As Su Min maintained the barrier array, the earth beneath her suddenly trembled violently.
"Oh? Is he coming out?"
Su Min blinked in surprise before a relieved smile spread across her face. She could clearly sense a formidable aura surging from the depths—one so overwhelming that even she, with her cultivation and combat prowess, felt a shiver of trepidation.
Then, in the next instant—
Crack!
The ground split open, and a blinding golden light erupted from the fissures. Su Min didn't hesitate. She immediately retracted the barrier and bolted, not daring to linger for even a second.
BOOM!
The moment she fled, an enormous figure burst forth from the golden radiance. In the blink of an eye, a colossal golden giant nearly ten thousand meters tall materialized in the sky. Its oppressive aura sent shockwaves through the corrupted land, causing the encroaching filth to recoil in agitation.
"Dharma Form?! He's already condensed his Dharma Form?!"
Even Su Min, with her vast experience, couldn't help but twitch at the sight. Now she understood what the Mahayana expert had meant by "paving the way" for Tian Hao.
This towering golden figure was none other than his Dharma Manifestation—something only the most exceptional cultivators could achieve upon reaching the Dao Comprehension stage.
The leap from Dao Comprehension to Unity hinged on one critical step: condensing a Dharma Form. Advancing further required refining that form into a Dharma Manifestation.
The difference between the two was stark—manifestations were far more intricate and refined.
Tian Hao's current form was still rough, more of an outline than a perfected construct. But even this incomplete version signified that his path to Unity was unobstructed. All he needed now was to steadily accumulate power until reaching late Dao Comprehension, at which point breaking through would be seamless.
Of course, like Su Min's early grasp of laws at the Divine Transformation stage, his manifestation was far from complete. From her perspective, it appeared hazy and unstable. Sure enough, moments later, the towering golden giant vanished, leaving behind Tian Hao's true form—now officially a Dao Comprehension expert.
"How do you feel? If you hadn't emerged within a year, I would've dragged you out. A failed breakthrough beats being corrupted."
Su Min eyed Tian Hao coolly. Even with his newfound power and partial Dharma Manifestation, she was confident she could escape unscathed if they fought.
"Hm?"
Tian Hao scratched his head before scanning their surroundings—and his expression darkened. The entire area had been tainted by the black blood. Cultivating here would've been disastrous.
"Many thanks, Master Su, for guarding my breakthrough."
He could sense remnants of her array formations. Though interrupting a breakthrough was serious, it paled in comparison to the horrors of corruption.
"Enough pleasantries. Now that you've reached Dao Comprehension, our chances of securing the White Tiger's legacy have improved. But mark my words—this world is no longer peaceful."
"Oh?"
Tian Hao's brow furrowed. Logically, reaching Dao Comprehension should've made traversing this place far safer.
The mindless insectoid swarms were merely nuisances now. As for the Mahayana corpses—while still untouchable, avoiding them was straightforward. Dead beings had limited influence, after all.
But Su Min's grim tone suggested an impending storm. During his critical breakthrough, he'd missed whatever shifts had occurred.
"There are outsiders here now—some at the Dao Comprehension stage. I've no idea how they entered, but it's undoubtedly bad news."
Su Min's expression darkened. Her suspicions were confirmed: this was indeed a convergence point for multiple worlds. Those other realms might be weaker overall, but they could still produce elite cultivators vying for the same opportunities.
Worse, during her seclusion, she'd noticed something else—her final divine treasure, the Earth Qilin's Secret Hoard, had faintly reacted.
In the game, it had simply been dungeon loot. But reality proved more complicated. Neither the Golden Crow nor the Dragon Princess had any leads on the Qilin's whereabouts—they seemingly didn't exist in this world.
The faint resonance from the treasure suggested she'd need to cross into another realm to find them. But with the White Tiger's legacy imminent, she couldn't divert her focus now.
"Outsiders? Dao Comprehension experts? Did their world's passageway happen to be larger, or...?"
"No idea."
Su Min shook her head. She'd only caught vague glimpses and dared not investigate further. While these newcomers might not be hostile, risking Tian Hao's breakthrough wasn't worth it.
"Then we'll adapt as challenges arise. Can you sense the White Tiger legacy's location? Let's head there and prepare."
Tian Hao shrugged. His newfound power had bolstered his confidence. As a Great Desolate Holy Body—one of the most battle-hungry constitutions—he itched for a worthy opponent.
Su Min, while formidable, wasn't ideal. Fighting her would mean contending with her endless trump cards—a frustrating experience regardless of outcome.
