The First Immortal of Destiny

Inside the cave mansion on Wangxian Mountain.

An ancient magic altar occupied half the room.

As Shen Mo embedded over a hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones one by one, the runes on the altar began to circulate, emitting a faint halo.

”How does it look?” Yuan Jing, standing nearby, asked with a mix of keen anticipation and urgency.

”The array is operating smoothly; it should be a success. However, we still need to further verify if the magic altar on the other end is functioning properly!”

Saying this, Shen Mo took out the Soul Refining Flag. With a gentle shake, he summoned the Ghost Bride. He placed a Soul Splitting Rune on her and then gave her over a hundred Spirit Stones to carry within her Soul Body, concealed by her Demonic Qi.

Originally, a cultivator in the Spirit Sea Realm, Elder Sun, was stationed on Ancient Altar Island to maintain and repair the big array.

However, circumstances changed after a series of upheavals, including the drastic transformation of the world and the sect’s relocation to Chong’a Mountain.

Once the sect was back on track, Jiang Lingfeng, newly promoted to Hall Master of the Affairs Hall, borrowed the Heaven Patrolling Boat. He journeyed to the Wando Archipelago, bringing back thousands of handpicked disciples from the Bloody Fiend School to Chong’a Mountain. En route, he also passed by Ancient Altar Island and collected Elder Sun.

After so many years, Shen Mo wasn’t sure if the Teleportation Array on Ancient Altar Island was still operational. To avoid being teleported to an unknown region, he planned to have the Ghost Bride scout ahead.

This type of formation only required Mana from the sending end to operate; the Spirit Stones given to the Ghost Bride were for her return trip.

Upon receiving Shen Mo’s command, the Ghost Bride somewhat reluctantly stepped onto the magic altar…

After delegating some of the Soul Refining Flag’s authority, Shen Mo’s True Yuan consumption, the strain on his soul, and the backlash power he suffered were all significantly reduced. However, an unavoidable consequence was that the Ghost Bride and other top-tier Demon Soul Generals regained a sliver of their gnosis. Fortunately, this didn’t affect Shen Mo’s control over them.

Immediately, Shen Mo formed a hand seal and activated the Teleportation Array.

”HUM!”

The magic altar was instantly enveloped in a brilliant light. Spatial fluctuations spread out like ripples on a lake, and the Ghost Bride’s figure vanished from her spot.

A short while later, the Teleportation Altar lit up with spirit light once more…

When the spirit light subsided, the Ghost Bride reappeared on the magic altar, her Soul Body completely unharmed.

”It’s ready!”

Through the connection between the Soul Splitting Rune and the Soul Refining Flag, Shen Mo reviewed her memories of the round trip between the two regions, confirming there had been no errors in the teleportation.

Hearing this, Yuan Jing’s face lit up with joy. He eagerly stepped onto the magic altar. Having been away from his homeland for over a decade, he had longed to return.

To avoid any interference during teleportation, Shen Mo returned the Spirit Storage Rat and the Evil-eating Centipede from his Sword Zone to the Spirit Pet Bag. Tai 26 the Gold Man and Flower Fairy Ami remained in the Golden Flowery Realm.

After careful consideration, ensuring nothing was overlooked, Shen Mo also stepped onto the magic altar and activated the big array again.

Amidst the spatial fluctuations, Shen Mo and Yuan Jing’s figures instantly disappeared.

...

”Finally, we’re back!”

Yuan Jing stepped out of the ancient magic altar, sensing the familiar, albeit slightly thin, nature’s spiritual energy. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Shen Mo followed him. Just as his back foot cleared the ancient magic altar, he summoned the Demon Slaying Sword and unleashed a Senluo Sword Qi, completely obliterating the ancient array.

”Hm?”

A look of astonishment crossed Yuan Jing’s face. ”Junior Brother Shen, why did you destroy this big array?” he asked, puzzled.

”Inside the Sword Tomb of the Taiyi Sword Alliance, there is also an ancient Teleportation Array that connects to this place.”

”Previously, cultivators from the Heaven Patrolling Zone did not wish to interact with the Outer Zone. Now that the Daoist temple’s stance has changed, and the Teleportation Array is functional again, it’s highly probable that cultivators from the Sword Alliance will use the ancient Teleportation Array in the Sword Tomb to come here!”

