"Finally, I can enter seclusion in peace," Su Min murmured to herself, her voice echoing softly against the carved jade walls as she settled into the center of the quiet chamber. The cool stone floor beneath her felt solid and grounding against the swirling thoughts of the past few years.
After reaching the Golden Core stage, every step forward demanded long periods of closed-door cultivation that tested the very limits of one's patience. Even with a lifespan of five hundred years, a Golden Core cultivator's time never felt like enough; the vastness of the Great Dao was a horizon that receded with every mile gained. She could only hope the children she had gathered would manage well under the peacock's guidance.
The peacock's strength was formidable, not just in raw power but also in her sharp methods and ancient intelligence. Su Min felt assured leaving the young disciples in her care. Over the past few decades, she had laid a solid foundation for them, providing the resources and the safety they needed to thrive. The rest was up to their own efforts and fortunes. She had guided them onto the path, but she couldn't walk it for them.
"Time to begin. I wonder how much stronger I can become this time." With that thought, she slowly closed her eyes and immersed herself in that deep, peculiar state of cultivation where time lost its meaning.
Even Golden Core experts needed frequent seclusion, though for her, it wasn't currently about improving her cultivation level. Under the heavy suppression of heaven and earth, she couldn't advance a single inch in her rank. This time was for consolidation, for knitting her experiences together and deepening her comprehension.
Only when the Golden Core Avenue opened could she continue her progress, aiming to eventually leave this world at the Nascent Soul stage. She had to be among the first wave to enter when that day came. Many of the opportunities there were one-time only, and those who arrived late would find nothing but the dust left by those who came before.
With her current strength, she could handle ordinary Golden Core cultivators, but against the true geniuses who would be emerging from their own long seclusions, the outcome was uncertain. Her innate talent wasn't purely combat-oriented, and she still lacked a true core cultivation scripture to tie all her diverse abilities into a single weapon.
"So much information," she gasped as a sudden flood of knowledge surged into her mind, sending a splitting, white-hot pain through her skull. It felt as if her brain were being unmade and reassembled. "This 'Path of Salvation'..."
Images of starving villages and concepts of divine mercy swirled in her consciousness, tangled with the relentless pursuit of the path of longevity. The two paths, usually at odds, began to braid together into a single, cohesive intent. Su Min gritted her teeth, her spiritual form trembling. As a Golden Core cultivator, her perception and information processing abilities were far beyond mortal limits, yet this influx was overwhelming, a tidal wave of celestial data.
Then, her spiritual sense was pulled into a strange, vast world that smelled of rain and ancient lightning. A colossal figure loomed before her, its serpentine body stretching endlessly into the misty clouds, scales the color of deep jade shimmering with a faint, rhythmic light. She could only catch glimpses of its massive segments as they moved through the fog.
"Finally meeting you, Azure Dragon, leader of the Four Symbols."
The pressure it exuded was utterly different from the Vermilion Bird she had encountered before. This time, Su Min felt as if she were standing before heaven itself, a force as unstoppable and final as the last strike of her Nine Nine Heavenly Tribulation. It was no wonder her head had been pounding; her mind was struggling to contain even a fraction of this majesty.
A sharp, burning pain shot through her arm, forcing her to one knee in her mental landscape. An intricate, dragon-shaped mark briefly glowed on her skin, searing itself into her spiritual essence before vanishing without a trace.
"An entry ticket to the Azure Dragon's legacy?" she realized, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
The Four Symbols had each engraved their inheritances into the Heavenly Dao itself, woven into the very fabric of existence. While she had obtained the Vermilion Bird's complete legacy, including the Nanming Lihuo, the others required her to meet specific conditions to unlock their full power. This was why the Heavenly Dao Insight talent was so revered, but it had to be paired with immense, grinding effort. For the Azure Dragon's legacy, she needed to walk both the Path of Salvation and the Path of Longevity to a significant depth.
A new understanding settled within her, cooling the fire in her veins.
[Four Symbols Rebirth — Dragon]
[Effect: Accelerates recovery from injuries and spiritual power depletion.]
As the power integrated into her body, Su Min frowned, her spiritual form standing tall once more. "Another sustain-based ability? This is... underwhelming."
