"The barrier is about to break—get ready. No matter who's inside, they must die."
As the final layer of the seal trembled before them, the two men's faces twisted with excitement.
Right now, this tomb was like the tantalizing secret hidden beneath a maiden's skirt—an irresistible temptation. The two of them couldn't wait to charge in.
The next moment, the formation shattered, and the entrance swung wide open. Without hesitation, the two rushed inside—just as the massive door slammed shut behind them.
"They're in. Two Fallen. Probably high-ranking members of the Black Seal Society. Fighting me here is suicide."
What they didn't know was that a "maiden"—at least in appearance—was indeed waiting for them.
With Su Min's current spiritual sense, the moment they stepped inside, she had already seen through them completely.
Two Dao Comprehension stage Fallen, late phase. One of them had a peculiar aura—almost on the verge of breaking into Unity stage.
If that guy advanced, things would get troublesome. As the saying went, absolute power crushes all techniques.
Though Su Min had mastered numerous laws, granting her explosive combat power, the qualitative leap into Unity stage wasn't something easily bridged.
At that point, while she could guarantee her own safety, the tomb might not survive the Emperor artifact's unleashed power—and that would disrupt her inheritance.
She wasn't addicted to borrowed strength, but she needed to experience it fully to reach greater heights.
So this legacy mattered to her.
She envied Xie Yingying and Tian Hao—their inheritances had been like enlightenment poured directly into their souls.
Meanwhile, she had to jump through hoops repeatedly. But as the saying went: What's yours will come to you; what isn't can't be forced.
Having lived this long, Su Min had long since made peace with such things.
"Two late-stage Dao Comprehension cultivators. Let's see what you've got."
"Last time I faced one of you, I had to use that 'toy' the Great Desolate Saint gave me. This time, I'll test you properly."
With that thought, Su Min's figure silently dissipated.
This battle was a test—for herself.
No ambushes. No tricks.
Besides, she still had trump cards: Her Emperor artifact (usable once a month); Several life-saving Grade 7 high-rank pills; And a stockpile of expendable elixirs.
In fact, Su Min had earned another nickname: The Continent's Richest Woman.
Countless people had witnessed her mid-battle pill-popping sprees—swallowing elixirs worth a fortune like they were candy. Naturally, many silently cursed her for it. But curses aside, no one was reckless enough to try robbing her.
"Something's wrong, Sixth Brother. Do you know what's inside that lunatic's tomb? Back then, he had his own sect. After I woke up, I heard the younger generations talk about it—those divine beasts he messed with wanted revenge, to sever his legacy. But in the end, they found nothing. Not a single trace."
The moment they entered, the two were greeted by a floor littered with puppet remains and several massive coffins.
This immediately set off alarm bells. They'd expected dangers in a Great Emperor's tomb—but not this.
Clearly, someone had already cleared the path ahead. Though the puppets were now scrap, their residual aura made it obvious—these had been Dao Comprehension stage combatants in their prime.
A hallway of Dao Comprehension puppet limbs right at the entrance?
This place reeked of death.
"A Great Emperor's tomb isn't so easily explored. Not just for us—even Unity stage experts could die here carelessly."
The sixth elder's voice was calm.
"That person only entered less than a year ago. Even with bountiful gains, they can't fully assimilate the power in such a short time. The two of us working together can kill them easily. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought you."
Of course, that last part was spoken inwardly. Compared to the earlier-awakened stragglers, the Black Seal Society's higher ranks were more united—relatively.
If he could monopolize the treasure, he'd never have invited the eighth elder. But precisely because of the dangers, he'd needed backup. Now bound by blood oaths, they could at least fight back-to-back.
So the two pressed forward, passing room after room—all cleared out by Su Min.
For them, the path was unobstructed.
Until—
"Hiss—A Taotie. A Unity stage Taotie corpse. At its peak, this thing had at least late-stage Dao Comprehension power!!!"
Staring at the massive beast's remains, the two finally showed traces of horror. This was a Unity stage mythical beast. Its body was its dharma form. Even for the two of them, facing this thing would've been perilous. Yet someone had dismantled it.
At that moment, both men instinctively considered retreating. Whoever was inside wasn't simple.
But just as they turned to flee—
BOOM!
The door behind them slammed shut.
Then a voice—cool, yet carrying a hint of playful malice—echoed from the darkness.
"Since you're here... why not stay awhile?"
"!!!"
The two whirled around in shock. They'd entered each chamber with extreme caution, precisely to avoid ambushes. Yet someone had silently slipped behind them, sealed their exit, and now spoke to them like a ghost in the night.
For them, this was straight out of a horror story.
Naturally, that "ghost" was Su Min.
If she'd attacked the moment they entered, these two might've escaped. And the energy overflow would've alerted the Heavenly God Sect, turning this into a public spectacle—the exact opposite of her intentions. So she'd lured them deeper, then cut off their retreat. Though this was the Puppet Emperor's tomb, the Medicine Buddha had modified it. With the Medicine Cauldron in hand, Su Min had some control over the chambers she'd cleared.
As for why they hadn't detected her?
Simple—her spiritual power crushed theirs.
Unless she attacked, they'd never sense her.
And even if she struck, ambushing them effectively would've been nearly impossible.
Besides, right now, Su Min wanted practice, not instant kills.
"Who are you?!"
