An instant knockout. A collective murmur rippled through the spectators. "I knew Miss Su wasn't simple," one cultivator muttered, "but how did she obliterate him like that? Fire suppresses water, so this doesn't make sense."
"No idea," his companion replied, eyes fixed on the empty stage. "It has to be related to her physique. That guy will probably show up here soon. Even if he's healing his real body, he can still send a strand of divine sense. We'll ask him then, maybe get some useful intel."
"Yeah, our understanding of the Five Elements Holy Body is way too limited."
As the crowd buzzed with theories, a flash of light resolved into a disheveled figure in the spectator area. It was Luo Changshui, the man Su Min had just blown to smithereens. His face was ashen, his spiritual form flickering weakly.
"Hey, brother," someone called out, and dozens of people immediately surrounded him while others strained to listen. "What was up with Miss Su's attack?"
"Your Taotie remnant shouldn't have been instantly destroyed. Nanming Lihuo is strong, but it shouldn't have…"
None of them were weak, whether in strength or insight. Everyone suspected the answer lay with the Five Elements Holy Body, yet the details eluded them. After all, no one had ever seen what happened when someone wielded two divine artifacts. Now that the man who'd experienced it firsthand was here, they were desperate for answers.
"Wood attribute," Luo Changshui bit out, his voice tight with humiliation. "Both the Vermilion Bird's manifestation and the final explosion were wood based."
With that, he turned and stomped away, leaving the crowd exchanging confused glances. In truth, he had brought it on himself. The Taotie's devouring ability had strict limits. It could digest things with stable properties, but pure, volatile energy attacks couldn't be processed. They could only be stored inside the Taotie's stomach and later regurgitated.
His plan had been sound. He intended to swallow the Nanming Lihuo, contain it with his water alignment, and spit it back out once Su Min used the Eastern Azure Wood, turning the elemental cycle to his advantage. But he never expected that what looked like fire would transform into wood inside his stomach, and with terrifying strength at that. To make it worse, water nurtured wood. Stuffing that much wood aligned energy into a water aligned body was like throwing a torch into a powder keg. If he had fought normally, he wouldn't have been instantly wiped out, though his chances of winning would still have been slim.
"Tsk…"
A collective gasp of understanding swept through the crowd. So Su Min's physique could reverse the Five Elements cycle. Appearances were deceiving. She could launch an attack under the guise of one element, only for it to strike with the power of another. Countless theories raced through their minds.
"They're already getting excited over that?" Xie Yingying murmured, more amused than impressed.
She watched the crowd with cool detachment, her heart brimming with a quiet, possessive pride. These onlookers had seen only a glimpse, just enough to stir their speculation. None of them truly understood what Su Min could do. They had caught onto the surface level trick, the elemental reversals, the unexpected fire bursting from wood. But that was merely the skin of it.
Only she had seen the depth beneath.
Only she had felt it.
Xie Yingying tilted her head slightly, her gaze warm despite its sharpness. She'd spent years with Su Min. Seventy, maybe even eighty percent of her secrets were hers alone to guard. She'd seen them firsthand, not just in battle, but in the quiet, unguarded moments between.
She knew how Su Min layered her attacks, how she played the Five Elements like an instrument, not just reversing cycles but creating harmony or discord at will. None of them had seen Su Min at her limits. And besides, why should she correct them?
That knowledge wasn't something she would share.
It was hers. Just like Su Min.
Just then, Su Min arrived in the spectator area. She blinked at the sight of the huddled, whispering crowd, who were occasionally shooting her furtive glances.
"What are they scheming?" Puzzled, she floated down to settle beside Xie Yingying.
"They're comparing notes about you," Xie Yingying replied lazily, not bothering to hide her amusement. "Trying to piece together the secrets of your Five Elements Holy Body. They think they're clever."
Su Min arched a brow. "…You're enjoying this a little too much."
"Of course I am," Xie Yingying said without missing a beat, a smirk tugging at her lips. "It's not every day I get to watch a bunch of Golden Core elites scramble to make sense of you."
Su Min gave her a long look, equal parts amused and resigned, before letting out a quiet breath. She settled down beside her, folding her legs beneath her with practiced ease.
The first round would end in seven days. That made this the perfect time to observe her potential opponents. For Golden Core cultivators, going without food, drink, or sleep wasn't a problem. They were immortals, after all.
As expected, the murmurs faded once Su Min joined them. Whether the crowd had switched to mental communication was anyone's guess. Since only divine sense projections were present, eavesdropping was impossible.
