Chapter 175: Su Mu Is Dead

Hu Jie's dark gaze swept the crowd. He suspected Su Mu might have already slipped into their ranks. Since the man could disguise others as himself, he could naturally disguise himself as anyone else.

He wasn't afraid of a sneak attack, however, because... this wasn't his true body at all. It was just a paper clone!

"Su Mu, no matter where you hide, there's absolutely no escape! Once I finish them off, you're next! Attack!"

At Hu Jie's command, several transcendents charged at Mu Qing.

Already tense and prepared, Mu Qing immediately bolted for the nearby woods.

Bang, bang, bang...

Several Mithril Bullets shot forward, mixed with over a dozen blasts of the Five-Finger Flame Bullet.

The attacks blanketed Mu Qing. Desperately twisting her body, she narrowly avoided strikes to her vitals and plunged into the woods. Even so, she took several hits, leaving scorch marks on her thighs and forearms.

Her once fair and delicate skin had curled and blackened. The moment she touched the trees, however, those injuries healed at a visible rate. In return, the trees she grasped withered in wide patches, as if their vitality had been entirely drained.

Seeing this, Hu Jie—a nightmare apostle who had survived for a decade—looked shocked. He recognized the Law Mu Qing was using. "That isn't the Call of Nature. That's Silver Sequence 111, the Breath of the Wood Spirit!"

"What!? It's actually the legendary Breath of the Wood Spirit!" A flash of greed flickered in Pang Yang's eyes. "Legend says the Breath of the Wood Spirit grants supreme plant affinity, making the user a darling of nature. Not only can it control plants, but it can even extract the essence from various transcendent materials, perfectly fusing them to refine a Transcendent Potion.

Over fifty percent of all Transcendent Potion varieties in the world were created by the Breath of the Wood Spirit. It's precisely for this reason that the Breath of the Wood Spirit, despite its weak offensive power, is ranked at such a high Sequence.

Old Hu, we've hit the jackpot! As long as we catch Mu Qing, we'll have a never-ending supply of Transcendent Potions from now on!"

A burning fervor surfaced in Hu Jie's eyes. He even wondered if he could use Mu Qing to concoct a Transcendent Potion that could restore his human senses, so he wouldn't have to live out the rest of his days as a lifeless shell!

Although he was a sea god's familiar, he had once been a living, breathing human. He longed for fine wine, rich food, and beautiful women. The status of a sea god's familiar granted him an Undying Body, but at the cost of every joy that came with being human.

"Quick! Everyone attack at once! We must capture Mu Qing!" Hu Jie roared. "Remember, we need her alive! No one is allowed to harm her!"

Originally, he had only intended to use Mu Qing as a breeding tool, but now his plans had entirely shifted. A talent like this had to be locked in a dark room and forced to refine Transcendent Potions twenty-four hours a day!

"Miss Mu, give up! We won't hurt you!" Hu Jie shouted. "Your abilities are incredibly valuable. As long as you surrender obediently, I guarantee no one will touch a single hair on your head. I'll even treat you as an honored guest! You won't have to do anything else but refine Transcendent Potions, and I promise you a lifetime of wealth and splendor!"

Deep within the woods, Mu Qing heard those words as she sprinted at top speed. A bone-piercing chill flickered in her eyes, as though the promise had stirred up an unpleasant memory. Suddenly, she pulled a vial of bubbling, pale-red liquid from her coat. With a resolute gaze, she popped the cork and downed the potion in a single gulp.

Berserk power surged from her petite body, her delicate face twisting in agony.

At the same time, the trees throughout the forest began to grow at a terrifying rate. Countless wooden spikes and serpentine vines spread in every direction. In an instant, all the plant life seemed to come alive, viciously strangling the surrounding enemies.

Several soldiers died on the spot, their bodies crushed by the flora. The transcendents who had not yet reached the Silver Realm fared little better. Faced with relentless, omnidirectional attacks, they quickly began taking casualties.

Yet Mu Qing's situation remained incredibly dire. Although her area of effect was massive, she couldn't harm Silver transcendents at all. The Follower of Strength who had defeated Yang Dongqing earlier completely ignored the maddened forest, marching forward and tanking the attacks head-on.

Meanwhile, the ghost-like transcendent wove through the gaps in the assault, moving so smoothly that not a single leaf touched his body. Whenever an attack was truly unavoidable, the Mithril Dagger in his hand flashed in a flurry of motion, chopping the incoming flora to pieces.

It wasn't long before those two cut off Mu Qing's escape path, placing her in imminent peril.

As for Su Mu... he was already dead!

A pale corpse floated in the icy seawater. His face showed not the slightest hint of fear toward death; instead, his lips curved into a perfect, lingering smile, as if he were looking forward to something.

From a perspective invisible to the naked eye, the deep sea emitted an eerie hum.

Suddenly, a power as vast, mysterious, and irresistible as the ocean itself emerged. This force seemed to descend from a supreme dimension, entirely surpassing the limits of human imagination.

A wash of rich blue light poured into Su Mu's body and began pulling at his soul.

The ocean was the territory of the Sea God, and the souls of all who drowned within it belonged to Him. Therefore, the Sea God's power began to claim Su Mu's soul, just as it always did.

However, something unusual happened.

Compelled by that mighty force, Su Mu's translucent soul slowly drifted out of his body, but in the very next second—

The soul jerked to a halt! As if yanked back by an invisible hand, it snapped right back into his body.

At the same time, another supreme power erupted, bringing with it a terrifying azure light that nearly dyed the entire ocean.

Within the dreamscape, Su Mu excitedly examined the Divine Statue of the Celestial Sovereign of Longevity before him. A look of absolute fury surfaced on the towering statue's face, as if it had suffered a grave provocation.

The power of the Celestial Sovereign of Longevity surged forth, driving out the blue light that had intruded upon the dream.

How could He not be furious? He was on the verge of successfully claiming His chosen prey, only for another deity to rudely intervene. Even gods had tempers.

By the same token, the Sea God was enraged. Since ancient times, the souls of all the drowned had belonged to Him. The Celestial Sovereign of Longevity's actions were tantamount to snatching food right out of His bowl.

Rumble!

Dark clouds suddenly blotted out the sky above the ocean, accompanied by roaring thunder and flashing lightning. An oppressive, terrifying aura instantly swept across the sea. The cold, dark waters churned madly as monstrous waves, hundreds of meters high, continuously swelled upward in an apocalyptic display.

Back on the shore, a bruised and battered Mu Qing collapsed helplessly to the ground. The trees around her had long since been reduced to roaring flames and burned to ash.

The best way to deal with her was to clear out the surrounding foliage. That way, she couldn't rely on the trees' vitality to heal herself, guaranteeing her eventual defeat.

Just as Hu Jie and the others sneered, stepping forward to capture her, a deafening thunderclap exploded in the sky. The terrifying bolt of lightning practically illuminated the entire Sea Kingdom, turning the night as bright as day!

Startled, Hu Jie and his men looked back, only to feel their souls leap out of their bodies in terror. The previously calm sea was now boiling violently, churning like water in a heated cauldron.

Moreover, radiant blue and azure light poured out from the depths of the sea, bleeding upward to stain the pitch-black sky.

As the two opposing currents of supreme divine might slowly washed over the area, everyone was instantly struck with absolute horror. Their faces turned deathly pale as they stood paralyzed in place.