The moment Su Min solidified her Heavenly Path Foundation Establishment, a wave of power surged through her entire being. It was a profound and fundamental enhancement, a violent expansion of her meridian capacity that felt like a great riverbed being carved wider by a flash flood. It was far beyond what could ever be attained through the simpler, more common paths of Man or Earth. The boost to her spiritual attributes was overwhelming.
It felt like a qualitative leap in her very existence, as if her soul had been forged in a hotter furnace and tempered in deeper, colder waters. But even more valuable was the gift that followed. It was a direct bestowal from the Heavens themselves, a unique and profound divine ability that settled into her consciousness with the weight of an iron seal.
Her Heavenly Dao Insight would never grant such blessings in a frenzy, but the Heavenly Dao, in its impersonal majesty, was another matter. Knowing this window of opportunity was fleeting, she wasted no time. If she hesitated now, the chance might slip through her fingers forever, lost to the shifting tides of cosmic resonance. She crossed her legs, adjusted her posture on the cold stone floor, and steadied her heart. She opened her consciousness fully to receive the tidal wave of information pouring into her.
At that moment, her body began to glow with a soft, radiant light. It shimmered across her skin like the very breath of heaven, a visible sign of the cosmic favor being granted. The light pulsed in time with her breath, illuminating every corner of the small, dusty cave with a warm golden hue.
"Just like in the game's lore," she recalled. Her thoughts were clear despite the mental pressure. "Heavenly Path Foundation Establishment grants a single chance to obtain a special destiny. That's a privilege the Human and Earth Paths can never offer."
"I will have to trust my instincts and connect with one that suits me perfectly."
Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in the vast, flowing river of celestial knowledge that roared through her mind like a waterfall.
"Found it. This one."
In that immense, starry sea of information, she sensed a unique thread of destiny actively tugging at her soul. It was a resonance she couldn't logically explain, a magnetic pull that made her spirit hum. Since she couldn't consciously browse and choose from a list, she let fate and her own inherent nature guide the selection.
A new line of text, appearing more like a fundamental law of the universe than mere words, etched itself into her understanding:
[Five Elements Holy Body: Requires Vermilion Bird's Flame (South), Azure Wood of the East, Metal's Sharp Gold of the West, Water's Profound Origin of the North, and Central Wutu Divine Earth — for full awakening.]
[Current Status: Five Element Holy Body — Blazing Sun Body (Flame Body).]
[Blazing Sun Body: Greatly amplifies the effects of all fire-based abilities.]
"So this... this awakened something that was always dormant in me?" she muttered. She squinted at her personal status as it updated in her mind's eye. Her skin felt warmer now, a comfortable heat radiating from her core that made the dry cave air seem cool by comparison. "I thought it would be more like an external blessing, but this is something deeper, more innate."
She had not expected such a foundational result. It was as if her very blood had been rewritten to harmonize with the element of fire. But her smile of satisfaction quickly faded as she read the requirements for the full physique.
"You must have be kidding me."
In the game, obtaining the Vermilion Bird's Flame was portrayed as a preordained bond between the flame and the divine beast. It's a destiny etched into the heavens' will, a classic trope of legendary heroes. But the other four elemental treasures? They are on an entirely different level of rarity. They would be far, far harder to acquire than any pill ingredient or common artifact.
"Let's see. Where are the others even located?" she pondered. She sifted through her stored knowledge, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tried to recall the vast map of the world. "Those things aren't accessible in the early game."
In game terms, this means locked regions or late-game content. Here, in this reality, it means those supreme treasures haven't yet manifested in the world or were hidden in places beyond her current reach.
"Still, awakening a rare physique is never a loss," she concluded. Her practical side took over, pushing aside the annoyance of the missing pieces. "Even if the Flame Body alone isn't considered top tier, and even if the full Five Element Sacred Body isn't among the absolute elite legendary constitutions, it's still a huge, monumental leap compared to having nothing."
