"What are your names?"
Looking at the two men before her, Su Min wasn't in any particular hurry. She wasn't afraid of them to begin with, especially now that she had so many temporary laws swirling within her body, enhancing her power.
"This old man was once a powerful figure in his time, you can call me Gui Mu, the sixth seat of the Black Seal Society."
"This old man is called Qing Ming, the eighth seat of the Black Seal Society."
"Black Seal Society?"
Hearing this, Su Min revealed a playful, almost mocking smile as she looked at the two. Were they deliberately mentioning their affiliation to intimidate her, to make her afraid so she'd let them go? A beautiful dream, but reality was always harsh.
"Has your so-called Skeleton Emperor awakened now?"
"You!!!"
Upon hearing Su Min's casual question, Gui Mu and Qing Ming were instantly shocked into stillness. Their supreme leader's awakening was supposed to be a closely guarded secret, known only to the highest echelons, yet she had seen right through it with just one offhand remark.
Boom!!!
In that instant of distraction, Qing Ming was caught off guard and severely injured again by a swift, precise strike from Su Min.
"You actually ambushed us while we were talking! Aren't you even a man???"
Seeing this, Gui Mu flew into a rage, but he immediately regretted his words, because, well, she quite clearly wasn't.
"For scum like you, there's no need to play fair or talk about honor. Besides, it's two against one and you still got countered so easily, just how bad can you be?"
Su Min only snorted coldly in response. She was just using them as living training dummies to better comprehend her temporary laws; she didn't owe them a duel.
"That speed just now... The Law of Time?"
Quickly putting more distance between themselves and Su Min, the two exchanged a glance filled with dread. Su Min's earlier strike had been overwhelmingly powerful, shattering most of Qing Ming's ribs and damaging his core. Though his body was rapidly regenerating thanks to his Fallen nature, his deeply pained expression showed he had suffered serious internal damage.
"Good eye," Su Min acknowledged lightly.
"We have to use our final trump card now. That woman has too many laws at her disposal, and this environment favors her."
At this point, both had reached the same grim conclusion. Facing the inheritor of an emperor's legacy in a place specifically designed for that inheritance was far more terrifying than they had ever imagined. Moreover, her own innate strength was simply too overwhelming. Their only chance now was to fight desperately with everything they had.
Since she knew about the Skeleton Emperor, she must also be aware of the Black Seal Society's true power. Yet she still attacked without hesitation, meaning she saw them as no real threat. They had no choice but to go all out.
In an instant, the room was filled with swirling dark clouds and a bone-chilling cold. Gui Mu unleashed mournful wails akin to the howling winds of the Netherworld, while Qing Ming summoned countless spectral ghosts and shadows from the surrounding darkness.
The weapons in their hands also began to transform, glowing with ominous energy. Clearly, they were preparing to unleash their full, unbridled strength.
"No wonder these two always travel together; their ultimate moves actually complement each other quite well. In that case, let me try out the path you're walking, Yao Xian'er. Let's see if I can replicate a fraction of your power."
The stronger she grew, the more Su Min realized how truly terrifying Yao Xian'er was. The Ten Thousand Laws refined by this last Great Emperor before the end of the spiritual age were different from what she had initially understood. The laws Yao Xian'er controlled were definitely not just one or two; they were a vast, interconnected system.
Now, she was using her own body as a crucible, continuously tempering and integrating those temporary laws. With her mortal body having broken through the limitations of a mere Spirit Dao Body, she possessed nearly infinite possibilities for growth and adaptation.
With multiple laws now enveloping her, Su Min had begun to vaguely glimpse the true, profound nature of Yao Xian'er's power.
"Let me try your signature technique, Ten Thousand Laws Roar!!!"
In that instant, strange and violent phenomena began gathering around Su Min—swirling storms, miniature black holes, raging flames, and crashing tidal waves—countless elemental visions swirling around her like a maelstrom.
Anyone who had participated in the Golden Core Avenue event back in the day would have gasped in shock at this sight. They would have immediately recognized it; this was exactly the kind of multi-law bombardment Yao Xian'er had unleashed on them back then. Just thinking about that memory now made Su Min want to laugh at the absurdity.
A bunch of mere Golden Core juniors, what right did they have to experience the baptism of multiple Great Dao laws? No wonder she had crushed all those arrogant young masters and their sects so easily back then. If not for the life-saving Yin-Yang Seal she possessed at the time, she wouldn't have stood a chance either. That was a technique only those at the Dao Comprehension stage and above could hope to wield properly.
"Ten Thousand Laws Roar? Isn't that something only the legendary Spirit Dao Body can achieve?"
The two men exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with shock and disbelief. This wasn't something a Five Elements Holy Body should logically possess.
"Who told you I was just a Five Elements Holy Body? Ten Thousand Laws Storm!"
Su Min only smiled cryptically in response. She wasn't a Five Elements Holy Body, that was beyond doubt, but she wouldn't bother elaborating further to her enemies.
"Hmm?"
But at that moment, Su Min suddenly froze, sensing something strange within herself. The wisp of Taiyang Qi she always carried within her body and the small vial of Xie Yingying's blood essence stored in her ring were both trembling violently, as if cheering for something, resonating with the chaotic energy around her.
