Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred

"You—!!!"

Staring at the hand that had pierced his chest, the old man's face was a mix of shock and disbelief. Not only was this man's life in his grasp, but there was also a soul oath binding him. Moreover, how could a mere Divine Transformation cultivator evade his perception and land an attack?

In the next instant, the old man grabbed the stunned and confused Kuang Batian, yanking him away. With a swift chop, he severed the arm embedded in his chest. Kuang Batian was just an ordinary Divine Transformation cultivator, without the infusion of law-based power, the damage was relatively limited.

But then, the old man froze.

Because he noticed something, a thread so fine it was nearly invisible, attached to Kuang Batian's body. Following it with his gaze, he was shocked to find the other end of the thread in the hands of a young girl.

"Puppetry? A technique that controls the living… Are you the successor of the Puppet Ancient Emperor?"

"What?!"

"Miss Le, you—"

Hearing this, the two remaining sect leaders stared at Su Min in disbelief. Being the inheritor of an Emperor's legacy was no small matter, it meant Su Min possessed even more hidden cards up her sleeve.

"No wonder Miss Le didn't care at all. She's an Emperor's successor, with Emperor-grade secret techniques. No wonder she was so indifferent to those things and acted so arrogantly."

Tian Mengchan's thoughts raced, followed by a pang of shame. In Su Min's eyes, their earlier antics must have looked like a clown show.

Li Liu felt much the same. But right now, neither of them could dwell on it. Though they had been scheming against each other, they had never imagined someone would literally devour people alive.

"Little girl, release him."

Narrowing his eyes, the old man's voice carried an undeniable authority.

"Spare me…"

Kuang Batian, now under the control of an overwhelming force, looked at Su Min with pleading eyes.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Su Min chuckled lightly. Hearing this, Tian Mengchan and Li Liu almost immediately wanted to agree, just to secure a chance to escape. After all, the old man before them was a genuine Dao Comprehension-stage expert.

Not like the mindless stone spirit below, which couldn't even use its power properly and had ended up blasting its own shell apart.

But—

Squelch!

In the next instant, Su Min clenched her fist. Kuang Batian's body twisted into a grotesque meatball mid-air before exploding. As a Divine Transformation cultivator, Kuang Batian was no longer useful in the upcoming battle—and Su Min couldn't risk him interfering.

"!!!"

Everyone was stunned, even the old man. He was horrified to realize he hadn't been able to stop it at all.

Plus, the fact that Kuang Batian had managed to land a sneak attack meant this little girl was extremely dangerous.

So, almost immediately, the old man raised a hand—

BOOM!

A massive palm descended from the sky, enveloping the three of them or rather, Su Min—completely.

At the same time, a phantom figure slowly materialized behind him.

"Dharma Form… Unity-stage?!"

In that instant, the two sect leaders paled. Unlike the crude constructs they had created, this was a true avatar. The old man before them was actually a Unity-stage powerhouse. For a moment, both of them looked ashen-faced.

"Just as I thought. Inflicting that initial injury was the best outcome I could hope for."

Su Min knew this was the best result she could achieve with the puppet. Earlier, she had secretly used the Time Law and channeled part of her power through the threads to manipulate Kuang Batian into launching that surprise attack.

It had exceeded her expectations.

Even though the old man had recovered to the Unity-stage, his body was far from complete. Su Min could tell, his physical strength was nowhere near what a Unity-stage expert should possess.

Clearly, the flesh he had devoured wasn't enough to restore him to perfection. He had prioritized recovering his laws and cultivation, since once the Dharma Form was manifested, physical limitations mattered less, unless one's laws were heavily body-focused.

At this point, there was no need to hide anymore.

In the world of cultivation, few bothered with convoluted schemes. In the face of absolute power, trickery often looked ridiculous.

Besides, so-called "high-level battles" often came down to the simplest methods—assassination and kidnapping. But in this world, that was almost laughable.

High-level cultivators either had no living close relatives, or those relatives were nearly as strong as them. Kidnapping was practically impossible.

As for distant descendants? They might not even care about them.

So, Su Min saw no reason to keep up the act.

Almost instantly, she drew her weapon—

Slash!

A brilliant, multicolored light clashed with the descending palm. In that moment, both forces annihilated each other, as if nothing had happened.

"!!!"

The three onlookers were horrified. They couldn't even comprehend Su Min's attack. Even as an Emperor's successor, she shouldn't have been able to fight across an entire realm like this.

But among the three, the old man was the first to react. Because in that instant, he had sensed something familiar.

The reason he had hidden in the Crystal Mountain, luring prey with crystals, was simple:

If he slaughtered an entire region, he would be hunted down by the world's powers. But if "unlucky fools" died in a secret realm?

Well, that was just natural selection.

The problem was—despite being a Unity-stage expert, he wasn't yet complete. And this world did have beings who could deal with him. At his peak, he had been nearly invincible—but he was no Emperor.

Moreover, many of the supreme divine beasts had likely already reached the Unity-stage. Add in the ancient families…

Unless he fully restored his Unity-stage strength, he dared not reveal himself.

That was why Kuang Batian had been his puppet, spreading rumors of the Five Elements Mountain's riches, but carefully ensuring no true powerhouses took interest.

