The First Immortal of Destiny

[You have attempted to upgrade your Destiny [Monster Identify] by consuming Destiny Points, but failed.]

[You have attempted to upgrade your Destiny [Monster Identify] by consuming Destiny Points, but failed.]

[...]

After six consecutive failures, Shen Mo's face darkened a bit.

He mustered his patience and continued to spend his remaining Destiny Points.

[You have successfully upgraded your Destiny [Monster Identify] by consuming Destiny Points. Congratulations, you have obtained a new Destiny, "Insight into All Beings" (Purple).]

Success!

Even Shen Mo, known for his mental fortitude, couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

He hurriedly clicked to check.

["Insight into All Beings" (Purple)]: You have gained the ability to perceive information about creatures in the world. By spending an equivalent number of Spirit Stones, you can deduce the weaknesses of selected creatures.

Just as I predicted, upgrading Monster Identify increases the scope of insight!

Previously, I could only identify the weaknesses of demonic beasts, but now, Heavenly Demons and Soul Ghosts are also included.

I just don't know if I can exploit the Ghost Monarch's weaknesses to create a chance for survival!

While the Ghost Monarch was still toying with him, Shen Mo quickly equipped ["Insight into All Beings"].

A light screen instantly appeared before his eyes.

The previous "Record of Sightings" also upgraded, splitting into several pages.

These included subcategories for demonic beasts, humans, Heavenly Demons, Soul Ghosts, and other creatures Shen Mo had encountered.

A considerable number of ghosts were listed under the Soul Ghost category.

[Hungry Ghost]

[Green-skinned Ghost]

[Ghost Bride]

...

[Hundred Bodies Ghost]

[Heaven Abandoned Ghost King].

Heaven Obedience… Heaven Abandoned. So that's the Ghost Monarch's title!

Shen Mo's gaze shifted as he perused more detailed information.

[You are attempting to perceive the information and weaknesses of a Class III early-stage Soul Ghost, the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King. This will cost one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.]

Taking out one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones would cause too much commotion; I might startle the Ghost Monarch, Shen Mo thought.

He quickly pulled out a middle-grade Spirit Stone from his Universe Bag.

As the Spirit Stone dissolved into dust, comprehensive information about the Ghost Monarch unfolded before his eyes.

[Soul Ghost: Heaven Abandoned Ghost King]

[Realm: Class III early-stage]

[Summary: This ghost was originally the monarch of Tianshun Country. When his capital fell and became a Ghost Zone, he was influenced by the kingdom's fading destiny and transformed into a Class III vicious ghost.

Having been a king in life, he possesses the ability to command hordes of ghosts, making him a natural Ghost King.

The entire realm was his domain.

Within the borders of the Abandoned Ghost Country, this ghost can travel unimpeded; with a single thought, he can appear anywhere.

Because the disciples of immortal sects and rogue cultivators abandoned and schemed against him, diverting countless streams of ghostly Qi into his domain, this ghost harbors an absolute hatred for living cultivators.]

[Weakness: In life, this ghost was severely burned by charcoal fire, leaving a significant mental scar; thus, it is terrified of flames.

It has no resistance whatsoever to fire-aspected magic, magic artifacts, Skills, special flames, etc., and can be injured by them.]

A fear of fire, meaning its Fire Resistance is almost zero!

Shen Mo's brow unfurrowed.

He didn't possess high-class flames like Spiritual Fire or Heavenly Fire.

However, he had refined a wisp of Nether Fire and still had several Firebird Talismans.

Additionally, among the neglected low-grade profound-level magic artifacts gathering dust in his Universe Bag, there was a fire-attribute Flying Sword.

"You... are you prying into me?"

A majestic, cold voice resounded.

Shen Mo was startled. He looked up to see the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King glaring at him, its expression hostile.

None of the ghosts he had encountered before, whether weak or fierce, dim-witted or cunning, had ever spoken.

The Heaven Abandoned Ghost King was the first one capable of speech!

