The Five Elements Spirit Sword is a Seven-Order Dao Weapon, and Li Mu, with his Middle Stage Soul Transformation cultivation, couldn't fully unleash its power. However, with this sword's blessing, along with a large number of six-tier Puppets, the journey to the Wanxing Island - Water Mansion Secret Realm should be safe.
With such confidence, Li Mu no longer delayed. He brought a few Yao Beasts and set off for the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region. First, he quickly reached the Xuantian Sword Sect's station in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region via the Sect's teleportation array.
As he emerged from the teleportation array on Sky Spirit Island, a salty, moist sea breeze greeted him. Li Mu didn't linger. With a respectful send-off from several Sword Sect Disciples, he directly summoned his Earth Element Spirit Ship and, with his Yao Beasts, sped towards the sea area of the Water Mansion Secret Realm.
Sky Spirit Island, Xuantian Sword Sect station Hall.
A Sword Cultivator at Spirit Transformation Stage hurried into the hall and reported to the Elder on duty, Sword Master Feng, the news of Li Mu's arrival in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region via the teleportation array.
Upon receiving this news, Sword Master Feng frowned deeply and muttered to himself, "Elder Li has come to the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region. What is he up to this time?"
Li Mu's identity was quite special; he was a thorn in the side of the Nine Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Lord - Dana. Last time, his appearance led to the massacre of all the Cultivators on Wanxing Island. Although the Blood Demon Lord - Dana was dead, other Demon Abyss forces still harbored strong hostility towards Li Mu.
Li Mu's appearance in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region this time was highly likely to cause no small commotion.
"Increase patrol personnel and strengthen patrol efforts," Sword Master Feng pondered for a moment, then looked at the Sword Cultivator at Spirit Transformation Stage and ordered, "Immediately send a message to the nearby Disciples, telling them to closely monitor Elder Li's movements. If there's any abnormality, they must report it to me immediately."
"Yes!"
That Sword Cultivator at Spirit Transformation Stage gladly accepted the order and hurried away.
Sword Master Feng, meanwhile, paced back and forth in the hall, contemplating all the possible situations.
A few days later, the Earth Element Spirit Ship appeared in an unfamiliar sea area.
At this moment, 'Li Mu' stood at the bow of the Earth Element Spirit Ship, gazing at the beautiful distant seascape where the sea met the sky. The sea breeze gently stirred his robes, giving him a somewhat ethereal, Daoist demeanor. The Azure Moon True Dragon stood by his side, its Divine Thought extended, holding a jade token and silently sensing something.
On the jade token, light subtly flowed, and the array patterns on the token had a subtle connection with a certain part of the Water Mansion Secret Realm.
Guided by the Azure Moon True Dragon, the Earth Element Spirit Ship sped through the air like lightning, quickly arriving at the sea area where the Water Mansion Secret Realm was located.
"Master, it's just ahead!" The Azure Moon True Dragon suddenly opened its eyes and gestured to 'Li Mu'.
'Li Mu' nodded. With a wave of his hand, the Earth Element Spirit Ship's speed abruptly dropped, and he then put it away. Li Mu leaped down and, with the Azure Moon True Dragon, dove into the sea.
Far away on Sky Spirit Island, Sword Master Feng also received news from his Disciple, learning that Li Mu had ventured deep into the Nether Water Sea Domain, seemingly searching for something important.
This intelligence caused Sword Master Feng's brows to furrow involuntarily. The Nether Water Sea Domain, nearly tens of thousands of miles from Sky Spirit Island, was a sea area beyond the Sky Profound Sword Sect's jurisdiction. The environment there was harsh, filled with sea monsters and Yao Beasts, and Restrictions were everywhere. More importantly, the Demon Abyss forces seemed to be hidden somewhere, difficult to eradicate. Why would Elder Li go to such a place?
Given Li Mu's cautious personality, he shouldn't easily take risks, but the current situation was somewhat unexpected. Sword Master Feng had to consider more possibilities, hesitating whether to inform Sword Master Feng, who was currently in seclusion, to come out and provide timely rescue for Elder Li.