Besides, assisting her with the White Tiger legacy took priority.
"Let's move. Your emergence likely drew unwanted attention. No need to court trouble."
Nodding, Su Min transformed into a streak of light and shot into the distance, with Tian Hao close behind. Within moments, both had vanished.
Minutes later...
Several figures descended upon the ravaged landscape.
"Elders, was the disturbance here?"
A group of powerful cultivators hovered midair, surveying the shattered terrain.
Gaping fissures and upheaved earth littered the area—testament to the forces unleashed. For Dao Comprehension experts, reshaping mountains and draining seas was trivial, so the scene, while impressive, didn't awe them.
"Someone broke through to Dao Comprehension here—likely via inheritance. But they've already left. Tracking them now is impossible."
The two elders behind the youth sighed in disappointment. A freshly advanced Dao Comprehension lifeform—what exquisite flesh that would've been.
Their primary motive for accompanying the young master was to hunt cultivators seeking fortunes in this graveyard. Like the Mahayana Great Desolate Holy Body Su Min and Tian Hao encountered, countless fallen experts here had left behind legacies—some with hidden traps.
But the risks were substantial. The corrupted remnants of these experts might no longer be sane. While incapable of large-scale devastation, those venturing too close could still meet gruesome ends. Unity-stage remains were manageable—escape was feasible if things turned sour. But Mahayana corpses? Those were genuine death sentences.
Most chose to steer clear of such hazards. But for every cautious soul, there were daring opportunists—precisely the prey these hunters sought.
"Gone is gone. According to my White Tiger Mark, the legacy's emergence is imminent. There'll be no shortage of fools contesting it—perhaps even that newly minted Dao Comprehension expert. Heh. Elders, they're yours to handle."
"Kekeke! Rest assured, Young Master. Prime flesh like that is rare. The commoners in our world no longer sate us. We crave higher-quality sustenance—slurp."
Even the youth's eyelids twitched at the elders' grotesque enthusiasm. His father, a Mahayana expert facing the era's suppression, had taken extreme measures to preserve his lineage.
First, he'd sealed himself away. Then, he'd bound these two elders through soul oaths, providing them with enough suppression crystals to lower their cultivation to the cusp of Dao Comprehension.
His plan was to re-emerge when the world's restrictions lifted. But the father himself had vanished into the river of time—not out of nobility, but necessity.
Two reasons dictated this:
First, the crystals required for a Mahayana expert to self-seal—even when suppressing to half-step Dao Comprehension—were astronomically scarce. His stockpile fell far short.
Second, and most critical—his lifespan had been nearing its end.
Those who self-sealed didn't gain additional longevity upon re-breaking through. Their lifespan remained tied to their peak.
For example, a cultivator whose prime was at the Unity stage wouldn't extend their life by reaching Dao Comprehension—unless they advanced to Mahayana. Moreover, the self-sealing process itself drained vitality.
For a Mahayana elder with only a millennium or two left, the endeavor was pointless.
Thus, without his father's backing, the youth had to tread carefully around these oath-bound elders—despite their revolting appetites.
Under their predation, his world's population had plummeted from billions to a scant fraction. The survivors weren't spared out of mercy—their blood simply held no more nutritional value for the elders.
This expedition served dual purposes: securing the White Tiger's legacy and replenishing their stock of "premium ingredients."
At least here, their depredations wouldn't further devastate his homeland.
Upon hearing of a Dao Comprehension expert's presence, their first thought hadn't been assessing the threat—but how to butcher and consume them. To these monsters, a single Dao Comprehension cultivator's flesh equaled tens of billions of mortals.
"All they think about is eating. Let's see if they choke on their meal."
The youth smirked inwardly. If these two perished, he'd truly rule his world unopposed. Now that his wings had spread, their protection was no longer essential. And frankly, any sane cultivator would recoil at their very existence.
"Let's proceed. The White Tiger's legacy—and its Western Metal's Sharp Gold—will be mine."
With that, the youth soared in the direction Su Min had fled, the two elders following close behind.
Their time here had been frustrating. While the battlefield teemed with Divine Transformation and Dao Comprehension beasts, their tainted flesh was inedible.
Other cultivators, sensing the elders' aura, fled instantly—and the chaotic terrain made pursuit impractical.
But the White Tiger's awakening would change everything.
The bloodier the competition, the better.
If Dao Comprehension prey proved scarce, a few Divine Transformation substitutes would suffice.
Their gazes flickered toward the young master—but a searing pain from their soul oaths instantly quashed the thought.
Contracts signed in blood were not so easily broken.