Although the beast had carried a trace of a divine bloodline, it was far from pure. Su Min could have taken it down alone, but the result would have been the same, a charred, thoroughly inedible carcass. At this point, she almost wished she had been the one to roast it herself. At least then, she could have enjoyed a meal. Instead, the eagle's organs, blood, and most usable materials had been utterly obliterated by the explosive force of Xie Yingying's frost energy. Only the cracked demon core remained somewhat intact. With a resigned sigh, Su Min pocketed the core and approached the three radiant, pulsating flowers.
"Now we have the rarest core ingredient for the Nascent Soul Pill," she began, but her words turned into a shout. "Wait, what are you doing?!"
SMACK!
A small, sturdy branch whipped out, striking Xie Yingying's outstretched hand and forcing her to yelp and retreat.
"Ow! What was that for?!" Xie Yingying demanded, cradling her stinging fingers.
"A basic rule of alchemy," Su Min scowled, twirling the branch between her fingers, "is to never uproot a spirit herb unless it is absolutely necessary. Yanking it out like a weed would have damaged the root system and its spiritual nodes. These flowers are perennial; they will regrow if the roots are left intact."
With the practiced precision of a master herbalist, she used the fine edge of her sword to cleanly slice off the blossoms at their stems, carefully storing them in her spatial ring where time stood still, preserving their potency perfectly.
As the guardian eagle died, a swirling black vortex materialized in the air nearby, the clear passage to the next trial. Xie Yingying moved immediately to enter, but Su Min's hand shot out, stopping her.
"No rush," Su Min said, her eyes scanning the lush, vibrant valley. "This entire place is brimming with rare herbs, all nourished by the Eastern Azure Wood's immense vitality. Let us gather what we can first. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"Won't the others seize the inheritance ahead of us?" Xie Yingying asked, a note of urgency in her voice.
"No." A confident smirk played on Su Min's lips. "They only have dragon scales, entry tickets. I bear the true Azure Dragon's mark, and my connection to this place is far deeper. The core inheritance will not open for at least three more weeks. Let them fight and exhaust themselves in the outer trials. The protagonist," she declared, "always arrives fashionably late."
Thanks to her unique Heavenly Dao Insight, Su Min could instinctively sense the correct path and the flow of energy within the realm, something the other marked individuals lacked. In the game, this would have been marked by a convenient glowing arrow. Here, it was pure, honed instinct.
"Then let's strip this place bare," Xie Yingying said, her eyes gleaming with a hunter's light. Though she was wealthy from her sect's legacy, high grade resources were always finite. Having a Grade Four alchemist as a permanent ally who could turn these raw materials into priceless pills? The value was incalculable.
~
While Su Min and Xie Yingying looted the trial grounds with methodical leisure, chaos and carnage reigned in the other chambers. Without the deep connection of the Azure Dragon's true mark, the other cultivators stumbled blindly between disconnected trial spaces. Each chamber locked them in until they defeated its guardian, forcing brutal, no retreat battles.
And just as Su Min predicted, a three sided war broke out.
The three major factions, each led by a marked individual and desperate to claim the Eastern Azure Wood for themselves, clashed in bloody, desperate skirmishes whenever their paths crossed. By the third day, the trial's entrance had sealed shut behind them. No one could leave until the inheritance was decided.
"Another rare ingredient," Su Min grinned, plucking a glistening, blue fruit from a silver leafed plant. "Aqua Spirit Fruit! Once this is all over, I will have the resources to attempt Grade Four Mid Tier alchemy. The material density here is unbelievably rich!"
Most sects in the current era could not hope to sustain the vast resources needed for consistent high tier pill refining. But the ancient, preserved Dragon Domain was a veritable treasure trove, a paradise for any alchemist.
Xie Yingying, her eyes shining with a more personal ambition, approached and handed Su Min a complex new pill recipe.
"Flame Sun Spirit Pill, Grade Four Mid Tier," she explained. "It generates potent yang fire energy and preserves body heat against extreme cold. For the frozen heart of the domain I must eventually enter, it is absolutely essential."
In the game, players who chose the Lunar Sovereign Physique had to start with the foundational Lunar Sovereign Ancient Scripture, as it could not be obtained any other way. But this was reality, and the path was far more complex and demanding.
"The Eastern Azure Wood is the key to reaching it," Xie Yingying murmured, a shadow of ancient sorrow in her eyes. "My ancestors, they must have foreseen this convergence. They sealed me in that specific corner of Wei Wu Province for a reason."
"Three pills. Minimum," Su Min's tone turned serious as she scanned the difficult recipe. "The ingredient list is brutal. No wonder you were not in a hurry before. The requirements are insane."
~
In the next chamber they entered, the scene was one of pure carnage. Blood, still rich with spiritual energy, painted the stone walls and floor. The remnants of several powerful techniques lingered in the air.
