The First Immortal of Destiny

Besides Skills like the Crystal Brahma Flame, Shen Mo had mastered other newly developed Skills, which will not be detailed individually here.

With my current strength, I wonder if I could surpass a Heavenly Monarch who has just stepped into the Divine Bridge Realm?

In Shen Mo’s view, a Divine Bridge Heavenly Monarch held two significant advantages when engaging in Magic Duels.

The first advantage was that such beings had found their Dao Path, which was like a cultivation method having a master plan. All their cultivation achievements were highly condensed into a single, unified whole. Consequently, their Essence and Qi, as well as the power of their magic and martial arts, far surpassed those of ordinary cultivators.

The second advantage was that after breaking their own shackles and establishing a bridge between themselves and the cosmos, Heavenly Monarchs could wield the power of heaven and earth to vanquish their enemies. Their Mana was virtually inexhaustible. Even if their combat techniques or Skills were somewhat lacking, they could still rely on Heaven-and-Earth Killing Tribulations to gradually wear down and ultimately destroy powerful adversaries.

Additionally, as Shen Mo’s cultivation level neared the Divine Bridge Realm, he learned that after their ascension, Heavenly Monarchs constantly faced the Three Disasters and Six Tribulations. If they could not overcome these, they would perish, their cultivation dissolving.

These so-called ”Three Disasters and Six Tribulations” were fundamentally different from the Heaven-and-Earth Killing Tribulation Shen Mo had faced when advancing his Gold Destiny.

When Divine Bridge Heavenly Monarchs breached the barrier between heaven and humans to utilize the power of heaven and earth, they inevitably suffered erosion and assimilation from this very power. This phenomenon wasn’t exclusive to when they were refining forbidden lands for passage to other worlds.

Specifically in cultivation, these tribulations manifested in various ways. Sometimes, Heavenly Thunder struck, burning the Dao Body to charcoal and shattering the soul. At other times, a true flame inexplicably ignited beneath their feet; ordinary methods could hardly extinguish it as it burned upwards, consuming the lower Dantian, the middle Dantian, and the Mind Sea within the skull. Occasionally, a blade-like ghostly wind arose within the body, blowing from the inside out, shredding the internal organs, muscles, bones, Chakras, and Flesh and Blood. There were also instances where they became confused and disoriented, unaware of imminent fatal danger, ultimately dying an unforeseen death.

Generally, these tribulations were diverse and their arrival unpredictable. A single moment of carelessness could lead to utter disaster. Throughout the history of the cultivation world, many Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarchs had not died of natural causes after a full Lifespan, but had instead perished under the weight of the Three Disasters and Six Tribulations.

Only by achieving enlightenment and realizing their Dao could one attain a state of primordial, unified chaotic Yuan, thus gaining better resistance against the ”Three Disasters and Six Tribulations.”

For cultivators below the Divine Bridge Realm, encountering such tribulations meant their chance of surviving even a single one was less than one in ten thousand. However, erecting the Divine Bridge, while triggering the ”Three Disasters and Six Tribulations,” also provided the very foundation needed to resist them. The Cause and Effect at play were truly profound and unfathomable.

Based on all this, Shen Mo entertained the ”audacious thought” that, under certain circumstances, he could surpass or even kill a Heavenly Monarch level being.

If this opportunity arose during their ”Three Disasters and Six Tribulations,” it went without saying that Heavenly Monarchs were at their weakest. Merely coping with their personal calamities was exceedingly difficult, and their combat power would plummet.

Of course, most of the time, Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarchs were not undergoing tribulations and possessed strength far superior to the Golden Core Realm.

Even so, Shen Mo had some confidence that he could contend with relatively weaker Heavenly Monarchs, such as those who had just erected their Divine Bridge or those with a less profound Dao Path.

Regarding the first advantage of Heavenly Monarchs, Shen Mo considered his own state. His Golden Core had reached the pinnacle of quality. His vitality and strength were comparable to a peak Class IV demonic beast. His True Yuan was as dense and pure as Immortal Spirit Qi, and his soul possessed a resilience rarely seen in the world. His Essence and Qi had all undergone an ultimate transformation. Furthermore, he possessed extraordinary magic and martial arts, a peerless and sharp Sword Path, and numerous mysterious and unfathomable Special Destinies and Skills. Even if he hadn’t yet found his own Dao and consolidated all his cultivation achievements, he believed he wouldn’t be much weaker than an early-stage Divine Bridge Realm cultivator.

