As the pure, dazzling Buddhist light shimmered and solidified, a monk adorned with simple yet profound jewels materialized in the center of the decaying house. His robes were humble, but the prayer beads around his neck glowed with a subdued, powerful light.
"Future Maitreya Mountain... How did you manage to get out from under their watch?"
Looking at the newly arrived monk, the ancient soul elder sneered coldly. Currently, the various Buddhist sects had mobilized considerable forces to form a massive blockade against these fallen ones, significantly reducing the pressure on the regular cultivation world.
The three major Buddhist sects were at super-sect level, their foundations deep and immense, and their numerous branches were no weaker, many having Divine Transformation experts guarding their temples. Yet now, instead of participating in the active hunt, these powerful Buddhist forces were focusing most of their strength on containment and purification, creating a spiritual net.
What intrigued him more was that this monk carried a similar, fractured aura to his own, the fragmented, incomplete sense unique to fallen ones who had severed their cultivation. However, since this monk hadn't resorted to devouring living beings to restore himself, he lacked the bloody, savage aura that clung to the others like a stain.
These orthodox monks all devoutly believed in the cycle of reincarnation, viewing suffering in this life as repaid karma for past sins, or as an investment for a better next life. Thus, they would never normally choose to sever their cultivation, seeing it as a violation of natural law. But this one before him was clearly different.
"This old monk was entangled in inescapable karmic bonds and had no choice but to sever them to leave that prison. But to eliminate a great sin, it was worth the sacrifice."
Hearing the elder's skeptical words, the monk named Liao Meng replied with a calm, unshakable demeanor, as if discussing the weather and not his own shattered path to immortality.
He was the final, hidden trump card of Future Maitreya Mountain, a genuine Unity-stage cultivator at his peak, a figure who could once shake the heavens. However, after his last reincarnation, he had yet to regain his former world-shaking strength. Worse, he had become entangled in a specific, dire karma, and had spent the last few decades gradually severing his own cultivation to escape.
Now, his cultivation was only at the early Dao Comprehension stage, and it was nearly impossible for him to ever restore himself to the Unity stage in this lifetime. But he had no intention of devouring living beings to speed the process, as that would only bring back the very karma he had sacrificed so much to sever.
This was his only option in this lifetime, a last, desperate resort. Because that person, Su Min, had to be dealt with. Once she was killed, the future threat would be neutralized, and he would return to his mountain to peacefully enter nirvana, his duty fulfilled.
Though losing him, a former Unity-stage powerhouse, would leave Future Maitreya Mountain unable to recover its peak strength for millennia, they would still retain sufficient power for self-preservation. However, if that woman reached the Dao Comprehension stage, it would spell true, irreversible disaster for them.
From the future he had painstakingly observed, once she reached the Dao Comprehension stage, Future Maitreya Mountain would be utterly defenseless against her. She could breach their strongest defenses despite all their hidden cards and ancient formations, and if she wasn't stopped now, the glorious future they desired and worked for would never come to pass.
That was what truly terrified them. Thus, they had to act, regardless of the cost or the means.
"Are you saying the one who killed those three fallen ones was the Five Elements Holy Body? And that there were two such existences in that snowy plain? The Lunar Sovereign and her protector?"
"I only want the Five Elements Holy Body holder dead. The Lunar Sovereign girl, her flesh, her essence, the legacy... all of that is yours."
"What is your name, monk?"
"This old monk's dharma name is Liao Meng."
"Then it's settled. We have an accord."
The elder spoke indifferently, unsurprised by the proposition. They had prior experience covertly cooperating with certain fallen ones from orthodox backgrounds, which was partly why this hunt for the legendary physiques had become so notorious and effective.
As for the monk's credibility, the ancient soul elder had no doubts. Future Maitreya Mountain's specialty was observing the threads of the future, a rare and dangerous art. But glimpsing the future was no easy feat. Beyond the immense karmic entanglements it created, the future was never truly fixed, always a river of shifting possibilities.
Thus, many pragmatic cultivators saw little point in learning such troublesome and uncertain techniques. Still, there were undeniable benefits, like being able to directly perceive certain key pieces of information, such as the fact that Su Min had entered the Lunar Tomb.
This crucial knowledge had come at a great personal cost to Liao Meng. Had he not sought this specific vision, he could have retained mid-stage Dao Comprehension strength. Now, he was only at the early stage, his soul permanently weakened.
