Taiyin Qi

Su Min could confirm two things about this situation.

First, while the woman before her wasn't exactly a good person, the murderous intent she had just displayed was absolutely real. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend—there might still be room for negotiation.

Second, and more importantly, the woman before her seemed to have a grudge against those beings from beyond.

Moreover, she was merely a remnant thought, not the original True Lunar Sovereign Immortal. Yet, she retained a vast amount of memories. If that was the case, then Su Min might as well test their reactions. After all, both of these entities were on the verge of dissipating, so there was no need to worry about exposing anything.

Truthfully, she wasn't too afraid of exposure anymore—she had already used this ability many times.

"What do you plan to do?"

Jiang Xi—the Lunar Sovereign Body cultivator from the same era as Yao Xian'er—regarded Su Min with narrowed eyes, her gaze unreadable. The faint traces of Lunar Sovereign essence blood lingering in Su Min's body hadn't escaped her notice. She'd sensed it the moment the younger woman entered the tomb—sharp and unmistakable, no matter how deeply suppressed.

But now, standing closer, Jiang Xi could tell—this wasn't refined essence blood, nor was it stolen or forcibly absorbed. It was residual. Faint, but authentic. A mark left behind through resonance, through intimate contact.

If Su Min were a man, she wouldn't have found it strange. After all, the first time a Lunar Sovereign Body cultivator engaged in dual cultivation, their essence blood would enter their partner's body. But Su Min was clearly not a man, which made her even more curious.

Normally, even if someone obtained Lunar Sovereign essence blood, they could only refine it—there shouldn't be even a trace left behind. And yet… the essence still lingered in her body. That alone said more than words ever could.

Since Su Min was asking for it now, Jiang Xi didn't press further. After her death, she had extracted all of her essence blood and, with Yao Xian'er's help, preserved it.

The lifetime's worth of essence blood from a Mahayana cultivator was immense. Although Xie Yingying had absorbed and refined a significant portion, there was still plenty left. Now that Su Min needed it, Jiang Xi was intrigued. Soon, a drop of pure essence blood floated before Su Min.

She grabbed it immediately.

Against an entity without a physical body, special rules were more effective—and Su Min fit the bill.

Almost instantly, a peculiar power erupted under the astonished gazes of both women.

"Yin and Yang merging… Are you a Solar Sovereign Body? No, you're not. Then what is this?"

Their shocked exclamations rang out simultaneously. Whether it was the evil soul or the benevolent soul, both stared at Su Min with utter disbelief. The chaotic energy of Yin and Yang merging made them feel an almost instinctive urge to kneel in worship.

Since both were remnant souls without physical bodies, no matter how powerful they had been in life, they had little resistance against this nearly law-like force.

Moreover, Su Min's situation wasn't ordinary—it was something that should only exist in legends.

"What a perfect and unique physique… Lunar Sovereign and Solar Sovereign fused within a single body. If I could obtain such a perfect vessel—"

"Hopeless. Just kill it."

Su Min's expression turned cold. In that instant, she made her decision. The creature before her wasn't a soul anymore—it was pure malice, stripped of reason, driven only by instinct and hunger. There was nothing left to redeem. It was no longer a being, but a threat.

"Now! Do it now!!!"

Jiang Xi roared beside her. Though she didn't understand how Su Min had done it, this power, which bordered on the laws of heaven and earth, had an absolute suppressive effect on spiritual entities like them. There was no better time to strike.

Su Min didn't hesitate.

Yao Xian'er had likely guessed much of this. Though the jade slip contained a method she had left behind, activating it would completely annihilate the evil soul. And this monstrosity before them, driven by primal instinct, actually wanted to seize Su Min's body.

"This thing has lost its mind."

But that wasn't what pushed Su Min over the edge.

No.

Xie Yingying was vulnerable during her Dao Comprehension breakthrough. Possession, in such a state, wasn't just dangerous—it was a nightmare.

In that moment, two souls would clash in the deepest part of the mind. No external force could intervene. It wasn't a battle of will—it was a war of pain. They would tear into each other, bite by bite, spirit devouring spirit, until one vanished completely.

Su Min clenched her jaw, her heart tightening.

She could endure many things. She had endured many things.

