The moment the Spirit Ascension Pill was revealed, the entire venue erupted in a wave of excited murmurs and sharp intakes of breath. Even the elderly quasi-Dao Comprehension alchemist, who was meticulously refining a Divine Transformation Pill, froze for a moment, his spiritual control faltering. He knew the outcome was already decided. There was no way his lower-grade sixth-grade pill could claim first place against Su Min's mid-grade marvel. Still, the top three would receive a share of the Sealing Crystals, so he refocused, determined to secure second place.
"Sigh, this young one's talent is truly monstrous," the old man lamented inwardly. His opponent was only at the early Divine Transformation stage! By the time she reached late Divine Transformation, she might even be capable of refining seventh-grade pills, a level he couldn't hope to reach without a full breakthrough to Dao Comprehension.
But while he was lost in thought, the early and mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivators in the audience were staring at the two glowing pills with naked greed. Of course, no one dared to make a move. Robbing an alchemist capable of refining such treasures would be suicide; it would invite the wrath of countless powerful figures eager to eliminate the thief to curry favor with her.
After all, advancing beyond the Divine Transformation stage was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Pills that could forcibly boost one's cultivation, despite their severe side effects, could save them five or six hundred years, if not a full millennium, of tedious accumulation and struggle. In such circumstances, the side effects were a negligible price to pay. The time saved could instead be spent attempting to break through the monumental barrier of the Dao Comprehension stage, significantly increasing their chances of success.
The Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation stages were collectively known as the "Middle Three Realms." Breaking through these stages wasn't inherently difficult in terms of comprehension; any cultivator with sufficient resources could attempt it. The real, soul-crushing challenge was surviving the three great trials: the Heavenly Tribulation, Shattering the Golden Core, and Forging the Divine Soul. Thus, rather than rushing to break through, wise cultivators focused on tempering their foundations to the limit.
But the Dao Comprehension stage was where true despair set in. Comprehending one's own Dao was an elusive, almost mystical endeavor that couldn't be forced with resources alone. That was why such forceful pills were scorned at the Nascent Soul stage but became priceless, maddening treasures at the Divine Transformation stage.
"As expected of the Grand Elder. Those Divine Transformation cultivators must be going wild with desire," Tian Yinzi chuckled to himself. The Divine Transformation stage was still a distant mountain he couldn't even see the peak of, so the pill's appeal was academic to him. But judging by the ravenous, desperate gazes locked onto Su Min, he knew her victory was assured.
"Just announce it already," Su Min murmured, withdrawing from the heightened state of her Four Symbols Possession. The fiery red pupils granted by the Vermilion Bird's power faded back to their usual dark, calm black. With a sweeping glance, she assessed the remaining six alchemists. Her sixth-grade mid-tier pill had unquestionably secured first place. The elderly man refining the Divine Transformation Pill would likely take second, while the rest were only fifth-grade alchemists who posed no threat.
"Congratulations, Master Su, for winning this alchemy competition. You will receive the largest share of the Sealing Crystals. Does anyone object?" the host's voice rang out, firm and final. Such an overwhelming lead in quality left no room for argument or manipulation.
The Sect Assembly was, at its core, a compromise among major sects to avoid all-out war. Any blatant foul play would immediately spark open conflict. This wasn't like the modern Olympics where underhanded tactics could sometimes slip by.
"Done," Su Min smirked inwardly. The portion of Sealing Crystals she secured was substantial, enough to completely seal away a Divine Transformation expert for centuries. That was excellent news for her sect's long-term security.
These Sealing Crystals weren't ancient relics but had manifested in the world as the heavens underwent great changes. The great war of the past had erupted over them, and many sects, including Xie Yingying's Heavenly Yin Sect, had fallen into decline during that very upheaval. Now, with another wave of crystals descending, the sects had immediately begun competing fiercely for them. By securing a significant share, Su Min had ensured her sect's stability for generations. The Heavenly Yin Sect of the past had failed to obtain enough, and that failure had directly led to their downfall.
