The First Immortal of Destiny

”Water Ghost Evil Spirit!”

When Shen Mo noticed the change in the Sword Washing Pool, he immediately activated the Skill [Crystal Brahma Flame], conjuring a three-foot barrier around him that resembled both crystal and white flames.

Only then did he look towards the Sword Washing Pool.

The Evil Spirit’s form was hard to describe. As seen through his Dharma Eye and sense, it was like a man, a woman, an old man, a child; like an ape, a wolf, a tiger, a leopard… It also resembled flowers, grass, insects, and reptiles. It did not keep changing forms but was simultaneously in all forms, looking exactly like whatever it was perceived as!

At this moment, [Chanjue] Destiny did not warn Shen Mo of any dangers. It was unclear if this was because the [Crystal Brahma Flame] had blocked the demonic power or if the danger would only manifest after some time, as it had with Situ Huo and the others.

Shen Mo had no time to contemplate and wielded his Taiyi Sword.

The blade, forged from the essence of immortal iron, transformed into a sword Qi dragon brimming with cold light. It carried an intimidating aura of slaughter as it slashed towards the Water Ghost Evil Spirit.

It could be said that bolts of cold lightning streaked through the daylight, and old ice stood firm in the autumn sky. When the sword was wielded, heaven and earth seemed to grieve, and a cleansing wind arose from the eight extremes!

SWOOSH!

His sword light struck the Sword Washing Pool, causing a splash and ripples. Shen Mo’s Sword Path cultivation had reached an unimaginable realm, allowing for perfect control; he would not destroy the Sword Washing Pool.

However, this sword technique, almost peerless in the world, did not seriously injure the Water Ghost Evil Spirit when it struck. It was like sunlight dispersing a Dark Shadow; when the sunlight was present, the Dark Shadow receded, but once the sunlight faded, the Dark Shadow returned to its original state.

Immediately, Shen Mo continuously unleashed his magic and Skills—the Constellations Palm, Pure Yang Pupil, Universe in the Sword, and Soul Curse Spell, among others—incessantly trying to strike the indescribable figure!

The result was the same as with the Universe Sword Qi unleashed earlier; none of them were able to eradicate it!

Fortunately, Shen Mo noticed that the [Uncommon Victory] Destiny, applied to his sword Qi and magic, ultimately had an effect on the Water Ghost Evil Spirit.

Its presence was slightly fainter than before, as if a shadow had dimmed somewhat with the changing sunlight. Although the change was minuscule, he keenly perceived it!

This is indeed a bit tricky! Shen Mo muttered to himself, his expression slightly grim as he stared at the motionless Water Ghost Evil Spirit in the Sword Washing Pool.

However, since the power of [Uncommon Victory] could diminish its existence, there was no rush for now. He just needed to persist in attacking and wearing it down. Sooner or later, he would be able to completely erase this Water Ghost Evil Spirit’s presence; once that happened, this Evil Spirit would finally ’vanish’ completely!

Just as Shen Mo was preparing to continue unleashing his sword Qi, [Chanjue] Destiny suddenly alerted him to impending danger: the tiny blood vessels in his lungs would strangely rupture, and the gushing blood would fill his lungs!

Logically speaking, given Shen Mo’s current cultivation level and strength, even if all his internal organs were shattered, he would not die. In no time, he could activate the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique to regenerate his organs using his blood essence primality.

The possibility of him suffocating to death because his lungs were filled with blood was absolutely impossible!

However, the vision from [Chanjue] Destiny’s premonition ended in absolute darkness and silence, proving that he would indeed drown from this.

Even so, Shen Mo’s expression remained unchanged.

The events predicted by [Chanjue] Destiny were not guaranteed to happen.

Just like patriarchs of the Heaven Sword Sect such as Situ Huo, as long as he evaporated all the water in his blood, he could avoid death from drowning.

