The First Immortal of Destiny-Chapter 686: Murderous Intent_1
After an expenditure of four thousand nine hundred Destiny Points, Shen Mo finally advanced his Basic Destiny, 'Talent,' to Gold!
He clearly sensed that the 'will of heaven and earth' was more furious than before. However, the Thunder Tribulation corresponding to this 'rebellious act' had already been triggered. Thus, no matter how violently it raged, it couldn't unleash any additional calamities.
Since obtaining the Destiny Panel, Shen Mo had improved his talents several times, and each progression brought considerable benefits; this time was no exception.
Many aspects related to cultivation—such as the range of Spiritual Qi he could draw, the speed at which he refined True Yuan, his understanding of magic and cultivation methods, and his comprehension of the Heavenly Dao—all surged dramatically from their already terrifying baseline!
In addition to this, Shen Mo made other discoveries when refining Spiritual Qi.
After all kinds of Turbid Qi were removed from the Spiritual Qi that filled the world, only the purest breath of Primal Spirit remained. With Shen Mo's Talent advancing to [Born Immortal], he sensed that within the pure Primal Spirit, there seemed to be a trace of even higher quality Qi!
This trace of exotic Qi felt even purer and more divine than the pure Primal Spirit Qi. It could bring all sorts of unexpected benefits to a cultivator, much like the legendary 'Immortal Spirit Qi.' However, its content was extremely scarce, accounting for less than one part in a billion of the pure Primal Spirit Qi.
Shen Mo currently lacked the time to ponder and study this further. He had to temporarily set this discovery aside and continue to enhance his Basic Destiny, 'Vitality.'
[Destiny Points: 1,489.]
[You consume 100 Destiny Points, attempting to elevate your vitality to a new level, and fail.]
[You consume 100 Destiny Points, attempting to elevate your vitality to a new level, and fail.]
[...]
Unsurprisingly, all fourteen attempts ended in failure, leaving Shen Mo with just over eighty Destiny Points.
However, Shen Mo showed no signs of disappointment.
If I succeed, I'll gain more strength and confidence to face the numerous tribulations ahead, he thought. If I fail, it doesn't matter. I've already decided to prioritize improving the Basic Destiny 'Vitality' anyway. I can just continue to accumulate Destiny Points and try again in the future!
「...」
The advancement of his Destiny didn't take long. It seemed to match the speed of Shen Mo's thoughts, completed almost in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, the first Heavenly Thunder descended!
The terrifying thunderbolt tore the sky apart, illuminating the entire world in a pallid white light.
For a moment, everyone—the Outer Zone creatures casting their gazes towards Chong'a Mountain, the cultivators from The Four Great Sects keeping watch in the distance, the disciples of the Riverside Sect, Lin Zhaozai and Big Moro Yao entangled in their bloody battle, and others—found their vision filled solely with this destructive thunder light…
Seeing the Heavenly Thunder approach, Shen Mo's spirit light flickered, and he transformed into the guise of a Three-headed Six-armed Demon God.
With one hand, he shook the blood flag, scattering more than three hundred Demon Soul Generals across the sect to assist the disciples in exterminating the Soul-devouring Moths.
Against the Thunder Tribulation, he dared not use the Demon Soul Generals to block or wear down its terrifying power.
This destructive thunder was far more potent than the Soul-annihilation Spell. Even the 'immortal and indestructible' Demon Soul Generals would be instantly annihilated by a single strike; their soul marks left on the Soul Refining Flag would also be extinguished!
Quelling the Soul-devouring Moth disaster as soon as possible would allow the Mountain Protection Array to maintain more of its defensive power, and also help Shen Mo alleviate some of the pressure.
With another hand, he formed a seal and blasted a series of Palms towards the sky.
Instantly, various ancient divine beasts, previously only recorded in manuals, materialized from his hands.
From the Eastern Azure Dragon Stars, the Horn Palm manifested the Horned Flood Dragon, which controlled the power of thunder. From The Seven Constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise, the Wall Palm formed the Wall Water Badger, capable of transforming into an iron wall to block various attacks. From the Western White Tiger Constellations, there was the Palm of the Day—the Day Rooster—which could draw upon the power of the sun to dispel wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.
