Su Min gazed calmly at the two men standing defiantly before her. The air in the cavern was thick, heavy with the conflicting auras of wood and water, making every breath feel like inhaling damp wool. If she could scare them off without further bloodshed, that's the ideal outcome. After all, she had to be wary of the unpredictable, life-saving trump cards these heirs of major sects undoubtedly possessed. As the saying went, no one who survived the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations was an easy opponent.
Driving them away would be the cleanest result, though if a fight became inevitable, she wasn't afraid of that either. She could feel the steady, pulsing heat of the Eastern Azure Wood within her, a vibrant green energy that sang in harmony with her own blood.
"A joke. If you were a true, perfected Five Elements Holy Body, I might fear you a little."
Mu Ling sneered at Su Min's implied threat. He wasn't called the "Wood Madman" for nothing; his recklessness was legendary, written in the jagged scars that crossed his knuckles. Beside him, Han Chaoyan wore a similarly arrogant expression. As a once-in-a-millennium genius of his sect, he naturally had his pride, a stiff-necked vanity that refused to acknowledge any peer.
Besides, it's now two against one. As for Chang Lu, who had fled earlier, the two had already mentally labeled him a coward. Sure enough, in the next moment, two terrifying auras erupted, pressing down on Su Min with the weight of collapsing mountains.
"Let my Glass-Forged Heart Body test your limits, Lady Su."
Mu Ling's cold voice rang out, echoing off the obsidian-slick walls. The Glass-Forged Heart Body was a peak-tier T2 physique, known for refining one's flesh to an extreme, diamond-like hardness, making it perfect for close combat.
When paired with the vitality of the Eastern Azure Wood, it's completely negated its usual vulnerability to internal injuries, arguably surpassing even the defensive potential of Su Min's Blazing Sun Body combined with Nanming Lihuo. His skin took on a translucent, jade-like sheen, and the air around him rippled with raw physical force.
As Mu Ling unleashed his full physical power, a dark, coiling shadow emerged behind Han Chaoyan—the phantom of a mythical Teng Snake. Its eyes were twin embers of sickly yellow, and its scales seemed to absorb the light of the cavern.
"A Teng Snake inheritance? Troublesome," Su Min assessed quickly. "Without the Eastern Azure Wood's support, even a one-on-one fight with either would've been difficult. But now that one has fled, the odds are much better."
While innate physiques were powerful, a cultivator's skill, experience, and will mattered more. Even a mortal body could, in theory, ascend to immortality through sheer determination. Deciding to seize the initiative, Su Min acted.
The colossal Vermilion Bird Idol behind her suddenly opened its beak, spewing a concentrated torrent of white-hot Nanming Lihuo straight at Han Chaoyan. The flame was so intense it turned the air into a shimmering haze. The inheritances of ancient divine beasts were unpredictable and notoriously hard to counter with conventional techniques.
"Cloud Reversing Abyssal Waters!"
The Teng Snake's shadow opened its own maw, unleashing a jet of abyssal black water that collided with the divine flames in a violent explosion of steam and hissing energy. The resulting fog was so thick it momentarily blinded everyone, smelling of scorched stone and ancient brine.
"The Teng Snake excels in water, and water counters fire," Su Min analyzed internally. "But while the Teng Snake is one of the powerful Eight Divine Spirits, the Vermilion Bird is one of the foundational Four Symbols. And with the Eastern Azure Wood fueling my Nanming Lihuo, you can only hold out for so long."
She smirked inwardly. The Teng Snake's innate water was formidable, but Han Chaoyan only had the inheritance, not a true divine water source. Even so, he was barely holding his own against her amplified flames. As for why Su Min wasn't pouring all her power into that assault?
Simple.
Because at that moment, Mu Ling had already closed the distance, appearing right in front of her. A fist, glowing with dark green energy and capable of shattering mountains, was hurtling toward her face.
Clang!!!
