"Young master? Are you alright?!"
At this moment, the early Dao Comprehension stage cultivator was also greatly shocked, swiftly flying to the young man whose face had been permanently deformed by Su Min's single, brutal punch. He immediately shoved a high-grade recovery pill into the latter's misshapen, bleeding mouth.
But soon, the young man's expression twisted even more violently, a fresh wave of agony washing over him as he realized his severe injuries showed no signs of meaningful improvement. The bones in his face remained shattered, the flesh pulped.
"Using a mere fifth-grade pill to treat wounds infused with the conflicting energies of three different heavenly treasures? Are you insulting me, or just stupid? Feel the chaotic energy inside your body carefully."
Seeing this, Su Min chuckled lightly, a cold, mocking sound. During their earlier clash, she had subtly dodged the young man's lecherous "Frigid Dragon Claw" technique aimed directly at her chest, letting it land on her heavily armored shoulder instead. Her shoulder armor still bore three deep, frost-rimmed claw marks, though they were visibly healing, the black material knitting itself back together under her power.
The others, including Tian Hao who was keeping the two elders occupied with earth-shaking blows, couldn't help but twitch their lips slightly at the young man's miserable state. This woman was utterly ruthless; she hadn't just wounded him, she'd completely and intentionally disfigured his pretty-boy face.
Of course, this was undoubtedly intentional. Anyone daring to harbor such improper, objectifying thoughts in her presence would meet a terrible end, a lesson she was happy to teach personally.
"Southern Vermilion Bird's Flame, Northern Water's Profound Origin, Eastern Azure Wood Essence... Hiss... How vicious!!! They're corroding my meridians, preventing recovery!"
Feeling the three distinct, potent, and conflicting energies running rampant within his body, the young man finally understood what had happened. She hadn't just punched him; she had injected him with a cocktail of elemental poison.
"Five Elements Holy Body?"
His two companions, the early Dao Comprehension expert and the grotesque elder momentarily disengaged from Tian Hao, exclaimed almost simultaneously. Ordinary cultivators could only hope to fuse with one sacred object in their lifetime. Some truly monstrous Mahayana stage experts could forcibly fuse two. But someone possessing three sacred objects simultaneously, and wielding their power with such coordination, could only be a legendary Five Elements Holy Body, an extremely rare constitution with incredibly demanding, near-impossible growth conditions.
"Good, very good. A Five Elements Holy Body... Kill her for me! Tear her apart! I want to see what makes her so special!"
Gritting his teeth through the searing, conflicting pain from Su Min's precise strike, the young man's voice carried a tinge of utter madness.
At his command, the three Dao Comprehension stage cultivators moved simultaneously, their killing intent coalescing into a physical pressure aimed at Su Min.
"Your opponents are me."
But in the next instant, a golden light spanning thousands of feet illuminated the bloody sky as a massive, detailed golden silhouette materialized behind Tian Hao, its presence dwarfing the bone mountains.
"Great Desolate Holy Body???"
The two Fallen attackers gasped in shock, recognizing both the unique, desolate aura and the nascent Dharma Manifestation. The onlookers' expressions grew impossibly solemn. Since when had such prodigies become so commonplace? Normally, these world-shaking special constitutions might not appear even once in several centuries. Yet now, with the world's barriers just opening, they were emerging everywhere, like weeds.
The two Dao Comprehension stage fallen cultivators began salivating greedily, their hunger overriding their shock. While the Five Elements Holy Body's flesh wasn't much different from ordinary cultivators in terms of pure life force, the Great Desolate Holy Body was like a walking, talking treasure trove of the purest nourishment to them.
In their original world, Su Min had rarely been specifically targeted by fallen cultivators; most encounters were coincidental. But Tian Hao was different; he'd been hunted relentlessly for his exuberant, potent life force, and now these two saw him exactly the same way, a prime cut of spiritual meat.
"Merge with my form!"
Tian Hao's hands moved rapidly through a series of complex seals as the colossal golden silhouette behind him shrank dramatically, flowing into and fully merging with his body. Though his physical size decreased, his combat power and aura reached terrifying, concentrated levels, the air around him cracking with pressure.
"Dharma Form merging so perfectly... It seems we two won't be able to assist you now, Young Master. You must handle her yourself."
The two elder cultivators snapped out of their greed, regarding Tian Hao with deeply wary eyes. A Dao Comprehension initial stage cultivator already possessing and perfectly merging with a Dharma Form was extraordinary; it meant his path to the Unity stage was already paved wide open. Even as late-stage Dao Comprehension cultivators, they had to be extremely cautious, especially since their own Dao principles were incomplete and flawed from their self-sealing.
"Enough! A mere Divine Transformation late stage cultivator, what can you do even with three heavenly treasures? Elder Guo, let's tear her apart together!"
