Logically speaking, although Su Min had seen her fair share of grand scenes, she still felt an indescribable pressure at this moment.
The being before her was a Mahayana expert. Even if only a wisp of his remnant soul remained and he was already dead, just by looking at his skeletal remains, Su Min had no doubt that at his peak, he could have slapped an entire continent into the sea with a single palm.
Most battles at the Mahayana level didn't take place on the ground but rather in the depths of the starry skies, because every strike they unleashed would be enough to shake the earth if it landed.
"These guys..."
Su Min now faced a rather complicated situation. In terms of pure combat power, the person before her couldn't compare to her at her peak. But even relying solely on the Mahayana-level skeleton, it was enough to crush some Unity-stage cultivators to death.
However, Su Min could sense that the other party harbored no killing intent. Otherwise, she would have to resort to using her essence blood immediately. Unless she could achieve great mastery while still at the Dao Comprehension stage, she shouldn't even think about facing a Mahayana-level existence—even if it was just a corpse.
"What should we do?"
Su Min immediately looked at Tian Hao beside her. This situation was his doing, and the trial was undoubtedly meant for him. There was no need for her to take the lead, especially since the two of them had almost no tacit understanding.
If they messed up their coordination, it would be a joke. So Su Min took half a step back, letting him take charge.
"Provide ranged support for me. I can sense the senior's intention. This trial is for me, so just don't charge ahead."
"Alright."
Hearing this, Su Min acted decisively. Her hands moved rapidly, and a massive wooden Buddha rose from the ground.
With the skeleton of the Great Desolate Holy Body suppressing the area, there were no chaotic disturbances within tens of kilometers. Su Min could fight without worry, though the only downside was that her Buddha was too small.
Though it stood nearly a thousand meters tall, it was nothing compared to the golden skeleton that stretched tens of thousands of meters. But it didn't matter—she didn't need to be on the front lines. The rest would depend on Tian Hao's performance.
"Martial Saint's Descent!!!"
The moment Su Min retreated, Tian Hao roared. Almost instantly, a phantom figure similar in size to Su Min's Buddha appeared behind him. Then, with an unstoppable momentum, he charged toward the towering golden skeleton. Seeing this, the remnant soul nodded in satisfaction.
Clearly, in the eyes of this Great Desolate Holy Body, cowardice was far worse than weakness. With such a physique, one could never be weak—but a lack of fighting spirit was unacceptable. Moreover, since he had already made it clear that he bore no killing intent, shrinking back now would mean being unworthy of his legacy.
At that moment, the massive golden skeleton swung its palm down at Tian Hao. In an instant, the two colossal figures collided.
Clang!!!
A deafening impact reverberated. The Martial Saint avatar was struck head-on by the golden skeleton, sending it crashing toward the ground.
"Thousand-Handed Massacre!!!"
Su Min's support arrived just in time. The same barrage of fists that had nearly obliterated Meng reappeared, raining down upon the golden skeleton like a storm. The very earth seemed to split apart.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The ear-piercing clashes shook the heavens. Su Min's attack was powerful enough to split mountains and shatter the earth, yet it couldn't even leave a scratch on the golden skeleton. But it was enough. As half of Su Min's strikes landed, the golden palm was slightly diverted, allowing Tian Hao to break free.
"East Azure Wood and the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra? Is this little girl a Buddhist cultivator? No, that can't be—she's only practiced Buddhist techniques, not the rest."
The remnant soul of the Great Desolate Holy Body was slightly surprised. For someone at the half-step Dao Comprehension stage to slightly alter his attack was impressive.
"Very well, little ones. If you can withstand this next strike, you'll have passed my trial."
At this point, the old man had gauged their strength and seemed satisfied. There was no need to drag this out. Golden light flickered around him once more.
"You—? Oh no, danger!!!"
In that instant, Su Min froze for a split second before flashing to Tian Hao's side at top speed. She yanked him out of his phantom form.
"You—?"
Tian Hao was stunned. Given their alliance and the soul oath they'd sworn, he hadn't been on guard against Su Min, allowing her to pull him away so easily. But before he could question her, he realized her movements were as fast as lightning.
"Time Law???"
Both of them understood what had happened—Su Min had pushed her incomplete Time Law to its limits. In the blink of an eye, she dragged Tian Hao to the ground. Then, her hands moved again, summoning massive trees that enveloped them both.
"Azure Dragon Wood Shield—but that's not enough! Black Tortoise Holy Manifestation!!!"
Seeing the sturdy shield, Su Min roared. She knew it wouldn't hold against what was coming. Without hesitation, she tossed a high-grade Tier 6 pill into her mouth. Tian Hao's lips twitched at the sight. He didn't have such precious pills—only an alchemist like Su Min could afford to be so extravagant in a mere trial.
Boom!