"So that's it... This feeling, it's Chaos."
In that instant, Su Min seemed to comprehend something profound. Light and dark flickered around her as the Taiyang Qi and a single drop of shimmering blood essence flew out and merged into the swirling storm of energy before her.
In the blink of an eye, the multicolored energy sphere was dyed in stark black and white before being completely devoured by a new, overwhelming presence. Almost instantly, an indescribably terrifying, void-like orb of pure chaos materialized in Su Min's outstretched hand.
The two men felt their scalps go numb and their souls tremble at the sight. They had heard of the Ten Thousand Laws Roar, but what in the world was this? Yet now, the arrow was already nocked on the bowstring; they had no choice but to shoot.
"Wails of the Dead, Heaven and Earth's End!"
The next moment, a ghastly green skull several thousand meters tall, formed from condensed resentment and dark energy, charged toward Su Min with a soundless scream. Compared to that colossal skull, the small, dark orb in Su Min's hand seemed like a insignificant speck of dust.
"Interesting, but ultimately useless. So this is the power of the Chaos Body? The Five Elements Holy Body as the foundation, refining the Ten Thousand Laws, combined with the essences of Taiyin and Taiyang. For you two to die under this experimental strike is an honor. Go, Chaos Annihilation!!!"
Facing the massive, soul-devouring skull, Su Min simply tossed the small black orb forward with a flick of her wrist. The moment it made contact, the enormous skull was silently, completely devoured by the orb, vanishing as if it had never existed in the first place.
"Run!!!"
Seeing this, the two reacted on pure instinct, not daring to spare another glance at Su Min as they turned to flee toward the sealed door.
But it was already too late. Su Min knew this attack, born from a glimpse of the Chaos Dao, was unavoidable. In the next instant, the black orb vanished from its spot, crossing space and time to appear directly behind them. A silent, expanding sphere of pure black light engulfed them, and their bodies, souls, and weapons disintegrated within that primordial chaos, leaving behind only their two now-inert Heaven-grade high-tier artifacts clattering to the floor.
"Disperse."
With a clench of her fist, the terrifying black orb silently dissipated into motes of light, leaving the chamber eerily quiet once more.
"What a pity. It seems this particular attack of mine can only be unleashed within this tomb, with the support of all these temporary laws. I'll have to seek out Yao Xian'er later to ask her properly about the true method of refining the Ten Thousand Laws."
Casually storing the two valuable Heaven-grade artifacts in her ring, Su Min sighed inwardly. The power was immense, but it wasn't truly hers yet.
When the Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign physiques merged, they were said to give birth to the Primordial Chaos Body. Through this moment of epiphany, Su Min had glimpsed the path to forming an Acquired Chaos Body.
With the Five Elements as the foundation, Taiyin and Taiyang as the balancing supplements, and the refinement and integration of countless other laws, the true Chaos Body would be born.
This was the path to the Acquired Chaos Body. Those born with the Innate Chaos Body would have undergone this process naturally while still in the womb, a privilege of newborns connected to the source of all things, something no amount of postnatal envy could replicate.
A true Chaos Body actually encompassed four of the current Five Great Physiques. Reaching that ultimate stage would undoubtedly be monumentally difficult.
"Never mind. No point dwelling on it now. Let's continue with the main inheritance. Two fallen ones aren't worth any more of my attention."
Glancing at the two Heaven-grade artifacts in her hand, she knew she couldn't use them as they were, tainted by Fallen energy. But that wasn't a real problem; she could just melt them down later with the Little Golden Crow's fire to forge her own custom weapons. Waste not, want not.
"The next room is the Puppet Ancient Emperor's main tomb, along with the chambers of his four legendary guardians. But they've all been sealed by the Medicine Buddha and won't stand in my way. At least he knew what was important and didn't set up anything too ridiculous for his successor."
According to the jade slip's description, the next area was her final destination. The four Mahayana-stage guardians had already been neutralized, along with many other puppets comparable to Unity-stage cultivators.
The Medicine Buddha had painstakingly reconstructed this tomb so his inheritor could safely enter at the Dao Comprehension stage, refine these diverse laws, and build a solid foundation for advancing to the Unity stage. That was why the truly overpowering Unity and Mahayana-level entities had been sealed away. No wonder the Medicine Cauldron had been so confident in telling her to come here.
She felt somewhat relieved; it seemed she hadn't been tricked into a death trap after all.
"Ahead lies the Puppet Ancient Emperor's final burial chamber, containing his actual remains. Though the Medicine Buddha dismantled the emperor artifact, you should still be careful when entering. There might still be... echoes."
At that moment, the Medicine Cauldron flew out of Su Min's body again, hovering before the final, ornate gate as a solemn reminder.
"He's not completely dead? If a Great Emperor, even a dead one, truly wanted to kill me, it'd be effortless."
Su Min's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed down. Given all the commotion and law-breaking she had caused here, if anything could be awakened, it would have been by now.
Moreover, she was quite curious about the Puppet Ancient Emperor's core legacy, even though she strongly suspected she probably wouldn't be able, or willing, to inherit his specific path of puppetry and body modification.
