"What the hell is all this?"
Su Min looked around in exasperation, her current state rather sorry. Her robes were slightly singed from a close call with a fire array, and her hair was whipped by the unnatural gales tearing through the battlefield.
The most cunning liars tell ninety-nine percent of the truth but deceive you with the remaining one percent. Skilled illusionists worked the same way, using a massive, tangible array to blur the line between reality and fantasy, and it was giving Su Min a massive headache.
For instance, the mountain charging at her from the front was an illusion, but the one that suddenly shifted to crush her from behind was very real. There were also fire arrays, water arrays, and thunder arrays layered within. In an instant, the area around her was swept by violent, elemental gales.
To make matters worse, her opponent's cultivation level was far higher, making it extremely difficult for her to find the core flaws in the array.
"This woman's ability has a weakness, or perhaps it is not exactly a weakness."
After her initial frustration, Su Min quickly forced herself to calm down. She realized the flaw in Xuan Mengyin's technique: it lacked a single, decisive offensive move. Or perhaps, to avoid any external attacks that might disrupt her concentration, Xuan Mengyin had chosen to play it safe and simply trap Su Min until she exhausted herself.
"If that is the case, then do not blame me for resorting to the turtle strategy."
With that thought, Su Min swiftly formed hand seals. In the next moment, a massive, black, tortoise-like sacred figure enveloped her completely. The Black Tortoise Sacred Form was renowned for its defense. Combined with the effects of the Northern Water's Profound Origin, its defensive power reached a terrifying level.
During her last clash with Han Shuangzi, it had not been shattered; it had simply dissipated because she had exhausted her spiritual energy and could no longer sustain it. But maintaining just one sacred figure was a different story. With the Eastern Wood Azure Essence complementing the Northern Water's Profound Origin, her endurance was practically infinite.
The moment the Black Tortoise appeared, a sharp, clanging sound rang out.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ear-piercing metallic clashes reverberated throughout the battlefield as illusory mountains and real elemental attacks bounced harmlessly off the dark shell. The Black Tortoise Sacred Form retracted its limbs and head like a real turtle hiding in its shell, then began spinning wildly, crashing around the battlefield like a giant, indestructible billiard ball. Its absurdly tough defense allowed it to ignore all the illusions and strike freely.
"This…"
Watching the rapidly spinning tortoise shell, the spectators were dumbfounded. They had not expected things to turn out like this. Though the Black Tortoise specialized in defense, its high-speed rotations made it a formidable offensive weapon, slamming into the boundaries of the array. The entire formation trembled under the assault, the pressure on Xuan Mengyin skyrocketing.
But what was even more troublesome was its defense. Array masters excelled at setting up formations beforehand. If given a month to prepare, anyone who entered would be lucky to escape with their life. But this array had been hastily set up, lacking spiritual veins or spirit stones for support, so its power was limited.
Xuan Mengyin had been secretly preparing a killing array, but her face twisted in frustration the next moment because the spinning Black Tortoise smashed straight into the forming array, disrupting the delicate energy patterns.
Despite its chaotic spinning, the inside of the Black Tortoise remained perfectly still. Now that she had calmed down, Su Min began searching for a way to break the stalemate.
Soon, she identified the key issues.
First, as an alchemist, her perception far surpassed that of most Dao Comprehension stage cultivators. She could quickly detect the killing array being set up. The current attacks were just tickles; if the killing array was completed, she would be in real danger.
Second, the illusions were too confusing to distinguish, but she did not need to distinguish them. Since her opponent lacked a one-hit-kill move, the Black Tortoise's shell made her practically invincible. Moreover, her recovery speed was insane. She could sustain this indefinitely. If she chose to detonate all three sacred figures, she could definitely break the array, but if Xuan Mengyin had a life-saving trump card, the subsequent fight would be much harder.
So, there was only one option left: Turtle Up!
Without a massive spiritual vein to power the array, Xuan Mengyin had to rely on her own spiritual energy. Though she had the Strange Wind to assist with illusions, heavenly treasures had their limitations the Wind Heavenly Treasure offered no help with endurance.
"So why should I be scared?"
As for the killing array, she absolutely could not let it be activated. If Xuan Mengyin dared to dispel either the illusions or the array to regain energy, Su Min would instantly counter with a lethal strike.
