In the depths of the East Sea, at the bottom of the Deep Sea Trench, lay an immensely majestic Crystal Palace that resembled the divine palaces of the heavens.

This was the illustrious East Sea Dragon Palace.

At this moment, shadows darted around the palace, layered inside and out, forming an inescapable net to capture a single person.

"All of you, stay sharp! If Su Han escapes, I’ll eat you alive!"

A hundred-meter-long shark swam through the sea. His gaze was ferocious, his teeth terrifying, and his entire body emanated a heart-stopping, ferocious power. This was a Shark Commander at the Seventh Level of the Heavenly King Realm. He commanded several schools of fish and was tasked with guarding the Dragon Palace and capturing Su Han.

The schools of fish, numbering in the tens of thousands, swirled like a current around the palace. Not a single clue could escape their watch.

This was only the first line of the blockade, intended to confirm that Su Han had left the Dragon Palace Ruins. Outside, there were two more blockades—those were the ones truly meant to kill Su Han.

This time, Su Han had slain too many prodigies of the Demon Race, enraging the three major clans of the East Sea. They had issued a direct kill order, commanding all major Demon Clans to act in unison, vowing to tear Su Han into a million pieces.

WHOOSH!

A spatial ripple emerged silently, indistinguishable from the ordinary flow of water, and went completely unnoticed. Su Han’s figure stepped out from it. He had long since restrained his aura, concealed his form, and even activated his Black Hole Transformation, making him all the more inconspicuous in the pitch-black depths of the sea.

Although the fish were numerous, their individual strength was low, so they failed to detect the anomaly.

I’m indeed trapped!

Seeing the Shark Commander and the surrounding schools of fish, Su Han felt neither panic nor surprise. This was the East Sea, the territory of the Demon Race. He had slain many of their prodigies within the Dragon Palace Ruins and seized the opportunity of the Dragon Transformation Pool. The East Sea Demon Clan would never let him go. Therefore, Su Han was already mentally prepared for this situation.

"Nine Heavens Eye, open!"

Su Han immediately activated the Nine Heavens Eye, and the darkness of the seabed no longer impeded his vision. He quickly spotted the Shark Commander’s location and the tens of thousands of fish surrounding him.

The enemy forces were not overwhelmingly strong—only the Shark Commander was in the Heavenly King Realm—but their numbers were vast. Any move he made would be instantly detected.

It seems there are other enemies waiting outside!

Su Han’s mind worked quickly, and he soon deduced the existence of additional blockades. The Demon Race was once a highly developed civilization with intelligence no less than that of the Human Race; otherwise, they could never have occupied the entire East Sea. The Shark Commander and the schools of fish were merely here to detect and stall him. The real killing blow awaited outside. The moment Su Han revealed himself, a truly inescapable net would close in on him.

With Su Han’s strength, escaping the East Sea was no easy task. The sea was vast and teeming with demon beasts. To carve a bloody path out would be incredibly difficult, especially since the three major powers were Imperial Clans, home not only to Heavenly King Realm experts but also to Supremes, Sages, and Great Emperors.

But staying here was pointless. Su Han knew he had no backing and no one would come to his rescue. He could only save himself.

It’s a pity my Thousand Changes and Transformations only works on humans, not demon beasts. Otherwise, I could have just blended in and escaped!

Su Han felt a tinge of regret. If his Thousand Changes and Transformations were usable here, escaping would have been as easy as flipping his hand.

The longer I delay, the more likely I am to be exposed. I can’t just sit here and wait for death. I’ll try to sneak out along the deep seabed.

Sitting idle was not Su Han’s style. He would never give up, no matter how difficult the odds. With this in mind, Su Han suppressed his aura to the absolute limit and dove down swiftly. He reached the sandy seabed and began to make his escape, using the darkness and sand for cover.

Unfortunately, his luck ran out. Before he could get far, he encountered an anglerfish. The creature was hidden in the sand, emitting a faint light that just so happened to illuminate Su Han’s figure.

"Commander, Su Han is here!"

This anglerfish had also been stationed here by the Shark Commander, specifically to prevent Su Han from sneaking away. The fish instantly sent out special sound waves to alert its commander.

"Slay!"

A sharp glint in his eyes, Su Han struck decisively. His Black Blade flashed like lightning, instantly killing the anglerfish. At the same time, he had the Great Majestic Demon King absorb its flesh and blood, destroying all evidence.

But even though he had acted in an instant, the anglerfish’s message had already been sent. The Shark Commander immediately came, having detected Su Han’s aura.

"Su Han, you’ve finally shown yourself! Did you think you could escape from the seabed? What wishful thinking! You killed the prodigies of our Shark Tribe; you must die!"

The Shark Commander swooped down, its dorsal fin as sharp as a blade. With its Demon Qi flaring, it slashed out a keen blade of light. The attack cut through the water unhindered. Aided by the currents, it reached Su Han in the blink of an eye.

Su Han gripped his Black Blade and slashed out, blocking the attack, but his position was now completely exposed.

The Shark Commander violently churned the water, using a special method to transmit the news to the others. Su Han’s expression turned grim. He knew his plan to sneak away had failed.

"Su Han, you can’t escape! We’ve set up an inescapable trap. Even a Supreme Realm expert couldn’t flee. Surrender obediently, or you will die a gruesome death."

The Shark Commander stared Su Han down, giving him no chance to escape. His Demon Qi circulated, ready to strike at any moment. However, he was also wary of Su Han’s strength. After all, this human had killed countless powerful prodigies and had even claimed the opportunity of the Dragon Transformation Pool. Who knew how strong he was now?

In any case, the trap was set. He only needed to pin Su Han down, prevent his escape, and wait for reinforcements. The primary credit for the capture would then be his. The Shark Commander’s plan was clear, so he deliberately stalled for time instead of attacking recklessly.

Unfortunately for him, Su Han saw right through his intentions.

Since I can’t hide any longer, then I’ll just have to fight! I will carve a bloody path!

Su Han’s face was expressionless, but his deep, dark eyes flashed with cold, murderous intent. He had no desire for a direct confrontation with the mighty East Sea Demon Clan, but he would rather die than be captured without a fight.

So what if I face near-certain death? I will carve my own path to the heavens!

With that thought, Su Han hesitated no longer. Gripping his Black Blade, he took the initiative and charged the Shark Commander. Regardless, he had to eliminate him. As long as the commander kept him pinned down, escape was impossible.

Demonic Emperor Physique, Physique Fusion!

Su Han went all out from the very start. He donned the Ghostly Face Mask and activated Physique Fusion. In an instant, his aura skyrocketed, surging from the Heavenly King Realm Fourth Level, shattering three successive barriers to reach the Seventh Level.

If a god stands in my way, I will slay that god. If a Buddha blocks my path, I will slay that Buddha.