The First Immortal of Destiny-Chapter 606 Stalemate, Arrival_1
To confirm his suspicions, Shen Mo consulted the Divination Treasure Mirror for guidance.
According to the divination, continuing to follow Yang Chengxiong and his party deeper into the Fire Hell could indeed bring him great benefits, but the hidden dangers were alarmingly high!
The latter, naturally, went without saying.
As a mid-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator, attempting to kill his adversary and seize opportunities right under the nose of a peak Golden Core Realm cultivator—how could there be no risks?
It’s worth a try!
Having made up his mind, Shen Mo continued to follow them.
He continuously summoned Class IV Demon Soul Generals to approach the Fire Scale Dragon Boat and monitor the movements of Zhu Zhao, Yang Chengxiong, and their party.
Under the ferocious assault of poisonous smoke and pillars of fire, even the Class IV Demon Soul Generals often ended up "dead" halfway along this two to three thousand-mile journey. Some were even killed by Zhu Zhao when they got too close.
Fortunately, within the Soul Refining Flag, there were over a dozen Class IV Demon Soul Generals, and they would not truly perish.
With Shen Mo unreservedly channeling his True Yuan, keeping track of the Fire Scale Dragon Boat’s real-time movements was not difficult.
Even Zhu Zhao, who regarded Shen Mo as an eyesore, grew incredibly annoyed. He deliberately left the Dragon Boat and hid nearby, preparing to ambush Shen Mo!
Given Zhu Zhao’s strength and methods, Shen Mo initially failed to detect his ambush.
However, since entering the Fire Hell, Shen Mo had kept his [Chanjue] Destiny active almost constantly. After receiving a warning from this Destiny, he immediately used the [Sword Escape] Skill to retreat another three hundred miles, causing Zhu Zhao’s ambush to fail!
A peak Golden Core Realm cultivator, moving at full speed, could cover eleven or twelve miles in a single breath—twice as fast as an early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator!
Shen Mo, a middle-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator, was quite proficient in the Soar Cloud Immortal Method. Combined with the enhancements from his [Control Wind] and [Cloud Transformation] Skills, his regular escape speed could match that of a late-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator, allowing him to cover about nine miles in one breath.
Under normal circumstances, if they were two to three hundred miles apart, Zhu Zhao would only need a little over a hundred breaths, covering about a thousand miles, to catch up with Shen Mo.
However, since Shen Mo possessed the [Sword Escape] Skill, the situation was different.
Whenever Zhu Zhao used his superior escape speed to close the distance, Shen Mo could simply use [Sword Escape] again, repeatedly widening the gap between them!
Unless Zhu Zhao was willing to spend tens of days, or even months, relentlessly pursuing Shen Mo, giving him no moment of respite and wearing him down until he was completely exhausted, only then might he have a chance to catch him.
However, Shen Mo had another ace up his sleeve: Flower Fairy Ami, hidden within the Golden Flowery Realm.
One mustn’t forget, she still possessed the mother tree leaves bestowed by Flower Fairy Big Moro.
Given Ami’s temperament, if Shen Mo asked her to use the mother tree leaves to kill Zhu Zhao and the others, she would certainly refuse.
But if Shen Mo faced a life-or-death crisis, Ami would surely not hesitate to unleash the powerful magic contained within the mother tree leaves to counter Zhu Zhao...
Of course, for cultivators of their realm, anything could happen in a life-and-death battle.
Relying too much on the few instances of magic contained within the mother tree leaves was not necessarily a good thing for Shen Mo. If Zhu Zhao possessed some unknown means to evade this magic, then mutual annihilation would surely await both Shen Mo and Ami!
Therefore, when assessing the difference in their strengths, Shen Mo usually deliberately disregarded the mother tree leaves, that precious treasure.
「...」
Zhu Zhao, the peak Golden Core Realm cultivator from the Sword Alliance, after failing to ambush Shen Mo and witnessing his escape Skill similar to [Dimensional Reduction], eventually abandoned the idea of eliminating him within the Fire Hell.
