The First Immortal of Destiny

The corpse of a Demon True Immortal was out of reach for the time being. Such beings did not perish easily. Even if they did, their corpses and relics would be seized by Formless Realm Immortal Masters or even lesser True Immortals. It was highly unlikely that any would fall into Shen Mo’s hands. However, the Immortal Mansion Dungeon he was about to explore might hold one or two immortal treasures, for which Shen Mo still held some hope.

Not long after the complete refinement of the True Immortal’s Finger, the incessant demonic fire wind outside Wind Flame Mountain—just as the Silver-haired Child had described—gradually became ”weaker.” Even without any magnificent or extraordinary sights, this change clearly indicated that the True Immortal’s cave mansion had emerged a few days prior. The Silver-haired Child and Kang Haoxiu exited their cultivation mansion, and the Puppet Yama also ”awakened.”

By the time Shen Mo received the signal and left the dark palace, the other three had already been waiting for a short while, discussing their entry into the Immortal Mountain Sky Pit.

”The power of wind and fire has weakened considerably,” the Silver-haired Child said nonchalantly, hands clasped behind his back, his face incongruously youthful. ”However, in my opinion, it’s best if we wait patiently until it begins to draw inward, creating a tailwind, before attempting to enter the Sky Pit. That would be more prudent.”

Shen Mo, Qin Zhen, and Kang Haoxiu naturally had no objections. Although the power of the demonic fire wind remained the same regardless of direction, traveling against it meant facing greater pressure and a longer duration, ultimately consuming more Mana. Conversely, advancing with the wind would significantly increase their speed, allowing quicker entry into the Immortal Mountain Sky Pit. Consequently, the overall exertion and Mana consumption would not be as severe as moving against the wind.

Subsequently, the group first advanced several tens of thousands of miles closer to Wind Flame Mountain, arriving at the location where they had stayed four months prior. They activated their Protective Spirit Energy and other defensive measures, then waited quietly for the wind to shift.

”It’s here!” Kang Haoxiu exclaimed quietly.

The dense smoke and fire, which had been continuously erupting skyward and in all directions, abruptly reversed its outward surge and began to collapse inward towards the Sky Pit. For Shen Mo and his companions, this signaled a tailwind!

Immediately, the Silver-haired Child took the lead, transforming into a streak of light that shot towards the Sky Pit, with Kang Haoxiu’s escaping light following closely behind. The Puppet Yama spread its iron wings and, with a powerful flap, kicked up a sandstorm as it flew towards Wind Flame Mountain at a speed comparable to a middle-stage Divine Bridge Realm cultivator.

Shen Mo, however, was unhurried. He methodically activated his Destinies: Indestructible Body and Danger Perception. He then took out the Soul Refining Flag, concealing it in his sleeve, before releasing the Evil-eating Centipede. Mounting its back near the neck, he followed the Silver-haired Child and the others.

The first few tens of thousands of miles were manageable. The power of the wind and fire was not overly intense, and even early-stage Divine Bridge Realm cultivators could pass through smoothly. But as they drew closer to the Sky Pit, the demonic fire wind grew increasingly fierce and violent. The howling wind cut like knives, and the fiery air was suffocating. Even moving with the wind, it felt as though they were traversing an endless purgatory, each step forward an agonizing struggle.

CRACKLE! POP!

Flying sand and stones constantly battered Shen Mo and the Evil-eating Centipede, producing sharp cracks like pearls striking a jade dish. Within a million-mile radius, rocks and minerals, continuously scoured by the demonic fire wind, had become harder than magic treasures. Even a thumb-sized pebble, propelled by the imploding, devouring force of the wind, carried enough power to pierce the Dao Body of an early-stage Divine Bridge Realm cultivator. And the sand and stones, large and small, pelting Shen Mo and the Evil-eating Centipede were innumerable, practically endless.

Fortunately, the Evil-eating Centipede’s carapace was inherently indestructible. After advancing to middle-stage Class V, the toughness of its demonic body had increased severalfold. Thus, even these terrifying projectiles struggled to leave so much as a white mark on its shell.

Shen Mo himself was even more resilient. By now, his Dao Body and physical constitution were considerably tougher than the Evil-eating Centipede’s.

Moreover, he had magic treasures, magic techniques, and Destinies as defensive measures.

What troubled him most, however, was the demonic fire wind itself. Though seemingly tangible, it inexplicably carried a sliver of the might of the ”Three Disasters and Six Tribulations,” which he could not entirely block from his Dao Body. Even when he reinforced himself with a fire-repelling and wind-repelling Palm technique, the effect was minimal and offered little benefit...

To resist the corrosive wind and fire, he activated the Crystal Brahma Flame Skill, forming a layer of Protective Spirit Energy around himself while also using the white flames as a shield. He scattered the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand Energy across every inch of his body and continuously expended Mana to grind away the encroaching, alien forces of wind and fire that invaded his system. With these numerous measures in place, his Dao Body and soul remained undamaged.

The Puppet Yama, which had been flying ahead of him, gradually slowed and was soon overtaken by Shen Mo, the distance between them closing to a few thousand miles. Runes flowed and flickered all over its body, creating an extraordinarily splendid and dazzling display. Pebbles, striking with the force of heavily impacted magic artifacts, failed to leave even a scratch on its surface. However, as the demonic fire wind intensified, the Soul Shield maintained by the puppet grew progressively dimmer.

Despite this, they were now not far from the summit of the Immortal Mountain. With its Class V defensive capabilities, the puppet should have had no difficulty reaching the Sky Pit.

But just then, the Puppet Yama abruptly seemed to lose control. The iron wings on its back stopped flapping. Its massive body gave a strange lurch in mid-air and then plunged headlong towards the mountainside. The Soul Shield was instantly torn to shreds by the demonic fire wind, and the runes on its body began to crumble and disintegrate. In the blink of an eye, its surface was covered with marks from the scorching wind and searing flames!

The Silver-haired Child and Kang Haoxiu were thousands of miles ahead, also struggling to advance through the demonic fire wind. At this moment, they likely lacked the spare energy to turn back and assist Qin Zhen.

Shen Mo was closest to the Puppet Yama. Almost at the instant the puppet began to fall, he unleashed the Nine Fiend Seizing Hand, which transformed into a colossal, greyish hand that snatched the puppet from the air. The downward momentum of the Puppet Yama was immense, weighing more than ten thousand catties, causing even the Evil-eating Centipede to dip slightly!

”Up!” Shen Mo commanded in a low, steady voice, surging his Mana to lift the Puppet Yama and place it on the Evil-eating Centipede’s back.

”Fellow Daoist, are you unharmed?”

His spiritual sense, like gentle, persistent rain, flowed into the Puppet Yama. Following the traces of Qin Zhen’s own spiritual sense, it soon penetrated to the spatial treasure near the puppet’s core. There, in an independent small space comparable in size to Ming Yu’s ”The Smallest Space,” he saw Qin Zhen’s figure, tightly wrapped in her magic robe.

As long as any living creature was within the range of his five senses and spiritual sense, his Special Destiny, ”Insight into All Beings,” could be activated. Shen Mo naturally wouldn’t miss such a prime opportunity and offered ten middle-grade Spirit Stones.

As the feedback information appeared on the panel, a flicker of surprise crossed Shen Mo’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

”Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qingyun, for your help!”

”I’m not seriously injured. The forces of wind and fire just triggered the Three Disasters and Six Tribulations within me. I need to focus my mind and Mana to quickly quell this internal tribulation.” Qin Zhen’s figure trembled slightly as she conveyed her gratitude to Shen Mo via spiritual sense transmission.