The Future Maitreya Mountain had no idea about Su Min's secret alliances. Even if they had known, they would have been powerless to stop her.
The atmosphere within Future Maitreya Mountain was now one of utter despair. To uncover Su Min's hidden cards and devise a suitable battle plan, they had paid a terrifying price. Back when the Blood Puppet Sect had asked the Divine Calculator—a Divine Transformation late-stage expert—to divine Su Min's fate, he had barely dared to glance at her, only confirming her location in the Eastern Mulberry Continent. The cost of divining a genius like Su Min was simply too great, so immense that even a Divine Transformation late-stage cultivator dared not interfere.
Naturally, Future Maitreya Mountain had pooled their resources to pay this price. They once had over a dozen Divine Transformation cultivators, but now half of them were dead. Even worse, their founding ancestor had fallen in battle—and yet, Su Min was still alive. All their sacrifices had been in vain. The deaths of several Divine Transformation cultivators and dozens of Golden Core cultivators meant nothing in the end. Though they could eventually reincarnate, who knew how long that would take?
Moreover, while they were fanatical, they were not fools. This was the third time they had failed, and this time, the damage was catastrophic.
Even their greatest defensive trump card—the Faith Barrier—had been compromised. The karmic weight clinging to Su Min was beyond their imagination, reaching a level of horror that defied description.
"What do we do now? The other branches have blockaded us. With our current strength, breaking through is impossible. More importantly, what's our next move?"
The Future Maitreya Mountain was now shrouded in gloom. They had truly learned the meaning of "going for wool and coming home shorn."
If the outside world discovered their weakness, they would be in grave danger. Other sects might even forcibly invade their territory to carve it up.
Compared to the conflicts between secular sects, the infighting within the Buddhist sects was far more brutal. At worst, secular sects would annihilate them but could not absorb their believers. But other Buddhist sects? They could fully convert their followers. If that happened, the reincarnated elders of Future Maitreya Mountain would lose their anchors and vanish forever.
And that wasn't even the worst of it—their entire foundation would crumble.
This was why heretics were hated more than heathens, and it was their greatest fear.
"I don't know. But the Eastern Mulberry Continent now has two Dao Comprehension experts guarding it—the Lunar Sovereign Physique and the Three-Legged Golden Crow. That's the kind of power only a true super sect should possess."
"No one can leave now. The blockade is absolute."
"..."
Future Maitreya Mountain was now teetering on the brink. With the death of their ancestor, they no longer had a decisive leader. The sect was mired in endless internal disputes—until today.
Just as they were bickering as usual, a golden radiance ten thousand zhang wide suddenly blazed across the sky.
In an instant, the entire Maitreya Mountain was bathed in golden light. Many monks froze in shock before dropping to their knees in pious prayer.
But before they could utter a word, a furious roar erupted from the main hall of Maitreya Mountain:
"Activate the Faith Barrier! We're under attack!!!"
Everyone was stunned. An attack on Future Maitreya Mountain? Such a thing hadn't happened in countless years. Even during the great Buddhist Purge, no enemy had ever breached their defenses. Who would dare?
The truth was, only the upper echelons of Future Maitreya Mountain knew about their schemes against Su Min. Most Core Formation and Golden Core cultivators were completely unaware.
But they recognized the voice—it belonged to the Great Abbot of Future Maitreya Mountain, a Divine Transformation late-stage expert and now the sect's strongest remaining figure.
Unfortunately, his warning came too late.
Along with the golden radiance came a scorching solar inferno capable of reducing all things to ash—and an ancient, colossal bell.
The Golden Crow Clan were the embodiments of the sun. In other mythologies—such as Ra in Egyptian lore or Apollo in Greek myths—they were among the highest deities.
At this moment, every monk felt as though the sun itself had descended upon them.
BOOM!
The enormous bell collided with the golden barrier shielding Maitreya Mountain. There were no fancy techniques—just pure, unadulterated force. The impact was visible for thousands of miles, like the sun itself crashing into the earth.
"What happened?"
"Someone forcibly breached the dimensional barriers and launched a direct assault on Future Maitreya Mountain! Should we go take a look? Whoever did this must have nerves of steel."
"..."
The other Buddhist sects blockading the area were stunned. Attacking Future Maitreya Mountain head-on was sheer madness.
And anyone with such audacity would undoubtedly possess terrifying strength. None of the branch sects dared to interfere, so they immediately sought guidance from the Great Thunder Temple and the Ancient Lamp Monastery—only those two super sects could make the call.
But this time, both remained eerily silent.
Above the Great Thunder Temple, Yao Xian'er hovered in meditation. She had promised Su Min her support and would ensure no one dared to act. As for the Ancient Lamp Monastery...
"This is our sect's decision. The Grand Elder has already led a strike force—including the Three-Legged Golden Crow, the Dragon Emperor, and three other Dao Comprehension experts—to assault Future Maitreya Mountain's headquarters. Meanwhile, Lady Yao oversees the Great Thunder Temple. Rest assured, this operation targets only Future Maitreya Mountain and poses no threat to the common people. We ask that you refrain from overreacting. Once the operation concludes, the believers will be handed over to you."
"You—!"
