The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 430: 430

Except for the slight delay in searching for Jiang Lingfeng and establishing the Bloody Fiend Sect, Shen Mo never stopped alchemy and other such matters.

The experience bars for his three auxiliary professions had also made considerable progress compared to before.

[Destinied Lord: Shen Mo]

[Cultivation: Spirit Sea Realm, Layer IV]

[Talisman Path: Grade III (4,736/6,000)]

[Alchemy Path: Grade IV (3,230/9,000)]

[Forge: Grade IV (1,915/9,000)]

After stepping into Grade IV, the progression of both his Alchemy Path and Forging proficiency slowed down, not advancing as vigorously as they did before Grade IV.

On one hand, refining higher-grade Elixirs and magic artifacts took a longer time. Refining a batch of Grade II Elixirs typically took two to three Shichen. Crafting Grade III Elixirs could easily consume an entire day and night. As for Grade IV Elixirs, it was common for the process to take several days.

The same principle applied to forging magic artifacts; low-class magic artifacts did not consume much time, but once the grade elevated to high-grade and top-grade, the effort needed could be several times what was previously required.

On the other hand, to gain greater benefits, many of the Elixirs he refined and the forms of magic artifacts he forged had long reached Great proficiency. They were unable to provide more experience for his Alchemy Path and Forging proficiency.

This was unavoidable. If he were to only refine new types of Elixirs and magic artifacts, the initial investment in spiritual medicines and spiritual materials alone would be a terrifying expenditure. The returns would also significantly decrease.

Shen Mo could only find a good balance between the two, allowing him to continuously improve the proficiency of his auxiliary professions without delaying earning Spirit Stones.

Promptly, Shen Mo opened the Elixir section in the panel.

[Alchemy Path: Grade IV (3,230/9,000)]

...

[Soul Nurturing Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Demon Suppressing Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Qi Condensation Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Ethereal Void Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Bone Tempering Pill: Elite (MAX)]

...

[Exorcism Origin Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Flesh Bone Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Ganoderma Marrow Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Madness Heart-devouring Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Taixu Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Red Sun Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Evils Repellent Pill: Elite (MAX)]

...

[Seven Treasures Spirit Pill: Excellent (3,450/5,000)]

[Nine-turns Spirit Melding Pill: Excellent (2,625/5,000)]

[Creation Pill: Excellent (1,960/5,000)]

[Blood Ginseng Red Sun Pill: Junior (845/1,000)]

...

Regarding Grade V and Grade I Elixirs, Shen Mo rarely concocted them, apart from the most commonly used ones; even if there was a demand, they could be substituted with higher-grade Elixirs of similar efficacy.

Currently, the Elixirs that Shen Mo concocted most frequently to earn Spirit Stones were mostly Grade II and Grade III Elixirs.

As for Grade IV Elixirs like the Blood Ginseng Red Sun Pill, once refined, he consumed them himself and did not sell them for Spirit Stones.

After all, the higher the grade of Elixirs, magic artifacts, talismans, and other spiritual items, the scarcer and more precious the corresponding high-class raw materials became. Exchanging them for easily obtainable Spirit Stones was actually not cost-effective. Even if he were to sell them, he would exchange them for corresponding high-class spiritual items.

Currently, Shen Mo had not yet revealed his status as a Grade IV Alchemist, a Grade IV Forgemaster, and a Grade III Talisman Maker, so the impact of this was not yet apparent.

If he unreservedly displayed his proficiency in his auxiliary professions, a great number of people both inside and outside the Riverside Sect would seek him out, offering him high-class materials in exchange for the Elixirs, magic artifacts, and other such items they needed.

This was the greatest advantage of being proficient in the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, far beyond merely profiting from Spirit Stones.

It was like when he needed to set up a Teleportation Altar; unlike before, when he could simply copy the ancient array from the Sword Tomb Dungeon and construct an identical altar, he now needed to ask for help from Array Path masters within his sect. This would invariably cost him dearly, not just in Spirit Stones but also in favors.

