The First Immortal of Destiny

Time was fleeting, like a white horse passing a crevice.

In a blink of an eye, Green Cloud Cave had stayed in the Cancering Realm for more than five months!

On this day, the Heaven Patrolling Boat House, laden with raw Spirit Stone ore, spirit gold, and spiritual plant materials, slowly sailed into Green Cloud Cave. Even more spiritual items were stored in the disciples’ Universe Bags.

Ordinarily, if this were a common sect entrance, numerous Bone Viewing Mirrors would be hung around the periphery to inspect returning teams, ensuring no evil monsters had mixed in.

However, Green Cloud Cave did not require such measures.

Without Shen Mo’s permission, not even the smallest Gu insect could enter the Fairyland.

Even if some evil monster managed to intrude into the Fairyland from the Outer Realm using some unknown method, Shen Mo would immediately sense it and could call down Heavenly Punishment to obliterate it!

Thus, the fully-laden treasured ship encountered no obstructions, diving straight into the iridescent mist and reappearing in the sky above the Mountain-River Zone.

For anyone other than Shen Mo, the mechanism to enter and exit the Fairyland was similar to that used by cultivators to enter and exit the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons.

To avoid potential trouble, Shen Mo had intentionally marked several locations outside Green Cloud Cave, corresponding to the Mountain-River Zone, Vacuous Zone, Jade Pool Zone, Demon Zone, Ancient Spring Zone, Thousand Swords Zone, Heart Refining Zone, Ascending Sea Zone, and other Fairyland domains.

The few newly added domains were formed by integrating the cave paradise of the Heavenly Monarch Ghoul, as well as the Dungeons belonging to the Immortal Burial Sea’s Marine Race, the Heaven Sword Sect, the Seven Stars Altar, and several other minor sects, into Green Cloud Cave.

These additions covered the original barren rock layers, making the Fairyland’s sky loftier and its earth more substantial, greatly increasing its foundational strength!

The Red Flame Sect was located within the Mountain-River Zone.

Within it, numerous big arrays connected to other areas, facilitating the low-class disciples’ training expeditions outside the sect.

Soon, the Heaven Patrolling Boat House entered the sect’s main gate and flew towards the Deacon Hall.

The Nine Peaks and One Lake, as well as the Inner and Outer Doors, all had their respective Deacon Halls, which were under the jurisdiction of the main Deacon Hall. These were places where disciples could hand over gathered resources, collect mission rewards, and settle their Sect Merit Points, among other affairs.

However, the dozens of teams dispatched by the Red Flame Sect to gather cultivation resources—including Qian Xiaofeng’s party—consisted of many inner disciples, Elite Disciples, and even twenty to thirty Yellow Robe, Green Robe, and Blue Robe Elders. For them, it was simply more convenient to report directly to the main Deacon Hall to complete their tasks.

”Fifty thousand jin of Spirit Stone raw ore, eight thousand jin of Cold Crystal Stone, twelve thousand jin of Tiangeng Mine...”

Lu Youwei, the Deputy Hall Master of the Deacon Hall, along with two Yellow Robe Elders and more than a dozen Deacons, began to tally the haul from Qian Xiaofeng’s team.

Qian Xiaofeng’s team almost always returned fully laden.

Apart from a previous ambush by thousands of evil monsters, which had resulted in the deaths of over ten disciples, her team suffered very few casualties at other times. The variety of spiritual items they collected ranked them among the top of the dozens of teams!

More than a Shichen later, Lu Youwei finished his count. After double-checking and confirming no errors, he accepted these spiritual items.

Some of the metal and stone ores, as well as spiritual plant materials, required further processing. Resources that needed no additional handling would be sent directly to the Sect’s Treasure Hall.

”Martial Nephew Xiaofeng, please give the record of merits and demerits to this old man, so I can distribute the sect’s rewards and Merit Points to all of you,” Lu Youwei said to Qian Xiaofeng with a friendly smile.

He was Lu Taorui’s father, and Lu Taorui had been formally accepted as a disciple by Zhao Lingyin.

