The First Immortal of Destiny

I wonder what it will be like once I reach the True Immortal Realm? Shen Mo was deeply stirred, and a peculiar light glinted in his eyes!

The final two Dao Realms were beyond my current comprehension, so I won’t dwell on them for now. Even the sixth Dao Realm, the Formless Realm, is still distant, and I’m unlikely to reach it anytime soon. For now, I need to cultivate diligently, fully utilize the power of the Divine Bridge, and strive to enter the ranks of the Formless as soon as possible!

Shen Mo then chatted with Daoxuan about various matters: the situation on Five Dragon Mountain, the distribution of power, profiles of powerful individuals, and other information. He listened intently, committing everything to memory.

”Fellow Daoist, do you know if there’s an ’Immortal’ in this Immortal Realm who is fond of rearing Dragon Beasts and consumes them for food?” Shen Mo poured a cup of Enlightenment Tea for Daoxuan Immortal Master, probing for intelligence regarding the master of the Dragon Rearing Pool.

This was because after one reached the Formless Realm, merely uttering such a being’s name would alert them. The master of the Dragon Rearing Pool was likely an entity of the seventh Dao Realm, the True Immortal level. Therefore, Shen Mo was exceptionally cautious when inquiring about this, avoiding the direct title ”Master of the Dragon Rearing Pool” and instead beating around the bush.

He mentioned an ”Immortal” who supposedly passed down the Dragon Transformation Magic. This cultivation method allowed cultivators to send their souls roaming into the Dark Blue Zone and gain various benefits. Ultimately, when the cultivator fully transformed into a Dragon Beast, this ”Immortal” would capture and rear them as ingredients for celestial delicacies...

”Fellow Daoist Qingyun, you think too highly of me,” Daoxuan said. ”I have cultivated in the Azure Heaven Cave on Five Dragon Mountain for two thousand years and have never seen a true Immortal. Even eight thousand years ago, those Divine Bridge Immortal Masters who ventured forth from the Azure Heaven Fairyland seldom found any trace of Immortals, leaving behind only fragmented accounts based on hearsay.”

”However, I have had the good fortune to encounter a few Formless Realm Immortal Masters. Some were merely passing through, while others came to Five Dragon Mountain to capture powerful demons for mounts!”

”As for the Immortal who enjoys eating Dragon Beasts, whom you mentioned, fellow Daoist...”

”It’s not only members of our Human Race who can cultivate to become Immortals. Moreover, the Immortal Realm is immeasurably vast, stretching for countless billions of li, and has existed for untold eons. Adding the powerful beings who have ascended from the Lower Realms, there are bound to be all sorts of ’Immortals’ and ’Great Demons.’ It’s not surprising that some among these powerhouses might feast on True Dragons, or even other Immortals!”

”Fellow Daoist, you have not yet become an Immortal, so you should not inquire about such beings. Even knowing about them is of little use and might instead attract disaster.” Daoxuan said, his throat parched. He took another sip of the Enlightenment Spiritual Tea, savoring it with his eyes closed.

Shen Mo nodded in agreement and then asked Daoxuan for a method to evade the perception of a True Immortal.

”Treasures of that kind—be they cultivation methods, exotic treasures, or celestial talismans—are mostly priceless rarities. You’re unlikely to find them on Five Dragon Mountain; you’d have to search other great mountains or places where the Immortal Path is more developed. However, from what you’ve told me, fellow Daoist, your close friend has been practicing the Dragon Transformation Magic for many years. The poison of Dragon Transformation has already fused with his very Essence and Qi.”

”Even if you find such treasures, I’m afraid it will be difficult to sever his connection with that True Immortal...”

Upon hearing this, a trace of helplessness flashed through Shen Mo’s eyes.

If that’s the case, I can only continue to keep Cao Ren suppressed beneath the Demon-Suppressing Tower. Yet, even this isn’t entirely safe. Once my true body can move freely, I’ll have to move the Demon-Suppressing Tower out of the Green Cloud Cave, and indeed, off Five Dragon Mountain entirely.

