"Huff, huff, huff... Finally got you. The difference in combat power without the Four Symbols inheritance's beyond what I imagined."
Gripping the shimmering, amorphous object in her hand, Su Min took deep, heavy breaths, her body aching from the exertion. This thing was truly troublesome, and right now, in her suppressed state, she was genuinely weak. It'd taken her over a month of constant pursuit and battle in this timeless space to finally capture it.
"The Five Divine Artifacts're gone, the Five Elements Holy Body's gone, and though the knowledge of the Four Symbols inheritance remains in my mind, without the support of the four great divine artifacts' power, it's practically useless in a fight."
Assessing her current condition, Su Min couldn't help but sigh in frustration. Her strength had truly diminished to less than a tenth of what it once was. What was even more troublesome was that she now felt somewhat lost in her approach to battle. After all, when you shatter and discard your original, perfected combat system entirely, anyone'd feel disoriented.
So, at this moment, Su Min was both frustrated and helpless, a rare feeling for her.
"Truly worthy of being the purified remnants of the Spirit Dao Body. These laws've condensed into their pure origin forms. I can absorb them directly, let's begin."
Gazing at the handful of glowing, intricate law origins swirling in her grasp, Su Min narrowed her eyes with focus. Then, she sat cross legged on the hard ground and began absorbing them gradually, feeling their profound concepts seep into her soul.
"Law origins... You've really gone all out. Any one of these, if released into the world had be enough to elevate a Divine Transformation cultivator directly to the Dao Comprehension stage."
Watching the dense origin energies through the scrying orb, Xie Yingying couldn't hide her astonishment. Dao Comprehension, Unity, and Mahayana were known as the Upper Three Realms for a reason.
Breaking into them was incredibly difficult, requiring immense accumulation and insight, yet a single, complete law origin could propel a Divine Transformation cultivator straight into the Dao Comprehension stage. The items in Su Min's hands were enough to create five or six new Dao Comprehension stage cultivators from scratch.
"Having more Dao Comprehension stage cultivators is useless in the face of what's coming. In fact, even a few more Mahayana stage cultivators or even a new Great Emperor wouldn't make much difference now. What I need, what this universe needs is a being that exists only in legends."
Yao Xian'er paid no attention to those law origins. Given enough time and cycles of reincarnation, she could repeatedly break through her limits by severing herself, just like Tian Yang had done. But clearly, there wasn't enough time for that leisurely path now.
Her ideal path required tens of thousands of years to unfold fully, but if she waited that long, it might already be too late for everyone. Besides, these law origins were essentially emergency resources she'd stored, their usefulness to her current, refined path was extremely limited.
Handing them over to Su Min now was a calculated risk. If she could successfully forge the Law Crucible, there was a chance she might reach that legendary level they all needed.
As for creating more Dao Comprehension stage cultivators? In Yao Xian'er's eyes, they were meaningless in the grand war. Those stuck at the Divine Transformation stage could either break through on their own will and comprehension or simply perish when their lifespan ran out.
She wouldn't waste a single precious law origin on them.
"Right now, the time flow in this secret realm's over ten times faster than the outside world. She has plenty of time to work with."
"You've comprehended the Law of Time to that extent?"
"Not at all. But this place's special, a natural temporal anomaly I discovered and refined. Honestly, just how monstrous is this girl? How'd she reach this level of comprehension in the Law of Time?"
Even Yao Xian'er couldn't help but feel a spike of envy toward the Law of Time. It wasn't something just anyone could comprehend, no matter their talent or resources. According to her own meticulous plans, she'd need at least three full lifetimes of dedicated focus to even begin to grasp it.
After all, throughout all of recorded history, only Su Min and the ancient Sinful Buddha had truly comprehended the Law of Time. The latter had relied on the unique Buddhist cycle of reincarnation, undergoing ten full lifetimes of accumulation before finally stepping onto that path.
As for Su Min... Yao Xian'er simply couldn't understand her. She herself had tried many times in her first life to comprehend it, but each time, she faced the same frustrating limitation, insufficient lifespan to see it through.
She could only accumulate understanding step by step, lingering in a so called half step Dao Comprehension stage for time, slowly building up her foundation, perhaps in the next life, she might succeed.
"Mmm."
Xie Yingying nodded silently, her eyes still fixed on the orb. Not just Yao Xian'er, even she couldn't make sense of Su Min's progress sometimes. But understanding wasn't necessary. The two of them continued observing in silence. Though the time flow inside was ten times faster, both were powerful cultivators with heightened perception.