Su Min barely had time to cross her arms in a defensive stance, taking the blow head-on. The impact was tremendous, a bone-jarring vibration that traveled all the way down to her heels. Between her resilient Earth-grade armor and a hastily conjured Golden Bell Shield, the attack was mitigated, leaving her shaken but without fatal damage. The shield shattered into golden shards that dissolved before they hit the floor.
"Damn, that's some tough defense."
Mu Ling's expression darkened as he watched Su Min get sent flying back through the air. He hadn't expected a single strike to defeat her, but the fact that she was completely unharmed was alarming. Her defensive capabilities were absurd, a wall of sun-fire that refused to buckle.
"Hurry up and find a way to beat her! I can't hold off this Vermilion Bird for long!"
Han Chaoyan's face was twisted in strain and frustration. The jet of black water was shrinking, evaporating under the relentless heat of the firebird. With the dual amplification of Nanming Lihuo and the Eastern Azure Wood, the Vermilion Bird Idol's power was terrifying. If Su Min decided to focus her entire assault on him, his defeat would only be a matter of time.
"Got it!"
But the moment Mu Ling responded, a dozen fiery flying swords, their flames tinged with green wood energy, shot toward him from Su Min's position. They hummed through the air, leaving trails of emerald smoke.
Clink! Clank!
Though he managed to block or deflect them all with swift, powerful strikes, scorched, blackened marks now marred his arms. The heat was bypassing his jade-like skin, cooking the muscle beneath. His brow twitched in pain and anger. At their level, everyone had at least Earth-grade armor. His was even Earth-grade high-tier, personally forged by a Nascent Soul elder and superior to Su Min's in raw quality. Yet those wood-fueled fire swords had still bypassed his defenses enough to injure him.
"Wood-fueled fire swords. That's just terrifying," he muttered.
Before he could recover his stance, a chilling sense of danger ran down his spine. He turned with inhuman speed, only to see Su Min had already used a movement technique to appear behind him. Her ruby-like eyes coldly reflected his stunned expression. Her blade, wreathed in crimson flame, descended in a deadly arc that promised to cleave the very air. After the earlier attacks, he didn't dare take this strike head-on, so a small, intricately carved jade mirror materialized in the air between them.
Clang!
Su Min's powerful slash was deflected by a brilliant light emitted from the mirror. In the next moment, Mu Ling used the momentum to close the distance again. His fist, now densely wreathed in dark green, almost black energy, came crashing down toward her chest with his full force. The veins across his body glowed ominously, and the phantom of a roaring Nine Nether Sacred Tiger loomed behind him. For a moment, he resembled an ancient primordial beast resurrected, his combat style utterly ruthless and overwhelming, designed to deliver the heaviest blows in the shortest time possible.
"Thousand Wood Mountain Shattering Fist!"
BOOM!!!
The very earth of the cavern trembled from the impact, sending dust and small stones raining from the ceiling.
Mu Ling smirked inwardly. This was his full power strike, one that had once literally torn a late-stage Golden Core demonic beast in half. No matter how tough Su Min's defenses were, she couldn't possibly withstand this. Of course, his expression wasn't entirely pleased either. The precious jade mirror before him had split in two and clattered to the ground, useless junk. In just a few exchanges, he had already burned through two life-saving treasures.
But then, two glowing talismanic characters materialized in the air beside him, their power binding his limbs and locking his spiritual energy like cold iron shackles.
"'卍' Character? A Buddhist cultivator?!" Mu Ling's eyes widened in shock at the golden, swirling symbol. Buddhist practitioners followed an entirely different cultivation path, with unique techniques and divine abilities. They rarely participated in standard Golden Core level trials like this.
"Watch out!!!"
Han Chaoyan's desperate warning came a second too late.
Because at that moment, a blinding, all-consuming crimson light engulfed the world.
"!!!"