Su Min didn't mind the scrutiny. Being studied was inevitable. At this level, everyone had secrets, and everyone wanted to unravel everyone else's. But understanding her abilities and countering them were two very different things.
More importantly, countering her wouldn't be easy. Sure, she'd crafted plenty of countermeasures herself, but those were just for gaining the initiative. Now, in the final stages, no one would hesitate to use their one time lifesaving treasures.
The crowd's debate was cut short when two more flashes of light signaled new arrivals on the stage. Su Min recognized them both.
"Two sect prodigies, ranked outside the top fifty. Not list worthy," she thought.
She mentally shrugged. As the only fourth grade alchemist in the Golden Core Avenue, she'd built an extensive network and recognized most sect heirs. These connections would prove valuable later.
The good news was that she kept her promises. Within her capabilities, every commission was fulfilled. Once the Golden Core Avenue ended, swarms of cultivators would flock to her home in Eastern Mulberry Land seeking her services. Things were about to get very lively.
Using the Heavenly Ranking as a reference was accurate. The two combatants, both hovering around sixtieth place, put on a flashy but ultimately unremarkable show. To Su Min and Xie Yingying, it was barely worth watching.
"Boring," Xie Yingying sighed. "When's that woman's turn? I've only seen memory fragments. I want to experience her power firsthand."
Su Min's attention kept drifting to a lone figure sitting cross legged in a distant corner. Though she planned to stop at the top five, her curiosity about this woman hadn't waned. Soon enough, it was her turn.
"I forfeit."
"WHAT THE?!" Su Min nearly jumped out of her seat. "You didn't even try! Are you insane?!"
The opponent had surrendered before the barrier fully dispersed. Not a single move had been exchanged! That devastating "Myriad Laws Descend" technique could shatter Dao Hearts, but at least let her see it once! Just once!
"Hmph."
Xie Yingying smirked at Su Min's outrage. "Who was it that said they'd 'cower and cover' if they met her? Now you're the one who's tilted. Want to see her moves? Dream on."
Soon, all matches concluded, and the participants were teleported out.
"About a hundred and fifty people started," Su Min said, stretching lazily as she explained it to Xie Yingying. "Some got byes. Now, half are eliminated. That leaves eighty. Next round, forty. Then twenty. Then ten. That'll decide the top five."
Having witnessed the Golden Core Spirit's manifestation together, they both knew the rules well.
"I remember," Xie Yingying said. "The Golden Core Spirit arranged it so the top seeds won't meet until later. For us, the first three rounds should be easy."
Today's fights had been trivial. Su Min had faced someone from the top forty, while Xie Yingying's opponent hadn't even been ranked. The list only covered fifty names, leaving out many sixth tier tribulation survivors and even a few heirs. This generation had an unusual number of lone wolves, like Su Min herself, a modern cultivator rather than an ancient relic. Among the top ten, only Su Min and the Great Desolate Holy Body weren't from bygone eras.
"Still, I bet many people share your thoughts," Su Min replied. "Even those brave enough to draw their swords against her won't force her to reveal her true power."
"I know. I've given up."
Xie Yingying's wariness of that woman ran deep. One glance from her had once made Xie Yingying's soul tremble, a reaction not even Su Min could evoke. Win or lose, she needed to witness that woman's full strength.
"Don't worry too much about it," Su Min said, her expression turning serious. "I spoke with the Great Desolate Holy Body. That woman is terrifying, but she's still just a Golden Core cultivator. He was crushed, but not completely helpless. You and I would fare about the same. Others, even the third ranked, won't be so lucky."
Today's winners had barely flexed their power, but their hierarchy was clear. That woman stood alone at the peak.
Su Min, Xie Yingying, and the Great Desolate Holy Body occupied the second tier.
The rest might push Su Min into using some trump cards, but victory would ultimately be hers. Her ultimate ace was the single drop of Xie Yingying's essence blood. But with the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking lasting just over a month, she could only activate it once. She wouldn't use it unless her top five spot was truly at stake. Only four drops existed, after all.
"But if you face her," Xie Yingying said suddenly, grabbing Su Min's hand, her voice low and intense, "don't you hesitate to use my essence blood. You're the only one who might rival her. At the very least… don't you dare surrender immediately."
She knew, when the time came, only Su Min, or rather, Su Min in that state, could stand against that monster.
===
Yingying, please. You literally sharing same bed with her for decades. It would be weird if you knew nothing about her.