Next, Shen Mo and Daoxuan discussed matters concerning the Red Flame Sect and the disciples of Azure Heaven Cave, such as mutual exchange, Daoist duels, and other affairs.

...

「The Heaven Pool gathering lasted for five days.」

Five days later, Shen Mo led the Red Flame Sect members back to the Green Cloud Cave aboard the Heaven Patrolling Boat House.

At the Heaven Pool gathering, the disciples who performed exceptionally well in the Daoist duels earned rewards from Shen Mo and Daoxuan Immortal Master, leaving a favorable impression on both Divine Bridge Immortal Masters.

After returning to the Green Cloud Cave, Shen Mo dismissed his Gecko False Body and resumed his daily cultivation routine.

Above the Divine Bridge lay the Formless Realm. For me, the most important thing right now is still my own cultivation. I must strive to reach the Formless Realm as soon as possible and catch a glimpse of the True Immortal!

Being in the Immortal Realm made advancing his cultivation level within the Divine Bridge Realm somewhat easier than before. The area reachable by Shen Mo’s spiritual sense and mana teemed with spiritual items. Furthermore, Five Dragon Mountain was rich in high-quality cultivation resources. Red Flame Sect members venturing out to gather these resources continuously sent Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, along with top-grade spiritual items, back to the Green Cloud Cave. Consequently, he lacked no manner of spiritual resources.

Moreover, the proportion of Clear Spirit Qi within the Immortal Realm’s Spiritual Qi far exceeded that of the Primordial Realm. Refining the Spiritual Qi of the Immortal Realm was akin to constantly consuming treasured-level spiritual items, continuously propelling his cultivation level forward!

With these two advantages, Shen Mo didn’t need to exert much extra effort; he could focus solely on his cultivation.

Before long, thanks to the diligent efforts of tens of thousands of Red Flame Sect members, the Mountain Protection Array outside the Green Cloud Cave was successfully established and began to operate. As waves of spiritual light and flowing runes emerged, the visible manifestation of the Green Cloud Cave—like a vibrant cluster of light—slowly faded into the void. Henceforth, without Shen Mo needing to sustain it with his mana, the Green Cloud Cave’s location would be shrouded in mist to the five senses and spiritual sense of other powerful cultivators, making it difficult to perceive its true nature. Of course, this measure merely reduced its overt exposure. Determined individuals could still deduce the presence of a human faction within the mist by observing the disciples constantly entering and exiting, and the various traces they left behind.

Fortunately, Five Dragon Mountain was vast enough that even the demon kingdoms on its southern slope were extremely distant from the Green Cloud Cave. Within the currently explored vicinity, only Azure Heaven Cave was relatively close. The rest were mostly scattered great demons, akin to rogue cultivators among Human Cultivators. They lacked established foundations or significant strength and posed no threat to the Green Cloud Cave!

While Shen Mo cultivated diligently, he also made sure to supervise Zhao Lingyin’s cultivation.

Zhao Lingyin was about ten years younger than him. Considering her five-hundred-year lifespan in the Spirit Sea Realm, her Essence and Qi were still equivalent to that of a mortal maiden of sixteen. However, once a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator surpassed one hundred and fifty years of age, the marks of time would become difficult to conceal. Even if their cultivation realm advanced and their lifespan increased significantly in the future, it would be difficult to regain their youthful appearance, much like Daoxuan Immortal Master.

For Zhao Lingyin to perpetually maintain a youthful appearance, reaching the Golden Core Realm sooner was better. Once in the Golden Core Realm, with its thousand-year lifespan, she could maintain her youthful looks until she was three hundred. Of course, even upon reaching the Golden Core Realm, the trend of aging would eventually appear as she grew older. Only by establishing the Divine Bridge before the age of three hundred could she maintain her Essence and Qi at their peak, achieving true ’agelessness.’ She would show no signs of aging until her lifespan ended. Alternatively, if she advanced rapidly in her cultivation to reach the Formless Realm, where one’s form is mutable, she could naturally revert to her youth.