The First Immortal of Destiny

[Martial Art: Supreme Clarity Sword Technique, Transcendence (5,120/16,000)]

The moment Shen Mo attacked, he unleashed the most powerful sword style of the Supreme Clarity Sword Technique!

His profound mastery of the swordplay, augmented by the Nether Fire and further amplified by his sword intent, Destiny, Magic, and vitality, made his sword Qi increasingly dominant and ferocious. It carried a sharpness capable of destroying and cleaving through anything, ignoring the engulfing Poisonous Water as it slashed directly at Master Hong Jue.

Seeing the terrifying sword Qi slashing towards him, Master Hong Jue's face filled with terror.

The offensive and defensive water-element magic artifact he had unleashed, intending to refine and poison Shen Mo to death, was already in motion. He could not use it to eliminate this vast sword Qi.

However, Master Hong Jue had weathered countless battles, and his reactions were extremely swift. He quickly summoned a Dark Iron Shield from his Universe Bag. It rumbled as it materialized before him, completely obscuring him from view.

This Dark Iron Shield was even wider than the black coffins carried by the disciples of the Ghost Corpse School. Its thickness was an astonishing one foot—to put it more plainly, about the length of an average person's head and neck combined. Even if the material was ordinary, such thickness could withstand most sword Qi. Not to mention, this shield had been specially refined by a Forgemaster; it was no common weapon but a low-grade Profound-level magic artifact.

Master Hong Jue was confident that not even a disciple of the Heaven Sword Sect could shatter this greatshield with a single strike!

Indeed, his estimation was not unfounded. Had it been Peng Chenshu from the Heaven Sword Sect nearby, even he, with all his might, could only have slashed halfway into the greatshield.

Therefore, both Peng Chenshu and the distant spectating cultivators believed that with this greatshield's protection, Shen Mo's terrifying sword strike would surely fail!

Unfortunately, they couldn't comprehend the qualitative change that occurred when a magic combat skill reached Transcendence!

「The next instant.」

The ensuing scene not only left everyone dumbfounded but also filled Master Hong Jue with despair.

SQUELCH!

Like a red-hot iron slicing through snow, the Sword Light effortlessly cleaved through the Dark Iron Shield, pierced Master Hong Jue's body, and erupted from his back. The residual Sword Light continued unabated. It extended for several hundred feet before finally plunging into the earth, gouging out a long, deep sword scar.

CRACK!

The Dark Iron Shield cracked into two pieces and slammed heavily onto the ground, exposing Master Hong Jue, who had been cowering behind it.

「At the same time.」

The torrent of Poisonous Water Pilian that Master Hong Jue had released earlier also struck the unheeding Shen Mo, sending him flying.

COUGH, COUGH!

Under Master Hong Jue's horrified and incredulous gaze, Shen Mo climbed up from the ground. He patted the tattered remnants of his outer robe on his chest, which had been corroded by the poisonous water.

"You... how are you not dead? How can you still be alive!" Master Hong Jue cried out, his voice laced with despair and fury.

A terrifying, bloody gash ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right hip, nearly cleaving his body in two from the sword Qi. However, he had cultivated the "Poison into Water" cultivation method to a very high level. His Mana, akin to the murky poisonous water, had sealed all his wounds, both internal and external—flesh, Chakras, and organs.

Of course, as a Profound-grade cultivation method, no matter how ingenious, it couldn't make a person split in two immortal; it only temporarily halted his fading vitality. Unless he possessed high-grade Elixirs or rare treasures capable of regenerating flesh and knitting bone—perhaps then he could forcibly heal such a terrifying sword wound. Even cultivators of the Spirit Sea Realm, or even a master of the Golden Core Realm, would fight to the death for Elixirs and treasures of such a level. How could Master Hong Jue, merely at Qi Gathering Realm Layer VII, possess any?

His death was already predestined. He just wanted to witness his enemy's demise before he died!

"If your Poisonous Water Skill had been at its peak, perhaps I would have been somewhat wary. But now, heh..."