This acquired divine ability seemed mediocre at first glance, hardly worthy of the Azure Dragon's majestic title. But she understood this wasn't the end; it was just a key, a permit granting her the right to compete for the true legacy hidden within the Golden Core Avenue.
And her competitors would be the sealed experts from across the ages—not just the geniuses of this era, but the strongest of their times, blessed with peerless physiques and comprehension that had been preserved in ice and jade for centuries.
"Troublesome. I will need all the help I can get for this," she mused, thinking of Xie Yingying's mysterious strength. Cultivation wasn't just about brute force; connections and backing mattered immensely. Those ancient sects had entire teams of elites supporting their chosen candidates. She, on the other hand, would be largely alone.
Even Xie Yingying's Heavenly Yin Sect legacy was lost to the sands of history. The three divine beasts and the island's spirit creatures couldn't enter the Golden Core Avenue, and her fledgling sect would be lucky to produce anyone near the level of the five great sect leaders within a few centuries.
"Next up, you, Vermilion Bird." As the colossal presence of the Azure Dragon faded into the mist, a familiar, crimson figure descended into her consciousness, its aura far more welcoming. After all, she had already obtained the Vermilion Bird's complete legacy.
But another wave of information struck, another headache blooming behind her eyes. Vast, intricate knowledge of fire and rebirth flooded her mind, burning away the lingering chill of the dragon's presence.
"Vermilion Bird Holy Idol!!!"
A massive, fiery phantom materialized behind her spiritual form, its wings spanning the breadth of her mind. The air within her mental landscape turned to liquid heat, a roar of rebirth that shook her core to its foundation.
[Vermilion Bird Holy Idol]
① Incinerate All Things: Releases ultra-high-temperature compressed flames, reducing everything to ash.
② Blazing Lotus Domain: Rapidly raises the temperature in an area, greatly enhancing fire-attribute effects while suppressing all others.
③ Self-Destructing Strike: Detonates the idol for massive AoE damage, though it can't be summoned again for a long while.
Boom—!
A surge of scorching, destructive energy erupted within her mental world, clearing away the last of the fog.
"Now this is the real Vermilion Bird legacy. Finally, some serious firepower."
As the visions finally faded, Su Min opened her physical eyes to find her seclusion chamber charred black, the air smelling of scorched stone. Thankfully, her robes were made of high-quality spirit cloth, or she would have been left naked once again in the middle of her retreat.
With a heavy, metallic clang, she summoned her massive cauldron. A cultivator's combat strength relied not just on internal skills, but also on external treasures. Her current Yellow-tier gear was no longer sufficient for the high-level battles to come.
"I probably can't forge Mystic-tier high-grade treasures yet, but mid-grade should be manageable," she assessed, her eyes reflecting the glowing runes on the cauldron's surface.
She had stockpiled mountains of materials for this exact purpose. Her first and most important target was a new set of armor. It was the most complex piece to forge, but it was the one that offered the most comprehensive boost to a cultivator's survivability.
"Thank the heavens for the Golden Core Avenue's restrictions," she thought, "or I would be running for my life against those ancient geniuses."
The Great Dao Avenue had two key rules that were a godsend for her. Only Golden Core cultivators could enter, and they could only advance to Golden Core Perfection inside. Furthermore, no treasures above Mystic-tier high-grade were allowed. Without these restrictions, facing the heaven-defying treasures of the ancient sects would be a hopeless endeavor from the start.
"This ore nearly killed me to obtain," she muttered, waving her hand. A two-meter-long boulder of marble-like stone appeared, radiating a faint, icy chill. It was White Nether Spirit Ore, a top-tier material the current world couldn't produce naturally. Acquiring it had cost her three precious Grade 4 pills, months of grueling alchemy, and another batch of Golden Spirit Pills. Only a master alchemist of her caliber could have traded for it in the Great Luo Tian State.
"With this as the base, I will forge myself a suit of armor worthy of the challenges ahead." More rare materials floated around her, dancing in the air as white-hot flames ignited in her palms.
"Nanming Lihuo—ignite!!!"
The temperature in the chamber skyrocketed instantly. Her seclusion spot was a natural hollow within the Fusang Divine Tree. Though the tree was a wood-attribute divine wonder, its proximity to the Golden Crow had infused it with vast fire energy, even traces of the Solar True Flame. It was perfect for forge work, providing a natural kiln, but it was disastrous for the delicate control needed for alchemy.
