Su Min's urgency wasn't without reason. The token of that old turtle, the Black Tortoise, had a peculiar trait—it would randomly disappear and reappear elsewhere at intervals. This usually happened every one or two days. The only way to prevent it from vanishing was to store it in a player's special inventory, which, in Su Min's case, was her spatial ring.
She had no interest in the girl's inheritance inside. If the young man before her refused to step aside, she would have no choice but to resort to force.
Although the Great Desolate Sacred Body was formidable, like hers, it was incomplete. As for Xie Yingying's Lunar Sovereign Body, while it was complete, the power of Lunar Sovereign was overwhelmingly domineering. Without the guidance of the Lunar Sovereign Ancient Scripture, it was impossible to unleash its full potential.
In truth, the three of them were evenly matched. If a real fight broke out, none could be certain of victory.
"Block him for me. There's something inside that's very useful to me."
With an indifferent glance at the person in front of her, Su Min knew he couldn't stop both of them. Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Xie Yingying released a chilling aura, locking onto him.
The onlookers, meanwhile, were secretly delighted. They were hoping for a fight. While Su Min and Xie Yingying didn't care about the inheritance, the others certainly did. If these two went berserk, the young man wouldn't be able to hold them back. Then, they could sneak in and scavenge whatever was left before the secret realm closed.
After all, everyone still here was no weakling. If the top contenders left, the rest would have a chance. But these people were about to be disappointed. Su Min had no idea when the item she needed might disappear, so she opted for a straightforward approach.
Activating her speed with heavenly lightning, she dashed forward in the blink of an eye. The young man was no slouch either—the moment she moved, he instinctively struck out with a palm. Su Min reacted just as swiftly, her azure dragon claw clashing against his faint golden fist.
BOOM!
The impact shook the earth, sending both of them staggering back several steps.
"Such terrifying strength!"
Many of the spectators were inwardly shocked. This young man had previously sent people flying with single slaps, yet now he was evenly matched with Su Min, the alchemist with the Five Elements Holy Body.
"Could this be the secret of the Five Elements Holy Body? Overwhelming force to crush all techniques?"
Some wondered, but they quickly dismissed the thought. The exchange had been too fast—they only caught a glimpse of azure light, barely making out the shape.
"Was that… a dragon's claw?"
Murmurs spread among the crowd, but no one was there to answer their questions.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
In that brief moment, their positions had swapped. The palm strike had propelled Su Min into the cave. As the Great Desolate Sacred Body wielder moved to intercept, an icy aura locked onto him, freezing him in place for a split second.
That was all the time Su Min needed. With a flash, she darted into the side chamber, not even sparing a glance at the girl on the inheritance platform. The tension in the air eased slightly—at least the young man now knew Su Min had no interest in the inheritance.
He had already looted the side chamber and found nothing. But this was fine. The woman before him now felt far more terrifying. The onlookers sighed in disappointment. They had hoped the two groups would clash, giving them a chance to sneak in and pick up the scraps. Unfortunately, Su Min had no intention of pointlessly fighting. That single exchange had left her arm numb—if not for the Azure Dragon Creation Art, it might have shattered.
The Five Elements Holy Body was powerful, but it wasn't a close-combat physique. Worse, she still lacked the earth element, the divine material representing supreme defense, leaving her a fragile mage.
The Azure Dragon Creation Art compensated somewhat, but it couldn't fully bridge the gap between her and the strongest strength-based physique.
"Was this guy a packrat? He cleaned the place out. Let's see… that strange sensation is coming from here."
Her gaze swept the empty side chamber before settling on a wall. The young man had been too hasty to notice, but there seemed to be a hidden compartment within. Without the divine material in her body, even Su Min wouldn't have detected it.
BOOM!
She blasted the wall open. The secret realm's structures were made of special materials that blocked ordinary perception. Outside, such a strike could level half a city, but here, it only left a small hole. Inside that hole lay a black token, flickering unstably as if on the verge of vanishing.
Black Tortoise Token.
Su Min grabbed it without hesitation and stuffed it into her ring. Instantly, the instability ceased—within her special storage, it solidified. She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Good. I won't take this out again until I reach the Black Tortoise's hidden vault. Better safe than sorry—imagine arriving only for it to disappear at the last second."
The Black Tortoise's legacy wasn't within the Golden Core Avenue. Moreover, the area where it lay—the depths of the Nether Sacrificial Sea—was perilous even for Nascent Soul cultivators. There was no rush for now.
"With this, only the White Tiger remains among the Four Symbols. And then there's the Kirin's legacy… Ugh, so troublesome."
Muttering to herself, Su Min left the chamber. There was another room, but it wasn't worth checking. The remaining three divine materials could wait. Their locations were like the Golden Core Avenue—inaccessible until the right time. Until then, it was best to focus on cultivation.
