The First Immortal of Destiny

Because of the self-importance and insolence of these seven disciples from Green Cloud Peak, a series of dire consequences ensued. The Xuanyin Soul Nurturing Spring was lost, and more than a dozen Sect Disciples perished. Instead of repenting, they stirred up internal strife, even dragging Chen Mengze and Ming Yu into their feuds. All of this crossed Shen Mo’s bottom line and demanded severe punishment!

After the Green Cloud Peak disciples were taken away by the Law Enforcement Elder, and the Ascending Lake disciples had paid their respects and departed from the main hall, Shen Mo’s gaze once again fell upon Chen Mengze and Ming Yu.

They had come to blows, partly to support the disciples of their respective lineages, and partly because of deep-seated grudges accumulated over the years. They couldn’t stand the sight of each other, each wanting to teach the other a harsh lesson.

But regardless, they both violated the sect rules!

Ostensibly, the harm caused was not extensive. Neither Red Flame Sect Members nor the secular mortals residing in the Mountain-River Zone suffered casualties from their fight; merely some mountain peaks and medicine gardens were damaged.

However, the hidden danger within the sect was, for the first time, blatantly manifested at the Peak Master level, and its negative impact was undeniably severe.

In light of this, Shen Mo increased the severity of the punishment for the two women. Not only did he confiscate Chen Mengze’s and Ming Yu’s respective monthly stipends for three years, but he also ordered them to restore the mountain terrain and spiritual plant and medicine gardens in the Mountain-River Zone within a set time limit!

During the era of the Riverside Sect, Golden Core Realm cultivators within the sect were figures at the level of Supreme Elders or patriarchs. Even if conflicts arose between them, resulting in dire consequences, they would not have faced any punishment.

Thus, the sentencing for the two women was benchmarked against ”the corresponding penalties for private combat among high-ranking officials of the former Riverside Sect resulting in losses to the sect.”

Three years’ worth of monthly stipends for a Red Flame Sect Peak Master was an astronomical sum. Without other sources of income, it could even affect the daily cultivation of Chen Mengze and Ming Yu.

As for restoring the damaged mountains and medicine gardens in the Mountain-River Zone, it was also an arduous task. They would first have to move mountains from other locations, and then expend considerable time and energy replanting flowers, grasses, and spiritual plants.

Most importantly, their actions of moving mountains and planting medicinal herbs would be witnessed by everyone in the Red Flame Sect, from top to bottom, achieving the effect of ”making an example of one to deter a hundred.” This would allow other high-ranking members and Sect Disciples to understand the consequences of crossing his bottom line!

This heavy blow struck Ming Yu so hard that even she, who had been beaming with joy moments before, could no longer smile. Her small face immediately fell, and she gazed at Shen Mo somewhat resentfully.

And Chen Mengze, though still expressionless, exuded an icy aura that clearly intensified by several degrees!

Yet, this alone was not enough. Shen Mo rang the Daoist bell suspended in the Longevity Hall, summoning all high-ranking members of the Sect for a meeting. He intended to seize this opportunity to make a significant statement and suppress the increasingly prominent hidden dangers within the Sect.

Before long, the Peak Masters, Deputy Peak Masters of the Nine Peaks and One Lake, the Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters of various halls, Purple-Robed Elders, core disciples, and other high-ranking personnel had all gathered in the Longevity Hall.

Aside from those who had left the Fairyland for Five Dragon Mountain in the Outer Realm, those in secluded cultivation at critical junctures, and those stationed to guard the Mountain Protection Array outside the Fairyland, almost all high-ranking members were present. Nearly a hundred individuals stood in positions corresponding to their status and Cultivation Realms. Yuan Heming, Situ Huo, and Ming Cang—the three Deputy Sect Masters—along with Chen Mengze and Ming Yu, stood at the forefront, below Shen Mo.

”Today, I have summoned you all primarily for two matters...” Shen Mo’s gaze swept over the assembly before he announced in a clear voice.

First, he informed everyone of the dispute between the Green Cloud Peak and Ascending Lake lineages, and the punitive measures decided for the involved disciples and the respective leaders of the peak and the lake.

Following that, drawing on this topic, he spoke bluntly about the internal conflicts and hidden dangers within the Red Flame Sect, clarifying his own stance to the assembled high-ranking officials so they would understand his intentions and bottom line!

