"What a brutal fighting style."
Everyone watching broke into a quiet sweat as they witnessed Su Min's devastating final strike. There had been no fancy sword techniques, only pure, unrestrained physical power pushed to its absolute limit.
It carried a certain aesthetic reminiscent of Tsunade's monstrous strength. Both women achieved extreme physical enhancement through unique methods, yet neither turned into a muscle-bound brute. Of course, there was one particular area where the comparison fell rather short.
Su Min herself felt somewhat helpless. That Earth-grade artifact had been truly annoying. So she'd decided to cut the nonsense and simply smash through it with raw force.
Slurp—
"Better not use that body-enhancing technique too often. Puts some strain on the system. Ahhh, nothing beats good old-fashioned bombardment."
Rubbing her slightly sore wrist, the only aftereffect of that explosive strike, Su Min watched her opponent vanish. A quick circulation of spiritual energy erased even that minor discomfort.
Soon, her physical body returned to its resting place while a wisp of her divine sense lingered in the spectator stands. The next fight featured Xie Yingying, whose opponent, ranked sixth on the Heavenly Ranking, possessed equally impressive credentials.
Every top-ten contender had glorious battle records. While Su Min and Xie Yingying rarely fought, their few appearances had been more than enough to cement their reputations.
"Finally, we'll see the true power of the Lunar Sovereign Body! This one should at least force her to reveal something."
Compared to the earlier one-sided beatdowns, this promised to be more revealing. As the saying went: Amateurs watch the spectacle; connoisseurs study the intricacies. Every Golden Core expert present was analyzing the underlying techniques. For all the flashy displays in Su Min's previous matches, she'd essentially reused the same abilities until this last fight.
But the Lunar Sovereign Body's true capabilities? That remained a mystery.
Xie Yingying wasted no time. The moment the battle began, the entire arena was dyed in monochrome ink-wash tones. Dense Yin energy saturated the combat space. Before any attacks were exchanged, her opponent's face already showed signs of distress.
"Tianyin infiltration disrupts the body's yin-yang balance. The victim must divert significant spiritual energy just to stabilize themselves—the severity depends on the power gap. Though both are late Golden Core, the difference is still substantial. And that's before accounting for the Eternal Frost's effects..."
Having sparred countless times with Xie Yingying, Su Min understood this intimately. Without using Xie Yingying's essence blood, their matches always ended in stalemates unless they fought to the death.
Su Min's fire-wood synergy and monstrous physique gave Xie Yingying endless headaches. The Tianyang Qi in Su Min's body provided partial resistance against the Tianyin domain, but each direct hit from those Yin-force attacks was no joke, bypassing even her Holy Body's defenses and throwing her internal balance into chaos.
Worse, every strike carried corrosive Yin miasma that degraded both artifacts and spiritual energy. Combined with the ancient Lunar Yin Scripture's specialized techniques...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three consecutive slashes from Xie Yingying's blade left her opponent visibly impaired after just one exchange. Their movements grew sluggish and their energy flow faltered.
The Solar Sovereign Body produced similar effects, though its "burning" manifestation differed slightly in execution.
"This'll end soon."
Sure enough, Xie Yingying raised the sword Su Min had once gifted her. An icy blue qilin appeared behind her, a unique ability forged through surviving the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations.
"Frost Qilin Possession—Lunar Judgment!"
The monochrome arena darkened further as a massive fifteen-meter spectral sword descended from above, its sheer Yin presence overwhelming all color.
"ARGH—!"
A scream echoed as the Golden Core Avenue's protection whisked the defeated contestant away.
Silence.
Every spectator except Su Min stared grimly at the fading ink-wash hues. Even disregarding the attacks, that eerie monochrome alone felt deeply threatening. And those three initial slashes? Though blocked, the opponent's pained expression confirmed their devastating impact.
One truth became clear: Never engage the Lunar Sovereign Body in direct combat.
Compared to Su Min's Nanming Lihuo—where blocking either worked or it didn't—the Lunar Sovereign Body turned every basic attack into a major technique. Each strike layered Yin corrosion, accumulating until the body simply collapsed.
"The Lunar Sovereign Body lives up to its reputation. Even more domineering than Miss Su's dual divine artifacts."
"Honestly? I think even the Great Desolate Holy Body and Five Elements Holy Body would struggle against her."
"Obviously. The Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign are in a class of their own."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Though they'd only glimpsed a fraction of the Lunar Sovereign Body's power, its terrifying potential was undeniable. The Great Desolate Holy Body boasted peerless physicality. The Five Elements Holy Body could invert elemental affinities. But the Lunar Sovereign Body operated on entirely different principles—and was far more dangerous to engage.
"Heh. Just wait until you see Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign in perfect equilibrium. Now that's true horror."
