The First Immortal of Destiny

After an open and sincere negotiation, Shen Mo and Big Moro Yao quickly reached an agreement.

When Shen Mo attempted to break into the Divine Bridge Realm, Big Moro Yao or other Class V Flower Fairies would intervene, blocking Evil Monarch Lin Zhaozai.

In return, Shen Mo and the Sect Disciples of the Riverside Sect would continue to search for mother spiritual plants for the Flower Fairy clan. Furthermore, once Shen Mo achieved the status of Heavenly Monarch or even a higher Dao Realm, he would lend a helping hand within his capacity if Fairy Flower Valley were threatened.

Afterward, Shen Mo and Big Moro Yao both took a Dao oath to seal their agreement.

With this matter settled, Shen Mo felt much lighter. He took out spiritual fruits and delicacies, hospitably treating Big Moro Yao and Mi with fine spiritual items.

Unexpectedly, within a short time, a large group of Flower Fairies swarmed out from Fairy Flower Valley. Using magic, they transformed the surroundings into an ocean of flowers and fragrant grasses, merrily dancing among them while enjoying the spiritual items Shen Mo had obtained from the Heaven Patrolling Zone.

Thankfully, they also brought many rare fruits from Fairy Flower Valley; otherwise, the items in Shen Mo’s Universe Bag would not have been enough for them.

After discreetly asking Mi, Shen Mo learned that this was a traditional custom of the Flower Fairy clan, much like how immortals and mortals host banquets for celebrations. It was because the Spirit Fruits, nectars, and other items he presented were mostly specialties from the Heaven Patrolling Zone that so many Flower Fairies had been drawn over.

Furthermore, this also signified that Fairy Flower Valley and the Big Moros within the clan had officially accepted him, a Moro of the Human Race!

「...」

Upon returning to Chong’a Mountain, Shen Mo once again fell into a state of seclusion.

He practiced cultivation, alchemy, practicing techniques, and seeking enlightenment.

During his leisure time, he either played music with Zhao Lingyin, entertained old friends, taught his Sect Disciples, or worked on the Mountain Protection Array for the sect!

If no other major events occurred, Shen Mo did not plan to venture out for adventures or seek other opportunities before reaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm.

With the Samadhi True Fire, Enlightenment Tea, and Chen Mengze’s Nature Qi as ’provisions,’ he was ninety percent confident he could cultivate to the apex of the Golden Core Realm within a dozen years or so. Additionally, he needed to deeply contemplate and discern which path to take in attempting to erect his Divine Bridge and achieve his own Dao!

For Shen Mo, there were actually many choices.

He could start with his main cultivation method, the Sword Path, other magic and martial arts, or even his soul and Dao Body.

Even focusing solely on the Soul Refining Flag and the art of commanding Demon Soul Generals offered a chance at achieving enlightenment. However, if I were to erect the Divine Bridge using the path of Imperial Soul, I fear I might become an Evil Monarch like Lin Zhaozai!

For me, the simplest path with the highest probability of success is naturally the Sword Path!

By severing my own shackles with transcendent swordplay, I can establish a connection with the Heavenly Dao, thereby erecting the Divine Bridge and attaining the esteemed status of Heavenly Monarch.

However, this method is not without its difficulties...

Senior Gu Song, though adept at the Sword Path and even the founder of the Taiyi Sword Alliance, did not achieve his Heavenly Monarch status through swordsmanship; he had other fortuitous encounters.

My current Proficiency in Swordsmanship is comparable to his. If I were to attempt erecting the Divine Bridge now, the chance of success would likely be less than thirty percent. Fortunately, by the time I cultivate to the apex of the Golden Core Realm, my swordsmanship should have advanced considerably, making it not impossible to achieve Heavenly Monarch status through this path!

Alternatively, I can continue to deduce and refine the Mixed Yuan Qi Technique. Simultaneously, by elevating the quality of my Golden Core and True Yuan to their mortal zenith, I might also glimpse the profundities of the Divine Bridge...

Right now, Shen Mo was still some way off from the peak of the Golden Core Realm, so there was no hurry to make a decision.

He was more inclined to approach the threshold of the Divine Bridge Realm through multiple avenues, then break through to the Heavenly Monarch Realm in one decisive push!