This cultivation method, obtained from Stars Peak Master Zhou Shili, had been cultivated by Shen Mo to Extreme Perfection. He had then expended a large number of Spirit Stones to further deduce it, allowing it to long surpass the low-grade spiritual level.
Moreover, now that he had established his Divine Bridge, he could draw upon the vast and boundless nature's spiritual energy. Infused with the might of heaven and earth, these exotic beasts truly 'came alive.'
With his cultivation method's principles as their soul, endless Demonic Qi and Spiritual Qi as their flesh and blood, and Shen Mo's will as their consciousness, they were like genuine living creatures—majestic and extraordinarily spirited!
Amidst roars and growls, these divine beasts conjured by magic rushed towards the descending, terrifying thunderbolt.
Shen Mo's remaining arms either held the Taiyi Sword, supported the Big Dipper Sword, or wielded the Green Cloud Umbrella, always prepared to deal with the remnants of the Heavenly Thunder.
BOOM!
Under the combined effects of the various Palms—controlling, diminishing, or defending—the first Heavenly Thunder lost most of its power before it could even strike the Mountain Protection Array.
Apart from the acrid smell of burning in the air and a few shattered Palms, it achieved little!
Next, the second Heavenly Thunder crashed down, its might suddenly doubling compared to the first. Shen Mo employed the same tactic, using his Palms to meet it, and successfully weathered the first three Heavenly Thunders without incident.
However, starting with the fourth Heavenly Thunder, the ancient divine beasts conjured by his Palm Magic could no longer completely nullify the destructive force within the Heavenly Thunder.
Shen Mo immediately swung the Taiyi Sword, unleashing a dazzling Sword Qi that destroyed the remaining thunderbolt.
RUMBLE!
The fifth Heavenly Thunder crashed down!
Its destructive power was sixteen times that of the first.
This time, in addition to using the Constellations Palm, Shen Mo unleashed three consecutive Universe Sword Qis to shatter it.
This Thunder Tribulation consists of nine Heavenly Thunders, Shen Mo perceived. The destructive power of each subsequent thunderbolt is double that of the one before it. A quick calculation suggests that by the time the ninth Heavenly Thunder descends, its destructive force will be over two hundred times that of the first!
RUMBLE!
Another Heavenly Thunder crashed down.
The lifelike divine beasts dissipated once more. A brilliant Sword Light and the thunder light clashed violently in mid-air. The thunderbolt exploded, transforming into hundreds of smaller bolts of lightning that struck the Mountain Protection Array, causing ripples of spirit light to flare.
The seventh Heavenly Thunder completely pierced through the defenses of the Palms, the Universe Sword Qi, and the Mountain Protection Array, striking Shen Mo directly.
A dense barrier, resembling glazed crystal and white flame, erupted from Shen Mo's body—the manifestation of his divine Skill, Crystal Brahma Flame.
The violent Heavenly Thunder slammed into the Crystal Brahma Flame, causing the entire sphere of glazed flame to roil and tremble violently. However, the defensive power of this divine Skill was exceptionally potent; it quickly nullified all the lightning and the destructive force contained within.
Before the eighth Heavenly Thunder could descend, Shen Mo suddenly spat out the Demon Slaying Sword. Enveloped in Starfall Sword Light, it shot towards the colossal skeleton outside the sect gate.
At this moment, Lin Zhaozai, the Evil Monarch, had already torn off most of the vines binding him. Ninety percent of the strange flowers and exotic plants on his skeleton had withered, and he had even shattered the giant wooden prison summoned by Big Moro Yao. It wouldn't be long before he freed himself completely to attack Shen Mo.
Shen Mo, however, acted faster, striking first! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
CLANG!
The Sword Light struck the third rib of the colossal skeleton. The Demon Slaying Sword, like a nail, embedded itself firmly into the bone.
In the next instant, Shen Mo's figure vanished from the entrance of the Riverside Sect. He reappeared in a blink of an eye at the location of the Demon Slaying Sword—right beside Lin Zhaozai's third rib!
