The First Immortal of Destiny

Upon reaching the entrance to the Ghost Nation Ruins, Shen Mo finally understood why neither the Ghost Corpse School nor the Heaven Sword Sect, despite being immortal sects situated close to these ruins, could claim it as their own or expel other cultivators.

The vast earth was split open, creating a narrow, meandering fissure. Streams and creeks blocked the path in places, yet the fissure continued as if cleaved in two, its upstream waters cascading down to form a spectacular scene reminiscent of a Milky Way waterfall. Furthermore, segments of hills had collapsed; half remained at ground level while the other half had tumbled into the Ghost Nation Ruins. As far as Shen Mo could see, the end of the fissure was not in sight. He roughly estimated that this entrance alone extended for over a hundred *li*, perhaps even several hundred *li*—a twisted, ugly scar upon the face of the earth!

To expel other cultivators who come to explore and loot, even if the Ghost Corpse School and the Heaven Sword Sect sent all their inner disciples to patrol both sides of the crack, it would likely still be insufficient.

As for the far greater number of outer disciples, who are unskilled in sword flight—what significant role could they possibly play?

More likely, they would be killed with a single blow while attempting to restrict others from entering or leaving.

"What a crowd!"

Within Shen Mo's field of view alone, there were hundreds of Body Tempering Realm cultivators equipped with ropes, iron picks, and other tools, climbing along the steep cliffs on either side. From time to time, one could observe Qi Gathering Realm cultivators stepping onto magic artifacts and dropping vertically into the fissure. Some individuals had even started a transportation business, charging ten Spirit Stones for a single trip to carry Body Tempering Realm cultivators who could not fly into the ruins. Return tickets were even included, as long as a time was agreed upon! If a passenger were to die in the ruins... well, the dead received no refunds.

Ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones was no small sum for many Body Tempering Realm cultivators. Shen Mo had saved up for a long time while serving as a gatekeeper in the Riverside Sect's outer section, and all his possessions amounted to just six Lower Grade Spirit Stones. That wouldn't even cover the fare for a Flying Sword here.

He had initially considered finding a wealthy Body Tempering Realm cultivator to earn those ten Spirit Stones. However, upon remembering the fare included a return trip, he abandoned the notion. Once inside the ruins, even he had no idea when he would emerge.

"Let's go in," Chen Mengze called out, stepping onto his Flying Sword and plummeting straight into the Abyss.

WHOOSH!

With Shen Mo aboard, the Dragon Sparrow Sword transformed into a stream of light and swiftly followed.

As they descended deeper, a chilling ghostly Qi began to permeate the air. It felt as if they had instantly transitioned from a warm spring day into harsh winter, a bone-deep cold emanating from within their very beings.

[You attempted to enter the Ghost Nation Ruins. You are affected by the cold ghostly Qi, causing physical discomfort.]

Seeing the message scroll across the interface, Shen Mo didn't pay it much attention. Ghostly Qi, like any other foreign spiritual Qi, could harm mortals and cultivators. Mortals could extend their lifespan by living perennially in blessed lands like the Riverside Sect. Conversely, they could easily fall ill by staying too long in impure places where corpses are interred. It wouldn't have too much impact on those who had reached the Qi Gathering Realm. Otherwise, why would those Body Tempering Realm cultivators dare to continuously explore the Ghost Nation Ruins?

For the Ghost Corpse School, this place is undoubtedly an excellent location for nurturing and refining corpses. There are likely quite a few disciples of the Ghost Corpse School who have already been drawn into these ruins. I wonder if we'll encounter Xun Tian and Li Chen, those two prodigies of the Ghost Corpse School? And then there's the Natural Sword Body of the Heaven Sword Sect.

While mulling over these thoughts, Shen Mo directed his Nether Fire. The Nether Fire, hidden in his Ocean of Qi Dantian, stirred and rose. In a swirling motion, it absorbed all the cold ghostly Qi that had seeped into his body. The Nether Fire, born in the Depths of Profound Yin and accustomed to the company of departed souls and vicious ghosts, dealt with this imposing ghostly Qi as if it were child's play.

