There was another level beyond Celestial Death after Ascension. Starting from a Land Immortal, Sky Immortal, Virtual Immortal, and the highest was the Heavenly Immortal. However, Will of Heaven who had lived since the creation of six realms; knew one more level unachieved since the start of time. The Great Dao never told her what it was but she is sure that an unknown level can be beyond a god.
It was a pity the Heavenly Emperor placed high hopes on an unpredictable Shen Mo. He didn't cultivate to become a god, he only did so because his master told him. If only his master is still alive, he may be able to sell out Shen Mo to the Heavenly Realm.
Then again, it was Will of Heaven's fault. Shen Mo's master wanted to become a god but he is a lone cultivator. A lone cultivator can stay neutral between the demonic and righteous paths. He committed sins too and his tribulation is very strong which led to his death. Shen Mo saw his master die like that and the last task his master gave him is to build a sect that will produce immortals to cover up his failure to be one. Shen Mo, being so obedient that time, did what his master said.
From a small team surviving the harsh world of cultivation, it became a fifth-rate school and turned to a first-rate one a few decades later with the help of Shen Mo. He was so young when he became a sect master. Even the other sect leaders belittled him. They never knew the youngest sect leader have terrifying progress in cultivation and his wit unmatched. So, a thousand years later, Tao Supreme Sect produced twenty immortals that learned under Shen Mo. As for the other sects, they only had one or two. Worse, most of them are zero.
"Alas..." Shen Mo muttered under his breath. He gaped nonchalantly at the elegant room designed with beautiful paintings and antique artifacts. "I'm still lonely!"
He cried in grievance. Shen Mo missed the days he was tormenting the talents of their sect through difficult cultivating techniques. There was only him in this room where was once filled with cheeky children calling him 'sect leader'. Now the last one of them is about to become a Celestial Death cultivator in the Peak Stage and will soon flee the nest to become immortal.
"Ai, should I take care of more talents?" He asked to no one in particular and hung his head on the table surface. "Maybe it's time I take in a personal disciple? I've been alive for two thousand years and never had a direct disciple."
"Wu Patriarch!" Gu Cheng's voice sounded outside the villa.
"What's the matter with these elders?"
Shen Mo has no idea why they are being agitated this week. Only a day passed when Will of Heaven offered him women, what is it now?
"Wu Patriarch, the crown princess of the Demon Realm sent this." Gu Cheng announced once Shen Mo stepped out. He handed a golden-embroidered red envelope to Shen Mo.
"Red envelope? Wait..." Shen Mo didn't open it and looked at Gu Cheng squarely. "Is my aunt going to be married?!"
"Er..." Gu Cheng was taken aback. He is nosy sometimes and he opened the envelope and it does contain a wedding invitation. The crown princess of the Demon Realm is Shen Mo's aunt, the only sister of Shen Mo's father.
"How did this happen? She doesn't have any fiance when I last visited." He pondered deeply.
Shen Mo knew his aunt very well. She is the most ruthless demon alive and she is the nightmare of men. Even the demon lords are afraid to court her though she has most of the power in the Demon Realm. What sort of man is willing to marry her? And if that man is far more evil than his aunt, Shen Mo feared the balance of two dominant races will break.
"Wu Patriarch, she-" Gu Cheng wanted to explain more details to calm Shen Mo but he already left, leaving behind clouds of dust and the broken Unfettered Villa. "Wu Patriarch is angry..."
Demon Realm is still not in peace with the Mortal Realm. Although Wu Patriarch's father is a demon king, he was raised in the righteous path which dispelled his unruly desires. Shen Mo's origin is the reason for his fast progress. His father is an almighty demon king and his mother is a Wisdom Dao immortal. Their love story is an eyesore to the Demon Realm but a hope for the Mortal Realm. With Shen Mo's presence in Wu, demons and humans are in balance. None is more powerful than the other unless he chooses a faction.
The previous demon king died and Shen Mo was discovered by his aunt Xian Qing. At that time, Shen Mo is a Celestial Life cultivator. He rejected Xian Qing's proposal to crown him the next king. Xian Qing was enraged and she was the first person to succeed in spanking Shen Mo. After teaching him a lesson, she no longer pursued him but remained the crown princess. It seems she never had the thought of becoming the ruler of the Demon Realm and is waiting for Shen Mo's return.
Bam!
The demon guards were terrified when someone landed before the palace gate. They nervously raised their spears to that person but upon seeing it was Shen Mo, they nearly pissed in fear.
"Y-Your Majesty..." They knelt but Shen Mo glared. They heard he annihilated the seven demon lords in one slap. Who wouldn't cower in terror to face a king of monsters?
"I'm not your king. Where is my aunt?" Shen Mo had reminded the Demon Realm a million times he will never be their king. This must be the doing of his aunt again. Well, stubbornness runs in their family anyway...
The demon guards looked at each other in disbelief. Shen Mo only visits the Demon Realm once every hundred years. It was only nine centuries or so that passed. The crown princess' sudden announcement of marriage must have drawn his attention.
