The First Immortal of Destiny

Lin Yuansong and Li Yun, two disciples from Azure Heaven Cave, stayed in the pavilion for nearly half a day. After enjoying the Spirit Fruits, fine wines, and celestial delicacies produced by Green Cloud Cave, they bade farewell and left.

Shen Mo didn’t invite them to enter the Fairyland for a visit.

After all, Green Cloud Cave involved the life and death of Shen Mo and all creatures living there. Until it was completely stable and would not be assimilated by Heaven and Earth, Shen Mo’s real body would not be able to leave the Fairyland, which was a significant weakness. If shown to others easily, it might attract various troubles! Moreover, if one day he wanted to leave the Immortal Realm and descend into other worlds, he would have to rely on this forbidden land, so he must guard it carefully... Back when Shen Mo had such a close relationship with the Flower Fairy clan, Big Moro Yao had never invited him to visit Fairy Flower Valley!

While entertaining the two, a strong sense also emanated from the direction of Azure Heaven Cave, holding a ”conversation” with Shen Mo’s Standing via Divine Sense.

The owner of this sense was none other than Daoxuan Immortal Master, the Master of Azure Heaven Cave!

Although Green Cloud Cave and Azure Heaven Cave were extremely far apart, both Shen Mo and Daoxuan Immortal Master were in the Divine Bridge Realm, their senses capable of covering each other’s respective regions. However, unless both were outside, with the big array and the barrier between the two realms obstructing them, even they couldn’t communicate with Divine Sense.

Shen Mo was the master of Green Cloud Cave. While within this Fairyland, his sense and Mana could be transmitted to the Outer Realm, but they would be cut off by the big array outside Azure Heaven Cave and its Dungeon barrier. Daoxuan Immortal Master, on the other hand, was even more restricted; being within the Azure Heaven Cave Dungeon, he couldn’t directly project his sense outwards. He would first have to leave the Dungeon and the big array outside the cave before he could extend his sense, and even then, it would still be blocked by Green Cloud Cave’s barrier!

At this time, Shen Mo’s Standing was outside, and Daoxuan Immortal Master had also left Azure Heaven Cave, allowing the two to converse cordially.

However, the two were still too far apart. Not only was communication extremely draining on their soul power, but their senses also attenuated severely. Much of the information carried by their Divine Sense was lost, rendering it unclear.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Daoxuan Immortal Master, Shen Mo quickly settled the time, location, and relevant arrangements for their meeting, after which Daoxuan Immortal Master withdrew his sense.

「Three days later.」

The Heaven Patrolling Boat House, carrying Shen Mo’s Standing, Chen Mengze, Flower Fairy, Situ Huo, Gui Wannian, and other high-ranking members of the sect, along with over three hundred disciples from the Body Tempering, Qi Gathering, and Spirit Sea Realms, sailed eastward and downward.

The meeting place was a Heaven Pool located in the area midway between Green Cloud Cave and Azure Heaven Cave. This place boasted beautiful scenery. No sense-obscuring mists enveloped the vicinity, only some flying birds and running beasts, along with demonic beasts cultivated from fish and shrimp in the pond. The strongest among them were merely at the early-stage of Class IV, making it relatively safe.

The visiting personnel from the sect’s upper echelons were largely the same as those who had hosted Lin Yuansong and Li Yun, with only Yuan Heming absent and Gui Wannian, the purple-robed Elder, added to their ranks.

Of the Red Flame Sect’s three Deputy Sect Masters, Demon Lord Ming Cang was still cultivating his human form and couldn’t attend to all matters. Situ Huo was accompanying Shen Mo to meet with the cultivators from Azure Heaven Cave, so Yuan Heming had to be left in charge of the overall situation.

The newcomer, Gui Wannian, was an old turtle in his true form, possessing a cultivation even deeper than Demon Lord Ming Cang’s. Since Shen Mo had passed down the shapeshifting decree, Gui Wannian had cultivated to the point where he had preliminarily taken human form. Except for a turtle shell still protruding from his back, he was indistinguishable from an ordinary person upon casual observation. Soon, Gui Wannian would be able to shed his shell completely, transforming it into a potent defensive magic treasure.

Unlike Demon Lord Ming Cang and the others, Gui Wannian was not in an urgent rush to perfect his human form. Therefore, Shen Mo summoned him to accompany the visit to Azure Heaven Cave. Of course, his demonic power would not escape the notice of cultivators at the Golden Core Realm or higher.