"Can we contact Elder Li now?" Sword Master Feng asked the reporting Soul Transformation Disciple with a grave tone.
"Elder Li has entered the depths of the Nether Water Sea Domain. Our communication Talismans probably can't penetrate the Restrictions there. We tried to send messages through the Disciple token, but received no response from Elder Li. It seems the communication has been blocked," the Soul Transformation Disciple respectfully replied.
Upon hearing this, Sword Master Feng's brows furrowed deeply, feeling a subtle unease. The Nether Water Sea Domain was a place where the Demon Abyss forces' shadows frequently operated, undoubtedly posing a huge threat to Li Mu.
Why would Elder Li venture alone into such a dangerous place? What exactly attracted him, making him willing to take such a risk?
"Continue to closely monitor Elder Li's movements. Once you discover his whereabouts, or if there's any disturbance, report it to me immediately," Sword Master Feng's tone was serious as he instructed the Soul Transformation Disciple.
As his voice fell, Sword Master Feng's figure vanished like a ghost in the hall. He decided to inform Sword Master Feng of this important situation, as Li Mu's life was at stake, and Sword Master Feng valued him greatly.
Soon after, Sword Master Feng stood before Sword Master Feng's Immortal Cave where he was in seclusion. He took a deep breath, calming his agitated emotions, then gently knocked on the heavy stone door.
A moment later, the stone door slowly opened with a rumbling sound, revealing Sword Master Feng's profound and majestic face. His eyes shone like stars, and his Sword Intent was awe-inspiring. Being disturbed from his seclusion made him quite angry; his face was stern, radiating an unspoken wrath.
"Yun Jian, what is it?" Sword Master Feng looked directly at Sword Master Feng and asked in a deep voice.
Sword Master Feng dared not delay and quickly informed Sword Master Feng in detail about Li Mu's deep venture into the Nether Water Sea Domain.
Upon hearing this, Sword Master Feng's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he fell into deep thought. He still remembered the Blood Demon Lord - Dana's unusual obsession with Li Mu, even going so far as to mobilize all his forces to besiege Wanxing Island just to capture him. Now that the Blood Demon Lord - Dana was dead, Li Mu had reappeared in the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region. There must be an unknown secret hidden within this.
Could it be related to another Sealed Land? Sword Master Feng's heart stirred, and following this line of thought, he subtly guessed some truth.
"Elder Li's actions are indeed somewhat risky," Sword Master Feng slowly spoke, breaking the silence, and indicated, "However, he has always acted cautiously, and this trip must have a deeper meaning. We cannot stand idly by. You personally go to the vicinity of the Nether Water Sea Domain and closely monitor his movements. If anything happens, send me a message via Flying Sword."
"Yes!" Sword Master Feng replied, then turned and left.
Soon, Sword Master Feng departed on his Flying Sword, speeding towards the Nether Water Sea Domain.
At this moment, in the ten thousand-fathom deep sea of the Nether Water Sea Domain, the Azure Moon True Dragon revealed its true form, a hundred-zhang Azure Dragon, moving through the deep sea by controlling water. 'Li Mu' sat cross-legged on the dragon's head, his eyes closed, Divine Sense spread out, carefully sensing the movements ahead, avoiding sea Yao Beasts and sea monsters.
"Qing Yue, stop moving forward and conceal your form!"
At this moment, Li Mu's Divine Thought detected something, and he immediately notified the Azure Moon True Dragon.
Upon hearing this, the Azure Moon True Dragon immediately stopped its forward movement and concealed itself in a deep sea trench. Its body gradually became transparent, as if merging with the surrounding seawater, making it difficult to detect.
Inside the Treasure Mansion, Li Mu's closed eyes suddenly opened, his Divine Sense tightly locking onto a section of water ahead. That was precisely where he had sensed the anomaly: a hidden underwater Immortal Cave near the Water Mansion Secret Realm, where a group of Demon Cultivators were hiding—two Void Refining Demon Cultivators leading twelve Soul Transformation Demon Cultivators.
