BOOM—
As the heavens trembled with anomalies, the entire universe shook.
Immortal Tribulation.
In that instant, every cultivator above the Dao Comprehension stage felt two words echo in their minds.
Then, the entire cosmos erupted in chaos.
From the earliest records of history, no one had ever crossed this threshold. Now, at last, someone was taking that step. In the blink of an eye, countless powerhouses gathered—many of them Unity-stage or even Mahayana-stage experts.
Over thirty thousand years had passed since the world's rebirth. In such a vast span of time, even Great Emperors had reached the end of their lifespans.
"Who… Who is it? Who is triggering the Immortal Tribulation? Is it the new Great Desolate Martial Sage?"
"Could it be that supreme genius from the Heavenly God Sect? The one who reached Mahayana in just three thousand years—he has the potential to claim the throne!"
"Impossible. He only rose because he avoided that era. Otherwise, he wouldn't even rank in the top five. Just look at the first Golden Core Heavenly Ranking—the previous Great Emperor (Spiritual Dao Body), the new Great Emperor (Great Desolate Holy Body), the Lunar Sovereign Body, and that mysterious existence who slew an immortal at Mahayana before vanishing. The Immortal Gate may keep a low profile now, but no one dares provoke them."
As Su Min journeyed through the ages, she had witnessed the fall of countless figures. The Little Golden Crow, despite her vast lifespan, had ultimately chosen to sever her cultivation.
She had later re-entered the Mahayana stage without relying on any bloodline essence, only to sever herself again. Now, she too was sealed away.
Thus, the first generation of the Immortal Gate had either perished from old age or ascended to Mahayana. The only remaining Mahayana expert still active was a junior—alongside a new Three-Legged Golden Crow. The sect's top-tier forces had dwindled.
But at that moment—
A jet-black and white flame erupted across the cosmos.
Then, a three-legged Golden Crow emerged in the sky.
Though a Golden Crow, its feathers shimmered in an unusual monochrome hue.
"Hiss—! That's the Chaos Three-Legged Golden Crow from the Immortal Gate! They say it's the direct descendant of that one-in-a-million Alchemy Immortal!"
"But wasn't she human? How does she have a bird child?"
"Watch your tongue! That's not something we should speculate about!"
A nearby cultivator immediately silenced the gossip.
This Golden Crow—born from the Golden Crow royal bloodline and fused with Su Min's Chaos essence—possessed terrifying combat power.
In the past, at just the late Dao Comprehension stage, it had slew a Mahayana-stage demon beast—a feat even Su Min had never accomplished.
The act had shaken the heavens.
Now that it had reached Mahayana, its strength was beyond comprehension.
"Father?"
The Golden Crow's voice trembled as it sensed the figure within the thunderstorm through their bloodline connection.
Long ago, the Little Golden Crow had requested a drop of Su Min's Chaos essence before departing. Using a secret technique, she had nurtured a new Golden Crow monarch from the Fusang Divine Tree, then refined it with the Chaos blood.
Thus, the most talented Golden Crow in history was born.
After all, the dominance of the Chaos Body surpassed even the royal bloodlines of divine beasts.
(Though, to be fair, divine beasts had one peculiar trait—they bred but rarely raised their young. It was Su Min who had raised this one.)
But just as the crowd marveled at the divine beasts—
BOOM!
Several overwhelming auras erupted from the depths of the Heavenly Continent.
Gasps filled the void as ancient existences made their presence known.
"That's the Ancient Buddha from the Great Thunder Temple! His cultivation is only at the Divine Transformation stage now, but his protectors are all Mahayana experts… Did he undergo rebirth?"
"Look! That's—!"
Then, an uproar exploded.
A single figure emerged, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.
Golden radiance flooded the cosmos.
Transcendence stage.
This was the only realm considered closest to immortality—and in this era, only one person could achieve such a disturbance.
The Great Desolate Martial Sage.
"Didn't he die of old age? It's been over thirty thousand years!"
Countless minds reeled in shock. The man before them now had snow-white hair and a withered frame, yet his eyes blazed with unquenchable vitality—as if something far greater lurked within his aged body.
