"That woman just… kills someone and leaves the mess for others to clean up?"
Su Min stared at the jade slip in her palm, her fingers curling around it with a deep frown.
The former Lunar Sovereign wasn't just some random cultivator. She was an existence that had once stood at the very peak of the Mahayana stage. Her body might have died, but her soul endured, split into two halves. Even the so-called 'good' half had been dangerous enough that Yao Xian'er had to seal it away in its own secret realm. The evil half... if that thing ever fully awakened, Su Min knew she wouldn't stand a chance against it. Not even with Xie Yingying fighting by her side.
That was probably why Yao Xian'er had just flicked her sleeve, shoved the jade slip into her hand, and unceremoniously sent her on her way without another word of explanation.
The sheer nerve of it.
"If this were her first life, I'd have beaten her up already," Su Min muttered, her lips twitching at the memory. The other woman's flippant attitude grated on her, especially after delivering such a heavy, life-altering revelation. But then, Yao Xian'er had never been the type for pleasantries or guilt.
With a sigh, Su Min looked down at the jade slip again. It was a locator and an alarm. It would warn her just before the evil soul began to stir, and then, regardless of the distance, it would teleport her directly to the sealed location.
She wasn't sure if Yao Xian'er was truly washing her hands of the whole mess, or if something deeper and more personal was stopping her from getting involved. The look on her face when she'd handed over the jade had been... strange. Not cold, not resigned. Just quiet. Complicated.
Su Min narrowed her eyes. "There's definitely more to that story. Between her and that former Lunar Sovereign."
A part of her didn't want to understand. But another part did. The look in Yao Xian'er's eyes—that deep, old bitterness, the weight of centuries—wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
The path to immortality was long and profoundly solitary. Lifetimes could stretch on while everyone else faded away like morning mist. To find even one person to walk that path with was a rare, precious thing.
If Yao Xian'er had once had that, and lost it to pride, to a twisted fate, to the maddening hunger for more power... then maybe this wasn't just a delegation of duty. Maybe it was her own version of atonement.
It still didn't make the situation any less annoying. Su Min sighed again and tucked the jade slip securely into her sleeve. She was the one left holding the broom. "Just great," she muttered under her breath. "Guess I'm the designated cleaner now."
Even so, she couldn't bring herself to truly resent it.
Not when Xie Yingying was the one out there, drawn to the resonance of that sealed soul. Not when that slumbering evil might one day reach for her through the frozen echoes of the past.
If there was even a sliver of a threat, Su Min would be there first. She would stand between Xie Yingying and that darkness before it could even stir, before the echo could become a scream. She had already made her choice. Even if it meant cleaning up a mess left by the ghosts of another era.
As for fighting Yao Xian'er over it now? That was impossible. Unless her Five Elements Holy Body reached its perfect completion, she stood no chance, and she was still far from that goal. The White Tiger's legacy remained unclaimed, and the Central Earth treasure, guarded by the elusive Kirin clan, would be the toughest obstacle of all. She was even prepared to resort to force if she had to, though she knew that was a desperate last resort.
After all, Kirin were on the same level as Golden Crows and True Dragons. Antagonizing an entire race of divine beasts was a profoundly unwise move. Not even the Fallen were that reckless.
For now, at least, until the fallen immortals began their indiscriminate slaughter, some parts of the world remained relatively safe.
The Great Luo Tian Province, for example, where Yao Xian'er had chosen to reside. She didn't belong to any sect, but her mere presence was enough to make the Fallen think twice about causing trouble here. Other realms weren't so fortunate. Unless another Emperor, someone who had surpassed Mahayana, appeared, they would remain vulnerable. And Yao Xian'er hadn't reached that point again. Not yet.
"Overthinking it won't help. I just have to take it step by step."
With an inward sigh, she pushed the swirling worries aside and shot into the sky, leaving a faint streak of light behind her. Now at the Divine Transformation stage, her speed was staggering. It took her no time at all to arrive at the heart of the province, the sprawling and magnificent Great Luo Tian City.
The city was jointly controlled by four major sects. The former fifth, the Heavenly Fire Pavilion, had been effectively squeezed out. That was no surprise, given their disastrous losses in the Yin Secret Realm. Much like the Blood Puppet Sect, their strength had plummeted.
Now, aside from their one remaining Divine Transformation ancestor clinging to life, they only had a single Nascent Soul expert holding the fort. They weren't facing extinction yet, but their influence and territory had shrunk to a shadow of what they once were. And what could they do? They were the ones who had charged into the secret realm first. Everyone had seen them go in, and they were the ones who never came out. There was no one left to seek revenge against.
Even though Xie Yingying, as a Lunar Sovereign Body, was the one who had truly inherited that realm's legacy, she was under Su Min's protection, and by extension, the Golden Crow's. More importantly, there was not a shred of evidence linking her to the incident. No sane faction would willingly antagonize two potential future powerhouses over a baseless suspicion.
As Su Min touched down at the city's grand entrance, several figures stepped forward to eagerly greet her.