The speaker was Tian Yinzi, a mere mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Every person present could crush him with a single slap, yet no one dared to move. Because he was Su Min's envoy, here to deliver a warning—and a bribe. The Ancient Lamp Monastery was both furious and terrified.
First, it was clear the Great Thunder Temple had known about this in advance, leaving them in the dark. Second, the sheer scale of the assault was horrifying.
Three super sects and the Dragon Clan had joined forces. This wasn't just a repeat of the Buddhist Purge—it was even more extreme. With the Great Thunder Temple standing aside, only a fool would try to intervene.
Tian Yinzi also brought memory crystals containing Su Min's recollections. After reviewing them, the Ancient Lamp Monastery was speechless. They couldn't fathom why Future Maitreya Mountain had been so desperate to provoke a seventh-grade alchemist.
Now, they were paying the price. Served them right.
Faced with inquiries from other branches, both super sects chose to play dead. Su Min held the moral high ground, and her strike was swift and decisive. Interfering now would invite retribution. As for the other branches, after a moment of stunned silence, they settled in as spectators.
Meanwhile, Maitreya Mountain was being obliterated.
The majestic peak was shattered, its vegetation incinerated. The ancient bell slowly rose and landed in the hands of a golden-armored young woman.
"The Donghuang Bell!? Cough—!"
In the main hall, an elder spat blood. Had it not been for their millennia-old Faith Barrier, even he would have perished.
"That shell of yours is tough, but it's not perfect. You paid a hefty price to target me, huh? Only seven or eight Divine Transformation cultivators left? Pathetic."
A light, mocking voice rang out as a figure clad in black armor descended from the sky, landing before the elder.
"You!!!"
The Great Abbot's face twisted in terror. As a top leader, he knew exactly why Su Min was here—and it filled him with dread.
This was vengeance, plain and simple. Worse, Su Min was right. The Faith Barrier, forged from countless prayers over the ages, was now damaged. The backlash from their divinations had been so severe that after sacrificing three Divine Transformation cultivators, they'd been forced to use the barrier to absorb the remaining karma.
Repairs would take at least a thousand years.
And now, at their weakest moment, Su Min had come for them.
But his fear soon turned to despair.
Because hovering above him were five overwhelming auras, each locking onto him with lethal intent. And he could tell—every single one was at the Dao Comprehension stage, not half-step, but the real deal.
"The Three-Legged Golden Crow... the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon... the Lunar Sovereign Physique... and those two... sigh... Heaven has abandoned us. The egalitarian paradise we sought will never come to pass."
He knew then that there was no room for negotiation. Five Dao Comprehension experts in this era? This was an extermination force.
"Glad you understand. Kill them all—Golden Core and above. The rest... we'll see."
Su Min's voice was ice-cold. At this point, mercy would only be cruelty to herself. Instantly, countless attacks rained down on the crumbling barrier. Within three minutes, Future Maitreya Mountain was bathed in blood.
The grand formation, sustained by millennia of faith and the combined power of every cultivator in the sect, shattered. The entire mountain erupted in chaos.
Though they had powerful artifacts of their own, they were instantly suppressed by the combined might of four factions. The battle was far easier than Su Min had anticipated. Future Maitreya Mountain's weakness exceeded her expectations. Under the combined assault of four supreme artifacts, the sect was utterly annihilated.
It was over before it even began. They couldn't even resist, let alone fight back.
Su Min could only think one thing:
That's it?
"Did they... not have an Emperor Artifact?"
She stared blankly at the ruins. A sect of this caliber should have possessed one. This had been too easy.
What Su Min didn't know was that Future Maitreya Mountain did have an Emperor Artifact. But Emperor Artifacts had their own spirits—like the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking. And this one had clearly abandoned Future Maitreya Mountain.
Su Min had prepared for this very scenario, hence the overwhelming force. But in the end, their resistance had been laughable.
"Future Maitreya Mountain was weaker than expected. Where was their hidden strength?"
The other Dao Comprehension experts descended, equally baffled—especially the elders from the two super sects. Only two of them and the Ten-Thousand Dragon Pearl had been deployed. The mighty Donghuang Bell, aside from its initial strike, had remained unused.
Originally, the Bell's role was to contain the devastation of clashing Emperor Artifacts, preventing catastrophic collateral damage. Su Min had her limits—she wouldn't let millions perish.
But in the end, they'd overestimated their enemy.
"Per our agreement, the spoils are yours. We'll handle the remnants."
The two elders glanced at the ruins. They had little interest in Buddhist treasures, and Su Min had made it clear she needed compensation for her efforts. Seeing no reason to argue, they acquiesced. Besides, most of the loot would be useless to them anyway.
"Here—a Heaven-grade high-tier artifact. A blood-stained kasaya. You probably can't use it, and neither can anyone in your faction."
Xie Yingying landed beside Su Min, handing her the robe. This artifact required Buddhist cultivation techniques to wield, and Su Min already had the Black Tortoise Armor. Though inferior to the kasaya, the armor was far more practical. By the time Su Min could harness the kasaya's power, she'd have outgrown it.
"We'll trade it with other sects later. A Heaven-grade high-tier artifact is valuable enough."
Nodding, Su Min vanished in a flash, reappearing in a special location—
The Treasure Vault.
The heart of every sect, and the most valuable place of all.
This was her true target.