As the standoff on the bone plateau gradually intensified, the air growing thick with unreleased killing intent, Tian Hao's expression darkened like a gathering storm.
Truthfully, he didn't want to fight this battle either, making unnecessary enemies was never a wise long term strategy. But now that he had been firmly dragged onto Su Min's "pirate ship," bound by soul oath and shared purpose, there was no room for retreat or negotiation.
At this moment, the surroundings began to dim, the ambient light of the dead world fading. No, it wasn't just dimming. The light itself seemed to be actively devoured, swallowed by an encroaching darkness.
But almost immediately, a counterforce erupted. The heavens and earth seemed to be split apart by an invisible, razor-sharp blade of pure, brilliant light, tearing the unnatural darkness asunder.
"Yin and Yang Sever Dusk and Dawn."
Su Min had often boasted about many esoteric things from her past life, including some exquisitely phrased poetry. To ordinary people who didn't know her ruthless side, she could sometimes appear as an exceptionally talented, almost scholarly woman. For those in the know, this erudition seamlessly reinforced the identity she was born into—that of a highborn noblewoman, the daughter of the Minister of Rites. It was a cultivated grace that made her knowledge of such refined subjects seem perfectly natural, a reminder that behind the formidable cultivator was a woman raised in a household of culture and statecraft.
Tian Hao knew nothing of her origins, but he had grown to love using Su Min's borrowed "poetry" as the name for this specific technique. It felt fitting. He focused inward, compressing the two distinct heavenly treasures within his body, precious gifts from the Great Desolate Martial Saint's legacy. He forced them together in an instant, their energies colliding and merging at a speed approaching light itself.
In that moment, everything within a kilometer radius was utterly engulfed in a storm of opposing forces. This might not have been his single most powerful, concentrated attack, but it was undoubtedly his widest-ranging one. It combined the raw power of his two heavenly treasures, the numerous inherited combat legacies slumbering within him, and his own formidable, burgeoning laws.
The half-step Dao Comprehension cultivators could only watch in mounting horror as their bodies were simultaneously bathed in alternating waves of absolute black and piercing milky-white light. This wasn't the harmonious balance of true Yin-Yang duality but rather two extreme, opposing manifestations of the same heavenly treasure's nature.
Yet even this crude imitation was enough to terrify them, for they could clearly sense the unique, overwhelming pressure of Tian Hao's personal law.
The Great Desolate Martial Path, a unique and brutal law belonging solely to the Great Desolate Holy Body.
It was a path created by the strongest Great Desolate Holy Body in recorded history, the legendary Great Desolate Martial Saint. This mythical existence had once, according to ballads, shattered a small, uninhabited planet with a single, testing punch, his mere presence shaking heaven and earth. He had even fought his way to the mythical source of the Far Shore, his reputation so fearsome that even they, from their isolated minor world, had heard fragmented tales of his exploits.
Now, true, gut wrenching panic finally set in. They realized something was terribly wrong with their assessment of this guardian. Just who could command such a powerful, destined individual as a mere sentry? But the realization came too late for flight.
In the next instant, the two opposing lights violently annihilated each other at their command interface. Light and darkness, like the purest concepts of Yin and Yang, were absolute opposites, mutually generating yet mutually destroying. Even if this attack contained only a crude facsimile of these two ultimate attributes, they had no means or knowledge to resist it.
Almost immediately, those who had been so arrogant and frenzied mere moments ago vanished without a trace, their bodies and spirits unmade by the conflicting energies. Only Tian Hao remained, hovering calmly in the center, observing the empty, cleansed aftermath with a critical eye.
But then, a new pressure emerged, one that made the previous one feel gentle.
A terrifying, razor sharp aura surged from the heart of the skeletal mountain range below, so potent it sent an instinctive chill down Tian Hao's spine, a primal warning.
Su Min had emerged from her forced seclusion. Outwardly, she seemed completely unchanged, her cultivation still firmly at the late Divine Transformation stage, not having broken through. Yet Tian Hao couldn't help but shudder internally at the feeling she gave off, like a sheathed divine weapon.
"Hah—"
Su Min took a deep, deliberate breath, as if drawing the entire world's sharpness into her lungs, and just like that, the terrifying, skin piercing aura vanished, reined in completely. The reason was simple, she had fully refined and subdued the Western Metal's Sharp Gold. The five element cycle within her body was now only one final step away from completion, its power already beginning to resonate.
Moreover, she had fully inherited the foundational combat legacy of the Four Symbols. If she were to detonate the Four Symbols' Possessions now in a suicidal attack, the resulting devastation could truly annihilate the heavens and earth, perhaps even obliterate smaller continents or moons.
The only regret was that her late Divine Transformation cultivation was still somewhat lacking as a power source to wield this full potential freely.
"Looks like you handled it. I came out a bit early, just in case."
With a quick, sweeping glance that missed nothing, Su Min confirmed the area was now completely silent and devoid of life. In truth, she had only just finished refining the Western Metal's Sharp Gold and fusing the basic seed of the White Tiger's legacy into her soul. She hadn't yet had time to fully absorb and comprehend its true, deep inherited power. The reason for her abrupt exit?