Mu Ling turned his head, his body still struggling against the bindings, only to see the Vermilion Bird Idol expanding rapidly before his eyes. Its form became unstable, a star about to go supernova. The two talismans, the '卍' Character for suppression and the 'Thunder' Character for paralysis, held him firmly in place. The former had little direct effect on him since he wasn't a demonic creature, but the latter sent paralyzing arcs of heavenly lightning coursing through his body, completely disrupting his energy flow. Breaking free would take him two or three critical seconds, but he didn't have that time.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A blazing, sun-like shockwave erupted from the center of the Idol, painting the entire cavern sky in fiery red. The sheer heat washed over everything, even disrupting the stable, inky darkness of Xie Yingying's prison domain. The latter swiftly manipulated her brush, sending thick inky threads to weave a shield against the incoming wave of destruction. She stood firm, her eyes fixed on the spot where Su Min had been, her heart hammering against her ribs with a fear she rarely allowed herself to feel.
"Did she just self-destruct her Idol?" Xie Yingying was stunned, her composure cracking. "That power... it's insane."
She had been suppressing the others relatively effortlessly, so she had a clear view of the main battle. Su Min hadn't used any subtle tricks or complex strategies. She had simply, and decisively, detonated her most powerful manifested technique. The raw force was terrifying. If she had been any closer to the epicenter, even she, with her Lunar Sovereign Body, wouldn't have survived unscathed. Sure enough, a charred, smoking figure soon plummeted from the heart of the explosion like a fallen star.
"Still alive? Everyone, retreat!"
Han Chaoyan, now covered in severe burns and his robes in tatters, didn't hesitate. If not for his Teng Snake's innate water protection manifesting at the last second, he would've been critically injured or killed. Continuing the fight was utterly pointless.
With the Eastern Azure Wood now integrated into Su Min's body, her recovery rate would be monstrous. It's better to cut their losses. He lunged forward, grabbing the unconscious, badly wounded Mu Ling, and fled toward the nearest exit. He shouted at his scattered, terrified subordinates, his voice cracking with desperation.
In an instant, the once-chaotic battlefield fell into an eerie silence, punctuated only by the crackle of dying flames and the soft hiss of cooling stone.
"Ugh…"
Su Min floated up weakly from the crater she had created in the cliffside, looking utterly battered. Blood streaked the side of her face, and her armor was scorched and dented, the golden luster gone. Her snow-white hair had reverted to its normal black, and the fiery aura around her had faded significantly. She couldn't stop the fleeing enemies in her current state, but she sighed in relief. At least her most vital secret, her second life ability, was still intact. As she had guessed, cleanly defeating elite opponents like this required paying a heavy price.
"Earth-grade high-tier gauntlets, Earth-grade high-tier armor, Earth-grade high-tier spell-breaking talismans, Earth-grade high-tier heart-protecting mirror," she mentally cataloged Mu Ling's gear. "What a luxurious setup. A pity for you it still wasn't enough."
She chuckled inwardly, though it sent a spike of pain through her ribs that made her vision swim. Fighting two at once had been manageable, if costly. Against all three from the start, she might have been forced to expend her second life. Mu Ling's equipment was ridiculously high-end, especially the two disposable life-saving treasures. If he had lacked even one of those four key items, he wouldn't have been able to injure her so severely.
"You alright? I thought you had blown yourself up along with them."
Xie Yingying flew over, her ink brush vanishing into her sleeve. She had planned to assist after fully dealing with the others, but they had proven more stubborn than expected. Yet the main battle had ended in a flash of overwhelming force. She reached out, her fingers hovering just inches from Su Min's shoulder, wanting to touch her but hesitating at the last second. Her eyes were wide, searched Su Min's face for any sign of a truly fatal wound.
"I am fine," Su Min grunted, popping a high-grade healing pill into her mouth. The medicine tasted of bitter herbs and honey, instantly sending a cooling wave through her scorched meridians. "The Eastern Azure Wood and Nanming Lihuo synergize perfectly for recovery. Without them, I wouldn't have crippled that guy so easily, nor would I be standing now."
