Pfft—
Su Min jolted awake in her physical body, coughing out a mouthful of dark blood. The backlash hit her like a tidal wave, but before she could sway, a cool, yin-infused energy threaded into her meridians. Gentle, soothing—yet unmistakably potent. It steadied her core, calmed the chaos roiling through her dantian.
She didn't need to look to know whose energy it was.
"You call this cultivating?" Xie Yingying's voice cut in coldly, though her hand remained pressed against Su Min's back, steadying her. "You almost blew the roof off the mountain. If that energy wave had leaked outside, every cultivator below Golden Core within ten li would've died on the spot."
"Uh…" Su Min coughed again, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked around.
Her meditation chamber was gone—just gone. Reduced to rubble. And in its place, a containment array hummed quietly, threads of Taiyin Qi weaving through the cracks like black silk. It was clearly Xie Yingying's handiwork—meticulous, refined, and just a little irritated.
"There was a remnant will inside the relic, so the commotion was a bit… excessive."
Su Min sighed helplessly. She couldn't afford to wait for Xie Yingying's help—unlike Jiang Xi's case, where Yao Xian'er had prepared sealing chains, this relic had no such safeguards.
"A remnant will?"
Xie Yingying's expression turned grim in an instant.
"The same kind that corrupted Jiang Xi. It wasn't the real entity, just a wisp of spiritual energy that would desperately try to possess anything in sight."
"Xie Yingying's brows furrowed deeply. Her grip on Su Min's shoulder unconsciously tightened.
"You're sure you're alright?"
Her voice had softened, but her worry was sharp beneath it. She knew exactly how insidious those soul fragments could be—how close Jiang Xi had come to being lost forever. And Su Min wasn't even at the peak of Mahayana yet.
"I'm fine," Su Min reassured her. "Nothing lingered. I burned it down to dust. Judging by its strength, the Unity-stage monk who sealed it had already ground it down considerably."
Xie Yingying didn't answer immediately. Her eyes searched Su Min's face, as if trying to see past the calm words to the damage beneath.
But Su Min met her gaze without flinching.
"…Alright," Xie Yingying said finally, her voice quiet. "But next time, you wait for me."
"Mn." Su Min nodded, her tone gentle this time. "Help me set up another room. I need to refine the essence completely before it destabilizes again."
Xie Yingying moved without another word, her sleeve flicking as she summoned fresh formations. But even as she turned away, she remained close—never more than a few steps from Su Min's side.
"Can you reach the Dao Comprehension stage?"
"How could I? I'm not a Lunar Sovereign like you."
Su Min rolled her eyes. The Five Elements Holy Body couldn't compare in that regard. However, once a Five Elements Holy Body reached Mahayana, its power would actually surpass that of the Lunar Sovereign.
"You'd better break through soon. Your seclusion has lasted over half a month. From what I've heard, the world isn't peaceful right now."
"Oh?"
Su Min's eyes narrowed slightly—she already had some guesses.
"A terrifyingly powerful fallen one has emerged. It has already destroyed several sects, though it only devours cultivators—ordinary mortals have been spared."
"A Mahayana fallen one…"
Su Min took a deep breath, her expression turning grave. She recalled one of the final bosses from the game—a Mahayana-level powerhouse.
Given the timeline, that thing should have awakened by now. However, it was extremely cunning—it wouldn't reveal itself until it had fully regained its peak strength. Even if Yao Xian'er and the little monk from the Great Thunder Temple joined forces to hunt it down, they wouldn't succeed.
Unless a true immortal descended, no one could force it out prematurely.
"Mahayana…"
Xie Yingying's face also darkened. Even if Jiang Xi were dead, she could have effortlessly killed Xie Yingying back then—even if Xie Yingying had reached the Dao Comprehension stage.
The gap between Mahayana and Unity was even greater than that between Unity and Divine Transformation. Only the most exceptional and unique physiques could bridge such an overwhelming disparity—but even then, it was nearly meaningless.
