The space was utterly silent, devoid of wind or even the slightest ripple in the ambient spiritual energy. It felt as if the very air had crystallized into a stagnant, breathless void.
Su Min sat cross-legged at the center of the cavern, her entire body enveloped in a vibrant, verdant green glow. It wasn't a strange phenomenon but rather the visible radiance of the Eastern Azure Wood's immense power. The light was thick, almost viscous, like liquid jade flowing over her skin as it was steadily refined and integrated within her dantian.
Among the Five Divine Elements, Metal and Fire were notoriously the most dangerous and volatile to absorb. They often caused severe internal damage or even self-immolation, leaving nothing but ash behind. Wood, on the other hand, leaned inherently toward life and growth. The refinement process felt far gentler, like a steady, warming pulse of spring rain.
Moreover, this particular specimen of Eastern Azure Wood had been carefully stripped of its wild, excess energy by the previous Azure Dragon, leaving only its pure, manageable essence. If it had been in its natural, untamed state, like the Fusang Divine Tree back on her island, she would not have dared to attempt direct absorption at her current level. That ancient tree was brimming with primordial power that would have crushed her meridians in an instant.
The Golden Crow's retainers had worried she might covet the Sun's True Flame, but they had never imagined her true goal for the future was the Fusang Divine Tree itself. That ancient tree was practically untouchable, a vital, protected resource left behind by the Golden Crow Emperor for his direct descendants.
Each divine artifact possessed its own unique traits. Metal and Fire directly and dramatically enhanced combat power through destructive force. Wood's benefits were subtler, focusing on vitality, recovery, and environmental enhancement, but they weren't no less profound in the long run. It was the foundation upon which the other elements could flourish.
Now, Su Min faced a critical choice: how to develop and specialize the newly unlocked Azure Dragon's inheritance.
"The Vermilion Bird's inheritance already gives me overwhelming offensive power with Nanming Lihuo," she mused. "But..."
A phantom shiver ran down her spine as she recalled the sheer, brute force of Mu Ling's final punch. That strike had nearly killed her and shattered her defenses like glass. If she had been forced to use her second life, the precious, one-time-use life-saving treasures she had painstakingly crafted would have been wasted. Those items, like the two Spell-Breaking Talismans she had used, were incredibly difficult to produce. Some required mastery of talismanic arts, a field she had never properly studied, making every lost item a permanent blow to her utility.
So, rather than relying on unpredictable external tools, the simpler, more reliable solution was to strengthen her physique from within. Her physical body had always been her weak point compared to dedicated body cultivators. The Azure Dragon's inheritance specifically specialized in comprehensive physical enhancement without simply turning her into a mindless, muscle-bound brute.
As she continued to refine the Eastern Azure Wood, the full breadth of the Azure Dragon's legacy finally unfolded in her mind like an ancient, weathered scroll.
[Azure Dragon Creation Art: The pinnacle of body-refining techniques. Infused with the Azure Dragon's essence, it grants the practitioner a physique rivaling the Azure Dragon itself. Ordinary human cultivators suffer severe backlash when using it—only those who possess the Eastern Azure Wood can negate this cost.]
[New Skill: Azure Dragon Possession. Integrated into the Four Symbols Possession, it comprehensively enhances physical strength.]
[Due to obtaining the Eastern Azure Wood, the Blazing Sun Body has evolved into the Fire-Wood Saint Body.]
"Four Symbols Possession..."
Su Min murmured inwardly, feeling the new knowledge settle into her bones. It felt like her skeleton was being reinforced with cold iron, her muscles becoming lithe and densely packed with potential energy.
At the same time, her body underwent another subtle transformation. Her signature snow-white hair and piercing crimson eyes remained unchanged, but the manifested flaming wings on her back, a feature of her Vermilion Bird state, vanished completely. True dragons, after all, didn't need wings to command the skies; they were the sky itself.
"No muscle overload, no grotesque bulking, and externally, my body looks largely the same," she observed, flexing her hand.
But internally, the change was monumental. Her physical strength, resilience, and bone density hadn't skyrocketed. She now possessed a suite of matching physical techniques to complement this new power. The only downside was that she hadn't fully and completely refined the Eastern Azure Wood yet, so she couldn't unleash the inheritance's full, ultimate potential.