She had clearly sensed, even from deep within her refinement trance, the ill intentioned cultivators lurking nearby and the spiritual explosion of Tian Hao's technique. To prevent any hidden threats or him being overwhelmed, she had no choice but to exit seclusion prematurely, cutting the process short. Fortunately, there was no real permanent cost, she just needed a safe, quiet place later to complete the fusion at her leisure.
"It's over. For now."
Tian Hao replied indifferently, his voice a little rough from the energy expenditure. Then he glanced at Su Min's apparent cultivation level with a slight, unconscious flicker of disappointment. His promised pill still wasn't ready, as Su Min hadn't reached the Dao Comprehension stage and the enhanced control it would bring.
"Don't worry. Don't look so glum. Refining the Western Metal's Sharp Gold, painful as it was, has caused another forced evolution in my soul. I should be able to craft your pill now, even at this level."
Seeing his barely concealed expression, Su Min spoke calmly, her voice carrying a new, subtle sharpness.
The months of constant, grinding agony had forced her spirit to temper and evolve prematurely, pushing past a normal threshold. Even if her spiritual power saw a quantitative improvement upon eventually reaching Dao Comprehension, it wouldn't undergo another such qualitative leap. As for Tian Hao's specific, complex pill, she was now confident she could refine it with her current enhanced capabilities.
"Good. That is a relief."
Tian Hao exhaled in genuine relief, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Both of them had gained something substantial from this perilous expedition, making it a resounding success despite the hurdles. Now, they just needed a secure place to retreat and quietly digest their gains. He could sense that Su Min's overall aura had grown immensely denser and more potent, she was truly only a single step away from Dao Comprehension. Moreover, her foundational laws felt incredibly stable and deep. She had clearly completed all possible preparations for her eventual breakthrough.
"Not so fast. We're not leaving yet. My Kirin legacy is reacting. Especially now that I possess all four other sacred treasures, the resonance is stronger. If I reach Dao Comprehension now, I might lose any chance of obtaining this final one."
Su Min's eyes gleamed with a focused light as she felt the faint, insistent pull in her soul. This dead world was a known convergence point for multiple realms. If she wanted to find the legendary Kirin Vault, she had to act now, while she was still at the right cultivation level. Otherwise, she'd have to wait until she reached Dao Comprehension or even Unity, finally freeing herself from the world's direct constraints to personally search the endless sea of stars, a true needle in a cosmic haystack.
"What are you planning?"
Tian Hao's heart skipped a beat at her determined expression, knowing it often preceded recklessness.
"To seek the final legacy now, while I'm still at Divine Transformation. At the very least, I need to find and enter the Kirin's realm. The actual inheritance can be handled gradually once I'm inside. But before that, I'll deliver your pill as promised. This place still isn't safe, there are flies hiding in the shadows, watching us."
Her newly sharpened eyes swept the area, seeing more than before. Her soul power had broken through another barrier, sharpening her spiritual perception to a fine edge. She had clearly sensed someone spying from a great distance earlier, but they had fled the moment she emerged. They must have realized the opportunity was lost and the danger was now too high.
Their discretion and escape method were so thorough that Su Min didn't even have time to consider pursuit.
"Understood. I failed to detect them."
Tian Hao's expression shifted, becoming grimmer. Someone had slipped past his detection? If Su Min hadn't exited early and that observer had chosen to attack during her refinement, the consequences could have been dire for both of them.
"Let's return to the passage between our worlds. According to the spatial laws I've gleaned here, Dao Comprehension cultivators can only leave through their specific entry point, but Divine Transformation cultivators can traverse all the weaker passages. We need to get you home."
Su Min immediately flew in one specific direction, her movements now fluid and unnaturally swift. Now that she had fused with the Western Metal's Sharp Gold, and benefited from the White Tiger's innate aura of suppressing evil, she could easily repel or ignore the lingering, aggressive souls of Unity stage experts they passed.
Even the residual, dormant souls of Mahayana experts slumbering in their tombs seemed to instinctively recoil from her new, sharp aura, giving her a wide berth.
"That's the Western Metal's Sharp Gold… What a razor sharp, aggressive presence."
Tian Hao's brow twitched as he felt the milky white, lethal energy radiating subtly from Su Min's pores. He sensed genuine danger from it. Unlike her previous, more harmonious divine treasures, this one was steeped in the concept of slaughter. Combined with her already accumulated strength and myriad of abilities, even he, now stable at the Dao Comprehension stage, didn't dare underestimate her in a real fight.
Moreover, he had no idea how many pills or hidden trump cards she still carried. If they truly fought all out, the outcome was highly uncertain. And after witnessing how she had casually sealed the monstrously powerful Yao Xian'er back in the day, he privately knew he might not be her match at all.
So, soon, their journey continued.
On their way in, they had moved with painstaking caution, dodging threats and hiding their auras. But now, they had no such concerns, flying openly and with purpose. Though there were still Mahayana remains scattered about the vast battlefield, they were sparse enough to avoid with simple, wide detours.
