"Junior Brother Shen, I've successfully escaped the danger!"

"Thanks to your timely discovery of the Shen Lei demon's true identity, forcing him to use his Illusionary Realm Skill..."

"Otherwise, how many of us could have escaped would have remained uncertain."

Yu Yan, who held the third seat among the core disciples, conveyed this to Shen Mo through a Sound Transmission Talisman.

The Shen Lei demon had long sided with the Heavenly Demons, using its Innate Divine Ability to hide the traces of over a hundred Class III demon heads. With the mystical Illusionary Realm, the entire assembly hall was likely surrounded layer by layer, yet the many experts within couldn't detect anything amiss. Then, it was feared that the Human Cultivators and Marine Race big demons who had come to the alliance... Every single one would have met their end here!

It was only when Shen Mo suspected the Shen Lei demon of betrayal and confronted it that the demon was forced to use its Skill to escape the assembly hall. This Skill, however, cannot be used twice in succession. As a result, the Illusionary Realm that had originally shielded the attacking demon heads lost its effect. Eventually, less than a hundred miles from Golden Turtle Island, the Heavenly Demons' tracks were completely exposed! This provided an opportunity for the powerful cultivators and demons on the island to react and escape. It could be said that after this incident, any Spirit Sea Realm cultivators or Marine Race big demons who survived to leave Golden Turtle Island would owe Shen Mo a favor.

"I'm relieved that you're safe, Senior Brother Yu. Be careful on your way back to Dingbo City, too!" Shen Mo replied, then tucked the Sound Transmission Talisman back into his sleeve.

Yu Yan was in Layer V of the Spirit Sea Realm, and the forces sent by the Heavenly Demons to deal with him were on par with five middle-stage Class III demon heads like Guidao. After a bloody battle, both Yu Yan's body and soul had suffered greatly. However, he managed to slay two of the demon heads. Then, using a Fire-type magic that transformed into a sky full of scattered flames, he successfully escaped their pursuit.

Still, Shen Mo couldn't get in touch with another fellow disciple from the Riverside Sect: Yuan Chengshan, the Hall Master of the Immortal Welcoming Hall. There was no response to any of his messages. Shen Mo had a bad feeling about this!

Hall Master Yuan had also risen from the ranks of core disciples. His cultivation was two levels higher than Yu Yan's, and his combat power was outstanding. If he were currently out of contact, apart from accidentally stumbling into some Dungeon or perilous place in the Immortal Burial Sea, the remaining possibilities were mostly dire!

Shen Mo had already reported this to the Riverside Sect, but it would take time for the sect's experts to arrive. Especially now, the Immortal Burial Sea was far from peaceful. Even if figures like the Three Peaks Masters came in person, they might not be able to guarantee their own safety.

As for whether the Golden Core Realm patriarchs of the Five Great Sects, including the Riverside Sect, would set aside their tasks to rescue disciples in danger... Shen Mo was not optimistic! They had clashed with Class IV Big Heavenly Demons countless times; it was just that ordinary people rarely heard about it. Each Golden Core Realm patriarch shouldered heavy responsibilities; any minor occurrence could destabilize the entire situation! They were unlikely to rashly alter their duties and disregard the larger picture merely to save one Spirit Sea Realm disciple from their sect.

For example, Dingbo City had several Golden Core Realm patriarchs stationed to remotely contain the Class IV Heavenly Demon in the Near Sea Demon Cave. If the forces within the city were depleted, the Class IV demon head in the cave might lead an endless tide of Heavenly Demons in a counterattack to conquer the entire Sea State. Several patriarchs from the Five Great Sects had also gone to the Black Mountain Demon Suppression Cave, near the Ghost Nation Ruins.

According to what Shen Mo knew, currently, the Riverside Sect's mountain gate, and indeed the entire Qing State, had only one Golden Core Realm patriarch remaining as a guardian!

"Let's hope Hall Master Yuan is blessed by fate!"

Even if Hall Master Yuan were to perish, a core disciple would be promoted to Hall Master. Shen Mo would then have a greater opportunity to elevate his own status within the sect. However, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken! The more Riverside Sect experts fell, the more perilous the sect's situation would become, and Shen Mo would struggle to escape the terrible vortex created when the great ship capsized. Even if he managed to survive by relying on his abilities and Skills... Zhao Lingyin, Chen An, Chen Mengze, Lu Ming, Cao Ren, and his other friends and relatives would not escape the Heavenly Demons' devastation. Even if granted a long Lifespan, his future days would inevitably be too desolate and lonely! Therefore, Shen Mo sincerely hoped that fewer experts within the sect would fall in the demonic catastrophe and that the Riverside Sect could stand firm for another thousand years without collapsing.

Brushing away these miscellaneous thoughts, Shen Mo focused his sense once more on the jade slip in his hand. This jade slip recorded the supreme magic of the Dark Soul Sect: the 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm'. This magic, like the Heaven Sword Sect's 'Sacrificial One Sword', was a decisive move requiring the sacrifice of one's all. Once mastered, it could only be used once or twice in a lifetime. It could also be considered the magic equivalent of the 'Madness Heart-devouring Pill'!

Shen Mo wasn't coveting its formidable power; rather, he wanted to use this method to remove the Withering Pursuit Soul Palm's imprint from his body. Currently, although he had used his cultivation method to suppress the terrifying Nirvana power within the imprint, he still couldn't completely eliminate the affliction. The blood essence primality and soul power within his body continued to be steadily consumed. Given his robust vitality and powerful soul, this level of drain was like a tiny needle pricking him; even if it persisted for a hundred years, his Lifespan would likely not be exhausted.

However, for cultivation, it posed a rather serious problem. Originally, Shen Mo's essence was abundant, his qi flourishing, and his spirit full—a state of perfect, harmonious integrity, without a single flaw! Now, however, it was like a water jar with a crack, no longer perfect. This would inevitably have a negative impact on his future cultivation. Moreover, if he remained in this state, even if he reached the Golden Core Realm in the future, the Golden Core forged from his Spirit Sea would not be flawless.

This was something Shen Mo absolutely could not accept!

After some deliberation, Shen Mo had roughly understood the principles behind casting the 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm'. Then, he took out a middle-grade Spirit Stone and offered it to Destiny's [Martial Performance]. Soon after, he successfully mastered this Sacrificial Magic.

As [Martial Performance] continued to deduce and practice, a strange aura of Nirvana and decay began to rise from Shen Mo.

[Through your continuous cultivation and comprehension, you have finally touched upon the subtleties of the 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm'. Your understanding of the 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm' has deepened. 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm' Experience +20.]

[Through your continuous cultivation and comprehension... 'Withering Pursuit Soul Palm' Experience +20.]

Shen Mo was immersed in comprehension, his understanding of this magic gradually becoming thorough.

After an unknown period, he suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze surprisingly held traces of Nirvana and the aura of death, like the eyes of a high-class cultivator whose Lifespan was nearing its end.

"Condense the Withering Power!"

His voice, too, inexplicably carried a hint of ancient weariness. Through his damaged spirit silk inner armor, the exposed pitch-black palm imprint seemed to come alive. It writhed like smoke and drifted like clouds, slowly converging towards the palm of his left hand.

An hour later, the Withering Pursuit Soul Palm imprint on Shen Mo's chest had vanished completely!

Once the 'Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique' was activated, the vast blood essence primality within him generated Flesh and Blood. The sunken, withered palm imprint on his chest quickly plumped up. Moments later, a thin layer of murky scab fell away, revealing skin as smooth and flawless as fine jade once more.

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