With the core inheritance knowledge now secured, Su Min closed her eyes again. This time, her goal's singular: to fully and completely refine the Eastern Azure Wood into the core of her being. It's a process she knew wouldn't be quick. As she sank into deep, focused meditation, the world around her fell into a state of absolute, profound silence.
Time flowed forward like a relentless river, utterly indifferent to her solitary existence.
One day, two days...
One year, two years...
For mortals, such spans could encompass marriages, children, and the entirety of a career.
For a Golden Core cultivator like Su Min, they were mere blinks in a long, long life.
A full decade passed within the secluded chamber. Dust that'd settled on the stones didn't even touch her skin, repelled by the faint, rhythmic pulse of her spiritual aura.
"Finally… fully refined."
Su Min exhaled a long, steady breath as she opened her eyes. The vibrant green light around her finally dimmed and sank completely into her skin. Another long seclusion had ended, but for her, it was simply routine. Golden Core cultivators often meditated for decades at a time to achieve breakthroughs. With her effectively infinite lifespan granted by her immortality, she had no reason to ever feel rushed.
"Mid-Golden Core Stage," she confirmed, assessing the new, denser and more powerful aura radiating from her core. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Progress in the Golden Core realm was far, far slower than in Foundation Establishment. Advancing even a single minor stage in forty or fifty years was considered normal. Su Min had been artificially stuck at the early stage for centuries due to the world's suppression, but that was all in the past now.
"She should be finishing her absorption soon as well," she thought, glancing toward Xie Yingying's still form across the cavern. Breaking through in the Golden Core stage required monstrous amounts of spiritual energy, and the Naiqiong Divine Ice crystal was a potent source. "When will I ever reach Nascent Soul? Well, no rush. For now, it's time to refine pills."
Checking her now updated interface, she summoned her trusted Flame Cloud Spirit Cauldron. It landed on the floor with a dull metallic thud, its surface etched with swirling cloud patterns.
Back when she had first entered the Golden Core stage, she theoretically could have attempted Tier 4 Intermediate Alchemy, but the required materials had been far too scarce and precious. Now, after hoarding resources for centuries on Eastern Mulberry Island and systematically looting the Azure Dragon's secret realm, she finally had a sufficient stockpile. True, hordes of other cultivators had stormed the realm, but over half of the minor spaces and their botanical treasures had been plundered by her alone before the final confrontation.
It's time to officially ascend to the rank of Tier 4 Intermediate Alchemist.
Besides, Xie Yingying had already handed over the ingredients for that special Flame Sun Spirit Pill. Five full batches' worth was more than enough to account for potential failuress.
"Start with the simpler, less urgent pills first," she decided, organizing her thoughts. "Breaking into Tier 4 Intermediate shouldn't be effortless for me now."
With a series of flicks of her fingers, dozens of rare and glowing herbs flew out from her spatial ring. They entered the hovering cauldron in a precise, predetermined sequence. The gap between Tier 3 and Tier 4 alchemy was massive. For most Golden Core cultivators, the mental strain of multi-threaded spiritual control for Tier 4 recipes wouldn't overload their consciousness.
But for Su Min?
Boom!!!
The cauldron flared to life, the Nanming Lihuo within it roaring under her perfect control. No issue whatsoever.
She had been refining Tier 4 Lower-Tier pills even back in the Foundation Establishment stage, a feat that defied all convention. Now, at Mid-Golden Core, with her soul power and spiritual sense vastly stronger, the precious herbs melted and merged in seconds under her guidance. The scent of bitter lotus and sweet nectar filled the cavern.
Half a day later...
"Zero difficulty," Su Min smirked, holding up a perfectly round, lustrous pill that radiated potent energy. It was a flawless Tier 4 Intermediate product. If conditions and materials allowed, she felt she couldn't even attempt Tier 4 Advanced now, but there's no need to rush. Mastery of this tier's the immediate goal.
"Now, for the main event: the Flame Sun Spirit Pills. Five batches, let's see how many I can produce."
Back in her Tier 3 days, she'd once managed to craft four or even five Foundation Establishment Pills from a single batch of materials through sheer efficiency.
But for Tier 4 Intermediate pills, that level of multiplier's nearly impossible due to the complexity and spiritual cost.
