Cultivation: But Not a Game

Su Yu didn’t linger on the Four Symbols Island for long. After a brief observation, he left and headed east, preparing to roam around the eastern island of the Fallen Star Islands occupied by the Horned Demon People.

However, flying east for hundreds of thousands of miles, he suddenly saw a familiar, strange glow appearing spontaneously on the sea surface, rising gingerly from the ocean.

"Red Tide?"

Su Yu, very surprised, dove into the sea, seeing that strange glow everywhere, both underwater and on the surface.

He immediately stopped, contemplated for a moment, and opened the panel to shout in the regional channel:

"Is there anyone nearby? It seems like there’s a Red Tide near the Four Symbols Island."

Soon, a few people responded sparsely:

"It’s not just ’seems like’, there is a Red Tide. Not only near the Four Symbols Island, but the entire East Sea is experiencing a Red Tide."

He asked curiously:

"Is the range that big?"

"You’re just finding out?"

Su Yu honestly replied:

"I came from elsewhere, so I’m not very familiar with the Red Tide here at the Fallen Star Islands."

"The Red Tide at the Fallen Star Islands is different from the outside; it has a very long interval, usually occurring every ten to twenty years. Once it erupts, the scale is extremely large, covering an entire region. If the East Sea experiences a Red Tide, it will completely cover the entire East Sea, which spans over a billion kilometers."

"Hiss, occurring every ten to twenty years, doesn’t that make it extremely challenging?"

"Absolutely."

"The four clans at the Fallen Star Islands are at war, and the number of players who die in battle each year is unknown. When the Red Tide erupts, they all transform into spirits, a number far greater than the population of living players. By then, they are sure to besiege each city."

Su Yu immediately asked:

"Are there many super BOSSs in the Red Tide? Do they pose a significant threat to major cities?"

"Heh, plenty enough to satisfy."

"Over the years, more than ten thousand immortals, and countless Earth Immortals have died in the clashes at the Fallen Star Islands. Every time the Red Tide occurs, multiple super BOSSs of immortal level will appear. If such a super BOSS targets you, even the main city must respond with caution, while other cities face a near-certain death."

"So dangerous..."

A bold idea immediately flashed in Su Yu’s mind:

"Say, is it possible to lure a super BOSS to attack the main city of the Horned Demon People?"

"Nice idea, but how do you lure it?"

Chu Tao, hiding with several companions underwater, glanced at the chatter in the regional channel and curled his lips:

"A super BOSS over level 300 could crush you with a finger, how would you lure it?"

Time slipped by in idle chatter, and the anomalies of the world became increasingly evident. Despite the bright sun, the world gradually turned dark red, with everything tinged in a layer of blood.

The Red Tide was about to arrive, so naturally, Su Yu didn’t need to go ashore. He stayed in the sea, waiting for the Red Tide to arrive.

The sky was filled with Horned Demon players on the move, and soon the entire Red Sea was shrouded by the Red Tide, submerged by the Red Tide Essence, with everyone seeking refuge in the major cities and big guilds of the East Sea.

The Red Tide at the Fallen Star Islands was even larger in scale, but its outbreak was slower. Previously, at the Feixing Islands, it took only two or three hours from signs to a full outbreak; here, they had waited nearly five hours without a complete outbreak.

More than seventy thousand kilometers away from the Four Symbols City lay a small unnamed island only two or three square kilometers in size. The island was lush with vegetation but had no spirit monsters, and typically no Horned Demon players lingered there.

On the island was a small hill. On the sea-facing side was a newly dug cave, inside which thirty-five human players gathered, including Su Yu.

These thirty-five individuals were all first-level Loose Immortals. Like Su Yu, they infiltrated the Horned Demon territory in groups of three to five, either for reconnaissance or sabotage. When they encountered the onset of the Red Tide, they exchanged messages in the regional channel and decided to gather together to act as one.

The leader, Chu Tao, said in a deep voice:

"The Red Tide outbreak will last nearly two months. This poses a great threat to the Horned Demon People, so we can plan carefully to see if we can find a way to surprise attack and destroy one of their major cities."

"It’s worth a try."

The crowd nodded, eager to give it a go.

Chu Tao, with a thought, shared his map, circling an area with his finger and marking several points within the circle, saying:

"This is our current region. Besides the Four Symbols City, within a range of five hundred thousand kilometers, there are several other major cities or big guild headquarters. Once the Red Tide fully erupts, we’ll go out and search for BOSSs, leading them near these major cities to use their power to destroy them."

Su Yu carefully examined the map, noting that Chu Tao’s map was more detailed than his own.

His map only had general information, while Chu Tao’s map included detailed information such as the number of resident players in the city and which top experts resided there—extremely detailed.

After listening to Chu Tao, Su Yu privately sent a message:

"Can you share that map with me?"

Chu Tao immediately replied:

"This is something I purchased at a high price, then personally scouted for. If you want it, you’ll need to pay."

"No problem, how much?"

"2000 gold, including detailed maps of the eastern island of Fallen Star Islands and the East Sea region."

"Sure."

Su Yu directly traded with him, handed over 2000 gold, and immediately received a prompt of map sharing from Chu Tao. Upon acceptance, the map package replaced his own map, and the maps of the eastern island of Fallen Star Islands and the East Sea were instantly updated, becoming identical to Chu Tao’s.