"Why would they be here?"
Li Mu's brows furrowed, and he immediately understood the reason.
The Blood Demon Lord - Dana and his subordinates must have already discovered the location of the Water Mansion Secret Realm. However, because the Sealed Land was surrounded by endless water Spiritual Power, and its Restriction was complete and unbreakable, they had been unable to break through the Restriction Grand Formation. It was precisely for this reason that they had been searching everywhere for the key to enter the Water Mansion Secret Realm, eventually finding it on him.
Because of him, they couldn't find the key to enter the Sealed Land, so they naturally chose to dispatch a group of Cultivators to guard this place, attempting to wait for the Secret Realm to be opened by him.
"Master, what should we do? Should we give up?"
Through Li Mu's reminder, the Azure Moon True Dragon also discovered the enemies hiding near the Water Mansion Secret Realm. Its eyes widened as it asked.
"Give up? No need for that. If there are only these enemies, we should be able to take care of them. Since they want to wait for us, we'll give them a 'surprise,'" Li Mu mused for a moment before deciding.
The Blood Demon Lord - Dana was dead, and if there were no Body Integration Realm powerful Cultivators guarding this place, Li Mu was confident he could handle the current situation. Moreover, although this group of Demon Cultivators was numerous, their strength varied, and they had probably been stationed here for a long time, lacking vigilance. This weakness could be exploited.
Upon hearing this, the Azure Moon True Dragon's eyes immediately lit up.
"Let's not act rashly yet; observe their movements," Li Mu reminded the Azure Moon True Dragon and arranged, "Once we've fully understood their strength and patrol patterns, we'll take action. For now, focus on hiding your form and don't let them discover us."
"Yes, Master!" The Azure Moon True Dragon responded, its entire body's Azure Dragon scales' spiritual light retracted, and its form and aura completely merged into the deep sea.
For the next twenty-odd days, Li Mu and the Azure Moon True Dragon continuously observed the movements of the Demon Cultivators in secret. They discovered that although these Demon Cultivators were highly vigilant, frequently changing shifts and patrolling, and closely monitoring their surroundings, their actions also exhibited a certain pattern. Long-term deep-sea living had made these Demon Cultivators irritable, and conflicts and disputes often occurred among them.
There were a total of 36 of them: 4 Void Refining and 32 Soul Transformation. They were divided into four groups, rotating in two batches for patrols or rest. Every seven days, one group of Cultivators would leave the deep sea and go to the surface for three days to hunt Yao Beasts.
"They need to release pressure and find Cultivation resources," Li Mu thought to himself, and at the same time, a new plan gradually formed in his mind.
A few days later, when a group of Demon Cultivators left the deep sea as usual to hunt Yao Beasts somewhere, Li Mu and his Yao Beasts had already set up an ambush on their return route.
As night fell, the sea surface shimmered. Li Mu, the Azure Moon True Dragon, and the Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix concealed themselves in the darkness, quietly awaiting their prey's return.
Soon after, Xue Jing, the Void Refining Realm Demon Cultivator, led his subordinates after completing their Yao Beast hunt, returning with a bountiful catch. They had been suppressed in the deep sea for too long, and this hunting excursion had put them in high spirits. They laughed and chatted along the way, completely unaware of the hidden murderous intent lurking in the shadows.
As they gradually approached the ambush, Li Mu took a deep breath, counted silently, and then launched his long-planned attack. With a light flip of his palm, a Flying Sword shimmering with Five Elements Spiritual Power shot out like a meteor, aiming directly for the throat of a Soul Transformation Demon Cultivator.
That Soul Transformation Demon Cultivator, suddenly encountering such a swift surprise attack, a trace of astonishment flashed across his face. He instinctively summoned his shield Magical Artifact, attempting to block the fatal blow.
However, he never expected the Five Elements Spirit Sword's power to be so astonishing. The Flying Sword, like a hot knife through butter, instantly pierced through his shield Magical Artifact. Its speed was so fast that he had no time to react at all.
