When Yang Meng opened her physical eyes for the first time, she looked around the courtyard in a daze, her vision swimming as it adjusted to the flood of new visual information. After fully awakening her Heavenly Eye, her natural sight had finally been restored. She could now see the world with her own eyes, the green leaves, the grey stones, the concerned faces of the two women before her, just like this very moment.
But then, the third eye on her forehead, the newly awakened Karma Eye, suddenly pulsed open of its own accord, and countless strands of information, connections, and potential futures began flooding into her mind. Yang Meng, who had just regained her sight, instantly fell into a deep state of enlightenment once again, her body glowing with a faint, shimmering light as she sat cross-legged on the ground.
"It seems she's beginning to comprehend the laws of karma directly. That Heavenly Eye of hers must be a special Karma Eye, granting her immediate insight."
Looking at Yang Meng before her, Lin Yao nodded with a mixture of pride and envy. The moment the Heavenly Eye had fully awakened, Yang Meng's cultivation had effortlessly risen to the mid-stage of Divine Transformation. Now, touching the path of laws, it would only be a matter of time, perhaps just days or weeks, before she reached the Dao Comprehension stage.
After all, Su Min had left them a total of ten precious Dao Comprehension Pills in the sect vault, and more than half still remained. Such abundant resources would make any orthodox sect in the world green with envy.
Meanwhile, back in the secluded mountains...
"Unity Pill."
Looking at the perfectly formed, iridescent pill resting in her palm, Su Min narrowed her eyes and spoke the name calmly. This time, she had succeeded in refining the incredibly complex pill in a single attempt, a testament to her peerless alchemy skills. As for the remaining two sets of rare materials, they now belonged to her by right. This was excellent news, many of the ingredients were versatile, and she could use them for other high-level pills or her own research.
"A Unity Pill refined to perfection, attracting four-colored pill lightning. If this were released into the world, countless superpowers and ancient families would fight tooth and nail, offering kingdoms for it." Seeing the flawless pill before her, Jiang Xi smiled a genuine, relieved smile.
Su Min had now handed the pill directly to her. As for the violent four-colored pill lightning that had manifested earlier, Jiang Xi had seen it with her own eyes. The only fortunate thing was that the entire area was shielded by the immensely powerful grand formation left behind by Yao Xian'er.
Thus, no one outside the mountain range had noticed the heavenly phenomenon, and there was no need to worry about any greedy experts trying to steal it by force.
"Then I'll take my leave for now. Although I plan to depart for the front lines soon, I must arrange all sect and personal matters properly before I go. Once I leave this time, for that distant shore, I don't know when I'll be able to return."
With that, Su Min offered a slight, respectful smile, bid farewell to Jiang Xi, and transformed into a streak of light, vanishing from the courtyard without a trace.
She now needed to return to her sect to give final instructions before heading to the distant shore of the universe. She wanted to see what truly lay there and explore whether she could further unlock and evolve her physique.
Although the Five Elements Holy Body was overwhelmingly powerful, the legendary Chaos Body was an even more critical goal. That was the absolute, ultimate physique ordained in the game's deepest lore, flawless, without a single weakness, possessing only pure, absolute strength.
But how to actually reach that stage was a complete mystery to her. In the original game, only rumors and hints existed, with no concrete method ever revealed. Su Min was equally clueless and needed to discuss this thoroughly with Xie Yingying, the person who knew her best.
Soon, inside the Immortal Sect's main hall...
"She's already begun comprehending the laws of karma directly? Not bad at all, her aptitude is indeed high."
First, she took a careful look at Yang Meng, who was still sitting in the center of the courtyard in a state of profound enlightenment. The latter had already started resonating with and merging with the cosmic laws. Su Min couldn't help her with this personal journey, and it was unclear exactly when she would successfully break through to the Dao Comprehension stage.
In any case, Yang Meng was still quite young by cultivator standards, only a few hundred years old. For a Divine Transformation cultivator with a natural lifespan of three thousand years, this was merely youth.
After observing Yang Meng's stable condition, Su Min sought out Xie Yingying in her private quarters.
