Su Min gazed calmly at the two men before her. If she could scare them off, that would be ideal. After all, she had to be wary of the unpredictable trump cards these people might have. As the saying went, no one who survived the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations was an easy opponent.
Driving them away would be the best outcome—though if a fight broke out, she wasn't afraid either.
"A joke. If you were a true Five Elements Holy Body, I might fear you a little."
Mu Ling sneered at Su Min's words. He wasn't called the "Wood Madman" for nothing. Beside him, Han Chaoyan wore a similarly arrogant expression. As a once-in-a-millennium genius of his sect, he naturally had his pride.
Besides, it was now two against one. As for Chang Lu, who had fled earlier, the two had already labeled him a coward. Sure enough, in the next moment, two terrifying auras erupted before Su Min.
"Let my Glass-Forged Heart Body test your limits, Lady Su."
Mu Ling's cold voice rang out. The Glass-Forged Heart Body—a peak-tier T2 physique—could refine one's flesh to an extreme degree, making it perfect for close combat. If paired with the Eastern Azure Wood, it would completely negate its vulnerability to injuries, surpassing even Su Min's Blazing Sun Bod combined with Nanming Lihuo.
As Mu Ling unleashed his power, a dark shadow emerged behind Han Chaoyan.
"A Teng Snake? Troublesome. Without the Eastern Azure Wood's support, even a one-on-one would've been difficult. But now that one's gone, the odds are much better."
Su Min quickly assessed the situation. While physiques were powerful, the cultivator's skill mattered more—even a mortal body could ascend to immortality. So she decided to strike first.
The Vermilion Bird Idol behind her suddenly opened its beak, spewing a torrent of Nanming Lihuo straight at Han Chaoyan. The inheritances of ancient divine beasts were unpredictable and hard to counter.
"Cloud-Reversing Waters!"
The Teng Snake's shadow opened its maw, unleashing a jet of abyssal black water that collided with Nanming Lihuo.
"The Teng Snake excels in water, and water counters fire. But while the Teng Snake is one of the Eight Divine Spirits, the Vermilion Bird is also one of the Four Symbols—and with Nanming Lihuo's support, you can only hold out for so long."
Su Min smirked inwardly. The Teng Snake's innate water was formidable, but Han Chaoyan only had the inheritance, not the true divine water. Even so, he was barely holding his own against her Vermilion Bird's flames. As for why Su Min wasn't going all out?
Simple.
Because at that moment, someone had already appeared right in front of her—and a fist was hurtling toward her face.
Clang!!!
Su Min barely had time to cross her arms in defense, taking the blow head-on. But between her Earth-grade armor and the Golden Bell Shield, the attack didn't deal any fatal damage.
"Damn, that's some tough defense."
Mu Ling's expression darkened as he watched Su Min get sent flying. He hadn't expected a single strike to defeat her, but the fact that she was completely unharmed was alarming.
"Hurry up and find a way to beat her! I'll hold off this Vermilion Bird!"
Han Chaoyan's face twisted in frustration. With the dual amplification of Nanming Lihuo and the Eastern Azure Wood, the Vermilion Bird's power was terrifying. If Su Min focused solely on him, his defeat would only be a matter of time.
"Got it."
But the moment Mu Ling responded, several flying swords shot toward him.
Clink! Clank!
Though he blocked them all, scorched marks now marred his arms, making his brow twitch. At their level, everyone had Earth-grade armor. His was even Earth-grade high-tier, personally forged by a Nascent Soul cultivator—superior to Su Min's in quality. Yet those swords had still injured him.
"Wood-fueled fire swords… That's just terrifying."
Before he could recover, a chill ran down his spine. He turned—only to see Su Min already behind him, her ruby-like eyes reflecting his stunned expression. Her blade descended. After the earlier attacks, he didn't dare take this strike head-on. So a small mirror materialized between them.
Clang!
Su Min's slash was deflected—and in the next instant, their positions swapped. Mu Ling's fist, now wreathed in dark green energy, came crashing down with full force. The veins across his body glowed ominously, and the phantom of a Nine Nether Sacred Tiger loomed behind him. For a moment, he resembled an ancient beast resurrected—his combat style ruthless and overwhelming, delivering the heaviest blows in the shortest time.
"[Thousand-Wood Mountain-Shattering Fist]!"
BOOM!!!
The earth trembled.