The specific return path they took held no Mahayana corpses at all, just a few weaker Unity stage remnants, all of which wisely played dead upon sensing Su Min's intimidating aura. The Western Metal's Sharp Gold was lethally effective against such incomplete souls lacking physical bodies, making them naturally fearful.
"Here we are, the passage we came through. You can leave from here. There aren't any strong presences lurking nearby, so I'll craft your pill right here before I go."
Su Min narrowed her eyes at the shimmering, unstable rift in space but didn't plan to leave through it herself. Her newly strengthened connection to the Kirin Vault and the Kirin clan was unstable, if she left this nexus world, it might sever entirely. Moreover, the link was so faint that she suspected the Kirin realm wasn't just one world away, but several layers deep. To be safe, staying here in this hub world was best. Once the pill was done, she'd act immediately to follow the trail. The other reason was simple, Tian Hao and she had sworn a soul oath together. He wouldn't, and couldn't, betray her now.
"Fine. I will wait. Here are the remaining ingredients. I gathered them from the loot of those cultivators you disintegrated, it should be enough for three and a half attempts, almost four."
"Leave it to me. Wait here."
Su Min nodded, sweeping the spatial pouches of materials into her grasp with a casual wave of her hand. Then, without ceremony, she slammed her palm into the solid ground beside the rift, blasting open a crude but serviceable cavern to retreat into. Tian Hao would stand guard outside, a golden sentinel against the silence.
"The Kirin clan seems to be in some kind of trouble… They're actively calling for help? That's the feeling I'm getting."
Inside the dark cave, Su Min frowned as she sorted the ingredients. This was the other, more urgent reason she was in such a hurry. The Kirin clan, according to the desperate feel of the legacy's call, appeared to be in some kind of crisis, though she didn't know the specifics yet.
Logically, the old Kirin Emperor should have left his descendants sufficient safeguards and hidden powers. But something must have gone terribly wrong for the call to be this frantic. Of course, the Kirin clan's actual survival wasn't her primary concern. But if the Central Earth, the final heavenly treasure, was compromised or fell into another's hands, things would get extremely messy. If someone else refined it before her, killing them wouldn't help her, she'd have to rely on sheer, blind luck to find another in the vast multiverse.
Who knew how many millennia that could take?
So, she needed to finish Tian Hao's pill first, honoring her deal and securing her rear. She'd also give him a drop of her essence blood before he left, specially treated to maintain a one way connection with her. For him, it would act like a lighthouse in a storm, guiding him back to her if she summoned him. She might have to traverse the starry void to find the Kirin, and having a powerful ally on call was never a bad thing. Navigating between worlds was never fun or safe.
"Trouble just keeps piling up. Well, one step at a time."
Rubbing her temples where a headache was threatening to form, Su Min sighed. The problems were mounting, but getting flustered wouldn't help. Steadying her mind, she summoned her Medicine King Cauldron into the confined space. Panicking wouldn't help, what was meant to be hers would come in time. She wouldn't laze around, but recklessness would only make things worse. Taking a deep, centering breath, she slammed her palm onto the cauldron's side. Crimson flames erupted within, the Nanming Lihuo dancing even more fiercely and controllably than before.
Though the perfect five element cycle wasn't complete, fusing all four sacred beast treasures had already granted her a profound, interconnected power. With just one missing, the four could form a stable minor cycle, their energies linked by their original masters' ancient bonds.
Now, pill refining became an even smoother process. While the Six Ding Divine Fire was technically best for the most delicate alchemical steps, the enhanced Nanming Lihuo, boosted by the minor cycle's support, was no longer inferior for this specific task.
Of course, as far as she knew, only the unique foundation of the Five Elements Holy Body could achieve this kind of synergistic power balancing.
Even the legendary Great Desolate Martial Saint had only ever refined two divine treasures, a pair of rare twin treasures perfectly aligned with his specific physique. A third would have been impossible without triggering a catastrophic imbalance. This was precisely why Su Min now dared to craft Tian Hao's high tier pill. Her flames were stronger and more precise, and her soul had broken through to a new level of sensitivity.
Though she was still far from being able to refine true eighth grade pills, a high quality, peak seventh grade one was now firmly within her reach.
As for eighth grade pills? She had no clue about the specifics. The ingredients alone were absurdly rare, some possibly extinct. And the qualitative leap from seventh to eighth grade was said to be monumental, perhaps even harder than progressing from first to seventh grade combined.
Time passed swiftly within the cave, marked only by the flickering of intense flames and the scent of melting reagents.
A week later, the cavern entrance shuddered.
"Here. It took a few tries. Cough, cough."
Covered in soot and with a smudge on her cheek, Su Min emerged from the cave, holding out a single, perfectly formed jade bottle. Tian Hao's lips twitched at her disheveled state. Clearly, the process had not been entirely smooth, she had likely suffered at least one cauldron explosion, and a violent one at that given the residual soot.
He didn't know the specific details of what had gone wrong inside, nor did he dare probe with his spiritual sense now. Annoying her with questions was one thing, but interfering with a completed refinement or examining the result too closely would be unforgivable. He simply took the bottle with a nod, the weight of it feeling like a promise fulfilled.