The space was silent—no wind, no ripples.
Su Min sat cross-legged, her entire body enveloped in a verdant green glow. No, she wasn't being "cuckolded"—it was just the radiance of the Eastern Azure Wood being refined within her.
Among the Five Divine Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), Metal and Fire were the most dangerous to absorb.
But Wood leaned more toward life, making the process far gentler. Moreover, this Eastern Azure Wood had been stripped of excess energy, leaving only its pure essence. If it had been like the Fusang Divine Tree back home—untouched and brimming with power—she wouldn't have dared attempt this.
Those two had worried she might covet the Sun's True Flame, but they'd never imagined she'd target the Fusang Divine Tree. That thing was untouchable—a vital resource left behind by the Golden Crow Emperor for his descendants.
Each divine artifact had unique traits. Metal and Fire directly enhanced combat power, while Wood's benefits were subtler—but no less profound.
Now, Su Min faced a choice: how to develop the Azure Dragon's inheritance.
"The Vermilion Bird's inheritance already gives me enough offensive power. But..."
A shiver ran down her spine as she recalled Mu Ling's punch—the one that had nearly killed her. If she'd been forced to use her second life, the life-saving treasures she'd painstakingly crafted would've been wasted.
Those were one-time-use items, and crafting them had been extremely difficult. Take those two Spell-Breaking Talismans—she couldn't even make them herself. They involved talismanic arts, a field she'd never studied.
So, rather than relying on external tools, the simpler solution was to strengthen her physique. Her body had always been her weak point. And the Azure Dragon's inheritance specialized in physical enhancement—without turning her into a muscle-bound brute.
As she refined the Eastern Azure Wood, the Azure Dragon's legacy fully unfolded in her mind.
[Azure Dragon Creation Art: The pinnacle of body-refining techniques. Infused with the Azure Dragon's essence, it grants the practitioner a physique rivaling the Azure Dragon itself. Ordinary human cultivators suffer severe backlash when using it—only those who possess the Eastern Azure Wood can negate this cost.]
[New Skill: Azure Dragon Possession. Integrated into the Four Symbols Possession, it comprehensively enhances physical strength.]
[Due to obtaining the Eastern Azure Wood, the Blazing Sun Body has evolved into the Fire-Wood Saint Body.]
"Four Symbols Possession..."
Su Min murmured inwardly. At the same time, her body underwent another transformation. Her snow-white hair and crimson eyes remained unchanged, but the flaming wings on her back vanished. Dragons didn't need wings to fly.
"No muscle overload, and externally, my body looks the same."
But internally, her physical strength had skyrocketed—and she now had matching techniques to complement it. The only downside? She hadn't fully refined the Eastern Azure Wood yet, so she couldn't unleash its full power.
With the inheritance complete, Su Min closed her eyes again. This time, she would fully refine the Eastern Azure Wood—a process that wouldn't be quick. And so, as Su Min sank into deep meditation, the world around her fell into absolute silence.
Time flowed like a river, indifferent to her existence.
One day, two days...
One year, two years...
For mortals, these spans were life-changing.
For Su Min? A blink.
A full decade passed.
"Finally… fully refined."
Su Min exhaled as she opened her eyes. Another long seclusion—but for her, it was routine. Golden Core cultivators often meditated for decades at a time. And with her infinite lifespan, she had no rush.
"Mid-Golden Core Stage."
She assessed her aura with satisfaction. Progress in the Golden Core realm was far slower than in Foundation Establishment. Advancing even once in forty to fifty years was normal—and Su Min had been stuck for centuries due to the world's suppression. But that was in the past.
"She should be finishing her absorption too. Breaking through in the Golden Core stage requires monstrous amounts of spiritual energy. When will I reach Nascent Soul? Well, no rush—time to refine pills first."
Checking her interface, Su Min summoned her cauldron.
Back when she'd first entered the Golden Core stage, she could've attempted Tier 4 Intermediate Alchemy—but materials had been too scarce. Now, after hoarding resources in Eastern Mulberry Island and looting the Azure Dragon's secret realm, she had enough. True, hordes of cultivators had stormed the realm—but over half of the minor spaces had been plundered by her alone.
Time to ascend to Tier 4 Intermediate Alchemist.
Plus, Xie Yingying had handed over the ingredients for that special pill—five batches' worth. More than enough.
"Start with simpler, less urgent pills first. Breaking into Tier 4 Intermediate should be effortless now."
With a flick of her fingers, dozens of herbs flew from her spatial ring, entering the cauldron one by one. The gap between Tier 3 and Tier 4 was massive. For most Golden Core cultivators, multi-threaded refining would overload their minds.
But for Su Min?
Boom!!!
No issue.
She'd been refining Tier 4 pills even in Foundation Establishment. Now at Mid-Golden Core, with her soul power vastly stronger, the herbs melted in seconds.
Half a day later...
"Zero difficulty."
Su Min smirked at the perfectly round pill in her palm—a flawless Tier 4 Intermediate product. If conditions allowed, she could even attempt Tier 4 Advanced now—but no rush.
"Now, the Flame Sun Spirit Pills. Five batches—let's see how many I can produce."
Back in Tier 3, she'd once crafted four or five Foundation Establishment Pills per batch.
But for Tier 4, that was nearly impossible.
Still, Xie Yingying had waited long enough. Time to fulfill their agreement.
(She could've done it at Early Golden Core, but her success rate was better now.)
With a thought, the herbs entered the cauldron again.
A week later...
"Done. Eight pills—not bad. Hm?"