The Teng Snake inheritor hadn't been too troublesome in the end, but that close-combat berserker was a real pain. As the saying went, absolute force crushes all techniques. Since she wasn't a dedicated body cultivator, facing him head-on had always been a calculated risk. She looked at Xie Yingying, noticing the worry etched into the other woman's face, and felt a strange, warm tug in her chest.
"Now, only the two of us remain in this entire secret realm," Su Min stated, looking around the scorched and empty cavern. "Whether those outside will set an ambush is another matter, but for now, we're safe. It's time to truly refine the Eastern Azure Wood. I could barely unleash half its power earlier."
A faint, pulsing green light seeped from Su Min's pores—evidence of the unrefined divine energy within her. Though she could borrow the wood's power, she couldn't fully harness or control it yet. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so heavily injured in the final exchange. Moreover, the moment she had merged with it, she had gained a vague sense of the entire secret realm's condition. It's now empty of other life, its treasures mostly plundered. It'd take decades, perhaps centuries, for its spiritual energy to recover and for new guardians to form.
So the only thing left of value is the wood itself. How long fully refining it would take, she wasn't sure. Golden Core cultivators didn't have endless lifespans, and secluded training lasting over a decade wasn't uncommon for a breakthrough of this magnitude.
"Perfect timing. I need to absorb this Naiqiong Divine Ice crystal as well," Xie Yingying agreed, holding up the shimmering, cold stone. "Those guys probably won't let this grudge go. They might be waiting for us outside. Let's go into seclusion here first. It's the safest place."
Xie Yingying nodded decisively. They had thoroughly offended three major sects this time, but so what? Strengthening themselves was the immediate priority. Soon, the two found separate, secluded spots within the vast cavern to begin their closed-door cultivation—one to refine the heavenly wood, the other to absorb the frost crystal.
-
Outside the Secret Realm
"Oh? Not only did you fail, but you got beaten to a pulp too."
Chang Lu grinned mockingly at the bedraggled, wounded group that had just stumbled out of the portal. Their robes were rags, and they smelled of ozone and burnt meat. Thankfully, he had trusted his instincts and fled early, otherwise he'd have suffered the same fate.
"You bastard! If you hadn't run, the three of us together could have taken her down!"
Han Chaoyan spat angrily, his burns still smarting under his tattered sleeves.
"Hmph. There are countless inheritances in this world. Why waste all my effort and treasures fighting a Five Elements Holy Body and a Lunar Sovereign Body, two once-in-an-era physiques, on their home turf?" Chang Lu retorted. "Besides, looks like you burned through all your life-saving treasures. How will you compete with other elites for the remaining legacies now? Farewell!"
With a final mocking salute, Chang Lu turned and left with his own disciples. The Eastern Azure Wood was valuable, but with so many powerful competitors, his sect wouldn't unduly blame him for a tactical withdrawal. The Golden Core Avenue was vast, and there've plenty of other opportunities. Why exhaust all his trump cards on a single, overly dangerous prize?
Han Chaoyan and the heavily injured, unconscious Mu Ling wore ugly expressions. He had clearly used his last life-saving treasure. Though his injuries were severe, his foundation remained intact, and he just needed extensive time to recover. But with no more safeguards left, while Su Min hadn't even used one of her own, the loss was undeniable and bitter.
"Five Elements Holy Body… Lunar Sovereign Body… Do you really think no one in this avenue can deal with you?" Mu Ling, who had regained a sliver of consciousness, shot a venomous glare at the now-sealed secret realm entrance before allowing his subordinates to carry him away.
As for Han Chaoyan, his losses were comparatively lighter. Ambushing the two women when they emerged was a fool's thought; they would be at their peak. There were other, potentially better, inheritances to pursue.
"The Netherworld Ghost Water should manifest in the Serpent's Abyss region soon," he mused. "If I can't get the Eastern Azure Wood, that's a fitting alternative. A pity my Four Waters Darkwood Body can't safely host two divine artifacts."
