"Huff—"
The air in the grand hall seemed to solidify. The man who had spoken was a genuine fifth-rank high-level alchemist, so no one dared to question his judgment. That only made the truth of his words more staggering.
A sixth-rank alchemist. Even a simple healing pill crafted by one could stir the hearts of every Nascent Soul cultivator present. A pill like that could snatch a life back from the brink. No one would ever refuse such a treasure.
In an instant, schemes began to form in the minds of many. This single pill was incredibly tempting, and Su Min was clearly capable of producing far more than just one.
"Everything fell into place. No issues at all."
Su Min looked at the perfect pill resting in her palm before storing it safely in her bag. With a flick of her wrist, dozens of medicinal herbs materialized in her hand. These were the materials for the formal assessment, and this time, she was utterly confident.
"She is starting the assessment!"
The Nascent Soul alchemist watching from the hall couldn't hold back his surprised exclamation.
"Assessment?"
Hearing this, everyone, including Kong Hui, was intrigued. They weren't alchemists and couldn't enter the secret realm themselves. They could only observe the actions inside, not receive any of the messages. So they were all equally curious about what the challenge entailed.
"The sixth rank pill, the Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill," the man explained with a bitter smile. "To my shame, I failed three times in a row and lost my qualification." He had been unceremoniously ejected. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, it wasn't appropriate for him to linger.
"I see."
The group gave slight nods, their eyebrows twitching, but they offered no further comment.
Inside the secret realm, Su Min was a whirlwind of controlled motion, surrounded by a vortex of spiritual flame. Herb after herb flew into the cauldron, their essences condensing into pure, luminous drops. The difficulty of refining a sixth-rank pill was at least ten times greater than a fifth-rank one. The sheer number of ingredients alone would overwhelm most fifth-rank alchemists. But for Su Min, it was simple.
After the fourth rank, every major breakthrough was a massive threshold, one that could trap a cultivator for a lifetime. Every alchemist in the hall watched her movements intently, their eyes wide, afraid to miss a single detail. Watching a master of this level work was a rare piece of fortune for them.
Su Min's movements never faltered. A full day later, she opened her eyes. A perfectly round pill, radiating light, shot out from the cauldron.
The Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill was complete.
In that very instant, Su Min vanished from everyone's sight, leaving the entire hall in stunned silence.
"What?!"
The hall erupted into noise. Only Kong Hui and the old monk from the Lamp-Bearing Ancient Temple exchanged a knowing glance. They had already guessed. Su Min had obtained the inheritance of the ancient enlightened one.
Inside the secret realm, the moment the pill was finished, an ancient, small cauldron descended from the sky and landed silently before Su Min.
It was the second Innate Spiritual Treasure she had encountered.
"Disaster approaches. The chosen one shall rise to face the calamity," a voice, heavy with age, echoed in her mind. "The Buddha once told me that the one who surpasses me is the chosen one. I do not know if you are willing, but you have already set foot on this path."
"The chosen one..."
Su Min's brows furrowed deeply. She knew what it meant. The impending cataclysm. If the players failed to stand against it, this entire world would be destroyed. Even she wouldn't be able to escape the fallout. As for the title itself, that wasn't something she needed to worry about right now.
Without a moment's hesitation, she bit her fingertip and let a single drop of her blood fall onto the cauldron.
Sizzle.
A unique connection instantly formed between her and the treasure. The cauldron glowed and rose, then flew directly into her chest, settling deep within her.
"The Medicine King's inheritance now resides within you. It will unlock as your strength grows. My spiritual awareness is weak, so do not disturb my slumber unless it is necessary. The herbs stored within this cauldron are yours to use as you see fit."
"Understood."
Su Min gave a firm nod. Her gains from this trip were already perfect. But then, she remembered something. "What about the Water-Land Dharma Assembly now that you are gone?"
"This was always a mechanism to find a successor. From now on, the alchemist's assessment may cease, but the rest will continue as it always has."
"That is acceptable."
As she spoke, rays of light began to shimmer around her. In an instant, she was gone from the secret realm. When she awoke again, she was slightly taken aback by the way everyone was looking at her. Their gazes were full of respect, flattery, and naked envy.
The reason was obvious. But her focus wasn't on them. She narrowed her eyes, scanning the surroundings. To her surprise, the people from Future Bliss Mountain were gone. Liao Jie's seat was empty.
"Congratulations, Benefactor Su, for claiming the top honor."
