Chapter 357: His Behavior Couldn’t Be Called Dignified, but at Least He Indulged Freely

Night had deepened.

Shen Mo returned to the Tianhe Merchant Association, entered his room, and sat cross-legged.

Before leaving the association, he had seen through a recent opportunity that he would meet the Sword Sovereign.

However, he hadn’t expected to obtain such crucial intelligence this time.

“The Will of Heaven…”

“It always feels like its thinking isn’t very sharp, and it’s a bit obsessive.”

Shen Mo shook his head, dismissing the thought. Instead, he focused on the qingluan blood essence before him.

It was entirely crimson, refracting a brilliant glow like red agate under the dim yellow lamplight.

If one listened carefully, it seemed as though a sharp cry emanated from within, as if it had traveled across the vast ages.

That cry carried an uncanny ability to clear distracting thoughts and repel evil, instantly sweeping away all stray emotions and inducing a profound sense of tranquility.

Shen Mo steadied his mind slightly and began refining it.

His hands released layers of blood energy, enveloping the qingluan blood essence entirely.

Buzz.

The blood energy resembled sunlight, while the blood essence was like a snowball.

However, this sunlight was far from warm, and the snowball was exceptionally frigid.

Several hours passed, yet the blood essence showed no signs of diminishing.

An entire day later, Shen Mo finally managed to refine a single wisp of blood energy.

As soon as the wisp entered his body, it was as if a living qingluan had crashed into his flesh.

It rampaged wildly!

“Suppress it!”

Shen Mo let out a low roar, unleashing the full force of his giant elephant strength.

Only then did the blood energy let out a faint wail, calming down and obediently becoming part of him.

It took another two days before he completely refined this single strand of blood energy.

Within him, an ancient beast’s roar echoed, as if a colossal elephant from the distant primordial era had awakened.

Even within the Tianhe Merchant Association, the astonishing roar reverberated, causing everyone to be startled.

Shen Mo was slightly taken aback as well.

He hadn’t expected that just a single wisp of blood energy from the qingluan blood essence would allow him to open a giant elephant particle and awaken the power of a giant elephant!

“No wonder it belongs to a seventh-rank demon beast!”

A smile appeared on Shen Mo’s face.

This piece of blood essence would last him a long time.

With the power of a thousand giant elephants, he would reach a breakthrough naturally!

By then, once he had mastered the grand furnace of heaven and earth technique, he would be able to refine qingluan blood essence—and even all things in the world—at an even faster rate!

His blood energy would grow at an explosive pace!

Time passed, day after day.

Very soon, the day of the Sword Sovereign’s birthday banquet arrived.

On this day, the entire imperial capital was decorated with lanterns and banners, brimming with joyous festivity.

The royal family hosted flowing banquets across the capital’s bustling streets and alleys.

Long tables were lined with an endless array of delicacies, completely free and open to all.

As soon as one dish was finished, new ones were brought in immediately.

Under such circumstances, the common folk were naturally overjoyed, genuinely grateful to both the Sword Sovereign and the royal family.

At this very moment, within the imperial palace, an even grander banquet had commenced.

Inside a resplendent golden palace, lanterns were hung high, and banners fluttered in the air.

Emperor Jing sat atop the dragon throne, while the various influential forces were seated on either side below the grand staircase.

The Holy Spirit Sect, having the closest ties with the court, was seated on the left.

Tianhe Sect, the wealthiest among the eight great factions and known for its diplomatic neutrality, was seated on the right.

Additionally, the Qian Yuan Sect and the Mad Blade Alliance harbored a millennia-old blood feud, making it impossible for them to sit together. Naturally, they were assigned to opposite sides.

Even so, the two factions glared at each other intensely.

If gazes could kill, they would have already fought so fiercely that rivers would reverse their flow, and the heavens would be thrown into chaos.

Meanwhile, the Jade Cauldron Sect, which had a particularly poor relationship with the court, was deliberately placed at the very end of the right side for the banquet.

Shen Mo, however, paid no mind to any of this.

These little tricks were meaningless to him.

He glanced around and found that all the sect representatives had already arrived.

