Chapter 245: Sea Interception

This time, Su Che and Shui Yue were dressed as independent cultivators, with no signs of belonging to any sect, which made the black-haired elder look down on them. Moreover, since their cultivation levels were only at the early Jin Dan stage, the black-haired elder, who was at the middle Jin Dan stage, felt superior.
Thus, his expression showed obvious arrogance, and his tone when speaking was rather harsh.
Su Che wasn’t fooled by this. He had already guessed that the elder must be one of the treasure hunters here, and a conflict was inevitable sooner or later. There was no need to be polite with him.
On the surface, it seemed that an elder at the middle Jin Dan stage should have no trouble dealing with two independent cultivators at the early Jin Dan stage. However, the black-haired elder seemed to have some reservations and didn’t want to start a fight with Su Che and Shui Yue just over a few words.
So, he softened his tone slightly and said, “I’m stopping you two out of concern. A major battle is about to break out within a hundred miles ahead. There will be powerful monsters that attack anyone they see. If you’re just passing by, it’s best not to get involved.”
“Thank you for the warning, fellow cultivator,” Su Che replied with a bow. “We’re here in Tianyuan Sea to handle some matters; we’re not just passing by. If there are monsters, we’ll be careful on our own.”
Su Che didn’t believe a word of the elder’s so-called warning. If monsters were rampaging in Tianyuan Sea, the human cultivators there should be gathering allies to fight them, not trying to stop fellow cultivators from joining in. If this wasn’t a lie, there must be some other hidden reason.
The black-haired elder’s expression remained unchanged, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Still feeling outnumbered and unable to keep Su Che and Shui Yue by himself, he simply bowed and said, “I’ve expressed my concern. Please go as you please.”
With that, he turned and flew away.
After he left, Su Che sent a message to Shui Yue, “Are there many monsters in Tianyuan Sea?”
“Probably not,” Shui Yue nodded. “Tianyuan Sea is limited in size, so it can’t accommodate many high-level monsters. It’s unlikely to pose a threat to Jin Dan cultivators. But nothing is certain—monsters from other regions might migrate here soon.”
Su Che nodded. “Intuitively, I think that old man was lying… Ignore him. Let’s keep going.”
Since they were here, whether due to human factors or something else, nothing could stop them from obtaining the Level 10 Spirit Fire.
Shui Yue took out the key again and followed its guidance to fly forward.

Although the speed was slow, the hundred-mile distance was covered in an instant. Indeed, Su Che and the others sensed that the spiritual energy in the area ahead was extremely chaotic, clearly abnormal. For Su Che, it was unacceptable to simply retreat on the grounds that the situation was unfavorable and wait until next month to reopen the ruins. What if someone else claimed the treasures inside before then? Where could they find a Level 10 spiritual flame then? Level 10 spiritual flames were nearly extinct—there wouldn’t be many such opportunities… After flying for a while, the guiding woman who appeared above the key suddenly retracted. Shui Yue whispered, “It’s no longer guiding us. Could it be that the ruins are right below?” “Possible,” Su Che nodded. According to Shui Yue, the large island where Tianya Hai Ge used to be had sunk entirely beneath the sea, becoming completely sealed off. Thus, its location must be deep underwater. The best time to open the ruins was on the tenth day of the month, but today was only the eighth. Should they dive underwater now? Just as Su Che was about to discuss the next steps with Shui Yue, several streaks of light flew toward them. The black-haired old man from earlier had returned, this time with three accomplices. Two were at the middle stage of the Golden Core phase, and two at the early stage; their Taoist robes were different, indicating that these four did not belong to the same sect. Perhaps they were just a temporary group of treasure hunters… Su Che made up his mind silently: if they came to cause trouble, he would act without hesitation and capture them all! It would be good to eliminate these nearby treasure hunters before opening the ruins. Golden Core cultivators had impressive flying speeds, and in the blink of an eye, the four of them were already close by. Before the others could speak, Su Che said cheerfully, “Fellow cultivator, why have you returned? Could it be that you can’t fend off the beast armies and have come to us for reinforcements?” The black-haired old man snorted coldly and said, “Let’s not beat around the bush. You two are here to search for treasures too, right?” “Of course,” Su Che replied calmly. “If not for treasure hunting, who would bother coming to such a desolate place?” Everyone understood this clearly. Arguing was pointless; it was better to state one’s intentions directly to save time. “Then I’m sorry,” the black-haired old man said in a low tone. “This place is already overcrowded, and we won’t accept more outsiders. If you two are sensible, please leave as soon as possible.” “Outsiders?” Su Che frowned and asked, “Could it be that Tianyuan Sea has already been taken over by someone?”