The breakthrough process was still ongoing, but it no longer hindered Shen Mo from taking action.

He secretly mobilized the Nether Fire within his Dantian.

Simultaneously, he retrieved the low-grade profound-level fire-attribute magic sword from his Universe Bag, his fingers clutching a Firebird Talisman.

Only after making these preparations did he speak, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Since we are now adversaries, it is only natural for me to employ my methods to ascertain your true nature."

This also served as a reminder for Shen Mo.

Unlike before, creatures of Class III and above, including Spirit Sea Realm cultivators, possess exceptionally keen senses.

Even when I used "Insight into All Beings," which causes no discernible spiritual energy fluctuations or spirit light, they can still somehow sense they are being observed.

Of course, since I'm the only living cultivator here, the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King could immediately pinpoint me.

Under normal circumstances, even if a cultivator sensed they were being spied upon, they wouldn't know who was doing it, much less locate me.

"Oh?"

The malice on the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King's face did not diminish, but now a flicker of interest appeared in its eyes.

"And what details about Us have you managed to uncover? If you speak true, We shall appoint you as a high minister in Our new dynasty!"

A high minister in the new dynasty?

Wouldn't that still mean dying and becoming a ghost?

The corners of Shen Mo's mouth twitched slightly.

However, since the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King seemed inclined to converse, Shen Mo certainly wouldn't charge in recklessly with murderous intent.

Even with the "Insight into All Beings" Destiny revealing the Ghost Monarch's fear of fire, it at best only offered him a slightly better chance of survival.

Defeating the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King was practically impossible.

Besides, I might be able to escape this Death Jaw Dungeon at any moment.

Every second I can stall is a win!

Shen Mo was not foolish enough to reveal the true specifics to it.

Otherwise, if it became prepared, even the Nether Fire would struggle to be effective.

After a moment's thought, Shen Mo said, "Your Majesty, your heart is troubled, and you bear such immense malice towards me. Is it because you harbor deep resentment?"

"Do you resent those Immortal Masters for casting you aside like a worn-out shoe? Do you resent them for not coming to your rescue?"

Shen Mo's words had clearly struck a nerve with the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King.

The ghostly Qi around its body, shot through with strands of gold, began to churn violently.

"HUMPH!"

"If it were merely that, We would have no grievance!"

"In life, We clearly proclaimed Our resolve to perish with Our kingdom. They did not save Us. For that... We bear no hatred!"

"But who could have imagined that those high and mighty Immortal Masters, always spouting rhetoric about cherishing the common folk, would treat Our kingdom as a dumping ground for filth?"

"They employed numerous schemes to gather ghostly Qi from other lands and concentrate it all within Our domain."

"Otherwise, how could We have fallen to such a state?"

"How else would Our people have been reduced to witless, pitiable ghosts?"

Although Shen Mo had already learned the truth of this cataclysm from "Insight into All Beings," hearing it directly from the Heaven Abandoned Ghost King still sent waves of shock through him.

Perhaps...

Back then, the entire territory of the Red Flame Country, including Qing State where the Riverside Sect was located, was being eroded by ghostly Qi, threatening to turn it all into a Ghost Country.

So, the various major and minor immortal sects, along with the Golden Core Realm old masters who held sway over their respective regions, decided to sacrifice Tianshun Country and its millions of inhabitants. They funneled all the disparate ghostly Qi into Tianshun Country.

This caused it to completely devolve into a desolate, ghostly area.

Shen Mo suspected that his appearance on the city wall, during his casual conversation with Zhang Taian, coincided precisely with the moment the major and minor immortal sects activated their grand scheme.

That must have been the trigger for the cataclysmic shift!

Otherwise, even with ghosts running rampant and cannibalism rife within Tianshun Country, its people might have still managed to scrape by.

Once the ghostly Qi eventually dissipated, they could have slowly recuperated and regained their strength, preventing the entire nation from collapsing into a Ghost Zone!