The First Immortal of Destiny

The next day, Shen Mo emerged from his cultivation state. Seeing it was already daybreak, he set out.

After some hesitation the previous night, he had decided to explore the location of the ruins, hoping to find some valuable treasures.

Leaving the cave mansion and standing on the cliff edge, he looked at the Spirit Storage Rat, which was languishing on the spiritual vine at the entrance of the cave mansion.

After examining it for a while and seeing no signs of it rousing, he left it alone.

It's been over a month now; does it really take this long to absorb the sense imprint?

He shook his head, grabbed the Spirit Storage Rat by the scruff of its neck, and put it back in its place.

I hope this little fellow will be awake when I return.

With this thought, Shen Mo beckoned with his hand, and the Dragon Sparrow Sword transformed into a stream of light, obediently hovering in the air.

Stepping onto the sword, Shen Mo's figure became a streak of rainbow light, speeding towards the agreed-upon sect gate.

Void Sky Mountain was located in the Extremely Cold Land of the Red Flame Country's northern region.

This area was rife with miasma and teeming with dangers, known as one of the infamous Forbidden Areas in the Red Flame Country's cultivation world.

However, the more forbidden an area, the richer the treasures it often concealed.

Therefore, a continuous stream of cultivators from the Red Flame Country journeyed to Void Sky Mountain, seeking treasures and exploring new grounds.

After Shen Mo arrived at Void Sky Mountain, he saw cultivators gathering in small groups.

Of course, these were typically rogue cultivators, many of whom had only just begun the path of cultivation. They were generally beginners at the Body Tempering Realm, with Talent so ordinary they were hardly eligible to enter one of the Five Great Sects. Lacking cultivation resources, they were forced to explore such dangerous lands. Even Qi Gathering Realm cultivators were rare among them.

He arrived at the entrance of the Void Sky Mountain valley and began to walk.

The space within Void Sky Mountain was abnormal, preventing flight by sword.

The sect ruins Lu Ming was searching for were located deep within Void Sky Mountain. Although Shen Mo knew the general direction, Void Sky Mountain was a Forbidden Area teeming with countless dangers. He would have to navigate quite a few challenges to reach it.

「....」

CRACK!

After slaying another Class II Green-eyed Blood Moon Wolf, Shen Mo slowly sheathed his sword.

He skillfully stepped forward, skinned the wolf, and removed its inner core along with some other valuable materials. Due to the limited space in his Universe Bag, he left the remaining carcass for any passing demonic beasts.

It's been two days. I've gone deeper, but I still haven't reached the place.

Shen Mo had been traveling towards the ruins' location for two days.

During these two days, he had to stop and start frequently, unable to travel at full speed.

This was because Void Sky Mountain was teeming with demonic beasts, presenting constant obstacles.

Ordinary Class I demonic beasts would sense his aura and keep their distance, not daring to approach.

However, some Class II demonic beasts were not intimidated by his aura. Instead, they would actively seek him out, eager to tear apart the cultivator who dared to intrude on their territory.

Including this Green-eyed Blood Moon Wolf, this was the fourth Class II demonic beast Shen Mo had slain.

I wonder if I can reach my destination safely.

Gazing at the rugged, seemingly endless forest path ahead, Shen Mo felt a pang of regret for traveling alone.

It would have been better if I had found some Sect Disciples to explore with.

Shen Mo thought with a wry smile.

He had somewhat underestimated the dangers of Void Sky Mountain.

Initially, it wasn't too bad; the demonic beasts he encountered were all Class I and posed no threat. However, as he ventured deeper, Shen Mo sensed the auras of many high-class demonic beasts.

Some of these beasts had incredibly strong auras; Shen Mo guessed they might have reached Class III.

Therefore, he no longer dared to release his aura to scatter the surrounding demonic beasts.

Instead, he kept a low profile, using a method to conceal his aura and completely suppress his presence. Only after constantly scouting with his sense did he dare to continue moving forward.

Otherwise, if he encountered a demonic beast of that level head-on, even with his trump cards, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't perish on the spot.

Along the way, he had seen the skeletal remains of many cultivators who had perished exploring this Forbidden Area.

There's at least a middle-stage Class II demonic beast up ahead.

He cautiously scouted the path with his sense, planning to take a detour.

But at that moment, he suddenly sensed several other potent auras.

Cultivators?

The aura of a demonic beast was distinctly different from that of a human; Shen Mo quickly identified them.

It seems like an intense battle is happening over there; they've probably already started fighting.

It's best to avoid them for now!

「....」

Another day passed. He was now less than twenty li from the ruins' location and would arrive soon.

But while traveling, he unexpectedly encountered a group of fellow Sect Disciples, and Lu Ming was among them.

"Shen Mo, what are you doing here?"

Lu Ming was rather surprised to meet him in Void Sky Mountain.

In Lu Ming's eyes, Shen Mo was a complete cultivation fanatic who rarely went out for experiential training.

"I came across some information by chance, so I decided to come and take a look," Shen Mo said, hesitating slightly before revealing some vague details.

"Information?" Lu Ming was slightly taken aback. "Don't tell me you're also here looking for the Cloud Sword Sect ruins?"

"???"

Shen Mo stared at Lu Ming in astonishment. This news... he knows about it too?

"It seems you also bought this information from the Mechanism Pavilion."

Seeing Shen Mo's expression, Lu Ming knew his guess was correct.

"The Cloud Sword Sect ruins are not a safe place. Traveling alone, you might not be able to leave safely."

"Why don't you come with us?"

As Lu Ming spoke, he pointed to a few figures in the far distance discussing matters, "My elder cousin invited two senior brothers from the Inner Door to come along."