After storing her share securely in her spatial ring, Su Min flickered away, reappearing atop the auspicious cloud where her sect was seated. Without a word to anyone, she sat cross-legged and began restoring her depleted spiritual energy.
No one dared to disturb her, though many eyes burned with unconcealed desire. Yet beyond those greedy gazes, many more held a new, solemn respect. Su Min's displayed alchemical prowess made it clear she possessed a vast, private stockpile of powerful pills. The late-stage Divine Transformation cultivators, in particular, knew they would soon face her in battle, and that thought was now far more complicated. The Spirit Ascension Pill held no appeal for them, but the unknown quantity and quality of other pills in her possession was another matter entirely. While Su Min had been gathering intelligence on them, they had been doing the same on her.
They knew she had consumed multiple life-saving pills during the Golden Core Avenue trials, each capable of turning the tide of a desperate battle. While those might be less effective for her now at a higher realm, she undoubtedly had even better ones prepared. Their guesses weren't far off. After reaching the Divine Transformation stage, Su Min had refined similar powerful enhancement pills for herself. The side effects were severe, though, so she avoided using them unless absolutely necessary.
As for the Sealing Crystals, she wasn't hoarding them for her own sake. With her immortality talent, she had long surpassed the need for such protection. Even if the Five Decays of Heaven and Man descended once more, she would endure them with ease.
With the alchemy competition concluded, Su Min's overwhelming victory secured her the top spot. The elderly quasi-Dao Comprehension expert took a respectable second place with his Divine Transformation Pill, igniting fervor among the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in the audience. But just as no one dared snatch Su Min's pills, no one would challenge this outcome.
The third-place winner emerged after fierce competition among the fifth-grade high-tier alchemists. The gap between first and second was vast, and the same chasm existed between second and third.
As the alchemy competition ended, a palpable tension gripped the world. The air itself seemed to grow heavy and still.
The earth-grade treasure below began transforming, its many partitioned spaces merging and reshaping with a low, grinding rumble. Though only an earth-grade treasure, it needed to operate at its absolute maximum capacity to safely contain the world-shaking battles between late-stage Divine Transformation and quasi-Dao Comprehension experts, ensuring no destructive energy leaked out to vaporize the spectators.
During this process, the entire venue fell into an absolute, deathly silence. Everyone knew the true main event, the reason most had come, was about to begin.
Just as the marathon was the final, crowning event in the Olympics, this battle represented the pinnacle of the current era's combat prowess. The participants were all sect ancestors, venerable late-stage Divine Transformation experts who had slept through the ages. In ancient times, such cultivators might not have been remarkable. But in this spiritually diminished world, they stood at the very apex. Every sect member, from leader to newest disciple, watched with solemn reverence.
This battle had one defining, brutal feature: life and death were left to fate.
Unless one clearly surrendered, the fight would continue until a victor was decided, even if that meant death. If a participant realized they couldn't withstand their opponent, they could shout their concession and withdraw. Yet everyone knew this wouldn't be a peaceful, sporting affair. At this level, every combatant was a proud genius who had dominated their own era. True victory and comprehension often required life-and-death struggles. And when two late-stage Divine Transformation experts fought in earnest, no one, not even a full Dao Comprehension expert, could safely serve as a referee.
Unlike the esoteric art of alchemy, this was the true feast all cultivators had been waiting for. Observing the techniques, divine abilities, and Dao insights of these apex experts would provide invaluable, career-defining insights for their own future cultivation. Such opportunities were vanishingly rare; for most, this might be the only one in their entire lifespan.
Even Tian Yinzi could sense the overwhelming, sharp killing intent as powerful auras erupted one after another, resonating through the heavens and causing the space around the arena to visibly distort. The weakest among them were late-stage Divine Transformation experts, and there were even five quasi-Dao Comprehension powerhouses whose auras felt like bottomless abysses.
Victory in this final battle would grant the winner a massive share of Sealing Crystals. The large batch Xie Yingying had obtained in the past came from her sect ancestor winning two such battles back when the entry requirement had been the Unity stage, a realm now unimaginable. But now, with the world's conditions diminished, most cultivators couldn't even comprehend a Unity-stage battle. Divine Transformation battles, however, were within their grasp to learn from.