After all, every Mahayana cultivator was a force to be reckoned with. If your physique was extraordinary, theirs was no less impressive. As for Yao Xian'er, it would take her a long time to recover to that level. The only silver lining was that the fallen one's current strength was only half-step Dao Comprehension.
"By the way, what about that place I asked you to monitor?"
Su Min pushed the matter aside for now—it wasn't something she could deal with at her current level. The major sects would be lucky just to protect themselves; anything more was wishful thinking.
The place she was referring to was naturally the White Tiger Inheritance Ground—an ancient battlefield hidden within the folds of space-time, now on the verge of appearing.
"In the Black Marsh State, an area has recently been engulfed in overwhelming killing intent. It should be the place you're looking for."
"So soon?"
Su Min's brows knitted tightly—this didn't align with her calculations.
"What are you planning?"
"The White Tiger's inheritance is there. And the prerequisite—the Path of Slaughter—will likely be obtained by some. This time, just like with the Azure Dragon's inheritance, there will be fierce competition."
"Hmm?"
Xie Yingying frowned. While Su Min's name alone could make most people back off, when it came to divine inheritances, that might not be enough.
"Should we call for more help?"
"No. Right now, Dao Comprehension-stage experts probably won't leave their sects easily. Even you might not be able to intervene this time. Speaking of which, how's the little Golden Crow doing?"
"She… uh, came back a few days ago with a bruised face and went back into seclusion."
"Who won?"
Su Min was a little curious—those two must have had another secret brawl.
This was fairly normal. Divine beasts rarely fought to the death, but it was common for them to clash when they met—especially since these two were among the strongest of their respective races.
"Hard to say. Probably a draw. Judging by the Little Golden Crow's expression, they were evenly matched. Ao Xue's cultivation is slightly higher, but the Little Golden Crow has the Yin-Yang Plumage forged from our essence blood. They're about equal."
"Tsk."
Su Min clicked her tongue but didn't comment further. It didn't concern her—those two could fight all they wanted. Divine beasts often brawled, but they almost never fought to the death.
"I need to continue my seclusion. Keep an eye on that place for me. If necessary, send someone in to scout—I need to ensure no one touches the White Tiger's inheritance."
"Understood."
Xie Yingying nodded and left the room. She knew how important this was to Su Min.
"Now, I can finally absorb it. Though it's a bit of a pity—this relic contains a special Dao, enough to help a late-stage Divine Transformation monk break through to the Dao Comprehension stage."
Su Min muttered to herself as she examined the relic in her hand. She would only absorb its energy, discarding the Dao it contained—the Time Dao was her only choice.
With that thought, Su Min entered deep seclusion once again in her newly arranged room. This time, she aimed to at least reach late-stage Divine Transformation. As for the Dao Comprehension stage, that would depend on fate.
Time Passes…
As Su Min continued her seclusion, the world outside underwent changes. The most significant was the fate of the territory once ruled by Future Maitreya Mountain.
Just as Su Min had predicted, it had become a feast for the various Buddhist sects. Though she had emptied Future Maitreya Mountain's treasures, vast resources remained—billions of people, spiritual veins, and more.
Su Min couldn't take all of it, especially the population, which would have been a burden.
To ensure Future Maitreya Mountain was completely eradicated, the other sects took over the cleanup. They dispersed and converted the billions of followers—since they were all part of the same religion, switching worship to other Buddhas or Bodhisattvas was simple.
Within a year, the entire territory had been divided. Future Maitreya Mountain's legacy was erased—none of the sects would tolerate its remnants in their domains.
~
On an otherwise ordinary day in Eastern Mulberry State, an unexpected guest arrived.
"Su Min is still in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough. She won't emerge anytime soon. If you have business, speak to me."
In the grand hall of the Immortal Gate, Xie Yingying sat cross-legged, facing a young man who appeared to be in his late teens.
