When You Accept Your Weakness, You Become Invincible

"????"

Xie Yingying blinked, momentarily stunned. Even after all this time together, Su Min still managed to catch her off guard. What in the world was this Cower and Cover Technique?

And then—Su Min, the woman who rarely bothered with feminine wiles, suddenly tilted her head, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated display of cuteness. Xie Yingying's spine tingled, torn between exasperation and reluctant amusement. Had she always been this ridiculous? Or had spending so much time with her rubbed off on Su Min in the strangest ways?

"Remember," Su Min said sagely, wagging a finger, "when you accept your weakness, you become—"

"Ugh—"

But before Su Min could finish speaking, a steamed bun was shoved into her mouth.

"Cough, cough… Are you trying to make me the first Golden Core cultivator to die from choking?"

"You wouldn't die even if I slit your throat. And stop talking nonsense."

"Tch."

Su Min shrugged helplessly. Her mindset had always been solid—she would never make the same mistakes as others. Like that so-called "son with the potential of an emperor," who had actually been following the script of a certain "Eternal Defeat" protagonist. But the moment he suffered a single crushing loss, his Dao Heart shattered completely.

"Prepare for the Heavenly Ranking. Even though staying in the top five is already impressive, the higher your rank, the greater the opportunities you might receive."

"Opportunities?"

Su Min blinked in confusion. This was news to her.

"You'll understand once you break into the top five. Especially in the current environment, the legends say—"

Before Xie Yingying could finish, a golden light enveloped Su Min. In an instant, her body vanished from the depths of the secret realm, disappearing from the room.

"—she's much stronger now."

Watching Su Min disappear, Xie Yingying could only swallow her words. Soon after, a faint glow surrounded her as well, and she too vanished from the room.

The next moment, she found herself seated in what looked like an arena, surrounded by figures with similarly translucent bodies. Clearly, this was the spectator stand—everyone here was just a wisp of divine sense. Moreover, under the suppression of the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking, no one could act out.

All eyes were fixed on the central stage, where two figures stood in confrontation.

"Tsk, tsk. One is the rare and ancient Five Elements Holy Body, while the other, Luo Changshui, is no slouch either. He happens to be from my era."

A young man in the crowd, clearly fond of gossip, spoke up. The spectators came from different eras, spanning nearly ten thousand years. Only thanks to the special sealing crystals could they gather here in this era. For two people from the same era to make it this far was truly unexpected.

"That Luo Changshui was born with celestial phenomena. At his birth, the phantom of the gluttonous beast, Taotie, appeared. That very day, numerous mighty experts fought fiercely to take him as their disciple. Guess what happened?"

The crowd perked up, ears straining to hear more. Some even shot threatening looks at the speaker. If he was going to talk, he'd better finish—no one liked a cliffhanger.

"Alright, alright, I'll speak!"

Under the pressure of their stares, the man coughed awkwardly and continued.

"Seven mighty experts battled for seven days and nights. Eventually, even some ancient powerhouses intervened. In the end, the strongest sect with the deepest foundations won. And Luo Changshui lived up to expectations—he began body tempering at three, reached Qi Refinement at ten, Foundation Establishment at fifteen. By twenty, while still in Foundation Establishment, he slew three Golden Core cultivators in a row, shaking the world. But sadly, after that, his sect foresaw the Great Tribulation and sealed him away."

At this, the man sighed. Such achievements were truly awe-inspiring. Xie Yingying nodded slightly in agreement. Every one of these people was a once-in-an-era prodigy. She herself had once slain a Golden Core cultivator, though that one had been relatively weak.

"He was awakened about twenty years after the Golden Core Avenue opened, having survived the Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations."

"Tch. Someone like him would dominate any other era. It's just unfortunate that there are too many monsters like him now."

The speaker was a loose cultivator who had survived the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulations. With no special background, he had clawed his way up in his own corner of the world. Fortunately, his region had no sects, allowing him to monopolize resources and reign supreme.

After barely surviving the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulations at great cost, he had thought he would make a name for himself in the Golden Core Avenue. But upon arriving here, he realized what it meant to encounter someone beyond oneself, a realm beyond one's own.

This place was filled with ancient legacies—cultivators from distant eras, sealed at the peak of their glory by their sects within Heaven-Sealing Crystals, waiting for this very moment to emerge. Now, he struggled even to qualify for the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking.

"And yet, he's only ranked in the thirties. Just what kind of monsters are in the top ten?"

"Who knows? That woman and the Lunar Sovereign Body both come from the Eastern Mulberry Land. But none of us even know where that is. It must be a place of extraordinary talents."

"Quiet! The golden barrier is about to fade. The battle's starting. Though Luo Changshui has an impressive background, that woman holds two divine artifacts. Who knows how terrifying she really is?"

The crowd held their breath as the barrier dissipated. The Heavenly Ranking wasn't entirely accurate, but anyone in the top ten was unimaginably strong. Han Chaoyan, publicly ranked third, owed his position to the Netherworld Ghostwater, which perfectly complemented his innate talents.

With just one divine artifact, he had crushed countless prodigies. What kind of monster, then, was Su Min, who wielded two?

Moreover, the Five Elements Holy Body was shrouded in mystery—even more so than the Lunar Sovereign, Solar Sovereign, or Great Desolate physiques.

