The moment Xie Yingying shielded Su Min, the barrier vanished. Almost immediately, a frenzied battle erupted within the stone cavern, with the three factions clashing relentlessly. It was common knowledge that divine artifacts would not spill out immediately after their host's death but would instead return to their original location.
Thus, even if someone obtained the Eastern Azure Wood, it would be useless—kill them, and it would reappear here. The only way to safely refine it was to defeat everyone else. As for the Azure Dragon's inheritance, it was temporarily outside their considerations.
Compared to the Azure Dragon's legacy, the Eastern Azure Wood was far more important. However, anyone who dared approach it would face simultaneous attacks from all three parties—even Su Min was no exception.
"Is she in enlightenment?"
Glancing cautiously at the chaotic battle above, Xie Yingying turned her attention to Su Min, sensing something unusual about her state. At that moment, Su Min's mind was flooded with surging information.
Only now did she truly realize the immense advantage her mark had given her. Previously, she had thought the mark's attributes were nearly useless—the recovery rate was too low. While it might have been significant during the Body Forging stage, by the Golden Core stage, the effect was negligible.
But now, Su Min had to admit one thing: while the mark's effects seemed trivial, the mark itself was anything but weak. Unnoticed by anyone, the little azure dragon coiled around the branch had vanished, silently merging into Su Min's body.
The inheritances of the Four Symbols shared one key trait: all their abilities were built upon the foundation of their respective divine artifacts. Without the artifact's support, the Four Symbols' inheritances wouldn't even rank as third-rate.
Thus, the others had little interest in the inheritance—their primary target was the Eastern Azure Wood. Divine trees stood at the pinnacle of all vegetation, capable of transforming vast regions' environments.
For instance, the lush ecology of Su Min's Eastern Mulberry Island relied entirely on the Fusang Divine Tree's influence. In any case, whoever claimed the divine tree would face no competition for the inheritance—because it would be meaningless without the artifact. Yet now, unbeknownst to everyone, the inheritance's little dragon had been drawn into Su Min's brow by the mark's pull.
"They probably can't see or sense that little dragon. If not for my Azure Dragon Mark, I wouldn't have noticed either."
Su Min mused silently. In the game, she hadn't paid much attention, but reality was different. Clearly, the others were oblivious to the little dragon's transfer into her body.
At the same time, her interface underwent a subtle change.
[Four Symbols Rebirth – Dragon] → [Four Symbols Primordial – Azure Dragon]
[Four Symbols Primordial – Azure Dragon]
[Requires full refinement of the Eastern Azure Wood to unlock. Temporary access granted.]
In that instant, Su Min's lips curled into a faint smile.
She could now briefly wield the Eastern Azure Wood's power, even without fully activating the Azure Dragon inheritance. By using Wood to fuel Fire, she could amplify her Nanming Lihuo to terrifying new heights.
Thus, when Su Min opened her eyes, she already had a plan.
"Hold off the small fry later. Leave the three leaders to me."
Glancing at the stalemate in the sky, Su Min quietly relayed her plan to Xie Yingying. The underlings had already suffered heavy losses, and the three leaders were all injured. They had maintained an unspoken agreement: if one was lightly wounded, the other two would gang up on them. Now, all three were severely injured—the perfect time to strike. The others had fared even worse. If not for some fleeing after grave injuries, casualties would have been far higher.
But even so, the three leaders had reached their limits. The moment Su Min opened her eyes, they halted their battle and turned their attention to her. They knew that if they continued, Su Min would swoop in for the kill. Though injured, their foundations remained intact. Now, regardless of Su Min and Xie Yingying's status, they had to be expelled. The three even considered joining forces—a move that slightly surprised Su Min. It seemed these major sects were like the great powers: they fought among themselves but would never allow outsiders to reap the benefits.
Before, they had given Su Min face. Now, things were different. Facing three opponents who had also survived the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, their goal wasn't to kill but to drive Su Min out. Watching from the sidelines was no longer an option. To claim the Eastern Azure Wood, Su Min would have to defeat all three—a far greater challenge than in the game.
In the game, these three had been sequential boss fights—a trio of battles. Apart from the Wood Fanatic, the other two were randomly generated, but their difficulty remained consistent.
