The First Immortal of Destiny

Geng Zheng, a disciple of the Heaven Sword Sect.

After his attempts to Punish Demons were fruitless and Shen Mo had beaten him half to death, he went to seek out nearby fellow sect cultivators. He told Jiang Yingying and the others that he held a grudge against an evil cultivator who practiced with the Soul Refining Flag, and he wanted their help to settle the score. Jiang Yingying and the others naturally agreed. Following the lingering aura of the sword wounds Shen Mo had inflicted, they tracked him all the way here. Geng Zheng rushed to the forefront of the pursuit, with Jiang Yingying and the others trailing some distance behind. The moment he encountered Chen Mengze and sensed Shen Mo nearby, Geng Zheng attacked.

Unexpectedly, Shen Mo had fully recovered. Coupled with The Big Dipper Array, his power had surged by fifty percent. In their very first exchange, Geng Zheng was pinned down within the Sword Array and thoroughly trounced. If Jiang Yingying and the others hadn't arrived one after another, he would have been reduced to a pile of dry bones by then.

Now that Jiang Yingying and Chen Mengze, who were close friends, were present, a fight was naturally averted. However, Geng Zheng had exposed the secret of Shen Mo's Soul Refining Flag. Left with no choice, Shen Mo had to briefly explain the origin of the Soul Refining Flag to Chen Mengze, Jiang Yingying, and the others.

With the exception of Geng Zheng, whose face was full of disdain, Chen Mengze and the three from the Heaven Sword Sect believed Shen Mo's words. After all, if Shen Mo had truly slaughtered innocents, using a Blood Sacrifice of numerous innocent mortals to refine the Soul Refining Flag, it would have long since been discovered and reported to the major immortal sects. Furthermore, the matter of the Blood Robe Sect in Tianyou City could be easily verified with a few inquiries. Shen Mo had absolutely no reason to lie.

As for Soul-binding Magic, not all cultivators of the Five Great Sects were benevolent. Instances of cultivators capturing enemy souls for relentless, day-and-night torture were commonplace. As long as it wasn't someone close to them, no one would bother with such trivialities. Of course, Geng Zheng, who had comprehended the "Punish Demons" sword intent, was an exception. However, he was less skilled; he had been defeated by Shen Mo twice and even had his life spared once. He lacked both the strength and the justification to make a move against Shen Mo, so he simply remained silent by Jiang Yingying's side.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, everyone descended on their Flying Swords, finding a relatively spacious and clean spot in the deserted Ghost Village. They took out tables, chairs, wine, and meat from a Qiankun bag and began a small exchange.

"Senior Brother Geng, I was too heavy-handed before. Please don't take it to heart." Having thoroughly taught Geng Zheng a lesson, ninety percent of the Resentment Qi in Shen Mo's heart had dissipated. He proactively offered him a cup of spiritual wine.

"However, Senior Brother Geng, you're a bit too straightforward," Shen Mo continued. "The Soul General I bound was the exceedingly harmful Ghost Bride.

"Truthfully, it was a great deed. Senior Brother, you attacked me on sight and then relentlessly pursued the matter, which truly infuriated me.

"So I didn't hold back in my counterattack! This cup of wine is my apology to you, Senior Brother Geng."

Setting aside their past grievances, Shen Mo still admired people like Geng Zheng. To hold such firm convictions, especially an adherence to principles like "Punishing Demons and Promoting Good," was rare in the cultivation world. To have survived and cultivated to the Qi Gathering Realm without being killed off early was truly no small feat. If not for the prior misunderstanding, Shen Mo would have gladly befriended such a person. While the reality might not be so, the heart can still aspire!

Of course, Shen Mo also knew that unless he was willing to destroy his Soul Refining Flag, he could never become true friends with Geng Zheng. What Geng Zheng cared about wasn't that Shen Mo had destroyed his heavy sword magic artifact, nor would he bear a grudge because Shen Mo had injured him. He was more concerned with whether he could completely eradicate what he deemed "evil." In Geng Zheng's eyes, Shen Mo might no longer be evil, but the Soul Refining Flag was undeniably a demonic artifact. Unfortunately, the Soul Refining Flag was one of Shen Mo's most potent tools; especially after he had refined a swarm of minor Heavenly Demons, its power had become extraordinary. He would have to be out of his mind to destroy it.

Their respective convictions and pursuits were destined to be irreconcilable. As the saying goes: If paths diverge, there's no common ground for plotting! Becoming confidants over a cup of wine was out of the question. At most, it could ease the tension between them somewhat.

Geng Zheng didn't respond, merely nodding before downing the spiritual wine in his cup.

Shen Mo smiled faintly, not pressing the issue further. After all, from any perspective, Geng Zheng was his defeated opponent; Shen Mo still possessed that much magnanimity.

"Junior Sister Chen, Junior Brother Shen," Jiang Yingying said, her expression slightly tipsy after a sip of spiritual wine. "Since we've run into each other, why not join us and brave Death Jaw?"

This Death Jaw was not the proverbial one. In the Ghost Nation Ruins, Death Jaw was the name of a forbidden land. It was located deep within the ruins. There was a pass; to step through this pass was to step into Death Jaw. Those who emerged alive could obtain marvelous benefits: profound and powerful cultivation methods, high-grade magic artifacts, Elixirs capable of inducing realm breakthroughs... almost every reward could lead to a massive surge in strength. However, of those who entered, not even one in ten cultivators who obtained benefits managed to emerge from Death Jaw. All others perished inside Death Jaw.

Moreover, according to the accounts of surviving treasure hunting cultivators, their experiences within Death Jaw varied greatly. Some lost their cultivation and memories, becoming mortals. They lived out entire lifetimes in unknown villages. Only on their deathbeds did they suddenly recall their true identities, allowing them to leave Death Jaw. One could imagine that if such a person hadn't awakened before dying of old age, they would have truly perished inside.

Others encountered a "reflection"—identical in cultivation, appearance, mindset, magic artifacts, cultivation methods, and magic. They had to engage in a bloody battle where only one would survive. Presumably, the one who brought this news out had defeated their "reflection" and emerged alive. Or perhaps, the one who emerged from Death Jaw was merely the "reflection"!

Still others, upon entering Death Jaw, were immediately overwhelmed by endless swarms of Hungry Ghosts and Drowned Ghosts, only managing to escape after a long and bitter struggle. It was said that some cultivators even encountered overwhelmingly sensual experiences, with Fairies, Witches, Demonesses, and Succubi—all sorts of dazzling beauties—appearing one after another. As for how the cultivator who spread this particular piece of news eventually left Death Jaw, he never disclosed it.

"What do you think? Should we join Senior Sister Jiang and the others to brave Death Jaw?" Chen Mengze asked, somewhat eager, though she still sought Shen Mo's opinion. Although the experiences within Death Jaw sounded bizarre, they shared a commonality: the stronger one's determination, power, and Talent, the more likely one was to pass through.

Shen Mo noticed Chen Mengze's interest. It wasn't surprising; she never wanted to miss an opportunity to enhance her cultivation.

Shen Mo himself had little interest in braving Death Jaw. Wouldn't it be delightful to diligently gather soul cores, earn Spirit Stones, and then grind proficiency in his cultivation methods? Why choose such an aggressive cultivation path? Of course, he wasn't Chen Mengze, and she didn't possess the Destiny Panel he had. Shen Mo wouldn't impose his own standards on others! Since Chen Mengze was interested, he would accompany her. It wouldn't hinder his slaying of Soul Ghosts and collection of soul cores anyway! Besides, the deeper they ventured into the ruins, the more Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures the Spirit Storage Rat could find.