But watching Xie Yingying suffer like that—watching her cry out in silent agony while Su Min stood helplessly outside—was a possibility she would never accept.

And worse still... if the Evil Soul won, or even if the merge succeeded, what would be left? Would the woman she loved still be there?

No. Never.

Her eyes burned with quiet fury. This thing clearly didn't care anymore. It was a soul entity with memories from two bodies, operating on a single principle: survival. Otherwise, it would never have dared suggest possessing Su Min. Even a peak Mahayana soul wouldn't attempt something so reckless.

Almost immediately, Su Min activated two ancient scriptures with both hands.

"Yin-Yang Soul Seizing Technique!!!"

The moment Su Min struck, Jiang Xi's soul also acted. A frigid, soul-freezing flame erupted from her body—Lunar Sovereign Fire.

A ghostly white flame born under the full moon. Though a fire, it carried extreme cold properties. Similar to Solar Sovereign Fire, it wasn't exclusive to Lunar Sovereign Body cultivators, but it was perfectly suited for them.

The icy storm that had activated Su Min's defenses earlier had come from this.

As a former peak expert, even as a soul, she still had some means of self-preservation. Now, with Su Min's sudden outburst, she knew she had to eliminate this thing once and for all.

Unlike the so-called benevolent soul, this thing wasn't entirely her. It was a fusion of that remnant thought and her own memories—a being without emotions, only the obsession to survive.

"You— AHHH!!!"

Amidst the evil soul's screams and the combined efforts of the two, a violent surge of energy engulfed the black gas. Within moments, the screams faded as the darkness rapidly dissipated.

In just a few minutes, the entity was reduced to pure energy. Su Min waved her hand, and the energy was absorbed into her ring.

All of its memories had been erased, leaving behind only pure energy. Even if absorbed, it wouldn't contaminate the soul with residual memories—though doing so would require a long period of secluded cultivation.

But Su Min didn't have that kind of time. She had more important matters to attend to.

"The essence blood of a Mahayana cultivator is truly extraordinary—completely incomparable to Yingying's Golden Core-stage blood."

Feeling the surging energy within her, Su Min finally had time to observe the changes in her body. Xie Yingying's essence blood had only lasted her a few minutes, but this one could sustain her for a full hour.

Now, Su Min could finally focus on comprehending the changes within her—something of utmost importance. Seeing Su Meditate cross-legged, Jiang Xi said nothing. Instead, she beckoned, and the jade slip Su Min had set aside earlier flew into her hand.

Earlier, as a precaution, Su Min had kept the jade slip ready. If anything went wrong, she would have activated Yao Xian'er's contingency measure to obliterate the evil soul—though doing so would have cost her that pure soul energy.

"It seems you survived after all... instead of perishing alongside that thing," came a familiar voice, tinged with amusement and barely hidden relief. It echoed gently from the jade slip, soft and teasing—yet undeniably intimate.

Jiang Xi let out a low chuckle. "Of course I did. This little girl still has her secrets, you know." and then she add. "So you left more than just fragment of you power in that slip."

"You think I wouldn't keep an eye on you?" Yao Xian'er replied, amusement in her tone. "This little girl has her ways. Not just any secrets. Back then, I suffered a major loss at her hands. In the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings, I only took second place."

"What?!"

Jiang Xi was genuinely shocked. The person before her was on par with those legendary figures, yet she had suffered a crushing defeat at Su Min's hands?

"Just what kind of monster is she?"

Then her tone shifted—less playful now, more contemplative.

"Check her body for me. If it truly is the Chaos Body… then it changes everything. That kind of physique—those ancient things from beyond paid an unfathomable price to suppress it. If nurtured properly, it might even surpass my two lifetimes of cultivation and become an immortal legend."

"I can't help with that. It all depends on her own comprehension. If possible, that ancient battlefield might be an opportunity for her. Moreover, the White Tiger's inheritance is also there—she will enter it."

Jiang Xi was blunt. She had already prepared herself for death. If not for Su Min's unique state, destroying that thing wouldn't have been so easy. She had even been ready to self-destruct, but everything had gone far more smoothly than expected.

"Then… it's settled."

There was a moment of silence. The cold stillness that followed felt both peaceful and heavy—like snowfall over a forgotten grave.