She shrugged. Those truly supreme physiques were usually starter selections for players who chose a specific background anyway. She had chosen the path of an alchemist and immortal, which was fantastic for long-term growth but wasn't as flashy in raw, immediate power.
Still, in this native world, possessing even a single special physique is enough to make every major sect and hidden clan fight to the death over her. That alone makes it priceless. As for the truly supreme constitutions, those were beings born once in a millennia, destined to dominate entire eras with a single wave of their hands.
Yet, deep inside, she had a gut feeling that the Five Element Holy Body wasn't her final limit. It felt like a foundation, a key that had just been inserted into a lock, with the true door yet to be opened.
"The raw power boost is significant. Hmm? There's more."
As if responding to her thought, additional streams of knowledge flooded her mind. These were the rewards for her accumulated karma, the fruit of her past actions.
[By halting slaughter and protecting the innocent, you have gained Mystic Firewood (Xuanhuomu) Sword Art – First Layer.]
"Finally, a proper, high-grade sword technique," she sighed in profound relief. Her fingers twitched instinctively, imagining the weight of a blade and the flow of the new forms. "Those basic moves she had before, while solid, no longer matched the sheer quality of her current cultivation method or this new physique."
[By aiding the suffering, you have gained the secret art of rejuvenation / Rebirth Art (Fully restores all injuries once per 24 hours).]
"An excellent survival tool," she assessed immediately. Her mind quickly ran through potential scenarios where such an ability could turn the tide. "And it's a new, vital trump card for any prolonged battle."
But the rewards, it seemed, didn't stop there. Her influence had rippled beyond the primary Path of Longevity, touching upon the other three paths as well.
[By breaking others' bottlenecks, you have gained the Vermilion Bird's legacy — Feather of the Flame (Plumage).]
[Feather of the Flame: Three feathers in total. Each consumed feather regenerates after 12 hours. Vermilion Bird's feathers can store Vermilion Bird's Flame and synergize with divine abilities.]
"This connects directly to the Vermilion Bird lineage," she realized. Her eyes sparkled with interest as the new information settled into her mind. "But my inheritance is clearly incomplete. For now, these feathers just act as single-use bombs. Effective, but nowhere near their full potential as a legacy item."
"Ugh... my overall system of power is still a bit of a patchwork." She let out a quiet, resigned sigh. "Still, no real harm done. This is a fantastic start."
"This upgrade is truly monumental," she summarized. She felt the new strengths settling within her bones and meridians, making her feel lighter yet more substantial. "Forget the simple stat boosts. These new abilities alone raise my combat power to an entirely new level. If she faced the fused Flame Earth Elders now, she would crush them without any effort."
A confident smirk tugged at her lips. Those two had been hard-countered by her original abilities, but a straight fight back then would have been far messier and more dangerous than it needed to be.
"How long has it been? Twenty years, probably."
She frowned slightly. The concept of time felt vague and uncertain, like a thick mist over a lake. Her entire seclusion had been a strange state of half-sleep and deep cultivation. Time flowed differently inside that sealed, energy-rich desert cave. The memories from twenty years ago—the war, the farewells, the smell of blood and hot sand—still felt as sharp and immediate as yesterday.
"It's about time I head back to the world of men. I have also completely used up all my stored materials for this Foundation Establishment." She stretched her limbs, her joints popping in the quiet air of the cavern. "The ambient spiritual energy feels noticeably denser now, too. I wonder if anyone else has managed to break through to Foundation Establishment in these twenty years."
She was genuinely curious. Two decades was more than enough time for truly talented native Qi Refining cultivators to reach Foundation Establishment, even without the help of alchemical pills. Of course, their breakthroughs couldn't possibly compare to hers. None of them would have unlocked a special physique. Their attribute growth would be weaker, and their path to the Golden Core stage would be far more arduous and uncertain.
After all, the Golden Core stage was known as the ultimate dividing line between mortals and immortals. Stepping into it meant being revered as a living Immortal by the common folk. But to enter that glorious stage, one had to endure a heavenly tribulation. It was a trial of lightning and cosmic judgment so dreadful that many Foundation Establishment cultivators feared it more than death itself.