This matter of physique evolution could only be discussed with her. Although Little Golden Crow was strong, based on Jiang Xi's earlier explanation, these divine beast clans rarely sent their core royalty out casually, especially in the current post-Decay Age environment, where they were primarily focused on rapidly restoring their clans' strength and numbers.
Currently, only ten true Golden Crows lived in the entire Eastern Mulberry Continent. Aside from Little Golden Crow at the Unity stage, there were only two others at the Dao Comprehension stage. However, none had yet reached their absolute peak, making it even less likely they would meddle in the affairs of the wider universe.
Unlike humans, divine beasts had abysmally low reproductive capabilities. The time and resources required to nurture a single powerhouse were far too long. Unless a great war of survival broke out, the divine beast royalty would not participate in battles, and the rest of their clans simply weren't qualified or strong enough yet.
"You're leaving, just like those two eventually did?"
Seeing Su Min call her over with a serious expression, Xie Yingying couldn't help but sigh deeply, a complex look in her eyes.
"Yes, the summons is clear, but there's no immediate rush. I can confirm now through the beacon that Yao Xian'er and the little monk are still fine, holding the line. The current level of turmoil can be handled by them for now, I don't need to intervene immediately. But there's another matter that's giving me a headache, something closer to home."
"What is it?" Hearing Su Min's words, Xie Yingying frowned slightly in confusion, her brow furrowed.
"About my physique. You know I've always had a trace of pure Taiyang energy buried deep within me. Originally, I had no opportunity to utilize it, but now that my Five Elements Holy Body has reached great completion, I feel a dissonance, as if something is still missing, an imbalance. It seems my physique can be further perfected, evolved. Do you have any ideas? Any legends you've heard?"
"Huh?" Xie Yingying looked utterly bewildered, her mouth slightly agape. Clearly, she couldn't understand what Su Min was getting at. The Five Elements Holy Body was already an overwhelmingly powerful, legendary physique, how could it possibly be incomplete? For a moment, Xie Yingying even had the impulsive thought to slap Su Min for being so insatiably greedy.
If this statement were made public, countless patriarchs and geniuses across the continents would be furious with jealousy. In the entire known history of the world, including Su Min, there were only two recorded individuals with a complete Five Elements Holy Body. Although it was ranked alongside the other four as one of the five great supreme physiques, everyone knew the Five Elements Holy Body's potential and versatility far surpassed the others.
At the very least, even with her own complete Lunar Sovereign Body, Xie Yingying knew she was currently no match for Su Min in a straight fight.
"Where did you obtain this trace of Taiyang energy in the first place?" Xie Yingying asked, trying to trace the root of the problem.
"I told you, it was a remnant left behind from my Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, when I formed my core." Su Min replied patiently.
"I see..." Xie Yingying scratched her head in helpless thought. This matter was clearly not something easily resolved; it involved the highest levels of physique lore.
"Wait, I remember something, a piece of an ancient record I once read, perhaps there's a place that could hold a clue." Suddenly, Xie Yingying clapped her hands together as if struck by a bolt of inspiration. Su Min immediately perked up, her eyes sharp and eager to hear more.
"Do you know the legendary tomb of the Solar Sovereign Emperor?" Xie Yingying asked tentatively.
In an instant, Su Min's treasure-hunting instincts, honed over decades, flared up again. But she quickly dismissed the idea. The Solar Sovereign Emperor and Lunar Sovereign Emperor were not singular, unique titles, being among the five great physiques, their upper limits were well-established, and each had multiple emperors and numerous Mahayana experts throughout history as their foundation.
The Five Elements Emperor was only included among the five because of that one individual's extraordinary, unparalleled brilliance.
But clearly, the Five Elements Holy Body itself still held many secrets, whether these were unique to Su Min's specific manifestation or inherent to the physique remained unknown.
"Don't joke around. Aside from freaks like the Puppet Emperor, most sane emperors properly dispose of their remains before death, using special methods to return their essence to heaven and earth. Otherwise, their immensely powerful corpses could become sources of calamity, spawning undead horrors or being used for evil." Su Min countered rationally.
"Ah, right, that's true..." Xie Yingying's shoulders slumped slightly.
