The source of a hundred rivers—in her past life, such a place would have been deep within the Tibetan Plateau, isolated and difficult to access.
But now, Su Min had entered a similar location, a place filled with dense water energy and endless malice.
At the same time, countless water clones emerged from pools scattered throughout the area, converging into one. Then, a figure materialized from the swirling currents—a humanoid form with draconic horns and a tail.
Dragons were not uncommon, but when they took human form, they were flawless, without any lingering beastly traits.
"Did this guy fuse himself with all these rivers and lakes?"
Su Min's brow furrowed deeply. She hadn't expected this.
The previous mountain god had merged with the earth veins, but this one had gone further, splitting himself into countless fragments. And that shoddy draconic transformation? It was nothing but an insult to true dragons.
"He's absorbing and digesting the fused soul fragments. During this process, he has to gather himself together. This is the only opportunity. But if a fight breaks out, he can still disperse into the rivers. Killing him completely would be nearly impossible."
Her expression hardened as she surveyed the surroundings, closing her eyes in thought.
This was different from the stone giant. He wasn't directly linked to the water sources.
Su Min fell into contemplation. A direct assault wouldn't work she needed a way to prevent him from splitting apart. But the area was too vast. She couldn't seal it off instantly, so she had to find another method.
"Calm down... Right! I almost forgot—the frost power of the Lunar Sovereign Body!"
Her eyes snapped open. She had been so used to fighting with the Five Elements Holy Body that she had nearly overlooked her Half-Step Chaos Body. In terms of raw combat power, it might be slightly weaker than the Five Elements Holy Body. But in this specific situation? It was undoubtedly the best choice.
There was another crucial point, after restoring the balance of Yin and Yang within her body, the Half-Step Chaos Body no longer required Xie Yingying's blood essence to maintain. Though she still hadn't figured out how to complete the final step, it was already fully functional.
With that in mind, Su Min swiftly formed hand seals.
Almost instantly, the man who had been reveling in the fusion of soul fragments suddenly opened his eyes. At his level of power, he had already established his own anchor. Though he bore no resemblance to his original self, the memories from the soul fragments wouldn't distort his identity.
But what shocked him was that the Source of Ten Thousand Rivers was suddenly encased in dark, ink-like ice. In an instant, he realized with horror that his connection to the countless waterways had been forcibly severed.
Only then did he notice the woman floating before him—youthful in appearance, yet exuding an aura that sent chills down his spine despite her Unity late-stage cultivation.
Her hair was a bizarre mix of black and white, and her eyes had transformed—one pitch-black like an abyss, the other radiant like daylight.
"You're an outsider."
The Dragon King of Jing River slowly rose to his feet, his voice low. Such a pure, tantalizing soul could only belong to someone from beyond the Dark Universe.
These outsiders were terrifyingly powerful. But this woman was only at the Unity late-stage.
His instincts screamed danger, yet his greed whispered that devouring her would propel him to the Mahayana middle-stage. With her knowledge and power, his territory would expand beyond imagination.
His eyes burned with avarice. His escape route had been cut off, but so what? He had slain no fewer than three Unity late-stage cultivators to reach Mahayana. Why fear this woman?
"Interesting. You really want to fight me to the death?"
Su Min smirked as she observed the half-dragon, half-human creature. Right now, she was simultaneously sealing the Source of Ten Thousand Rivers, limiting her combat power.
But even so, she had slain plenty of Mahayana cultivators before. She had worried that he might flee at the first sign of danger, but now? He was locked in. Still, she wouldn't underestimate him. This wasn't the void of space, and the area was saturated with water energy. Her usual tactics wouldn't work here.
"Hahaha! A mere Unity-stage ant dares to challenge me? I'll end you in three moves!"
The Dragon King burst into maniacal laughter, his body transforming into a streak of light. His hand swelled grotesquely, morphing into a monstrous draconic claw.
"A pitiful imitation."
Su Min gripped her twin swords—one black, one white—and slashed without hesitation.
Her original weapon had been tailored for the Five Elements Holy Body, but these twin swords, taken from a previous foe, were now her perfect match.
The attack, infused with the dual forces of Yin and Yang, tore through the air—
Squelch!