As for why? Only Su Min knew.

Not only was the birth of this physique incredibly rare, but activating it was near-impossible. Su Min had started as a mere mortal. It was only with the help of the Nanming Lihuo that she awakened the Blazing Sun Body. But that was just the surface. The true power of the Five Elements Holy Body only manifested after she obtained the Eastern Azure Wood.

On the Stage

Su Min stood calmly, calculating the cards in her hand.

The Vermilion Bird inheritance was no longer a secret—it was already widely known. The specifics of the Azure Dragon inheritance, however, remained hidden, as did her Earth-grade treasures and other trump cards.

"No need to reveal everything at once. Take things step by step, play your cards one at a time."

With that thought, a set of moon-white armor materialized around her. Crimson energy surged forth, enveloping her like a deity.

"So beautiful… Completely different from those ordinary women."

"In terms of looks alone, mortals might come close. But the aura of a cultivator is something else entirely."

Whispers spread through the crowd. While some mortals might rival her in appearance, none could compare to her presence. Female cultivators were already rare, and powerful ones even more so. Over ninety percent of those who entered the Golden Core Avenue were men. And now, with her snow-white hair and fiery red pupils, many found themselves entranced.

—

"Why is Nanming Lihuo so overpowered? My water-based spiritual power is evaporating!"

While others admired her beauty, Luo Changshui's heart pounded in terror. To him, Su Min was an ancient beast of flames. Water was supposed to suppress fire, yet his own spiritual energy felt like it was boiling away.

"Legends say the Taotie's power can devour heaven and earth. Let's see how much of it you can wield. Show me your Dharma Idol!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Su Min's hands moved in a flurry of seals. In the next instant, a fiery bird dozens of meters long materialized in the sky. Even the spectators outside the arena felt an unbearable heat—this wasn't just temperature. This was a flame that could burn even the soul.

"The legacy flame of the Four Symbols… A fire that scorches the spirit itself."

"Four Fiends versus Four Symbols. This'll be interesting."

Everyone widened their eyes, eager to see the outcome. Su Min's mystique was second only to Xie Yingying's, meaning her limits were unknown. Many watched closely, wondering if they might face her next.

—

"Taotie Divine Soul—Devour Heaven and Earth!"

In an instant, a dark light erupted, swallowing not just the scorching heat but even the light itself.

"A fragment of the Taotie's soul?!"

Gasps rang out. Since when had he hidden this? A mere inheritance was one thing, but a remnant soul was on another level entirely.

"This guy might actually contend for the top ten. That Taotie soul is terrifying. If Miss Su only uses the strength she showed during the Azure Dragon trial, she's in trouble."

Many silently agreed. Who would've thought someone here possessed a remnant of an ancient fiend?

—

"First match and it's already a tough one. As expected, no one who makes it this far is simple. I'm looking forward to this."

Despite the pressure from the ancient fiend's remnant, Su Min merely smiled. She had once faced the Azure Dragon's pressure within her consciousness. Compared to that, this Taotie was nothing but a worm.

The Four Fiends might share fame with the Four Symbols, but the latter were unique, acknowledged by heaven and earth. The so-called "fiends" were merely titles, and their greater numbers made them more widely known.

But so what?

With a thought, the Vermilion Bird opened its beak and unleashed a torrent of flames straight at the fiend.

"Devour!!!"

Luo Changshui didn't dare hold back. This remnant soul was something he had obtained from an ancient ruin, bound to his very being. Unlike Su Min's abilities, which could be used explosively, his was tied to his life force.

Under his control, the Taotie's massive maw opened wide, ready to swallow the flames whole.

What truly worried him wasn't Nanming Lihuo—though powerful, both he and the Taotie were water-aligned, and the remnant's original strength had reached at least the Spirit Transformation stage.

Su Min was only at Golden Core. He could suppress the flame. No, what he feared was the Eastern Azure Wood. Water nurtured wood. Facing wood with water was troublesome.

But then—

"Huh?"

He froze as Su Min's cold chuckle reached his ears, followed by two words:

"Boom."

Before he could react, blood sprayed from his mouth. The massive Taotie remnant trembled violently. Their souls were linked—the moment the remnant suffered, so did he.

"An illusion? No… It felt scorching, but why is it wood-attribute?!"

Realization struck. Nanming Lihuo was fire, so why did it carry wood properties?

The Taotie could devour anything, but even the real one had limits. What was this?!

"Wait—the Five Elements Holy Body! So this is why it's called that… Close your mouth, now!"

But it was too late. The Taotie was already mid-swallow, unable to shut its jaws in time. Su Min wouldn't give him the chance.

"Go. Explode."

With her command, the Vermilion Bird plunged straight into the Taotie's gaping maw.

Boom!!!!

A deafening explosion rocked the arena. Luo Changshui and the Taotie remnant vanished instantly—either the Golden Core Great Dao's protective mechanism had activated, or he had forfeited.

Silence, Then Chaos

The crowd erupted.

No one understood what had just happened. Su Min's attack was strong, but the water-aligned Taotie should've countered it. How had she won in one move?

She hadn't even used the Azure Dragon inheritance or the Eastern Azure Wood.

So… what had she done?