"The improvement is quite substantial. I originally thought there wouldn't be noticeable progress during my Mahayana stage."
Feeling the changes in her body, Su Min was slightly surprised. The comprehensive refining furnaces within her were so powerful that she assumed minor realm advancements would bring limited gains.
But she was wrong—her combat power had increased significantly. If she reached late-stage Mahayana, she would truly be qualified to face so-called immortals.
As for the special Transcendence stage, she might skip it entirely. The Transcendence stage had no subdivisions like early, middle, or late phases—it was a transitional state between immortals and mortals.
With sufficient accumulation, one could leap past it directly into immortality.
"Time to check the situation outside. After all, this is their territory."
With that thought, Su Min quickly arrived at the gathering point. The oppressive atmosphere there immediately struck her as unusual.
"What happened?"
Seeing the grim expressions, Su Min grew curious.
"You've reached the Mahayana middle stage?"
Tian Hao's face finally showed a hint of relief upon noticing Su Min's advancement. This was the only good news—Su Min was their absolute core.
But his expression soon darkened again.
"The warden acted decisively. He abandoned two altars and gathered the remaining three half-immortals together. Now we don't dare approach the final fortress."
"Damn it."
Su Min couldn't help but curse. This turtle-shell tactic was indeed frustrating. In one-on-one battles, she could kill them all.
But one against three? That was no joke. The pressure was immense, though just pressure for now.
"Let's act. Dragging this out is meaningless. But we can't fight them inside the fortress. If all three have trump cards like the last guy, we're truly outmatched."
Su Min quickly set her goal: avoid fighting them in their stronghold. Otherwise, she would die. Luring them out would prevent them from instantly draining the fortress's lifeblood.
Of course, if they truly turtled up, she had no immediate solution.
"Hmm."
Seeing Su Min's furrowed brow, Tian Hao understood she had considerable confidence. While amazed by her strength, he also felt reassured.
"This time, we'll feign an attack on their fortress. Given their arrogant nature, they'll definitely come out."
Tian Hao began discussing battle plans with the group.
"I won't engage directly this time. I'll stay hidden. If all three rush out, I'll ambush them—aiming to kill or at least severely injure one first."
Su Min stated her plan upfront. Facing three half-immortals was genuinely daunting. Unbeknownst to her, the others already saw her as a monster. A Mahayana cultivator fighting three near-Transcendence opponents was unheard of.
Regardless, they had no retreat. The passage was impassable for them, and the current peace existed only because the warden remained deep inside, unable to leave. Once he finished his tasks, his true immortal strength would annihilate them all—no hiding spot would save them.
Since death was inevitable either way, they might as well fight.
As for their enemies, they would certainly engage. Born from turbid energy, these cultivators weren't as deranged as those from the Dark Continent, but they were far from benevolent. Arrogance was their defining trait, they would emerge.
"Understood!!!"
Meanwhile, inside the final fortress, three figures drank in frustration.
"Disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful. And how did Yan Ji die out there? Why did the warden issue such orders?"
"That guy was always lazy, obsessed with draining lifeblood. Probably fried his own brain. Abandoning two altars is sheer humiliation!"
"If those pests dare come, I'll tear them apart. Just remnants from worlds we turned into fertilizer—nothing to fear."
"Hahaha..."
Soon, the three were laughing and drinking together. But despite their bravado, they weren't fools. They recognized the threat and wouldn't venture out alone. They might struggle one-on-one, but three against one? Even the emperors of those universes would perish.
The Burial Ground was like this—overflowing with terrifying experts. But constrained by cosmic rules, they couldn't deploy excessive force into other universes. Typically, they'd open a rift and occasionally send in a half-immortal.
If the half-immortals succeeded, good. If not, they'd still corrupt the universe. Given time, every universe would fall. Thus, many cosmic Daos triggered eras of spiritual decline to suppress the turbid energy.
But this approach had a major flaw—it also weakened the universe's native powerhouses.
BOOM!!!
Amid their revelry, a colossal explosion shook the fortress.
For Mahayana cultivators, destroying planets was trivial. Naturally, their fortress was far sturdier, remaining unscathed. But the tremor still enraged the trio.
"A mere late-stage Mahayana dares this? They're here."
