Chapter 710 Dao Pattern Stone Stele, Palm-Sized Stone Mountain, Desolate Flame Art

Buzz…

Within the mountain’s depths, a curtain of light appeared.

A figure suddenly stepped through it, emerging before the four beast overlords.

It was Shen Mo.

At this moment, compared to before he had entered the cave, his outward appearance had not changed much.

But he carried the aura of the Desolate Sovereign’s cave dwelling.

Ancient, vast, and desolate.

The four beast overlords even felt that the one standing before them was not a Nirvana Realm cultivator at all—

But an ancient Supreme who had survived since the era of the war between gods and demons!

“You…”

The Hanging Heaven Banyan Tree cautiously spoke, afraid of disturbing Shen Mo.

The Azure Sky Divine Bull, however, hurriedly asked, “In the old master’s cave, did you gain anything? Did you obtain the full inheritance?”

In the face of their questions, Shen Mo remained silent.

He was still savoring what he had obtained within the Desolate Sovereign’s cave.

This cave, left behind by the Desolate Sovereign, lay within a calm stretch of void currents.

There were no powerful void beasts nearby.

Thus Shen Mo had been able to enter without hindrance.

Clearly, this was not the dwelling left after the Desolate Sovereign had reached the Saint Realm.

From its aura, it must have been the cave he had lived in when he was still at the Supreme Realm.

Within this cave had originally been three trials.

Each was designed to test whether the challenger had the ability to slay demons.

But as soon as Shen Mo revealed the Nine Nether Ice Flame and the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Flame—

The three trials vanished.

The test was skipped entirely.

He was led directly to the deepest inheritance ground.

The inheritance of the Desolate Sovereign was threefold.

The first: the Dao Pattern Stone Stele.

If shattered with great force and fused into a holy artifact, it would cause the weapon to embody the truths of heaven and earth.

At the very least, it would raise the weapon one grade.

From lower grade to middle, middle to upper, upper to supreme.

Though the chance of raising an upper-grade holy artifact to supreme was low—only half of the earlier two transitions.

Even so, the importance of the Dao Pattern Stone Stele was beyond question.

Shen Mo held many upper-grade holy artifacts.

If even one could advance to supreme grade, its power would be vastly enhanced.

The second inheritance: a palm-sized stone mountain.

This mountain fit in the palm of one’s hand.

Yet everything upon it was vivid and lifelike.

Shen Mo could even see streams, springs, and stone textures.

He could not help but wonder—

Was this mountain carved?

Or was it a real mountain shrunken down?

The Desolate Sovereign’s message said it had taken him one thousand years to carve it, modeled after a mountain in the Northern State.

Upon reaching the Supreme Realm, one could use this palm-sized stone mountain to comprehend the truths of heaven and earth.

For any Supreme, it was a rare treasure.

For at that realm, one must comprehend the truths of heaven and earth in order to progress further.

The most common method was absorbing Saint Spirit Stones.

Beyond that, there was visualization of ancient things.

Lesser ones: rivers and mountains.

Greater ones: sun, moon, and stars.

This palm-sized stone mountain was clearly the Desolate Sovereign’s gift to later generations.

The third inheritance: the Nirvana and Supreme chapters of the Desolate Flame Art.

This was the Desolate Sovereign’s painstaking masterpiece.

Mastery of the Nirvana chapter allowed the fusion of four eternal flames at once.

Mastery of the Supreme chapter allowed the fusion of five eternal flames!

The eternal flame techniques cast with it would be of peerless might!

“Dao Pattern Stone Stele, Palm-Sized Stone Mountain, Desolate Flame Art…”

“My thanks to the Desolate Sovereign.”

Shen Mo let out a quiet sigh.

Within the cave lay not only inheritance, but also the old Sovereign’s entrustment.

“ I am Juehuang, honored by others with the title Desolate Sovereign.

This place is the final cave dwelling I left within Shengxuan Heaven and Earth.

Whoever you may be—human, beast, or dragon—it matters not.

So long as you can pass the trials, you are my successor.

Everything within this cave dwelling shall belong to you.

But in accepting my gifts, you must also fulfill your vows.

First, personally slay three Demon Supremes.

Second, find a small world and erase every trace of the demon race upon it.

Third, rescue the Nine Yin Saint and the Talisman Ancestor. ”

In Shen Mo’s mind, that ancient voice continued to echo.

It was the voice left behind by the Desolate Sovereign.

“The first two demands are not difficult. It is only the third one…”

Shen Mo revealed a helpless expression.

The Nine Yin Saint and the Talisman Ancestor?

Were these not the Saint Ancestors of Xuanyin Cave Heaven and the Heavenly Talisman Sect?

And yet they required him to rescue them?

Even two Saints needed the aid of an outsider.

It was difficult to imagine what kind of peril they had fallen into.

As for him, a mere Nirvana Realm cultivator—was he qualified to rescue Saints?

“Fortunately, these three tasks grant me five hundred years.”

Shen Mo exhaled a long breath.

Five hundred years… would that be enough to step into the Saint Realm?

It should be enough.

After all, his cultivation speed was, if he admitted it, just a little fast.

“What troubles you?”

At that moment, the concerned voices of the four beast overlords reached his ears.

Only then did Shen Mo return to himself.

The Desolate Sovereign’s voice had lingered so long in his mind that he nearly ignored them.

“I am fine.”

Shen Mo smiled.

The Azure Sky Divine Bull finally let out a sigh of relief. “Good, good, so long as you are unharmed.”

Hearing this, the Black Death Serpent, Scarlet-Blood Winged Tiger, and Hanging Heaven Banyan Tree also relaxed.

Shen Mo was the first in one hundred thousand years to qualify to enter the Desolate Sovereign’s cave dwelling.

They truly did not wish to see him come to harm.

The Hanging Heaven Banyan Tree asked seriously, “Did you obtain the Desolate Flame Art?”

Shen Mo nodded.

The four beast overlords exchanged glances, then all prostrated themselves.

With one voice they declared, “We greet the new master!”

Shen Mo inclined his head slightly.

He had long known this scene would occur.

The beast overlords of the Mangcang Mountains were nearly all creatures once tamed by the Desolate Sovereign.

So long as one obtained the Desolate Flame Art, one would naturally be acknowledged by them as the new master.

Shi Tianhao’s fortune had shown that his strength was insufficient, failing the three trials set by the Desolate Sovereign, and in the end he only obtained part of the inheritance.

He never acquired the Desolate Flame Art.

Thus he could not command the beast overlords of the Mangcang Mountains.

Now, as Shen Mo thought it over carefully, it must have been because he had intercepted too many opportunities that Shi Tianhao’s strength was severely diminished.

Had fate proceeded as destined, Shi Tianhao would surely have passed all the trials, become the successor of the Desolate Sovereign, and been honored as the new master by the beast overlords.

“From now on, let’s keep things simple.

I will call you brothers, and you call me master.”

Shen Mo smiled.

That these beast overlords revered him as the new master was true.

But it was entirely due to their loyalty to the Desolate Sovereign.

Because they still upheld the Sovereign’s decree, they now acknowledged Shen Mo, bearer of the Desolate Flame Art, as the new master.

Yet Shen Mo knew well that his strength was insufficient to truly be their master.

After all, he had not yet reached the Supreme Realm.

But the beast overlords—each and every one—were Supremes.

The strongest, the Hanging Heaven Banyan Tree, could even force the Supreme Ancestor of the Dongli Dynasty to temporarily yield.

Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!

Patreon: /Alex_Cruise