And so, time passed. One day, two days, three days…
"Ugh, these two are back to the turtle strategy again. This is unbearable."
"Sigh…"
As time dragged on, the spectators' faces twitched in frustration. They had expected an intense battle, but instead, they got another drawn-out stalemate.
But while they were annoyed, the sects observing from the clouds frowned deeply. They, too, recognized how troublesome the Black Tortoise Sacred Form was. During her fight with Han Shuangzi, Su Min had been testing her explosive power, so the Black Tortoise had only made a brief appearance. Everyone knew it was tough, but they had not realized how tough this was beyond their expectations. The array, though hastily set up, should not have been so easily resisted.
"Truly worthy of the Black Tortoise's defensive reputation. This fight is just ridiculous."
Many could not help but laugh at the absurdity. They had expected a fierce battle between women, but it had devolved into a tortoise-shell standoff.
But in reality, the fight was nearing its end. The reason was simple: Su Min could not lose. She could afford countless mistakes, but Xuan Mengyin could not afford even one.
Su Min was in the same position. Though she could not find a clear flaw, the Northern Water's Profound Origin gave her infinite endurance. She had no fear of a battle of attrition.
As for her opponent… Many could not help but glance sympathetically toward where Xuan Mengyin was presumably hidden, her expression undoubtedly spectacular right now.
As expected, Xuan Mengyin's face was as dark as a storm cloud. She had realized she could not do anything to Su Min. She was not a front-line fighter to begin with. The Miaoyin Valley had a unique trait they kept male consorts to handle the fighting for them. But now, she was alone against Su Min, and that was a huge problem.
As the saying goes, brute force counters all flashy tricks. She knew how terrifying Su Min's physical strength was if Su Min got close, it would be a one-sided beatdown. That is why she had devised this strategy: using the array's illusions to confuse Su Min while secretly setting up a killing array. But the Black Tortoise's durability had completely blindsided her. During the last explosion, it had been obliterated, so she had assumed its defense was mediocre. Now, she realized how wrong she had been. Horribly wrong.
Su Min had not dispelled the Black Tortoise because it was shattered she had simply run out of spiritual energy from recklessness.
This realization filled Xuan Mengyin with despair. Moreover, Su Min was a top-tier alchemist with unparalleled perception. She could sense danger instinctively, and her soul power surpassed Xuan Mengyin's. Any array Xuan Mengyin tried to hide would be instantly detected.
Now, Xuan Mengyin was in an awkward spot. Su Min had three divine artifacts the Eastern Wood Azure Essence and Northern Water's Profound Origin both provided massive advantages in prolonged battles. One increased her vitality and energy, while the other accelerated recovery. The longer this dragged on, the more helpless Xuan Mengyin became.
Though she had tried her best to conserve energy, the gap was terrifyingly vast. Her spiritual energy was already half-depleted. If this continued, she would lose without even knowing how.
"Damn it…"
But at that moment, her hand trembled slightly. The intense mental strain and the hopelessness of the situation had finally caused her to slip up.
And in that instant
"Found you! Go, Azure Dragon Sacred Form!"
Su Min instantly pinpointed her location. Still safe inside the Black Tortoise, she formed another set of hand seals. A massive cyan wooden dragon materialized in the air beside the spinning shell.
The Black Tortoise was her foundation of invincibility, so she would never risk it. But the Azure Dragon was different though it lacked the Vermilion Bird's explosive power or the Black Tortoise's defense, it was the perfect middle ground.
In an instant, the colossal dragon tore through the array's weakened barriers and lunged at Xuan Mengyin's revealed position, its massive jaws snapping shut.
"Shit!"
Having experienced the dragon's tenacity before, Xuan Mengyin had no choice but to stop playing her zither and grip the strings tightly.
"Thousand Winds Execution!"
Countless gusts of wind wrapped around the Azure Dragon, violent energy erupting across its body. The massive figure twisted and warped, and after a dozen seconds of struggle, it was finally torn apart.
Xuan Mengyin had no choice. The moment she had slipped up, this outcome was inevitable. Destroying the Azure Dragon at least spared her from dealing with it later. But though the dragon's durability paled in comparison to the Black Tortoise, and it had already taken damage breaking through the array, it still took her over ten seconds to destroy it.
Ten seconds was an eternity in a battle at the Divine Transformation stage.
