"Killing someone… Could it be that woman?"
Staring at the bald man before him, the Black Serpent couldn't help but lick his lips. Among all the prey he had set his sights on, only one had ever escaped his grasp. And what made it even more memorable was that the woman was an alchemist—a fact that had left a deep impression on him.
"That's right. Not only is she the most renowned alchemist on the continent, but she can also refine sixth-tier pills."
"..."
Hearing Jie's words, the Black Serpent's lips twitched uncontrollably. That woman was only at the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, yet she could already refine sixth-tier pills? That was downright absurd. Who knew what would happen once she reached the Soul Transformation stage?
If she ever produced even a single Enlightenment Pill, countless late-stage Soul Transformation experts would be willing to fight to the death for it.
"Damn it, I should never have chased after her."
He cursed inwardly. Even at his peak, he wouldn't have dared to provoke a sixth-tier alchemist. But now, he found it even stranger—why were these bald monks so murderously intent on her? What had they done to offend her so badly that they'd go to such lengths?
"Are you willing to cooperate? Her strength is formidable, and we're in the Weak Waters. I need your power."
Facing the Black Serpent, Jie felt nothing but disgust. But the Weak Waters were even more troublesome. Su Min had too many tricks up her sleeve, and he had to be fully prepared. Besides, since the serpent had also crossed her, this made things easier.
After all, a sixth-tier alchemist held immense influence even among demonic beasts. With both sides sharing the same goal, their alliance was practically sealed in an instant.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Min slowly opened her eyes.
She exhaled deeply, finally feeling her cultivation take another step forward.
Late-stage Nascent Soul.
"I'm one step closer to the Soul Transformation stage. If I run into that guy again, I should at least be able to protect myself."
Muttering to herself, she stretched slightly. The reason she lacked confidence before was that the man was a Fallen One—she had no idea what tricks or trump cards he might have. So caution was still necessary. If she could escape, she absolutely wouldn't recklessly charge into battle.
"Well, there's not much time left. I should head out and see what's going on. Unlike the Golden Core Avenue, the Weak Waters are practically open—almost all the soul beasts in the ocean will gather here. Countless aquatic demonic beasts' legacies are hidden in these depths."
At this thought, Su Min smirked with interest. Objectively speaking, demonic beasts were walking treasure troves. But she wasn't the type to slaughter every beast she saw—doing so would only provoke widespread fury.
The Golden Crow's lineage was strong, but compared to these sea-dwelling demonic beasts, they were still slightly lacking. It couldn't be helped—while the Golden Crow's spirit beast followers were powerful, they had one major flaw: their numbers were far too few.
In the current environment, spirit beasts hadn't yet established a substantial gap in strength compared to the miscellaneous demonic beasts. Their potential was immense, but growth took time. Even with the assistance of divine flames, they still needed years of steady development.
"Sigh… It'll still be a long time before I reach higher realms."
Grumbling internally, Su Min shook her head. There was no use worrying now. Her priority was securing the Black Tortoise's legacy and the Northern Water's Profound Origin. If she could obtain those, even without reaching the Soul Transformation stage, she'd no longer have to fear that man.
But soon, she noticed something strange.
Silence.
The entire secret realm was eerily quiet—unnervingly so.
"What's going on?"
Frowning, she scanned her surroundings. Earlier, her senses had been filled with the chaotic presence of countless demonic beasts. But now, the silence was almost suffocating.
It was as if everything had vanished.
And this disappearance felt… unnatural.
Considering the mysterious Black Serpent that had hunted her before, Su Min had a rough guess. In the game Era of Dark Blood, if a player idled for too long, they'd eventually log back in to find cities and wilderness alike completely empty. All life would have vanished. Reputation, favorability, coupons—everything would be gone.
Coupled with the game's hyper-realistic AI, the overwhelming sense of isolation would force players to engage with the main storyline.
But in a game, it didn't matter.
Here, in reality, the feeling was entirely different.
"Hmm?"
Just as Su Min was carefully sensing her surroundings, a massive figure suddenly shot toward her at blinding speed.
In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of her. It was the dragon she had glimpsed earlier at the periphery. Back then, the dim lighting had made it impossible to see clearly. But now, under the faint glow of the Weak Waters, she could finally make out its appearance—
Glistening golden scales.
And an extra, massive claw on its abdomen.
This was no ordinary dragon.
It was a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon—the absolute royalty of dragonkind, a being no less exalted than the Golden Crow.
But in the next moment, the dragon's form rapidly shrank. In its place stood a tall, imposing woman clad in golden armor, her figure both regal and striking. Now, Su Min could finally sense her cultivation—late-stage Soul Transformation.