“It can’t be called seizing territory,” replied the black-haired elder. “It’s just that the thirty of us have formed a temporary team. In the past thirty years, Tianyuan Sea has no longer allowed other treasure hunters to stay for long.”
“I see…”
Su Che nodded gently. He understood that territorial claims were extremely common in the cultivation world—there was no logic to it; only strength mattered.
Survival of the fittest—under such rules, to drive away the beasts that occupied this land, another beast could only rely on greater combat strength. There was no room for negotiation.
The black-haired elder sneered coldly, “Those who know when to back down are the wise. If you two can’t offer anything compelling, you must decide within ten breaths—whether to retreat immediately or fight us.”
By “compelling conditions,” he meant whether Su Che and the other could make significant contributions to exploring the treasures here. If they had certain skills or advantages, they might be considered for joining their team.
Indeed, Su Che and the other did have special skills and advantages, but it was impossible for them to cooperate.
So, there was only one outcome left… Soul Seizure!
Without hesitation, Su Che immediately activated his Soul Seizure technique twice, targeting those two cultivators at the early Jin Dan stage.
Buzz…
Unprepared, the two immediately experienced turmoil in their spiritual cores, lost consciousness, and could no longer remain suspended in the air. As soon as they fell, they started plummeting…
Su Che was still in the late Zhu Ji stage, yet his Soul Seizure technique could already deal a severe blow to cultivators at the early Jin Dan stage. Now that he had reached the Jin Dan stage, a single attack could leave his opponents unconscious for a full fifteen minutes.
At the same time, Ye Lan, the snake woman who had been prepared for battle, along with the Nether Ghost Emperor, who had borrowed the power of various ghosts, appeared in an instant. Moving like lightning, they rushed toward the two falling cultivators.
“Huh? How is this possible…”
The black-haired elder and the other middle-aged woman, both at the mid-Jin Dan stage, were shocked. They never expected Su Che, who seemed clearly weaker, to launch a sudden attack, let alone that his technique would be so powerful, knocking out their companions in an instant.
In their shock, they didn’t even have time to intervene and save their friends.
Besides, Su Che wouldn’t give them that chance.
Prison of Demons!
Whoosh…
A prison-like barrier instantly formed, affecting the middle-aged woman and briefly trapping her in mid-air.

Shuiyue, who had already communicated with Su Che through telepathy, didn’t bother marveling at Su Che’s formidable abilities. Instead, she launched an attack on the middle-aged woman in the Prison-shaped jail. It was almost certain that these three were done for—unless they died, they would be severely injured and captured. The Immortal Prison was short of manpower, so it was best to capture these Golden Core cultivators alive. At this point, how could the black-haired old man fail to realize the terrifying strength of his opponent and that his own judgment was insufficient as he had provoked a tough opponent? Without hesitation, he turned and fled. How could he let him escape? Su Che used his Soul Seizing technique, sending blue light toward his back. “Huh?” To Su Che’s slight surprise, despite being struck by the Soul Seizing technique, the black-haired old man only staggered slightly before continuing to fly at high speed. Theoretically, a cultivator at the mid-Golden Core stage should not be able to completely ignore such a technique. So, either he possessed a soul-stabilizing artifact or was skilled in refining his spiritual essence. “I won’t let you get away!” Su Che activated the Star Emperor Compass and immediately chased after him. His flight speed, comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, was far faster than the black-haired old man’s. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The black-haired old man, being an experienced fighter, didn’t forget to activate multiple layers of defense while fleeing to ward off pursuit from behind. He even used Su Che’s attack force to accelerate his escape. The idea was good, but Su Che’s powers were ancient mysteries, rendering ordinary defenses ineffective. Prison Demon! A Prison-shaped jail appeared above the black-haired old man’s head. Its powerful restraining force immediately trapped his vital energy and Golden Core. With his vital energy stalled, he could no longer activate his flying artifact, causing his speed to drop sharply. He continued to drift forward due to inertia. As his speed decreased, Su Che quickly caught up. Holding a bronze treasure gourd in his left hand, Su Che released two top-grade spirit artifact-level self-destructive devices. With two loud explosions, they shattered the first two layers of defense protecting the black-haired old man. Immediately after, a punch of maximum destructive power was delivered. Boom! The last layer of defense couldn’t withstand the destructive strike. The black-haired old man was hit in the back, spraying blood as he tumbled repeatedly. Just one such punch left him severely injured. The Destruction Punch, amplified by the Xumiyi Divine Seal, could inflict damage even on cultivators like the Heavenly Sound Venerable. Needless to say, since the black-haired old man was only at the mid-Golden Core stage, injury was inevitable. Winning by one level was now effortless for Su Che—unless the opponent was an exception like Tianyin or Yuqing.

Su Che’s attack also shattered the Prison of Captives. Though the old man with black hair was severely injured, he hadn’t completely lost his ability to resist. But at this moment, he was terrified and dared not resist anymore. All that remained in his mind was one word: escape! Su Che wouldn’t give him another chance and sent another Soul-Seizing Attack, thinking, “With such injuries, let’s see if he can still withstand my Soul-Seizing Attack.”