The First Immortal of Destiny

「Three days later, in Jiyun Town.」

The lane where the Ascending Pill Shop was located was so crowded that it could accurately be described as a sea of people. Shen Mo had previously experienced such jam-packed scenes in tourist destinations during his past life's holidays, where people's raised sleeves could form clouds and their dripping sweat could mimic rain. Now, he was witnessing the same sight again.

When he found out that Shopkeeper Qian intended to use the name "Mo Shen" to attract customers, Shen Mo had rushed back to produce a batch of top-notch Qi Coalescing Pills and Soul Nurturing Pills! He used these to replace the previous, less-than-perfect Grade II Elixirs, making them the main attraction of the Elixir Tasting Conference!

Since he was pursuing excitement, he decided to go all the way. Wouldn't superior, or even perfect, quality Grade II Elixirs tarnish Mo Shen's reputation?

Shopkeeper Qian was, of course, more than happy to see this and laughed heartily. However, the moment Shen Mo decided to raise the prices of the newly refined Qi Coalescing Pills and Soul Nurturing Pills by thirty percent, Shopkeeper Qian's smile vanished!

It wasn't that Shen Mo was being black-hearted. He simply hadn't expected Shopkeeper Qian to be such a clever fellow. Utilizing the famed name of Mo Shen from the Alchemy Zone, the sheer number of customers it brought to his pill shop was worth a good thousand Spirit Stones, if not more. Not to mention the top-notch Elixirs produced by "Mo Shen"—increasing their price by fifty to one hundred percent was entirely possible. Despite Shopkeeper Qian's mournful expression while haggling, who knew how delighted he was deep down! If he really wanted to be particular, Shen Mo felt he was the one getting the short end of the stick.

Shopkeeper Qian had a talent for spreading news. Within a short span of three days, the related information had spread all across the Riverside Sect's Alchemy Zone. The mysterious alchemy master, Mo Shen, had personally refined Grade II Elixirs, all of which were of top-notch quality. These Elixirs would be put on sale at the Ascending Pill Shop in Jiyun Town, and everyone involved in the Alchemy Path was invited to join the Elixir Tasting Conference! The news had spread not only in the Alchemy Zone but also throughout the Inner Door and Outer Door of the Riverside Sect.

Even Cao Ren, who was typically indifferent to the Alchemy Path, came to invite Shen Mo to the Elixir Tasting Conference, just to see the bustling crowd. Shen Mo had no choice but to politely refuse!

Now, he was disguised, his appearance concealed, observing the grand event from within the crowd. Apart from cultivators like Cao Ren, who came to enjoy the spectacle, there were also many Alchemists—reclusive types who rarely left the Alchemy Zone, engrossed as they were in the Alchemy Path. If one did not know better, they would think that this was the Alchemy Zone's Triennial Immortal Pill Grand Banquet!

For instance, at that very moment, among the several gossiping cultivators near Shen Mo, some were not very familiar with the situation.

"What's happening? Why is the street so lively today? And why are there so many Riverside Sect cultivators dressed like Alchemists? Did they find a top-level Earthly Fire, or are there Spiritual Fires for sale?"

"Nothing about Earthly Fire or Spiritual Fire! It's the Elixir Tasting Conference held by Alchemist Mo Shen. I heard that there are quite a few top-notch Grade II Elixirs for sale."

"Ah… You're only halfway right. My second brother is from the Alchemy Zone, and he said that Alchemist Mo Shen's skill in Alchemy is incredibly high. He's repeatedly broken the Alchemy records of Zhao Lingyin, the top genius of the Alchemy Zone, within the Alchemy Tower! Also, he is mysterious and low-key. He likely won't show his face when selling the Elixirs. The Alchemists here are probably present to appraise the Elixirs he refined."

"If the person isn't present, how do we know that these top-notch Elixirs weren't refined by someone else impersonating him?"

"Go on then, I'll give you a cauldron. You try refining a top-notch Grade II Elixir and passing it off as someone else's! Which Alchemist who possesses such skill in Alchemy isn't proud? Why would they bother using someone else's name?"

"Exactly. Besides, if you dare to use a false name, Master Mo Shen will come looking for you later. You might end up being utterly discredited. Is it worth it?"