"Three sects clashed here," Su Min observed coldly, reading the signs. "Probably fighting over localized treasures and a chance to thin the competition for the main inheritance."
By looking at the surrounding devastation and the scattered clues, Su Min could reconstruct the event at a glance. After all, when entering this secret realm, parties of two or three were thrown into one space initially, then scattered randomly across dozens of different trial rooms. With so many people from these major sects, they were likely scattered across dozens of different chambers. Moreover, the materials here were genuinely exceptional. The reason Su Min and Xie Yingying did not fight was because Su Min was the alchemist, and Xie Yingying would ultimately rely on her for pills, so she naturally deferred all material collection to her. But those from rival sects would not share that dynamic; they would even fight among themselves over a single prized ingredient.
This was especially true when the supreme genius who had survived the nine nine heavenly tribulation was not present to enforce order. Basically, no one would back down for anyone else. Everyone here had been tempered by the six nine tribulation at a minimum, so who was afraid of whom?
"Let's move on," Su Min said, her expression impassive as she stepped over a charred body.
This time, she did not divert to a parallel space. Instead, she walked decisively towards the inner layer. However, upon entering the next chamber, she immediately bumped into a confrontation.
Three cultivators, their robes marking them as disciples of the Shenxing Sect, had surrounded a lone, portly man.
"Hand over all your things," one of them snarled. "I just saw you put a Red Sun Blood Crystal into your storage ring."
"That is a core ingredient for a pill I need," the fat man retorted, his voice trembling but defiant. "I will not give it to you."
"You fat fool, are you looking for death?"
Before Su Min could even speak, the heated conversation reached them. This also made her mouth curl up in a slight, cold smile. In the outside world, open robbery like this was rare because even independent cultivators would stick together, and causing a scene could be difficult to handle. But it was different in the ruins, especially for those unlucky enough to be caught alone.
Because the two women did not hide their presence, they were discovered the moment they entered. The three disciples, who had been ferocious and greedy just moments before, were stunned for a second upon seeing Su Min and Xie Yingying. But their expressions quickly changed to fawning obsequiousness.
"Two fairies," the lead disciple said, bowing slightly. "This fat man has stolen an item from our sect. Please, pay us no mind. The guardians in this chamber have been dealt with. You two fairies are free to proceed wherever you wish."
"Scram." The single word from Su Min was laced with such disdain it was physically palpable.
She knew that if she and Xie Yingying had been weaker, these vultures would have pounced on them without a second thought. There was no point in wasting time on such hypocrites.
"My two fairies," the portly man blurted out, seeing a potential lifeline, "I am willing to exchange a piece of Naiqiong Divine Ice for your protection! I only ask that you save my life!"
Su Min barely flicked an eyebrow at the name, but behind her, Xie Yingying went completely rigid. A barely audible hitch in her breath, her fingers twitching at her sides, tiny tells, but Su Min caught them all. That raw, hungry glint in Xie Yingying's eyes was unmistakable.
"Don't listen to his nonsense, fairies!" one of the Shenxing disciples interjected hastily. "Once we retrieve our property, we would be happy to offer that Naiqiong Divine Ice to you with both hands!"
Seeing this scene, the three disciples couldn't help but tremble, immediately making a desperate promise to Xie Yingying.
Su Min did not even glance at them. Instead, she tilted her head slightly toward Xie Yingying, her voice low and private. "You need it?"
A pause. Xie Yingying's throat moved, her usual frosty composure faltering. "...Mn."
"Important?"
Another silence, heavier this time. Then, softer: "Mn."
Su Min exhaled a short, sharp breath through her nose. She had not planned to interfere in some random squabble, but the desperate, almost vulnerable gleam in Xie Yingying's eyes unraveled something stubborn inside her. Without another word of negotiation, she turned back to the three disciples. "You have one minute to disappear from my sight."
"You!!!" one of them spluttered, outraged.
"What is wrong?" Su Min's voice was dangerously calm. "Can your Holy Son come here and take revenge on me personally?"
Looking at the people whose faces suddenly paled, Su Min had spoken in an unusually domineering tone. Sure enough, the faces of the three disciples changed. The two women opposite were both powerhouses who had survived the nine nine heavenly tribulations. What was more, one of them was a Grade Four alchemist, seemingly the only one in the entire Golden Core Avenue. Not to mention themselves, even their Holy Son would not dare to offend such an existence lightly.
"Lucky you!!!" the lead disciple spat at the fat man, then all three turned and scurried away, disappearing into the depths of another chamber's exit.
Su Min then turned to the trembling, portly man. Her palm was upturned in silent, undeniable demand. "Show me."
The man did not hesitate, with shaking hands, he produced an extraordinary sight from his ring, a massive, silver white crystal nearly the length of a person's arm, its surface shimmering with what looked like trapped moonlight and radiating a profound, cold energy. "This, this is the treasure I found by chance," he stammered.