Shen Mo was led to his aunt's palace. This was once dark and scary as if ghosts are hired to haunt the place but today, it was so different his hair stood on its end. Flowers are blooming around them, even trees are no exception. It was like spring was neverending. This is a first-time occurrence in the Demon Realm after two thousand years.
In the past, the late Demon King Xian Hei used to dote on his captured wife known as Wise Goddess of Wu. Her great divination skills attracted Xian Hei and he had her captured for fortune-telling. From being so hateful to each other, the two developed tacit understanding. It was only when Xian Hei was severely injured and she finally showed her worry, their enmity vanished. Xian Hei used to describe that scenery 'feeling hopeless but her tears and pleading made my serene heart beat loudly'. It was like love at first sight did he realize how important she was.
Shen Mo had heard their love story from Xian Qing. At first, he finds it ridiculous but knowing how his parents sacrificed so much for one another, he wanted to know what love at first sight feels. That is where his oath originated.
Just as Shen Mo was brought before Xian Qing's courtyard, they saw a man walk by. Shen Mo can't help but raise a brow. That man seems normal, his cultivation too is Qi Refining. If that man is a servant, he shouldn't be wearing expensive clothes. Though it was plainly designed, Shen Mo had seen the fabric that was used to make it. The fabric was the treasure of the Demon Realm, it's the golden silk threads made from the First Generation Demon King's dragon scales!
"Hm?" The man paused to see the demon guards escorting Shen Mo. He got confused too. As far as he can remember, Xian Qing won't receive guests today. "Guard, who is this lady?"
Lady?!
The same word rang in their heads. The demon guards' faces can't be painted, mixed with terror and shock that their dark skins paled white.
Shen Mo's face was no less grim than the Underworld. His lip twitched and the word 'lady' keeps ringing in his head. True, he looks quite feminine to the point most people mistook him as a beauty. Since he wears a black cloak every time, it hides his body. But even though his features are pretty, it has been his sore spot for two thousand years.
"Miss, I am sorry to inform but Qingqing won't be seeing guests today." The man politely said, not knowing he is adding fuel to the fire.
"Oh my God!!!" The demon guards can feel the murderous aura Shen Mo released. They knew well that the unbeatable Wu Patriarch have a weakness. It was being seen as a woman.
His hatred for his beauty was when he was a boy, inflicted by his master himself. Shen Mo's master is a lone cultivator who had experienced the ways of both demonic and righteous paths. When he first saw Shen Mo, he thought the boy is a girl. Coupled with his unmatched talent, he took Shen Mo as his disciple. Years later, his master found out his true gender since his body remained flat and muscular. His master voiced out he didn't raise a beauty. Thus, Shen Mo exacted revenge by beating up his master and cultivating faster for strength.
Unfortunately, his master wasn't the only lecher in Wu. He faced countless opponents and most of them are men who tried to compliment his 'beauty'. Shen Mo was so enraged he only leaves specks of dust behind on a battlefield when his looks were involved.
"Miss? Did you hear me clear?" The man repeated which was enough to trigger the old devil.
He wasn't able to react and Shen Mo already appeared in front of him. His purple eyes glowed sinisterly and his smile revealed his canine teeth. It terrified the man but an unexpected thing happened.
A lady in red showed up on their side. She glared at Shen Mo who quickly recognized her.
Bam!
The demon guards quickly avoided Shen Mo that was sent flying. Their legs trembled to see the crown princess Xian Qing standing up for her fiance.
"Brat, I know you won't sit still if you hear I am about to get married. But hunting down my fiance, how dare you." Xian Qing dusted her hand that she used to slap her nephew. Though Shen Mo is stronger than her, he won't dare fight her because they are the last semblance of the royal family in the Demon Realm.
"He called me 'miss'! You know I hate- wait, he's your fiance?!" Shen Mo reappeared close to them and had his finger pointed at the man. He was in great disbelief, ah.
"Yes. Something wrong with that?" Xian Qing crossed her arms. If her older brother is alive, he will also show the same ridiculous reaction Shen Mo did.
"But, how? Why? When?!"
Xian Qing can't help but laugh a bit because of Shen Mo's unwilling expression. It must have been unusual, not only towards Shen Mo but other people too. She had cultivated for five thousand years to become a Celestial Life practitioner but she found love with a weak human.
"Silly nephew. I fell for him at first sight, nothing else. I can't live without him." She asserted affectionately and held hands with her future husband, her gaze is dreamy and her eyes nearly shaped hearts. "This is your uncle-in-law so don't dare disrespect him."
"Uncle-in-law? So soon? Is Auntie blind?" Shen Mo thought.
Xian Qing is infamous, she has wealth and fame, but her heart was tamed by this weak guy?
Well, he can't blame his aunt. If this is what she wants, he won't bother. But, if this man has an ulterior motive, he won't hesitate to meddle.