As long as they focused their spiritual sense, the rapid passage of time inside had appear to slow to a crawl before their eyes. It was somewhat similar to the Flash entering the Speed Force in those old stories, though they didn't possess any such supernatural speed power. The reason they could do this was simple, their mental perception was sharp enough to keep up.
"Huff..."
After fully absorbing the cluster of law origins, Su Min slowly opened her eyes, a new, deeper understanding gleaming within them.
"Almost there. The Law Crucible really isn't easy to forge. The most troublesome part's my current physique, a Mortal Body really isn't that convenient. I suppose I don't need to reach the pinnacle before returning to simplicity, as the saying goes."
At this, Su Min couldn't help but chuckle wryly to herself. She'd fully absorbed the concepts of these laws, but she hadn't refined them into her combat style yet. If she simply refined them, they'd transform into pure energy to boost her cultivation, which was completely different from what she truly wanted, which was to build the foundation of the Law Crucible.
Soon, as she moved to stand, everything around her shifted once more. Su Min found herself in a brand new domain, a scorching, molten expanse of lava stretching to the horizon, above which a massive, fiery bird made of pure flame soared.
"Flame Law, Law of Destruction, and some others I can't immediately identify... Whatever. Let's do this."
Su Min frowned slightly but drew her twin swords. At the same time, faint golden flames flickered around her body, this was the unique law of the Golden Crow Clan, something she'd obtained in the Tomb of the Puppet Emperor and kept integrated with her soul ever since.
Normally, she wouldn't use it because it paled in comparison to the raw enhancements from the Five Elements Holy Body and the Nanming Lihuo. But this time, it was different, this was something entirely new she could actively wield in her suppressed state.
BOOM!!!
In the next instant, she charged forward. This time, however, there was no complex game of hide and seek. Instead, the most primal, brutal battle unfolded, both sides trading blow for blow, fighting relentlessly with pure power and law manipulation until the very end.
While Su Min struggled and fought for the laws she needed, time in the outside world continued to flow inexorably forward.
In what felt like the blink of an eye to the watching Xie Yingying and Yao Xian'er, another thirty years passed in the real world.
Meanwhile, deep within the core of the Dark Universe, a massive void rift trembled violently as a single, bloodied figure clumsily crawled out. The moment this figure appeared, the entire Dark Universe seemed to shudder in response. Dark, impossibly dense energy erupted from its body, staining the void around it.
"We greet the Immortal."
Countless dark figures gathered from all directions, kneeling humbly before it. If anyone from the Heavenly Continent were to witness this scene, they'd be scared out of their wits.
Among these kneeling figures were at least twenty Mahayana stage cultivators, some even at the very peak of Mahayana. There were hundreds of Unity stage cultivators, and countless Dao Comprehension stage ones.
Yet now, all of them knelt without dignity, prostrating themselves completely before this newly arrived being.
"Ten of us set out from the Immortal Realm. Only I've survived the journey. Now's the perfect opportunity, the chosen ones of this universe have begun to emerge, but they haven't reached their peak. Not even a single new Transcendence stage cultivator's appeared."
Feeling the familiar, corrupt aura of the Dark Universe, the figure spat out a mouthful of black, immortal blood. The endless chaos and violent spatial storms of the journey had inflicted severe, lasting wounds upon its immortal body.
Ten true Immortals had ventured forth, but only one'd reached the destination. Yet the price was worth it, he told himself, their long cherished wish was about to be realized. Once he completed his mission and returned, he'd immediately ascend to become a legendary Immortal King, rewarded by the Dark Source.
This passage between realms was special, like a funnel. Going along with its flow, from the higher realm to the lower, wasn't too difficult, but coming back against it was another matter entirely. Their home world was like a lighthouse, guiding the way forward.
But reaching this lower world required groping through the absolute darkness and chaos between dimensions. Even an Immortal could be swallowed by the formless void and primal chaos, just like his nine companions.
"Master, the beings of the Dark Continent have flourished in your absence. There're currently five Great Medicines there, their soul origins ripe and ready for harvesting."
"Hahaha, good, very good. The few of you, take action immediately. Capture all of them. Once I absorb their soul origins, I'll recover to my peak within a mere century."
"Yes, Immortal!"
Hearing this, the expressions of the several peak Mahayana cultivators flickered with a mix of fear and excitement. Even in his heavily injured state, the three peak Mahayana cultivators could sense the aura of absolute death emanating from him. His current strength was already comparable to the legendary Great Emperors of this world. One step further after recovery, and he'd become a true, unstoppable Immortal. At this thought, excitement filled their faces.
