The First Immortal of Destiny

Mountain-River Zone, Crimson Flame Sect Mountain Gate.

Cao Ren sat bare-chested and cross-legged. A peculiar scale, resembling both snake and jiao-dragon, was embedded deep into the flesh and blood of his chest, surrounded by a dense circle of finer scales.

Four months ago, aided by the mystical power of the Dragon Transformation Spell, he had formed a strange core—half Golden Core, half Demon Core. Its quality was impossible to determine, yet his True Yuan was no weaker than that of Chen Mengze, who possessed a perfect Golden Core.

After stepping into the Golden Core Realm, Cao Ren was granted the status of a Purple-Robe Elder by the Red Flame Sect, equivalent to a Peak Master, and became eligible to open a cave mansion in the Vacuous Zone. However, he preferred the Mountain-River Zone over the Vacuous Zone and thus continued to reside within the sect’s core grounds.

Simultaneously, as his realm advanced, signs of Dragon Transformation began to appear on his body. Currently, having solidified his cultivation, he was cultivating the Reverse Dragon Curse. He aimed to deepen his mastery of this cultivation method, using more potent Dragon Reversing True Qi to resist the trend of Dragon Transformation.

The Reverse Dragon Curse, refined by Shen Mo, was remarkably effective. It suppressed the Dragon Transformation, and the fine scales on his chest had shrunk by a circle compared to when he first formed his core.

However, just as the Fairyland was about to ’descend’ upon the Immortal Realm, Cao Ren suddenly felt a bone-chilling premonition. In the next instant, his cave mansion violently exploded, and the Demon-Suppressing Tower came into his view.

Before Cao Ren could react, a terrifying suppressive force surged from the Demon-Suppressing Tower. It immobilized him and pulled him directly into the fifth chamber of the tower. Prohibition chains extended, binding him securely and completely suppressing his cultivation.

The Demon-Suppressing Tower was inherently a prison for suppressing demons and Evil Spirits. In the seventh tower chamber, a Water Ghost Evil Spirit was suppressed. The Red Flame Sect Members, who had devolved into evil monsters, were imprisoned in the sixth tower chamber.

However, finding himself suddenly imprisoned, Cao Ren paradoxically heaved a sigh of relief, an expression of having survived a catastrophe appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, Shen Mo’s voice reached his ears.

”The master of the Dragon Rearing Pool is in the Immortal Realm!”

”You’ll have to bear with some hardship inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower for a while. Once I find a solution, I’ll let you out...”

Hearing this, Cao Ren’s expression first changed, then a look of realization dawned on him. After thanking Shen Mo, he silently sat on the ground and continued to ponder the Reverse Dragon Curse in his mind.

A moment later, the Demon-Suppressing Tower flew back to the Demon Zone and re-embedded itself into the earth. Connected to the earth vein and Spirit Vein, its suppressive power grew even stronger.

Shen Mo retracted his gaze, his expression considerably more relaxed than before.

Previously, just as the Green Cloud Cave was about to collide with the Immortal Realm, [Danger Perception] had suddenly warned him, feeding the crisis scenario directly to his mind. From the vision, Shen Mo had ”seen” a square Jade Pool emerge from somewhere in the Immortal Realm and crash towards the Green Cloud Cave. It injured him, shattered a corner of the Cave, and forcefully dragged Cao Ren into the pool.

This terrifying Jade Pool was the Dragon Rearing Pool that had spread the Dragon Transformation Spell in the Primordial Realm. Having cultivated the Dragon Transformation Spell, Cao Ren would eventually be captured by the Dragon Rearing Pool, even with the suppression from his Dragon Reversing True Qi. However, for such an incident to occur just as the Fairyland was descending into the Immortal Realm clearly indicated that the Dragon Rearing Pool within the Immortal Realm had sensed the existence of a ”cultivated dragon beast” at that moment, hence its vicious attack.

The Green Cloud Cave was a forbidden land and also Shen Mo’s sanctum. Without his permission, not even the Dragon Rearing Pool could seize Cao Ren. Thus, it had injured Shen Mo and shattered a corner of the Cave. Any threat to Shen Mo would be foreseen by [Danger Perception], enabling him to prepare in advance.