The young man roared angrily, the pain and humiliation fueling his rage. The wounds Su Min left wouldn't heal temporarily; he'd need to find a secluded place and spend significant resources for proper treatment after the battle. At their cultivation level, true permanent disfigurement was nearly impossible, but the recovery would be long and painful.
As for the Great Desolate Holy Body's methods, he'd seen and heard enough in their brief exchange to know his allies weren't deceiving him about the threat. Moreover, there was no doubt, Su Min was here for what lay below, the White Tiger's legacy. This battle would determine who obtained it.
The two immediately flanked Su Min, one a half-step Dao Comprehension elder, the other the early Dao Comprehension expert, their combined cultivation pressure indeed formidable for someone at her level.
"Let's fight elsewhere. I'd hate for our little skirmish to be interrupted by their... mess."
Glancing at the terrifying battle of golden light and shadow nearby where Tian Hao was holding off the two late-stage Fallen, Su Min smirked and flew away, leading her two pursuers on. Staying risked getting caught in the three Dao Comprehension experts' crossfire, which would be inconvenient for everyone.
The others agreed, a tacit understanding passing between the groups. Both sides had confidence in their teammates.
Su Min knew Tian Hao's combat prowess intimately; he'd fought her to a near stalemate on the Golden Core Avenue. Against two fallen cultivators who'd only recently regained their Dao Comprehension strength through dubious means, there was no reason for him to lose; their foundations were fundamentally damaged. Even if they recovered their original cultivation levels, their combat effectiveness would never match their former peaks.
As for the other side, they saw two against one, both at the late-stage Dao Comprehension level against an initial stage Holy Body user. The advantage seemed obvious. The gap between Divine Transformation stages was vast enough, but the chasm between Dao Comprehension stages was even more disparate. Such gaps couldn't be easily bridged, even by a Holy Body.
Thus, both groups tacitly chose different battlegrounds. Almost immediately after separating, earth-shaking clashes erupted from both locations, the very air trembling with released power.
"Coming? I must say, allying yourself with fallen cultivators isn't a wise long-term strategy. They tend to eat their allies when the snacks run out."
Su Min smiled coldly at the two men approaching her, especially amused by the young master's caved-in face, so gruesome it would require heavy pixelation in any visual medium. Every facial bone was shattered, the structure collapsed, the damage even affecting his brain. But as high-level Divine Transformation cultivators, their souls were the true core; Su Min's hasty strike hadn't had time to severely damage his spirit, only his physical vessel.
"You bitch! Just wait, I'll cripple your cultivation and tie you up for a pack of dogs in heat! Let's see how proud you are then!"
"Tsk, tsk, seems only your mouth remains hard. That weak punch of yours earlier couldn't even tickle me. How about I call you 'Peerless Soft Man' from now on? It has a nice ring to it."
Watching the young man's convulsing, utterly twisted expression, Su Min remained perfectly calm, even playfully brushing her shoulder where the claw marks had already vanished completely, her regeneration on full display.
"Young master, stay calm, don't take her bait. She's trying to enrage you, to make you reckless!"
The early Dao Comprehension cultivator, Elder Guo, restrained the enraged youth with a firm hand on his shoulder. His master's techniques were domineering and powerful but came with the price of mental instability and severe emotional side effects. Hence the young master's inner Dao wounds and quickness to rage, especially after that reckless, emotionally charged charge during their first exchange when provoked by an opponent of unknown depth at the same cultivation level.
This wasn't entirely his fault. Growing up as the supreme talent in a minor world, coddled and under a powerful Dao Comprehension expert's protection, he'd never faced real opposition or even loud voices raised against him. He was utterly unprepared for Su Min's brand of psychological warfare.
"Haah... You're right, Elder Guo."
Regaining a sliver of composure at his companion's words, the young man took a deep, shuddering breath and steadied himself. As a Divine Transformation cultivator, he could still regain rationality when forcefully reminded. One thing was becoming clear, don't argue with Su Min. Her relentless, targeted attacks on his most sensitive topics were devastating, especially given his existing vulnerabilities.
"That's a Heaven-grade armor, right? Must be draining your spiritual energy to maintain."
Though his earlier attack was emotionally charged, the fact that she remained completely unscathed suggested equipment far beyond her level. And wielding Heaven-grade treasures at the Divine Transformation late stage consumed tremendous spiritual energy, a weakness they could exploit.
"Not exactly, young master. I sense the distinct, profound aura of the Northern Water's Profound Origin from the Black Tortoise ruins on that armor. It's self-sustaining; it likely costs her very little."
"Hmph! I noticed."
The young man snorted, having sensed the same thing. His envy grew. Not only did she have three heavenly treasures, but she also had armor integrated with one.
"Three heavenly treasures can bridge the gap between us. Be careful, young master. She is not a typical Divine Transformation cultivator."
The experienced Elder Guo remained steady, his gaze fixed on Su Min. Her ability to consistently challenge higher stages stemmed precisely from these heaven-sent treasures; without them, she'd be in grave danger against either of them. Naturally, this cultivator understood this, and was already strategizing carefully, looking for an opening.