Mu Ling smirked inwardly. This was his full-power strike—one that had once torn a late-stage Golden Core demonic beast apart. No matter how tough Su Min's defenses were, she couldn't possibly withstand this. Of course, his expression wasn't entirely pleased either. The mirror before him had split in two. In just a few exchanges, he'd already burned through two life-saving treasures.
But then—
Two talismanic characters materialized beside him, binding him in place.
"'卍' Character? A Buddhist cultivator?"
Mu Ling's eyes widened at the golden symbol. Buddhist practitioners followed an entirely different path, with unique techniques and divine abilities. They rarely participated in Golden Core-level trials like this.
"Watch out!!!"
Han Chaoyan's warning came too late.
Because at that moment—
A crimson light engulfed the world.
"!!!"
Mu Ling turned—only to see the Vermilion Bird Idol expanding before his eyes. The two talismans—the '卍' Character and the 'Thunder' Character—held him in place. The former had little effect on him (he wasn't a demon), but the latter sent paralyzing lightning coursing through his body, disrupting his energy flow. Breaking free would take two or three seconds. But he didn't have that time.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A blazing shockwave erupted, painting the sky in fiery red. The heat washed over the entire cavern, even disrupting Xie Yingying's ink-black prison. The latter swiftly manipulated her brush, sending inky threads to block the incoming shockwave.
"Did she just self-destruct her Idol? That power…"
Xie Yingying was stunned. She'd been suppressing the others effortlessly, so she'd witnessed everything outside. Su Min hadn't resorted to any tricks—she'd simply detonated her Vermilion Bird Idol. But the force was insane. If she'd been point-blank, even she wouldn't have survived unscathed. Sure enough, a charred figure soon plummeted from the explosion, trailing smoke.
"Still alive? Everyone, retreat!"
Han Chaoyan, now covered in burns, didn't hesitate. If not for his Teng Snake's protection, he'd have been severely injured. Continuing the fight was pointless. With the Eastern Azure Wood in Su Min's body, her recovery would be monstrous. Better to cut their losses and owe Mu Ling a favor. Grabbing the unconscious man, Han Chaoyan fled—but not before shouting at his scattered subordinates. In an instant, the once-chaotic battlefield fell silent.
"Ugh…"
Su Min floated up weakly from the cliffside, looking utterly battered. Blood streaked her body, and her transformation had faded. She couldn't stop the fleeing enemies now—but she sighed in relief. At least her second life was still intact. As she'd guessed, defeating opponents like this required a heavy price.
"Earth-grade high-tier gauntlets, Earth-grade high-tier armor, Earth-grade high-tier spell-breaking talismans, Earth-grade high-tier heart-protecting mirror… What a luxurious setup. Pity you still lost."
Su Min chuckled inwardly. Fighting two at once had been manageable—against three, she might've had to expend her second life. Mu Ling's equipment was ridiculously high-end, especially the two disposable life-saving treasures. If he'd lacked even one of those four items, he wouldn't have been able to injure her so severely.
"You alright? I thought you'd blown yourself up."
Xie Yingying flew over. She'd planned to assist after dealing with the others, but they'd been more troublesome than expected. Yet the battle had ended in a flash.
"I'm fine. The Eastern Azure Wood and Nanming Lihuo synergize perfectly. Without them, I wouldn't have crippled that guy so easily."
Su Min popped a healing pill into her mouth. The Teng Snake inheritor hadn't been too troublesome, but that close-combat berserker was a real pain. As the saying went, "absolute force crushes all techniques"—and since she wasn't a body cultivator, facing him head-on had been risky.
"Now, only the two of us remain in this entire secret realm. Whether those outside will ambush us is another matter, but for now, we're safe. Time to refine the Eastern Azure Wood—I couldn't even unleash half its power earlier."
A faint green light seeped from Su Min's body. Though she could use the Eastern Azure Wood's power, she couldn't fully harness it yet—otherwise, she wouldn't have been so heavily injured. Moreover, the moment she'd merged with it, she'd sensed the entire secret realm's condition. It was now empty, its treasures mostly plundered. It would take decades for it to recover.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
So the only thing left was to refine the Eastern Azure Wood. How long that would take, she wasn't sure. Golden Core cultivators didn't have endless lifespans—secluded training lasting over a decade wasn't uncommon.
"Perfect timing. I need to absorb this crystal too. Those guys probably won't let this go—they might be waiting outside. Let's go into seclusion first."