As for his escape from the Buddhist blockade, it was simple in execution; the blockading cultivators were only at the Divine Transformation stage. A genuine Dao Comprehension expert, even a weakened one, slipping past them unnoticed wasn't difficult. Now, he had arrived here at the perfect time, as foreseen.
For them, for the sake of their sect's survival and desired future, any means could be used to achieve their goals.
Even allying with these fallen ones, these devourers of life, was acceptable. Nothing was off-limits.
"Good. Then everything will proceed as planned. This time, we must kill them both. No survivors."
Soon, the two Dao Comprehension experts reached a dark agreement. Moreover, the elder knew that without Liao Meng's help, he would struggle to even locate the hidden entrance to the tomb. And since the monk had sought him out and provided accurate information, he must have already pinpointed the location through his visions.
Within the quiet, hallowed depths of the Lunar Tomb, Su Min finally drew a slow, deep breath, her consciousness rising from the depths like a diver breaking the surface, emerging from her six-year-long seclusion.
Her raw cultivation level hadn't advanced a stage; she remained firmly at Divine Transformation mid-stage.
But her soul had undergone a profound transformation.
She could feel it, clear and vast like the sky after a cleansing rain, her spiritual sense expanded and refined. With this newfound soul strength, even refining seventh-grade pills would no longer be out of reach. The high-level Dao Comprehension Pill she had once promised to the Frost Pavilion could now be scheduled in earnest, its complex formulae now within her grasp.
She remembered her promise to the Frost Pavilion's lord, and her lips curved slightly in satisfaction. She never made empty promises. Grand or simple, she always delivered.
Just as she was about to stretch her stiff limbs, she blinked, and nearly leapt out of her skin in surprise.
A familiar, flawless face was leaning in dangerously close, watching her with an unnerving intensity.
"You're finally awake?"
Xie Yingying's voice was light and playful, clearly holding back laughter. She had been waiting for this moment for days; opportunities to catch the ever-composed Su Min truly off guard were far too rare to waste.
"You scared me half to death!"
Su Min instinctively scooted back, a hand on her chest, her expression a mix of genuine startlement and half-exasperated affection. During her deep soul breakthrough, she had deliberately blocked out nearly all external senses to avoid distraction. But this was the heart of the Lunar Tomb; even those three half-step Dao Comprehension cultivators hadn't been able to force their way in. She'd let her guard down completely, feeling utterly safe.
Who would've thought the real danger would be her own wife, lying in wait just to startle her?
"You absorbed it, didn't you? That thing."
Xie Yingying didn't waste time with small talk, getting straight to the point. The moment she had laid eyes on Su Min's newly solidified soul aura, she had her answer. The malevolent pressure of the evil soul that once lurked in the tomb's depths, it was gone, replaced by a pure, potent stillness.
Su Min nodded calmly. "Absorbed and purified. It's gone for good."
There was no need to hide anything from her. They were beyond such secrets.
"And Senior Jiang? What became of her?"
"Yao Xian'er took her soul away. She's safe."
Xie Yingying blinked, processing this. "...What? Took her? How?"
"She didn't tell you in the legacy?" Su Min asked, a little surprised that this was news.
Xie Yingying shook her head, genuinely confused. "Tell me about what?"
"Their relationship," Su Min said, choosing her words carefully. "It's… somewhat similar to ours. Deeply intertwined."
A brief, understanding pause followed between them.
"The full details are unclear, but I saw enough of their interaction to understand the bond. With Yao Xian'er's abilities, reviving a soul like Jiang Xi's, especially one so well-preserved in this tomb, shouldn't be difficult. Though… she probably can't restore the original Lunar Sovereign Physique. Jiang Xi will have to start over with a new body, a new path."
Xie Yingying lowered her gaze, a faint but visible relief softening her previously worried expression. She hadn't wanted to admit, even to herself, how heavily the kind senior's sudden disappearance had weighed on her heart.
"…Then it's settled. That's… that's good."
She stretched with a sigh of genuine ease, her arms rising in a graceful arc that outlined her slender yet powerful figure in the tomb's dim, magical light. Su Min's gaze followed the movement for an appreciative moment, but then something else, something far more pressing, caught her attention.
"Dao Comprehension stage?"