Kong Hui walked over, smiling, but he quickly noticed her searching look. "The people from Future Maitreya Mountain have been driven away by me. However, you must be careful. With the Golden Crow Emperor guarding your sect, they won't dare a direct assault. But remember, they excel at divination. They may try to strike at you in special places where your protections are weak."
"We will cross that bridge when we get there."
Su Min was not overly concerned. What was destined to come would come. There was no point in worrying about it. Besides, given enough time, she would be powerful enough to wipe out Future Maitreya Mountain by herself. After all, those people would eventually side with the fallen and the remnants of the immortals, becoming the ultimate enemies of the players.
"Benefactor, would you—"
"No need," she interrupted. "I have been away for too long. It is time for me to return. They will not catch me."
With that, Su Min silently recited an incantation. Kong Hui paused, clearly recognizing the technique. If he had wanted to stop her, he could have done so at any moment. Shrinking the Earth to an Inch required several seconds of stationary incantation. It was excellent for travel, but useless for a real escape. Yet, this was a technique unique to the Great Thunder Temple. He had no idea how she had comprehended it. But since things had come to this, he simply let her go.
In the next moment, Su Min vanished, leaving a crowd of dumbfounded onlookers. They had all wanted to flatter her, to form a connection, but she was just gone. All eyes turned to Kong Hui, demanding to know where she had gone.
"Amitabha. Benefactor Su has returned to the Eastern Sea Immortal Sect. If you wish to seek her, you must go there."
Having said that, Kong Hui closed his eyes and spoke no more. The crowd's expressions shifted, but they held their tongues. This was, after all, an Dao Comprehension-phase cultivator. If he did not wish to speak, it was best not to press him.
Su Min had already completed her task for them, securing first place in the alchemy segment. The remaining highlight of the assembly, the distribution of resources from the Buddhist Light Secret Realm, was no longer her concern.
The rewards they offered were incredibly generous. Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree was an exceedingly rare opportunity.
Meanwhile, after leaving the grand ceremony, Su Min used Shrinking the Earth to an Inch over and over. In just a week, she was back within her sect's territory on the mainland.
The moment she stepped across the boundary, she froze. Xie Yingying's familiar aura was nowhere to be found.
"Greetings, Grand Elder!"
A group of disciples rushed forward and bowed in deep respect.
"Tian Yinzi, where is Yingying?"
After a quick glance confirmed her absence, Su Min asked, confused.
"The Second Grand Elder sensed the emergence of something extraordinary in the extreme northern frozen lands not long ago. Since it resonated with her cultivation, she entrusted the sect to us and left."
"And the Xuantian Mansion?"
"It remains on Eastern Mulberry Island."
"I see. It seems she has her own destiny to fulfill."
Su Min did not press the matter. The path of cultivation was long. It wasn't unusual for a Golden Core Formation cultivator to leave for a century in search of their own opportunities. The fact that Xie Yingying hadn't waited for her return meant one of two things: either the place wasn't suitable for Su Min, or something even more important had called her away.
"This humble one greets Lady Su."
A familiar aura approached. It was Lu Yuanxing, the man who had followed her during the Golden Core Avenue and later brought his entire family to join her sect. He was now the one overseeing daily operations here.
"Lu Yuanxing, how are things in the four provinces?"
"All evil has been purged. The people of the four provinces now submit to our sect's rule."
"You have done well. Take this Soul Restoration Pill as your reward."
Su Min nodded and glanced at Tian Yinzi, who showed no objection. She took out a pill and handed it to Lu Yuanxing.
"Thank you, Lady Su!"
Lu Yuanxing was overjoyed. Bringing his entire family to serve Su Min had been for precisely this kind of reward. Over the years, he had given his all. Having followed her for so long, he understood her temperament. She was practically benevolent, averse to unnecessary killing. Unless thoroughly provoked, she rarely resorted to lethal force. Even when she held a grudge, she usually settled it with a sound beating at most. So, he had adopted a similarly gentle approach in his management, though he hadn't hesitated to make bloody examples when it was necessary to maintain order.
"By the way, the Azure Dragon asked me to inform you that the Source of Weak Water will emerge in three years. He said you must prepare."
"I see."
Su Min's eyes narrowed in understanding. So that was why Xie Yingying hadn't waited. Their most crucial opportunities had appeared at the same time.
"I wonder which of us will be stronger the next time we meet."
The thought brought a slight smile to her lips. No matter how formidable one's combat prowess was, the cultivation level was what truly mattered. It was the foundation that determined everything, most importantly, the length of a life.