In an instant, the scene became eerily quiet. Su Min didn't rush in but instead leisurely observed them. Due to their infighting, the passage behind them was now filled with raging energy storms.
The immortals found themselves in an awkward predicament—staying here meant certain death, but charging out would mean facing Su Min's blade. Having no idea how the previous person who ventured out had died, they dared not move.
Outside, Yao Xian'er stared in shock at the corpse Su Min had collected.
She was certain—this was no half-immortal or weakened immortal, but a true immortal. Su Min, at the Mahayana late stage, had single-handedly slain a genuine immortal. It was utterly inconceivable.
"She actually killed an immortal alone... The Chaos Physique truly deserves its cursed reputation."
Yao Xian'er couldn't comprehend what had happened. Su Min had simply thrust her sword forward—no flashy techniques, no elaborate movements—yet the immortal had instantly perished.
It wasn't a battle. It was as if life had been stripped away from the immortal.
Back in her day, Yao Xian'er had fought weakened immortals, each one incredibly troublesome with endless survival methods. Killing even one was extremely difficult, and there was always the risk of them resorting to desperate measures. Watching Su Min's actions now, she simply couldn't understand.
"Is the power of chaos truly this terrifying? Unfortunately, we know nothing about the Chaos Physique."
Yao Xian'er was certain Su Min had tapped into the Chaos Physique's power, but what exactly was the Chaos Physique? To what extent had it developed? She had no idea.
The Five Elements Sacred Physique was already mysterious enough, with its terrifying resistance from the Great Five Elements Cycle. Many had fallen victim to it unknowingly, and even when aware, there was little they could do.
The five great physiques had no fixed weaknesses. Any shortcomings were due to the cultivators themselves, not the physiques.
Like during the Golden Core Avenue—her physical strength couldn't compare to Su Min's or Tian Hao's, but that didn't mean it was a weakness. Those two were just absurdly strong.
"Regardless, the birth of the Chaos Physique is a blessing for all living beings. Otherwise, this calamity would have destroyed our entire universe."
Tian Yang, however, remained optimistic, clasping his hands together. He was grateful his junior had established a good relationship with Su Min. The Great Thunder Temple of the Buddhist sect now had decent ties with her. As for her strength, he didn't even want to think about it.
He was still several lifetimes away from achieving immortality through a hundred reincarnations, and each subsequent lifetime was exponentially more difficult than the previous ones. Even if he succeeded, he doubted he could handle the current situation better than Su Min. The enemy's forces were terrifying—ten true immortals, a number never before seen in any era.
In the past, even a single immortal descending was a rare occurrence.
Transcendence-stage cultivators of those times had to mobilize the entire universe's resources to kill one immortal—and only if the immortal was locked onto by the Heavenly Dao.
But for Su Min to instantly slay one? Unprecedented.
"Ah..."
Tian Hao could only sigh bitterly. Catching up to her was impossible. Back in the Golden Core Avenue, Su Min had defeated him primarily due to her pills—though as an alchemist, using pills was natural.
Without them, Tian Hao believed he might not have lost.
But now, it was meaningless. Though their cultivation stages were close—late-stage and mid-stage Mahayana—the gap in combat power was insurmountable.
Moreover, Su Min thoroughly understood the Great Desolate Sacred Physique, while he knew nothing about the Chaos Physique.
"How long do you plan to hide? The storm is coming."
Su Min chuckled as she watched the immortals inside. She wasn't reckless enough to charge in—her Mahayana late-stage cultivation was still slightly lacking against true immortals.
She needed to be cautious. The fewer enemies she faced at once, the better.
"What do we do?"
The immortals glanced at Su Min blocking the exit, then at the storm behind them. The passage was narrow, allowing only three or four to pass at a time, with a cooldown before the next group could go.
This was why they had turned on each other—those who passed earlier would have an advantage in seizing the essence.
But now, two had already ventured out: one killed by Su Min, the other forced back. The unstable gate meant only two more could pass before it temporarily closed.
Waiting another day or two wasn't an option, especially since the first death had proven the Chaos Physique's lethality.
"Tiger and Crane Clans, send one each to stall her. Buy us time, or the storm will catch up, and we'll all die."
Gritting their teeth, the group turned to the four from the Tiger and Crane Clans, who had allied due to their close relations. Their combined strength was formidable.
Yet the four remained still, their expressions icy.
"You bastards..."
They knew why the others wanted them to go their combined power was feared. During the earlier chaos, the other six had tacitly prioritized attacking them, leaving them battered. Now, after all that, they were being pushed forward as sacrificial pawns.
"Enough squabbling. The three of us will swear a blood oath to renounce the essence."
Seeing their reluctance, the others quickly offered concessions. The essence was a single prize, born only after the universe's separation. Their orders were to retrieve it if possible—not to die trying.
"Hmph. That's more like it."
Satisfied, the Tiger and Crane Clans finally agreed. Two of their least injured members charged out, launching a joint attack at Su Min the moment they emerged.