Logically, the Dragon Rearing Pool’s target was Cao Ren. If Shen Mo had killed Cao Ren beforehand or expelled him from the Green Cloud Cave, the crisis could have been instantly resolved. Then, upon descending into the Immortal Realm again, the Dragon Rearing Pool would not have been provoked. However, Shen Mo shared a deep bond with Cao Ren and was not a cold-hearted person, so he did not take such action immediately. Instead, he used the Demon-Suppressing Tower to suppress Cao Ren.

This treasure could suppress even Evil Spirits and late-stage Heavenly Monarchs of the Divine Bridge Realm. Cao Ren had only just formed his Golden Core, so naturally, his cultivation was suppressed in an instant.

Fortunately, the ominous vision forewarned by [Danger Perception] vanished the moment Cao Ren was suppressed. Thus, Cao Ren’s life was saved, and Shen Mo avoided a difficult dilemma.

Who would have thought the Dragon Rearing Pool and its master were right here in the Immortal Realm.

No wonder…

The master of the Dragon Rearing Pool feels even more terrifying than the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon, and the latter is a peak Sixth Order big demon.

By that measure, the master of the Dragon Rearing Pool must be at the Seventh Dao Realm or even stronger. Such a True Dragon cannot be nurtured or contained in small ponds like the Primordial Realm or the Cancering Realm!

Cao Ren, oh Cao Ren, you’ve truly provoked an extraordinary existence… Shen Mo couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle bitterly.

On reflection, the terror of the Dragon Rearing Pool’s master had shown early signs.

Cao Ren’s Master, Senior Xiang Shengtian, was also a victim of the Dragon Transformation Spell. To resist the alien power of the Dragon Transformation, that senior created a wondrous technique like the Reverse Dragon Curse—truly a man of astonishing talent.

When Senior Xiang Shengtian was captured by the Dragon Rearing Pool, he should have reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm. He even managed to shatter a corner of the Dragon Rearing Pool, yet in the end, its master merely ’pinched’ him with chopsticks, crushing all his resistance.

It seems the Dragon Rearing Pool’s rank has risen considerably since then.

Xiang Shengtian shattered a corner of it back then, but now it can injure me, a Heavenly Monarch of the Divine Bridge Realm!

I too can easily suppress a peak Golden Core cultivator.

However, to spread the Dragon Transformation Spell across various worlds and capture cultivators undergoing Dragon Transformation across worldly barriers is truly terrifying.

Forget about my current self; even if I reached the Sixth Dao Realm, I definitely couldn’t do that!

One must understand that even Class VI creatures like the Soaring Serpent Bizarre Dragon and the Four-eyed Giant can only travel freely after the Primordial Realm withered and merged with other Withering Realms.

I’d better not tell Cao Ren this news for now, lest it shatters his Path Heart.

Fortunately, I was equipped with the [Danger Perception] Destiny earlier…

Thanks to the divine efficacy of this Destiny, Shen Mo not only avoided the dire outcome of being severely injured and his Fairyland damaged, but he also learned the whereabouts of the Dragon Rearing Pool’s master. Furthermore, the scene previously foreseen by [Danger Perception] did not actually occur.

Therefore, the Dragon Rearing Pool, currently located in the Immortal Realm, has not yet actually sensed Cao Ren. After the Fairyland descends into the Immortal Realm, it will still be unable to perceive him. As for the master of the Dragon Rearing Pool, if they were to use magic for divination, they could probably ascertain Cao Ren’s whereabouts. However, for an existence surpassing the Seventh Dao Realm, ’rearing dragon beasts to eat’ is clearly a trivial pastime. Such an entity probably wouldn’t bother to specifically divine the location of ’small fry’ like Cao Ren.

Thus, for a short period after descending into the Immortal Realm, Cao Ren should still be safe. As for the future, if no better solution is found, Shen Mo could only send Cao Ren out of the Green Cloud Cave to fend for himself.

These thoughts flashed through Shen Mo’s mind. He then cast aside his lingering concerns and continued to channel his Mana, propelling the Green Cloud Cave towards the Immortal Realm, which resembled a Bright Moon.