The Five Elements Flying Sword instantly penetrated his neck, blood splattered, and his life's flame was extinguished in an instant. Even his Divine Soul didn't have time to escape.
The Five Elements Spirit Sword did not stop after killing its target. It turned sharply in the space with the speed of a gust of wind and whistled towards the second Soul Transformation Demon Cultivator. That Demon Cultivator was terrified to see his companion die tragically, but it was already too late to dodge.
With a muffled 'thud', the Five Elements Flying Sword once again pierced through the Magical Artifact and the Physical Body. The second Soul Transformation Demon Cultivator also followed in the footsteps of the first, dying as the Flying Sword passed through him.
Upon seeing this scene, all the Soul Transformation Demon Cultivators were terrified. They scattered and fled, their once orderly formation instantly collapsing, leaving only the Void Refining Demon Cultivator Xue Jing standing alone and helpless.
"Bastard!" Xue Jing roared, his eyes revealing intense killing intent. As a powerful Cultivator at the Void Refining Realm, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? Seeing his subordinates tragically die one by one at the enemy's hands, the rage in his heart burned fiercely.
"Die for me!" The Void Refining Demon Cultivator - Xue Jing roared, his figure instantly disappearing from his spot, fiercely pouncing towards the revealed Li Mu.
Facing the furious charge of the Void Refining Demon Cultivator - Xue Jing, Li Mu appeared exceptionally calm and fearless. He continued to skillfully control the Seven-Order Dao Weapon—the Five Elements Spirit Sword—and with thunderous might, continued to slay the remaining Soul Transformation Demon Cultivators. These Cultivators of the same Realm as him appeared so fragile before the Five Elements Spirit Sword's sharpness, utterly unable to withstand its fierce Sword Intent.
Under Li Mu's control, the Five Elements Spirit Sword moved like a swimming dragon in the sea, sometimes soaring into the sky, sometimes diving straight down. With every swing of the sword, a Soul Transformation Demon Cultivator fell. The sharp blade seemed capable of cutting through anything; whether it was a Magical Artifact or a Physical Body, they were as fragile as paper before it.
The Void Refining Demon Cultivator - Xue Jing transformed into a ball of blood light and instantly charged towards Li Mu. Just then, five figures instantly appeared behind Li Mu, each summoning their Natal Spirit Treasure.
The Azure Moon True Dragon wielded its True Water Silk Ribbon, transforming into a thousand-zhang water Dragon, its spiritual light shimmering, roaring as it charged towards the blood light.
The Crimson Refining Fire Phoenix activated its skyfire cauldron, and scorching flames erupted, condensing into a flock of fire sparrows that whistled forth.
The golden origin with its green eyes held a golden long staff, transforming into a dazzling golden light, like a whip of divine punishment, breaking through the air and fiercely striking the opponent.
The Azure Jade Ginseng King used its wood origin spirit staff to conjure a colossal emerald hand, with thousands of emerald spiritual vines surging like tentacles.
The Obsidian Jade Rock, on the other hand, summoned a giant rock green mountain, as if a majestic mountain was pressing down, transforming into a green beam of light with the force of thunder.
The five six-tier spirit treasures quickly converged to form the Five Elements Grand Formation, instantly enveloping the Void Refining Demon Cultivator. The Five Elements generated each other, forming a vibrant, colorful light curtain. Within the light curtain, Five Elements Spiritual Power flowed, seemingly containing endless power.
The Void Refining Demon Cultivator - Xue Jing, trapped within the Five Elements Grand Formation, felt the surging Five Elements Spiritual Power overwhelm him. He quickly condensed his blood light Law Domain to resist, but was immediately ensnared. Breaking free from the Five Elements Grand Formation's restraint proved incredibly difficult. With the Five Elements' mutual generation and restraint, his blood light Law Domain seemed to be suppressed by an invisible force within this Five Elements Grand Formation, unable to exert its proper power.
Seeing this, Li Mu showed a satisfied smile. He continued to control the Five Elements Spirit Sword, slaughtering the fleeing Soul Transformation Demon Cultivators, intending to deal with this Void Refining powerful Cultivator later.
