The First Immortal of Destiny

"Where have you been? If you didn't come back soon, we were going to leave without you." Although Chen Mengze's tone was cold, there was a hint of complaint in her words.

"Sorry, I gained some insights while cultivating, which delayed everyone," Shen Mo briefly explained to the disciples of the Heaven Sword Sect.

As for Chen Mengze, her only intention was to remind Shen Mo that Jiang Yingying and the others were growing impatient, and to give him an opening for conversation. This he could clearly understand. He used the excuse of cultivation to cover up the fact that he also knew Forging, so as not to reveal this. As the saying goes, until I'm strong enough, I should try not to reveal the true level of my three auxiliary professions, lest I attract unwanted attention. Regarding the large quantity of Elixirs he had previously produced, none were Grade III Elixirs. Chen Mengze already knew he had the skills of a Grade I Alchemist, so his claim of emptying out a long-accumulated inventory was perfectly plausible.

However, she seemed indifferent to this, her response to Shen Mo's explanation quite flat. Shen Mo racked his brains but couldn't figure out how he had offended her, so he decided to just let her be.

In fact, Jiang Yingying of the Heaven Sword Sect had keenly sensed the awkwardness between them. When she subtly probed Chen Mengze, Chen Mengze stated that she was solely focused on pursuing the Dao and had no interest in romantic matters. This had sent Jiang Yingying into fits of laughter!

「A little later.」

Shen Mo and his group finally reached their destination. A rustic, ancient pass constructed from wood and stone appeared before them. It towered hundreds of feet high and stretched for several miles. The entrance to the pass was astonishingly large, like that of a colossal city. A dense white fog, strangely out of place with the ghostly aura of the region, enveloped the entire structure. It felt as if it connected to the void; when Shen Mo's spiritual sense penetrated it, he found only an unnerving emptiness with nothing to grasp.

I might have been fooled by its name, Shen Mo thought. No matter how I search this pass, I can't find the words 'Death Jaw' anywhere. This is clearly an unnamed pass.

"'Death Jaw' is a conventional term used in the cultivation world of the Red Flame Country. It might have other names elsewhere," Jiang Yingying explained, likely sensing Shen Mo's confusion.

So it's not a secret place unique to the Ghost Nation Ruins, as I thought, Shen Mo mused, slightly surprised.

He equipped the Special Destiny, 'Bright Vision'. Instantly, under the Heaven's Mandate Blessing, he was startled to see the entire Death Jaw transform into a bizarre, multicolored radiance. It looked very much like the original appearance of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures as seen through 'Bright Vision'. It also had the feel of a magical technique or a divine Skill. Moreover, it seemed to flicker in and out of existence.

Shen Mo tried touching it and probing it with his spiritual sense. The tactile feedback and his sense clearly confirmed the pass's existence. Yet, when he attacked the wood and stone of the pass with sword Qi, it was like striking a phantom. Neither the brilliance of his magic nor his sharp sword Qi created the slightest ripple; they passed straight through and vanished into the dense white fog.

"The material of this pass is incredibly strange. You can touch it, but you can't hit it, no matter what kind of attack you use!" Jiang Yingying patiently explained to Shen Mo and Chen Mengze what she knew about the Death Jaw.

I'm afraid it's not due to some special material! Shen Mo had a different theory. Others don't have a Special Destiny like 'Bright Vision', so they naturally can't see past the surface to the Death Jaw's true nature. But I'm different; I can see something deeper.

Perhaps the Death Jaw is a Skill left behind by some great expert!

Or maybe it's a Spiritual Artifact, or even a divine weapon or magic treasure of a still higher grade. With my current knowledge, I can't even guess its actual rank.

This Skill, or magic treasure, might simultaneously exist and not exist in this very spot!

When I use my senses or touch it, it's there. But when I attack it with magic or Skills, it's not...

His speculations were too outlandish and impossible to verify, so Shen Mo kept his true thoughts to himself.

Within a five-mile radius of the Death Jaw, apart from Shen Mo's party, there were twenty to thirty other cultivators. Whether in groups of three to five or alone, all were at the Qi Gathering Realm or higher. No matter how many Body Tempering Realm cultivators banded together, they couldn't have made it this far. Those who could reach the Death Jaw, be they disciples of immortal sects or independent rogue cultivators, were all experts. Some, like Chen Mengze and Jiang Yingying, intended to brave the Death Jaw. Others had no such plans but aimed to ambush and rob any cultivators who emerged alive with fortuitous gains.

Jiang Yingying and the other three disciples from the Heaven Sword Sect had invited Shen Mo and Chen Mengze to join them, valuing their backgrounds and strength. By teaming up, they could better deter and defend against ill-intentioned cultivators and bandits in the vicinity.

Chen Mengze, Jiang Yingying, Geng Zheng, and Li Yu were all determined to venture into the Death Jaw, confident they could find great opportunities within and emerge alive. Peng Chenshu, like Shen Mo, was accompanying his fellow sect members. Both he and Shen Mo chose to remain outside the Death Jaw.

"If I don't make it out alive, my father…" Before entering the Death Jaw, Chen Mengze uncharacteristically approached Shen Mo, but she seemed hesitant, struggling to get the words out.

"Senior Sister Chen, please rest assured. Regardless of how your journey goes, I will take good care of Uncle Chen," Shen Mo promised solemnly. He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, I still hope you will reconsider, Senior Sister Chen. After all, you are the only family Uncle Chen has left! If anything were to happen to you, I can't imagine how grief-stricken Uncle Chen would be."

Hearing this, Chen Mengze showed a flicker of hesitation, but it quickly vanished, replaced by her usual resolve and detachment. "A blood feud this deep must be avenged! Even if the path to power is fraught with hardship and danger, I will continue to walk it. I believe… Father will understand my choice!"

Shen Mo nodded, no longer trying to dissuade her.

Then, Chen Mengze and the other three flew into the pass entrance on their swords, one after another. As the pale fog swirled gently, their figures and auras vanished completely. Even the Sound Transmission Talismans lost connection.

Under the vision of 'Bright Vision', Shen Mo saw that as Chen Mengze and the others entered the Death Jaw, the multicolored radiance pulsed, suddenly flaring brighter for a moment before returning to its usual state.

"Lazybones, get out here and look around. See if there are any treasures to collect?" Shen Mo opened his Spirit Pet Bag and released the Spirit Storage Rat.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!"

"Master, there… there!" The moment the little creature emerged, its attention was completely captivated by the Death Jaw, its slender claws pointing insistently towards the pass.

Shen Mo flicked its forehead lightly and said in exasperation, "I know this is a great treasure, but it's not something I can meddle with. Look around, are there any other valuables nearby?"

The Spirit Storage Rat stared blankly at Shen Mo for a moment. Then, exerting all its strength, it began to search for treasures. After a short while, it drooped its small head and said, "I can't find anything. All the treasures I can sense are in there."