In Eastern Mulberry State, as the golden ancient bell descended from the sky, Su Min instantly returned to her sect. The remaining cleanup work could be left to others.
"This went more smoothly than expected, and the sect seems unharmed. I'll need to go into seclusion for a while. Unless it's urgent, don't disturb me."
After glancing at the little Golden Crow and Ao Xue, who were still bickering about their duel, Su Min turned to Xie Yingying beside her. There was no point in keeping the Buddha Light Relic in her possession without using it, so she planned to refine it as soon as possible to advance into the Dao Comprehension stage—especially to deepen her understanding of the Time Dao.
During her previous battle against Liao Meng, the Time Laws had helped her overcome Liao Meng's final trump card.
After giving a few brief instructions, Su Min retreated to her secluded cultivation chamber. This time, she was determined to reach the late-stage Divine Transformation realm and further refine her Time Laws.
Soon, in her familiar little room...
"Buddha Light Relic, let's see what your remnant consciousness can do."
Narrowing her eyes at the dazzling Buddhist bead in her palm, Su Min's pupils reflected flickers of flame. Such relics often carried traces of the high monk's lingering obsessions. Mishandling them could lead to possession, but this wasn't a problem for Su Min—her soul power was extraordinarily strong.
Especially after absorbing the remnant will of a Mahayana cultivator, she could confidently say that unless a Mahayana expert intervened, no other existence stood even the slightest chance. More importantly, she had already confirmed that the original owner of this bead was a Unity-stage monk.
Thus, she placed it in her palm. As her consciousness delved deeper, her perception of the surroundings completely severed.
"Amitabha!!!"
Almost instantly, a deafening voice exploded in Su Min's ears. A withered old monk appeared before her—his body emaciated, all vitality drained, already at the final stage of life.
"To think the one who arrived here would be a young girl. You carry the aura of Buddhism, yet it is not strong."
The old monk's cloudy eyes studied Su Min, soon revealing a look of astonishment.
"Merely a mid-stage Divine Transformation junior, yet your soul burns so fiercely and powerfully."
"This junior has only a rudimentary understanding of Buddhist teachings. May I ask what unfulfilled wishes the venerable elder holds?"
Since this was a sacred relic, if the consciousness within refused to cooperate, true refinement and absorption would be impossible. Forcefully doing so would only destroy it. Thus, Su Min engaged in conversation.
At the same time, the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra within her was stimulated, slowly manifesting behind her. It was a Buddha statue—but unlike the common golden figures, this one was a simple, wooden effigy, the same one Su Min had used to crush Liao Meng.
"The Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra... and the Eastern Azure Wood? But no, that's not all. Why are there two other auras mixed in? Never mind..."
The old monk was visibly shocked, as this Buddha figure was completely different from what he had imagined.
"This junior possesses the Five Elements Holy Body."
"So that's how it is..."
The old monk sighed, then asked a question that made Su Min's heart tense involuntarily.
"How fares the Future Maitreya Mountain now?"
"I destroyed it."
"!!!"
In that instant, the world before Su Min twisted violently. The benevolent golden Buddha's expression twisted into one of wrath.
"Why?"
The old monk took a deep breath. The fact that Su Min had obtained the relic meant something had happened to Future Maitreya Mountain. Yet, as the temple where he had once cultivated, he couldn't help but feel attached.
"They colluded with the fallen ones who severed their cultivation, ambushing me three times. And during the sect's destruction, not even their Imperial Artifact appeared."
"This..."
The old monk's eyes dulled. He understood all too well what this meant—Future Maitreya Mountain had fallen into corruption. Had Su Min lied, he would have detected it immediately. But precisely because she spoke the truth, each word struck like a blade.
"Even the Imperial Artifact has abandoned them... It seems Future Maitreya Mountain was fated for this calamity. Very well, very well. Over these decades, every cultivator who came here carried a foul aura I could not describe. But girl, whether you can obtain this old monk's legacy will depend on your own abilities."
After a long silence, the old monk let out a bitter laugh. Then, everything before Su Min dissipated like smoke—the old monk's consciousness, deeply shaken, had chosen to fade away. He clearly no longer wished to intervene, but this didn't mean Su Min could absorb the relic freely. As the old monk vanished, Su Min's consciousness was suddenly thrust into a storm.
In an instant, dark clouds blotted the sky, and Su Min found herself standing on a chaotic battlefield.
"A Remnant Immortal?"
Su Min's heart tightened. This was no fallen cultivator—it was the true threat lurking behind this world, the final boss from the game.
"This old monk once followed the Buddha in battles across the heavens, but due to insufficient strength, could only retreat to Future Maitreya Mountain. Yet I never imagined our descendants would fall to such depths. Girl, this trial was originally prepared for my successors. How much you can obtain now depends on your own abilities. This old monk is tired."
With those words, the consciousness completely dissipated—yet the space remained.
"Is this the demonic energy within him?"
Su Min muttered inwardly. The old monk had left, leaving this mess for her to handle. Now she understood why Future Maitreya Mountain had never used this relic—not only had they failed to gain the old monk's approval, but this corruption had also been a barrier.