"You'll understand once you go in. The Puppet Ancient Emperor was a supreme master of puppetry, especially the art of body modification. But with your personality and abilities, you'd never accept something like that, turning yourself into a machine."
"Definitely not," Su Min agreed without hesitation. Her path was one of living growth, not undead preservation.
"Still, don't think of him as some mindless monster. What he ultimately pursued was no different from any other Great Emperor—immortality and transcendence. Just his methods were... extreme. Though he failed in the end, had the Medicine Buddha not intervened, he would have entered a state of neither life nor death, a form of eternal stasis."
"I see."
Su Min nodded, processing this, then took a deep breath and pushed the heavy door.
Creak.
With a crisp, ancient sound, the final gate was pushed open. What lay inside made her pause in genuine surprise, because it was nothing like what she had imagined for an emperor's tomb.
There was no luxurious palace, no majestic statues, no piles of treasure. Just a small, almost ordinary stone room. At its center sat a single, skeletal figure with its head bowed, its legs crossed in a meditative pose almost like a monk's.
"The Puppet Ancient Emperor?"
Su Min was stunned. This was completely unlike the grand, terrifying vision she had concocted in her mind. For a moment, she felt like she had stepped into a low-budget horror movie, no wonder the Medicine Cauldron had warned her.
Click. Click. Click.
As soon as Su Min spoke, faint rustling sounds, like grinding stones, filled the quiet room. The next instant, an ancient, bronze bell appeared in her hand—the Future Maitreya Bell. At the slightest sign of real danger, she would activate it and flee immediately. She wasn't ashamed to run from an emperor's corpse.
This was the genuine corpse of a Great Emperor. Back in the ancient battlefield, the mere skeleton of the Great Desolate Holy Body alone had nearly killed Tian Hao. This one, belonging to a mad emperor who specialized in modifying bodies, would likely be even worse. This was far beyond what she could handle now, so extreme caution was absolutely necessary.
"A little girl..."
But then, an aged, raspy voice, like stones grinding together, emerged from the skeletal figure. Its head slowly rose, revealing faint flickers of soul fire within its deep eye sockets. Su Min hesitated for a second, then put the bell away, though she kept it ready at a thought's notice.
This was the Puppet Ancient Emperor, but not quite. His true soul had long since dissipated, and what remained was just a final fragment, a recording. Surrounding the skeleton were faint, glowing golden Buddhist patterns, undoubtedly the Medicine Buddha's handiwork. Meaning, this was something he had left behind intentionally, likely a final message.
"This junior is Su Min, inheritor of the Medicine Buddha's legacy."
Su Min respectfully bowed as a junior would to a senior. After all, this was an ancient powerhouse who had reached the pinnacle, showing respect was only proper. Moreover, she was here for the legacy, not a fight.
As for the skeleton itself, the Medicine Buddha had completely dismantled its combat capabilities and emperor artifact core. The only reason it still existed here was due to the tomb's unique environment preserving this last echo; if taken outside, it would likely turn to dust instantly.
After all, too much time had passed, and with the Medicine Buddha's powerful intervention, it posed no real threat to her anymore.
"It seems you've already discerned my state. Indeed, I am already dead. What remains is but a shadow."
"Senior sought immortality, even sacrificing his very humanity. This junior can only admire such single-minded dedication, if not the method."
Su Min smiled faintly, then surprisingly sat cross-legged on the floor before the corpse without concern for cleanliness or formality. After all, this was once a Great Emperor; even the slightest remaining wisp of intent could offer invaluable insight.
Caution was necessary, of course, but so was seizing opportunity, at least until he was truly gone.
"I see... A Five Elements Holy Body. Cough It seems the Medicine Buddha has found a fine successor. But I recall the Medicine Buddha had no imperial artifacts of his own. That bell in your hand earlier... it carries the aura of a different Buddha."
"I obtained it from the Sinful Buddha. Have you heard of him?"
"The founder of one of Buddhism's three major sects, how could I not know of him? But girl, you're not a orthodox Buddhist cultivator, are you? Your aura is... eclectic."
"No, I'm not. I walk my own path."
"And the Future Maitreya Mountain just handed their foundational emperor artifact over to you?" the skeleton's voice was laced with deep skepticism.
"I annihilated their sect."
"???"
The moment Su Min spoke those words calmly, the faint soul flames in the skeleton's eye sockets flickered wildly. This was... shocking news. "You destroyed their entire lineage and took their imperial artifact for yourself?"
How was that even possible? Under normal circumstances, an emperor artifact would fight a new, unworthy wielder to the death, or simply shatter itself.
Yet the evidence was right before him, the aura of the bell was undeniable. For a moment, the last echo of the Puppet Ancient Emperor was utterly bewildered.
"Great Emperor, this bell had already severed its karmic ties with Future Maitreya Mountain long before I arrived. Its spirit had judged them and found them wanting. That's why I could destroy them and claim it without the bell rejecting me."
Su Min smiled but offered no further explanation, leaving the ancient skeleton to process this revelation about the changing world outside his tomb.