"What the hell? Where is this?"
The moment she activated the jade slip, Su Min found herself disoriented in an unfamiliar space.
She had assumed the activation would teleport her to an entrance point, not plunge her directly inside. The abruptness left her momentarily stunned.
"Well, makes sense. This is Yao Xian'er's trump card. She wouldn't design it to be cumbersome—it'd have to allow instant access. No wonder no one dared provoke her."
Su Min rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Yao Xian'er had clearly prepared extensively, which was why younger cultivators might stir trouble in the Golden Core Path but never dared cross the line into true lethal conflict.
"But something feels off here. My Five Elements Holy Body and Half-Step Chaos Physique seem suppressed."
A wave of discomfort washed over her.
"Do not resist this force. Only by relinquishing the influence of your physique can you truly fuse with my Ten Thousand Laws. Otherwise, you will never awaken and integrate them fully."
Yao Xian'er's voice echoed in Su Min's ears, guiding her.
"Why?"
"The Enlightened Dao Body is a constitution capable of sensing countless laws. While its requirements aren't as stringent as your Five Elements Holy Body, its potential varies drastically—its strength depends on how many laws you comprehend and how deeply you fuse them."
"I see."
"But two physiques surpass even the Enlightened Dao Body's ceiling: the Mortal Body and a legendary constitution whose full nature remains unknown to this day."
"So what do I do?"
Su Min cut to the chase.
"Abandon your Five Elements Holy Body. Within my hidden trove lies the remnants of the Great Dao I severed during my self-destruction. Under its influence, your Five Elements Holy Body will be nullified—though only within this realm, not outside. Only in the state of a Mortal Body can you truly merge with my legacy."
"Fine."
Su Min's eyes gleamed. "Abandoning" her Five Elements Holy Body didn't mean severing its origin like Yao Xian'er had with her Enlightened Dao Body. Instead, it meant suppressing her own essence, reducing herself to a Mortal Body's externals. Recognizing this, she agreed.
If true severance were required, she'd have refused outright.
The next instant, Su Min's legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.
Her face paled as the reality of her condition struck harder than expected.
Though her Five Elements Holy Body and Half-Step Chaos Physique could switch like layered skins, their suppression now felt absolute. Worse, the five divine treasures within her—core to her power—had also deactivated. Without the Five Elements Holy Body, hosting them was impossible; anyone else attempting it would explode.
With her physiques suppressed and divine treasures inert, the inherited powers of the Four Sacred Beasts she'd relied on since Qi Refining vanished. The sudden weakness shattered her balance.
Not that she was frail—even now, as a Unity-stage cultivator, she remained formidable. But her combat power had halved, eliminating her ability to challenge stronger opponents.
Among late-stage Unity experts, however, she was still elite. Her laws remained intact, and not just one. Almost immediately, Yao Xian'er's astonished voice rang out:
"You harbor nearly ten laws within you? Normally, your physique and primary law suppress them completely—I never sensed them!"
The fluctuations radiating from Su Min had finally shocked Yao Xian'er. Su Min's opportunities had been extraordinary: inheriting legacies from the Five Elements Emperor, the Lunar Sovereign Emperor, the Solar Sovereign Emperor, the Sinless Buddha, the Medicine Buddha, and even the Puppet Emperor. The Medicine Buddha's legacy alone had fused multiple laws for her.
But Yao Xian'er hadn't known this. Moreover, the sheer dominance of Su Min's Five Elements Holy Body and Half-Step Chaos Physique had overshadowed these laws—until now.
"My inheritances exceed your imagination. Especially around my Unity-stage breakthrough, when I raided the ancient tomb of the Puppet Emperor. These are the rewards from that venture."
Su Min rolled her eyes and pushed herself up. Though her combat power had halved, her late-stage Unity foundation remained. After adjusting to the initial weakness, she quickly stabilized.
Her current strength might not rival Mahayana, but among Unity-stage peers, she was still unmatched.
"Excellent. You've resolved my greatest concern. Since you've already fused multiple laws, your task is to assimilate more and forge a Law Crucible within your body."
"Law Crucible?"
Su Min blinked.
"That's my goal in this life. When I first formed my Law Crucible, I was already at my peak. My power had solidified, leaving no room for growth. So this time, I discarded everything to rebuild—and fuse the Ten Thousand Laws anew. What you saw in the Golden Core Avenue was a glimpse of that."
