Weak Water—one of the most dangerous substances in this world. And the ocean was no less perilous.
Even in this world, the vastness of the seas dwarfed the land. The East Mulberry Province, massive as it was, was nothing more than a leaf adrift on an endless ocean in the grand scheme of things.
The deep sea was home to countless marine demonic beasts. If the land belonged to humans, then the ocean was the domain of these monstrous creatures.
Even the little Golden Crow would struggle to intimidate them here. After all, she was a pure-fire divine beast. In the ocean, her true power was stifled—and she hated water to begin with.
So this time, Su Min couldn't rely on the little Golden Crow. She had to depend on herself.
"I'll be leaving soon. I should leave some of the pills I've refined for the sect—many of them aren't useful to me anyway. Who knows how long this seclusion will take?"
Su Min had spent over two years in seclusion, refining pills. Aside from those she needed personally, she had also produced a large batch for the sect's urgent requirements. In these two years, she had burned through most of the sect's high-grade medicinal herbs, converting them all into pills.
"Tian Yinzi has already stepped down as sect leader and is now in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. The new sect leader is Luo Ya, the former Holy Maiden, who has now reached the middle stage of Golden Core. In about a hundred years, she'll be ready to attempt Nascent Soul."
Su Min felt reassured.
Luo Ya had also survived the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, and her current strength was more than sufficient. In most sects, Nascent Soul cultivators rarely involved themselves in worldly affairs. Thus, the nominal leaders were usually Golden Core cultivators.
So on the surface, Luo Ya wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
There was nothing to worry about.
Su Min didn't know how long her trip to the Weak Water would take. But by the time she emerged, the Azure Dragon and Peacock King might have already stepped into the Spirit Transformation stage, while the little Golden Crow could very well become an Enlightenment-stage expert.
With an Enlightenment-stage powerhouse guarding the sect, they would be safe for at least the first century of the Dark Blood Era.
After all, those former Enlightenment, Unity, and Mahayana experts who had sealed themselves away had done so deeply—some even in the void itself. The deeper the seal, the longer it would take for them to awaken and return. And for them to replenish their depleted origins and regain their peak strength?
That would take even longer.
The stronger they had been in the past, the harder it would be to recover.
"I should inform Luo Ya before I leave."
With that thought, Su Min's figure vanished from the spot. The next moment, she appeared in the sect leader's hall, startling Luo Ya, who was in the middle of handling official business.
"Greetings, Grand Elder!" Luo Ya immediately bowed.
"I'll be leaving again to seek opportunities. These are the pills I've recently refined—distribute them according to the sect's rules. This trip might take as long as the Golden Core Avenue, so be prepared."
"Grand Elder, what matter requires you to be away for a century?"
Luo Ya was shocked. If Su Min was absent for too long, the sect's growth would be stunted. The little Golden Crow was a powerful deterrent, but it was Su Min's reputation that truly elevated the sect's standing.
"Something crucial—it concerns my Five Elements Holy Body. The details aren't important. Just plan accordingly. Within this century, the sect might produce a fourth-rank alchemist, but fifth-rank and above pills must be used sparingly."
"Understood."
Luo Ya knew better than to argue. The Eastern Sea Immortal Sect had been established for centuries now. Su Min had spent much of that time either vanishing or secluding herself, so they were used to it. But this was unavoidable.
In this world, a sect's strength was inextricably tied to its top experts. And for those experts to break through, they couldn't just sit around in the sect—they had to venture into dangerous lands in search of opportunities.
Of course, if those experts fell during their journeys, the sect itself would suffer catastrophic damage. Their situation wasn't too bad, though.
With a Spirit Transformation human cultivator now guarding the sect, their surface-level combat power was acceptable. No one would dare cause trouble.
"We bid you farewell, Grand Elder!!!"
As Su Min's figure disappeared, Luo Ya could only bow deeply.
Su Min left without alerting anyone.
The emergence of the Weak Water Source wasn't widely known, but many marine demonic beasts would likely be aware. After all, the Weak Water contained countless opportunities—irresistible to sea creatures. Even if the news spread, it would take a year or two to reach the wider world. And even then, not many powerful experts would come.