Exchanging glances, the three vanished from the room in streaks of light. Though cautious about venturing out alone, they felt invincible together. Almost instantly, both Tian Hao and the hidden Su Min were stunned. The three shot out recklessly, radiating boundless fury toward the attack's origin.
"They just left their stronghold? Without even bringing subordinates?"
This outcome surprised both Su Min and Tian Hao. Their original plan involved prolonged provocations—attacks spanning days, even months—to gradually lure the enemies out while minimizing casualties.
But all that preparation proved unnecessary. The trio had charged out immediately.
"Proceed as planned."
Though their efforts seemed wasted, they didn't dwell on it. With a simple signal, the Mahayana cultivators regrouped.
"Hahaha, these ants actually gathered together. Do they think mere Mahayana cultivators can oppose us, who stand at immortality's threshold? I'll—"
The leading elder laughed mockingly, raising a clawed hand. A massive ghostly claw materialized, poised to crush the cultivators. In his eyes, this strike might not kill them all, but the weaker Mahayana would perish.
"Old man, that's unfair."
The other two complained, equally bloodthirsty. Trapped in the Nether Prison with few chances for slaughter, they craved this release.
These insects would learn the meaning of disparity.
"Now!!!"
Su Min's eyes flashed. In an instant, she appeared behind the lead attacker and struck.
"Chaos Annihilation Palm"
A black-and-white energy palm slammed into the unprepared half-immortal's back.
SPLAT
The man exploded into bloody mist. At Mahayana middle stage and with full preparation, Su Min's strike was nearly all-out—even accounting for potential counterattacks. The results spoke for themselves. Though half-immortals weren't easily killed, the victim barely reconstituted his body a second later, retreating to his companions' side. All three now stared at Su Min like she was a ghost. The injured elder barely clung to life, chaotic energy ravaging his body as blood streamed from his mouth.
"Impossible... You're only Mahayana middle stage? Did you kill Yan Ji?"
Their shock was understandable. How had a Mahayana mid-stage cultivator bypassed their spiritual senses?
But regrets were pointless now. They sorely missed not bringing reinforcements. They'd left all subordinates in the fortress to guard against infiltrators while they hunted. At worst, they'd return later to mop up.
But now? A single Mahayana cultivator had ambushed them, one clearly capable of slaying any of them solo. Most baffling was how their combat experience, rivaling universe emperors, had failed against one strike.
"Yan Ji? Doesn't matter. But yes, I'm your culprit. That wounded one's yours—I'll handle the rest."
Su Min smiled indifferently. The plan had succeeded beyond expectations. She'd prepared for one against three, but without reinforcements, the odds improved. The injured half-immortal, plagued by chaotic energy, could be worn down by the Mahayana group led by Tian Hao. Given time, he'd fall.
That left two for Su Min.
"He Zhi, Wen Bi, attack!"
The injured elder cursed, retreating further. In his state, he could only cover his comrades against interference.
"Tiger-Crane Unity"
The remaining two exchanged glances. Hailing from the Burial Ground's Tiger and Crane Clans—lineages so ancient they'd birthed 'Kings'—their paired techniques unleashed terrifying synergy.
Childhood friends since body refining, they'd slain Foundation Establishment experts as Qi Refining cultivators, and even killed a Mahayana expert at Unity middle stage—shocking countless observers.
This was why Su Min hadn't ambushed them. Their seamless coordination was evident, unlike the reckless elder. With no opening for surprise attacks, she'd opted for the safer approach—successfully reducing enemy numbers.
But her challenges weren't over. As the duo moved, an eerie spectacle unfolded: a tiger with a crane perched on its back.
"Just my luck—another freakish combo."
Su Min sighed, recalling the last time she'd faced such opponents. In certain worlds, this would be called a fusion technique. With higher cultivation than hers, the pressure was real.
No choice—Su Min's hands blurred through seals.
"Chaos Embodiment!!!"
Instantly, a colossal figure enveloped her. Since becoming a Chaos Body, her Dharma Idol had transformed, merging with her Heaven-Earth Manifestation.
Though less explosive than the Chaos Azure Lotus, its energy cost was far lower. Against unknown foes, a prolonged battle was ideal.