For three years, the divine flames tirelessly refined the ore, melting away impurities until only a shimmering, silvery-white liquid remained, hovering in the air like a pool of moonlight.
"Mold," Su Min commanded. Her hands moved with a fluid, hypnotic grace, weaving the molten metal as if it were silk. The liquid obeyed her will, taking the shape of a sleek, form-fitting set of moon-white armor. Silver-veined joints provided the necessary flexibility, and resilient spirit cloth was woven into key areas to ensure her mobility wasn't hampered.
[White Cloud Heart Armor (Mystic-tier Mid-Grade)]
Unlike the impractical, skimpy armor often depicted for women in dramas, Su Min's creation was fully practical, designed for protection and movement, yet it was no less striking for its utility. The snow-white plates contrasted sharply with her dark hair and eyes, and her high ponytail added a sharp, heroic flair to her silhouette.
"Not bad," she said, examining her work in a mirror of spiritual force. "More coverage is always better." She smirked. She wasn't about to die for the sake of fashion.
"A decade in seclusion," she mused, stretching her limbs and feeling the new armor shift comfortably against her body. "Just a blink for me, but half a lifetime for mortals."
She sensed that the settlement, now grown to over three hundred thousand people, was thriving. The island's vastness meant they still occupied only a tiny fraction of its land, the smoke of distant hearths rising like thin ribbons into the sky. Life was good here, a testament that when the rulers weren't monsters, even basic fairness felt like paradise.
"Time to check on the outside world and those children." She soared out from the divine tree, her movement a blur. This area was a restricted zone that was fiercely guarded in the young Golden Crow's absence. Flying up to the hatchling's nest high in the canopy, she frowned. The egg had hatched, but the creature within was still small and downy. "Why hasn't the little Golden Crow grown? Did your 'century' estimate miss something?"
The Azure Dragon guardian, coiled nearby and watching over the nest with an unblinking, emerald eye, turned his gaze to her. "Lady Su, are you... by chance, a 'Solar Sovereign Body'?"
"Huh?" Su Min blinked, caught off guard by the question. "My constitution is 'Blazing Flame Body'. It's rare, but nowhere near the pinnacle of yang attributes."
"Strange. You carry the breath of the sun, a trait unique to Solar Sovereign Bodies. Yet you somehow have it." The dragon's voice was a low rumble that vibrated in Su Min's chest. "That is why the young mistress's slumber will be much longer than I first estimated. Your presence accelerates her growth, but it also deepens her hibernation."
"I see..." Su Min wasn't entirely surprised. Her status panel had long shown an unactivated 'Taiyang Qi' trait. When it would fully awaken, no one knew. But she wasn't in a hurry. Her next target was the Eastern Azure Wood, not the Fusang Tree itself, which would incinerate anyone but a Golden Crow who tried to claim it.
With nothing else to do at the nest, Su Min swooped down to inspect her sect's progress. The peacock, now in her human form and looking remarkably composed, greeted her with a raised eyebrow.
"You didn't self-seal? I expected you to be in seclusion longer," the peacock noted.
"No need. My lifespan is... unusually long," Su Min replied vaguely.
"Hmph. Your sect is coming along nicely," the peacock noted, gesturing toward the burgeoning temple complex. "The newborns here have exceptional aptitudes thanks to the environment. I have also integrated many of the more docile spirit beasts into human society, since the Path of Divine Flames was originally intended for beasts. And surprisingly, you know Buddhist mantra techniques?"
Shrines dedicated to Su Min had sprouted across the island, becoming her most stable source of faith. This was high-quality worship from genuinely grateful settlers. Unlike distant, indifferent gods, she actually delivered on her promises of divine protection. The spirit beasts involved, like the plow-pulling oxen, also reaped benefits from the incense offerings.
"How are the children?" Su Min asked, getting to her main concern.
"Your eye for talent was sound," the peacock acknowledged, a rare note of praise in her voice. "All seven have reached the Qi Refining stage. Whether or not they can cross the 'Immortal Mortal Divide' and form their foundations now depends entirely on their own determination and fortune."
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Even Azure Dragon can detect her hidden "Solar Sovereign body". That's why I say that she and Yingying are the match made in heaven. LOL