The Art of Cowering

Su Min wasn't the only one taking precautions—almost every cultivator had gone into hiding. The once-bustling Golden Core Avenue had fallen eerily silent. Even with tens of thousands of Golden Core cultivators gathered, the realm itself was as vast as the entire Wei Wu Province. Scattering a few million people across it would still leave it feeling empty.

As they traveled, Su Min didn't spot a single soul. Clearly, everyone else had also concealed themselves, biding their time for the final spectacle—the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking. Though only a select few Golden Core cultivators could participate, even spectators stood to gain insights. Watching the battles of the elite was an opportunity in itself.

"Perfect. We'll just cultivate here until the ranking begins. Even the ceiling we shattered last time has been repaired."

Unlike other secret realms, this one remained open—though only Su Min and Xie Yingying could enter. There were no trials this time, as Xie Yingying had already passed the test.

"Even if we're severely injured here, we don't have to worry about ambushes. The other cultivators probably have their own hiding spots, waiting for the ranking to start."

Su Min was satisfied with the arrangement. She pulled out her cauldron again, ready to attempt refining the three foundational fifth-tier pills: Healing Pills, Spirit Recovery Pills, and Antidotes. These were the most basic yet essential pills for any major tier, requiring the simplest ingredients and serving as the best foundation.

As time passed, the day finally arrived.

The sky above the Golden Core Avenue erupted in radiant light, enveloping the entire realm in an instant.

"The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking has begun."

Both women opened their eyes simultaneously. After blowing up over a dozen cauldrons, Su Min had finally succeeded in refining a fifth-tier Healing Pill. She stopped there—no point risking another explosion when the ranking was about to start.

"Close your eyes and focus. You'll see the ranking—just inscribe your true name."

This was the "registration" for the ranking, and unlike before, real names were mandatory—no aliases allowed. So this time, Su Min didn't mess around. She wrote her name plainly:

[Su Min]

The next moment, golden light flooded her vision. Her consciousness was pulled into a vast, radiant arena.

"A martial stage?"

Hundreds of figures already stood within the colossal space—though given its size, they seemed few. What caught Su Min's attention was that over half were at the late Golden Core stage. These were the names inscribed on the Golden Ranking. Beyond the golden barrier, countless other cultivators watched as spectral projections—mere wisps of divine sense, not their true bodies.

"Look! The top ten from the Tianjiao Ranking are all here! And the female cultivators this time are terrifyingly strong!"

"Focus! These are all monsters. Forget that near-invincible 'Fairy Yao'—just look at the enigmatic Lunar Sovereign Body and the Golden Core Avenue's top alchemist. Their battle records are scarce. No one knows their true strength—they might even crush ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators!"

"True. That 'Danxian' is probably loaded with pills. Fighting her must be like watching someone snack on beans mid-battle."

"Are you stupid? She's the Five Elements Holy Body with two divine artifacts! See that third-ranked guy on the Tianjiao Ranking? He fought her once and barely escaped. He's only third because the two below him haven't challenged him yet."

"Tch. This is the first Tianjiao after eons of suppression. These people could dominate the rankings for the next ten thousand years."

"Future rankings won't compare to this one, accumulated over countless eras. The top five get three hundred years of lifespan—who wouldn't be tempted? Rumor says they'll also receive special rewards based on rank, but who knows if that's true?"

"Whatever. Not like it concerns us. Even the holy sons and daughters of major sects are just cannon fodder here. The real contenders are all rogue cultivators."

"...Now that you mention it, you're right."

The crowd murmured in realization. Among the top three on the Tianjiao Ranking, only the third—Han Chaoyan—hailed from a major sect. But everyone knew his abilities were fully exposed, making him vulnerable to those ranked below.

As for Danxian? No one knew her full hand. Back then, she'd killed one and repelled three without even revealing her true strength. Han Chaoyan stood no chance against her—meaning the top five might have no sect-affiliated cultivators at all.