"Again with this move?!"
Su Min's hands shimmered with gray-white mist as she met their assault head-on.
BOOM!
The sky tore open.
Stars blinked out as the shockwave exploded outward, pulverizing planets and shaking the defensive line they'd painstakingly fortified in advance.
Xie Yingying couldn't breathe.
Not because of the pressure—but because for a heartbeat, she thought she'd lost her.
The world seemed to tilt. Her nails dug into her palms, fists clenched white. She hadn't even realized how tightly she was holding herself together until now. Her qi, which had been steady as a lake, stirred violently in her core.
"Su Min..." she whispered.
The force of the clash crashed into the outer formations. Even with imperial artifacts reinforcing them, several Unity-stage cultivators coughed blood on impact. Their weapons trembled in their hands, their robes soaked with sweat.
"So this is an immortal's power..." Tian Hao muttered nearby, face ashen. Tian Hao's face paled. Back in the Nether Prison, a single warden had filled him with despair. Without Su Min's help, they would have had no hope. His caution and decision to seek her out had been absolutely correct.
But Xie Yingying barely heard him. Her gaze remained locked on Su Min, who hovered in the aftermath of the explosion, her robes billowing, her form untouched.
Not even her breath had changed.
It was over in an instant—but for Xie Yingying, that moment had stretched into eternity.
She slowly exhaled. Only then did she realize her hands had stopped trembling.
The worry had been useless. She knew that. Su Min was beyond this now. Beyond all of them.
And yet...
She couldn't help it. The fear wasn't logical. It wasn't born of strategy or calculation. It was instinct, raw and fierce. That moment when she almost leapt forward—when her qi nearly surged past control—that had nothing to do with cultivation. That was her heart reacting before her mind could catch up.
No matter how high Su Min soared, Xie Yingying would never stop fearing for her.
Never stop wanting to reach her.
Around her, murmurs rippled. Cultivation was ultimately about longevity and freedom, and immortals were the ultimate goal for most. Seeing them in person left many cultivators even more shaken.
If not for the absolute enmity between the Burial Netherworld and the Pristine Universe, some might have even defected for a chance at immortality.
"You—!"
The Tiger and Crane immortals stared in horror. Their joint attack had been blocked by a mere Mahayana-stage cultivator. Such a strike should have annihilated even Transcendence-stage or half-immortal beings instantly.
Their faces darkened further as the passage behind them sealed shut, cutting off reinforcements.
"Your plan failed. I'm no glass cannon."
Su Min's calm words made their expressions twist with fury.
They had assumed a Mahayana cultivator, no matter how powerful, would have weak defenses. Their plan had been to trade injuries to buy time for more immortals to join the fight.
But now, they were trapped outside—alone with her.
Su Min, however, was unfazed. With her Chaos Physique perfected, she could now wield the primordial energy that existed before the division of purity and turbidity—chaos energy.
No fancy techniques were needed. Chaos energy provided both offense and defense.
In a game, she'd be a broken character—overpowered stats paired with an unbeatable mechanic.
But this wasn't a game. There was no "balance." The Chaos Physique's birth was near-impossible—Su Min had never heard of another like her.
With a flick of her wrist, Su Min lunged. Her Chaos Sword held no intricate techniques, yet each strike forced the immortals to retreat in terror.
A single graze from that sword had consumed their comrade.
They could only defend desperately with their own weapons. But when two coordinated immortals focused solely on defense, even Su Min needed time to break through.
"Activate the second phase. We'll open a path and draw in the Heavenly Dao."
From the celestial palace, Yao Xian'er and the others exchanged glances. Unable to join the fight directly, they could only assist indirectly—by summoning the Heavenly Dao.
Dark matter's primary function was to shield against the Heavenly Dao, giving the dark cultivators an advantage. But if the Heavenly Dao was drawn in, the tables would turn.
The Heavenly Dao's lightning tribulations, which targeted only enemies, were lethal even to immortals. Historically, over half of slain immortals had fallen to the Heavenly Dao.
They could evade it, but never resist it.
With the dark region now significantly reduced, the effect would be even more potent.
In an instant, several Mahayana cultivators activated another imperial artifact within the palace.
[Heavenbinding Chain (immortal Artifact): Summons the laws of heaven.]
BOOM!
A thundercloud vast enough to envelop galaxies materialized in the sky. The two immortals battling Su Min paled, hastily activating a defensive treasure. Accustomed to destruction, they recognized this scenario—but this time, their countermeasures failed.
Su Min shattered one immortal's sword with a single slash, then kicked him flying hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
The immortal's face whitened as the Heavenly Dao locked onto him.
"Now it's just you. Die."
Su Min smirked. Two immortals had barely held her off—one stood no chance. As the remaining immortal struggled against the tribulation lightning, Yao Xian'er and the others seized the opportunity.
Who didn't love kicking a downed enemy?
Attacks rained from all directions. Though not fatal, they disrupted the immortal's focus—and in the next moment...
BOOM!