"But," Xie Yingying continued, her voice regaining its energy, "I do know of a place where there might be remnants or legacy sites of ancient Solar Sovereign Body cultivators, places where they fell or left their mark."
"Where?" Su Min leaned forward.
"The Ancient Battlefield!!!" Xie Yingying announced dramatically.
"Eh?" Su Min instinctively shrank her neck, a reflexive action born of past trauma, that place had left her with far too many unpleasant and dangerous memories. Back then, when she was with Tian Hao, they had scurried around like rats, hiding and fleeing at every turn, barely surviving.
But now, if she were to enter again, she would have no rivals in the entire Ancient Battlefield. Even the dormant Mahayana corpses were no exception, they were already dead, and with her current power and resistances, Su Min had nothing to fear from them anymore.
But...
"It's a good lead, but can I even enter? The restrictions..." Su Min spread her hands helplessly. If she couldn't get past the spatial barriers, it would all be for nothing.
"Those at or above the Dao Comprehension stage can't enter through the normal gate, but a Unity stage cultivator can bypass it. You can fold space locally and force a small, temporary entry point, I tested the theory before." Xie Yingying explained confidently.
"You tested it? When?" Su Min was surprised.
"Mm. While you were in your long seclusion, someone from Lin Yao's original world, a friend of hers, wanted to join her here but couldn't pass through the normal trial gate. They came to me asking for a solution. Since I had nothing better to do at the time, I went to the periphery to check. I found that after reaching the Unity stage, one could locally destabilize the barrier and create a temporary entry point without collapsing the entire pocket dimension. I brought them over personally and left immediately. Now, you can give it a proper try. Maybe you can even cleanse all the evil energy there and save the countless worlds that were corrupted by that foul blood and miasma."
"That could actually work." Su Min fell silent for a moment, considering the implications, before nodding in agreement. This task might have been beyond Xie Yingying's capabilities or interest, but for Su Min, with her specific elemental advantages, it was entirely feasible. After all, she possessed the Western Metal's Sharp Gold, the ultimate purifying force and the bane of those corrupted beings.
Coupled with her early Unity stage cultivation and her complete Five Elements Holy Body providing endless energy and resilience, she could indeed purge everything there, or at least a significant portion of it.
Since the Ancient Battlefield was more or less on the way to the deeper universe, eliminating a nest of evil and saving countless trapped souls would just be a beneficial side quest.
"Then I'll head there first, to see if there are any remains or legacies of Solar Sovereign Body predecessors that I can draw inspiration from."
Su Min nodded, her decision made. Back then, she and Tian Hao had moved like frightened mice, especially avoiding the areas with Mahayana corpses, they hadn't even dared to get close. But now, things were completely different. Why fear the remains of dead Mahayana cultivators? She was a living Unity stage supreme with a complete holy body.
If that was the case, she might as well see if she could permanently purify the entire pocket dimension. This had also been Senior White Tiger's dying wish, a request he had imparted to her with his final breath.
When she had received his inheritance back then, he had hoped she would one day return and bring peace to the tormented land, allowing the countless souls trapped and corrupted by the evil blood to finally rest. Since that was the case, and she had the power now, she might as well fulfill it.
"Then I'll be off." With Su Min's impulsive and decisive nature, she wouldn't waste time lingering once a decision was made. She immediately bid a quick farewell to Xie Yingying and left the hall. Since this wasn't a final journey to the distant, unknown shore, there was no need for drawn-out, tearful goodbyes.
However, when Su Min once again set foot on the familiar, blood-tainted sea that surrounded the Ancient Battlefield's entrance, her mood was entirely different from before.
Back then, during her first trip with Tian Hao, they had moved with extreme caution, afraid of attracting hordes of corrupted beasts with the slightest noise. But now? There was no need for restraint, she would never hold back in this lifetime. She directly released her full, crushing Unity stage pressure, a palpable force that made the very air heavy.
Every corrupted beast in her path, from the lowest to the highest, met a gruesome end, their bodies unable to withstand the pressure and simply exploding into clouds of black mist. Even those at the Dao Comprehension stage were no exception, their forms dissolving before they could even get close. By the time Su Min reached the shimmering spatial gate, all the corrupted beasts in the immediate area had perished, not a single survivor remained. Even the tainted waters around her had been purified for several li, turning clear and blue along her way.