But now, his worst nightmare had come true. The person before him might very well be one of those supreme experts he feared. And what made his scalp tingle even more was—

"Who are you? A true expert shouldn't hide their, Huh?!"

Before he could finish, a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Su Min's earlier attack had left a severe wound. At the very least, her goal had been achieved.

"Hmph. So what if you're Unity-stage? Third Seat of the Black Seal—Five Elements Great Sage, Yuan Wangtian."

Su Min sneered, then took a step forward. The next moment, the two behind her instinctively covered their eyes—

Flash!

A figure clad in full-body armor replaced the petite girl from before. Tall, with a perfectly proportioned figure visible even through the armor—a far cry from the flat-chested child she had pretended to be.

But what truly terrified them was her aura.

Late-stage Dao Comprehension.

Just one step away from Unity-stage.

"Tch—"

Tian Mengchan and Li Liu exchanged glances, their hearts filled with dread.

Dao Comprehension-stage.

The highest echelon of power in this world. Before such beings, they were nothing but ants. Only now did they realize—Su Min had been playing with them this whole time. They had already been shocked by her identity as an Emperor's successor, but they had still underestimated her.

"E-esteemed senior, you are…?"

Tian Mengchan's voice trembled with awe. There were quite a few Dao Comprehension-stage experts in the world, so they couldn't immediately recognize Su Min. But while they might not know, someone else certainly did.

"AHHH—!!!"

A roar filled with shock, envy, and hatred erupted. The very world trembled as Yuan Wangtian—the old man—suddenly went berserk. Blazing flames engulfed the sky, the violent heat forcing Tian Mengchan and Li Liu to their knees.

Even as Divine Transformation experts—gods in the eyes of ordinary cultivators—they could only kneel under this pressure, desperately summoning their spiritual power to protect themselves.

And it wasn't just them.

This terrifying aura shattered through the Five Elements Mountain, enveloping the entire region in an instant. A Unity-stage expert's emotions could shake the heavens themselves. Yet Su Min remained standing, arms crossed—an unshakable reef amidst the storm.

"Nanming Lihuo, Eastern Azure Wood, Western Metal's Sharp Gold, Northern Water's Profound Origin… In my entire life, I only obtained the Samadhi True Fire."

"Good. Very good."

"Five Elements Holy Body… Today, you shall become my nourishment, the key to my return to peak strength!"

"Grandmaster Su!!!"

At this point, the two sect leaders were utterly dumbfounded. Who in the world didn't know of the Five Elements Holy Body's might?

Countless superpowers had emptied their treasuries just for one of her pills. The title of Grandmaster shook the entire continent. So, at this moment, Tian Mengchan raised her hand—

SLAP!!!

And gave herself a resounding blow to the face. In that instant, she was filled with both terror and regret.

If she had known "Miss Le" was Su Min, she wouldn't have dared even the slightest thought of scheming against her. Instead, she would have licked her boots—even offering up her entire sect if necessary. Just one Dao Comprehension Pill from Su Min would have made her lifetime worthwhile.

Li Liu was no better. The legendary Grandmaster—the true pinnacle of this world, perhaps its only supreme expert—had been right before them. No one else could compare. His thoughts mirrored Tian Mengchan's—along with a hint of lingering fear.

Thankfully, he hadn't offended Su Min. After all, this was someone who could annihilate sects on a whim. But since she hadn't punished them earlier, she probably wouldn't bother now.

"If you want to live, run."

Su Min couldn't be bothered with their expressions. She spoke indifferently, and before the two could react—

BOOM!!!

An ear-splitting explosion rocked the world. Mountains crumbled. The sun and moon dimmed.

Because in that instant, Su Min had appeared before Yuan Wangtian—

And punched.

The shockwave sent the very earth trembling. But after just one exchange, the two separated again.

"Seems my guess was right."

Su Min smirked at the old man. Because what had blocked her fist wasn't his hand—but the massive avatar behind him.

"Hmph."

Yuan Wangtian's face darkened. He dared not take Su Min's punch head-on. His physical body was still too weak. Even a casual strike from her might cripple him. So, he could only rely on his avatar.

"Shall we take this to the outer realm?"

Su Min grinned. Unity-stage battles were best fought outside the continent.

As for this old man?

Truthfully, Su Min wasn't afraid of him anymore. His physical weakness was a fatal flaw. Once cultivators reached the upper three realms—starting with Dao Comprehension—they became all-rounders.

There were no true weaknesses anymore. Because whether it was laws or avatars, their effects depended on overall strength. A fragile body was a glaring vulnerability—one Su Min had already exploited.

"Sharp-tongued brat. I was dominating this continent before you were even born."

Yuan Wangtian's voice dripped with killing intent—but he didn't refuse.

A Unity-stage battle would shake the entire world. If it attracted certain beings, he'd be doomed.

As for Su Min?

She wanted to monopolize his "inheritance"—no outsiders allowed.

In the next instant, both figures vanished—

Leaving behind two utterly stunned spectators.

"They're gone… Does that mean—?"

Tian Mengchan's eyes gleamed with greed.

Didn't this mean everything here was hers now?

"Shut up, you brainless bimbo!!!"

But Li Liu's roar cut her off.

Because at that moment—

The entire Five Elements Mountain began to quake.

Countless Divine Transformation-stage crystalline creatures surged forth.