Now, only the main figure of this banquet was missing—

Sword Sovereign Ji Ping.

Just as the Jade Cauldron Sect had settled into their seats, the representatives of Qian Yuan Sect and Sea God Island immediately walked over.

These two were the ones Shen Mo had previously encountered—

Qian Yuan Sect’s Young Sect Master, Du Cangqing, and Sea God Island’s Young Master, Shi Jingtian.

Both of them cupped their fists toward Shen Mo.

Shi Jingtian grinned, admiration flashing in his eyes. “Incredible, Brother Shen! We hadn’t even been in the capital for long before we heard of your astonishing feat!”

“To think you actually refined a Heaven-Tier Lower-Grade Pill! When are you going to make a few for me as well?”

Du Cangqing was more reserved than Shi Jingtian but still revealed a hint of respect. “I never expected Brother Shen to have such profound mastery in alchemy. Even Master Qingmu himself had to praise you. I’m truly impressed.”

Shen Mo returned the gesture with a smile. “You flatter me.”

After exchanging some pleasantries, the two returned to their seats.

Du Cangqing remained composed, merely exchanging sharp glares with the cultivators of the Mad Blade Alliance.

Shi Jingtian, on the other hand, couldn’t exactly be called dignified and refined, but at the very least, he was eating and drinking without restraint.

Not long after sitting down, he had already emptied several plates, devouring the food like a starving villager who hadn’t had meat in decades.

The sight amused many of the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall, who couldn’t help but chuckle.

Shen Mo also let out a small laugh. However, since Shi Jingtian was still young and had always been this way, it didn’t really matter.

Taking advantage of Ji Ping’s delayed arrival, Shen Mo scanned the grand hall.

After all, those who had the qualifications to attend this banquet—who had the right to be seated—were the core figures of their respective sects.

The true leaders of these factions wouldn’t personally make the trip. Instead, they had sent their young successors.

Among them were Xue Ziyi from Shadow Pavilion, Zhou Mingyi from Tianhe Sect, Du Cangqing from Qian Yuan Sect, and Shi Jingtian from Sea God Island.

His gaze paused when it landed on the robust young man from the Holy Spirit Sect.

“Interesting. His fate is actually that of the Martial Ancestor’s successor?”

That young man also noticed Shen Mo’s gaze and immediately responded with a friendly smile.

Yet beneath that seemingly warm expression, there was an underlying hint of venom, like fangs hidden in the dark, waiting to strike.

Shen Mo smiled back and nodded, his heart as calm as still water.

He had not forgotten—

In the destined future, the first to launch a surprise attack on the Jade Cauldron Sect would be none other than the Holy Spirit Sect and Shadow Pavilion.

This so-called Holy Son was clearly no reckless brute but a ruthless schemer who masked his cruelty beneath a facade of honesty and reliability.

People like him concealed their true nature the deepest—

Yet when the crucial moment arrived, they would leap out and deliver a fatal strike!

Shen Mo carefully examined his fate panel.

【Name: Lin Dongtian】

【Cultivation: Early Divine Transformation Realm】

【Fate: Innate Holy Son, Heaven-Defying Luck, Martial Ancestor Successor, Unyielding in Crisis, Calamity and Fortune Interwoven, Unorthodox Desires, Martial Spirit of Sacred Thunder】

【Destiny: Sixty years later, he will reach the Divine Palace Realm and be summoned by the Will of Heaven to the Demon-Suppressing Sea, where he will slay multiple Demon Clan Sovereigns. Surrounded and outmatched, he will ultimately be swept into a spatial vortex and leave this minor world.

Upon arriving in the greater world, he will continue to rise, eventually defeating and killing the previous Martial Ancestor with his own hands, claiming the Martial Ancestor’s title for himself.】

Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.

Interesting.

Lin Dongtian’s fate was actually to leave this world and venture into another.

Moreover, his fate was vastly different from that of Xiao Fan, Ye Yan, and the others.

He possessed a golden fate.

Even at their best, Xiao Fan and Ye Yan only had red fate, one tier below gold.

A thought stirred in Shen Mo’s mind. He immediately began to study Lin Dongtian’s fate in detail.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel