The Misty Realm, Dingwei Region.

A sea beast, resembling a colossal elephant, lumbered forward.

It possessed a pair of snow-white tusks, ears like door panels, a long, coiling trunk, and thick, powerful legs. Were it not for the jagged, fearsome bone spurs jutting from its spine, and the sleek fins adorning its sides, it would have been indistinguishable from a terrestrial elephant.

Within the right ear of this tusked behemoth, a handsome, sword-bearing youth sat cross-legged in meditation.

Of course, this was merely an illusion conjured by the Mirage King Pearl.

In the left ear of the tusked elephant, where Jiang Wang’s true form resided, all appeared empty and still, cleverly concealed by the Mirage King Pearl’s power.

Whether the Soul-Stealthing Serpent at its current level could control sea beasts was already questionable. After the evolution into the Sea Lord Manifestation, it had become utterly impossible. However, devouring several mindless sea creatures and taking their place was still within his capabilities.

Jiang Wang had already dispatched thirty-four Soul-Stealthing Serpents, each manipulating a different sea beast, to patrol the area he had designated.

Using the sea beasts as the first layer of concealment, he hoped to gain an advantage in the impending confrontation with Granny Biyu.

Within the concealed left ear of the tusked elephant, Jiang Wang held a small, ornate mirror, his mind deeply focused as he peered into it.

After weathering the Flying Snow Tribulation, he had finally begun to truly unlock the myriad uses of the Rouge Mirror. Illusory bodies, insightful observation – though for now, the most important function was the strengthening of his divine soul after the tribulation.

Having survived the Overturning Sea Tribulation, the Rouge Mirror’s range of perception had expanded from five li to fifty.

And after enduring the Heart-Questioning Tribulation, the range had not increased, but the power of perception had been enhanced. If the Rouge Mirror had previously only reflected what was before Jiang Wang’s eyes, unable to clarify what his own eyes could not see, now it would preemptively discern details for him. Things too subtle for his mortal eyes could be seen with clarity through the mirror’s vision. The precise extent of this perceptual enhancement, however, defied accurate measurement.

However, Jiang Wang was currently more concerned with another advancement – he no longer needed to enter the mirror world to wield its various abilities.

Jiang Wang rarely chose to enter the Rouge Mirror to observe the outside world, primarily because lodging his physical body within the mirror world was far too dangerous. If the Rouge Mirror were shattered, his body would crumble along with it. Although he could leap out at any time, there would still be a delay, a window of opportunity to be seized.

Now, safety was much improved; he only needed to hold the Rouge Mirror to observe his surroundings.

And so, concealed within the left ear of the tusked elephant, Jiang Wang used the Rouge Mirror to observe the world beyond.

Fifty li was not far for an Outer Building cultivator, but since Jiang Wang had once used the Rouge Mirror to gain an advantage against Hai Zongming, it might prove effective against Granny Biyu as well.

The only problem was that when holding the Rouge Mirror and observing the fifty-li radius, his divine soul felt a faint, throbbing pain. Not intense, bearable. He also faintly detected a woman’s weeping, subtle, intermittent, but undeniably present.

Jiang Wang understood that this was only the result of his divine soul essence being strengthened multiple times. Had he possessed his pre-Rouge Mirror soul, the pain would be far more severe. That weeping alone might have caused a soul-quake. A divine soul shattered as a result was not beyond possibility.

The more familiar he became with the Rouge Mirror, the more Jiang Wang understood that it was not a treasure of great fortune, but quite the opposite – it carried deep resentment and was etched with a stubborn curse.

The reason he previously had to enter the mirror world to use certain functions was actually the Rouge Mirror’s way of protecting the user. When inside, the mirror world itself insulated him from some of the negative influences. What lay hidden within the vast, misty regions beyond the scope of exploration when inside the mirror world remained to be discovered.

But the Rouge Mirror was certainly not a fortunate treasure.

Yet the use of any tool is determined by the person who wields it. Whether an artifact is tainted or blessed depends on who wields it.

Hu Shaomeng used the Rouge Mirror, and still perished. Jiang Wang obtained the Rouge Mirror, and used it to escape death multiple times.

Because of the negative influence of the Rouge Mirror, Jiang Wang had to stop every so often to cleanse his divine soul before resuming his observations. It was not impossible to press on, but weakening himself for the sake of observation would be penny wise and pound foolish.

During these interludes, he would explore his inner palace and diligently cultivate.

Under normal circumstances, his best course of action would be to quickly complete his Sin Cleansing and stay far away from Granny Biyu, for the difference in their strength was undeniable.

But Jiang Wang would never let Granny Biyu go. And from a practical standpoint, Granny Biyu’s greed for him was already beyond control. He could try to avoid her, but she would not allow it. Therefore, he had to strike first.

Purely in terms of combat prowess, he was no match for Granny Biyu. But battles were not mere comparisons of realms. A child with a knife could kill an adult with a sneak attack.

He was now fully armed, and if he could gain the upper hand, he might just be able to assassinate that old hag.

In some ways, this was a battle of patience.

Granny Biyu was lying in wait near the floating island, while Jiang Wang was on the outer perimeter, waiting for the rabbit hunter to leave empty-handed.

Jiang Wang might not win in a pure contest of patience, but he had an advantage: his refined control over his Dao Origin, which allowed him to resist the mutations of the Misty Realm longer than most cultivators of his level.

That precise control had been honed by “contending” with a True Person of this era.

And so, even if Granny Biyu patiently waited until her estimated final day, Jiang Wang could hold out for one more.

He would win this waiting game, and that would be his first step towards victory.

Life is a series of games, some win, and some lose.

Enlarged to encompass entire races, the whole world, the same principle applies.

For countless ages, the human race has undoubtedly held the upper hand. After all, the sea race was “banished” to the Canghai, and even after traversing two great eras, they had failed to retaliate.

The sea race, which gradually evolved into its current form in a harsh environment, was stronger than its predecessors, but this forced adaptation was proof of their defeat.

They could have lived in the bountiful and peaceful mortal world, swimming in the calm coastal waters, basking in the clear rivers and skies. Now, they were forced to live in the harsh Canghai, constantly facing life-and-death crises.

But then again, the sea race had not been exterminated, and would likely continue to thrive for a long time to come, which was also proof of their strength.

Just as the human race was supported by generations of geniuses, the sea race also had generations of powerful figures who had strived to turn the tide.

The sea race sages who created the Sea Lord Manifestation of old were one such example, as was Wan Tong, the current sea race powerhouse who was constantly watching over all sea races and lifting them to new heights.

Or rather, Gao Jie.

Not only was the human race ignorant of his existence, but few among the sea race truly understood him.

Wan Tong was the name Wei Xun had given him, but his true name was Gao Jie.

Lying in the deepest depths of the Canghai, watching over every member of the sea race with billions upon billions of growing, dying eyes.