The draconic claw split cleanly in half.
"AAGH—!!"
A pained roar echoed as the Dragon King staggered back, his face twisted in shock. How could a Unity late-stage cultivator unleash such power?
A casual strike like that could cripple even a Unity-stage opponent's soul!
"Even with one hand sealing the Source of Ten Thousand Rivers and the other resisting the Dark Corruption, I will still bury you here."
Su Min's voice was calm, her words not arrogance but simple fact. She had cut off his connection to the rivers, stripping him of his greatest advantage. Unlike the mountain god, who relied on formations, this dragon had scattered himself across the waters.
Now, she summoned her Emperor Artifact an ancient bell, and sent it crashing toward him.
"Ridiculous! I am a Mahayana cultivator! No matter how you struggle, you will only become my nourishment! Behold—Ten Thousand Dragons Rise!"
ROAR—!!
In an instant, a tidal surge of water energy erupted. The man vanished, replaced by a colossal monstrosity, a hydra with thousands of heads.
Though Su Min had severed his connection to the rivers, the sheer amount of water energy gathered here allowed him to assume this form.
Now, countless draconic heads emerged from the lake, all fixated on her.
"So this is your trump card? A pure elemental body? Pity, if I were using the Five Elements Holy Body, Wood and Earth would wreck you."
Her expression remained cold as she faced the hydra's countless heads. Against a Mahayana opponent, caution was paramount. It was time to get serious.
"Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, the Dao follows Nature—Manifestation of the Heavenly Law!"
A titanic figure materialized, a sword-wielding giant wreathed in the energies of Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign, dwarfing even the hydra's heads. Unlike the giant she summoned with the Five Elements Holy Body, this one was far more volatile, its power barely contained.
The Dragon King's muddled mind finally recognized the truth.
"Lunar Sovereign... Solar Sovereign... Impossible! No one can wield both! Who are you?!"
As an amalgamation of countless souls, some fragments of memory surfaced. He hadn't realized it earlier, but now, faced with this manifestation, the truth was undeniable.
"Took you long enough. But there's no reward for figuring it out."
Su Min's voice was icy.
"By revealing this form, you've burned your last escape route. As long as I keep you from drawing power from the rivers, you're finished."
With that, she swung both swords—one infused with Lunar Sovereign the other with Solar Sovereign. No fancy techniques, just raw, overwhelming force. These two physiques existed beyond the Five Elements. Even the Five Elements Holy Body's famed defenses were useless against them—no elemental advantage, no resistance.
After all, even the Five Elements Holy Body relied on internal Yin-Yang balance. Without it, the body would collapse. Faced with Su Min's brutal slashes, the Dragon King sent dozens of heads to intercept. The rest opened their maws, spewing torrents of venomous breath at the giant.
BOOM—!!
The attacks collided.
Su Min's strikes cleaved through a swath of the hydra's heads, while the corrosive venom riddled her giant form with holes.
"Tch."
She gritted her teeth. Without the Five Elements Holy Body, her resistances had dropped significantly—the main reason this form was weaker.
Her defenses were frailer, and her Four Sacred Beasts Inheritance was less effective. The combined drawbacks left her vulnerable.
But then—
The Dragon King's jaw dropped as Su Min casually tossed two fragrant, eighth-tier pills into her mouth.
[Poison Resistance Pill (Eighth-tier, Four-Colored Lightning)] – Significantly boosts resistance to all toxins for an extended duration.
[Antidote Pill (Eighth-tier, Three-Colored Lightning)] – Neutralizes and heals toxin-based injuries.
Pills. Actual pills.
In the Dark Universe, cultivators relied on fragmented souls for power, resulting in chaotic, unstable spirits incapable of delicate tasks like alchemy. The pervasive dark corruption made it outright impossible.
So when he saw her casually consuming eighth-tier pills, treasures even in the memories of the souls he'd devoured, his envy burned. And worse, his signature venom, which should have crippled her, was neutralized in seconds.
For the first time, fear eclipsed greed.
He had kicked an iron wall, one reinforced with the rarest materials in existence. His vision darkened. He had never imagined that a few pills could render his deadliest attack useless.