And just as she finished off the Azure Dragon, scorching flames began to engulf the battlefield.
Meanwhile, inside the Black Tortoise, Su Min popped a pill into her mouth.
[Mystic Spirit Treasure Pill (Grade 6 Mid-Tier): Consuming it grants a large amount of spiritual energy for a short duration.]
Her spiritual energy was running low, but with the pill's help, that would not be an issue. She would not repeat her mistake against Han Shuangzi exhausting herself to the point of collapse.
And then a piercing bird's cry echoed through the sky as the Vermilion Bird took form, its wings of fire beating back the remnants of the array.
"It is over…"
At that moment, everyone knew the outcome. Xuan Mengyin had no chance to set up another array. All Su Min had to do was keep pressing the attack with the Black Tortoise's protection, she was untouchable. As for Xuan Mengyin? She had already lost. If she could not break the Black Tortoise earlier, she certainly could not now.
This woman had truly drawn the short straw Su Min hard-countered her. Her ultimate weapon was her charm technique, capable of ensnaring even Dao Comprehension cultivators in an instant. It was no ordinary seduction art. But against Su Min? Useless. A woman of Su Min's caliber had a flawless heart and mind.
With one arm tied behind her back, what could Xuan Mengyin even fight with? A motherly love?
The moment she saw the Vermilion Bird Sacred Form, Xuan Mengyin knew the result. Though it could not defeat her outright, continuing the fight was pointless it would only humiliate her further.
So, without hesitation, she abandoned the array. The mountain landscape flickered and vanished, revealing her standing in the center of the empty arena. She raised a hand.
"I concede."
She then turned and walked out, her posture stiff.
"Huh?"
Su Min was baffled, the flames of the Vermilion Bird dying down around her. "What was this woman doing? Where was your charm technique?"
Seeing Xuan Mengyin surrender so abruptly, Su Min was utterly confused. She had been bracing for the charm technique the entire time, her mental defenses at their peak, but her opponent had given up without even using it.
All she could think was: "What just happened? What just happened?"
"Did I… just win?"
Watching Xuanying leave, Su Min's lips twitched. After all that effort, the ending felt incredibly anticlimactic.
"Great! Elder Su won!"
Unlike the bewildered Su Min, the disciples of the Eastern Sea Immortal Sect were overjoyed. After all, she was their elder her victory was cause for celebration. They had been on edge for days, fearing she might lose. Now, their worries were finally put to rest.
Only Su Min remained baffled as she was ushered out of the arena.
"This ended way too abruptly. I did not expect this at all."
Shaking her head helplessly, she accepted her crystal reward and returned to the seating area.
Then, facing Tian Yinzi, she said coolly, "Now that this matter is settled, I will take my leave. Regarding the defense arrangements, we will only handle the four provinces and Eastern Mulberry Island. We lack the capacity for more. I need to refine some pills now."
Without waiting for a response, she flicked her sleeve and vanished into the clouds.
There was no time to bask in her so-called victory, or to reflect on the strange, awkward tension of winning a fight where her opponent had not dared to use her best move. The battle was over, the crystals distributed, the defense arrangements handed off.
But none of it mattered.
Because the most urgent matter had already taken root in her heart, cold and sharp: the Snow Plains.
Xie Yingying still had not returned.
The jade pendant remained silent. Not broken, not glowing with a message. Just… quiet. And somehow, that silence felt louder and more accusing with each passing day.
Su Min was not the sort to worry openly. She was a woman of action, not fretting. But this? This was different. This was a cold knot of dread in her stomach that would not loosen.
She could not sit still. She could not keep pretending to focus on pills and sect duties when her mind was already far away, chasing a shadow in the snow, searching for someone who had not come back. She was many things: alchemist, strategist, cultivator.
But patient?
Not when it came to Xie Yingying.
Su Min turned her gaze north, toward the distant, unforgiving Snow Plains. Her heart was already screaming at her to leave, to chase after her, now.
But first, she would escort her people back. Without a powerful expert guarding them, they might be ambushed by the Fallen on their return journey. To those twisted creatures, cultivators were far more delicious and energy-rich than ordinary humans.
As for saving the entire world? She was not that capable yet. Protecting one region, and one person, was her limit. And right now, one of those was dangerously out of reach.