The voice—like encountering a vengeful spirit in a graveyard—was downright terrifying to them. Instantly, their black robes exploded, revealing gleaming armor beneath as they drew their weapons.
"Earth-grade low-rank armor and two Earth-grade high-rank artifacts? Looks like I'll be getting some extra loot today."
Su Min's lips curled as she stepped forward, hovering midair.
"As for who I am... don't you recognize me?"
The moment they saw her face, both men's expressions twisted in horror.
They knew this person.
The world's top alchemy grandmaster.
The Five Elements Holy Body—Su Min.
"It's you?! Impossible! Weren't you supposed to be in the Damo Ancient Realm receiving an inheritance? Why are you here?!"
Seeing Su Min appear, their faces finally changed completely.
As mentioned earlier, the number of people on the continent who could threaten them could be counted on one hand. And one of them was standing right before them.
Whether it was the Lunar Sovereign Physique or the Great Desolate Holy Body, they were familiar with those—their names had been renowned throughout history.
But the Five Elements Holy Body was different.
Throughout the ages, only one Five Elements Holy Body had left its mark—the Five Elements Great Emperor.
If Su Min reached that level, she'd be the second.
Though rumors about the Holy Body's abilities had spread widely, for these two, those were just surface-level gossip. Moreover, Su Min's combat power was absurdly exaggerated, with an endless stream of trump cards.
By their estimates, killing Su Min would require at least three of them—including one of the top three seats. No matter how confident they were, facing Su Min now was a losing battle.
Her combat power surpassed even the Great Desolate Saint's.
And as an alchemy grandmaster, her pill reserves were bottomless.
Worse, Su Min had already had the chance to ambush them—but instead, she'd walked out openly, sealed their exit, and was now clearly planning to fight them to the death here.
Instantly, their courage wavered.
The risks had far exceeded their expectations—this wasn't worth dying for.
"So you know quite a bit. Did that traitor from Future Maitreya Mountain tell you?"
Hearing that they knew her previous whereabouts, Su Min chuckled. For Dao Comprehension cultivators, seclusion for a century or two after a breakthrough was normal. Her reappearing so soon was unusual. But their information networks were outdated, and Su Min hadn't grown noticeably.
"So he did die by your hand?"
Su Min's words made their expressions even uglier.
They'd already assumed those three were dead—but now, seeing Su Min, it was all but confirmed.
"What do you think? Want revenge?"
Su Min shrugged indifferently.
She didn't care if they knew.
Her enmity with the Fallen was public knowledge—or at least, everyone on the surface claimed to oppose them.
"He lost because he was weak. That's none of our concern. If Lady Su is willing to let us leave, we'll depart immediately and never return."
"Still the same old tune. Do you really think that's possible?"
Su Min's smile turned icy.
"Today, I just happen to need some exercise. Since you're already here... why not fight until dawn?"
The moment her words fell—
Clang!
A silver-black armor encased her body.
Then she blurred, her sword descending toward the stronger of the two with zero finesse—just raw, overwhelming force.
BANG!!!
An ear-splitting collision erupted, followed by shockwaves that would've pulverized any normal cultivator. The speed. The power. Both far exceeded the two's expectations.
Before the eighth elder could react—
Splat!
Blood sprayed as his companion was launched backward. This chamber, though a "room," was massive enough to fit a mountain. So the sixth elder flew far.
"DIE!"
Though shocked, the eighth elder reacted swiftly. His Earth-grade high-rank saber, infused with terrifying energy, slashed toward Su Min's neck.
Appearing this close to him?
Suicidal.
CLANG!!!
But another metallic screech rang out. Because to his horror, Su Min had blocked the strike—with one arm. And what chilled him even more—
"Why do you have the Taotie's Devouring Law?! And not just that—multiple laws?!"
"No need for you to know. Hmph!"
Su Min couldn't be bothered to explain.
Because at that moment—
Whoosh!
A sinister energy attack, angled lethally, shot toward her from the shadows.
Forced to divert attention, Su Min swung her sword—
"Five Elements Cycle Slash!"
A prismatic sword beam erupted, obliterating the sneak attack. But that split-second distraction let the eighth elder disengage, retreating to his companion's side. The sixth elder was in sorry shape—blood trickling from his lips.
"Good... good. As expected of the Five Elements Holy Body, capable of wielding multiple heaven-sent treasures."
The sixth elder wiped his mouth, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.
"But earlier, the laws within you weren't just one—and they were rootless. You're mid-inheritance, aren't you?"
"Not bad insight."
Su Min smirked. This guy wasn't just strong—he was well-informed, noticing her current state. Hearing her confirmation, the sixth elder's face darkened further. If he'd reached Unity stage, these "tricks" would've been useless against him.
But at his current level?
Without reforging his laws into a proper dharma body, he couldn't use higher-level law suppression to ignore Su Min's flashy techniques. Just thinking about it made him despair. The eighth elder wasn't much better off—he was slightly weaker, after all.
"Show me your full strength... then die."
Su Min's voice was ice-cold.
This battle was to test her limits—and to better comprehend these laws through combat.
Meaningless slaughter held no value.
This was something mindless puppets could never offer her.
"Damn that Puppet Emperor..."
The sixth elder's face twisted bitterly.
In his mind, they were clearly just pawns set up by the Emperor to test his successor.