Chapter 4: The Ancient Ruin and the Azure Nether Blade
The news of Su Mo fending off the ferocious beast spread like wildfire through Cloud Hidden Village, replacing the villagers' old disdain with reverence. Yet the newly anointed village hero did not linger in praise. He knew all too well that the Mystic Spirit Continent was a world of endless peril, and his true journey to immortality had only just begun.
Guided by the voice of his master, Cang Qiong, who resided within the ancient stone in his sea of consciousness, Su Mo retreated into seclusion for days of cultivation. His cultivation surged rapidly, breaking through to the third realm of Body Tempering in a single breath. Inspired by his progress, Lin Mengqi, the village girl who had stood by him through every trial, also threw herself into training, making steady, unwavering progress despite her ordinary starting talent.
One afternoon, as Su Mo meditated in the mountain forest outside the village, Cang Qiong's voice suddenly echoed sharply in his mind: "Su Mo, I sense an ancient ruin hidden in the valley nearby. It is a place where heaven and earth essence converges, holding a treasure that could change your fate forever. But it is fraught with deadly danger—proceed with extreme caution."
This was exactly the breakthrough opportunity Su Mo had been waiting for. He immediately returned to the village to inform the village chief. Though the elder was filled with worry, he was swayed by Su Mo's unshakable resolve and could only urge him to return safely.
Before leaving, Su Mo brought Lin Mengqi to meet his master. The soul projection of Cang Qiong materialized, studied the girl for a moment, and spoke slowly: "Mengqi possesses a resilient and pure heart, a rare quality. Her constitution is ordinary, but untainted, making it incompatible with most common cultivation arts. However, I have found the Soft Water Scripture, a gentle yet unbreakable technique that is perfect for her."
Lin Mengqi's eyes lit up with brilliant hope, and she bowed deeply in gratitude. After bestowing the scripture, Cang Qiong guided Su Mo toward the location of the ruin.
After hours of trekking through rugged terrain, Su Mo finally found the ruin, shrouded in thick, eerie mist. The ancient stone gate was carved with obscure, glowing runes that radiated a crushing, ancient pressure.
"This is an ancient sealing formation," Cang Qiong warned. "Use the array techniques you learned from the Heaven Defying Stone to break it. But remember: beneath the seal lies a powerful beast."
Su Mo took a deep breath, channeled his spiritual energy, and formed a complex hand seal. As his power flooded into the runes, they blazed with blinding golden light, and the gate trembled violently. Suddenly, a burst of intense light exploded outward, the gate crashed open, and a putrid stench of demonic energy billowed forth.
ROAR!
A massive wolf-like beast covered in jet-black scales, its eyes burning with blood-red fury, burst from the gate. It was a third-tier demonic beast, the Netherworld Wolf! Its aura far surpassed that of the beast that had attacked the village, and in a single strike, it shattered Su Mo's hastily erected spiritual shield.
"Retreat!" Cang Qiong shouted urgently.
Su Mo dared not engage head-on and turned to flee. The Netherworld Wolf was lightning-fast, hot on his heels. In a moment of crisis, Su Mo spotted a cave hidden beneath a boulder at the side of the path. He summoned all his strength to shove the rock aside, leaped into the cave, and instantly set up a simple killing trap at the entrance.
The wolf, blinded by rage, pounced into the cave without hesitation.
In the split second before the beast could tear him apart, a cold glint flashed in Su Mo's eyes. In his hand appeared a short blade, glowing with a chilling, deep blue light—the Azure Nether Blade, a weapon he had forged from a fragment of the Heaven Defying Stone, tempered with his own life blood.
"By my blood as witness: Azure Nether Slash!"
Su Mo roared, his figure moving like a ghost to dodge the attack. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, driving straight into the wolf's eye socket, its weakest point.
Squelch!
Blood gushed out in a torrent. The Netherworld Wolf let out a piercing, agonized howl, its massive body crashing to the cave floor. Su Mo landed gracefully, pouring endless spiritual energy into the blade to ensure the beast was finished.
Moments later, the demonic beast lay still.
Su Mo panted heavily, cutting out the wolf's demon core and inspecting the cave thoroughly. The battle had been a close call, but it had proven the terrifying power of the Heaven Defying Scripture and his new life-bound blade.
"Well done," Cang Qiong's voice rang out with approval. "With the Azure Nether Blade and your movement skills, you are more than capable of handling threats in the Body Tempering realm. Now, venture deeper into the ruin and claim the true inheritance waiting for you."
Su Mo stored the beast's body, and with the faint light from his spiritual energy, he began to explore the depths of the cave. He knew this was only the beginning. To defy his fate and ascend to immortality, he would need to grow stronger, one battle at a time.