"Grand Elder, this…" Tian Yinzi grew uneasy, his face pale. Though he had full confidence in his Grand Elder, facing these overwhelming, ancient auras forced him to acknowledge their sheer terror. As an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, each of these experts made his heart tremble and his core quake. If it were the little Golden Crow entering the fray, he wouldn't fear, but Su Min was only at the early Divine Transformation stage. These opponents were far stronger than the Blood Puppet Sect's ancestor she had slain.
"What's there to fear? This is where the fun begins."
Su Min, now fully recovered, noticed Tian Yinzi's hesitation and flashed a fearless, almost eager smile. A few dozen late-stage Divine Transformation experts and a handful of quasi-Dao Comprehension powerhouses? So what? She had once faced a true Dao Comprehension expert, the colossal Black Serpent in the Weak Water abyss. Compared to that soul-crushing pressure, this was nothing.
Hearing her words, Tian Yinzi snapped back to reality. According to the Dragon Princess's own announcement, the Black Serpent that had clashed with Su Min was a genuine Dao Comprehension powerhouse. Back then, Su Min had only been at the late Nascent Soul stage, yet she had emerged unscathed and had even secured the treasure. There really was nothing to worry about. Even if she couldn't win, escaping unharmed wouldn't be an issue.
With that reassurance, he stroked his beard and watched with keen interest. Unlike the others who were releasing their auras to intimidate, Su Min remained perfectly contained. No matter how strong her combat power, she was still at the early Divine Transformation stage on paper. There was no need to embarrass the others by revealing the monstrous depth of her energy just yet.
Just then, a massive, glowing wheel of light descended from the sky. The rules were simple, brutal, and classic: 1v1 battles. Participants would inscribe their names with a drop of blood, and their opponents would be decided by fate, or rather, by heavenly fortune.
Seeing the wheel, Su Min didn't hesitate. She pricked her finger with a sliver of qi and flicked a single, sparkling drop of blood onto its surface.
Many faces in the crowd twitched at the sight. Among all the combatants, Su Min had the lowest surface-level cultivation. Every other participant hoped to face her in the first round.
It wasn't about underestimating her combat prowess; everyone knew she was a monster. But every late-stage Divine Transformation expert here was also a genius who had once dominated their peers and claimed the top spot on the Heavenly Rankings of their time. If Su Min were at the late Divine Transformation stage, they might have hesitated. But at the early stage? She was, on paper, the weakest participant by a significant margin.
"Looks like I'm everyone's favorite target," Su Min chuckled softly under the weight of countless measuring gazes. She knew exactly what they were thinking. They saw her as the easiest path to the second round.
But would things really go their way?
"According to the rules, the quasi-Dao Comprehension experts will skip the first round. Their participation alone grants them the rewards of a first-round victory," the host's calm voice echoed. He, too, was a quasi-Dao Comprehension expert.
No one objected. In the world of cultivation, strength dictated the rules. None of the Divine Transformation experts, Su Min included, wanted to face such half-step monsters in the first round. Advancing past the first round guaranteed rewards, but facing them risked losing everything, including their lives.
"Since there are no objections, let the matches begin! Wheel of Fate, spin! What comes next is destiny's own decree."
As the host's voice faded, the massive wheel began spinning wildly, a blur of golden light and inscribed names. Every eye, from the lowest Foundation Establishment disciple to the oldest expert, locked onto it. Under such collective scrutiny, cheating was impossible.
Then, the wheel slowed, and two names glowed with intense light:
Su Min vs. Han Shuangzi
"Huh?!"
The venue erupted in a wave of shock and excited chatter. No one had expected Su Min, the focal point of so much attention, to be the very first to fight.
"Han Shuangzi of the Frost Pavilion! That guy's no pushover!"
"If I recall correctly, he wields the ice-attribute divine object, the Black Ghost Ice! It's said to be able to reanimate corpses as powerful puppets, exuding an extreme yin cold that freezes the soul. It's wicked and powerful. Even quasi-Dao Comprehension experts struggle against him!"
