The First Immortal of Destiny

With MAX proficiency, Shen Mo easily broke the record for the Qi Coalescing Pill.

[Qi Coalescing Pill: Grade II]

[Record Holder: Mo Shen]

[Description: Alchemy took two Shichen; the elixir was of utmost perfection.]

It also took only two Shichen to create an equally perfect elixir. Shen Mo successfully passed on his first attempt.

BUZZ!

The Tower Spirit, having observed Shen Mo all this time, resonated upon sensing him update the record. Subsequently, a stream of light slowly rose before him.

This is...

From this stream of light, Shen Mo felt a unique fluctuation he hadn't experienced before. Using the Destiny effect of Bright Vision to observe closely, he pierced the dazzling golden light and saw the raging fire within.

The reward for the Qi Coalescing Pill was a wisp of exotic fire.

A pale white flame, like a water lily, rose.

Nether Fire... one of the world's exotic fires.

Legend says this fire must spend a thousand years in a place of Profound Yin to condense and ferment. Its growing place is often accompanied by the souls of the dead and vicious ghosts.

If the King of Medicine's Guidebook hadn't previously updated his pharmaceutical knowledge, Shen Mo wouldn't have recognized this type of Earthly Fire. But during his month of secluded cultivation, he had read the King of Medicine's Guidebook several times. Its comprehensive knowledge of all sorts of spiritual medicine, exotic fires, and more, had greatly enriched Shen Mo's understanding.

I didn't expect to be rewarded with a wisp of Nether Fire...

He carefully accepted this wisp of Nether Fire, his heart pounding with excitement. Although, in the world's rankings of exotic fires, Heavenly Fire is superior, followed by Spiritual Fire, with Earthly Fire considered the lowest tier. But even a bottom-tier Earthly Fire is an exotic treasure coveted by many Qi Gathering Realm cultivators.

If I can tame this Earthly Fire, it will not only benefit my future alchemy and forging, but also enhance my combat power.

Earthly Fire is a rare treasure. If tamed by a cultivator and integrated into their body, the cultivator will gain some of its characteristics and power. Of course, the degree of enhancement depends on the Nether Fire's type and quality, as well as the effectiveness of the cultivator's daily refinement.

When Shen Mo left, excitedly holding the Nether Fire, he was unaware that his breaking of two elixir records would, two days later, deliver a heavy blow to the female prodigy of the Alchemy Zone on Spirit Gathering Peak.

「Alchemy Zone, Spirit Gathering Peak, Lake Heart Cottage.」

Zhao Lingyin held the elixir recipes for Yang-strengthening Powder, Qi Gathering Pill, Minor Yuan Cultivation Pill, and Qi Restoring Pill, examining them repeatedly. Her brows were tightly knitted; she couldn't comprehend where she had gone wrong.

Why am I so much slower than others?

"My dear disciple, don't trouble yourself with these trivial matters anymore," Wu Gong advised as he came out of his cave mansion and saw Zhao Lingyin still fiddling with these basic elixir recipes. "Focus on practicing the Dragon Tiger Formless Pill. If you can successfully comprehend this Grade IV elixir, it will greatly help with your current bottleneck in the Alchemy Path. You'll soon be promoted to a Grade III Alchemist."

"This is not a trivial matter," Zhao Lingyin stated stubbornly. Although that person had only broken her records for four low-class elixirs, which seemed insignificant, for Zhao Lingyin, it was a significant blow. She had always believed she had thoroughly understood every step of refining these low-class elixirs, that her every action should have been nearly flawless.

If she had truly reached perfection, how could someone refine elixirs faster than her?

Zhao Lingyin, who considered her Path Heart second to none, felt it waver slightly. This was why she remained fixated and relentlessly pursued the matter.

"Sigh." Seeing her persistence, Wu Gong felt helpless and shook his head.

If I had known, I wouldn't have told her about her records on the Alchemy Tablet being broken. My original intention was to temper her pride a little, to stop her from becoming too arrogant. But now it seems I pushed too hard and ignited her competitive spirit instead. She won't rest until she finds a way to reclaim her title as record holder.

He couldn't dissuade her, so he let Zhao Lingyin sulk and ponder on her own. He then turned, hands behind his back, intending to go for a walk.

Unexpectedly, just as he descended the mountain, he saw a group of Alchemists in the Alchemy Zone square discussing something fervently, as if a major event had occurred.

"What's going on?" Wu Gong's expression turned stern as he addressed the crowd.