"You must be the one with the Five Elements Holy Body?"
Su Min was slightly surprised. All four of them were late-stage Divine Transformation experts, each wearing the distinct robes of one of the four ruling sects.
"Indeed, I am."
She saw no point in hiding it. Ever since she'd topped the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings, she'd known her fame would spread. Defeating Yao Xian'er in front of all those witnesses had only cemented her notoriety. All the major powers had certainly taken note.
"Lady Su, please, right this way."
The elders' faces bloomed with smiles so wide they looked like chrysanthemums, which frankly made Su Min's skin crawl a little. Still, she followed them. Even if these four decided to team up against her, she was confident she could escape without a scratch.
As she walked away with the four powerful figures, the crowd of onlookers broke into a buzz of gossip.
"Were those four the ancestral founders themselves?"
"No, but they're the current pillars. With the Heavenly Fire Pavilion weakened, those are the four overseeing the city now."
"All late-stage Divine Transformation. Incredible. Aside from their ancestors who are attempting Dao Comprehension, they're the strongest here."
"These sects have dominated this province for centuries. Their foundations are immense. The Heavenly Fire Pavilion is just temporarily suppressed. Once they recover, they'll still be a powerhouse."
"Hey, did you see her? That Divine Transformation expert was stunning. So young, and so beautiful!"
"Right? I've never seen anyone like her."
"Pfft, you horny dog. The brothels are full of women. Go pick one instead of drooling over someone who could obliterate your measly Foundation Establishment body with a sneeze."
"Ahem, it's different. Compared to her, those painted dolls aren't even worth a single glance."
"Hmph, she's the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings champion, the Five Elements Holy Body, and practically the continent's only sixth-grade alchemist. Who do you think you are?"
A more knowledgeable bystander ruthlessly shut down the chatter, sending the admirer shrinking back in embarrassment. The cultivation world had always skewed male, and truly powerful female cultivators were rare. While Su Min often had formidable women around her, they were the exceptions that proved the rule. Of the top fifty in the Golden Core Heavenly Rankings, fewer than ten were female.
It was no wonder some cultivators instinctively gravitated toward any strong female figure they saw. Of course, humans weren't mindless beasts. Those instincts could be controlled.
"Scram, scram. If word of this reaches her, a single complaint from her would bring countless enforcers down on your entire bloodline."
"Uh… right."
The crowd quickly dispersed. Cultivation was about seeking longevity. Who would be stupid enough to court death for a fleeting moment of foolishness?
Meanwhile, atop a scenic peak within the vast expanse of Great Luo City…
Yes, a peak—the city was so enormous it encompassed several small mountains. Cultivators preferred tranquility, and their ability to fly made cliffs and high places ideal residences. Naturally, Su Min's entire delegation had been accommodated on one of these prime spots, a privilege extended solely due to her formidable status.
Hearing of her arrival, the four sects had rolled out the red carpet, the kind of reception usually reserved for the super sects. After all, what could those distant super sects really offer them? At most, it was a relationship of mutual politeness.
But Su Min? She brought tangible, immediate benefits.
"Speak plainly. If the price is right, I'll take the job."
Sipping the exquisite tea they had provided, Su Min eyed the four fawning elders with a mild sense of discomfort. The Sect Conference was still a month away, and she was expecting a flood of requests for her services. By making these four sects her intermediaries, she could deflect the bulk of those petitioners while still pocketing the profits. Of course, her alchemy fees wouldn't be cheap. She had no reason to work for free.
"This is the list for a sixth-grade, mid-tier pill I require. Please review it, Lady Su."
They clearly knew about her capabilities. Though these elders were at the late-stage of Divine Transformation, the Dao Comprehension stage remained a distant, elusive dream for many, one they would never reach. Even a pill that wasn't specifically for a breakthrough could provide that critical nudge forward.
"You know the rules?"
"Three sets of ingredients, plus an abundance of rare materials as payment."
They had come well-prepared. Given the current state of the world, gathering such resources couldn't have been easy, even for major sects of their stature.
"Accepted."
With a single glance, Su Min swept the contents of the proffered spatial ring into her own and tossed the empty container back. The elder beamed. Su Min's reputation for reliability was ironclad. The other two promptly presented their own offerings without a moment of haggling. In this seller's market, Su Min held all the leverage.
In another lavishly decorated chamber nearby, the atmosphere was markedly different, charged with a forced, awkward enthusiasm.
Seated here were Tian Yinzi and the other Nascent Soul and Golden Core experts from Su Min's sect. Opposite them were the elite disciples from the four host sects. Thanks entirely to her overwhelming influence, they were receiving hospitality fit for royalty.
Yet, four figures sat gloomily in a corner, their dark moods creating a small pocket of stillness amidst the festivities. These were the former Holy Sons of the four sects, now Nascent Soul experts who had relinquished their titles. Their expressions were uniformly bitter.
Reaching the late-stage of Nascent Soul was a commendable achievement by any standard. But comparing themselves to Su Min's Divine Transformation stage was a profoundly humiliating exercise. During the Golden Core Avenue trial, they had all started on the same footing, at the early Golden Core stage. They had all left at the late stage.