As she examined the results, a chilling wind swept through the space. Ink-black darkness swallowed the world. Su Min's eyebrow twitched.
Then—
BOOM!!!
An explosion echoed as an aura no weaker than hers erupted.
Mid-Golden Core.
Xie Yingying had broken through too. In raw cultivation, they were now even. In combat? With her Lunar Sovereign Body, Xie Yingying was dangerous.
"Thankfully, she hadn't obtained the Ancient Lunar Sovereign Scripture yet—so her physique wasn't at its peak."
"Congratulations. The Flame Sun Spirit Pills are ready—eight in total. Four each, as agreed."
Su Min tossed two jade bottles—each containing four pills—to Xie Yingying.
"Thank you."
Xie Yingying's eyes sparkled. She'd expected two or three at most—Su Min's efficiency was monstrous. But then again, she'd once seen Su Min produce five Foundation Establishment Pills in one batch. Su Min's alchemy talent was unrivaled. With these pills, her problems were solved.
"What's next? I've obtained the full inheritance and unlocked part of my Five Elements Holy Body—but perfection is still far away."
Su Min sighed. The Golden Core Avenue only had the Azure Dragon's legacy. The other three were out of reach for now—and she was too weak. Mid-Golden Core was decent, but against the Four Symbols, it meant nothing. The previous Azure Dragon had stripped the Eastern Azure Wood's excess energy—but the others hadn't. She'd need at least Nascent Soul strength to face the next one.
"Your physique is too rare—I've never even heard of it."
Xie Yingying eyed Su Min curiously. If not for that person's knowledge, she'd have been clueless.
"The Five Elements Holy Body requires all five divine artifacts to reach perfection—and not just any five. Historically, almost no one has achieved it. It's normal you haven't heard of it."
Su Min was vague—she wasn't entirely sure herself. But it didn't matter. She knew the locations of the other three artifacts. Once the time was right, she'd claim them all.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
"The place I need to go is still too dangerous. Just as your mark sensed the Azure Dragon's legacy, my physique resonates with that location—but it's not time yet."
"I see..."
Su Min's eyes narrowed. If it wasn't time yet, what should she do in the meantime? She'd just broken through—rushing to Late Golden Core wasn't feasible.
"No need to rush. The Golden Core Avenue is full of opportunities. We've missed many legacies during seclusion, but every cultivator has an inheritance limit. No need to worry—better to prepare for the future. This path holds countless ancient artifacts left behind by predecessors."
"Mm."
Su Min nodded. No external artifacts could be brought into the Golden Core Avenue—but inside, there were high-grade materials and abandoned treasures. Her self-forged equipment was limited by her cultivation level, paling in comparison to the major sects' gear. Last time, she'd suffered due to inferior artifacts.
"How about the Flame Domain? It's filled with ancient cultivators' remnants—plenty of unique opportunities there. What I seek lies in the Frost Domain's depths, and it won't open for a long time."
"Agreed."
Su Min had no objections. Even if she didn't need the artifacts, her sect members could use them. Plus, her cultivation method was Fire-Wood dual-attribute—finding compatible users would be tough.
"Oh, right. You should explore too. The Golden Core Avenue's history predates even my sect's records. There might be specialized techniques for the Five Elements Holy Body."
Xie Yingying's reminder piqued Su Min's interest. A powerful physique needed a matching technique to shine.
In the game, choosing a top-tier physique + technique combo was the ultimate cheat.
That Demon Queen she'd fought?
Su Min had needed Golden Core strength to kill her. But according to records, the fastest clear was by someone at late Foundation Establishment—using an SSR physique and technique obtained early.
(That player had grinded for a full day to win.)
Others had managed in mid-Foundation Establishment, dying multiple times. Meanwhile, Su Min's build had struggled—some players were still stuck even at Golden Core. But in real life, reckless dying wasn't an option.
Soon...
"The Dragon Domain is empty—all legacies and secret realms looted."
Both had prepared for ambushes upon exiting—but no one was around.
Understandable.
The Golden Core Great Path had countless secret realms opening one after another. Who'd waste decades camping outside? Only in the final fifty years might people lie in wait. Now? Everyone was busy chasing opportunities.
"No one's here. Let's head to the Flame Domain—maybe we'll find good loot, or at least gather resources."
After confirming the coast was clear, Xie Yingying suggested. The Golden Core Avenue's regions opened sequentially. First: the Beast Domain (inheritance from divine beasts, though few suited humans).
Ten years later: the Human Domain (Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth)—the true treasures left by ancient human experts.
Now, the crowds had shifted there. As they left, they spotted stragglers—mostly Three-Nine Heavenly Tribulation Golden Core cultivators.
"They couldn't compete for the good stuff, so they're scavenging leftovers. The Avenue's entrance closed a while ago—they're stuck here for a century."
"Aren't you worried about meeting your sect members? If they followed us in, we couldn't protect them—they'd be stuck in these outskirts for a hundred years."
Su Min rolled her eyes.
"They're not that suicidal. Once the world's barriers fully open, the little Golden Crow will hatch. She can activate part of the inheritance—no need to risk their lives here."
Some ancient beasts had cooperated with humans, leaving shared legacies.
"In the Flame Domain, I'll keep collecting herbs. I have three Spirit Blossoms—if possible, I want to gather enough for three batches of Nascent Soul Pills."
Su Min's expression turned serious.
Even after the world's spiritual energy recovered, high-tier materials would remain scarce—they needed time to grow.
If she could stockpile now, she'd have spares for trade.
In the cultivation world, gold and silver were worthless.
But breakthrough pills?
The ultimate currency.