The thought sent shivers down their spines. This generation's Golden Core cultivators were unprecedented in history.

"Yawn. Quite the crowd. So that's Yao Xian'er? I can't sense her depth at all."

The chatter outside couldn't reach the arena, not that Su Min cared. Her attention was fixed on a woman dressed in pure white robes—like mourning garments.

Su Min's own wardrobe was colorful—whites, blacks, blues, yellows—all tailored by master artisans back in Da Luo Tian Province. She'd commissioned hundreds of sets, each crafted from spiritual fabrics that wouldn't shred mid-battle.

But solid white? Never. The tailors had refused, calling it "funeral attire" and bad luck.

"It's her. She is indeed a mortal. But she makes me feel very strange. I—"

Before she could finish, the white-robed woman turned her gaze toward them.

In an instant, Xie Yingying felt as though she were drowning in the eyes of an ancient colossus—vast, weathered, and unmoved by time itself. The pressure hit like a tidal wave, not on her body, but on her soul.

Her breath caught.

Then, like a shield sliding into place, Su Min stepped forward.

"Stay calm," she murmured. "Guard your heart."

And just like that, the weight lessened.

Su Min's figure blocked the woman's gaze, intercepting it without hesitation. But as she did, her body trembled—almost imperceptibly—and her eyes widened.

Because in that moment, as her spiritual sense brushed against the pressure, it was as if ten thousand laws had awakened within her, each one resonating through her meridians like thunder.

No... not just pressure. This woman...

A flicker of something vast stirred deep within Su Min—like a seal cracking.

Yao Xian'er's brows rose ever so slightly. Surprise, faint but real, touched her usually indifferent expression. Her origins aligned roughly with Su Min's guess, and she'd only meant to deliver a minor deterrent. Yet here was someone who could trigger the fusion of ten thousand laws within her.

Unheard of.

"A reincarnated immortal? No... her divine sense lacks the mark of transcendence. A special physique, then? The Five Elements Holy Body is strong, but not to this extent. Yet with the great era just beginning, such talents are a boon."

Looking at Su Min, who now stood protectively in front of Xie Yingying, Yao Xian'er withdrew her gaze and said nothing more.

This time, among so many people on the Golden Core Heaven Ranking, Su Min was the only one who could stand up to her pressure and look her in the face. Even the Great Desolate Holy Body and the Lunar Sovereign Body were a little worse than her. In fact, she doesn't care much about the so-called physique, but mainly looks at other things.

Yet Su Min had not only endured it. She had shielded someone else through it. Unshaken. Protective.

And the way the girl behind her, that Lunar Sovereign Body, reached out with a subtle curl of her fingers, almost as if to steady her—but stopping just short, trusting her instead.

And to Yao Xian'er, that was more telling than any innate talent.

She said nothing. But her interest lingered.

"You okay? We're just projections here, and she still affected you. She's no joke."

Su Min turned to Xie Yingying, her voice calm, she just turn her back—protective, shielding. As if part of her still worry Yao Xian'er will look at their direction again.

Xie Yingying's expression remained grim, her gaze still on the place where that oppressive presence had been. But slowly, she exhaled, and nodded.

"I'm fine. But she's... dangerous."

Su Min watched her for a heartbeat longer than necessary. The faint pallor in Xie Yingying's cheeks hadn't fully faded.

"Yeah," she said softly, eyes narrowing in thought. "She is."

She didn't add "Don't worry"—because it would've been meaningless. Instead, Su Min shifted slightly closer, not enough for others to notice, but enough for their robes to brush. A quiet gesture. Reassurance not with words, but with presence.

Xie Yingying looked up at her. For a long second, she didn't speak.

"…You blocked it," she finally said. Her voice was soft, unreadable. "Even when you didn't have to."

Su Min shrugged one shoulder, downplaying it. "Instinct."

But Xie Yingying smiled faintly. Her fingers brushed, barely, against the back of Su Min's hand.