Shen Mo had previously learned from Lin Yuansong and Li Yun that Azure Heaven Cave was purely a Human Race Dao tradition, without any disciples from demonic clans. Besides rearing demonic beasts for food and forging materials, Daoxuan Immortal Master would also occasionally capture demonic beasts from the Outer Realm for his disciples and grand-disciples to hunt and train against!

The Red Flame Sect, formed from a coalition of various powers in the Red Flame Zone, was vastly different; a large number of Marine Race members had become its disciples. If they wished to maintain harmonious relations with Azure Heaven Cave, this difference naturally couldn’t be concealed. Thus, Shen Mo had specifically included Gui Wannian and brought along some Marine Race disciples. This was to ensure Daoxuan Immortal Master and the Azure Heaven Cave cultivators understood the differences between their sects, thereby preventing unnecessary trouble in the future.

Bringing over three hundred disciples of various Realms was a request Daoxuan Immortal Master had made when he communicated with Shen Mo via Divine Sense. The Demons of Five Dragon Mountain were powerful, and Azure Heaven Cave had been isolated from the world for many years. Having finally encountered fellow cultivators of the Dao, Daoxuan Immortal Master thought of having the disciples from both sides engage in exchanges and learn from one another. This would not only deepen their camaraderie but also enhance their mutual understanding.

For this journey, Shen Mo’s Gecko False Body brought along various magic treasures and means of defense, such as the Taiyi Sword, The Big Dipper Array, the Green Cloud Umbrella, and the Evil-eating Sky Centipede. Although it couldn’t utilize Special Destiny or Skills, and its cultivation was suppressed to the middle-stage of the Golden Core Realm, if the Gecko False Body encountered danger, it could immediately recover to the peak of the Golden Core Realm. For a short period, it could even contend with an early-stage Divine Bridge Realm cultivator who had achieved their breakthrough via a ’Small Path’. Furthermore, if its power proved insufficient, Shen Mo’s consciousness would return to his real body, allowing him to use his true strength to suppress calamities and pacify threats.

BOOM!

The Heaven Patrolling Boat House, amidst a flicker of spirit light, sped towards the foot of the eastern mountain. This transportation-type magic treasure, despite its astonishing defense, had an escape speed that wasn’t particularly fast, comparable to the escaping light of a peak Spirit Sea Realm cultivator.

The direct distance between Green Cloud Cave and Azure Heaven Cave was a full sixty thousand li. Lin Yuansong and Li Yun, traveling light and bypassing dangerous zones, had taken an entire day and night to reach the vicinity of Green Cloud Cave.

The meeting was set at a Heaven Pool named Lansha Pool, approximately thirty thousand li from Green Cloud Cave. With Shen Mo’s Standing overseeing the journey and his real body providing protection from afar, there was no need to detour. Instead, powerful demonic beasts along their path were startled by its formidable aura and fled. Traveling this way, they reached the Heaven Pool in just one day.

The contingent from Azure Heaven Cave, personally led by Daoxuan Immortal Master with his disciples and grand-disciples, had arrived to attend. Possessing a higher-grade transportation-type magic treasure, they had reached two Shichen earlier than the Red Flame Sect and had already erected temporary structures such as pavilions, verandas, and elevated platforms for duels.

”Fellow Daoist Daoxuan, boundless blessings and longevity to you!”

Shen Mo led his disciples off the Heaven Patrolling Boat House. He smiled and offered a Daoist bow to the elderly man who emanated the aura and soul fluctuations of the Divine Bridge Realm. This elder was indeed Daoxuan Immortal Master, who had previously communicated with Shen Mo via Divine Sense. With his crane-white hair yet youthful complexion, and kind, benevolent features, he exuded an immediate sense of affinity.

Beside him stood Lin Yuansong, Li Yun, and a few other eighth-generation disciples. As for the other disciples and grand-disciples, they stood in order of seniority behind Daoxuan Immortal Master. The further back they were, the younger and generally weaker their cultivation.

The rearmost disciples were of the sixteenth generation. They were young boys and girls who had just been initiated into the sect in the last two years. Consequently, most were at the Body Tempering Realm. They had been brought by their respective Masters and their Ancestral Master Daoxuan to broaden their experience and prepare for sparring matches with the Body Tempering Realm disciples from the Red Flame Sect.