But that was just surface-level.
Her true combat prowess was undoubtedly on par with the Golden Crow at the same stage. Even against a Dao Comprehension expert, she could likely slay them with ease. Su Min suspected that even Kong Hui—the strongest cultivator she had ever met—would struggle in a direct confrontation. And considering Kong Hui's past-life peak cultivation was at least at the Unity stage (if not higher), that spoke volumes.
"Greetings, Dragon Emperor."
Su Min took a deep breath and bowed respectfully. Even if she reached the Soul Transformation stage, she likely still wouldn't be a match for this woman. One could never underestimate the depth of a top-tier divine beast's heritage—or their hidden cards.
For example, when the Golden Crow had slain that Dao Comprehension corpse and the late-stage Soul Transformation Blood Puppet Sect ancestor, it hadn't even needed to use any special trump cards.
"Nanming Lihuo and the Eastern Azure Wood… You're here for the Northern Water's Profound Origin and the Black Tortoise's legacy, aren't you?"
"Correct."
Su Min remained on high alert, her fingers already clutching the vial of Xie Yingying's blood essence. Though she had nothing to do with this dragon's grievances, if the other party deemed her a threat, things could turn ugly.
But she wasn't too worried.
After all, this dragon had allowed her into the secret realm in the first place—it was unlikely she'd attack now.
"Call me Ao Xue. Do you know why so many demonic beasts have vanished?"
Ao Xue's voice was calm, her piercing gaze fixed on Su Min. With a single glance, she had discerned Su Min's secrets—the Five Elements Holy Body, two Heavenly Treasures, and even the legacy of the Azure Dragon.
The Azure Dragon was a special case.
Though not technically a true dragon, its draconic form had earned it the kinship of dragonkind. In the past, it had performed great deeds for their race. So seeing its inheritor, Ao Xue was willing to show some courtesy.
"Have you heard of the Fallen Ones?"
"Fallen Ones?"
"Cultivators from before the Great Cataclysm. Those at the Soul Transformation stage could seal themselves away, but those at Dao Comprehension and above could not. Many chose to face death with dignity… but what about those who refused to die?"
Su Min smiled faintly as she posed the question. Sure enough, Ao Xue's expression darkened. Su Min was talking about humans, but the same logic applied to demonic beasts. Ao Xue's father had left her behind as a dragon egg, arranging countless guardians and preparations.
By the time she hatched, she was destined to rule the seas. That was how she had reached her current level of strength so quickly. But last year, one of her subordinates—a Soul Transformation-stage flood dragon—had perished. For her, this was no small loss.
And it wasn't just the flood dragon. Many others had died, including a pure-blooded dragon. Though not a royal like the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, every clansman was precious to her now. That was why she had sought out Su Min first.
Moreover, she knew something else—this woman before her was an exceptionally skilled alchemist. One of her flood dragon elders had obtained a Bloodline Purification Pill from her, and now, it had fully transformed into a true dragon, its future limitless. Thus, Ao Xue had decided to approach Su Min, hoping for answers. And to her surprise, she had actually gotten some.
"I've scoured the entire secret realm but found no trace of that Fallen One. I even used my clan's sacred treasure, but one area was shrouded in Buddhist light."
"Buddhist light?"
Su Min's eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Yes. It's likely the work of Future Maitreya Mountain. If I'm not mistaken, that Fallen One is hiding among them. But those monks are… peculiar. Unless absolutely necessary, I'd prefer not to clash with them."
"What do you want me to do?"
Su Min knew this matter wouldn't end peacefully. The enmity between her and Future Maitreya Mountain had already been set in stone during the Land and Water Ceremony. What surprised her was that the two sides had actually joined forces.
"They've blockaded the entrance to the Black Tortoise's ruins, waiting for you. I need you to lure out that Fallen One. What do you say?"
"No problem. That thing hunted me before, too."
"Then we have a deal."
In the next instant, Ao Xue transformed into a streak of light and vanished into Su Min's sleeve.
The speed was so fast that Su Min blinked in surprise.
"Huh?"
"Aren't you heading to the Black Tortoise ruins? This way, we can take them by surprise."
"Uh…"
Well, Su Min had to admit one thing—this dragon empress might look majestic and dignified, but at heart, she was just as much of a sneaky old six as anyone else.
Hiding in her sleeve to avoid detection?
Su Min often shrouded herself in soul energy, making it impossible for others to sense anything amiss.
But still…
Where's your dignity as a powerhouse?!