The First Immortal of Destiny

Shen Mo opened the talisman proficiency panel, and a series of details about his talisman crafting proficiency quickly appeared before his eyes.

[Mind Concentration Talisman: Elite (MAX)]

[Lightness Talisman: Elite (MAX)]

...

[Earth Prison Talisman: Excellent (298/500)]

[Qi Gathering Talisman: Excellent (154/500)]

[Wind Wall Talisman: Excellent (178/500)]

[Firebird Talisman: Excellent (187/500)]

[Thunderbolt Talisman: Excellent (347/500)]

[Teleportation Talisman: Excellent (455/500)]

After a month of crafting, Shen Mo had elevated these six Grade II talismans from their initial 'Unfamiliar' proficiency rating to the 'Excellent' stage.

Over the past month, he had crafted over a thousand talismans.

If this had been in the past, Shen Mo, who also had to focus on Alchemy within the month, would never have been able to create so many talismans.

However, since he obtained the Gold Turning Brush from the Spirit Talisman Master in the Mountain River Realm, his efficiency in crafting talismans had greatly increased.

Not only that, but his success rate in talisman creation had also increased substantially.

Even with the Gold Turning Brush's assistance, practicing talisman creation is quite costly, especially when proficiency isn't high, he thought, a bitter smile on his face.

For these Grade II talismans, his success rate was merely one in ten when he was at the 'Unfamiliar' stage.

Even when he reached the 'Skilled' proficiency level, he only succeeded twice in ten attempts.

Considering the variety of cultivation materials needed to craft these Grade II talismans, the cost is quite high. he mused. Based on their selling price, I need a success rate of at least three out of ten attempts just to break even and avoid losses.

Previously, Shen Mo had constantly lost money crafting talismans. He had made several trips to the Market to sell his finished talismans and purchase new raw materials.

By the end of this month, after doing his calculations, he found that he had not only failed to make a profit from crafting Grade II talismans but had also lost raw materials equivalent to seven hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

Now that I've reached the 'Excellent' proficiency level, my success rate is barely around thirty-five percent.

Finally, I don't have to cover the costs myself anymore. If I'm lucky, I might even make a small profit, he thought.

Knowing this, he felt that making money from talismans was not easy, especially high-grade ones.

This was Shen Mo's success rate, achieved only thanks to the Gold Turning Brush's effect; without it, the rate would have been even lower.

If one wanted to make a lot of money by mass-producing Grade II talismans, their Talisman Path cultivation would need to reach the Third Grade. Alternatively, one would need to craft a single type of talisman thousands of times to achieve an extremely stable success rate.

Fortunately, Shen Mo was not currently interested in making money; he was simply investing in it to gain experience for his Talisman Path level.

At least, this goal of gaining experience had been achieved. If he wanted to make money, he would need to continue improving his Talisman Path level.

As for the Alchemy Path this past month...

With a thought, the Destiny Panel's attribute data shifted again, revealing the proficiency levels for different types of Elixirs.

[Minor Yuan Cultivation Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Qi Gathering Pill: Elite (MAX)]

...

[Qi Coalescing Pill: Elite (MAX)]

[Soul Nurturing Pill: Elite (MAX)]

All the Elixirs Shen Mo had learned to craft appeared before him.

He looked down and saw that the proficiency for these last two Grade II Elixirs had reached the maximum level, and he nodded with satisfaction.

Practicing six different types of talismans simultaneously spreads the experience too thin, making it difficult to specialize.

However, with these two Grade II Elixirs, after this period of practice, their proficiency is now maxed out.

Tomorrow, he could go to the Alchemy Tower again and break the Elixir-crafting records for these two Grade II Elixirs.

He wondered if he could get some more useful rewards from the Tower Spirit.

Shen Mo thought to himself.

...

A red sun hung high in the sky, its light spreading in all directions, illuminating the world.

Shen Mo sat cross-legged under the willow tree by the cliff edge, slowly circulating the cultivation method within his body.

Envision all things in heaven and earth, condense the original Soul Phase.

He silently recited the mantra in his heart, continuously simulating and contemplating the "Divine Soul Contemplation Scripture" within his mind.

Over two months had passed since he acquired this soul cultivation method from the third floor of the Magic Tower.

During this time, whenever he had a moment to spare, he would try to simulate and contemplate under the sun, attempting to condense his Soul Phase.

But all attempts ended in failure.

Even though he had not yet managed to condense the Soul Phase, the "Divine Soul Contemplation Scripture" was not entirely without benefits.

Back in the Mountain River Realm, beside the iron chain bridge over the sea of fire, when illusions bewildered him and his mind was lost, this cultivation method had provided him with a ray of spirit light.

It helped him see through the illusion, allowing him to pass the trial, reach the cave mansion in the Spirit Talisman Master's subsidiary courtyard, and obtain the treasure from the jade box.

After experiencing the effects of the "Divine Soul Contemplation Scripture," Shen Mo became even more enthusiastic about this soul cultivation method.

Although his goal for the month was primarily focused on the Alchemy Path and talisman crafting, he would still contemplate the scorching sun during his leisure time, attempting to condense the original Soul Phase.

The sun set in the west, and the moon rose above the vast sea.

「Night fell.」

No surprises occurred.

As usual, he still couldn't condense the Soul Phase today.

Just as Shen Mo was planning to exit his cultivation state, a sudden change abruptly occurred within his body.

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

A series of dull, thunder-like rumbles echoed from within Shen Mo's body.

At the same time, his blood and vital energy surged, and countless streams of Spiritual Qi raged like a tidal wave, or stampeding wild horses, through the meridians of his four limbs and hundreds of vessels.

And within his Qi Sea, the three Dantians simultaneously sprang into action, continuously devouring the vast ocean of Mana within his body.

Is this... a breakthrough? Shen Mo was stunned for quite a while before realizing what had happened.

It seems the accumulation was too great, leading to a natural breakthrough.

Previously, every time Shen Mo broke through, he almost always did so proactively, actively trying to break through the realm barriers.

Only on the night he entered a state of enlightenment by the Lancang River had he unknowingly broken through in his cultivation.

Therefore, he felt surprisingly pleased and intrigued by this natural breakthrough.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

As the "Purple Mansion Heart Scripture" operated within his body, cycling through major and minor heavenly cycles, Shen Mo's body, like a black hole, unleashed a terrifying suction force.

The ambient Spiritual Qi, continuously emerging from the spirit veins within a hundred-zhang radius of his cave mansion, was quickly drawn in by him.

It transformed into a long, white dragon, was inhaled through his nose and mouth, and finally refined by Shen Mo within his body, replenishing the Mana in his Dantians and meridians, which had been depleted by the breakthrough.

This state continued throughout the night.

The next day, a gleaming morning light appeared in the sky.

Shen Mo gradually woke up.

"Qi Gathering Realm, Layer II!"

He slowly stood up. His aura surged, steadily climbing, eventually breaking through its previous limit to reach an unprecedented peak before slowly subsiding.

After this breakthrough, my actual combat strength should have significantly improved.

Feeling the boundless Spiritual Qi now coursing through him like a mighty river, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

Before breaking through, relying on his various skills, he was already virtually unmatched among those below the second layer of the Qi Gathering Realm, aside from those heaven-gifted prodigies nurtured from a young age.

He wouldn't even falter against ordinary cultivators at the second layer of the Qi Gathering Realm.

This breakthrough increased his combat strength by at least twofold.

He could now contend with cultivators at the third layer of the Qi Gathering Realm.