"Master Su's luck is terrible. Of all people, she had to draw him first."
"He's strong enough to contend with quasi-Dao Comprehension powerhouses. At the early Divine Transformation stage, she's..."
Whispers exploded across the venue. The first match was already a seemingly lopsided battle.
Even the quasi-Dao Comprehension experts observing from their clouds frowned slightly at the name. Heavenly treasures were exceedingly rare. Obtaining even one was a stroke of immense, heaven-defying luck. Since these treasures wouldn't drop upon the holder's death, instead returning to heaven and earth to await a new master, their holders weren't constantly hunted down. But their power was immense, and none of the quasi-Dao Comprehension experts present possessed one. A late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator wielding one was a nightmare even for them.
"If I recall, during the Golden Core Avenue trials, Master Su kept running into powerhouse after powerhouse, right? Her luck in draws has always been... interesting."
"Absolutely. Every single opponent she faced was a monster. It's almost a pattern."
"Tsk tsk, she's in for a world of bad luck this time. Though with three heavenly treasures in her body, escaping alive shouldn't be a problem."
"Hahaha... This will be a good show."
Amused laughter filled the air as many eagerly awaited the spectacle, expecting to see the alchemy genius put in her place.
"I should've known..." Su Min facepalmed internally. Her luck with draws was a double-edged sword. During the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings, she had faced nothing but elite opponents from the very start, each battle a brutal struggle that forced her to reveal her cards. Now, it was happening again.
In the first round back then, she had clashed with Han Chaoyan, then-ranked third on the Heavenly Rankings. Now, with her absent from the "New Blood" division, he had dominated it, effortlessly claiming first place with his Nether Ghost Water. His intrigued, complex gaze was now fixed on her from his seat, and she could only sigh in resignation.
And no, being beautiful wouldn't save her here. Cultivators at this level saw through fleshly allure; to them, physical beauty was just a temporary skeleton wrapped in pretty skin, meaningless before the true Dao.
Sure enough—
"Master Su, I await your guidance."
From a distant cloud, an elderly man wreathed in a visible aura of icy energy rose. His voice was polite, if cold. Though an opponent, Su Min's status as a premier alchemist meant no one wished to offend her unnecessarily outside of a sanctioned battle.
With those words, Han Shuangzi stepped forward, his body turning into a blur of freezing mist as he leaped into the transformed earth-grade treasure's main arena.
"Grand Elder..." Tian Yinzi's lips twitched. Among all participants, Han Shuangzi was consistently ranked in the top five, one of the strongest present, and Su Min had drawn him in the very first match.
"No matter. The path of cultivation demands relentless progress, not cautious retreat. Today, I'll test the might of his Black Ghost Ice for myself."
With a final, calming glance at Tian Yinzi, Su Min vanished from the cloud. She reappeared an instant later inside the vast arena, standing calmly opposite her formidable opponent. Her disadvantage wasn't as severe as it seemed on the surface. Her Nanming Lihuo, the divine fire of the Vermilion Bird, was a force of pure heavenly righteousness and devastating heat. And fire, when powerful enough, always countered ice. She held a fundamental elemental advantage.
This was, in fact, the perfect opportunity to test her full power without holding back. Since reaching the Divine Transformation stage, she had yet to find an opponent who could push her to her limits. Though no battle maniac, understanding her true limits was essential for survival. With Xie Yingying absent and the little Golden Crow in deep seclusion, this was her only chance.
As she faced her opponent across the shimmering arena floor, the outside world buzzed with frantic speculation and betting.
"Chaoyan, who do you think will win?" an elder from the Netherworld Cult beside Han Chaoyan asked quietly.
The latter hadn't taken his eyes off Su Min since she appeared in the arena. Though he knew better than to entertain fantasies, human emotions weren't so easily controlled by cold reason.
"Fifty-fifty," Han Chaoyan answered without a moment's hesitation, his voice low and serious. "Do not be fooled by her realm. The Five Elements Holy Body, especially one that has integrated three treasures, is terrifying. Only those who have faced it directly can understand its true, overwhelming horror."