Chapter 854: Path Heart
"Considering the latter meaning is not significant, just treat it as a masterless treasure! What would be the greatest pursuit of a celestial artifact that has lost its owner?" Chen Mengze gently groomed Shen Mo’s long hair with her jade fingers, slowly speaking.
"Hmm?"
Shen Mo opened his slightly closed eyes, and in the flow of thoughts, quickly understood Chen Mengze’s meaning.
The Magic Artifact Spirit is different from typical creatures; although they also pursue higher levels, their most fundamental is to be used by people;
After all, when magic artifacts are forged, they are meant to better assist cultivators in cultivation and battle, even celestial artifacts as powerful as them, otherwise, they’d lose their existence meaning.
Of course, there are some Spiritual Artifacts and magic treasures that, after their owner dies, their spirits won’t recognize a new master, and not only can’t they continue to improve, but they’d gradually lose their immortal charm, and perish in the river of time!
Death Jaw, as a celestial artifact, is like a cultivator achieving True Immortal status, and it possesses the divine characteristic of controlling Space-Time, naturally won’t fall into extinction like Spiritual Artifacts or magic treasures;
But ultimately, it’s also a magic artifact, it’s reasonable for it to want to choose a new master to realize its existence value!
At that time, Death Jaw manifested at the Tai Chu Realm Ghost Country Ruins, giving those who passed the gate various benefits, maybe since then, it has been selecting suitable candidates.
However, at that time, it was merely the first layer of trial!
Shen Mo and Chen Mengze, along with hundreds wrapped in spectral brilliance, likely all were cultivators who had once passed through Death Jaw and gained its benefits, thus acquiring the qualification to participate in the second layer of trial.
After all, besides manifesting in Tai Chu Realm, Death Jaw has appeared in various worlds... merely over a hundred people from the Universal Realm, considered pitifully few.
Bringing them all to this world devoid of Immortal Dao, perhaps is the second layer of trial!
In this world, without Immortal Dao Cultivation, it might reveal certain qualities valued by Death Jaw’s Artifact Spirit, possibly Talent, Wisdom, luck, Fate, or perhaps nature, pursuit, Path Heart, etc.
Following this train of thought.
Even if Death Jaw has no plan to choose a new owner, it should still be selecting suitable targets to help achieve some goal!
Though still not seeing an escape plan, at least having some clues, Shen Mo’s mood improved: "If this guess is true, then we need not ponder the real intent of Death Jaw, just act according to our heart. When the time is right, this celestial artifact will naturally send us back to the Universal Realm."
Since Death Jaw was summoned by Hallow Venerable as a killing move against Jade Spring Fairy, Shen Mo inevitably thought too much.
Now with Chen Mengze’s reminder, though not seeing the full picture, it lifted the hidden knot in his heart, choosing not to continue desperately seeking escape, but rather viewing it as a personal tempering!
...
"Senior Sister, in a few days, I plan to visit the underground movement named the ’Godslayer Palace.’ Want to join me?"
A few days ago, while collecting intelligence at Ghost Market in the border mountains, Shen Mo heard an intriguing news from a Ghost Market merchant... This cultivation world harbors a force opposing deities, that doesn’t worship Righteous God nor Evil God, attempting to slay deities with mere mortal bodies, to purge all deities from the world!
Such a force with "grand ambitions" certainly isn’t tolerated by Righteous God or Evil God, pursued by countless god disciples for ages.
However, this underground movement resonates with Shen Mo’s heart.
Previously, in his desperate quest for escape, he avoided unnecessary trouble and didn’t contact the movement; now with a change in mindset, viewing this world as a tempering ground, naturally arose the thought to act according to his heart.
"You and I have been in this cultivation world for half a year, seen many god disciples, know well enough the power of top experts."
"As for deities, Righteous or Evil, yet to see even one. Godslayer Palace exists for countless years, surely not lacking understanding of deities. If trusted, perhaps relying on their intelligence, we could witness the true form of these so-called everlasting, eternal deities, and see what they truly are!"
"Understanding deity’s mysteries might allow us better to attain immortality..."
Shen Mo yearns for immortality and carefree life, yet unknowingly, his past words at Hongye City to Chen Mengze about "obsessing to keep up with my steps" left a substantial impact on her.
The heart-to-heart that night made Chen Mengze abandon various thoughts, keeping just one: to stand by Shen Mo for millennia to come!
So, upon hearing Shen Mo’s inquiry, Chen Mengze didn’t hesitate and nodded in agreement.
"I’ll go with you!"
...
Next day.
Shen Mo and Chen Mengze rose early, brewed a large amount of Blood-strengthening Powder for their journey.
After locking the door, Shen Mo brought a Six-Legged Jiaoma exotic beast from the backyard, this beast eats meat, occasionally consumes Blood-strengthening Powder, growing fat and ferocious!
Then, the two mounted the beast, heading toward the deep border mountains.
Though the mountain paths were rugged, it posed no challenge to the Six-Legged Jiaoma, after half-day travel, Shen Mo and Chen Mengze arrived at a valley named Yongning Valley, which housed the largest Ghost Market within hundreds of miles of the valley.
"Having decided to embroil in conflicts of this world, future encounters with god disciples, even deities themselves in battle are inevitable, I might not always protect you thoroughly."
"With Senior Sister’s physical vitality, ordinary god disciples aren’t your match..."
"Yet, to be safe, making full preparations is necessary!"
Chen Mengze wears a magic robe and inner armor, although losing divine qualities, typical weapons struggle to breach, extra armor isn’t needed, but her magic sword ’Returning Snow’ can’t be retrieved from her Dantian, lacking a handy sword.
Accompanying her to Yongning Valley, Shen Mo intended to find a treasured sword not tainted by deity’s power and inquire about Godslayer Palace’s specific location from familiar Ghost Market merchants.
Yongning Valley’s Ghost Market thrives, with thousands of shops and stalls.
Selling everything, armors and weapons, rare herbs, exotic beasts as mounts, slaves of both genders, various intelligence, with enough money, extraordinary strength related cultivation methods, elixir and herbs, divine weapons are buyable, but requires self-sacrifice and borrowing deity’s power to use!
Shen Mo tied the Six-Legged Jiaoma beast at the storefront, leading Chen Mengze into the largest Ghost Market shop he was most familiar with.
Over the past six months, Shen Mo sold them exotic beast arms and decorations, purchased rare herbs, cultivation methods, considered a major patron, the Shopkeeper enthusiastically greeted him as soon as he appeared!
"Mo Brothers are here, what good wares are you buying or selling today?"