”As for this grand array, its array base is already fixed. I cannot alter its Dao runes and formation to sever its connection with the ancient Teleportation Array in the Sword Tomb. Destroying it directly is more convenient.”

”When I return to the Riverside Sect, I will simply reconstruct an ancient magic altar…”

Shen Mo sheathed his Demon Slaying Sword and explained to Yuan Jing with a smile.

Afterward, he took out the seven Soul-binding Nails he had obtained from Yang Chengxiong and handed them to Yuan Jing, explaining their use in detail.

Yuan Jing’s Direct Disciple, Yu Yan, had his Fire Spirit Dao Body destroyed in the River of the Dead and now existed only in a form similar to a Soul Ghost. These Soul-binding Nails might help him reacquire a physical body.

As for the source of the body… With the Enforcement Hall and the Evil Punishing Hall watching, this master and disciple pair ought to consider things carefully and not resort to the acts of an Evil Demon! Shen Mo believed.

Although Yuan Jing didn’t know if Yu Yan could resume his path of cultivation with the Soul-binding Nails, he was deeply moved by Shen Mo’s kindness. After sincerely expressing his profound gratitude, he carefully put away the seven Soul-binding Nails.

”Peak Master Yuan, Sea State is not far from here. I still have some matters to attend to and need to stay here for a few days. You should head back first!”

”Alright! When you return, I’ll host a banquet, and we’ll drink to our heart’s content.” Yuan Jing cupped his fist to Shen Mo, then summoned his escaping light and flew west towards Sea State.

Shen Mo didn’t linger on Ancient Altar Island either. He summoned the Evil-eating Centipede and headed towards the far reaches of the Immortal Burial Sea.

With his current cultivation and strength, he could control many more powerful Demon Soul Generals. During his cultivation in the Heaven Patrolling Zone, he hadn’t found an opportunity to strengthen the Demon Soul Generals in his Soul Refining Flag.

Now that he was in the Immortal Burial Sea, he intended to unleash them for a proper hunt!

Before long, the ambient spiritual Qi grew increasingly thin, eventually becoming less than one percent of what it was near the coast. In the vast ocean, the number of savage and brutal Sea Beasts also increased.

Sitting on the back of the Evil-eating Centipede, Shen Mo took out the Soul Refining Flag and shook it forcefully.

”SWOOSH!”

The Blood River surged, and one after another, terrifying Class IV Demon Soul Generals struggled free, followed by the slightly weaker Class II and Class III Demon Soul Generals.

Once all the minor Heavenly Demon Soul Generals and mutated Demon Soul Generals within the flag had materialized, the area around Shen Mo was densely packed with them. Additionally, the Soul Refining Flag contained hundreds of ordinary Soul Generals—formed from formidable evil cultivators and Outer Zone demons—still retaining their original soul appearances. They might be useful in the future, Shen Mo mused, so he had not allowed the minor Heavenly Demon Soul Generals to Demon-corrupt them.

In total, these Soul Generals numbered five hundred and seven!

Next, Shen Mo selected the Ghost Bride, Master Hong Jue, Green-skinned Ghost Tieshan, the Gold Piercing Ghost, the Possession Ghost Yang Chengxiong (Horse Groom Lv), the Serpent-Eel Heavenly Demon, the Thousand-eyed Demon, and other Class IV Demon Soul Generals. He then applied a Soul Splitting Rune to each of them. He divided the remaining nearly five hundred Demon Soul Generals into ten groups, with these chosen generals leading them, and sent them surging out in all directions.

After restructuring the Soul General hierarchy, the top-tier Demon Soul Generals could suppress the lower-ranking ones.

Therefore, as long as they remained within the perception range of the Soul Splitting Rune, Shen Mo had no fear of any Demon Soul General escaping his control, regardless of how far they ventured.

Soon, a cataclysm befell the savage Sea Beasts within tens of thousands of miles of ocean surrounding Shen Mo.

The ten groups of Demon Soul Generals swept through the Immortal Burial Sea like ten terrifying fishing nets, and countless ferocious beasts became sustenance for their growing power!