It was Tian Hao—one of the Five Supreme Physiques, the Great Desolate Holy Body, and the same person who had once fought Su Min to a standstill during the Golden Core Avenue. Though his cultivation was only late-stage Divine Transformation, no one dared underestimate him. Thus, Xie Yingying personally received him—if he went berserk, she could suppress him.
"I need a special Grade 7 pill—the Heavenly Yang Fire Pill."
"What tier?"
"Low-tier Grade 7. Right now, only Miss Su can refine it. I've prepared all the materials—I just need to know what additional price she'll demand."
"Hmm…"
Xie Yingying narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Tian Hao, who grew slightly uneasy under her gaze.
"This pill is for your little girlfriend, isn't it? With your physique, you don't need it."
Even without knowing the pill's exact effects, the name alone told her enough.
"Correct."
Tian Hao admitted without hesitation—there was no point hiding it.
"She'll likely emerge from seclusion in a few months. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay here and wait."
Xie Yingying glanced at the pale girl behind Tian Hao, who seemed afflicted by some kind of fire poison. Her condition wasn't life-threatening, but she couldn't cultivate for the time being. Since she was also a Divine Transformation cultivator, waiting a while wasn't an issue.
"Fine."
Tian Hao sighed. Without Su Min, there was nothing he could do. And the cost of her help would undoubtedly be high. The two of them were wandering cultivators with no fixed abode, which was why they had missed Su Min's earlier call for allies. But what was done was done—as long as Su Min was willing to name a price, he'd accept even the most demanding terms.
"Late-stage Divine Transformation, combat prowess unquestionable, and possessing two divine artifacts… He's the perfect helper."
As Tian Hao left with his companion, Xie Yingying's eyes gleamed. She had already confirmed the location of the ancient battlefield for Su Min, but there was a problem—only Divine Transformation cultivators could enter.
At her current cultivation, she would be barred from entering.
She had been wondering where to find a reliable and powerful ally for Su Min. The two divine beasts—Ao Xue and the Golden Crow Emperor—had already reached the Dao Comprehension stage under Su Min's help and thus couldn't enter.
Now, Tian Hao had delivered himself to her doorstep.
"No need to hesitate—might as well use him."
Given that he had once fought Su Min to a standstill, his combat prowess was beyond doubt. All that remained was to dangle the pill as bait—Su Min was better at that than her.
While Tian Hao settled in at the Immortal Gate, Su Min finally reacted within her sealed chamber.
The radiant relic in her hand was rapidly shrinking as its energy was absorbed and refined. This was the essence left behind by a Unity-stage monk's self-immolation—an extraordinary treasure that could even propel a Divine Transformation cultivator into the Dao Comprehension stage.
But the conditions for using it were harsh. Future Maitreya Mountain had never used it, likely because no one could handle the remnant will inside. Attempting to refine it without purging the will would only result in corruption.
Thankfully, Su Min had eradicated it completely.
Her aura surged rapidly, soon reaching the bottleneck of mid-stage Divine Transformation.
"Just a little more…"
The moment the thought crossed her mind, her power shattered the barrier. In an instant, her energy erupted—she had achieved her goal.
Late-stage Divine Transformation.
"Finally, a breakthrough. Only one step away from the Dao Comprehension stage now. But the relic's energy is almost exhausted—this is as far as I can go."
Since she wasn't a Buddhist cultivator, her absorption efficiency wasn't perfect. Still, reaching late-stage Divine Transformation was already a significant achievement. She could now be considered a true half-step Dao Comprehension expert.
"Hmm?"
Stretching lazily, Su Min opened her eyes and released her spiritual sense, scanning the entire sect. Then, she froze.
A familiar yet unfamiliar aura lingered within the sect—one that, despite being only late-stage Divine Transformation (or perhaps half-step Dao Comprehension), gave her a sense of pressure.
"This aura… strong, familiar… Wait, could it be—?"
In an instant, she realized who it was.
There were only a handful of people at her level who could exude such pressure.
"The Great Desolate Holy Body?"