"Three years, huh..."
Su Min let the words hang in the air for a moment. After giving a few simple instructions, she stepped through a spatial passage and returned to Eastern Mulberry Island.
Their main territory was still the Eastern Mulberry Province. The mainland outpost was just that, an outpost. Expansion wasn't the priority. Thanks to her fearsome reputation, they had managed to maintain a stable, if not exactly warm, relationship with the Ancient Mansion Holy City.
Right now, their sect was critically short on Nascent Soul cultivators, but it wasn't a pressing danger. Once the news of her sixth-rank status spread across the land, Nascent Soul and even Divine Transformation cultivators would be beating a path to their door. There were always lucky casual cultivators who stumbled upon sealing crystals. The question was their trustworthiness, but Su Min knew she would have plenty of candidates to choose from.
Her most urgent task was to find the Azure Dragon King and get the details on the Weak Water. Hidden within it was the Northern Water's Profound Origin, a divine water she absolutely had to possess.
The moment she stepped back into the Eastern Mulberry Province, she froze. The little Golden Crow's aura had grown even more formidable. The Fusang Divine Tree, which had been stored away, now stood tall once more, its branches seeming to touch the sky.
"The Fusang Divine Tree truly is an inexhaustible treasure," she murmured. The old Golden Crow had gone to incredible lengths for his child. He had perished before the Great Cataclysm for reasons unknown, but he had left behind the most precious gift possible, the pure essence of the divine tree. As long as the little Golden Crow kept absorbing it, her cultivation would advance without hindrance. In just a few years, she had already reached the middle stage of Spirit Transformation and was still deep in seclusion.
No wonder Kong Hui had been so confident. With the little Golden Crow here, Future Maitreya Mountain wouldn't dare a full-scale assault.
"Plus, the Yin-Yang Blood seems to have caused a special transformation in her. Her potential might be even higher now."
Deciding not to disturb the little Golden Crow's seclusion, Su Min headed straight for the Dragon Palace. For divine beasts at the Divine Transformation stage, seclusion could last for an extremely long time. Their lifespans within the same realm were vastly longer than a human cultivator's.
(Though, of course, none of them would ever outlive her.)
The Azure Dragon King and the Peacock King were both in a half-slumbering state most of the time now, digesting their own inherited legacies. While not as grand as the little Golden Crow's, their inheritances were still significant. After the little Golden Crow's emergence, they had entered a semi-secluded state. Under these circumstances, even Su Min wouldn't disturb them without good reason.
"You have come."
Since Su Min wasn't skilled in water techniques, her movements underwater were obvious. She wasn't trying to hide, so the Azure Dragon King sensed her immediately.
"I have. What about the Weak Water?"
"It is here, but the waters will not fully converge for another three years. With your current mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, entering would be extremely dangerous."
"It does not matter. I have had some gains."
With a flick of her wrist, a massive piece of Eastern Azure Wood materialized within the Dragon Palace.
The Azure Dragon King was momentarily stunned. Divine woods like this could absorb and store the essence of heaven and earth, allowing the user to draw upon it directly, as long as they did not overuse it. Seeing the sheer size of the wood, he immediately understood her confidence and nodded, saying no more.
"For this trip into the Weak Water, you cannot bring the little Golden Crow," he warned. "As an extreme fire divine beast, her presence would cause massive disturbances. The combined power of her Sun True Fire and the Fusang Divine Tree could disrupt the very flow of the Weak Water."
"I know."
Truthfully, Su Min had never planned to bring her. The little Golden Crow was the sect's stabilizing force. She did not want to return from her trip to find the sect in ruins. Who knew how long this seclusion would take? The last time she refined a piece of Eastern Azure Wood for its essence, it had taken over a decade, and that was without absorbing its energy for cultivation.
After their brief exchange, Su Min left. The Azure Dragon King was still in seclusion, and by the time she returned from the Weak Water, he might have already stepped into the Divine Transformation stage. Regardless of his combat power, his speed of progress was enviable.
"Only three years left. It is hard to make any real progress in such a short time."
After leaving the Dragon King's abode, Su Min rubbed her temples in frustration. Three years was a mere blink for her. Unless she stumbled upon a special opportunity, a breakthrough was nearly impossible. And special opportunities were not so easy to find.
"I should focus on stabilizing my alchemy realm. At the very least, I need to prepare the Divine Transformation Pill."
A determined gleam flashed in her eyes. The Divine Transformation Pill was essential for breaking through to that stage. Though she was still far from it, it never hurt to be prepared.
Soon, she was back in her small courtyard within the sect. The alchemy cauldron she had "borrowed" from the Great Thunder Temple reappeared, and blazing flames flickered to life within the room. Su Min had entered seclusion to refine the Divine Transformation Pill. The Nascent Soul Pills she had concocted earlier had already been handed over to the sect.