After returning to the Fire Scale Dragon Boat, aside from destroying the Class IV Demon Soul General that had once again tailed them, he made no further moves!
This demon head knows of my presence, yet he still has the audacity to follow. He’s not just courting death; he genuinely possesses some skill.
Now that he’s sticking to us like a stubborn ghost, besides wanting to eliminate Chengxiong, that eyesore, he probably also harbors hopes of snatching an opportunity if we slip up...
When we find the Samadhi True Fire and are about to collect it, I must make some preparations.
We can’t afford to capsize in calm waters and let this demon head snatch it away!
Among the countless cultivators, who could stand out and cultivate to the peak of the Golden Core Realm without being an extraordinary, transcendent individual?
Even if Zhu Zhao was as crude and fierce as his appearance suggested, and not particularly adept at scheming—that was only in comparison to experts of the same realm. His intelligence and strategic abilities were still far superior to those of ordinary cultivators, by more than just a small margin!
From Shen Mo’s reactions, Zhu Zhao had also guessed some of his true intentions and decided to take precautions.
「Days passed by.」
The Fire Scale Dragon Boat continued its journey deeper into the Fire Hell, with Shen Mo always trailing behind, continuously dispatching Demon Soul Generals to scout their movements.
These Demon Soul Generals, in turn, were continuously slain by Zhu Zhao and the other two late-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators aboard the boat!
The two parties maintained this bizarre stalemate for several days...
This continued until one day, the endless poisonous smoke and pillars of fire suddenly vanished. Even the sea of fire roiling in the sky above thinned considerably.
It was as if they had suddenly arrived in the eye of a storm, a place much calmer than the periphery!
The Fire Scale Dragon Boat traveled for another half-day before finally stopping in front of a volcano so majestic it defied description.
The volcano was immeasurably high; its crater disappeared into the billowing poisonous smoke and sea of fire that filled the sky, making it barely discernible.
Its base covered a vast and boundless area.
Standing on one side, even with the sense range of a peak Golden Core Realm cultivator, one could not detect its opposite edge!
"The Samadhi True Fire is inside this volcano. We need to enter through the crater," Zhu Zhao began, after waving his hand to conjure a protective shield of sword Qi, blocking any prying Demon Soul Generals from the outside. He then explained the plan in detail to everyone on the boat.
"The volcano’s interior is a complex terrain. Besides poisonous smoke, blazing flames, and magma, powerful Fire-type spirits also live within. The Samadhi True Fire is the sacred object they worship!
Although there are no Class V entities among them, these Fire Monsters are quite formidable, especially with their territorial advantage.
After we enter, Elder Wu, Elder Meng, and the rest of you will accompany me to hold off the strongest among the Fire Monsters.
Chengxiong, you will use your stealth Skills to infiltrate their altar and steal the Samadhi True Fire..."
He paid special attention to Yang Chengxiong, who had a crucial role. Zhu Zhao not only gave him a treasured cauldron for collecting the Samadhi True Fire but also various talismans, magic treasures, and small-scale formations. These were intended to increase the chances of stealing the Spiritual Fire and also to guard against the lurking Shen Mo!
Once all preparations were complete, the Fire Scale Dragon Boat rapidly ascended, heading towards the volcano’s crater.
Licked by the boiling poisonous smoke and the fierce sea of fire, even the specially crafted Fire Scale Dragon Boat, a magic ship, seemed overwhelmed. The Prohibitions covering its entire body emitted strange CRACKLING sounds as many of them shattered.
Immediately, Zhu Zhao and the other seven cultivators unleashed their magic, managing to barely suppress the poisonous smoke and intense flames. They then steered the Dragon Boat to rapidly plunge into the volcano’s interior.
Only after the Dragon Boat had completely disappeared from sight did Shen Mo appear at the location, riding his escaping light.
It seems the opportunity they’re seeking must be inside this volcano!
Shen Mo glanced at the poisonous smoke and sea of fire enveloping the volcano’s crater. After a moment’s contemplation, he activated his True Yuan, transforming into a streak of light and plunging headlong into it.