One hundred feet.

Five hundred feet.

A thousand feet.

Five thousand feet...

The Abyss seemed bottomless. Only after the two of them had descended for more than ten thousand feet did their surroundings finally open up.

It was as if they had entered another world.

The surface was desolate, covered in strange, withered weeds. The sky above was obscured by dense ghostly Qi, but Shen Mo knew that beyond this Qi was not bedrock. Aside from the towering cliffs on either side, looking ahead revealed an endless, vast expanse; the opposing cliff wall was nowhere in sight!

It feels a bit like the Mountain River Realm. If the Ghost Corpse School could secure these Ghost Nation Ruins, perhaps from then on, they could possess their own spatial relics, just like the Riverside Sect, Seven Stars Altar, and Heaven Sword Sect. Moreover, it's especially suited for the disciples of the Ghost Corpse School to practice and gain experience! However, that's easier said than done. To claim these Ghost Nation Ruins and prevent them from receding into the Nether would require an unimaginable amount of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, not to mention painstaking effort! Perhaps even after a hundred years of planning, all their efforts would be in vain.

They were currently on the fringe of the ruins. This area had long been thoroughly scavenged by cultivators swarming like locusts. They would even pick up a random stone from the ground to scrutinize it. There was truly no value in meticulously searching here!

Taking out the jade slip map and determining their direction, the two of them flew deeper into the ruins on their swords.

...

"Run, hurry, run! These Hungry Ghosts are too savage..."

"Elder Brother, save me! My legs have been eaten by the ghosts, I can't run!"

"AHHH—My intestines! My intestines are being eaten!"

"Use whatever trump cards you have left! If you keep holding back, you'll be eaten alive!"

Shen Mo and Chen Mengze had flown for only a quarter of an hour when they encountered a group of Body Tempering Realm cultivators traveling together. However, their situation appeared dire.

A group of Big-bellied Ghosts, their faces grotesque, were feasting on them.

Literally feasting!

Hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, kidneys, hands, feet, and heads—all had become their delicacies. Even the foul blood that spilled onto the ground was licked clean.

These seven or eight Body Tempering Realm cultivators were still desperately resisting, their swords repeatedly slashing at the Big-bellied Ghosts. Life-saving talismans also flared with brilliant light, unleashing stored magic in an effort to block the ghosts' brutal attacks.

Why "seven or eight"? Because among the eight still alive, some were missing hands, others feet; pieced together, their mangled forms could barely constitute seven whole bodies.

Unfortunately, their strength was pitifully weak. It seemed they would soon become the main course for the Big-bellied Ghosts' feast!

"Should we..."

Before Chen Mengze could finish his sentence, Shen Mo had already transformed into a beam of light, charging towards the group of man-eating Big-bellied Ghosts.

CLANG!

The Dragon Sparrow Sword whistled, a pale flame clinging to it. The sword's momentum was fierce!

Shen Mo wasn't overcome with a burst of righteousness. Nor was he particularly distressed to see human cultivators being devoured by evil ghosts. Having dared to venture deeper into the ruins in groups, these Body Tempering Realm cultivators should have been prepared to die in the mouths of ghosts. Human cultivators hunt Soul Ghosts to obtain soul cores. Naturally, the ghosts could also fight back, devouring cultivators weaker than themselves as sustenance, bite by bite.

Shen Mo made his move because he had his eye on the soul cores of these Big-bellied Ghosts. He had come to the Ghost Nation Ruins precisely to make a large haul of cultivation resources to continue strengthening himself. With prey right before him, how could he restrain himself?

As for saving those few Body Tempering Realm cultivators, that was merely incidental! After all, it wouldn't cost him much extra effort, and who knew, he might even earn some "life-saving money" in the process.