The moment the old monk's suppression vanished, endless darkness surged toward her.
"SHATTER!!!"
Su Min roared inwardly. A blazing firebird spread its wings behind her, spewing scorching flames at the encroaching darkness.
Sizzle!!!
A grotesque, piercing sound erupted—like a drop of water hitting boiling oil.
The explosive heat forced Su Min to instinctively summon her Black Tortoise Armor to protect herself. At the same time, a shrill laughter echoed.
"Kekeke, that old fool is finally dead! This lord's last remnant is free at last—and what a fine vessel stands before me."
"Remnant Immortal?"
Su Min's expression darkened. This was the relic's inner space. Had the old monk left behind safeguards, even a failed inheritor might have been spared. But now, Su Min stood alone against this threat—not that she could complain.
After all, she had just wiped out his sect. That he hadn't dragged her down with him was already merciful. What more could she ask for? But dealing with this thing would be troublesome. Fortunately, it was merely a wisp of remnant will, weakened over countless years.
"Insignificant mortal, you seem familiar with this lord. Indeed, I was once an immortal—eternal and unbound by the heavens. The only pity is that, at some point, the immortal qi became tainted. All immortals were cursed."
"Oh?"
Su Min's brow twitched. This went beyond the game's lore—it was something she hadn't known.
"Immortal qi no longer exists... Is this why no one has triggered the Immortal Tribulation in all these years?"
She mused silently while glaring at the creature, carefully assessing the relic's condition. Soon, a hint of relief crossed her face. She realized that although the old monk's consciousness had vanished, his safeguards remained. The relic was now fused with his will. If things became dire, she could forcibly exit and destroy the relic. The cost would be losing any benefits it offered, but at least she could retreat unscathed.
"Kekeke, it's been so long since I last spoke. Your body is flawless—Eastern Azure Wood, Southern Vermilion Fire, Northern Water's Profound Origin... Excellent, excellent! The Five Elements Holy Body? Then I shall take it!"
"Try if you dare, Remnant Immortal."
Su Min sneered. She would never let it touch her. The fate of Jiang Xi, the previous Lunar Sovereign, was proof enough—tainted by a similar entity, she had to be sealed away by Yao Xian'er.
Not only had Jiang Xi lost her Lunar Sovereign physique, but she now had to rebuild her cultivation from scratch under terrible conditions. If Su Min were corrupted, who knew if Yao Xian'er might just eliminate her for convenience?
More importantly, she might no longer be herself.
In a flash, Su Min appeared atop the giant firebird's back and sent a mental message to Xie Yingying outside—just two words: "Essence Blood."
The fusion of Yin and Yang was most effective against such entities, but she preferred not to rely on Xie Yingying's essence blood unless absolutely necessary.
The previous drops had helped her overcome countless trials, but she couldn't depend on them forever. There would come a time when they no longer aided her—so until then, she had to rely on her own strength.
With a flick of her wrist, a fiery feather shot forth.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted. The dark mist trembled violently—even without the essence blood, the Southern Vermilion Fire was highly effective against such foul energy.
"GAAAH! Very well, girl, you've angered me! Once I claim your body, I'll send you to a brothel for some fun!"
"How delightfully twisted."
Su Min remained unfazed. She was no longer the same person she'd been when she first transmigrated.
But this confirmed one thing—her attacks were effective.
With that in mind, she formed a plan.
Gripping her sword, she slashed at the monster. No fancy techniques—just pure strikes imbued with the Nanming Lihuo.
Sizzle...
The world twisted, and black-red rain fell across the space. Su Min fought with everything she had, determined to annihilate this thing completely. Yet its resilience surprised her. Without the Nanming Lihuo, killing it would have been nearly impossible.
"Troublesome indeed. No wonder even Yao Xian'er was helpless against something similar."
Su Min cursed inwardly. She was already going all out, yet it still refused to die. Its strength aside—there was no time to dwell on that—its tenacity was top-tier. Even she struggled to handle it.
"Soul battles are such a pain."
She gritted her teeth. Without physical bodies, this battle wasn't just about cultivation—it was a contest of soul power. Fortunately, Su Min's soul was strong enough to rival even Liao Meng at his peak.
"Fine, then don't blame me for going all out."
Since Xie Yingying had already arrived, she could afford to go all out before reinforcements came. She could already feel Xie Yingying's Tianyin Qi seeping into her. If she wished, she could wield both powers simultaneously. But first, she needed to create an opening—no more entanglement.
Clapping her hands together, Su Min summoned the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise manifestations.
"BURN!!!"
With a roar, the three sacred beasts formed a mystical array and charged at the creature. This was the first time Su Min had fully unleashed this technique—previously, the cost had been too high. Against Liao Meng, it had been outright sealed. But now, at her current level, she could wield it perfectly.
In the next instant, a cataclysmic explosion engulfed the entire space, tearing everything apart—including the dark energy, which was shredded into fragments.