Just as the people below sensed the overwhelming aura of the Sea Tribe experts, panic immediately spread throughout the ruined city.
Those who had been searching through the collapsed buildings abandoned everything and fled toward the outskirts.
Some carried injured survivors on their backs, and others simply ran for their lives.
Only a handful of people remained behind, standing far away from the battlefield while looking toward the sky with nervous expressions.
They had already witnessed the destruction of several coastal cities.
No one understood why the Sea Tribe had suddenly invaded the land.
Some said they were seeking revenge, while others believed they were searching for some kind of treasure.
Regardless of the reason, everyone knew one thing.
Whenever these powerful sea creatures appeared, countless people died.
But this time their attention wasn't on the Sea Tribe alone.
Instead, it was fixed upon the two human cultivators floating calmly in the sky.
"There are four of them..."
One middle-aged man muttered nervously.
"They're surrounded."
Another person clenched his fists.
"Those two are finished."
However, before anyone could finish speaking, one of the four sea creatures had already died.
No one saw what happened.
One moment the turtle had been alive.
The next moment, its head had already separated from its body.
The humans below stared blankly.
None of them understood what they had just witnessed.
But one thing was certain: the human can win.
Hope appeared in their hearts once again.
...
High above the city, the remaining three Sea Tribe experts stood frozen.
Even Shen Chu looked at the scene with surprise.
Although he understood that Riven had acted, he still couldn't comprehend how.
The Naiad Spirit had clearly aimed her sword toward him, yet somehow, the turtle standing behind them had lost its head instead.
Even Shen Chu couldn't understand how such a thing was possible.
The Naiad Spirit's face changed repeatedly.
Only moments ago she had believed Shen Chu would die beneath her sword.
Now, one of her own companions had fallen instead.
Her eyes turned bloodshot.
"What did you do?"
She stared directly at Shen Chu, but Shen Chu simply ignored the question.
Instead, he calmly looked at the remaining three sea creatures.
"You should return to the sea."
"Otherwise... you'll be the next ones."
The serpent and the crab instinctively looked toward the Naiad Spirit, as neither dared move without her command.
The Naiad Spirit's expression darkened.
Her thoughts were in complete chaos, as she couldn't understand what had happened.
Had someone switched their positions? Had some strange spatial technique been used?
No matter how she thought about it, nothing made sense.
Seeing her hesitation, the serpent and the crab also became cautious.
Neither wished to become the next victim of whatever mysterious technique had just killed the turtle.
After remaining silent for several moments, a ruthless look flashed through the Naiad Spirit's eyes.
"If one attack isn't enough..."
"...then I'll simply use something impossible to avoid."
She gathered more than half the spiritual qi within her body.
The surrounding seawater instantly condensed above her palm.
Within moments, a gigantic spear of compressed water nearly thirty meters long formed in the sky.
Its terrifying pressure caused the clouds above to tremble.
The spectators below looked on with pale faces.
Even from several miles away, they could feel the horrifying power contained within that single attack.
The Naiad Spirit shouted angrily.
"Die!"
The enormous spear shot forward like a streak of blue lightning.
The very space around it seemed to distort from its speed.
However, the instant the spear left her hand, something unbelievable happened.
The giant crab suddenly disappeared from its original position.
Before anyone understood why...
It had appeared directly in front of the incoming spear.
Boom!
The water spear pierced straight through its body, and a massive hole instantly opened in the crab's chest.
Blood sprayed into the sky.
The crab stared blankly at the gaping wound before instinctively retreating several hundred meters.
It hadn't died immediately.
But the horrifying injury had nearly destroyed half its body.
Blood continued pouring from the enormous hole without stopping, and silence once again descended over the battlefield.
The Naiad spirit's pupils contracted violently, and the serpent subconsciously retreated several steps.
Neither of them dared launch another attack.
Every time they attacked, their own companions became the victims, so fear gradually replaced their anger.
Even the people watching from below could no longer understand what they were seeing.
"What..."
"...what kind of technique is this?"
One elderly martial artist muttered with trembling lips.
"No wonder those two aren't afraid."
"They're monsters..."
Shen Chu looked toward the badly wounded crab before turning his gaze back toward the remaining two.
His expression became much colder than before.
"This is the last time I'll say it. Leave the land and return to the sea."
"If you remain here, don't expect to leave alive."
This time, he slowly released his own cultivation, and invisible pressure spread throughout the sky.
The serpent's body trembled instinctively.
Previously, Shen Chu had been facing four Spirit Sovereign experts simultaneously.
Although he wasn't afraid, defeating all of them without suffering injuries would have required some effort.
Now, one had died and one had been severely wounded; the balance had completely shifted.
If a battle truly broke out, the outcome was already decided.
Still, Shen Chu had no intention of killing them.
At least, not unless absolutely necessary.
He knew that these Sea Tribe experts had crossed onto the land because of whatever they were searching for.
Behind them stood the entire Sea Tribe, and there were undoubtedly many more Spirit Sovereigns hidden within the endless ocean.