But before he could dwell on it, the attack landed. In that moment, he felt the aura of death.
Outside, as the golden skeleton clasped its hands together, a series of fist winds hammered down on the shield. The old man had chosen this move precisely because it was controllable—pushing them to their limits without killing them.
Yet the first punch shattered the wooden shield, revealing the Black Tortoise manifestation beneath. The second punch cracked it. The third shattered it completely, exposing the two inside.
Su Min didn't hesitate—she immediately pulled out Xie Yingying's essence blood. The overwhelming sense of death left no room for thought. It was pure instinct, and she trusted it.
But at that moment, Tian Hao burst forward, his Martial Saint avatar reappearing.
"Martial Saint's Mark—Thousand Fists!!!"
A unique sigil glowed on his fist—a special mark Tian Hao had imprinted with his lifeblood. In the next instant, a thousand punches flew out. In less than a second, every strike landed precisely on the same spot. The attack was shattered, point by point.
Su Min's eyelids twitched. That kind of power could've broken her Black Tortoise manifestation and likely left her severely injured.
"Is this his trump card? Even many Dao Comprehension experts wouldn't survive that."
She mused silently. Now that she knew about it, she could prepare a counter—though it likely wouldn't come to that, given they weren't enemies.
Crack!
As Su Min pondered, a shattering sound echoed. The phantom fist dispersed mid-air, and the aura of death vanished completely.
"Whew..."
Su Min exhaled deeply, watching as Tian Hao's energy rapidly drained away. She was utterly shocked.
They had been forced to reveal their trump cards just to face a Mahayana corpse—and the opponent had clearly held back. Such beings were truly terrifying, far beyond her current level.
"Well done. You've both passed the trial. Successor, come forward. My remnant soul won't last much longer. This specially preserved skeleton will merge with your body—don't look so alarmed. I'll seal most of its power. This will pave your way straight to the Mahayana stage. Once you finish seclusion, you should reach the Dao Comprehension stage."
Seeing Tian Hao's horrified expression, the old man chuckled. True to his words, the skeleton shrank rapidly, its energy compressed. In just a minute, it was human-sized, its golden glow completely hidden.
Tian Hao sighed in relief—absorbing it at full power would've made him explode.
"Thank you, Senior, for helping me refine my bones."
"Bone refinement?"
Su Min blinked in confusion. She wasn't an encyclopedia—some things were beyond her knowledge.
"It's a necessary step for us Great Desolate Holy Bodies to achieve great mastery—transforming our bones into that radiant gold. The process is dangerous and arduous. But by fusing with the Senior's remains, I'll skip that stage entirely. I might even reach great mastery by the Unity stage."
"Tch."
Su Min couldn't help but feel envious. She'd risked life and limb collecting heavenly treasures, while his inheritance was this overpowered.
"Don't fret, little girl. I have gifts for you too. Besides, the White Tiger's legacy hasn't appeared yet—it won't interfere with your opportunity."
The old man smiled. His inheritance only worked for Great Desolate Holy Bodies; Su Min couldn't use it. But he had other compensations for her.
"Senior, can you tell me the exact timing?"
Su Min sighed. No matter how jealous she was, it didn't matter.
The stronger Tian Hao became, the better her chances of securing the White Tiger legacy. And that would be no less transformative than the golden skeleton—especially since it would complete her Four Symbols inheritance, triggering a qualitative evolution.
Moreover, she was just one step away from achieving great mastery in her Five Elements Sacred Body.
"You've seen the environment here. The reason this overwhelming bloodlust hasn't spread, wreaking havoc on the outside world, is because the White Tiger is suppressing it."
"Huh?"
Su Min stiffened, her brow furrowing. That wasn't good news. If she took the legacy, the ancient battlefield might go berserk—releasing its monsters and bloodlust. The destruction would rival that of the Fallen Ones.
She'd already seen countless Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation beasts. The only silver lining was that they were all drawn to the black, rotting blood, clustering here instead of leaving. But if this place erupted, all hell would break loose. In that case, obtaining the White Tiger legacy would be problematic.
"Don't worry. The White Tiger has prepared. The legacy won't emerge for a few more decades—when the battlefield enters the Bloodlust Sky, the day when the bloodlust is most volatile."
Seeing her concern, the old man reassured her. He was pleased she wasn't a power-hungry lunatic.
"Bloodlust Sky?"
Su Min frowned. "What was that?"
"You've seen the corpses here. Their resentment gathers into a monstrous bloodlust entity. The White Tiger has stayed to suppress it all this time."
"That still sounds bad. There are countless Unity-stage corpses here—and even Mahayana ones like you. The two of us would be cannon fodder."
Su Min rolled her eyes. That thing was beyond a mere late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator like her.
"Don't worry. It's been weakened to a manageable level. You'll be able to handle it."