The requirements for entering the Weak Water were simply too high. Soon, high above East Mulberry Island, Su Min activated the jade slip given to her by the Azure Dragon. A special guidance emanated from it, and without hesitation, she soared forth on her flying sword.
The Weak Water was located in the deep ocean, in a windless zone. In the age of sailing ships, any vessel that entered would be trapped forever. But for Su Min, now at the Nascent Soul stage, this posed no obstacle. Still, this was the ocean—she had to be cautious.
The seas were teeming with ferocious demonic beasts. Not long ago, the Azure Dragon King had hunted down a Nascent Soul-stage beast—the only one her Treasure Gourd had devoured so far.
But what Su Min saw now sent a chill down her spine. She hovered in the sky, and below her, the ocean was swarming with shadows—each dozens of meters long.
Marine demonic beasts.
And judging by their auras, many of them were far from weak.
"Human, leave this place at once. This is our opportunity, not something for land-dwellers to meddle with."
Before she could react, a massive figure leaped out of the water. A monstrous fish, over ten meters long, its mouth lined with razor-sharp fangs.
"I sense a terrifying fiery aura from you—you must possess a fire-type Heavenly Treasures. But this is the ocean. You don't belong here."
"Nascent Soul stage..."
Su Min observed the fish demon silently. If she had only the Nanming Lihuo within her, she might have been forced to retreat. But now, she also possessed Eastern Azure Wood.
Water nourishes wood.
This meant that even in the ocean, her combat power was fearsome. Even her Vermilion Bird Saint Avatar wouldn't be weakened. This was the dominance of the Five Elements Holy Body.
Retreat? Impossible.
With that in mind, Su Min descended, landing right in front of the monstrous fish.
"What I seek lies at the bottom of the sea. I have no interest in the demonic beast legacies within the Weak Water. If you and your underlings stay out of my way, we can ignore each other."
The Weak Water contained numerous legacies of ancient demonic beasts, much like the Golden Core Great Dao for humans. Many powerful beasts of the past had sealed their strength here.
Though the scale was smaller than the Golden Core Avenue, for these bloodline-dependent creatures, it was a rare chance for evolution. Naturally, the Black Tortoise's legacy was also hidden within—and that was Su Min's true target. She didn't want to fight, but if these beasts pushed her, she wouldn't hold back. With the Eastern Azure Wood supporting her, she wasn't afraid of a prolonged battle underwater.
"Human, you're begging for death."
The fish demon's eyes gleamed with cruelty.
In the next instant, a blade-like jet of water shot toward her.
"Hmph."
But such a sneak attack was meaningless against Su Min. Her soul power was already on par with many Enlightenment-stage experts. The water blade was swatted aside with a casual wave of her hand. At the same time, lightning began to surge within her. She had prepared a trump card for these creatures.
[Mastery of the Five Thunders—Thunder God's Descent!!!]
In an instant, the skies darkened, and a colossal, thunder-wielding deity materialized above. This was Su Min's unique divine ability—and in this environment, it was the perfect weapon.
At the same time, a sword appeared in her hand.
[Thunderclap Sword (High-grade Earth Tier)]
Effect: Amplifies all thunder-based attacks.
"Thunder Drum Strike!!!"
The Thunder God began pounding its massive drums, and thick bolts of lightning descended from the heavens, spearing straight toward the monstrous fish.
"RUN!"
The fish demon wasn't stupid. The moment the Thunder God's projection appeared, it knew things had gone horribly wrong. It dove into the water, trying to break Su Min's line of sight.
But it was too slow. Su Min's overpowering soul power had already locked onto it.
And so—
"AHHHHH!!!"
A piercing shriek echoed across the sea as the lightning struck true, impaling the massive fish. It was only a early-stage Nascent Soul demonic beast—against Su Min, it stood no chance. But the attack didn't stop there. The entire school of fish demons was engulfed in the thunderstorm. If a Nascent Soul beast was instantly killed, what hope did the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment ones have?
Within ten minutes, the sea was cleared. A distinct aroma of roasted fish wafted through the air.
"Tsk. Does this count as electrofishing?"
Su Min smirked as she gazed at the now-empty waters. She then summoned her Treasure Gourd and sucked in the Nascent Soul fish demon. But even as she amused herself with the thought, her nerves remained taut. The ocean here was tens of thousands of meters deep.
Her attack had only scraped the surface.