As Su Min maintained the barrier array, her spiritual power a steady stream fueling the intricate patterns of light, the earth beneath her feet suddenly trembled violently, a deep, groaning shake that promised an imminent eruption.
"Oh? Is he finally coming out?"
Su Min blinked in surprise before a relieved smile spread across her face. She could clearly sense a formidable, razor-sharp aura surging from the depths of the cave, one so overwhelming and pure that even she, with her superior cultivation and vast combat prowess, felt a distinct shiver of trepidation.
Then, in the next instant, the pressure peaked.
Crack!
The ground directly above Tian Hao's cave split open like an overripe fruit, and a blinding, brilliant golden light erupted from the fissures, scouring the darkened landscape. Su Min didn't hesitate. She immediately retracted the energy from her barrier arrays and bolted backwards, not daring to linger in the epicenter for even a second.
BOOM!
The moment she fled, an enormous figure burst forth from the heart of the golden radiance. In the blink of an eye, a colossal golden giant nearly ten thousand meters tall materialized in the bloody sky, its form casting a long, holy shadow over the corrupted land. Its oppressive, nascent aura sent visible shockwaves through the air, causing the encroaching filth and black blood to recoil and seethe in agitation.
"Dharma Form?! He's already condensed his Dharma Form?!"
Even Su Min, with her vast and unusual experience, couldn't help but twitch at the sight. Now she understood what the Mahayana expert had meant by "paving the way straight to the Mahayana stage" for Tian Hao.
This towering, majestic golden figure was none other than his Dharma Manifestation, a preliminary form of the ultimate Dharma Body, something only the most exceptional and profoundly gifted cultivators could begin to achieve upon first reaching the Dao Comprehension stage.
The entire leap from Dao Comprehension to the Unity stage hinged on one critical, defining step: condensing a stable Dharma Form. Advancing further to Mahayana then required refining and perfecting that initial form into a true, world-shaking Dharma Manifestation.
The difference between the two was stark; manifestations were far more intricate, refined, and held a sliver of the user's divine soul.
Tian Hao's current form was still rough and indistinct, more of a powerful outline than a perfected, detailed construct. But even this incomplete version signified that his path to Unity was now completely unobstructed. All he needed now was to steadily accumulate power and insight until reaching the peak of late Dao Comprehension, at which point breaking through would be as seamless as walking through an open door.
Of course, much like Su Min's own early grasp of laws at the Divine Transformation stage, his manifestation was far from complete or stable. From her sharp perspective, it appeared hazy, shimmering at the edges like a mirage. Sure enough, mere moments later, the towering golden giant flickered and vanished, leaving behind Tian Hao's true form, floating in the air, his aura solidified and now officially that of a genuine Dao Comprehension expert.
"How do you feel? If you hadn't emerged within a year, I would've dragged you out by your collar. A failed breakthrough is always better than being turned into a mindless, corrupted monster."
Su Min eyed the newly ascended Tian Hao coolly. Even with his newfound power and partial Dharma Manifestation, she was quietly confident she could still escape unscathed if a fight broke out between them now.
"Hm? What happened?"
Tian Hao scratched his head, his senses still acclimating to the new level of perception, before he properly scanned their immediate surroundings, and his expression darkened instantly. The entire area, once purified by the saint's presence, had been thoroughly re-tainted by the creeping black blood. Attempting a breakthrough here would've been disastrous, likely twisting his nascent Dharma Form.
"Many thanks, Master Su, for guarding my breakthrough. I am in your debt."
He could sense the lingering, fading remnants of her powerful array formations. Though interrupting a critical breakthrough was a serious matter, it paled in comparison to the eternal horrors of spiritual corruption.
"Enough with the pleasantries. Now that you've reached Dao Comprehension, our chances of successfully securing the White Tiger's legacy have improved significantly. But mark my words, this dead world is no longer peaceful. We are not alone here."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
Tian Hao's brow furrowed in confusion. Logically, reaching the Dao Comprehension stage should've made traversing this place far safer for them. The mindless insectoid swarms were merely nuisances now, easily brushed aside. As for the dormant Mahayana corpses, while still utterly untouchable, simply avoiding them was straightforward. Dead beings, even powerful ones, had limited and predictable influence, after all.