Shen Mo stripped off his tattered outer robe, revealing the Blue Soul magic robe underneath.

After being shredded by the Big Dipper Array, the Poisonous Water Pilian had already lost much of its potency! When it struck Shen Mo, his outermost layer of ordinary clothing was instantly corroded into tatters by the poison. However, as the poisonous water seeped in, seven-tenths of its corrosive power was blocked by the Blue Soul magic treasure. Of the remaining three-tenths, another one-and-a-half-tenths was nullified by the Red Carp inner armor. In the end, only about one-tenth of the poison actually corroded Shen Mo's flesh.

His external magic, the "Dragon Elephant Blood Fiend Body," had consumed significant resources. Innumerable demonic beast and cultivator corpses, Demon Cores, and soul cores had nourished Shen Mo's robust vitality, making it as strong as a dragon or an elephant.

If he were still harmed by the poisonous water after all that, he might as well discard the "Dragon Elephant Blood Fiend Body" and cultivate a different external magic!

Of course, Master Hong Jue's Poisonous Water Pilian was not entirely ineffective. A sliver of True Intention had subtly condensed within the poisonous water. It targeted a creature's soul: poisoning and corroding it.

Shen Mo had always been lacking in soul protection. Thus, caught unawares, his soul was injured. Fortunately, this wisp of True Intention wasn't too potent, and he would recover after a day or two of rest.

Right now, he just felt a bit dizzy and slightly unwell.

GURGLE...

The turbid Mana could no longer seal Master Hong Jue's injuries, and foul blood kept gushing from the sword wound. Overcome by intense unwillingness, resentment, and fear, Master Hong Jue mustered his dwindling Mana and hurled out the Poisonous Water Pilian, now shrunk to merely ten feet in length.

At the same time, he used a Sound Transmission Talisman to rapidly say something.

Shen Mo wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.

"Go and see where that stream—which looks like both magic and a magic artifact—has flown off to." Shen Mo waved the Soul Refining Flag, summoning the Ghost Bride and ordering her to pursue the Poisonous Water Pilian that Master Hong Jue had dispatched.

He shook it again. Blood-red light surged on the flag, and Demonic Qi enveloped Master Hong Jue's dying body, beginning to refine it. It was thanks to the peculiar nature of the poisonous water Mana in his body that he had held on until now without completely expiring. Otherwise, if he had died completely, the Soul Refining Flag would not have been able to refine him.

Amidst his resentful curses, the Soul Refining Flag seized his soul, adding another powerful spirit to its ranks!

HISS!

"He's as ruthless as Master Hong Jue—first killing, then binding souls."

"SHHH, keep your voice down! Don't let him hear you. We can't afford to provoke such a ruthless person."

"He arrived with a Heaven Sword Sect cultivator but isn't wearing the attire of any immortal sect. Who knows his origins?"

"Judging by his methods, he's ruthless, but likely not an evil cultivator. Otherwise, the Heaven Sword Sect disciples wouldn't be so close to him."

"Hard to say..."

The spectating cultivators whispered among themselves, their gazes towards Shen Mo filled with apprehension and dread.

This made Peng Chenshu, who had been idling on the sidelines all this time, feel somewhat uneasy. He respected Shen Mo's exceptional abilities but was also shocked by his merciless methods. However, knowing Shen Mo was a disciple of the Riverside Sect and having journeyed with him, Peng Chenshu was relatively familiar with him. Thus, Peng Chenshu didn't feel any particular fear.

"Junior Brother Shen..."

Just as Peng Chenshu was about to speak, Shen Mo suddenly sensed something and looked up into the distance.

He saw the Ghost Bride, her movements incredibly swift and eerie, floating back towards them.

Behind her, a figure on a Flying Sword was in pursuit. It was a plump woman, riding her Flying Sword at great speed.

She wasn't pursuing the Ghost Bride; rather, she seemed to be luring something towards them.

Something that instilled fear even in the Ghost Bride.