"I also heard that Master Mo Shen entrusted his disciple to sell Elixirs in Jiyun Town. But because the quality of the Elixirs was so good, someone tried to kidnap his disciple to enslave him and force him to refine Elixirs for profit!"

"Whoa, that actually happened?! Does the Market's Keeper not handle this?"

"The Keepers are useless beyond the commissions they take! Once you leave Jiyun Town, they don't care whether you live or die."

Shen Mo quietly shifted to the side. He didn't want to be caught in the splash of blood if the Keepers heard these words and decided to teach that sharp-tongued cultivator a lesson.

Thanks to Shopkeeper Qian and this Elixir Tasting Conference providing a solid foundation, the personas of Mo Shen and 'Mo Shen's disciple' were finally firmly established! It had to be said, Shopkeeper Qian was quite an interesting fellow. Knowing that Shen Mo—this "Mo Shen's disciple"—was troubled by people keeping an eye on him, Shopkeeper Qian had even spread the story of his near-kidnapping when he released the news. This reinforced the idea that Shen Mo was merely an "errand boy," discouraging those with ulterior motives from causing him further trouble. At the same time, it added to the story's intrigue and credibility, perfectly setting the stage for the Elixir Tasting Conference.

This Elixir Tasting Conference, besides inviting a large number of Alchemists to appraise Master Mo Shen's Elixirs, also featured Alchemy contests, auctions of top-notch Elixirs, and sessions for exchanging and appreciating rare and precious Elixirs... This small Elixir Tasting Conference, hosted by Shopkeeper Qian, turned out to be exceptionally lively. Just judging from its scale and enthusiasm, it even faintly exuded the atmosphere of the Alchemy Zone's Triennial Immortal Pill Grand Banquet!

Eh, isn't that girl Zhao Lingyin? She actually came.

Shen Mo pulled his robe's collar higher, covering most of his face, revealing only his eyes as he stared directly at the young woman in front of the Ascending Pill Shop.

She was young, looking not even twenty. At sixteen, she was brought to Spirit Gathering Peak in the Alchemy Zone by Alien Minister Wu. After three years of cultivation on the mountain, she was now just nineteen. She wore a clean, plain white Alchemist's robe, her black hair draped over her shoulders, without any extra adornment. Even so, her appearance and temperament were exceptionally outstanding! Like a lotus emerging from the water, naturally unadorned, fresh and refined, untainted by the slightest speck of worldly dust.

How did Shen Mo know she was Zhao Lingyin? It was simple. The elderly Alchemists, some with hair and beards white as snow, all treated her as an equal, not daring to act condescendingly in her presence. Some younger Alchemists even crowded around her, yet remained cautiously respectful, as if afraid of offending the beautiful lady by getting too close—much like the starstruck fans from Shen Mo's past life. Who else but the foremost prodigy of the Alchemy Zone, a disciple of a Grade IV Alchemist, could command such respect?

Zhao Lingyin frowned slightly, a little annoyed. She had intended to buy one of Mo Shen's Elixirs to take back and study, but she hadn't expected Jiyun Town to be this bustling. Many of the people present were Alchemists from the Alchemy Zone, and she couldn't very well just turn and leave without causing a scene!

"Will Master Mo Shen not be appearing today?" Zhao Lingyin asked Shopkeeper Qian, the organizer of the Elixir Tasting Conference.

Shopkeeper Qian, a man of considerable shrewdness, had long since gathered from the murmurs of the surrounding Alchemists that she was Zhao Lingyin, the foremost prodigy of the Alchemy Zone. He immediately put on a broad, disarmingly earnest smile and said, "Fairy Lingyin, I haven't seen Master Mo Shen myself either!"

"All these Elixirs were sent here for sale by his disciple."

Zhao Lingyin's eyes lit up, and she pressed eagerly, "Then where is Master Mo Shen's disciple? May I meet him?"

Hearing this, Shopkeeper Qian suddenly found his smile stiffening.

This young Fairy really is clueless! Shopkeeper Qian fumed internally. It's obvious that person has his reservations and doesn't want to reveal his true identity. To keep pestering like this… she must have addled her brains with too much Alchemy!

If Shen Mo could hear Shopkeeper Qian's inner thoughts, he would definitely applaud him vigorously.

Then, he would buy Zhao Lingyin a bag of melon seeds!