Immortals were eternal, free, and unbound by mortal concerns, the ultimate dream of countless cultivators. They'd expected a weakened, crippled Immortal to descend, but never such a terrifying, nearly peak existence. Thus, everyone sprang into action, rushing from the core of the Dark Universe toward the Dark Continent. Those who'd ascended through soul fusion were their true targets, the so called Great Medicines.
Unlike Su Min, who hunted with purpose but restraint, these people had no moral restraints, they wouldn't hesitate to tear the entire continent apart to capture their prey.
"Huff... Cough..."
Watching them leave, the Immortal spat out several more mouthfuls of black blood, his expression darkening. The stronger the being, the greater the cost to descend to a lower universe. Right now, he was severely wounded by Dao injuries that resisted healing. Without the protection of the dense Dark Matter in the Dark Universe, he'd immediately face the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation of this world, which'd surely finish him off in his current state.
The primary purpose of corrupting this starry sky with dark matter was to use its alien energy to disrupt the local Heavenly Dao's perception, preventing immediate detection and retribution by the tribulation.
"Heavenly Continent... This time, I'll crush you all, shrouding this mortal world in endless darkness and terror."
As his voice, filled with ancient destruction and malice, echoed through the void, the entire dark world seemed to tremble in response.
Meanwhile, back on the Heavenly Continent...
"They're coming, and this time, their strength's no joke. What kind of terrifying price did those bastards pay to send something like that here? We need to hurry."
Sensing the horrifying, world ending aura hidden in the depths of the distant darkness, Yao Xian'er's pupils contracted violently. The thing she'd feared most, the thing that even made her, a former Great Emperor, feel a trace of genuine dread, had happened.
A mere crippled Immortal? No. This aura wasn't from a crippled Immortal, it was from a true, full fledged Immortal. For such an existence to traverse the void between realms and arrive here, the cost must've been unimaginably steep, paid in immortal lives.
This realization sent a shiver down Yao Xian'er's spine. Such a being was far beyond her current ability to handle, even at her peak.
If it'd been like the previous era, with only crippled Immortals descending, they could've managed. But this era had brought forth a true Immortal. The Great Five Elements Holy Body, the Great Desolate Saint Body, and her own Spirit Dao Body all possessed the theoretical power to slay Immortals, but only crippled ones.
Those were beings in a special state between the Transcendence and the true Immortal Ascension Realm. They hadn't fully condensed the legendary Immortal Roots. In the hierarchy of the Immortal World, they were still considered Immortals, but the lowest kind, barely a step above peak Transcendence stage cultivators.
However, due to the unique, energy rich nature of the Immortal World, they could live indefinitely. But don't underestimate them, even if they weren't true, complete Immortals, given enough time, they could accumulate terrifying power and experience.
These were the mortal enemies the Great Emperors of past eras had faced and slain. But a true Immortal?
At this thought, Yao Xian'er's brow furrowed deeply. The cost was too great. Those beings wouldn't willingly come to a lower realm like this. In her own era, only a handful of true Immortals had ever descended, and each descent had caused cataclysmic events.
The Five Elements Emperor had once encountered one, leading to a brutal, continent shattering war. Though the Five Elements Emperor had ultimately triumphed through sheer power and will, the universe had been left shattered in the aftermath.
It wasn't just chaos, it was devastation beyond description. Every superpower, every Dao Comprehension stage and above cultivator, every Imperial Artifact, all'd been destroyed or expended. The entire universe's cultivation legacy had been reset to near zero.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be only a dozen or so superpowers left today. And the current universe's overall strength was nowhere near as strong as it was in the ancient eras.
So, they had to act, and act decisively, unlike the reactive stance of the past.
"Now, it's all up to you, the one with the physique that even those ancient beings fear. Don't disappoint me. And Tian Yang... You've sensed it too, haven't you?"
"Yes."
As Yao Xian'er spoke, the monk Tian Yang slowly materialized beside her, his face uncharacteristically grim.
"How's she progressing now?"
"She's at a critical stage. But we must prepare for the worst case scenario."
Yao Xian'er shook her head grimly. Even if Su Min reached the Mahayana stage now, she probably wouldn't be able to reach the level needed to face a true Immortal in just a few decades.
"It seems we'll need to form another expeditionary army, a true suicide squad. We can't let that thing recover so quickly. We must spare no expense, hunt down and eliminate two or three of the remaining Mahayana stage cultivators on the Dark Continent. That'll buy us a few more centuries, slow its recovery."
"Let's move. And this time, we must involve all the Divine Beast clans and every superpower. No one can stand aside."
"Agreed."
Tian Yang nodded, his usual calm replaced by steely resolve. Things had reached the worst possible scenario they'd theorized. Now, they had no choice but to act with absolute, unified force. The final war for their universe was beginning.