"With their protection, you'll have a chance to enter the ruins."

Join their team and travel together?

Hearing Lu Ming's words, Shen Mo hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

With his strength alone, he truly might not be able to explore this region by himself.

Lu Ming then introduced him to the others. "This is Duan Rui, Senior Brother Duan. He's at Layer V of the Qi Gathering Realm and has been in the Inner Door for seven years."

"This is Fang Ming, Senior Brother Fang. He's also at Layer V of the Qi Gathering Realm and has been in the Inner Door for eight years."

Lu Ming then shifted his gaze to his elder cousin, "This is my cousin, Lu Yao. He's at Layer VII of the Qi Gathering Realm."

"Shen Mo greets all Senior Brothers," he said, greeting each one in turn.

However, these senior brothers were rather cold towards Shen Mo.

"Never mind. Since Lu Ming brought you, you can travel with our team," Lu Yao said, recognizing Shen Mo at a glance.

During the new disciples' competition, he had argued with Guo Zhao.

At that time, Guo Zhao had favored Shen Mo, so Lu Yao had taken note of him.

Lu Yao and Guo Zhao didn't get along well at Stars Peak, so he naturally didn't have a favorable impression of Shen Mo.

It was only out of consideration for his younger cousin that he didn't refuse Shen Mo joining their team.

It seems... I'm not particularly welcome here.

Shen Mo could also sense Lu Yao's coldness.

However, he didn't let it bother him or do something rash like storming off in a huff.

Since I've already joined the team, I might as well see this journey through.

Just then, Lu Yao addressed the group, "I'll lead. You all follow closely and don't get separated."

"The mist is thick within Void Sky Mountain, and communication talismans don't work. If you accidentally get separated, it will be troublesome."

"Understood."

Hearing this, Shen Mo's mind sharpened, and he followed the team closely, matching their pace.

They crossed mountains and swamps. Under Lu Yao's leadership, their passage was unobstructed.

The imposing auras of the six Qi Gathering Realm cultivators were fully released, causing the demonic beasts in Void Sky Mountain to retreat, not daring to approach.

Soon, they arrived at a pond deep within Void Sky Mountain.

This pond was roughly twenty-odd zhang in diameter, its waters a limpid green, with lotus flowers swaying gently—a truly exquisite natural scene.

Upon careful inspection, Shen Mo saw that within the pond, a series of rocks formed a path across the water's surface, leading directly to an unknown stone staircase on the opposite shore.

"This is where the sect ruins are located," Lu Yao stated, clearly well-informed due to the intelligence he possessed. "Once we cross this pond and ascend that stone staircase, we'll see the entrance to the ruins."

"In that case, what are we waiting for!" Fang Ming, the disciple from Stars Peak traveling with them, exclaimed upon hearing this and was about to step onto the path in the pond.

But Lu Ming quickly stopped him.

"Senior Brother Fang, wait a moment!"

Lu Ming held him back and said, "This path across the pond isn't as easy to walk as it looks!"

As he spoke, he casually picked up a stone from the shore and tossed it into the pond.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

As the stone skimmed the surface, the once tranquil pond suddenly began to seethe.

Arcs of silver lightning emerged on the water's surface, constantly interweaving.

The terrifying electrical current instantly turned the stone into dust.

"This..."

Fang Ming was stunned for a moment, quickly withdrawing his foot, a wave of fear washing over him.

"This pond... it's a Thunder Pool?"

Seeing this, Shen Mo secretly sighed in relief that he hadn't been the first to step out; otherwise, he would have made a fool of himself.

It wasn't Fang Ming's fault for not noticing; in fact, Shen Mo hadn't detected anything unusual about the clear green pond either.

"Correct."

"This pond may look ordinary, but in reality, it's filled with raging thunder. To cross it, one must endure a baptism of lightning," Lu Yao nodded, sharing all the information he had bought from the Mechanism Pavilion.

"The destructive power of this Thunder Pool is ferocious. If one rushes in unprepared, even a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator might not withstand it."

Previously, when rogue cultivators were exploring this area, many had died in this Thunder Pool.

It was only after many had perished that a method to cross was discovered.

"One must ingest a Thunder Transforming Pill to minimize the damage from the lightning."

As Lu Yao finished speaking, Lu Ming took out the thunder-protection items he had already prepared for everyone from his Universe Bag.

"This is a Thunder Transforming Pill. Consuming this pill can neutralize half the thunder power, ensuring that the thunder of purple heaven doesn't corrode your body."

They distributed the Thunder Transforming Pills.

After consuming them, they began to cross the pool one by one.

RUMBLE!

The first to cross was Fang Ming. With his cultivation at Layer V of the Qi Gathering Realm, coupled with the mitigation from the Thunder Transforming Pill, he managed to pass safely, though not without a scare.

Next, Lu Yao stepped onto the path.

As a cultivator at Layer VII of the Qi Gathering Realm, it was naturally even less of a challenge for him, and he crossed quickly.

Following him, Senior Brother Duan Rui also reached the other side.

Now, only Shen Mo and Lu Ming remained on the shore.

"Junior Brother Shen, let's go together," Lu Ming kindly suggested. "The power of this Thunder Pool is terrifying. Even after taking a Thunder Transforming Pill, it's still extremely dangerous for early-stage Qi Gathering Realm cultivators."

"I have a Thunder Body, so I naturally possess high resistance to this kind of thunder power. If your strength falters midway, I can lend you a hand."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Lu." Shen Mo didn't refuse.

Although he felt confident he could cross on his own, since Lu Ming had offered to help, Shen Mo was happy to accept the easier passage.