Of course, even if Shen Mo wanted to use his brilliant proficiency in his auxiliary professions to obtain more high-class materials, he would not reveal his identity. Instead, he would use a pseudonym and find a place in an immortal market to do so.

After all, caution is the key to long-term survival.

His rapid cultivation progress and mastery of Immortal Laws and combat techniques already set him apart from ordinary people. If he then also revealed his proficiency in auxiliary professions, even an utter fool could guess he possessed some extraordinary fortune, which would lead to a host of troubles.

At present, only Zhao Lingyin was well aware of his proficiency in the Alchemy Path. Others, like Chen Mengze and her father, Ming Yu, Demon Lord Ming Cang, and a few more, knew a little about his capabilities but could not be certain.

Shopkeeper Qian, with whom he had frequent financial dealings, might have guessed that the Elixirs, magic artifacts, and talismans Shen Mo provided were personally refined by him. But Shopkeeper Qian was a wise man; he never pried or investigated further and had no concrete proof.

The risk of full exposure was well within Shen Mo’s acceptable range.

Getting rich quietly like this is pretty good!

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Shen Mo quickly selected the Seven Treasures Spirit Pill, took out the corresponding spiritual medicines and precious materials, and began refining it.

...

「On the return journey, things went relatively smoothly.」

He kept a great distance from the Suspended Fairy Mountain, that peculiar place. Furthermore, he did not encounter any crises he couldn’t handle.

The most dangerous encounter involved a school of Class III monstrous fish-type Sea Beasts. After a Demon Soul General patrolling ahead killed one, more than twenty mid to late-stage Class III monstrous fish surged up from the deep sea, tearing the Demon Soul Generals at the front to shreds. As if that wasn’t enough, they somehow detected the Black Canopy Magic Boat three to four thousand li away and swarmed towards it, intending to smash and capsize the magic ship.

Shen Mo didn’t particularly care that the Demon Soul Generals were killed. The Soul Refining Flag had soul marks on it, and he could reform them by expending some Mana.

However, these monstrous fish didn’t know what was good for them and insisted on damaging the Black Canopy Magic Boat. This was a large and quite valuable magic artifact lent to their party by the Yuan Family to search for Yuan Chengshan.

As a result, Shen Mo summoned ten Class III Demon Soul Generals at once and inflicted heavy casualties on the school of monstrous fish. In the end, they were completely devoured by Master Hong Jue and the other Demon Soul Generals.

Thanks to the continuous progression of the Great Sun Tathagata Heart Scripture, Shen Mo’s soul had become stronger and could now bear the burden of two additional peak Class III Demon Soul Generals. Hence, he no longer suppressed their desire to devour blood food.

Before long, Master Hong Jue and the Ghost Bride both advanced, becoming the second and third Demon Soul Generals after the Serpent-Eel Heavenly Demon to reach peak Class III.

「One and a half months later,」 the Black Canopy Magic Boat appeared near the coastal area of the Immortal Burial Sea.

Then, Shen Mo discovered that the battle situation in the coastal waters had changed dramatically compared to when he had set out to sea.

The Heavenly Demons in the demonic cave seemed to have changed their strategy. They no longer tried to turn the entire Marine Race into their blood food farms but instead were stirring up monstrous waves and assaulting the defensive lines of the Human Cultivators in Sea State.

Although he had learned something of the situation in Sea State through Sound Transmission Talismans, he never expected to witness such a scene immediately upon his return...

Thick, dark, heavy clouds hovered in the sky. Amidst the rumbling of muffled thunder, lightning bolts streaked across the sky like electric dragons, baring their fangs and claws in a ferocious display.

It wasn’t just lightning and fire; from gaps between the clouds, vibrant, multicolored rays of light would suddenly erupt, like fish swimming in the deep ocean, occasionally flashing their iridescent scales.

This was not an illusion; it was a fierce battle raging above the Nine Heavens between Golden Core Realm powerhouses and Class IV Big Heavenly Demons.