The First Immortal of Destiny

Zhao Lingyin successfully formed her Golden Core, adding another strong cultivator in the Golden Core Realm to the sect!

Other than her, during the next few years, the Red Flame Sect ushered in a peak period for Core Formation, resembling the end of a long drought. Yuan Qingshi, Jin Chinian, Jiang Lingfeng, Guo Xun, Lu Ming, Meng Sanchi, the Giant Corpse Master, and many other cultivators at the peak of the Spirit Sea Realm all attempted Core Formation. Some were unsuccessful. People like Yuan Qingshi and Jin Chinian were both making their second attempt at Core Formation, but like the last time, they failed at the last hurdle and remained half a step to the Golden Core Realm. Guo Xun was attempting Core Formation for the first time, but he also failed in this attempt. There were also some cultivators half a step to the Golden Core Realm from the former Heaven Sword Sect, Ghost Corpse School, Seven Stars Altar, Profound Moon School, and other Xiu Xian Forces; many of them failed in their breakthrough and even lost their lives.

Nearly ten people did manage to step into the Golden Core Realm, including Jiang Lingfeng, the Giant Corpse Master, as well as Lu Ming, Meng Sanchi, and several other young upstarts who possessed Spiritual Bodies!

In this manner, the number of cultivators in the Golden Core Realm (Class IV, the Fourth Dao Realm) within the Red Flame Sect approached forty.

The large number of disciples forming Cores was mainly attributed to two internal and external factors.

First, the Red Flame Sect had integrated all the local Xiu Xian Forces within the Red Flame Zone. Its accumulated foundation—encompassing cultivation methods, secret techniques, Elixirs, spiritual items, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and Core Formation experiences—far surpassed what any single sect or school could have achieved in the past!

Second was the benefits received after the Green Cloud Cave descended to the Immortal Realm, which included an abundance of nature’s spiritual energy and cultivation resources.

Although the proportion of Clear Spirit Qi in the Immortal Realm’s spiritual energy was only one ten-thousandth, this concentration was hundreds of millions of times greater than in the Primordial Realm. It benefited even Shen Mo, a cultivator at the Divine Bridge Realm, let alone other sect disciples whose cultivation realms were far beneath his.

Moreover, the resources from Five Dragon Mountain were extremely rich. The Green Cloud Cave, which had integrated fragments from numerous Dungeons and forbidden lands, also produced many spiritual items.

Even if the top-grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were all given to Shen Mo, the remaining cultivation resources were still much more abundant compared to those in the Red Flame Zone, sufficient to allow more peak Spirit Sea Realm cultivators to attempt Core Formation!

Not only the disciples at this level, but everyone from the Golden Core Realm down to the Body Tempering Realm benefited greatly from these two windfalls.

It could be anticipated that in the next several years to several decades, the overall strength of the Red Flame Sect would surge substantially.

Of course, there were also many hidden dangers within the sect.

Ultimately, the Red Flame Sect was a product of multiple Xiu Xian Forces being forcibly merged. Back then, even the Riverside Sect had its own internal factions; naturally, the Red Flame Sect, which had expanded more than tenfold, could not avoid this.

It was manageable at first. Everyone was united by the grand goal of ascending to the Immortal Realm, and the numerous deadly external threats compelled the sect to work together through difficult times.

Now, the Green Cloud Cave had descended into the Immortal Realm and achieved initial stability. With the loss of that long-term vision and external threats, various internal dangers began to surface one by one!

The more serious issue was the conflict between the nine Main Peaks and Ascending Lake—that is, the friction between human cultivators and Marine Race creatures.

After all, the two groups were not of the same race or kind. Although they had shared experiences such as resisting the demon disaster, coping with drastic worldly changes, and descending to the Immortal Realm together, these were insufficient to eliminate the estrangement caused by their ”alien” status.

Shen Mo had anticipated this early on and established relevant sect rules and laws at the founding of the Red Flame Sect.