"Alright, let's go."
With a glance at the crowd, Su Min saw no reason to linger. After this round of plundering, the secret realm was likely emptied. She was satisfied with her gains—no need to stick around. Xie Yingying followed without a word. The spectators sighed again, disappointed that no fight had broken out to give them an opportunity. Before leaving, Su Min cast one last deep look at the young man.
"What was in there?" Xie Yingying asked curiously once they were outside. Su Min had been in such a hurry she hadn't even explained.
"Something related to the Black Tortoise's legacy."
"Your luck is incredible."
"Well, I'd have died long ago if my luck were worse," Su Min chuckled. This time, she'd been exceptionally fortunate.
"Are we heading to the Black Tortoise's ruins now?"
Su Min realized Xie Yingying had misunderstood.
"Uh, the Black Tortoise ruins aren't in the Golden Core Avenue. They're deep in the Nether Sacrificial Sea—a place even Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle to survive."
"What?"
Xie Yingying blinked, then sighed.
"Let's find a quiet place first. I need to check where this legacy leads."
With that, Su Min stopped dwelling on it. Since she couldn't proceed now, she'd focus on the most efficient path. Soon, they arrived at a desolate mountain. Before descending, Su Min subtly glanced back—many eyes were still on her, though they kept their distance. She ignored them. Inside a temporary cave, five colored banners floated mid-air as Su Min sat cross-legged, absorbing their information. But her expression quickly darkened.
"Damn it! The legacy requires reaching the top five of the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking while holding the Five Elements Flags."
"Hmm?"
Xie Yingying tilted her head. The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking was the final event of the Golden Core Avenue's decade-long cycle. In its last ten years, a colossal heavenly ranking would descend, enveloping the entire area.
All Golden Core cultivators could participate, battling one-on-one in a single-elimination format. The top five would have their names inscribed on the heavenly ranking, but more importantly, they'd receive two key rewards. First, a 300-year lifespan extension. Even for Mahayana cultivators, this was priceless. Second, a baptism of the Great Dao, safeguarding their meridians during the breakthrough to Nascent Soul.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
After the Golden Core stage, cultivators no longer faced heavenly tribulations. But each step forward was no less perilous. To form a Nascent Soul, one had to shatter their Golden Core—a process fraught with danger.
Ninety-nine percent of Golden Core cultivators failed here. A failed attempt meant the core's destruction, regressing the cultivator to Foundation Establishment—with no chance of re-forming a core. Most Golden Core cultivators were already centuries old, far exceeding the lifespan of Foundation Establishment. The moment their cultivation dropped, time would erase them. It was no less deadly than a tribulation.
But for Su Min, this wasn't an issue. With the Eastern Azure Wood divine material in her body, her breakthrough success rate was over 90%, especially with the Nascent Soul Pill's aid. Divine materials had unique traits. Wood-attributed ones provided immense vitality. Even if her core shattered and her Nascent Soul didn't form immediately, the Eastern Azure Wood's life force would sustain her, preventing regression.
(Some water-attributed divine materials had similar effects, relying on water's natural restorative properties.)
Moreover, Su Min's innate talent was Immortality. The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking's rewards meant little to her. She'd planned to slack off. But now, she was forced to compete. The ranking's matches were random—one round, win or lose. No second chances, no best-of series. If you were unlucky enough to face a powerhouse early, tough luck. In cultivation, luck was part of strength.
"What if Yingying and I get matched?"
Su Min didn't care about the baptism, but Xie Yingying would never pass up 300 years of lifespan. Even a Great Ascension expert would covet it.
"This isn't so bad. You were going to join the ranking anyway," Xie Yingying said, unfazed. In her eyes, Su Min belonged on that list.
"Easy for you to say. What if we face each other in the first round?"
"We won't."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you say your luck's always good? True powerhouses never lack fortune—or destiny."
"Uh…"
Su Min was speechless. Was this survivorship bias? Those with good luck succeeded; those without died. But reflecting on her journey, luck had played a huge role.
"Relax. The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking has its own mechanisms. Holy Bodies like yours or my Lunar Sovereign Body—obviously top-tier—won't meet until the finals. This place was built by ancient experts to nurture the strongest. The goal is to make the strong stronger. We won't clash."
"Oh."
Su Min exhaled in relief. Luck mattered, but there were rules to prevent top contenders from eliminating each other prematurely.
"How long until your Lunar Sovereign legacy site opens?"
"About six months."
"Alright."
Su Min nodded. She'd wait. Besides, she still owed people pills. Six months wasn't enough for meaningful cultivation—might as well set up a stall and earn some money.