Currently, the Red Flame Sect had as many as thirty thousand inner disciples. Including the outer disciples at the Body Tempering Realm (Class I), the total number of disciples exceeded one million.

Shen Mo had to dedicate the vast majority of his energy to his own cultivation, making it impossible for him to oversee every single matter personally. Yet, the normal operation and flourishing development of the Red Flame Sect were intrinsically linked to the various top-grade spiritual items and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures he required for his cultivation.

Therefore, he could neither completely relinquish control and allow the Sect to regress to the disorganized state of the Red Flame Zone era, nor could he personally manage everything. He could only guide the overall situation concerning Sect affairs and establish the general direction for its progress.

The more specific and trivial matters would require these high-ranking members to manage them on his behalf, alleviating his burdens!

This also applied to the increasingly prominent hidden dangers within the Sect. Should similar incidents occur in the future, Shen Mo would not personally intervene. He needed these roughly one hundred high-ranking Sect members to implement his will from the top down, eliminating these numerous hidden dangers as much as possible.

”We shall firmly remember your instructions!” Once Shen Mo finished speaking, all the high-ranking Sect members cupped their fists and responded in unison.

After everyone dispersed, Shen Mo sat alone in the Longevity Hall for a long time.

Then, through his five senses and spiritual sense, he perceived that Ming Yu had returned to the Ascending Sea Zone with her mother, Demon Lord Ming Cang, while Chen Mengze had returned to her cultivation mansion in the Vacuous Zone.

In the next instant, Shen Mo’s figure flashed, and he completely vanished from the hall.

Although the Green Cloud Cave had been refined into a forbidden land, it was, in essence, still Shen Mo’s cultivation ground.

Within the Green Cloud Cave, aside from secret locations isolated by Formations, Prohibitions, Spells, and Skills, he could appear anywhere with a mere thought. It was just like the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King of yore; within the borders of the Abandoned Ghost Country, that Ghost King could traverse unimpeded, arriving wherever his thought reached!

Compared to a conventional Escape Skill like the ’Ride the Cloud’ magic, or the [Cloud Thunder Wing] Skill usable in thunderstorms, this ability was far superior!

Even the [Sword Escape], capable of traversing a thousand li with a single sword movement, could not compare.

After all, although Skills did not consume Mana, they still placed a burden on the soul, making it impossible to endlessly teleport by channeling a sword. Moving within the Green Cloud Cave, however, was different; the Mana consumption was negligible.

Of course, this was not a personal Escape Skill or divine ability of Shen Mo’s, but rather an advantage conferred by the inherent nature of the cave paradise itself.

If he encountered an irresistible opponent of the same Realm, once he returned to the Green Cloud Cave, he could leverage the ”arrival with a thought” territorial advantage to contend with them and seek an opportunity for the kill. He just needed to ensure that any enemy who intruded into the Green Cloud Cave didn’t shatter it entirely!

When Shen Mo’s figure materialized again, he was already in the Ascending Sea Zone. The phantom of the Canshui Monkey exotic beast manifested around him, preventing the seawater from soaking his robes.

Ming Yu and other Class IV Marine Race experts, who were also high-ranking Sect members, each possessed their own Water Palace at the bottom of Ascending Lake, constructed for them by their marine kinsmen and subordinates. Unlike other Golden Core Realm cultivators or Spirit Sea Realm Sect members holding Purple-Robed Elder status, whose cave mansions were built in the Vacuous Zone, the Marine Race generally preferred to reside within the water.

However, Ming Yu, possessing the [The Smallest and The Largest] Skill, actually spent little time in the Ascending Sea Zone. She preferred to reside in her cultivation mansion in the Mountain-River Zone or stay at Shen Mo and Zhao Lingyin’s GuanYun Mansion.

Her return on this occasion with Ming Cang and other Class IV Marine Race members was to implement Shen Mo’s directives from the meeting of high-ranking officials. After all, most disciples of the Ascending Lake lineage, comprising both inner and outer disciples of the Marine Race, resided here and seldom ventured into the Sect’s heartland except when undertaking Sect missions!

Shen Mo had come precisely for this reason, and also, incidentally, to console Ming Yu, as well as Ming Cang and the other powerful experts of the Marine Race.