Among the Marine Race, only those who had refined their ’lateral bones’ and could speak human language were eligible to become disciples of the Red Flame Sect. Other Marine Race creatures, regardless of their strength, could only serve as Sect Protectors. As for Class IV Marine Race members like Demon Lord Ming Cang, they were required to transform into human form as soon as possible; otherwise, they would not be granted high sect positions or the title of Purple-Robed Elders!

At present, all Marine Race members officially accepted into the Red Flame Sect could communicate unhindered with other human disciples. In accordance with Shen Mo’s stipulated timeline, Class IV Marine Race members like Clam Girl Ming Cang, Clam Girl Ming Yu, Spirit Turtle Gui Wannian, Flood Dragon Shen Jun, Fish Demon Jing Fuhai, and Fish Demon Zhang Jiujiu had all successfully cultivated human forms. Even peak Class III Marine Race members nearing advancement would transform into human form the moment they broke through.

Furthermore, the Red Flame Sect had also acquired an elixir recipe for a spiritual medicine known as the ”Shape Transforming Pill” from the Azure Heaven Cave.

Once the ”Demonic Race,” including the Marine Race, ingested this pill, they could transform into human form even before advancing to Class IV. In human form, their internal organs, Dantian, and Chakras were no different from those of human immortals and mortals. Apart from their fundamental cultivation methods, which still had to be Marine Race techniques, they could cultivate most other magic and martial arts!

After taking the Shape Transforming Pill and cultivating a human form, Marine Race disciples were barely different from human disciples. It was as if a new path of ”demon cultivators” had been added to the existing paths within the sect, such as external cultivators, Sword Cultivators, Spell Casters, Corpse Tamers, and Bloody Fiend School disciples.

They could choose to train under any of the nine peaks and one lake, just like other human disciples, and would no longer be restricted, as the Marine Race elites currently were, to choosing Ascending Lake upon promotion to the Inner Door.

However, the two main spiritual plant ingredients required to produce the Shape Transforming Pill were relatively scarce on Five Dragon Mountain. Thus, the Elixirs produced could only be supplied to Marine Race members of Class III and above.

Shen Mo had already ordered the Hundred Arts Hall and the Herb Hall to expedite research on a new Shape Transforming Pill recipe based on the original. Ideally, commonly found medicinal herbs from Five Dragon Mountain and the Green Cloud Cave environment would replace these two rare ingredients.

If all went well, even Class II or Class I Marine Race disciples could take the Shape Transforming Pill and cultivate a human form. This would maximally reduce the estrangement between the two groups!

There were grievances between the Nine Main Peaks and Ascending Lake, and internal conflicts within the Nine Main Peaks themselves.

On one side were Green Cloud Peak, Rising Sun Peak, Jade Peak, and Milky Way Peak, where most disciples were originally from the Riverside Sect. On the other side were Heaven Sword Peak, Profound Moon Peak, Ghost Corpse Peak, Seven Stars Peak, and Myriad Phenomenon Peak, with disciples mostly from the former Four Great Sects, other minor immortal sects, Cultivating Families, or rogue cultivators.

The former group considered themselves the orthodox lineage of the Red Flame Sect and Shen Mo’s direct line, thus adopting a superior attitude and looking down on the latter five peaks.

The latter group naturally harbored dissatisfaction. Not only did original Riverside Sect members receive preferential treatment regarding monthly stipends and Sect Merits, but as fellow disciples, they also had to endure insults from the former four peaks, leading to frequent disputes and conflicts!

Besides that, Myriad Phenomenon Peak had the most disciples. When the Red Flame Sect was formed, it had also absorbed forces other than the Five Great Sects. Consequently, Myriad Phenomenon Peak alone had numerous internal factions and constant disputes.

In other words, the current Red Flame Sect was riddled with internal troubles.

While cultivating, Shen Mo was also working to resolve these latent internal threats. He repeatedly admonished the three Deputy Sect Masters and the masters of the nine peaks and one lake, pushing them to their limits.

For Shen Mo, his core interest boiled down to one thing: his personal cultivation. Internal disputes and conflicts within the Red Flame Sect could exist, but they must not hinder the sect’s normal operations nor affect the Sect Disciples’ collection of top-grade resources and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures from Five Dragon Mountain for his cultivation.