Su Min felt a similar tension; this was her first true, life-and-death battle against a genuine, peak early Dao Comprehension expert. Her previous opponents all had significant issues; Liao Meng had sacrificed his cultivation and foundation to escape his seal, and even his Dao principles were flawed when trying to seal her, only to be outmaneuvered by her preparations. The fallen cultivators she'd faced weren't much better, their power unstable. A hint of nervousness was inevitable; defeating Liao Meng had cost her dearly and required specific circumstances. Even now, facing a true, stable Dao Comprehension opponent brought tremendous pressure. The gap between late and early Dao Comprehension was vast, and so was the difference between early Dao Comprehension and her own half-step status. Only extraordinary treasures like the heavenly treasures could hope to compensate.
"Lucky woman."
The young man gritted his broken teeth, a fresh wave of pain and jealousy washing over him. Obtaining even one heavenly treasure had been incredibly difficult for him, requiring immense resources and luck. Though his minor world was safe with few truly strong cultivators, allowing him to freely exploit its resources, it was too small and weak to naturally produce such heaven-sent treasures. That's why he'd desperately come to this battlefield, risking everything. Yet Su Min already had three, fueling his bitter envy. The infuriating catch was, these treasures chose their owners. Even if he killed her, the objects would likely just return to their natural habitat or choose a new successor, not fall into his hands.
"Hmph. Luck is also a form of strength. But let's see if yours holds."
Su Min sneered, her hands already forming a series of lightning-fast seals. Instantly, a massive, tortoise-shelled black beast dozens of meters tall, wreathed in watery energy, materialized around her, engulfing her form.
[Black Tortoise Possession]
Now with enhanced power and a deeper understanding of the legacy, Su Min could compress its size for efficiency. This concentrated form boasted even greater defense and mobility than its original hundred-meter version.
But she wasn't done. More hand seals flew, and a colossal, serene yet imposing wooden Buddha towering over fifty meters materialized overhead, its thousand arms a forest of potential destruction.
Su Min rarely summoned her Vermilion Bird Possession in direct combat now; it was relatively fragile for her level, and its explosive attacks had diminishing returns against high-tier experts. Instead, she reserved it as a trump card, a final surprise to combine with her other possessions. Her experiments in the Medicine King Cauldron had clarified its best use as a finisher, not a frontline technique. Now at the Divine Transformation late stage, the energy cost for maintaining multiple possessions was more manageable. As for the Black Tortoise, it was simply, reliably indestructible.
"Hiss... Two possessions simultaneously? And that Buddha..."
Both opponents paled visibly. While they didn't fully understand the intricacies of the Five Elements Holy Body's effects, the implications were clear and terrifying. Standing on the foundation of Eastern Wood's Azure Essence, clad in the absolute defense of Northern Water's Profound Origin, with that ominous, multi-armed Buddha hovering above, every element radiated palpable danger.
"Thousand-Handed Buddha, Subdue!!!"
With a cold shout, the golden hands materialized behind Su Min's giant Buddha began to move, not with the single, explosive punch that had pummeled Liao Meng, but with a coordinated, relentless rain of open palms.
That previous, explosive thousand-handed form was too costly and single-use, suited for finishing moves. Now, she needed sustained combat pressure, a relentless assault.
Countless golden palms, each shimmering with the green light of Azure Wood and the blue sheen of Profound Water, rained down upon the duo like a divine punishment.
"Careful, Young Master! Each palm contains the aura of multiple heavenly treasures! My master once mentioned this Buddha belongs to the Great Thunder Temple's legacy, but her comprehension and application, merging it with her own treasures, surpasses even their senior monks!"
The Dao Comprehension expert, Elder Guo, immediately shoved his young master behind him, drawing a sinister, crimson blade that wept blood as the countless palms descended.
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
Thunderous explosions erupted continuously as palm after palm met the crimson blade or slammed into the defensive barriers the duo hastily erected.
"Hmph. Let's see how you like this."
Internally smirking, Su Min knew that even if the elder blocked the main force of the attacks, the concussive shockwaves and residual elemental energies would still reach them. And now, it was time to test her newly comprehended Dao principles in live combat... specifically, the one that traded lifespan.
Two figures shot out backwards from the chaos of golden light and exploding energy, their robes tattered, staring at Su Min with a mixture of horror and disbelief.
"That... that just cost me over a decade of my lifespan!" the young man stammered, clutching his chest as he felt a tangible void inside him.
"I lost at least three years!" Elder Guo confirmed, his face ashen. The Dao Comprehension cultivator had fared better, his more complete Dao principles offering some protection against the eerie temporal erosion, while the young man, with his flawed foundation, had suffered a much greater loss. The ability to directly steal lifespan was a terrifying, unheard-of concept.