The moment the enormous river clam demon revealed itself, Su Min was already moving. She swiftly summoned the Verdant Wood Vines' power, creating a living shield that protected the soldiers from the deadly water arrow volley. Then, she charged forward. She had been waiting for this exact opportunity: the brief but critical opening that appeared right after the clam demon unleashed its powerful attack.
She didn't hesitate. She brought out the small, unassuming gourd from her sleeve. Its surface was cool against her palm, vibrating with a low, rhythmic hum as it sensed the proximity of the beast. Her other primary offensive methods, the Tiger Soul and the Nanming Lihuo, weren't ideal for this foe. The sacred fire, in particular, would be severely weakened underwater.
But now, with the clam spirit fully exposed on the surface and momentarily spent from its own attack, it's the perfect moment to strike. The soldiers' weapons couldn't pierce its defense, but that didn't mean Su Min was powerless. She had been waiting for this exact opportunity: the brief but critical opening that appeared right after the clam demon unleashed its powerful attack. She raised the gourd, pointing its opening directly at the colossal beast's exposed soft tissue.
Demon Slaying Thunder.
Boom—!
In the next instant, a stark, black lightning streak split the sky. It moved faster than the eye could follow, striking the clam demon before it could even react and pouring straight into its still-gaping maw. A sharp scent of ozone filled the air, briefly masking the brine.
Splat—!
A horrifying, wet sound echoed across the beach. In a single heartbeat, the colossal creature's body convulsed and shriveled. Its once massive, twenty-meter shell rapidly contracted, folding in on itself until it was barely a meter or two across. The nacreous sheen of the exterior dulled into a matte, bruised gray. Desperately and weakly, it tried to shuffle back toward the river's safety. But how could Su Min possibly allow it to escape?
In a flash, she lunged forward, her body a blur against the gray sand. She delivered a fierce, spiritually charged kick to the clam's shell, sending the creature hurtling like a cannonball onto the beach's dry dunes. Even as it landed with a heavy thud, the shell continued to shrink at an alarming, unnatural speed.
Su Min wasn't one to hesitate. With a light tap of her foot against the sea's surface, she glided gracefully onto the shore. She drew her treasured flying sword and, with deft, precise movements, pried open the giant clam's now vulnerable shell. Inside, she extracted a single, perfectly round, gleaming pearl that pulsed with a soft, aqueous light.
[Tidewater Pearl: Attracts the power of tides. Can be used for Foundation Establishment.]
"As I thought," Su Min muttered. She frowned slightly as she turned the cool, heavy pearl in her hand. "It was this thing that allowed a common river clam to transform into a regional scourge."
With a flick of her wrist, she stored the pearl away in her ring. Everyone around her, from Governor Jia to the lowest soldier, knew she had just claimed an extraordinary treasure, but not a single soul dared to utter a word of protest. They had witnessed her power. Meanwhile, as the clam demon breathed its last, the nearby merman hybrids began to twitch and wither. Their bodies lost cohesion and dissolved into foul, blackened water that seeped into the sand, leaving behind only a faint, lingering rot. Clearly, the supernatural threat that had plagued the coast for so long had been completely extinguished.
"At last! These cursed beasts are finally dead!" Governor Jia spat on the ground with grim satisfaction as he watched the black sludge disappear. For the first time in years, the heavy worry lines on his face eased, replaced by genuine relief.
And he wasn't alone. All around them, soldiers and the few rescued villagers wept, cheered, and embraced each other. Moments before, they had worried that some creatures might have escaped to torment them another day, but now those fears had completely vanished. With the source destroyed, all its spawned horrors had evaporated like morning mist.
Finally, they could bid farewell to the nightmare that had loomed over them for the past year. Many of these people had been forced to abandon their farms and homes, driven to take desperate refuge in the crowded, fearful city. Now, unbridled joy and exhaustion filled every face.
"With this matter settled, I will head back to the city first," Su Min said, her voice calm and detached amidst the celebration. "I need to investigate a few things further. You can make your way back at your own pace."