Su Min smirked internally. With Xie Yingying's essence blood, she could absolutely dominate such matchups. But the cost was too steep for casual use.
—
The remaining battles lacked such excitement, but soon the top five were decided:
-Su Min
-Xie Yingying
-Great Desolate Holy Body
-Yao Xian'er
-Heavenly Ranking's seventh place
As the last match concluded, golden light transported the quintet to a special viewing platform.
"Three hundred extra lifespan years... Core Vein Protection to ease Nascent Soul breakthrough... Plus other rewards... If only I could—"
"Who exactly could you beat among them?"
"This generation's talent density is insane. Lunar Sovereign, Five Elements, Great Desolate—three once-in-an-era physiques appearing simultaneously, plus that enigma Yao Xian'er. Be realistic."
"Maybe I could take the fifth one..."
Envy filled the spectators' gazes. While the top four were indisputable, the fifth position drew skepticism, especially from other top-ten contenders like Han Chaoyan. Whether by luck or skill, that spot had become a lightning rod for resentment.
The five on the platform ignored the noise. More pressing matters demanded attention. A unique message echoed in each of their minds as the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking adjusted rewards according to their individual paths.
[First Place Additional Reward: Key to the Earth Qilin's Hidden Vault]
"What?!"
Su Min's mind went blank. She had already found leads on the other four celestial beasts' legacies, but the central Earth attribute, Central Wutu, had always remained elusive. Even in the game, its acquisition method had never been revealed, likely reserved for future content. Her original plan had been to collect the other four first, then slowly search for the last. But now...
"The Qilin race holds no divine offices. Like phoenixes, they're auspicious beasts, rarer even than golden crows. And unlike fixed-element creatures, Qilin embody all five phases. This Earth Qilin's legacy must be tied to Central Wutu, the final piece needed for my Five Elements Saint Body's completion.
First place is non-negotiable now. But who will I face?"
Her gaze swept the others. Aside from Yao Xian'er and Xie Yingying, the remaining two wore equally intense expressions, especially the Great Desolate Holy Body, whose fighting spirit blazed when he met Su Min's eyes.
[Yao Xian'er receives two-round bye to finals. Remaining four will compete in semifinals.]
Golden threads linked Su Min to her opponent—the Great Desolate Holy Body. His grin promised an all-out brawl.
"If you defeat him, I'll forfeit our semifinal match."
Xie Yingying's whisper carried her signature cool fragrance as she leaned close.
"You'd just give up?"
"Only you in that state can challenge Yao Xian'er. I'm no match for her—not yet."
A quiet admission. Without Su Min's essence-blood enhancement, victory was impossible.
"Also, don't underestimate yourself. A perfected Five Elements Holy Body rivals my Lunar Sovereign Body. Yours isn't complete, and you lack its dedicated cultivation method—yet you already match me."
"Enough pep talks. I'm not slacking off."
That first-place reward was far too important to ignore. Yao Xian'er observed their exchange with mild interest, though the setting prevented conversation. Soon, the five vanished, while the lower ranks continued their fierce battles. But that was someone else's concern now.
"Surprised you're not tempted by the top prize."
Back in their secret realm, Su Min studied Xie Yingying. Only she and Yao Xian'er had shown complete indifference.
"My path as the Lunar Sovereign Body is already set. Those rewards are just luxuries. Yao Xian'er likely feels the same. More importantly, are you confident against the Great Desolate Holy Body?"
Xie Yingying's question cut to the heart of the matter. With Su Min's essence blood usable only once every three months (and the tournament ending in weeks), deploying it now would forfeit the finals.
"Fifty-fifty. He's physically stronger, but the outcome's uncertain."
No guarantees this time. Over the following month, Su Min observed the remaining battles with keen interest. Though these contestants couldn't threaten the top five, their diverse techniques offered valuable insights.
Her focus, however, remained on one opponent:
"They say he trained alone for decades before the Golden Core Avenue opened. Not only reached late Golden Core but advanced his physique's development. Must have inherited the Great Desolate Martial Sage's legacy..."
The Great Desolate Martial Sage stood alongside legends like the Lunar Sovereign/Solar Sovereign Ancient Emperors—perhaps even surpassing them in renown. Game lore hinted at his overwhelming might, though his full inheritance, like the Five Elements Emperor's, was DLC content.
What secrets does his legacy hold?
Of the five supreme physiques, only three had appeared this generation. The Solar Sovereign Body wouldn't manifest unless Xie Yingying died, while the Spiritual Dao Body remained conspicuously absent.
Unless...
Su Min's gaze flickered toward a solitary figure in the crowd—one whose very presence seemed to reject integration with surroundings.
Perhaps someone chose to sever that legendary physique.