Yet that very tribulation was also a final gift. The more one endured and the higher the quality of their foundation, the greater the power and insights received from the Heavenly Dao itself. Su Min had gained her divine abilities early through her unique Heavenly Dao Insight. For most native cultivators, however, that terrifying tribulation would be their one and only chance to obtain a divine ability. They might receive a more complete version of a single ability, but their overall potential and versatility would never surpass hers.
"First stop—Yongzhou City. Let's see how it's changed, and what has become of my old... business partners."
Her secluded cave was located deep in the western desert, and the nearest major settlement was still Yongzhou. With a simple flick of her palm, she unleashed a controlled pulse of spiritual energy. It blasted the sealed cavern wall open, sending a cloud of sand and stone outward into the dunes. Sunlight, bright and almost blinding after twenty years of darkness, poured into the chamber. Without a backward glance, she soared into the clear blue sky, leaving the dust of her long seclusion and the silent cave behind.
===
Hey there! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
If you've been following my translations for a while, or even if you just stumbled across one of the novels I work on, you might've noticed that I sometimes drop a link in the comment section of certain chapters. That link usually leads to my personal glossary, where I explain complex terms and cultivation concepts.
But I realized something recently… maybe some of you are reading through the app, not the web version, and copying links there can be a hassle (´･ᴗ･ ` )
So! I decided to upload the glossary directly to my Webnovel account. You can now find it right on my profile, titled:
🌸 The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and Beyond 🌸
This way, it's easier for you to access, and I can keep updating it whenever I come across new terms, concepts, or explanations I feel are worth sharing. Whether you're new to cultivation novels or just want to deepen your understanding, I hope this helps enhance your reading experience. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
I highly recommend adding it to your library and giving it a read—even if you're already a seasoned xianxia reader. Why? Because the handbook includes everything from foundational terms you've probably seen a hundred times, to deeper insights and uncommon concepts you might not have explored yet. It's also a great refresher if you ever feel confused by a term mid-chapter.
The content is a mix of information I've gathered from various sources and my own interpretations after reading way too many cultivation webnovels (∠｀ω´) 📚
For example:
-I wrote an entire section called "The Evolution of Cultivation and the Diversification of Paths", where I explore how cultivation branches beyond just "martial" or "spiritual" types. I also touch on 法修 (Fǎxiū) as spell-based cultivators, 剑修 (Jiànxiū) for weapon users, 音悦修 (Yīnyuè Xiū) for sound cultivation, 道修 (Dàoxiū) for Path-focused cultivators, and 魔修 (Móxiū) for demonic ones. Plus, side paths like talisman masters, beast tamers, and more.
-You'll find discussions on Five Spiritual Roots (五灵根, Wǔ Líng Gēn) and how they're viewed differently in different novels—some say it's the worst, others say it's the best.
-I also dive into Heavenly Tribulations, how they vary depending on the cultivator's path, and what that means for progression.
Basically, I try to "make it make sense" by piecing together bits of knowledge scattered across tons of novels. I've rarely seen any story explain all of this in a consistent and logical order, so I figured... why not try myself?
That said, everything in the handbook reflects my personal understanding, even if I reference or quote from other sources. I try to keep things neutral, general, and easy to understand—especially since different authors interpret terms in very different ways.
You'll also find clarifications for common misconceptions, like:
-Dual Cultivation isn't always about sex—it actually has two forms: one intimate (yes, that one), and one non-intimate focused purely on energy exchange.
-Terms like human furnace or cauldron (炉鼎, lú dǐng)
-Concepts like Takeover or Soul Piercing (common transmigration tropes), which I cover in Chapter 23: Spirit/Soul/God (神, Shén) & Divine Sense
-The Hierarchy of Worlds, the difference between practitioners vs. cultivators, Martial Arts vs. Cultivation, and other common worldbuilding tropes like sects, clans, realms, and more.
All in all, this version is way more comprehensive and accessible than the old comment-linked glossary, so I really recommend you check it out! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