Yao Xian'er's tone turned cryptic. Back then, Su Min's ability to seal her Law Crucible had shaken her profoundly.
After leaving the Golden Core Avenue, Yao Xian'er had scoured ancient texts, even infiltrating sect archives, until she found two words in a tome predating recorded history: Chaos.
At the dawn of creation, all was Chaos—the origin of everything, a physique capable of encompassing all. Only such a primordial constitution could have sealed her Law Crucible.
Yet Su Min's form was imperfect, unsustainable, and cursed by the "Yin and Yang Shall Never Meet" edict. Yao Xian'er deduced the truth: Someone feared this physique enough to alter the world's laws at great cost.
Only the entities of the Dark Source could achieve such a feat. This confirmed Su Min's role as the hope to break the endless cycle of darkness.
Historical research revealed that the cosmos had tides. Each epoch's end brought an era of decay, culling cultivators—not for balance, but as if targeting something specific. Now, a new epoch dawned. Though prosperity reigned and powerhouses flourished, this golden age would inevitably wither, resetting all.
The key to breaking this cycle stood before her.
"Enough talk. Show me my enemies."
Unaware of Yao Xian'er's thoughts, Su Min cracked her knuckles and strode forward, only to yelp in pain.
"Ah—!"
"Be careful. These are the remnants of laws I severed. Your task is to defeat and absorb them. Succeed, and you'll not only reach Mahayana but also form a Law Crucible during your breakthrough. Of course, death is possible—but with your skills, survival shouldn't be an issue. One last warning: Watch your step. Don't rely on perception. These law remnants have no aura."
"Damn it, you could've said that earlier!"
Su Min groaned after being swatted aside like a fly. Her hyper-sensitive perception, unrelated to her physique, had failed her spectacularly. For a moment, she wondered if this entire trial was designed to counter her.
But before she could complain, the scene ahead silenced her.
A shadowy figure flickered erratically, untraceable by her senses—only visible to the naked eye.
"A law construct. Time Law won't lock it down."
The implications were clear: Defeating this thing wouldn't be easy.
"Darkness, shadow, swiftness, assassination—a crystallization of multiple laws focused on ambush. Just how many laws did that woman comprehend?"
Su Min cursed inwardly. For Enlightened Dao Body wielders, reaching the Dao Comprehension stage was simple, just grasp any single law. But stopping at one made for mediocrity.
To rival the other supreme physiques, dozens of laws were mandatory. Unlike those innate powers, the Enlightened Dao Body demanded constant expansion, especially as cultivation advanced.
To surpass a contemporary Lunar Sovereign's physique, Yao Xian'er must've fused an absurd number. These laws could combine freely, and without her usual trump cards, Su Min faced a grueling battle.
Channeling her Time Law to its limits, she slowed the creature's movements. The rest would require patience.
Meanwhile, the outside world wasn't peaceful either.
Xie Yingying emerged from seclusion, her cultivation soaring to late-stage Unity thanks to Su Min's aid. Augmented by her Lunar Sovereign's physique, her combat power now approached early-stage Mahayana, a monumental leap.
Most Mahayana remains could slaughter groups of Unity cultivators; outliers like Su Min were rare.
Now, Xie Yingying stood as the world's fourth strongest. Without imperial artifacts, she could thrash the little Golden Crow in a duel. Even with Ao Xue assisting, the two would fall within a hundred rounds, both were still mid-stage Unity.
As super divine beasts, they faced no bottlenecks but advanced slowly.
After stabilizing her cultivation and sparring with the little Golden Crow, Xie Yingying sought out Yao Xian'er and Jiang Xi.
"Where's Su Min? She always explains her departures and arranges everything beforehand."
Due to the abrupt transmission, neither Xie Yingying nor the immortal sect had received word. Dark rumors swirled, that Yao Xian'er had imprisoned Su Min to seize the alliance leadership.
Xie Yingying knew better. At their level, titles like "alliance leader" meant nothing compared to the pursuit of higher realms.
Still, concern lingered.
"She's here. Few things can push her this far."
Yao Xian'er smirked and produced a crystal orb. Inside, Su Min dodged frantically as a law construct harried her, a rare sight of vulnerability.
The secret realm's safety was guaranteed, but Yao Xian'er was happy to spectate.
Xie Yingying watched for a moment, then settled in to enjoy the show. After Su Min's recent teasing, schadenfreude was irresistible.