His lifespan should have ended millennia ago, yet here he stood.
For a moment, the world held its breath.
"Greetings, Uncle Tian."
Only the Chaos Golden Crow bowed respectfully. She had been born just before the Little Golden Crow's self-severing, so she recognized this era's Great Emperor. Given her ties to Su Min, all top experts treated her with courtesy.
"Is it… her?"
Tian Hao's golden pupils flickered with longing. He had chosen his own path—to ascend to immortality as a Great Emperor, enduring the trials of the mortal world. It would be a long journey.
Yet here, at the starting line, someone else had already reached the finish.
The Chaos Body granted its wielder an innate qualification, exempt from the struggles of competition.
Envy was inevitable.
So he chose to observe.
Meanwhile, Su Min was fully aware of the spectators—but she had no attention to spare. Around her, a storm of thunderclouds raged, forcing all onlookers to keep their distance.
What awaited her was the most terrifying Immortal Tribulation. Just like the Three-Nine, Six-Nine, and Nine-Nine Golden Core Tribulations, the Immortal Tribulation had three tiers:
—Suffering
—Crimson Lotus
—Annihilation (the deadliest)
And Su Min faced Annihilation.
She slowly raised her head—
Then, three figures materialized within the thunder.
"What… is that?"
The crowd froze.
They had seen many tribulations—usually just lightning strikes—but nothing like this.
"Those three… all possess the power of immortals. No—they're even stronger than ordinary immortals! These are recordings of supreme experts left by the Great Dao, meant to test the challenger!"
Tian Hao was the first to understand, his eyes locked onto the figures with burning battle intent. In his current state, he could defeat a lower-tier immortal one-on-one—but he was nowhere near Su Min's level of effortlessly slaughtering them like livestock.
Yet these three immortals each exuded an indomitable aura that made even him shudder.
Su Min took a deep breath.
She knew the hierarchy of immortals.
The ones she had slain before were the lowest tier—mere cannon fodder.
According to the Nether Prison's records, only one in a thousand lower-tier immortals could advance to the upper tier.
An upper-tier immortal could utterly crush a lower-tier one.
That was why her tribulation was so horrifying.
But she hadn't realized how horrifying until now.
Three upper-tier immortals at once.
Without her ten lifetimes of accumulated power, she would have stood no chance.
"Then… come."
Su Min gripped her weapon and charged forward.
BOOM—!
The universe quaked.
The shockwaves alone ripped through space, reducing weaker cultivators light-years away into bloody mist. The survivors fled in terror, scrambling to put more distance between themselves and the battle.
Yet they couldn't look away.
The clash was too profound—every exchange contained fragments of the Great Dao. Even a sliver of comprehension could lead to a quantum leap in strength. Only Tian Hao and the Chaos Golden Crow dared remain close. And one other—Yao Xian'er, hidden deep within the Heavenly Continent.
She hadn't yet returned to Mahayana, so she couldn't approach. But she had her own ways to witness history unfolding.
Her expression was grave.
Unlike Tian Hao's path, her current strength hadn't peaked yet.
But what she saw now shook her to the core.
"The first immortal… is about to be born."
She sighed.
Because in the heart of the cosmos—
Su Min seized the raging thunder, then swung her blade. One of the figures shattered into motes of Great Dao, which surged into her body. Her eyes blazed brighter.
The tribulation was both a trial and an opportunity. Success meant the Heavens would reward her without restraint. And Su Min intended to claim it all.
With the first immortal defeated, the triangular formation collapsed.
Soon, the other two fell as well.
Her aura transcended Mahayana, reaching true immortality.
Yet she wasn't done.
With a deep breath, she swallowed a pill to recover. The Great Dao fragments of three upper-tier immortals now flowed within her. If she stopped now, she would ascend as a true immortal.
But that wasn't her goal.
As if in response, the thunderclouds parted once more.
A lone figure descended before her.
Su Min's pupils contracted.
This opponent's cultivation was also at the immortal level, but his physique—
The previous Chaos Body.