"Mr. Wu..." The Alchemists, upon seeing him, immediately fell silent.

"What were you discussing?"

"It's Senior Sister Zhao! Her alchemy records... they've been broken again!" an Alchemist couldn't help but exclaim excitedly.

This time, it wasn't records for Grade V or Grade I elixirs that were broken. It was for Grade II elixirs! They had originally thought this Alchemist, 'Mo Shen,' was just a flash in the pan. But unexpectedly, he had appeared again. And once again, he broke a record held by Zhao Lingyin. When this was discovered, it naturally caused an uproar.

"Wh-what?" Wu Gong's eye twitched, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

If that girl Lingyin hears this news... all hell will break loose!

「Cave Mansion, cliff edge.」

He was currently unaware of the uproar he had accidentally caused. Returning to his domain with the Nether Fire, he couldn't wait to begin refining this Earthly Fire.

BOOM!

The Nether Fire, blazing with crimson flames, pulsed in Shen Mo's palm. He had read the King of Medicine's Guidebook and knew the only way to subdue an Earthly Fire was to swallow it. It had to be refined within the body, becoming a part of oneself, coexisting beside the Dantian. Only then could one possess its power.

Shen Mo didn't think the idea of swallowing this Earthly Fire was too crazy. Although Earthly Fire was scorching hot, far exceeding ordinary flames, Shen Mo's body, after various temperings, had reached the strength of a demonic beast of the same level. Swallowing Earthly Fire wasn't unimaginable for him; he just needed some preparation.

First, he activated the Bloody Dragon-shaped Body cultivation method, entering the Dragon Body state.

CRACK! CRACK!

As he entered the Dragon Body state, his entire physique changed from its original frail appearance to that of a muscular giant. During this transformation, his fascia, muscles, and bones collided constantly, emitting cracking sounds.

Next, he took out some neutralizing ice-attribute elixirs and Calming Talismans from his Universe Bag. The elixirs were to buffer the intense heat of the flames entering his throat and body. The talismans were to protect the clarity of his soul, preventing Qi deviation at a critical moment.

GLUG.

He swallowed some of the ice-attribute elixirs beforehand. Shen Mo immediately felt as if an iceberg had formed within him; his temperature plummeted, and even his blood flow slowed considerably.

Begin.

Then, he directly swallowed the Nether Fire. Mana enveloped the Nether Fire, preventing it from burning his throat. It quickly and smoothly entered his lower abdomen.

SIZZLE!

Once inside his abdomen, the Nether Fire, seemingly possessing some gnosis, sensed what was to come. It began to roar, its flames churning violently. However, because the ice-attribute elixirs Shen Mo had taken neutralized much of the intense heat, his internal organs weren't incinerated as one might expect.

Devour it!

The crimson flames churned within him. Daring not to be negligent, Shen Mo immediately circulated the Purple Knack Sutra. He circulated his Mana through macrocosmic and microcosmic circulations repeatedly. As the cultivation method operated, the three major Dantians within his Qi Sea erupted with devouring power. They rapidly absorbed the Spiritual Qi of the Nether Fire, strand by strand, continuously taming it.

「A night passed.」

Shen Mo remained motionless, like an old monk in deep meditation, for an entire day and night. This continued until a message appeared on his Destiny Panel:

[Congratulations! You have successfully refined the Nether Fire. Your combat power has increased. The Nether Fire has been tamed within your Dantian and is now at your command.]

This system message delivered the good news to Shen Mo ahead of his own assessment. He quickly performed an internal inspection. Indeed, the Nether Fire, which had been restless all night, was finally and completely tamed.

He opened his palm and slightly curled his fingers.

WHOOSH!

With a mere thought, a pale white flame, exuding a chilling netherworld aura, rose from his palm.

This was the Nether Fire!

After refining it, I can summon it at any time! Shen Mo experimented, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. Not only can I summon it to my palm to engage enemies, but when I use martial arts or magic, I can also use the Earthly Fire to enhance their power!

He stood on the edge of Cloud Sea Cliff, gazing at the Milky Way waterfall cascading down before him. Suddenly, he unleashed a Shangqing Sword Qi.

WHOOSH!

A surging sword Qi slowly manifested on the Dragon Sparrow Sword. The instant the sword Qi left the blade, with a thought, Nether Fire erupted at the tip of the Dragon Sparrow Sword. The Nether Fire appeared and quickly spread, engulfing the entire sword Qi, transforming it into a towering inferno.