If he slaughtered all of them today, the Sea Tribe would inevitably retaliate.
If this had been Solaryx, he wouldn't have hesitated. The powerful sects there could easily withstand such a war.
But this was Thaloryn, and the continent possessed almost no powerful cultivators.
If the Sea Tribe launched a full-scale invasion, millions of ordinary people would lose their lives, and that wasn't an outcome Shen Chu wished to see.
The three sea creatures remained silent.
After exchanging uncertain glances, they finally reached a decision.
The Naiad Spirit clenched her fists tightly.
Although hatred filled her heart, reason ultimately prevailed.
She had already witnessed two inexplicable deaths.
Neither she nor her companions dared gamble with their own lives again.
Without another word, she turned around.
The serpent immediately followed.
The heavily injured crab endured its pain before flying after them.
Within moments, the three disappeared toward the endless sea.
Only after watching them leave did Shen Chu slowly release the pressure surrounding the city.
He let out a quiet sigh as the matter had finally been settled.
At least for now.
Beside him, Riven quietly watched the departing figures.
Just before the Naiad spirit disappeared beyond the horizon, a faint black pattern silently emerged across one of the scales on Riven's left hand.
It flashed once, then vanished.
At that exact moment, an almost invisible black mark appeared briefly upon the Naiad Spirit's forehead before disappearing without leaving behind the slightest trace.
Neither the Naiad Spirit, nor Shen Chu, nor anyone watching below noticed anything unusual.
Riven simply lowered his hand as though nothing had happened.
The surrounding space rippled once more.
The next instant, both Riven and Shen Chu had already returned to the Millings Manor.
The peaceful garden appeared before them once again.
Shen Chu immediately bowed respectfully.
"Immortal Master, since the matter has been resolved, I should return."
"Rocky is still undergoing his transformation."
Riven nodded.
"Return to the sect. There isn't anything else requiring your attention here."
After saying that, Riven slowly raised his hand, and a small vial appeared within his palm.
Unlike the previous blood vials, this one was completely black.
Inside it, thick blood slowly bubbled as though it were still alive.
The instant Shen Chu looked at it, an unimaginable pressure descended upon him.
His body instinctively trembled, and even breathing became difficult.
His knees almost bent beneath that overwhelming aura.
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the pressure vanished.
Shen Chu stared at the vial in disbelief as cold sweat covered his back.
He had never experienced such terrifying pressure before.
Not even from the Sword Immortal, not even from Riven himself.
After calming himself, he carefully asked,
"Immortal Master, what is this?"
Riven looked at the vial calmly.
"The blood of a beast."
"A rather powerful one."
He handed it to Shen Chu.
"You cultivate the body. This is currently the only path capable of improving your physique further."
Shen Chu respectfully accepted the vial with both hands.
Even now, merely holding it made him feel his blood circulation quicken.
Riven added calmly,
"With your current body, use only a single drop."
"Mix it together with the medicinal herbs you normally use for tempering."
"Otherwise..."
He didn't continue.
But Shen Chu immediately understood. If he used more than that, he would most likely die.
He quickly nodded.
"I understand."
"Thank you, Immortal Master."
Riven lightly patted Shen Chu's shoulder.
Before Shen Chu realized what had happened, the scenery before his eyes changed.
He had already returned to the quiet lake inside Drifting Mist Pavilion.
The same lake where Riven and the Sword Immortal had spoken days earlier.
Shen Chu looked around before letting out a helpless smile.
His gaze soon landed upon Rocky.
The Skylance Roc still stood quietly nearby.
Its eyes remained closed as streams of lightning continued dancing around its enormous body while it refined the Thundervein Lotus.
Seeing that Rocky remained safe, Shen Chu relaxed.
He then looked down at the black vial resting in his hand.
After thinking for a moment, he immediately headed toward his cave residence.
His cave manor remained simple.
Several bookshelves stood against the walls.
Spirit herbs grew quietly inside small medicinal gardens. Everything was exactly as he had left it.
Without wasting any time, he gathered the medicinal herbs he had collected over the years.
Soon, a large bronze cauldron filled with medicinal liquid was heating over spiritual flames.
After the herbs had completely dissolved, Shen Chu carefully opened the black vial.
Holding his breath, he allowed a single drop of blood to fall into the cauldron.
Plop.
The instant it touched the water, the entire medicinal bath turned pitch black.
A terrifying aura erupted before quickly settling back down.
Shen Chu looked at the cauldron silently.
Then stepped inside.
The moment his body touched the liquid, an indescribable pain spread through every muscle, bone, and meridian within his body.
His expression immediately twisted.
Even so, he gritted his teeth.
Circulating his body cultivation technique, he slowly began refining the terrifying energy contained within the medicinal bath.
...
Meanwhile, back at Millings Manor.
The family had already gathered inside the dining hall.
This evening, their discussion no longer revolved around debts or declining businesses.
Instead, it centered around an invitation that had arrived from the Zhao family.