"Are you sure? Dealing with them will require some trump cards."
Xie Yingying sounded concerned upon hearing Su Min's message.
"Don't worry. The odds are in our favor. All three are injured, and I still have cards to play."
Crackle—
The moment Su Min finished speaking, a flash of lightning streaked across the cavern. Su Min appeared before the sapling, eyeing the trio with amusement.
"Lady Su, I advise against this. Refining the Eastern Azure Wood leaves you extremely vulnerable. And unless you fully refine it, you won't be able to leave."
The three leaders weren't in a hurry. They wouldn't touch the Eastern Azure Wood until all outsiders were expelled. Still, they slowly closed in, encircling Su Min.
"Not necessarily."
Seeing their expressions, Su Min flexed her arm, and a ribbon fluttered down. Instantly, the trio's faces twisted in shock.
"The Azure Dragon Mark?"
"Correct, but no prize. Gentlemen, today, the Eastern Azure Wood is mine."
With that, Su Min grasped the Eastern Azure Wood's core and absorbed it into her body. The wood had been stripped of excess energy, leaving only its pure essence. Otherwise, like the Fusang Divine Tree on Eastern Mulberry Island, not even Golden Core cultivators—let alone ancient powerhouses—would dare touch it.
"Now, the fun begins. Attack!!!"
As the Eastern Azure Wood merged into her, Su Min felt her Nanming Lihuo surge wildly. If the flame had once been rootless, it now had an endless fuel supply.
Boom—
The moment Su Min spoke, scorching heat erupted from her body. A massive crimson bird materialized behind her, her hair once again turning snow-white. Her Earth-grade treasure armor seemed to come alive, encasing her completely.
"Nanming Lihuo?! Impossible! How can you wield both Nanming Lihuo and the Eastern Azure Wood? And control them simultaneously?!"
One of the leaders paled in horror. Divine artifacts were incompatible—contact between them would trigger an explosion within the body, fatal even for Nascent Soul cultivators.
Yet what unfolded before them defied all logic.
"Damn it, I remember something."
Chang Lu's expression darkened as a passage from an ancient text flashed through his mind.
"This woman possesses the Five Elements Holy Body. Legend says that to fully awaken it, one must fuse all five divine artifacts within their body. Once perfected, the Five Elements Holy Body grants power capable of slaying immortals."
A terrifying realization struck him.
Hearing this, everyone—including Xie Yingying—was stunned. She had recognized Su Min's Blazing Sun Body but never imagined it was the Five Elements Holy Body.
It wasn't her fault—this physique was rarer than even the Lunar Sovereign Body. Perfecting it required gathering five divine artifacts, a near-impossible feat. Moreover, the artifacts had to be carefully chosen—reckless absorption would lead to self-destruction. She had only read about it in ancient texts. If she was shocked, the others were utterly dumbfounded.
"Brother Chang, with the three of us and our forces combined, can we defeat her?" Mu Ling asked through gritted teeth.
"Don't panic. The Five Elements Holy Body only reaches its peak when all five artifacts merge into the Great Five Elements Cycle. Only then can she fully manipulate the interplay of the elements, rendering most attacks useless."
All worldly attributes stemmed from the Five Elements—wind, thunder, ice, light, and darkness were all derivatives. Thus, once the Five Elements Holy Body was perfected, only Yin-Yang forces could harm her meaningfully.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Every attack carried traces of Yin-Yang energy, but only the Lunar Sovereign Body and Solar Sovereign Body could wield them effectively—and only at their peak.
Without the Great Five Elements Cycle, the Holy Body's true power remained dormant. Yet even now, Su Min was no pushover—she had already mastered two divine artifacts. In a one-on-one fight, none of them stood a chance.
"Everyone, attack together! Today, you must leave the Eastern Azure Wood behind!!!"
Mu Ling roared, charging forward. But in that instant, the entire space twisted.
Inky mist seeped into the once-bright cavern. Everyone except Su Min shuddered involuntarily.
"Yin energy?!"
Chang Lu's face contorted in horror. Following the source, they saw Xie Yingying wielding a massive brush, the inky strands flowing from her hand.