But in what felt like no time at all, Su Min had soared straight through Nascent Soul and into Divine Transformation. Any youthful thoughts they might have harbored about rivaling her combat prowess had long since vanished. After all, the five of them, including the one who had been permanently frozen to death in the Yin Secret Realm, had once ganged up on Yao Xian'er…
Only to be instantly, effortlessly annihilated.
Looking back, they had been suicidal. They were just thankful that Yao Xian'er had been magnanimous enough not to hunt them down afterward.
But even Yao Xian'er, that monster, had been publicly crushed by Su Min. The gap was insurmountable. And now, even their cultivation realms lagged hopelessly behind.
Divine Transformation—a barrier that stymied countless Nascent Souls for centuries, a wall many never scaled—had been cleared by Su Min as if it were a minor inconvenience.
"Sigh… I once actually sparred with her," the former Holy Son of the Water Nether Sect sighed deeply. He'd once competed with Han Chaoyan for a drop of divine water… and lost.
"Count yourself lucky. Yan Zhao, the one who got frozen, stayed behind permanently. That secret realm was always meant for a Lunar Sovereign Body successor, yet he barged in anyway. He doomed himself and his entire sect's standing."
"Enough. Let's just drink."
"Gulp, gulp, gulp…"
They drank deeply, the fine wine tasting like ash in their mouths. These four had once been the proud, undisputed geniuses of their generation, only to be thoroughly humbled on the Golden Core Avenue. Though they'd gained precious lifespan from the trial, comparing themselves to Su Min now was like comparing common mud to refined gold.
Bitterly, they toasted their shared misery.
"Senior Mu, those four in the corner are the former Holy Sons, right? All outstanding talents," Tian Yinzi observed, whispering to the late-stage Nascent Soul expert beside him, Mu Yuan.
Mu Yuan had followed Su Min into the Golden Core Avenue and had later joined her sect. With Su Min's pills and his own accumulated foundations, he'd broken through to late Nascent Soul. Now, with Su Min at Divine Transformation and Xie Yingying absent, he was the undisputed strongest among their Nascent Soul experts.
"They're just sulking," Mu Yuan smirked. Though he was polite enough not to probe them with his spiritual sense, their wounded pride was written plainly on their faces. "Seeing Lady Su's meteoric rise in both realm and reputation has completely shattered what was left of their pride."
Having mingled with Su Min, he'd met all the major Holy Sons and Daughters. Back then, though he'd only survived the six-nine Heavenly Tribulation, placing him slightly below them, his innate talent wasn't truly lacking. He'd just been a loose cultivator, without access to the supreme tribulation treasures that were a luxury for sect disciples, so he'd never had a real chance at the legendary nine-nine tribulation.
But after joining Su Min and receiving a legacy from the Golden Crow, his combat power had surged. Now, he secretly itched to test himself against these former elites.
"No wonder they look so defeated. They all came from that same golden era," Tian Yinzi nodded in understanding. He'd known Su Min had built extensive connections, but seeing her influence extend so powerfully even to these top-tier provinces was still eye-opening.
"That's not all of it," Mu Yuan added, lowering his voice. "By having these four major sects act as her shields, Lady Su can fend off the flood of petitioners that will be coming for her. Frankly, every single Holy Son and Daughter who survived the nine-nine tribulation back then owes her favors, whether they admit it or not."
"Gulp…"
The group from the East Sea Immortal Sect exchanged glances, the reality of their founder's reach sinking in. Their sect's rapid, almost explosive growth owed so much to this very fact. Take Mu Yuan himself; he was originally from another province and had joined solely because of Su Min's reputation.
"Drink up, everyone," Mu Yuan said, raising his cup. "And prepare well, especially you, Zhang Yuanyuan. As the only one in our sect besides Lady Su and Lady Xie to have survived the nine-nine Heavenly Tribulation, you will have your moment to shine here. But stay humble. You're still young. Treat this conference as preparation for the next Golden Core Avenue."
"Understood, Senior Mu," Zhang Yuanyuan bowed her head respectfully.
Under normal circumstances, the Golden Core Avenue opened every hundred to two hundred years. Though it wouldn't be as grand as the recent world-reopening event, it would still be a major gathering of the younger generation's stars. The next one was due in about seventy or eighty years. They needed to start grooming their next lineup of Golden Core disciples now. This time, even those who survived the lesser three-nine tribulation would be able to participate.
"Sigh… Lady Su's sect is truly gathering talents," one of the former Holy Sons muttered, his gloom deepening even further.
Being outshone by Su Min was one thing, but now even the juniors from her sect were surpassing them. None of their own sects had managed to produce a single nine-nine tribulation survivor from the younger generation yet.
But Su Min already had a clear successor in the making. If this Zhang Yuanyuan matured smoothly, it meant Su Min could focus entirely on her own path to greater power, without a single worry for her sect's future. The sheer, frustrating completeness of it all was enough to make anyone sigh in defeat.