But Su Min's grim tone suggested an impending storm, a new variable. During his critical, all-consuming breakthrough, he'd missed whatever subtle shifts had occurred in the wider environment.
"There are outsiders here now, other cultivators, and some are already at the Dao Comprehension stage. I've no idea how they entered, or from where, but their presence is undoubtedly bad news for us."
Su Min's expression was dark. Her suspicions about this place were confirmed: this was indeed a convergence point, a nexus for multiple worlds. Those other realms might be weaker overall, but they could still produce their own elite cultivators, all vying for the same limited, supreme opportunities.
Worse, during her recent seclusion, she'd noticed something else, a faint but definite tremor from the treasure compass for her final divine treasure, the Earth Qilin's Secret Hoard.
In the game, it had simply been a piece of dungeon loot, waiting in a chest. But reality, as always, proved more complicated and obscure. Neither the Golden Crow elders nor the Dragon Princess had any concrete leads on the Qilin's whereabouts; the legendary beast was seemingly extinct, or had never existed, in their known world.
The faint resonance from the treasure suggested she'd likely need to cross into another, unknown realm to find them. But with the White Tiger's legacy so imminent, she couldn't afford to divert her focus now.
"Outsiders? Other Dao Comprehension experts? Did their world's passageway happen to be larger, or did they use some... foul method?"
"No idea, and I didn't stick around to ask."
Su Min shook her head curtly. She'd only caught vague glimpses of distant energies and hadn't dared to investigate further. While these newcomers might not be immediately hostile, risking Tian Hao's once-in-a-lifetime breakthrough for a scouting mission wasn't worth it.
"Then we'll adapt as challenges arise. Can you sense the White Tiger legacy's approximate location now? Let's head there directly and prepare an ambush or a defense."
Tian Hao shrugged, his newfound power having visibly bolstered his confidence. As a Great Desolate Holy Body, one of the most inherently battle-hungry and aggressive constitutions, he secretly itched for a worthy opponent to test his new strength against.
Su Min, while formidable, wasn't an ideal sparring partner. Fighting her would inevitably mean contending with her endless, unpredictable trump cards and alchemical aids, a frustrating experience regardless of the outcome.
Besides, honorably assisting her with the White Tiger legacy, as per their agreement, took clear priority over personal amusement.
"Let's move. Your dramatic emergence likely drew unwanted attention from every entity within a thousand miles. No need to court trouble by lingering."
Nodding in agreement, Su Min transformed into a streak of cyan light and shot into the distance, heading deeper into the heart of the corpse-strewn continent. Tian Hao followed close behind, his movements now fluid and effortless. Within moments, both had vanished from the ravaged clearing.
Minutes later, as the last echoes of their departure faded...
Several figures descended upon the ravaged landscape, their auras dark and probing.
"Elders, was the disturbance here? That golden light?"
A group of powerful cultivators, led by the pale youth, hovered midair, surveying the shattered terrain with keen interest.
Gaping fissures and upheaved earth littered the area, a clear testament to the immense forces unleashed during the breakthrough. For seasoned Dao Comprehension experts, reshaping mountains and draining seas was trivial, so the scene, while impressive, didn't particularly awe them.
"Someone broke through to Dao Comprehension here, and the purity of the energy suggests it was likely via a potent inheritance. But they've already left, and quickly. Tracking them now through this chaotic aura is impossible."
The two elders behind the youth sighed in theatrical disappointment. A freshly advanced Dao Comprehension lifeform, its flesh and soul still vibrating with nascent power, what exquisite, potent flesh that would've been.
Their primary motive for accompanying the young master was twofold: duty, and the chance to hunt other cultivators seeking fortunes in this graveyard. Like the Mahayana Great Desolate Holy Body Su Min and Tian Hao encountered, countless fallen experts here had left behind legacies, some with hidden traps or guardian spirits.
But the risks here were substantial. The corrupted remnants of these experts might no longer be sane. While incapable of large-scale, conscious devastation, those venturing too close could still meet a gruesome end. Unity-stage remains were manageable; escape was usually feasible if things turned sour. But Mahayana corpses? Those were genuine death sentences, their passive auras enough to crush a Dao Comprehension soul.
Most sane cultivators chose to steer clear of such obvious hazards. But for every cautious soul, there were daring, greedy opportunists, precisely the prey these hunters sought.
