With a sharp clang echoing through the cave, a pill shot out from within, only to be caught by a pale, delicate hand and tossed into a small box.
"Whew, the last one's done. All these pills they requested are for protecting meridians and aiding in the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage, huh? Now that I've gathered enough materials, there's no need to waste any more time. It's time to refine a few pills for myself as trump cards. Honestly, if not for the protection of the Eastern Azure Wood and Nanming Lihuo, I wouldn't dare use these."
Muttering to herself, Su Min stretched lazily before picking up the pills and walking out. She had been refining them intermittently for a long time. Now, the opening of the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking wasn't far off.
"Fewer and fewer people are coming. Looks like we've entered the latter half of the Golden Core Avenue."
In this phase, secret realms rarely appeared anymore. The entire Golden Core Avenue had quieted down as everyone digested the gains of the past few decades, converting them into tangible combat power. All that remained was to wait for the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking to descend.
"Have you noticed? None of the top-ranked prodigies on the Tianjiao Ranking have come to you for pill refinement. They're all very confident in themselves."
Xie Yingying observed with interest as she looked at the pills in Su Min's hand. She had hoped to get a glimpse of the top-ranked experts through this opportunity, but so far, not a single one had shown up.
"Who knows? But there's something strange about that number one."
"Strange?"
Xie Yingying frowned. They had only seen recordings of that person's attacks, which were undeniably spectacular.
Brilliant rays of light descended from the heavens, blasting opponents into oblivion. No matter how many enemies there were, they stood no chance against that radiance. Even the Great Desolate Holy Body couldn't withstand it. Su Min had spent a long time studying it but came up empty-handed.
She had even secretly crafted a countermeasure for Xie Yingying's abilities, but against that light, she was completely clueless.
This led her to a disturbing possibility.
"That woman might be a reincarnated ancient powerhouse, deliberately reborn as a mortal to conquer this era."
Su Min's lips twitched as she said this. This was a tactic players used in the game. After reincarnating, they retained their comprehension of techniques and could even surpass their previous limits due to the rebirth and tempering of a new body.
If that were the case, this person could be an ancient supreme expert. Such beings had truly climbed to the pinnacle, their mastery of techniques overwhelming all. As for their physique, it was undoubtedly a mortal one—the more ordinary the body, the greater its compatibility and potential.
For example, Xie Yingying's Lunar Sovereign Body limited her to certain techniques. Su Min's Five Elements Holy Body was more adaptable, yet even that could not compare to a so-called mortal body.
"What did you say?"
Xie Yingying looked shocked. Most reincarnated experts would choose a special physique. Besides, the Golden Core Avenue could only be entered once. Once a soul entered, it would be barred from returning, no matter how many times it reincarnated. Take the old demon queen, for example. She had never even considered entering the Golden Core Avenue.
Reincarnation came at an enormous price, even for players. Many failed, and even if they succeeded, they might not remain the same person. In the game, that difference was mechanical, but players didn't care. They were only controlling avatars. Their so-called comprehension was just data.
"Alternatively, she might not be reincarnated at all but someone who severed her cultivation like the old demon queen. The difference is that this one went even further. She gave up everything and started over completely, trading all her cultivation for a new lifespan. I'm not sure about the details, but facing her will be troublesome."
Su Min scratched her head. That person really had no need for her pills.
"Whatever. In the end, it doesn't matter. Tell them that until the Golden Core Avenue concludes, I won't accept any more pill-refining commissions."
If she couldn't find a countermeasure, there was no point dwelling on it. What mattered most now was boosting her own strength. As for the idea of cultivating from a mortal body, Su Min scoffed at the notion. Starting from a higher point was always better. There was no need to romanticize hardship.
Those who did so were trying to fuse myriad techniques within themselves to break past their limits. But what did ordinary cultivators have inside them? Nothing. With that, Su Min returned to her private chamber. This time, she intended to refine pills specifically for the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking.
[Heavenly Life Sacrifice Pill (Fourth-tier, High-grade): After consumption, the user sacrifices a large amount of lifespan. For Golden Core cultivators, it grants power surpassing the Golden Core stage for a short duration.]
[Bone-Melting Potential Pill (Fourth-tier, High-grade): Unleashes the user's full potential, maximizing combat power at the cost of damaging meridians.]
[Return from Death Pill (Fourth-tier, High-grade): Rapidly heals all injuries but leaves residual medicinal properties in the body, disrupting spiritual energy flow.]
These were the so-called "Desperate Gambit Trinity," the most terrifying pills Su Min could currently refine. Each came with a heavy price, and in the past, she wouldn't have dared use them recklessly.
The first pill was self-explanatory—any technique that traded lifespan for power was taboo. The lowest grade for such pills was fourth-tier high-grade, which she couldn't refine before. But now, with her infinite lifespan, burning years for power was an option.
The second and third pills, however, were dangerous even for her. The Bone-Melting Potential Pill, for instance, would inflict a three-month debuff after the first use, drastically reducing all attributes. A second pill within that period would permanently lower attribute caps. Some players had foolishly reduced themselves to weaker than Body Refining cultivators.
This effect came from overdrawing one's potential. But if a person's physique was strong enough, like the Great Desolate Holy Body, the first pill would cause no weakness at all. Only the second would leave side effects, and even then, they couldn't be used consecutively in the same battle.
As for the third pill, its drawback was that it "occupied" one's health and mana pool. Normally, when depleted, these would be at 0/100. After taking this pill, they'd become 10/100, with the residual medicine blocking recovery. One pill was manageable—a few months of refining could clear it. But a second pill would make it 20/100, and even strenuous refining could only reduce it to 10/100.
In short, these were pills to be used with extreme caution. But to Su Min, the costs were negligible.
The first pill's drawback didn't concern her since her lifespan was infinite. The second pill's side effects could be offset by the Eastern Azure Wood's protection and the physical boost from the Azure Dragon Creation Art. The first dose wouldn't weaken her at all. As for the third pill, Nanming Lihuo could easily purge the lingering effects. The only real problem was that refining these three pills required significant time and effort.
"I should still avoid the first pill when possible. Not because of the effects, but if people notice I'm not aging despite burning lifespan, it could raise suspicions."
As she refined, Su Min pondered. Her primary goal was to secure a top-five position in the ranking. The Five Elements Emperor's legacy was essential. With her current preparations, she was confident she could defeat any opponent except perhaps that mysterious number one, including Xie Yingying.
Her trump cards were numerous, and many defied conventional limits.
One Month Later
"Five of each pill should be enough. Xie Yingying doesn't want any, so I'll keep them all. Given her strength, she's unlikely to face opponents she can't handle."
Su Min squinted at the floating pills before her, admiring her personal arsenal, carefully crafted and perfectly prepared.
"Once the Golden Core Heavenly Ranking concludes, I'll attempt to break through to fifth-tier alchemist."
She mused silently. Currently, refining fourth-tier high-grade pills posed no challenge. She hadn't failed even once with these three, consistently producing two or three pills per batch. This was a stark contrast to the Golden Heart Pill, which had caused multiple cauldron explosions. The Desperate Gambit Trinity was even harder to refine, yet she breezed through them.
The reason was simple. Since emerging from seclusion, she had done nothing but refine pills. Decades of practice had pushed her alchemy to the peak of the fourth tier. As for fifth-tier pills, there was no rush. She had no immediate need for them. After the Golden Core Avenue ended, she could shatter her core and advance. Her success rate was already high, though she wouldn't mind making it even higher.