He carefully browsed through it; this map was indeed very detailed.

Not only were the previous general pieces of information transformed into detailed data, but many new markers that were unseen before were added to the map.

To say nothing else, around the Horned Demon People’s Four Symbols Main City, an area spanning five hundred thousand kilometers saw an increase of no less than twice the number of new site markers, most of which were medium and small guild powers and various resource points.

"It’s worth it."

After that, Chu Tao discussed with everyone the division of labor after the Red Tide, following the previous team formation, with large groups acting alone, and smaller teams merging into larger units, while Su Yu continued to act alone.

Time passed, and the Red Tide was bound to arrive.

Accompanied by a dull sound that shook their spiritual souls, the previously dim world darkened, turning into a blood-red hue. Streams of liquid resembling blood plasma gathered, forming gigantic whirlpools, like refresh points for spirit monsters, with endless Red Tide Essence flying out and spreading in all directions.

"It’s here!"

Everyone raised their immortal treasures, standing atop a small mountain, poised for action. Su Yu also held onto the Nine Heaven Violet Thunder Hammer, silently watching the massive blood plasma whirlpool dozens of kilometers away and the endless Red Tide Spirits emanating from it.

The moment these Red Tide Spirits appeared, they pounced on the sea monsters, engaging in fierce battles.

During the Red Tide, ninety percent of monsters within the area would be slain by the Red Tide Essence, and upon death, would be constrained by the Red Tide, turning into essence.

The group of thirty-five stood on the mountain, soon attracting a squad of Red Tide Spirits to approach.

Chu Tao extended his hand, grabbing and pushing out a cluster of flames that swiftly split into hundreds of Binghuo Divine Thunder webs, exploding instantly and annihilating a group.

Others also showcased their means, either wielding twin swords or casting magic, with some revealing their Dharma bodies, casting spells as easily as drinking water.

Not to be outdone, Su Yu swung the Violet Thunder Hammer in his hand, a purple lightning blasted into the monster group, pulverizing a level 90 Blood Jiao. He then pointed a finger, summoning countless Gui Water Elites, swiftly condensing tens of thousands of water arrows that rained down from the sky, instantly clearing a large area.

"Oh?"

The others glanced, quite surprised at Su Yu, eliminating the disdain that had brewed in their hearts due to his low level.

An expert reveals their skill from the first move.

Water Arrows Rain is a very basic water magic, on the same level as Fire Rain Skill; typically only those below level 30 without good treasures use this for leveling up, its power pitifully low, efficiency drops dramatically against spirits over level 40, and by level 50, virtually no one uses it.

For such a basic spell to have such exaggerated power in his hands is something that not just anyone can accomplish.

No matter how he achieved this, it was enough to prove his strength cannot be judged solely by level.

And Su Yu’s subsequent actions proved this move was no fluke. His hands wove continuously, gathering waves upon waves of Water Arrows Rain, each wave unleashing tens of thousands of water arrows, launching hundreds of waves in one breath, continuous and inexhaustible.

"Whoa, buddy, your mana is really abundant."

Su Yu shrugged, not revealing that unleashing hundreds of waves of arrows only consumed barely over twenty thousand mana, about two hundred mana per wave.

Mastering the Water Element Dao Law not only amplifies power by *10 but dramatically reduces the mana consumption for water magic, only needing a tenth of the usual, amazingly strong.

Compared to the high-end Time Law, the Five Elements Law is more down-to-earth, extremely useful in regular battles.

Thirty-five Loose Immortals acted together, quickly surrounding the refresh point nearby, eliminating every Red Tide Essence spawned from the whirlpool.

Although most were below level 100, without any cultivation, earning scant experience from slaying, the drop rates remained, and a fierce frenzy yielded quite a number of essences, which could still fetch some money.

After an intense four-hour spree, swarms of Red Tide groups from other refresh points converged, and the world was fully engulfed by the Red Tide.

However, this didn’t affect them; they continued grinding.

The Red Tide lasts more than two months, with few bosses at the beginning; those super bosses above level 200 appear at least a week later, so there’s nothing they can do now.

After a day’s grind, some felt too many people made it easy, and teams began separating to grind monsters as previously allocated.

Su Yu went off in one direction alone, summoning five women upon leaving.

Including Yan Qiubai and Vast Sea, both of whom had switched to breath fresh air.

Vast Sea now reached level 196, just one step away from level 200, likely achieving it within months, reaching a new realm by then.

Su Yu previously arranged a Level Eight refining artifact in South Sea City for her, designed to hide her aura, having trained in the Taiyin Concealment skill and a Celestial technique called Lesser Divination of the Stars, specifically avoiding being traced by experts using heavenly techniques.

This ensemble layered upon itself, even facing an Immortal wouldn’t reveal her background, unless an Immortal deliberately attempted to break her concealment or used celestial divination to specially read her fate.

The likelihood of that is extremely low, almost never happening.

Being an Innate Water God, Vast Sea naturally controls the Water Dao Law, far stronger than Su Yu’s half-baked skill forced upon him by an Innate Immortal Treasure.

With Water Arrows Rain, Su Yu can summon up to tens of thousands of arrows each time, each with power of fifty to sixty thousand, as she casually calls forth hundreds of thousands of arrows each, each with power exceeding hundred thousand, devastating as they burst forth, wiping out large areas in a second.