"Gone is gone. No matter. According to the resonance of my White Tiger Mark, the legacy's emergence is imminent. There'll be no shortage of fools contesting it then, perhaps even that newly minted Dao Comprehension expert. Heh. Elders, when the time comes, they're yours to handle."
"Kekeke! Rest assured, Young Master. Prime, cultivated flesh like that is so rare. The commoners in our world no longer sate us. We crave higher-quality sustenance, something with... spiritual depth, slurp."
Even the youth's eyelids twitched at the elders' grotesque, undisguised enthusiasm. His father, a Mahayana expert facing the era's great suppression, had taken extreme, desperate measures to preserve his lineage.
First, he'd attempted to seal himself away in a time-lock. Then, he'd bound these two powerful but monstrous elders to his son's service through unbreakable soul oaths, providing them with just enough suppression crystals to lower their cultivation to the very cusp of Dao Comprehension, allowing them entry here.
His plan was ambitious: to re-emerge when the world's restrictions lifted, leading a pre-strengthened faction. But the father himself had ultimately vanished into the river of time, not out of nobility, but sheer, brutal necessity.
Two cold, hard reasons dictated this:
First, the crystals required for a Mahayana expert to self-seal, even when suppressing their power to half-step Dao Comprehension, were astronomically scarce. His father's stockpile had fallen far short.
Second, and most critical, his lifespan had been nearing its inevitable end.
Those who self-sealed didn't magically gain additional longevity upon re-breaking through later. Their lifespan clock remained tied to their biological age at their peak.
For example, a cultivator whose prime was at the Unity stage wouldn't extend their life by merely reaching Dao Comprehension after unsealing, unless they could advance all the way to Mahayana. Moreover, the self-sealing process itself was taxing and drained one's vitality.
For a Mahayana elder with only a millennium or two left, the entire endeavor was ultimately pointless, a delay of the inevitable.
Thus, without his father's backing, the youth had to tread carefully around these oath-bound elders, despite their revolting appetites and his personal disgust.
Under their sustained predation, his home world's population had plummeted from a thriving billions to a scant, terrified fraction. The survivors weren't spared out of mercy; their blood and souls simply held no more nutritional or spiritual value for the elders' advanced palates.
This expedition, therefore, served a dual purpose: securing the White Tiger's legacy for himself, and replenishing their dwindling stock of "premium ingredients."
At least here, in this dead world, their depredations wouldn't further devastate his own homeland.
Upon hearing of a native Dao Comprehension expert's presence, their first thought hadn't been assessing the threat, but how to most efficiently butcher and consume them. To these ancient monsters, a single Dao Comprehension cultivator's refined flesh and potent soul equaled the sustenance of tens of billions of mundane mortals.
"All they ever think about is eating. Utter savages. Let's see if they choke on their meal this time."
The youth smirked inwardly, a cold, calculating glint in his eyes. If these two gluttonous monsters perished here, he'd truly rule his home world unopposed. Now that his own wings had spread and his power was growing, their protection was no longer essential. And frankly, any sane cultivator with a shred of morality would recoil at their very existence.
"Let's proceed. The White Tiger's legacy, and its accompanying Western Metal's Sharp Gold, will be mine. Nothing will stand in my way."
With that, the youth soared in the direction Su Min had fled, his senses locked onto the faint, guiding pull of his inherited mark. The two elders followed close behind, their forms flickering with suppressed hunger.
Their time here had been frustrating so far. While the battlefield teemed with Divine Transformation and even Dao Comprehension beasts, their flesh was universally tainted, poisonous and inedible.
The few other cultivators they had sensed, upon detecting the elders' vile aura, had fled instantly, and the chaotic, treacherous terrain made pursuit impractical.
But the White Tiger's imminent awakening would change everything, acting as a beacon that would draw all players to one location.
The bloodier the ensuing competition, the better for their hunting.
If Dao Comprehension prey proved too scarce, well, a few high-grade Divine Transformation substitutes would have to suffice for now.
Their dark, hungry gazes flickered almost imperceptibly toward the young master's back, but a searing, immediate pain from their deeply embedded soul oaths instantly quashed the treacherous thought.
Contracts signed in blood and soul-fire were not so easily broken. For now, the hunt was for others.