"Yingying left in such a hurry... It must be a significant opportunity, one only her Lunar Sovereign Body can harness." Though she muttered the complaint, her hands never stopped moving. Dozens of ingredients entered the cauldron one after another, their medicinal properties meticulously extracted. Her techniques alone would leave any fifth-rank alchemist spellbound.
While Su Min focused on her pill refinement, the Buddhist Water-Land Dharma Assembly concluded. As the spectators returned to their sects, a piece of news began to spread like wildfire, exploding across all the major powers.
"The former top-ranked genius of the Heavenly Rankings has become a sixth-rank alchemist."
In the current era, this was monumental. Moreover, Su Min's progress was terrifyingly fast. How long had it been since the end of the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings? Back then, she was only a fourth-rank high-level alchemist. Yet, in just a few decades, she had broken through again, leaping straight to the sixth rank!
In the current world, the strongest experts of the major sects were all at the Divine Transformation stage. Only a rare few had half a foot in the Dao Comprehension stage, and those like Kong Hui, who had fully stepped into it, could be counted on one hand. The ancestors of these sects were stirred into action. The pills they desperately needed were precisely sixth-rank elixirs.
Soon, preparations for rare herbs and lavish gifts began. The first to bear the brunt of this frenzy was Tian Yinzi.
"The Grand Elder is in seclusion and is not receiving guests at the moment!"
Facing the endless stream of visitors, Tian Yinzi felt like pulling his hair out. He had now reached the late-stage Golden Core realm and, as the sect leader, had obtained a Nascent Soul Pill. His talent was undeniable. He had survived the Six-Nine Heavenly Tribulation and achieved Heaven Foundation Establishment. After all, the Eastern Mulberry Province was rich in resources.
But now, he was deeply troubled. The visitors were all sect leaders of major powers, each representing their ancestors, who were Divine Transformation experts. Tian Yinzi had no choice but to grit his teeth and receive them all.
"It seems I will have to step down soon," he sighed to himself, looking at the pile of invitations in his hands. "Once this matter is settled, I will prepare for the next sect leader election."
When he first took over, the Heavenly Dao was still suppressing cultivation. Early-stage Golden Core was the limit, and he could handle affairs comfortably. But now, things were different. No wonder most sects had Golden Core cultivators as their nominal leaders. Their situations were probably similar to his. The high-level cultivators were all busy cultivating. Just look at the Grand Elder, constantly striving for breakthroughs. And she was the sect's true safeguard. No one dared to complain.
Meanwhile, in the Ancient Mansion Holy City, a group of people looked as if they had swallowed something very bitter.
"That sixth-rank Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill," the Holy Son said, his voice heavy as he stared at the elder before him. "Can it heal the ancestor's severed arm?"
The elder's aura was formidable, a late-stage Divine Transformation powerhouse. But right now, his face was twisted in pain, and one of his arms was completely gone. For a Divine Transformation cultivator, regenerating flesh was not difficult, as long as the soul remained intact. Yet, the ancestor's soul itself had been damaged. If one could see it, they would find his soul's arm was also severed.
"Cough, cough... Yes," the ancestor confirmed, his expression strange. "A few days ago, I encountered a mysterious man. He tried to devour our sect's spiritual veins. The guards could not stop him, so I intervened. After a fierce battle, he severed my arm, though I managed to wound him and force his retreat."
His opponent had been bizarre. His cultivation seemed only slightly higher, yet there was an odd sense of incompleteness about him. Most terrifyingly, his techniques were extraordinary. The ancestor had nearly died there.
"This..." The Holy Son's face darkened. That sixth-rank pill would not come cheap. And his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the ancestor, whose face instantly turned ashen. It was this very ancestor who had stopped them from sending reinforcements back then, hoping to take advantage of the situation.
Now, not only had they gained nothing, but they had also strained relations with Su Min. If things had been different, she might have casually handed over the pill in exchange for some materials. What was a priceless treasure to others was often nothing special to her. But now, if they wanted her help, they would have to pay a truly hefty price.
"Sigh..." the old man sighed deeply, the sound full of regret.
Who could have imagined that Su Min would advance so quickly? In such a short time, she had reached the sixth-rank alchemy realm. He had lived long enough to witness many geniuses, but no matter how talented, they would eventually hit their limits. Most would never take that final step, forever remaining among the masses.
In his eyes, going to war with the Blood Puppet Sect for someone like Su Min had been unthinkable. Only the Holy Son, who had interacted with her more, had possessed the foresight. But back then, the ancestor had not given him the final say.
"Fine. Prepare the gifts," the ancestor ordered, his voice resigned. "We will ask Master Su for help. This world is not as simple as it seems. In the future... we may still need her assistance."
He had to obtain the Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill. This was not just any sixth-rank pill for regenerating limbs. It could heal a Divine Transformation cultivator's damaged soul.