He saw the mass of sponge emerge from underground, and watched as countless mutated beasts trembled and prostrated themselves...
He also saw the hermit crab return to its "house," only to discover its two "gold mines" were missing and let out a pained wail...
After that, he lost his clone's vision. It wasn't because the distance had grown too great and severed the connection, but because the Sponge Beast had discovered it and absorbed the clone entirely.
Su Ze didn't know if the Sponge Beast would give chase, but he didn't speed up to escape. Doing so would only increase his chances of being exposed.
He stopped, paying close attention to the surrounding seawater. He completely merged his liquid form into the ocean, focusing on the direction of the currents, their rise and fall, and their speed. He controlled his form to synchronize perfectly with the water, becoming one with it.
He was no longer "another body of water within the ocean," but a part of the ocean itself.