Still, Xie Yingying had waited long enough. It was time to fulfill their agreement. She could have attempted it at Early Golden Core, but her success rate and yield were undeniably better now. With a focused thought, the specific, rare herbs for the Flame Sun Spirit Pill flew into the cauldron once more.
A full week of concentrated effort later...
"Done. Eight pills in total, not a bad yield at all. Hm?"
As she was examining the eight glowing, sun-like pills, a sudden, chilling wind swept through the silent space. An ink-black darkness, deep and absolute, began to swallow the light around Xie Yingying's location. Su Min's eyebrow twitched in response to the powerful Yin energy.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A spiritual explosion echoed as an aura, powerful and sharp, erupted from the cocoon of darkness. It wasn't no weaker than her own.
Mid-Golden Core.
Xie Yingying had broken through as well. In terms of raw cultivation level, they were now even. In terms of actual combat power? With her fully manifested Lunar Sovereign Body, Xie Yingying was undoubtedly a dangerous opponent.
"Thankfully, she hasn't obtained the Lunar Sovereign Ancient Scripture yet, so her physique isn't operating at its true peak," Su Min reminded herself.
"Congratulations," Su Min said aloud, her voice cutting through the lingering chill. "The Flame Sun Spirit Pills are ready, eight in total. Four for you, four for me, as agreed."
She casually tossed two jade bottles, each containing four pulsating pills, toward the now-awake Xie Yingying.
"Thank you," Xie Yingying said, her voice carrying a new depth of power. Her eyes sparkled with genuine appreciation. She'd expected two or three pills at most from the five batches of materials, but Su Min's efficiency was, as always, monstrous.
Then again, she'd once witnessed Su Min produce five Foundation Establishment Pills in a single, unbelievable batch. Su Min's alchemy talent's simply unrivaled. With these four pills, the primary obstacle to her next goal wasn't solved.
"What is our next move?" Xie Yingying asked, storing the previous pills safely. "You have obtained the full inheritance and unlocked part of your Five Elements Holy Body, but I assume perfection is still far away."
Su Min sighed softly. "It is. The Golden Core Avenue only contains the Azure Dragon's legacy. The other three are out of reach here, and I'm still too weak to challenge them regardless. Mid-Golden Core's decent, but against the full might of the other Three Symbols, it means nothing. The previous Azure Dragon was kind enough to strip the Eastern Azure Wood's excess energy, but the other guardians have not. I'll need at least Nascent Soul strength to face the next one with any hope of success."
"Your physique is simply too rare," Xie Yingying eyed Su Min with open curiosity. "I'd never even heard of it before that battle. If not for that person's knowledge, I would have been completely clueless."
"The Five Elements Holy Body requires all five corresponding divine artifacts to reach perfection," Su Min explained. She was deliberately vague on the specifics; she was not entirely sure of all the lore herself. "And not just any five; they must be specific, pinnacle examples. Historically, almost no one has ever achieved it. It's normal you've not heard of it."
But it didn't matter to her. She knew the locations of the other three artifacts from her game knowledge. Once her strength was sufficient and the time was right, she'd seek them out and claim them all.
"The place I need to go's still too dangerous for us now," Xie Yingying stated, her expression turning serious. "Just as your mark sensed the Azure Dragon's legacy, my physique resonates with that frozen location, but the resonance's faint. It isn't time yet."
"I see..." Su Min's eyes narrowed in thought. If the path forward for both of them was temporarily blocked by a lack of power, what should they do in the meantime? She had just broken through, so rushing to Late Golden Core was not feasible or wise.
"No need to rush," Xie Yingying said, as if reading her thoughts. "The Golden Core Avenue is still full of other opportunities. We've missed many legacies during our decade of seclusion, but every cultivator has a soft limit on how many inheritances they can successfully integrate. There's no need to worry about missing out; it's better to spend time preparing for our ultimate goals. This path holds countless ancient artifacts and resources left behind by predecessors from past eras."
"Mn," Su Min nodded in agreement. It was a solid point. No external artifacts could be brought into the Golden Core Avenue, but inside, there were high-grade materials and abandoned treasures to be found. Her self-forged equipment, while good, was ultimately limited by her own cultivation level at the time of forging, paling in comparison to the gear possessed by disciples of major sects. Her last battle had made it clear: she had suffered in part due to inferior artifacts.