As far as he knew, even among Heavenly Monarchs in the Divine Bridge Realm, there were distinctions in strength.

Some Heavenly Monarchs, upon achieving enlightenment, erected Divine Bridges so grand and vast they could span ten thousand li. Others, who did not cultivate a Grand Dao, had Divine Bridges that stretched merely tens of li, or even just a few li!

For instance, Evil Monarch Lin Zhaozai cultivated the White Bones Path. His attainment was neither high nor low, and the Divine Bridge he erected upon enlightenment was estimated to span several tens of li.

Aiming higher touched upon the Great Path of Life and Death.

If one achieved Heavenly Monarch status through this path, the Divine Bridge erected would span hundreds of li at the very least. With profound study into this Dao, a Divine Bridge stretching thousands of li would not be impossible!

Looking lower, the Dao paths became as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

By choosing one such Small Path and diligently pursuing it, one still had a chance to become a Heavenly Monarch. However, breaking through via such a minor Dao, the Divine Bridge erected would, at best, span a mere ten li.

Now, Shen Mo had caught a glimpse of the dawn of a higher Dao Realm. Naturally, he aspired for his Divine Bridge to extend as far as possible upon his breakthrough. Besides granting him greater power within the Divine Bridge Realm, it would also save him many detours in the future.

「Time flowed like a murmuring creek.」

Shen Mo’s Cultivation Realm steadily advanced towards the late-stage Golden Core Realm. His mastery over various cultivation methods also grew increasingly profound through cultivation and deduction under his ”Martial Performance” Destiny.

Throughout the Red Flame Zone, no major upheavals occurred, such as drastic worldly changes, the descent of Outer Zone creatures, or a grand war between immortals and demons at Golden Light Ridge. However, struggles, disputes, and conflicts among various factions were incessant. The Riverside Sect was no exception. While nothing arose that was significant enough to disrupt Shen Mo’s cultivation progress, it was not entirely peaceful. Occasionally, Shen Mo still needed to personally intervene to quell disturbances!

Not long after returning to Yu State and departing alone for the forbidden land of the Gold Man clan, Tai 26 sought out Shen Mo once more. According to it, the forbidden land of the Gold Man clan had departed the Primordial Realm, its current whereabouts unknown.

Once a forbidden land takes root, it cannot be easily moved unless the Protector within it resolved to depart, thereby impelling the forbidden land to leave its current world and seek a new Withering Realm to settle in.

Tai 26 was merely a Class III entity, incapable of traveling to the Outer Zone to search for its kin. Left with no other choice, it came to Chong’a Mountain to seek Shen Mo’s protection.

After all, many cultivators and Outer Zone Demons desired to capture a Gold Man for treasure refinement, making nowhere truly safe for it.

Having spent many years with Shen Mo and Flower Fairy Mi, it trusted them. However, it could not enter Fairy Flower Valley, leaving it with no other refuge but Shen Mo.

Furthermore, it firmly believed that Shen Mo would one day become a Heavenly Monarch, capable of refining a forbidden land to traverse other worlds. At that time, it could accompany him, leave the Primordial Realm, and search for its clan in those other realms!

Although Shen Mo did not know why the Gold Man clan had relocated from the Primordial Realm, he still accepted Tai 26. He granted it the status of an alien minister of the sect and put it in charge of managing the spirit gold deposits.

There was also Yu Yan, who, after his Dao Body was destroyed and he devolved into a Soul Ghost due to switching cultivation methods, had, with Yuan Jing’s help, found the corpse of a young cultivator. Relying on seven Soul-fixing Nails, he forcibly fused his soul with the physical body.

However, he had only managed to restore his outward appearance to that of a normal human. In essence, he was no different from the patriarch of the Ghost Corpse School, who had possessed his own Ghoul after his Dao Body was destroyed!

He remained unable to cultivate normally and suffered from numerous tricky and unresolved after-effects.

Nevertheless, Yu Yan was quite satisfied with this outcome. He even prepared lavish gifts and paid a special visit to Shen Mo to express his gratitude.

As a Soul Ghost, he had not only endured the peculiar gazes of his fellow sect members but was also unable to hold any position; his original role as Hall Master of the Immortal Welcoming Hall had been revoked. Now, having acquired a physical body, he could at least assume the identity of an Elder and move about within and outside the sect!