Additionally, since Qian Xiaofeng was Shen Mo’s disciple, this indirect connection made it appropriate for him to address her as ”Martial Nephew”!

Of course, Lu Youwei’s use of this address also carried a hint of trying to curry favor through connections.

Qian Xiaofeng’s Realm was higher, and she had attained the status of a core disciple. In terms of both strength and standing, she was not inferior to Lu Youwei.

However, she did not mind Lu Youwei addressing her as if she were a generation younger and handed over her Jade tablet. It recorded all the merits and demerits of the team members during their resource-gathering expedition.

After Lu Youwei verified the records, he distributed the sect’s rewards and Merit Points to everyone according to what was documented.

”The Sect Master has issued an order: we will be leaving the Cancering Realm soon. Martial Nephew Xiaofeng and all fellow disciples, once your current tasks are concluded, you may disperse. There is no need to venture out to gather more resources!” After handling these matters, Lu Youwei announced this to everyone.

”Thank you for informing us, Deputy Hall Master Lu. We understand!”

After leaving the Deacon Hall, Qian Xiaofeng bid farewell to her fellow team members.

Then, she entered the Vacuous Zone via the Teleportation Array, visited Guanyun Mansion to pay her respects to Shen Mo and Zhao Lingyin, and returned the Heaven Patrolling Boat House.

The Heaven Patrolling Boat House was Shen Mo’s personal magic artifact, not a large magic treasure assigned by the Red Flame Sect.

Concerned for his disciple’s safety, Shen Mo had lent this treasured ship to her. Now that the sect’s resource-gathering mission had concluded, Qian Xiaofeng naturally returned the treasure to its owner.

Shen Mo had observed Qian Xiaofeng’s performance over the past five months and did not stint on praise or rewards.

Even with their departure imminent, Shen Mo still spent an entire day meticulously guiding Qian Xiaofeng in her cultivation.

After Qian Xiaofeng reluctantly bid farewell and departed, a Class III Demon Soul General flew in from the horizon and returned to the Soul Refining Flag.

At this point, all Red Flame Sect Members who had ventured out to gather resources had returned to Green Cloud Cave.

Shen Mo’s Sword Zone was now filled with various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, as well as a large quantity of restorative Elixirs.

The Grade IV and Grade V Elixirs had been refined by Zhao Lingyin and other Alchemy Path cultivators of the sect, while the Grade six Elixirs were personally refined by Shen Mo.

”After recuperating for nearly half a year, it’s time to set off again.” Shen Mo held Zhao Lingyin’s jade-like hand, his gaze fixed on the Ninth Heaven beyond the Cancering Realm.

In the next moment, his soul entered the Profound Darkness, and he sensed the location of the ”Immortal Realm.”

With a powerful surge of Mana, he propelled Green Cloud Cave out of the Cancering Realm, guiding it once more towards the ”Immortal Realm”!

Within the Fairyland, apart from an initial slight tremor, all was calm. Only the rotation of the sun, moon, and stars seemed subtly different. Externally, the dazzling sphere of light once again emanated golden rays, its presence within the Cancering Realm gradually diminishing.

「Several days later.」

Shen Mo, sitting quietly in his mansion, wore a solemn expression.

He immediately opened his Sword Zone, taking out various Heavenly Materials, Earthly Treasures, and high-class Elixirs, consuming them. As the Mixed Yuan Qi Technique continuously absorbed nature’s spiritual energy and refined these spiritual items and Elixirs, Shen Mo’s Essence and Qi quickly returned to their peak state.

In my perception, it should only take another month and a half to reach the Immortal Realm.

Why has this journey now stretched to two and a half months? Could it be that while Green Cloud Cave was anchored in the Cancering Realm, the Immortal Realm was moving further away?

Realizing this, Shen Mo dared not be complacent nor delay. He pushed Green Cloud Cave onward with all his might, urging it to ”descend” into the Immortal Realm. Whenever his Mana showed the slightest sign of depletion, he would immediately consume various treasures and Elixirs, maintaining himself in a peak state at all times.