Xie Yingying nodded. They'd thoroughly offended three major sects this time—but so what? Strengthening themselves came first. Soon, the two found separate spots to begin their closed-door cultivation—one to refine the Eastern Azure Wood, the other to absorb the frost crystal.
Outside the Secret Realm
"Oh? Not only did you fail, but you got beaten to a pulp too."
Chang Lu grinned at the bedraggled group that had just stumbled out. Thankfully, he'd fled early—otherwise, he'd have suffered the same fate.
"You bastard! If you hadn't run, the three of us could've taken her down!"
Han Chaoyan spat angrily.
"Hmph. There are countless inheritances in this world. Why waste effort fighting a Five Elements Holy Body and a Lunar Sovereign Body—two once-in-an-era physiques? Besides, looks like you burned all your life-saving treasures. How will you compete with others now? Farewell!"
Chang Lu gave a mocking salute before leaving. The Eastern Azure Wood was valuable, but with so many competitors, his sect wouldn't blame him for failing. The Golden Core Avenue was vast—there were plenty of other opportunities. Why exhaust all his trump cards here?
Han Chaoyan and the heavily injured Mu Ling wore ugly expressions. Mu Ling had used his last life-saving treasure. Though his injuries were severe, his foundation remained intact—he just needed time to recover. But with no more safeguards left, while Su Min hadn't even used one of hers, the loss was undeniable.
"Five Elements Holy Body… Lunar Sovereign Body… Do you really think no one can deal with you?"
Mu Ling shot a venomous glare at the secret realm before leaving with his men. As for Han Chaoyan, his losses were lighter. Ambushing them now was pointless—there were other inheritances to pursue, possibly even better ones.
"The Netherworld Ghost Water should be here too. If I can't get the Eastern Azure Wood, that's an alternative. Pity my Four Waters Darkwood Body can't hold two divine artifacts."
With that, he left without hesitation. The Eastern Azure Wood had been his sect's objective—his personal path lay elsewhere. The Teng Snake's true power required a water-type divine artifact, which would suit him far better. Besides, fighting Su Min had taught him one thing: without a divine artifact, he was at a severe disadvantage.
Her Vermilion Bird, amplified by two divine artifacts, had crushed his Teng Snake. Stealing from her was impossible—and even if he succeeded, he couldn't keep the Eastern Azure Wood. One would return to heaven and earth, the other to the Azure Dragon's secret realm—which wouldn't reopen during this Golden Core trial. So he left without regret.
Su Min and Xie Yingying had miscalculated one thing: The first thirty years of the Golden Core trials were the most critical—a time when countless inheritances emerged.
No one would waste this precious period ambushing them, not even the bitterest Mu Ling. Within days, the once-crowded ruins were deserted—only to be repopulated by the scattered rogue cultivators who'd been driven off earlier. Many secret realms remained open even after their inheritances were taken. Scavenging for leftover treasures was still worthwhile.
This was also why Su Min hadn't brought her own people—those inheritances were beyond them. Rather than risk their lives here, staying home was safer. A pill or two from her later would be far more valuable.
Inside the Azure Dragon's Secret Realm
Su Min opened her eyes. She hadn't rushed to refine the Eastern Azure Wood—instead, she'd focused on healing first. Mu Ling's final strike had shattered over a dozen of her bones. Recovery had taken effort, not to mention the other miscellaneous injuries.
"After this, my meridians are more resilient, and there are no hidden injuries left."
She assessed her condition with satisfaction. Now fully healed, she turned her attention to the Eastern Azure Wood—the key to her next breakthrough. Glancing over, she saw Xie Yingying encased in a radiant white jade light, already absorbing the frost crystal.
Su Min wouldn't fall behind. She walked back to the sapling.
"Time to refine it. Let's see how my physique evolves."
With that, she channeled her spiritual energy and absorbed the divine wood into her body once more.
~~
I'm here!!!
My latest novel "Reborn as the Fallen Idol, I Leaned Into the Chaos!" already on air. This is not just your typical transmigration + system troupe. The beside "Entertainment" as the main topic, it also around on "Bullying", "Cyberbully", "Depression", "Mental health", "Humanity", and many more. It was deep, but it's not that hard to read or heavy.
I hope that you guys give this novel a shot. For schedule is same with this novel, 5 chapters/ day. You can found it on this site or wattpad. Thanks ~~