"...Come with me," Yao Xian'er said gently. "I've already prepared a new vessel. It's not your old Lunar Sovereign Body of course, and you'll have to start from scratch... but it's still a new beginning."

Jiang Xi closed her eyes, her smile soft and unbearably tired. "Mm."

With that single sound, her remnant soul turned into light and vanished into the jade slip. A faint glow pulsed once… then the slip disappeared entirely, drawn away by the teleportation formation Yao Xian'er had set.

And just like that, the lonely sovereign of the moon found her way home.

Su Min sensed this but didn't interfere. This space was externally rigid but internally flexible—she had countless ways to leave. Besides, she still needed to comprehend the essence blood left within her.

"So that's how it is… My physique is still incomplete. And it's definitely not just a Five Elements Holy Body. I need more Lunar Sovereign Body-related existences to nurture the Lunar Sovereign energy within me."

Only now, with the vast, unfiltered energy from the Lunar Sovereign Blood Essence laid bare before her, could she finally examine it clearly. What had once been instinct and intuition began to resolve into tangible truths.

Back then, during her dual cultivation with Xie Yingying, Su Min hadn't had the luxury of deep contemplation.

Her time as a Solar Sovereign Physique wielder was still severely limited—barely three minutes at most before the Taiyang qi dispersed and retreated to recover. Each activation consumed an immense amount of energy, and the Taiyang qi required time to recharge before it could be summoned again.

In those fleeting moments, her world narrowed to Xie Yingying—and nothing else.

Every movement, every touch, was perfectly synchronized. She wanted Xie Yingying to feel it all—every pulse of pleasure, every shared breath—without hesitation, without interruption. Su Min had attuned herself to her completely, attuned to every shudder, every sigh, every whispered moan.

Her only thought was Xie Yingying—keeping her safe, drawing out every second of warmth, every drop of satisfaction they could steal from time's grasp. There was no room for distraction, no space to question her own strange transformation or chased any fleeting insight into cultivation theory.

Because that moment wasn't meant for understanding—it was meant for her.

And when Xie Yingying arched against her, trembling in her arms, Su Min's heart held nothing else.

But now, with clarity and stillness around her, she could finally begin to untangle the complex interplay of forces within her.

First, her physique wasn't complete. The Five Elements Holy Body would only reach perfection at the Mahayana stage.

Second, after using this essence blood, the Solar Sovereign energy within her had grown significantly stronger. More importantly, as the essence blood circulated through her body, a trace of Lunar Sovereign energy had emerged.

It was minuscule—undetectable unless in this enhanced state.

And to nurture it further, she needed more connections to the Lunar Sovereign Body.

Jiang Xi had already given her the answer: the ancient battlefield.

"It seems that after handling these matters, I'll need to keep moving forward."

Su Min took a deep breath internally.

Clearly, she still had much more to uncover about her body.

~

Okay, let me spill some tea about this chapter!

The original text goes something like this:

[Back then, during her dual cultivation with Xie Yingying, Su Min hadn't had the luxury of deep contemplation. She didn't have much time. Her focus was elsewhere.

But now, with clarity and stillness around her, she could finally begin to untangle the complex interplay of forces within her.]

And my brain immediately went:

"Wait—'didn't have much time'? And 'her focus was elsewhere'? Hmm… 👀"

So I backtracked to "during her dual cultivation" and—oh. Ohhhh. My imagination went full detective mode.

So of course, I had to obsessively dissect this. I mean, why emphasize duration and distraction during dual cultivation?

The answer hit me like a lightning bolt: She only had three minutes. Three. Minutes.

In that tiny window:

—She had to enjoy herself (priorities!),

—While making sure Xie Yingying was also satisfied (double priorities!),

No wonder the poor woman couldn't overthink things—she was on a tight schedule! 

And that's how we ended up with the final version. You're welcome.

-

And that's how my brain works with this novel—sniffing out sneaky hints and auto-filling the blanks. It's not just about the ~spicy~ subtext, but also decoding Su Min's, Xie Yingying's, and some other characters' thoughts - her unspoken reactions, and why she does what she does.

Wait, why do I keep saying "her"? Simple: because every character I've deep-dived into so far happens to be a her. Girl squad supremacy! 👯♀️

Now I'm scribbling it all down so you can see what I see! Because this story's layers? Chef's kiss.✨