"Truly, times have changed, and so have I."
Looking at the unstable, swirling gate before her, Su Min smiled a faint, triumphant smile.
So much time had passed. The current her, a genuine Unity stage cultivator, was incomparable to her past self, who hadn't even reached the Dao Comprehension stage and had to rely on tricks and luck. She then turned her gaze to the spatial rift, took a breath, and following Xie Yingying's instructions, channeled her spatial power and plunged straight in. In an instant, she vanished from the shores of the Heavenly Continent once more.
ROAR!!!
The moment Su Min entered the pocket dimension, the entire Ancient Battlefield seemed to sense her intrusive, powerful aura and erupted with a deafening, unified roar of challenge. Since she hadn't concealed her presence at all, her arrival immediately drew aggressive attention. Three massive, Dao Comprehension-stage monstrous worms, each the size of a small mountain, wriggled their disgusting, segmented bodies from different directions, lunging at Su Min with gaping, tooth-filled maws.
But in the very next moment, before they could even cross half the distance, all three worms burst apart simultaneously, torn to shreds by an invisible force of compressed law.
"Tch, these things are still driven by nothing but mindless hunger and aggression."
Su Min rubbed her temples in mild annoyance. These corrupted creatures had no true consciousness, or at least, very little. They operated purely on base instinct and the drive to consume. Back then, Su Min had moved with extreme caution, avoiding such confrontations. If she and Tian Hao had been surrounded by just a few of these things, they would have been in grave danger. As if responding to her thoughts, the ground trembled and over a dozen more giant worms erupted from the cracked earth around her.
"Since I'm here, I might as well be thorough and wipe them all out. I'll purify this entire sector before moving to the next. What a tedious headache."
Looking at the growing swarm of Dao Comprehension-stage worms converging on her location, Su Min couldn't be bothered to hunt them down one by one. Almost instantly, her flawless, overwhelming Unity stage aura erupted in full, a terrifying wave of power that shook the very fabric of the Ancient Battlefield pocket dimension.
"What's happening? What is this pressure? Ugh—"
Every cultivator currently searching for opportunities or in secluded meditation within the battlefield immediately sensed the world-shaking disturbance. They exchanged bewildered, frightened glances, completely unaware of what was occurring. But in the next moment, their expressions twisted in pure horror as the pressure intensified.
Due to the pocket dimension's innate restrictions, only cultivators below the Dao Comprehension stage could normally enter, they came here seeking the rare opportunities to advance to the Dao Comprehension stage. Faced with a genuine Unity stage pressure, even from tens of thousands of kilometers away, they paled, their bodies feeling heavy and their spiritual energy churning uncontrollably.
The only saving grace was that Su Min wasn't emitting any specific killing intent towards them. She had only released her aura as a beacon to draw out all the corrupted beings in the area, not to harm the human cultivators. Otherwise, they wouldn't just be feeling uncomfortable, they'd be vomiting blood from the spiritual backlash.
"Dao Comprehension stage? No, this is far beyond that, this is a Unity stage supreme! Why would such an existence descend here? Damn it, everyone, be careful, stay low!!!"
After the initial shock, the more experienced cultivators quickly realized the terrifying truth of the situation. But then, something even more horrifying began to happen, the entire Ancient Battlefield began to stir as if awakening from a long slumber.
The countless monstrous worms buried deep underground surged towards the source of the aura in a single, mindless frenzy. This sight alone was terrifying enough. Back when Su Min had first entered, she had moved with the utmost caution, and these current cultivators were no different, always hiding and avoiding large groups.
Although these worms were considered relatively weak and slow for Dao Comprehension-stage beings, facing a horde of them was still a perilous, often fatal, endeavor. But what was even more horrifying was that as the Unity pressure washed over the land, many of the ancient, skeletal remains of long-dead experts, the ones embedded in the earth and cliffs, began to tremble and stir, as if the sheer intensity of the aura was disturbing their eternal rest.