"Liar," she whispered, "you just couldn't bear to see me hurt."

Su Min said nothing, but the flicker of heat in her gaze betrayed her.

The small confrontation between the three people was also seen by everyone, and many people frowned. It was obvious that almost everyone here had fought with that woman, and some even surrounded and killed her. But they were all beaten to a pulp, and now seeing that the Lunar Sovereign body was defeated, everyone showed a hint of surprise.

The Great Desolate Holy Body still has a long way to go to achieve perfection, but the Lunar Sovereign Body is a complete physique. Even this can't stop them. In their eyes, this woman is a little weirdly strong.

You have to know that whether it is the Great Desolate Holy Body, the Lunar Sovereign Body or the Five Elements Holy Body, these geniuses just feel that it is difficult to deal with, but it is definitely not to the point where people feel powerless from the soul.

They might feel unhappy about being beaten up by Su Min, but it was hard for them to even muster the desire to resist in front of this woman

"What's her deal? Even the Lunar Sovereign Body couldn't handle her. The Danxian only held firm because of her soul strength, honed from pill refining."

Then a resounding voice echoed through the arena:

[The Golden Core Heavenly Ranking has commenced. Opponents have been matched. The first elimination round begins in half a day. Prepare yourselves.]

Golden threads linked pairs of cultivators. Su Min's lips curled as her opponent's face twisted in despair.

"Luo Changshui, late Golden Core. Holy Son of a minor sect. Ranked 36th on the Heavenly Pride Ranking. Threat level: Low."

She suppressed a smirk. The Tianjiao Ranking wasn't absolute—she wouldn't underestimate anyone. But beyond the top twenty, she hadn't bothered preparing counters. Her opponent, meanwhile, looked like he'd bitten into a lemon.

He wasn't weak—with some luck, he might've cracked the top thirty, earning at least one baptism. But fate had paired him with a top-ten monster. He knew the difference between geniuses and freaks of nature. Before either could speak, light engulfed them, whisking them away.

Back in the secret realm, Su Min lounged lazily, completely at ease, while Xie Yingying remained tense, her fingers twitching at her side. Now she understood why Su Min had insisted on immediate surrender against Yao Xian'er.

That woman could shatter Dao hearts.

"Su Min…" Xie Yingying hesitated, then turned to her with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Do you have a way to deal with her?"

"Of course!" Su Min grinned, puffing out her chest with exaggerated confidence.

Xie Yingying leaned in slightly, intrigued despite herself. "What is it?"

Su Min's grin widened. "The Cower and Cover Technique!"

"...What?"

~~

Hi, I'm here again. Anyway, remember the poll from the prev, chapters? I already began to work on it. NoCP + Xianxia + FMC + Alchemist + Sound Cultivator. Now still on book vetting. "Crimson Lotus, Divine Path"

Stay Tune~~

==

If you here to re read or in your 1st lap, Maybe you will find 'weird' or found some 'unnaturalness' about their sudden leap of relationship. Because in the last part of chapter "The Five Elements Emperor's Masterpiece" telling only Xie Yingying that really affected after the resonance happen.

But did you also remember they experimenting their new 'power' for decades in the chapter "The Young Play Wild"? For this chapter I already write 2 Extra chapter that talking about 'experiment' they did. One of them pure 'innocent' focus on cultivation. While the other one focus on their emotion, bond, their feelings toward each other and finally 'affirmed' about it.

I also plan to write another one with focus of 'Intimate Dual Cultivation', but I don't know if I was able to do it. 

Right now the total of Extra Chapter that I written was 4: Extra 1: After Meeting With Her (Before "Wanting to Owe a Favor") It was about Xie YIngying investigation to Su Min 'past'; Extra 2: Moonlit Fragrance (Complimentary for "Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation") this when they 'picnic', waiting for the Golden Core Corpse King to mature; Extra 3 (p1): The Experiments of Sun and Moon; and Extra 3 (p2): Moonlace Bloom