"How about we head to the Flame Domain next?" Xie Yingying suggested. "It's filled with remnants and legacies from ancient fire-aligned cultivators, plenty of unique opportunities there for you. What I ultimately seek lies in the depths of the Frost Domain, and based on my senses, it won't open for a long time yet."
"Agreed," Su Min said, having no objections. Even if she didn't personally need the artifacts, her sect members back home wouldn't certainly use them. Besides, her new cultivation method's Fire-Wood dual attribute, and finding compatible users for a pure wood inheritance wouldn't be difficult.
"Oh, right," Xie Yingying added as an afterthought. "You should explore the Human Domain libraries and ruins as well. The Golden Core Avenue's history predates even my sect's oldest records. There might be specialized cultivation techniques or insights specifically for the Five Elements Holy Body hidden somewhere."
Xie Yingying's reminder piqued Su Min's interest. A powerful physique indeed needed a perfectly matching technique to truly shine and reach its maximum potential.
In the game, choosing a top-tier physique and finding its dedicated technique combo's considered the ultimate cheat for power-leveling.
That Demon Queen she had fought back in Wei Wu State?
Su Min had needed to reach Golden Core strength to finally kill her. But according to player records, the fastest clear was by someone who had achieved it at late Foundation Establishment, using an SSR-grade physique and its matching technique obtained very early in the game.
That player had still been forced to grind the boss for a full, real-time day to win. Others had managed it in mid-Foundation Establishment, dying multiple times in the process. Meanwhile, Su Min's own more balanced build had struggled immensely. She knew some players were still stuck on that boss even after reaching Golden Core. But in real life, reckless dying was not an option.
Soon, they prepared to leave.
"The Dragon Domain is completely empty now; all legacies and accessible secret realms have been looted," Su Min confirmed after a quick spiritual sweep.
Both had prepared for potential ambushes upon exiting the central chamber, but to their relief, no one was around.
It was understandable.
The Golden Core Avenue had countless secret realms opening and closing in a sequential pattern. Who would waste decades camping outside a single, already plundered one? Only in the final fifty years, when most opportunities were gone, might people lie in wait for emerging rivals. Now? Everyone was too busy chasing the next wave of opportunities.
"No one's here. Let's head straight to the Flame Domain. Maybe we will find some good loot, or at the very least, gather more resources for your alchemy."
After confirming the coast was clear, Xie Yingying made the suggestion. The Golden Core Avenue's major regions opened in a known sequence. First was the Beast Domain, which held inheritances from various divine beasts, though few were perfectly suited for humans.
Ten years after the avenue opened, the Human Domain unlocked, divided into the Five Elements sub-regions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. This was where the true treasures, the personal legacies and creations of ancient human experts, were found.
Now, the main crowds had undoubtedly shifted there. As they flew away from the Dragon Domain, they spotted a few stragglers in the distance, mostly cultivators who had only survived the Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
"They couldn't compete for the good stuff in the core areas, so they are scavenging for leftovers here," Xie Yingying observed. "The Avenue's entrance closed a while ago, so they are stuck here for the full century, making the best of a bad situation. Aren't you worried about possibly meeting disciples from your sect in here?"
Su Min rolling her eyes at the thought. "If they had been foolish enough to follow the main force in, we couldn't have protected them. They would have been stuck in these resource-poor outskirts for a hundred years, wasting their potential.
They aren't that suicidal. Once the world's barriers fully open, the little Golden Crow will hatch. She couldn't activate part of the island's deeper inheritance on her own, so there's no need for my people to risk their lives here for minor gains."
It's also known that some ancient divine beasts had cooperated closely with humans, leaving behind shared legacies that weren't more accessible.
"In the Flame Domain, I will keep collecting herbs," Su Min stated, her expression turning serious as she thought of the future. "I have three Spirit Blossoms for the Nascent Soul Pill now; if possible, I want to gather enough for three full batches."
Even after the world's spiritual energy fully recovered, truly high-tier materials wouldn't remain scarce for a long time, as they'd need centuries, even millennia, to grow to maturity.
If she could stockpile key ingredients now, she would have invaluable spares for her own use or for trade in the future.
In the cultivation world, gold and silver were worthless trinkets.
But high-grade breakthrough pills?
They were the ultimate, timeless currency.