"The Lunar Sovereign Body!!!"
Chang Lu's lips twitched. Why were they encountering these legendary physiques? And two at once? What kind of cursed place was Eastern Mulberry Island to spawn such monsters?
"So this is her true power? She's been slacking off with me all this time?"
Su Min's eye twitched at the sight. Xie Yingying had always fought with ice, never revealing the Lunar Sovereign Body's true might. Now, facing true adversity, she had unveiled her full strength.
"Netherfrost Prison!!!"
Xie Yingying swiped her brush through the air, drawing a dark circle that expanded rapidly, engulfing everyone except the three leaders. Fierce energy erupted within as Xie Yingying single-handedly held off dozens, utterly unyielding.
"This—"
The three leaders outside the barrier gaped. Was this the power of the Lunar Sovereign Body? It was absurd! Those trapped inside were all Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation survivors. Even they wouldn't dare take on so many at once. What kind of monstrous confidence and strength was this?
"Vermilion Bird Idol!!!"
Before they could recover, Su Min's calm voice rang out. A colossal firebird, dozens of meters tall, materialized before them, snapping them back to reality.
"It seems the three of us must unite. That thing isn't just Nanming Lihuo—it's amplified by the Eastern Azure Wood. The interplay of the elements makes it far deadlier."
Exchanging glances, the three leaders reluctantly joined forces.
"Hmph."
Su Min smirked inwardly. Without the Eastern Azure Wood's support, she wouldn't have dared challenge all three. But now, the Vermilion Bird Idol's power had reached terrifying levels. The three weren't fools. One glance was enough to realize none could face her alone.
Thus, they unleashed their full auras, preparing their ultimate techniques. But in that moment—
"Your gifts are ready."
Su Min flicked her wrist, tossing out two objects—a small cage carved from special material and a flaming chain. Since only those with pure Wood attributes could refine the Eastern Azure Wood, Su Min had prepared two Wood-suppressing artifacts.
[Fire-Wood Enclosure] [Blazing Heart Chain]
The cage clamped onto Mu Ling, while the chain bound Han Chaoyan.
"!!!"
Chang Lu's pupils shrank. She had come prepared! Both artifacts countered Wood cultivators, trapping their targets for a full minute. A minute was nothing to mortals, but for Golden Core cultivators, it was an eternity.
"I yield. Please release them, Lady Su."
Facing the Vermilion Bird's gaze, Chang Lu acted swiftly. He knew Su Min would bombard him before the other two broke free—possibly even killing him. Against Nanming Lihuo alone, he might have stood a chance. But now, with The Eastern Azure Wood's power, resistance was futile.
Without hesitation, he turned into a streak of light, fleeing through the portal. The trapped duo's faces spasmed. Simultaneously, several bloodied figures emerged from the inky prison—Chang Lu's subordinates. With their leader gone, they dared not stay, scrambling for the exit.
Neither Su Min nor Xie Yingying stopped them. At the Golden Core stage, chasing a fleeing opponent was impractical. Moreover, the two trapped leaders weren't defenseless—their protective talismans shattered, cracking the artifacts restraining them.
"Crack—"
The artifacts splintered, freeing the two. Their expressions were grim—these were one-use life-saving treasures from their sects. Had they not used them, Su Min's thirty-second onslaught would have been devastating.
"Not bad. One's gone. Still want to fight, oh mighty leaders?"
Su Min smirked. Within the prison, Xie Yingying's aura blazed—clearly, the others posed no threat. As a Lunar Sovereign Body, she was highly resistant to Yin-based attacks, crippling many inside. These top-tier physiques didn't just enhance their users—they suppressed their foes' abilities.
Amidst the freezing darkness, Xie Yingying's brush danced, sending inky threads lashing out. Each stroke carried pure Yin energy, forcing the trapped cultivators to combine efforts just to defend. The greatest techniques appeared simple. Only those struck understood their terror. Chaos reigned as the prisoners scrambled like headless chickens.
"Seems you can't count on backup. The Lunar Sovereign Body is far stronger than me."
Su Min's grin widened. The battle was hers to win.