That familiar, warm aura surrounding Xie Yingying had fundamentally shifted. The very laws around her now resonated with a clarity and authority that was unmistakably at the Dao-level. Su Min immediately noticed the profound change.
"Hehe. That's right! Now you can't beat me~"
Xie Yingying puffed up proudly, her chest out, her voice dripping with playful smugness. She wasted no time before stepping forward and grabbing Su Min into a tight, possessive hug, wrapping her arms firmly around her waist and giving her a few solid, affectionate pats on the back.
"As expected," Su Min muttered, her voice a mix of genuine admiration and wry, self-deprecating laughter. She had seen this coming.
Though Xie Yingying had never said it out loud, Su Min knew. Being constantly overshadowed in cultivation speed had always stung her pride, just a little. Su Min had outpaced her in nearly everything without seemingly trying, and though Xie Yingying never complained and was always supportive, that core of pride was still there, tucked carefully beneath her calm and loving exterior.
Now, for this moment at least, she finally had the undeniable upper hand.
Even if Su Min knew it likely wouldn't last.
The Five Elements Holy Body had yet to reach its true, world-shaking peak. And once it did… well, Su Min wouldn't be someone anyone, even a fellow legendary physique holder, could easily catch up to anymore. But for now, Xie Yingying had this moment of victory, and Su Min was happy to let her enjoy it.
"Alright, enough gloating already."
Su Min rolled her eyes, though the faint, undeniable curve of her lips betrayed her inner amusement. Xie Yingying's hug, while warm and deeply affectionate, didn't quite compare in sheer, overwhelming physical enthusiasm to the, ahem, fervent embraces of a certain dragon girl from her past.
And besides,
Her expression sharpened in an instant, all traces of softness vanishing.
"We've got trouble."
Without any further warning, Su Min stood up, her playful demeanor evaporating. Her gaze lifted sharply to the seemingly solid ceiling of the glacial palace above, her pupils narrowing to slits as a wave of pure, chilling killing intent flared around her like an unsheathed blade.
"Huh?"
Xie Yingying blinked, confused by the sudden, drastic shift. Just moments ago, Su Min hadn't said a word in protest about her teasing, but now she looked ready to wage a one-woman war, her aura turning as cold and sharp as the tomb's deepest ice.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
She instinctively followed Su Min's gaze upwards, her own heart beginning to pound with a familiar tension. The relaxed atmosphere was gone.
But she could already guess; if Su Min reacted with such immediate, cold fury, it wasn't something minor. Something, or someone, had invaded the periphery of this sacred space.
And the nature of Su Min's murderous aura?
It wasn't just defensive.
It was personal. It was the kind of anger that remembered past offenses.
"There are two people waiting for us outside. Two Dao Comprehension experts. Quite the investment they're making for us. But one of them feels... off. His comprehension of laws is incomplete, fractured, yet he lacks the vile, blood-soaked aura of someone who's devoured living beings to restore himself."
Su Min's expression was strange, analytical. The two intruders had concealed their auras completely, their presence hidden even from the raging snowstorm. Combined with the natural spiritual interference of the blizzard, even Xie Yingying in her new Dao Comprehension stage hadn't detected them. But this level of concealment couldn't hide from Su Min's newly enhanced, razor-sharp soul perception. The real issue was the identity of one; while one was a standard, if powerful, fallen one, the other was peculiar, an anomaly. His aura was too unusual, too contradictory.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Xie Yingying's beautiful eyes immediately filled with a chilling, focused killing intent. The vivid memory of being chased here in such a sorry state, wounded and desperate, still lingered bitterly. If not for her need to stand guard over Su Min's breakthrough, she would've gone out long ago to settle that score.
But now they dared to come again? To lay siege to her very inheritance site? No mercy would be shown this time.
Two Dao Comprehension experts? Did they really think she, the newly ascended Lunar Sovereign, would fear them? The true might of the Lunar Law hadn't been seen in the world for too long; the cultivation world had nearly forgotten its absolute, withering power.
After all, the last true Lunar Sovereign Physique's tomb was here. When Jiang Xi had died, it was still tens of thousands of years before the great Heaven and Earth Sealing event. In all that vast, intervening time, not a single new Lunar Sovereign Physique had emerged to remind the world of its terror. It was time for a reminder.
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"It's somewhat similar to ours"- heh.. That kind of sweetness only radiated from couple.
This chapter also sweet~