As Su Min hefted the surprisingly heavy specimen, a biting cold energy prickled against her skin like the heart of winter. Xie Yingying's usually composed demeanor fractured completely. Her fingers twitched toward the crystal before she consciously stilled them. "With this... I could stabilize my foundation and enter the mid Golden Core realm within the Avenue," she murmured, her voice thick with a rare, unvarnished excitement.
Su Min arched an eyebrow. "How long to refine and absorb it?"
"Five years. Perhaps ten." The words landed between them like stones.
Su Min's free hand went absently to her head, her fingers digging through her dark hair in exasperation. The timeframe was absurd, if they could achieve that power boost immediately, their chances against the coming trials would skyrocket. The tactical advantage alone made her strategist's mind water. Yet reality was disappointing. "Might as well wait for the next imperial dynasty to rise and fall while we are at it," she grumbled, the irony bitter on her tongue. Ten years from now, their enemies would have consolidated power, the treasures would be long plundered, and any advantage lost.
Yet when she glanced again at Xie Yingying's poorly concealed, desperate longing, something in her chest tightened uncomfortably. Without further ceremony, she shoved the massive, cold crystal into the other woman's arms. "Keep it. We will find faster methods for now. Do not slow us down."
Xie Yingying caught the priceless treasure with surprising grace, her usual icy mask slipping just enough to reveal something warmer, more genuine beneath. Before either could speak further, Su Min was already striding purposefully toward the inner chambers, her back to them. "Enough dawdling. The true prize awaits."
It was not long before the final inheritance chamber was accessed. As for the portly cultivator, after seeing that Su Min did not demand anything further from him, he bowed deeply and then turned, fleeing from another exit in the space.
Each space had an exit, and once used, it would teleport the user out instantly. Of course, once you were out, it meant you had forfeited any further claim here. But judging from the other party's relieved expression, he had already gained significant benefits. He was alone and relatively weak, and he did not possess the overwhelming strength of Su Min and Xie Yingying, so he naturally knew to quit while he was ahead.
Su Min did not stop him. Instead, she took Xie Yingying directly to the deepest chamber. Now that they had gained plenty, it was time to claim the final, ultimate reward.
~
At the absolute core chamber, a vast, domed room pulsating with ancient energy, three figures stood in a tense, deadly standoff, their auras clashing violently, Mu Ling, the "Wood Madman," surrounded by a writhing, living cage of thorned vines, Han Chaoyan, a blade wielding prodigy, his entire body radiating an aura as sharp as tempered steel, Chang Lu, a figure cloaked in shifting shadows, his movements eerily silent and unpredictable.
Above them, suspended in a shimmering barrier of pure green light, was a single, magnificent sapling, its leaves glowing with intense, celestial vitality.
The Eastern Azure Wood.
And coiled protectively around its base, watching the three intruders with ancient, intelligent eyes, was a small, serpentine form, a tiny dragon forged of pure wood element energy.
At that moment, the hidden mark on Su Min's arm burned fiercely beneath her sleeve, the dormant dragon qi within her surging violently in response to the sacred wood and its guardian.
"Damn it, calm down!" She gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing the wild energy. "Not yet!"
She couldn't help but clutch her arm. It felt unstable, like the legendary Qilin Arm that might rebel against its wielder. The Azure Dragon's legacy, which she had begun to comprehend, had clearly left something more within her, a latent power the system had not even detected, something Su Min herself was only now becoming aware of.
Xie Yingying shot her a concerned glance. "Are you—?"
"It is fine, the situation is under control," Su Min hissed through clenched teeth. "Just, help me guard for a moment."
But then Su Min's expression suddenly changed again, her eyes glazing over slightly as countless streams of information, insights into wood element laws and the Azure Dragon's legacy, were directly instilled into her mind by the proximity of the sacred wood.
During this period, many other cultivators had also managed to reach this core area. Almost all of them were instantly mesmerized by the Eastern Azure Wood, just as Su Min had been. But these people quickly snapped out of it, chilled by the three pairs of cold, murderous gazes fixed upon them.
The three Holy Sons in their standoff had released their killing intent. If a full fight broke out between them now, the outcome would be hard to predict. So, external obstacles had to be removed immediately. As for why they did not target Su Min and Xie Yingying, the reason was simple, the two women were too strong, too unpredictable. They were a variable best left for later.
Those lesser cultivators who were locked by those deadly gazes, if they were disciples of the three sects, would immediately scurry to their master's side. The independent cultivators, however, very wisely turned tail and fled towards the nearest exits.
Su Min and Xie Yingying had dawdled and looted their way here, arriving almost perfectly on time for the main event. Most others, upon entering, had rushed straight in, terrified of missing their chance. But Su Min's timing, as always, was impeccably, frustratingly dramatic.
===
Su Min: "My wife wants, my wife gets."