With a last, sweeping glance at the devastated village landscape, her figure flickered and then vanished into the distance. Her speed and agility far outstripped these ordinary cultivators and soldiers. Besides, the village had little left to offer and no reason for her to linger. A far more pressing matter was now demanding her attention.
Her innate Divine Ability, Heavenly Dao Insight, had tingled, sensing the fulfillment of some hidden condition linked to her recent act of salvation. She needed a quiet, safe place to comprehend this fully. Even though such enlightenments usually lasted but an instant, caution was always vital. Soon, she found a secluded peak overlooking the sea and sat down cross-legged on the flat stone.
In the blink of an eye, her consciousness plunged once more into that mysterious, internal world.
[Path of Salvation: Deliverance from Suffering.] — [Condition Fulfilled]
[Path of Slaughter: To Kill and End Killing.] — [Condition Fulfilled]
"Hm?" She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Two path completions at once?
Once again, she found herself in that strange, starry space, and before her, the Vermilion Bird's massive, majestic form materialized. Its feathers radiated pure, shimmering heat.
"The Vermilion Bird...?" she murmured.
The colossal firebird stirred its wings ever so slightly, and an overwhelming wave of primordial heat rushed toward her. It was a sensation so intense it felt as if her very soul would be incinerated. But at that critical moment, just as the feeling became unbearable, her consciousness snapped back to reality.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in her physical body on the mountain peak. New knowledge burned in her mind.
[Four Auspicious Signs — Heavenly Sun: Vermilion Bird Possession.]
[Vermilion Bird Possession: Manifest the Vermilion Bird's wings and obtain its unique powers of flight and flame.]
"Flight... I wonder how much spiritual energy it consumes?" she wondered aloud.
Closing her eyes, Su Min calmly assessed her body's condition, feeling her energy's vast reservoir. Then, she decided to test it, whispering under her breath.
"Vermilion Bird Possession."
The next instant, crimson flames erupted from her body without burning her clothes. A brilliant, fiery aura engulfed her, dyeing her hair and pupils a vivid, glowing crimson. Two majestic, fully formed wings of pure fire and light unfurled from her back with a sound like a roaring forge. Their power surged through her limbs, making her feel weightless.
"...Damn, that's a huge energy drain," she observed. She felt her spiritual power ebb noticeably. "Not suitable for long-distance travel in my current state... but for a short, intense combat boost, it will be perfect."
She frowned slightly at the limitation, but quickly smoothed her expression. It wasn't an insurmountable problem. Once she advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, her spiritual energy would multiply, allowing her to wield this new power with far greater ease and for longer periods.
"I will need more materials for the other elements," she mused, planning her next steps. "Once I'm back, I will check with the Fuding Merchant Guild for new information."
It was thanks to the guild's extensive intelligence network that she had found this clam demon so quickly. If she had relied solely on random inquiries and wandering, it might have taken one or two years to track the creature down. By then, after consuming so much more human blood, the clam might have advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage itself. Confronting it then would have been a true struggle, even for her.
"Now to seal it away," she thought, letting the Vermilion Bird's power recede. The fiery wings dissolved into embers that faded on the wind.
She had to remember that White Tiger Possession and Vermilion Bird Possession were two completely different systems, drawing on different aspects of her power. They couldn't be used at the same time; she would have to choose between them strategically depending on the situation.
Chuckling lightly to herself at the new complexity, Su Min vanished from the mountain peak. When she returned to the city, she was surprised to find what seemed like the entire populace gathered at the main gates, anxiously awaiting news of the battle. But this time, she didn't show herself. It's better to let Governor Jia make the official announcement and receive the accolades. As for herself, she had more important things to do, like quietly searching through the city's archives and record halls for clues about the other elemental treasures.
No one dared to stop her. The token she carried granted her privileges on par with the city's most revered and feared protectors.
"Fire arts govern droughts, earth governs land shifts, metal governs slaughter..." she recited softly, running her fingers over dusty scrolls. "If only this were a game," Su Min thought ruefully. "Anything new would just pop up as a convenient system notification." Here, the path to power was paved with relentless effort and dusty research.