However, individuals like Situ Huo and others, who did not possess miraculous techniques like the True Immortal Magic, would suffer severe injuries if their internal organs were damaged. They could only strive to repair them, not regenerate new ones.

But Shen Mo was different. Even if all his internal organs were removed, he could regrow them in a short time. If it truly came to that and there was no other way, he wouldn’t even need to evaporate the water in his blood. He could just cut open his chest cavity, sever his lungs, and remove them from his body!

However, he would avoid such a method if possible. After all, regrowing lungs would consume a large amount of blood essence primality, and unlike the limbs from the Three-Headed Six-Armed technique, new lungs couldn’t be simply reabsorbed into his body.

Gradually wearing it down to completely eliminate its presence might take too long! Shen Mo thought quickly.

Based on his previous understanding, once the Water Ghost Evil Spirit appeared, it would likely last for about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, after which it would mysteriously disappear until its next appearance.

But the intervals between its appearances were not fixed. It could be as short as a few Shichen or as long as more than ten years; both were possible.

This Evil Spirit should have descended upon the Sword Washing Pool of the Heaven Sword Sect not long after the great changes in the world. The first two disciples from the Heaven Sword Sect who became victims drowned around that time. However, this did not attract the attention of the Heaven Sword Sect. The information only reached the Elder level and was not reported to higher-ups at the Sword Master level or above.

After all, it was quite common for cultivators to die suddenly for various reasons. The Heaven Sword Sect Elder in charge of this matter mistakenly believed they had died due to an error in their cultivation!

The third mysterious drowning victim appeared two years ago; the fourth was Jiang Yingying’s fellow sect member and Shen Mo’s old acquaintance, Peng Chenshu, who died a month ago. The fifth and sixth disciples drowned just a few Shichen after Peng Chenshu’s death.

Only then did it draw the attention of the Heaven Sword Sect’s higher-ups. Golden Core patriarchs like Situ Huo investigated, eventually pinpointed the Sword Washing Pool, and stood guard by it for over a month. It was only a few days ago that the Water Ghost Evil Spirit finally appeared. They fell prey to it and were forced to turn into ’mummies,’ hiding in a secret chamber!

Shen Mo estimated that the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn wouldn’t be enough for him to completely erase the Water Ghost Evil Spirit’s presence.

If he waited for the Evil Spirit to show up next time, he had no idea how long that would take.

He didn’t want to turn into a ’mummy’ or drag a Dao Body without lungs around, waiting painfully here for several months, or even more than ten years!

With that thought, Shen Mo once again released a dazzling Sword Light.

The Sword Light flashed, and the Demon-Suppressing Tower appeared above the Sword Washing Pool. It was simple and unadorned, yet it could instill fear in anyone who looked at it!

”Capture!” Shen Mo let out a low shout, surging the True Yuan within his body to activate the capturing and suppressing abilities of the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

RUSH!

The water in the Sword Washing Pool flowed like a reversed waterfall, gathering into a cascade and rushing towards the bronze gate of the first-level tower chamber of the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

The Demon-Suppressing Tower was wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, resembling an ordinary pagoda turned upside down. If one were to invert the perspective, the scene would appear quite normal: the Sword Washing Pool, like a large basin, continuously pouring its contents down into the Demon-Suppressing Tower!

Along with the gushing water, the Water Ghost Evil Spirit was naturally also drawn into the pagoda.

It offered no resistance and was taken into the Demon-Suppressing Tower. The next moment, the bronze gate slammed shut heavily. The chains inside the tower went RATTLE! RATTLE! for a while before finally quieting down.

At the same time, [Chanjue] Destiny’s warnings of danger also ceased completely.

If one doesn’t have the correct method to respond to being ’possessed,’ then upon encountering an Evil Spirit, no matter how hard they struggle and resist, they ultimately can’t escape the tragic fate of perishing, their Dao dissipating.

But if one has a method to counter it, an Evil Spirit is actually easier to deal with than a living being with consciousness and senses!