With that pragmatic thought, he left without a backward glance. Securing the Eastern Azure Wood had been his sect's primary objective, but his personal path to power lay elsewhere. The Teng Snake's true potential required a water-type divine artifact, which would suit him far better anyway. Besides, fighting Su Min had taught him one brutal lesson: without a divine artifact of his own, he was at a severe disadvantage against those who possessed them.
Her Vermilion Bird, amplified by two divine artifacts, had utterly crushed his Teng Snake phantom. Stealing the wood from her now was impossible, and even if he succeeded, he couldn't keep it. One would return to heaven and earth, the other to the Azure Dragon's secret realm, which wouldn't reopen during this Golden Core trial cycle. So he left, his mind already moving on to the next opportunity without much regret.
Su Min and Xie Yingying had miscalculated one thing. The first thirty years of the Golden Core Avenue trials were the most critical, a golden window when countless major and minor inheritances emerged. No one, not even the bitterest Mu Ling, would waste this precious period camping outside a single realm for an ambush.
Within days, the once-crowded ruins outside the Azure Dragon's domain were deserted, only to be slowly repopulated by the scattered rogue cultivators who had been driven off earlier. Many secret realms remained open and accessible even after their core inheritances were taken, so scavenging for leftover treasures, herbs, or insights was still worthwhile.
This was also why Su Min hadn't brought any disciples from her own sect. Those high-level inheritances were far beyond their current abilities. Rather than risk their lives here for minimal gain, staying home to cultivate was safer and wiser. A single high-grade pill or a piece of guidance from her upon her return'd be far more valuable to them.
Inside the Azure Dragon's Secret Realm
Weeks later, Su Min opened her eyes. She hadn't rushed headlong into refining the Eastern Azure Wood. Instead, she had focused entirely on healing her substantial injuries first. Mu Ling's final, desperate strike had shattered over a dozen of her bones and caused significant internal damage. A full recovery had taken considerable time and spiritual energy, not to mention dealing with the myriad of other lesser injuries from the battle.
"After this ordeal, my meridians are more resilient, and there are no hidden injuries left," she assessed with a sense of satisfaction. She could feel the spiritual energy flowing through her like a clear, unobstructed river. Now, finally restored to her peak condition, she could turn her undivided attention to the Eastern Azure Wood, the key to unlocking the next stage of her Azure Dragon inheritance and her Five Elements Holy Body.
Glancing over to the other side of the cavern, she saw Xie Yingying still encased in a radiant, cocoon-like shell of white jade light, deeply immersed in absorbing the profound energies of the Naiqiong Divine Ice crystal. Su Min looked at the cocoon for a long moment, a quiet warmth settling in her chest. She found herself checking the structural integrity of the cavern one last time, an unreasonable protectiveness flaring up even in the silence. She wouldn't let anything disturb Xie Yingying's progress.
Su Min wouldn't allow herself to fall behind. She stood up and walked back to the center of the chamber, where the essence of the Eastern Azure Wood now resided within her.
"Time to begin the true refinement," she murmured to herself, a glint of determination in her eyes. "Let's see how my physique evolves with a second divine artifact."
With that, she sat down in a lotus position, closed her eyes, and began to channel her spiritual energy inward, guiding it to carefully unravel, absorb, and integrate the boundless, vibrant power of the heavenly wood into the very fabric of her being. The long process of seclusion had truly begun.
===
From previous "rule" it can be said that only cultivator who had atleast three-nine tribulation, and max Mystic tier that can go inside the Golden Core Avenue.
But the holy sons clearly had "Earth-grade" things, in my opinion they must get it somewhere on Golden Core Avenue as they can't bought it from outside.
~~
I'm here!!!
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I hope that you guys give this novel a shot. For schedule is same with this novel, 5 chapters/ day. You can found it on this site. Thanks ~~