As for their second advantage, while Shen Mo couldn’t employ Heaven-and-Earth Killing Tribulations or wield inexhaustible Mana, he reasoned that if his methods were powerful and overwhelming enough to instantly defeat, suppress, and kill a Divine Bridge Realm opponent, their ability to draw upon the power of heaven and earth would be nullified before it could be effectively used.

With this in mind, Shen Mo felt an eagerness to test his theory. He wished he could immediately rush to the Fairy Flower Valley and spar with Big Moro Yao.

It’s about time I got out and about!

Shen Mo murmured to himself, then stood up and strode out of the Jade Cave Mansion.

Hundreds of miles away lay other exclusive cave mansions for Supreme Elders. The cave mansions belonging to Gongsun Jiuru and Feng Daogu had remained unopened for many years, a layer of fine dust resembling Spirit Stone powder having accumulated at their entrances.

The Jade Cave Mansions of Patriarchs Yuan Heming and Zhou Zhiwei had their Prohibitions activated, preventing outsiders from prying. Clearly, they had entered seclusion once more.

Shen Mo chose not to disturb them. With a thought, he activated the Cloud Thunder Wing Skill.

Suddenly, a pair of enormous wings, wreathed in clouds, fierce wind, and thunder light, materialized on his back. Their appearance was extraordinary, like a deity stepping out of a painted scroll.

CRACKLE!

Amidst a surge of wind and a clap of thunder, Shen Mo flapped his Cloud Thunder Wings, transforming into a residual image as he flew towards the entrance of the Vacuous Realm.

Ordinarily, the Vacuous Realm has no wind or rain, so I can’t fully unleash the power of the Cloud Thunder Wings. Its escape speed might not even surpass that of a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator!

The advantage is that it doesn’t consume my body’s True Yuan. If I ever again encounter an entity like the longevity flesh Evil Spirit from the Jade Flower Sect ruins, I could still use the Cloud Thunder Wings to fight or escape, even if my True Yuan is under Imprisonment.

Moreover, if I encounter stormy weather with strong winds, lightning, and thunder, the full power of the Skill can be unleashed, making it even more effective in a Magic Duel than Sword Escape!

Skills, like magic and martial arts, improve with use and atrophy with disuse. Therefore, Shen Mo intended to use his newly acquired Skills frequently, thoroughly exploring their characteristics and effectiveness in diverse situations.

After flying out of the Vacuous Realm, he used the Teleportation Array stationed outside the entrance to return to Chong’a Mountain.

As soon as he returned to the sect gate, Shen Mo’s five senses detected two slender figures in a mountain hollow not far from Guanyun Mansion, engaged in what appeared to be sparring and practicing techniques.

One of the figures was his Dao companion, Zhao Lingyin.

She had summoned a spherical object the size of a water tank. Upon closer inspection, it bore a striking resemblance to a Thousand-eyed Demon.

The difference was that this sphere seemed to be crafted from spirit gold ores—like gold, silver, copper, and iron—and its many eyes had been replaced with Crystal lenses. It lacked the repulsive fleshy appearance of a Thousand-eyed Demon, instead exuding an air of luxury and exquisite craftsmanship, possessing the unique, strange beauty characteristic of powerful magic treasures.

This was, naturally, the Class IV low-grade Spiritual Artifact that Shen Mo had created using his ever-improving Forging skills, fashioned from the remains of the slain Class IV Ten Thousand Eyes Demon, ”Turi Ke.”

Besides retaining the core organs from the carcass of ”Turi Ke,” all other components were crafted from top-tier Forging materials such as spirit gold ores and extraordinary organs from other demonic beasts and Evil Demons. The artifact retained thirty percent of the more than 1,200 Spells the demon possessed in life—meaning over 360 Spells.

As long as Mana was infused into this Spiritual Artifact, named the ”Thousand Laws Mirror,” it could unleash a variety of strange Spells, their power no less than if ”Turi Ke” itself had cast them when alive.