam of light was, naturally, Shen Mo. He had changed into a brand-new set of clothes and a magic robe; his previous robe armor had been utterly destroyed in the Magic Duel.

Besides his robe armor, his soul and Dao Body were riddled with injuries. These wounds, inflicted despite using the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique, the Great Sun Tathagata Heart Scripture, consuming Blood Ginseng Red Sun Pills and Grade V Soul Nurturing Pills, and employing other methods, could not be healed all at once!

Against Big Moro Yao’s all-out assault, Shen Mo had lasted for three days and three nights! After three days, despite consuming numerous high-class Elixirs, he could not replenish his depleted True Yuan. His physical body and soul were damaged to an extreme extent, forcing him to concede defeat!

As for the Class V Flower Fairy A Yao, her victory had not been easy either. Four of her six wings had been severed or torn; her delicate body was covered in marks left by sword Qi, flames, lightning, and palm imprints. She was grievously injured and had been just moments away from collapsing and losing the match.

She flapped her two remaining intact wings and returned to Fairy Flower Valley. Less than half a day later, she emerged again, her injuries completely healed and her damaged wings fully restored.

This must be due to the miraculous efficacy of the Flower Fairies’ Mother Tree, Shen Mo suspected.

”Fellow Daoist Shen,” Big Moro Yao began, ”your Skills, Sword Path, magic, and other techniques are so profound and powerful they are truly rare in this world. It was genuinely astonishing!”